[closed]

[pallantias]

Who: Athena and Aurelia Hammerlock
When: January 2nd-ish
Where: Out and about in Harashan
What: That awkward moment when you reunite with your murderbuddy but they haven't actually met you yet and also you're dating.
Warnings: None at the moment!


[It’s easy to feel bad for the local law enforcement in this case. When they were called about a “suspicious character” wandering around a commercial area in Harashan, they were probably expecting some shifty, but easily cowed drifter in baggy clothes, not an argumentative woman fully kitted out with Atlas armor and dual plasma swords. The metal mask held in one of her hands shows the one concession she’s made so far in actually showing her face -- though the officers seem hard-pressed to get anything else from her.]

I don’t care if I can pick them up later. These swords are mine. I’m not going to wander around defenseless just because they made some coward “uncomfortable.”

[All the officers’ attempts to placate and cajole her into compliance seem to fall on deaf ears and already, the scene is attracting onlookers. And despite her words, Athena’s tone doesn’t seem to say ‘you shouldn’t arrest me.’ More like, ’you couldn’t.’]

Comments

[diamondslap]

[aurelia had her sniper taken off her, as well as her pistol. she hadn't mentioned her ice diadem so it seemed to be safe for now.

taken to wandering around near where they'd been dropped off by the ship, she was almost instantly bored by the planet's mo and their forced participation in it. poor people are bizarre, and the things they need to occupy their time with is a complete joke.

a public commotion, however small, is not really a welcome change, but something aurelia decides to watch regardless. maybe if she's lucky someone'll resist arrest! anyway, she can't help but smile when, coincidence of coincides, it's athena. now, this'll definitely be a show.

she hangs back, though stays in plain view, watching. grinning, and most importantly, waiting. let the hate flow through you, athena. kill a due and entertain a bored baroness for a few seconds.]

[pallantias]

[If Aurelia is waiting for the situation to escalate, she gets her wish. One of the officers makes the mistake of putting his hand on Athena’s wrist and the result is as explosive as if he’d lit a fuse. Athena twists to the side, throwing the officer off-balance, before snapping a steel-booted kick at his shin. The man stumbles forward with a grunt of pain, placing his face in the perfect position for Athena to drive an elbow into it. Bystanders scatter as the officer reels backwards. Athena advances towards him with every intent of finishing him off, feeling positively electric at even this small burst of violence after almost three months of tedium.

“Stop! You’re under arrest!”

Athena doesn’t turn around at the other officer's shout, but she gets the distinct feeling that there’s a gun pointed at her back.]

Why? [she asks, sounding more impatient than frightened of the gun leveled at her.] I didn’t use the swords.

[diamondslap]

[she is. she is and she's very pleased with the results.

enough that she waves and calls out:] Excuse me! I was told these are the cities of love!

[aurelia cackles at her own heckling of the situation.]

How choquant! Not very peace and love of you people at all!

[pallantias]

[Athena’s head turns fractionally towards the sound of a familiar voice and then towards the officer behind her, quickly learning two essential pieces of information: 1) there is a witness from the Moira present who could report her to the captains and 2) the officer behind her is now distracted. In the relative closeness of the fray, that’s all Athena needs to get into his space and hook her arm into the joint of his, preventing him from turning the gun towards her, before slamming her other elbow into his throat and bringing a knee up to strike him in the groin. After that. it isn’t very hard to wrench the gun from his hand. She levels the gun at the doubled-over officer, itching to pull the trigger, before she remembers Essential Piece of Information #1 and freezes. Right. There’s a witness. A witness she can’t kill. Right. She has to be diplomatic.

For better or worse, diplomacy on Pandora usually consisted of pointing guns at the other party and loudly stating your demands. And Athena is nothing if not Pandoran. She backs away from the officers, gun going from the one to the other as they both slowly pick themselves up from the ground.]

You both fulfilled your objectives. You neutralized the threat, sustaining only minor injuries, and neither of you were shot, dismembered, or otherwise killed. You will report back to your superiors and tell them so.

[And then she turns the gun towards Aurelia, eyes flicking between her and the officers.] And you didn’t see anything.

[diamondslap]

[aurelia, meanwhile, is absolutely delighted. she claps and laughs sharply at the scene.]

Darling, you've nothing to worry about. [athena hasn't changed much, good to know. aurelia opts not to mention this, however. she doesn't need to make this honey badger even angrier.] That was probably the most amusing thing I've seen in the last few days!

[why is everyone so boring and non-violent, god.]

[pallantias]

[Athena is caught off-guard by the woman’s response. Generally speaking, people don’t usually applaud and laugh when she points a gun at them.]

Um… Thank you…? [That’s the correct response to a compliment, right? And that was a compliment, wasn’t it? Athena points the gun back at the officers, who are retreating with their hands up. Athena herself edges away from them and towards her crewmate. She quickly grows impatient with their slow retreat.]

You should run, [she suggests flatly, and is gratified when they follow her advice. She waits until they’re a good distance away before taking a moment to examine her newly-gotten loot. The gun certainly isn’t a legendary, but with the general lack of weaponry on the Moira, she can’t afford to be choosy.

Her gaze goes back up to the woman.] You’re Aurelia Hammerlock. [It’s a statement, not a question. Athena recognizes her from the network. And also as her assigned partner for the planet’s inane customs, but she’s already decided that she won’t mention that. Hopefully, the woman is of a similar mind. She gives her a quick once-over and then delivers a concise assessment.] I still don’t recognize you.

[diamondslap]

A shame, really.

[she continues grinning, still unperturbed by the shit that just happened.]

You haven't changed much. Actually, I think you're a bit friendlier than I remember.

[pallantias]

[Athena tilts her head in puzzlement, at a loss of how to respond to someone reminiscing about a shared experience that she herself doesn’t remember.] Are you sure you aren’t mistaking me for someone else? Atlas has no interests on Elpis and even if they did, I would have been deployed with my squad. Not a stranger.

[diamondslap]

I've only met one purple haired irritable gladiator in my time, darling. A shame, but the truth.

[she frowns, finally realising what she thought was off about athena.]

Where's your shield?

[pallantias]

[Now it’s Athena’s turn to frown. Well, frown to a greater degree than she normally does.] I don’t have a shield. [She gestures to the dual plasma swords at her side.] I fight with these. And occasionally firearms. [And as the previous fight had shown, with some very sharp elbows and knees.]

[diamondslap]

How vexing.

[the plot thickens... and aurelia really wishes it wouldn't.]

Did you say you were still working with Atlas?

[pallantias]

Yes. I-I mean-- [Her stoic demeanor falters just enough for her to give a little huff of irritation.] No. I managed to leave their employ shortly before I was taken aboard the Moira. But I didn’t take any jobs in the interim. So it would have been impossible for us to have worked together in the past. [Her tone shifts to something more ominous.] Unless you’ve worked with Atlas.

[diamondslap]

Moi, work? Detestable!

[the idea of working, let alone with atlas, disgusts her. she can't really count that kerfuffle with jack.]

Perhaps we'll just have to agree to disagree. I'm sure the memories will come flooding back when we've spent some time shooting things together again. [which actually brings her neatly into something she'd wanted to mention.] As this planet seems intent on.

[pallantias]

[It seems this woman will simply not be convinced that they don’t know each other. Which Athena supposes isn’t a bad thing. It does mean she has an ostensible ally without having to actually put any effort into socialization, which is nice.]

Not nearly as intent as Pandora. [She actually sounds somewhat put out when she says it. Though perhaps that isn’t all that surprising given how much she seemed to enjoy mauling those police officers.]

[diamondslap]

Yes, well, I can't say I'm missing the abundance of bandits running around screaming about blood casserole. [she sighs wistfully.] Actually, I am. At least there would be something to shoot without paperwork.

[and jail. ugh what kind of savage society are they stuck with?]

[pallantias]

[Finally, someone gets it.] The captains don’t post bounties, not even on crewmates who threaten them. [It’s unthinkable, really.] There was one crewman who destroyed an entire planet and all they did was confine him to the hold for a while. It’s like they don’t even know ordering one of us to kill someone is a viable option.

[diamondslap]

Good lord. You know, ordinarily I would care not a jot about such a beast, but given we're going to be stuck in the same space ship as him, I must say. I'll be looking into airlock locations as soon as we return to the ship.

[so he can be fired out of them, obviously.]

These people, [she says, glaring at an unfortunate passer-by.] seem to be living blissfully in some sort of savagely uncivilised society. I'll bet there's not one legendary on this entire planet. Disgusting!