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 Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 8:09 am
Ripley's eyes had once more returned to their closed position and he'd moved to place one of his hands against the side of the headphone, the one on his chest still remaining as though he wanted to feel the vibrations that echoed about his chest even more. The fact that Rivener had floated a bit closer was both missed yet slightly aware in some terms of Ripley's mind, and he waited for that moment for the song to click in like it did the first time around. Silence, silence, then -!!
"Aruh!"
He made something of a weird sound as the heavy pounding erupted in his ears and Ripley jumped forward a bit, his hands leaving the headphone and his chest and practically collapsing him against the floating closer Rivener. His eyes were open wide, barely the expression of someone who really hadn't been expecting what they got, and the dark Frei exhaled sharply through his mouth as he let the sounds started to level themselves. As the sounds mellowed he shifted his hands against Rivener and pushed himself back and off, holding both palms up as if it to 'my bad'.
"Sorry about that. I suppose I wasn't expecting something that strong of a change."
There was a sheepish smile on his lips but something like a spark in his eyes. The familiar posture of his fingertips getting placed together once more occurred, the sounds of bass still pouring from the headphones, though his hands parted quickly and his expression turned dark and confused when the sounds....suddenly stopped.
"Ah, the music? Is it over already?"
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 8:27 am
Rivener laughed at the surprised sound, floating back only slightly when he was forced to catch the half-collapsing Frei. One strong arm had hooked around Ripley's shoulders to help him remain upright, and it was hard for the Scorpion not to notice the soft thrumming of his skin under the Frei's hands. It wasn't so much interest (though there certainly was some of that), but Ripley's inherent static. What an odd sensation.
Soon after the Egyptian gathered himself enough to stand on his own, lifting both hands defensively. Riv let his arm fall, grinning at Ripley in amusement. "I did tell you it'd be a strong undercurrent!" he pointed out, chuckling still.
Ripley settled into listening to the music again, assuming a position Rivener could only describe as calculating. Most movie villains stood like that, with fingertips pressed together, looking thoughtful. The Sigel angled his head in thought, studying his companion a little more acutely. Why did this position seem more... MORE Ripley than everything else so far?
Much before the song should end, Ripley opened his eyes. The faint concussions from the headphones had stopped, and before the Frei could even finish asking if it was over, Rivener lifted his mp3 player and frowned, lips drawn tight. The screen was blank. It shouldn't be blank! There was still half a battery left! Hn. Ripley must have broken it in his surprise, when he leaned up against Rivener. The Scorpion let out an annoyed sigh, red eyes flicking up to Ripley again.
"I think you'd best get your guardian over here to clean up this mess," Riv said with a smirk. "I guess I'll be getting a new MP3 player today." And he did so like new toys!
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 8:41 am
To be honest Ripley was feeling a different mix of sensations, though none of them were related in any way at all to the sigel and his touch. Ripley could have done quite well without actually coming into contact with him, he more than likely wouldn't have even fallen forward were he not so sure the other had been so close, but such thoughts were going to be kept to himself. Permanently.
The main sensation he was feeling was actually good, a bit more energetic as it were, and he probably was unaware of the fact that may or may not have just eaten most of the charge and power that ran his companion's iPod. Food and food sources had never weighed on his mind, he'd really never felt hungry enough to seek something out, but if zapping massive bolts of power like this made him feel good? He may have to look into it more.
"Sorry about that then. Let me go and get her and we'll get this taken care of."
At the mention of going and getting Rong Wei Reiply's face lit up, or rather his eyes did and his lips furled into a strange smile for a mere fraction of a second, but neither the look nor he lingered much longer as he quickly floated off towards the woman in the distance. She was easy to spot, already standing on her feet (she'd been watching and about to stomp over), and when Ripley approached her she merely shook her head and followed behind, her free hand resting on what turned out to be a shockingly bright orange cast. The duo returned quickly to the Sigel's side and Ripley pushed the woman forward with a hand to the small of her back, ushering her to speak.
"What seems to be the problem here?"
Aside from the cast, the woman also looked like crap. A busted lip added a hint of red to her already black and blue face - one of her eyes was decorated with that looked like two or more bruises in soft shades of healing. There was a small laceration above her nose, not to mention her overall displeased expression.
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 9:02 am
Rivener simply watched as Ripley floated off towards his guardian wearing that malevolent, highly amused rictus. One of the Sigel's eyebrows arched up, wondering what that was all about. Ripley had admitted his guardian wasn't all that good, but he looked like he did mean it when he'd said he was fine with her. In fact he looked like he enjoyed going over to her, in the same way a cat enjoyed cornering a mouse. Rivener's face fell into a strangely worried frown. What was going on here?
Ripley returned with Rong Wei, the chinese woman looking like she'd been in a street brawl. Riv blinked at her with much more curiosity than concern. He flicked his gaze over to Ripley, scouring that face for any trace of feeling... Hn. Riv smirked. So Ripley DID know how to defend himself. Good, then. The Scorpion couldn't care less if a human got hurt, as long as a Raevan benefited from it.
"The problem is that Ripley accidentally broke my iPod," Riv answered, still unaware that it was only a drained battery problem. As far as he knew, the mp3 player was completely busted. "He said you'd be glad to pay for me to get a new one." Alright, so maybe Ripley hadn't said that word for word, but Rivener figured that would be fine.
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 9:25 am
"You broke his iPod? What the hell were you doing?"
If Rong Wei was intending to sound harsh she fell far flat from her goal, her words more like a stating whisper and her eyes not even moving to look over at Ripley or at Rivener. Her hand was still on her cast, it was likely very very new and she was still not used to the sensation on her skin or the limited movement it provided, but there was nothing else for her to do. She merely sighed and finally raised her head up to look over at the Sigel, and from the look on her face and the grin that washed over Ripley's now and then, either Rong Wei was terrified of Rivener or terrified of the creature who still had his hand on the small of her back.
"Is there a chance it's a problem with the battery, or did he completely fry it? Did - awk ******** it, this isn't worth talking over. Just tell me how much money you need and let me get the hell out of here. He can stay with you or go with me, but I don't want to deal with this."
There was some mumbling in Chinese, likely cursing, and Ripley mimiced a few of the sounds and got a few responses in turn. Rong Wei reached into her pocket for wallet (she didn't carry a purse those were for pusses), and she opened the center fold to expose several large bills. Carrying a card was passe, she carried cash. Always.
"It was an accident. And you should really introduce yourself to Rivener, you're making yourself look bad."
"Please don't act like you care about what I do and don't do. Stop."
Rong Wei started counting out money, turning to look at the Sigel again.
"Well?"
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Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 10:50 am
Rivener hadn't yet done anything to Rong Wei or even so much as spoken to her, so he was definitely under the impression that it wasn't HIM she was terrified of. Ripley's occasional grins only cemented the opinion. Whatever Rivener might have worried about, it was unfounded. Rong Wei didn't mistreak Ripley: Ripley mistreated Rong Wei. She probably deserved it, if she was as mean and unbending as the Egyptian had said.
Rivener made a mental note: Ripley knew how to get what he wanted, and stopped at nothing to get it. Violence was obviously of no consequence to the Frei. Ripley was dangerous. Much more so than Riv himself, as oft as he poisoned people. But, as long as he and Ripley were on the same team, Rivener found no reason to fear the staticky Raevan.
More to the point presently, Rivener had Rong Wei by the balls. He smirked. Had she no concept of business? Riv had watched Felix run HIS business long enough to know that when someone didn't want to discuss things, when they looked like they just wanted to get the ******** out, they'd pay just about anything. And the Sigel was not beyond taking advantage of that.
"400$," he said, turning his head up slightly. That was the price of a current, top-of-the-line iPod. More than his was worth, but he doubted Rong Wei knew the price of such a device. If she knew about mp3 players, she'd have one, and Ripley would have used it by now. Seeing as the Egyptian knew nothing of headphones, Riv assumed he was correct in his assumption. "And you should listen to Ripley about introducing yourself, it's only polite. What kind of example are you setting for him, being so rude?"
Rivener grinned. He wasn't usually the type to openly harrass a human, much less a guardian, but if Ripley brought his caught mouse over to play, Riv would play.
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 6:16 pm
"You're shitting yourself if you think I'm going to cold drop four hundred to get you a brand new model. Yours is very clearly something worth hardly over one-seventy-five, so at max you're getting two hundred from me."
Rong Wei pulled out two crisp hundreds from her wallet and held them between her good fingers, wallet and all held in a single hand. Her casted arm was pressed slightly against her hip and she frowned at the pressure it was giving against the bone, but for all output the modesty and timidity this woman had been showing vanished as soon as the Sigel had started to speak. If Rong Wei was frightened of anything it would be only Ripley, as she wasn't even remotely blanching at Rivener.
"And as for manners, you start popping off at me wanting my money then you give up your name first. I'd say you're the one who was raised rude. I at least taught Ripley here how to do proper introductions."
Ripley raised an eyebrow at Rong Wei's tone but didn't say or do anything, instead simply floating behind the woman. His hand had removed itself from her back and once again his fingers were touching as he observed this interaction. If Rivener wanted to raise his hand to the woman he wasn't quite sure as to what he was going to do, but this was certainly something worth watching and thinking over.
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 11:28 am
Rivener raised an eyebrow, the amused look vanishing from his eyes. This woman was positively disgusting in her unpleasantness. No wonder Ripley broke her. Any shred of sympathy instantly dissolved from the Sigel and it was easily apparent in his suddenly cold demeanor. The grimace across his face was a result of the sudden surge from his wings, a faint creak heard as the sharp limbs pushed against the bindings strongly. Had his damned wings been freed, they'd have snapped open wide and begun dripping venom. He itched to sting this woman, but he had to settle for a slight baring of his teeth and a low growl.
"What do YOU know about how much these are worth. You pay for the name, and this is a real iPod. Even if it's not the most recent, it's not old. At the very least 300$."
He blatantly left his name out of the conversation, just as the woman had done. This was no longer as fun as it should be.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 11:13 am
"Two hundred, and that's my final wave. You can get the rest out of Ripley somehow if he's the one who broke it - use his body or something to pay the rest. He has no problems laying his hands on others, I'm sure he won't mind letting someone else touch all over him."
The Chinese woman shoved the money into Ripley's hands without waiting for the Sigel (or Frei) to say anything, her eyes cold as she looked the pair over. It would taste a few lies now to say she wasn't nervous because of the sheer size of the Sigel or his overall presense, but dammit Rong Wei was Rong Wei - she wasn't going to let herself get completely bowled over more than once. She wouldn't be taken by surprise ever again, at least not while she was awake and able to comprehend what was going on.
"When you're done Ripley, come and get me. We're going out after this and you can't say s**t about it."
With that the Chinese woman (quickly) walked off, back towards where she had been before, and she didn't even so much as spare a glance over her shoulder as she retreated. Ripley still had a mostly bemused expression on his face, his palm curling around the crisp bills she'd given to him. He was a bit disappointed that the woman hadn't said or done much more, though her end results and the expressions that his companion wore on his face, on his body posture - it was more than enough.
Good.
If he'd wanted to get cocky he could have said 'according to plan' or something else along those lines, but Ripley really didn't have much of a plan. He had something he wanted done in the future, for certain, but he wasn't that into thinking that far ahead just yet. For now focusing on the little things was what he needed; current relationships were what developed future ideals.
"I'd apologize about that, but that is how she is. Her name is Rong Wei, her personality is as you've seen. She broke her arm in an accident a few days ago and has a tendency of taking it out on others, or so I've observed."
The exact details of how the woman got injured he wasn't going to specify. If Rivener wanted to believe that Ripley had a hand in injuring the woman then let him, if it would better their rapport only - should such thoughts drive a wedge the he did not want that. Fortunately from the look of the Sigel he seemed really incensed against the human female (Ripley'd watched his wings semi-try to move) so he was in doubt that their relationship would sour.
"I...do not have any more money on me and don't really understand what she meant either. I could try to get more from her but I don't think the end result would be what either of us want."
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 11:42 am
Rivener's sneer only grew, teeth bared fully now, as the woman continued to speak. Was she honestly just offering Ripley's body, pimping him out like a prostitute? The Scorpion's hackles raised, offended beyond reason. This person was horribly unsatisfactory as a guardian. He'd be talking to Alex at length about this when he got home, in the hopes that she'd report it to Dr Kyou himself. And if nothing else was done about it, perhaps Rivener would take matters into his own hands. What was one more murder, after all? Especially if it helped a fellow Raevan. Not that Riv would let Ripley know his plan, of course. The Egyptian was under the impression that he was perfectly content with Rong Wei, but that's only because he didn't know any better.
Riv growled one last time and rolled his shoulders and neck, trying to ease himself out of the tension in his spine. He needed to flex his wings too, they felt uncomfortable after all that painful pulling... He sighed, frustrated.
"200$ will do. No need to press for more. And as for what she meant, it's best you don't know. ...Rong Wei, is it. She's a horrible person." Riv held out his hand for the bills, frowning at Ripley, red eyes burning intensely. "Don't ******** let her do whatever the hell she wants. You're better than her. We're better than any human."
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 12:10 pm
This....this was perfect. If Ripley were any less of a Raeven and more like a giddy school girl he would have let the smile that was exploding inside his chest burst out onto his face, he would have floated around punching the air with delight and trying to do some kind of awkward to watch dancing. Instead he merely kept that look on his face, the one of confusion, though for a moment or two a dark smile winked itself over his eyes and made them almost glint with coldness. Rejoicing inwardly was fine, he could brag to a pillow or something later about his success.
Gingerly, almost as if he was trying to stop himself from trembling with excitement but instead pulling to look a little timid as though Rivener's outbursts unnerved him, Ripley extended his hand over and placed the cash against the Sigel's waiting hand. He rather liked the feel of another Raeven's hands, not that he'd admit it, but there was something about knowing this creature was the same as him (in a manner of speaking) that allowed him to feel far more comfortable than whenever a human touched him. Humans were disgustingly weak and full of so many things that could not be explained. They both unnerved and irritated him at the same time.
"I'll take it on your judgment then not to ask, at least not right now. I hope one day you'll tell me what she meant, or at least show me in a manner of speaking."
There was a pause in how he spoke, as if he were trying to figure out what to say next. Rivener was already on his side, there was likely very little he could do to chase him away. Still, it was better to error on the side of caution. He'd been watching how uncomfortable the other Raeven looked in regards to his wings and since he'd been avoiding the topic for so long why not bring it up now? His own set sort of flittered as he moved, clinking together like a windchime of pure metal.
"Sorry for saying, but do your wings...hurt? Is there anything I can do to help alleviate some of that pain?"
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 12:33 pm
Rivener could tell something was going on with Ripley. There was an air of restrained excitement about him, and more than once the Scorpion thought he saw pure glee flash across those eyes... But no matter. Riv would find out more about Ripley later, in the Stars. As long as the Raevan was pleasant (and he was), that's all that mattered.
Requesting Riv one day tell him what Rong Wei meant was fine, but Rivener doubted he'd SHOW. The thought of showing Ripley what it meant was making the Sigel rather warm, heating up at the mental imagery... But he'd not act on it. He'd made himself a promise to be true to Zul, and he'd keep it. He pushed that train of thought out of his head for now.
"Grhn," Rivener growled again at the mention of his wings. "There's nothing you can do. It's more uncomfortable than painful now... They'll be fine soon. Thank you for offering to help, though." The Sigel nodded. He was clearly unwilling to dwell on this topic very long, sighing as he changed the subject. "I suppose I should get going then... I'll go buy a new iPod right away. As for you, my number and my guardian's number should be on the lab's contact sheet, if you've received it. Be sure to call me if that horrific b***h does anything to you." Riv leveled the woman a scathing glare that she didn't see, looking away as she was.
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Posted: Sun May 30, 2010 7:18 pm
"Sorry I brought it up then, no harm no foul. I do hope you get better soon, and when you do I'd love to see them."
At the subject change, Ripley followed along. It was amusing to find he wasn't the only one to change subjects quickly when certain things were brought up, this in this case it seemed his conversation partner was clearly avoiding something. Ripley didn't avoid things, he merely scooted them to the side to be brought up later. Everything had a place, everything had a time. He'd brought something out at the right time and it had worked to his advantage. The Frei was learning, and at a staggering pace.
"As for calling you, I don't know how to operate a phone nor do I think Rong Wei kept that number to the Lab. Shortly after she brought me home she tore it up and cursed about the man who delivered me to her, so that is something I cannot obtain."
The Frei's hands were back together for only a moment before he lowered them to his side and started to float backwards with a turn, indicating that he would be departing as well. This had been a good meeting, a very fortuitous one as it were, and Ripley would not be forgetting this new. . . .companion any time soon. He certainly knew Rivener would not forget him, nor Rong Wei, and that suited his tastes just as well.
"I'll take my leave then, and good luck. I'm sure we'll meet again soon, which I look forward to."
There was a smile, and a bob of a head, and Ripley floated off towards the woman who still fumed a little over a hundred yards away.
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