|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jan 21, 2013 5:53 pm
She had paced with impatience, debating when it would be safe to venture out behind 'Shawle', but there was really no answer. Perhaps he knew she was here? Perhaps she could take him out before he drew a gun. If he had a gun. She really regretted being unarmed.
Though he probably had just went on his way. Maybe. Maybe that was wishful thinking. Omega was looking a little bleaker when she didn't know where to go or had Cae there to guide her. Not that he owed her anything; and maybe that was the scary part. She'd been trying so hard to ignore the gnawing fear, the realization that she was still lost and alone; even in his apartment. But if he kicked her out one day she'd have no chance of getting home at all.
Home.
Sitting on the floor she pulled her knees into her chest and rested her forehead against them, ignoring her own wheezing. Here in the dark it was harder to pretend she was alright. It was a little easier to feel positive and cling to hope when there was a warm couch to sit on and things to learn and a burny box to feed. Did that make her weak? Was that why her brother would pick on her? Why she never really quite fit the SPARTAN mold?
Her ears flattened as she banged her head against her knees a few times in frustration at herself. This would do her no good. There had to be an answer, some solution she couldn't see yet. There was no way this was a simple training exercise, something had gone horribly wrong. If only she could figure it out, or even just understand where the ******** she was. Omega, yea, but where was that? How far from home?
Shaking her head to clear the useless thoughts, she concentrated on her breathing and tried to steady it. Panic wasn't useful, fear would only make her task impossible. Focus, she just had to focus.
Ears swiveling up to the sound of the door popping open, Tayce sprung to her feet and scurried away quickly before remembering she was waiting for a chance like this to duck out. Turning around to see the bright square of light that thankfully was toned down due to her helmet, she saw a shadowed figure standing in the doorway. Just... standing there. Well, not for long anyway. The male, and it had to be based on the movements and outline, stepped into the warehouse.
She twitched and ducked behind a container of one sort or another, not bothering to worry about that little detail at the moment. She was too far to make for the door without alerting him, and it would be suspicious if the door just opened to empty air. Something was nagging at the back of her mind though, and she couldn't quite place it in her adrenaline-surging brain.
Another moment passed, and another, and then as the glow of the omnitool illuminated his face at just the right angle she stood up. Why did he come to find her, and how did he track her down?
Her tail twitched with the conflicting thoughts racing about, but then he called her name and there was something about it that made the anger slip away.
Bounding up to him with a huff, she launched herself at him as she decloaked and clung to his face. Wheezing and coughing in an attempt at a laugh as she realized this was just like before, she suddenly let go and hopped off; remembering his wounded leg.
And that she was angry at him. Maybe. Giving him a look though he couldn't see through her visor, she huffed and then backed up, giving herself enough space to sit on the floor with her back to him again, tail tip swishing in agitation.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2013 6:58 pm
Cae looked around into the poorly lit warehouse (was that always done on purpose? It seemed counter-intuitive. But then again, he just killed people or guarded people from being killed, what did he know?), trying to be alert for movement or shadows or anything that would indicate he wasn't chasing some vermin that had picked up Tace's omnitool.
That thought sent chills down his spine. What would he do if something happened to her? She didn't know her way around, and it wasn't that hard to make someone disappear on Omega - he had a hand in a few such...'accidents' in his time here, after all. He was never given all of the details, but after so many contracts he was able to see the bigger picture. If she was...gone, he would have less strain on his credits for sure, and it wasn't like he really knew her or where she came from; no kin to inform. How sad would that be, if he was the only semblance of family she had left?
He shook his head, trying not to dwell on the thought. Pulling up his omnitool again, he stared at it, trying to come up with something he could do besides follow where the arrow pointed. The sound of movement snapped him out of his thoughts, and he reached for his pistol, but was taken off guard as the familiar armor blinked into existence in front of him, and taken off his feet as she collided with his head.
Throwing his hands back to soften the fall, his pistol fell to the floor and slid away as she knocked him over, making some sort of wheezing sound that he had come to realize was laughter. The relief that she was alright was quickly replaced by pain shooting up his injured leg, and he hissed through his teeth as she jumped off of him, perhaps similarly remembering his injury.
Shrugging off the pain as best he could, he sat up, and was presented with the small female huffing at him and sitting down with her back turned to him. Upset at something, if her tail was any indication. What the hell? He had tracked her down, found her when she was lost, to which she seemed grateful for. Growling, he barked at her in frustration, and a bit of pain.
"Dammit Tace, I was worried sick about you! What the hell is your problem?!"
Though, thinking about it for a moment, maybe she was still upset about earlier. Not that he could really get a response out of her for it, or really do anything right now. Could he?
He groaned lightly out of frustration, slowly pulling himself to his feet and working out the pain in a hobble as he retrieved his pistol. Holstering the gun, he walked to where she sat, tail still twitching in agitation. They weren't in immediate danger here, like the warehouse where he had found her, but he still didn't want to stay around the spaceport for longer than he had to. And he wasn't about to leave her here alone.
Offering a hand to her turned back, he took a deep breath and tried again, his voice softer, if not weary.
"Just...come on Tace, let's go home..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 5:58 pm
At his sharp and loud words Tayce sat up bolt right, feeling the rage as if it was a tangible thing trace up her spine. Ears flicking back in acknowledgement of the sentiment; she just put strain on his injury after all, she continued to snap her tail first this way than that and ignored him.
Even when he started to move, she still kept her back to him. At this point it was more a principle of the thing rather than her being angry. She was too relieved to be angry, but still his reaction to her had been beastly at best. Trying to help him with his injuries was the least she could do, and it was just so frustrating to be cooped up all day; unable to understand enough to do anything on her own. Huffing as she heard the familiar click of a gun being holstered, Tayce shifted her weight slightly to square off her shoulders to the sound, making sure to keep him perfectly centered to her back.
She could tell he was approaching and curiously glanced over her shoulder, peeking at him as he reached out his hand. Facing forward again as he sighed, she tilted her head as he spoke again. His interpretation of her name she understood, but nothing else, though the tone was pretty pleading. An apology? She didn't hear 'sorry', and she knew that one. Facing her ears back towards him before snapping them to forward attention again, she pulled her tail into her lap and huffed at him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2013 8:46 pm
He stood there for a moment with his hand outstretched for her, frowning a bit when Tace just huffed and pulled her tail into her lap. Her ears at least acknowledged that she'd heard him, so this was just her being stubborn. Or something.
His own ears folded back and he bared his teeth for a moment. He didn't want to stay around here any longer than he had to, but he couldn't think of any way to get her back to his place other than...carrying her. Which wasn't going to happen with his leg, not that he would be able to carry her the whole way regardless. That armor was heavy. Dragging her home would probably lead to more complications than he ever wanted to deal with, not the least of which would be that she would probably not go along with the idea.
Unless? What if he didn't have to drag or pick her up? Cae grinned for a moment and skritched his chin at the seemingly novel concept, it might just work...
"Fine. Good luck finding your way back without me."
With that he turned on his good leg and did his best to walk to the door without stumbling, not bothering to look behind him as he passed through the doorway, letting it slide shut behind him. Grinning a little to himself at how clever he was, he took a few steps to the side of the warehouse before carefully leaning up against the wall, pulling up his omnitool's tracking function again so he would have a general idea of her movements.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Feb 08, 2013 2:42 pm
She didn't move when he spoke, unsure what he'd said but noting the tone had changed again. Tayce did turn around though when she heard his footsteps receding, ears dropping in realization. He was... leaving? She wheezed as all the air escaped her lungs when the door clicked in place behind him. Several moments passed by before the implications set in and her eyes grew wide behind her faceplate.
No! No she didn't want to be left here! But, she couldn't follow either. It wasn't fair, she couldn't keep putting his life in danger indirectly so she could eat. But without him it would take years to figure out where she was or how to get home... if she ever did at all. There was a very real possibility that she wouldn't be able to survive after all. Frustration and anger overwhelmed her as she slapped her hands against the floor. <******** herself over or potentially kill Cae. Which would screw herself over anyway. Which just wasn't fair! This wasn't something she could just point a gun at and shoot, now could she?
Rocking back and forth as she rested her helmeted head in her hands, she huffed and coughed as she pulled a hard breath out of her air compressor; struggling to keep herself together. There had to be an answer here, some solution she hadn't seen yet. What was it? She had to get home, wherever the hell that was. She had to figure out how this happened. It was supposed to be just another drill, just another test run of a new Spartan's abilities on the field. Like so many others.
A loud and low hiss sounding as she gritted her teeth over the tubing, she balled her hands into fists over and over; finally unable to take the inaction any longer and getting up to pace around the dark warehouse.
She was transported here, and this wasn't the same planet. Couldn't be. And that right there didn't make any sense. Tayce had never heard of a transporter working that far of a distance. Or just depositing people in the middle of nothing without another portal being present, and she knew there wasn't another portal because she'd spent a week in that warehouse tearing everything apart looking for one. And for food, couldn't forget that.
How hungry she'd been, and how inedible everything had turned out to be. Shuddering at the memory of her retching in a corner and trying to breathe at the same time made her nearly gag. That stupid energy bar that Cae had handed her had been the first thing she'd really been able to digest since...
And what had he paid for that bar? A couple of bullets? A long night soaked in blood? It hadn't seemed so bad until he came home covered in, in-
She shook her head at the visual her mind painted of him limping and snarling into the bathroom, gore dripping down his arms and legs; red footprints following his movements.
Angry at herself for letting it come to that, a silent cry that sounded nothing more like a breathy huff escaped her as she pounded her shoulder into the nearest container. The damn thing nearly tipped over as her considerable weight with the armor and augmentations rocked it, which only lead Tayce to beating the poor thing up. Punching the metal with her protected hands, she wheezed and coughed as she took out her frustrations on the helpless box. Eventually she kicked it hard enough that instead of a new dent the whole thing just turned over with a loud boom.
Great, her little tantrum would probably attract some unwanted guest and she'd be in yet another struggle without a weapon. And probably another one shortly after that when she'd have to steal her next meal. If she could even find anything edible. It would have to be another human she raided, and frankly there didn't seem to be many here. Unless she stole from Cae, which brought her right back to being a burden. What good was all her training if she couldn't even survive in some alien city? if Cae could carve out a niche for himself surely she could find some way... if she could understand the language. And even then it wasn't like anyone could understand her. This hadn't ever been a problem before, hand signals and minimal radio chatter, but it was so much easier when she could understand what the fellow Spartans were saying.
Learning the basic language here was taking forever, even with immersion. Without the omnitool that Cae had given her there would be no way- and she'd never be able to repay him would she? It's not like she could even say 'Thank you'. Though.. maybe she could help somehow. She didn't have to understand what was said to follow Cae around, and after that it was simple. Anything that attacked him would just have a nasty surprise to deal with. Keeping him safe... or at least safer, seemed a fair trade off. She'd just refuse anything he offered and would stop mooching, eventually she could earn her own way maybe. But first she had to pay him back, and perhaps this could work.
If she could find him in the crowd. How long had it been? Maybe she could cloak and get lost in the crowd long enough to catch up, or just... maybe she could retrace her steps until she found his place again. Something. Any plan was better than none. And 'Shawle' was long gone by now, if Cae was able to enter and go without the other human making an entrance. There was nothing left to wait for, and if she didn't hurry this would become more problematic than she'd be able to deal with.
Cloaking, she took a deep breath, losing half of it right away in a cough, before scuttling out the door and immediately hugging the wall on the outside.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 2:16 pm
Caecilius watched his omnitool with a faint grin. Now that she was uncloaked he had a precise reading on her, a dot moving around within the confines of the box that represented the warehouse. Whatever she was doing in there, she was making quite a racket, and the floor plating even vibrated faintly after a particularly loud noise. Cae just assumed it was a crate, given the building and the dot's continued movement.
Well, this had seemed like a good idea at first. He had assumed she would chase after him rather than be left alone, but now he was a little confused at her...destructive response. He wasn't about to leave her here, she had done nothing wrong that merited that, merely been stubborn. Or maybe frustrated, since even with the omnitool and his help, communication was difficult at best. But there wasn't much else he could do aside from the omnitool and language programs he had installed for her. Someone had to earn credits.
It would be nice if he could send her off on her own, since she would most likely be paid a lot more. Real soldiers were hard to find for the most part, plus with her spec-ops look and all. But the problem was that she couldn't talk, and didn't understand any known language enough to work on her own, for which he had been patient. No sense in forcing a mute human into a situation she couldn't understand.
On the other hand, he was well aware of her strength and combat skills. He would love to take her on at some point, but that armor seemed augmented, and that just wasn't fair. A nice hand-to-hand in just plain clothes though? He'd be more than happy to go at it.
Or go at it without clothes, perhaps...?
He shook the thoughts from his mind, the spaceport wasn't the place to get distracted.
Blinking, he watched the tracking dot disappear, replaced by the 'signal lost' error. That meant she had cloaked, and the arrow that took its place told him she was finally heading out the door. Good, yes, but he had no idea what state she would be in.
Thinking he would rather wrestle with her unclothed than in full power-armor, he dashed a few steps away before shifting into a leisurely walk. Not wanting to lose her, but he had no idea how she would react if she found him standing next to the door. He kept his omnitool tracking her though, just in case.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2013 8:09 pm
Blinking at the light for a moment, she angled her head away and looked around cautiously. A few passerby, but no one spared a glance her way or at the door that apparently mysteriously opened. Mentally scanning faces and bodies Tayce caught sight of Cae's retreating form and slid along the side of the warehouse until she either had to leave the comforting solid form at her back or lose Cae in the crowd.
Weaving and ducking, the Spartan cut through the crowd, particularly avoiding Turians and their uncanny knack for sensing her. Still, it was a relief to be moving, doing something, rather than just worrying over everything. Pushing her emotions to the side and focusing on a mission of sorts. Though if she were honest with herself she was still miffed at him, but really it was her fault for being so reliant on him in the first place.
Well, she was planning to change that, wasn't she.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 8:32 am
As if Tace face-hugging him wasn't familiar enough, now he was leading her cloaked-self back to his apartment. He wasn't sure if this time was any less reluctant on her part, but from the occasional glance at his omnitool she was still following him, for one reason or another.
And once again, he paused at each hatch or doorway that would prove difficult, though this time not sure if she would signal him like the first time. These pauses were for him as much as her though; he needed an excuse to rest or stretch his wounded leg. The meds had started to kick in at least, but he'd need to stop straining it soon. He still wasn't sure how to handle her stubbornness or his reaction when he'd first come home. At least not in a way he thought that she could understand right now.
A problem for another time though. This sector wasn't too bad, but no need to be distracted, especially with his cloaked shadow. Besides, the adrenaline high was wearing off since he wasn't panicking or worrying about where she had gone or what might have happened to her. With that gone, his body was reminding him that he needed sleep, with a vengeance. At each stop he kept pushing himself, getting closer, almost there, you can sleep soon...
And when he finally reached the door to his apartment? It was all he could do to not lean against it and nap right there. He managed to open the door and shamble in, simply assuming that Tace would follow, as she had stayed with him so far.
Once through the doorway he lazily stripped out of his armor, lightly tossing the pieces into a corner for now, he could get them repaired after he slept.
It was only when he was putting his heavy pistol away that he noticed the absence in the apartment. Nobody on the couch, or scraping along the walls, or bouncing over by the incinerator. Cae looked around a bit, wondering if she was just being sneaky to spite him or something, before calling out for the phantom he had worried about not that long ago.
"Tace...?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2013 2:53 pm
It didn't take her long to notice that he obviously knew she was following. Her mind raced, feeding her possibilities; trackers perhaps, or maybe he had waited and watched. Something. It made sense, but it still irritated her. So much so that she denied him the courtesy of signaling him in some way to let him know where she was. Let him guess, or watch his tracker or whatever. Though her sympathy did make her cringe for him each time he stopped to tend to his injuries. This obviously wasn't fun for him, and he had trekked out like this to try and find her...
She shook her head though no one could see, a physical response to the mental need to clear her mind. Focus, she needed to focus. Quieting herself as she passed through yet another door and dodged around an Asari, Tayce pressed her ears back and thought of her training. Exercises in working as a team, or solo, how to deal with stress, hell even how to roll around in the mud the right way. This would be just like that, she just needed to focus.
Follow him back to base and camp the entrance. Shadow him and protect until such a time she could make her way home. Immerse in the alien culture and adapt to survive. Training exercise alright, exercise in suck.
Wheezing softly as she consoled herself with a deep breath, Tayce continued her trek after the mercenary. By the time they reached familiar grounds she was exhausted from the ducking and weaving, her breathing harsher than she cared for. Not that Cae looked better for the wear either. Coming to the door, finally, she waited for him to trudge through before slumping against the wall and sliding to the floor. She'd let herself rest for a bit, not that she dared to sleep. He could slip out if she did.
Not that he looked like he'd be going anywhere anytime soon.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 12:52 pm
Cae re-holstered the pistol, another wave of worry flooding through him and instantly rousing him out of drowsiness. He was sure she had been following him, at least past the last access hatch. Had she figured out he was tracking her omnitool and slipped it on him at some point?
Ears folding back, he pulled up his own omnitool, taking a few steps to see if he was just tracking his pants. The arrow pointed to the door, and its movement meant he wouldn't need to check all of his pockets. It was a good start, and with a bit more work he assumed she was right outside his door, which didn't make much sense.
He growled and opened the door again, looking around for her, despite the tracker indicating that she was cloaked. Ears folded back and arms across his chest, he wondered a moment what he could even do. Dragging her might work with such a short distance, but despite being hopped up on adrenaline again, he wouldn't be up for fighting her. For now.
Turning back into the apartment, he decided to try bribing her with food again. At the very least he could make sure she was eating something. To that end he grabbed two of his energy bars, slightly miffed to be giving her these, but with how much she seemed to enjoy the incinerator it could be another bit of bait. Something back in his mind worried about feeding a non-biotic food meant for biotics, but he didn't have much choice for now. He doubted it would give her eezo powers anyway.
Still visibly frustrated, he hobbled back to the front door and offered the two bars to the cloaked female. He half hoped to be able to lure her back in with them, but without seeing her he probably wouldn't react in time to pull the food away. He wasn't much in the mood to talk, nor did he think he could convince her that way, and so he remained silent.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2013 12:44 pm
She watched silently as the doors slid closed behind him. An ear twitched as she contemplated for a moment, but she was just didn't have it in her to pace back and forth or even attempt to sneak in and arm herself. Brute strength would have to do for now, and to that end she had to rest to have the energy should she need it. Sighing, she wiggled down and tried to find any sort of comfortable position and tried not to think about food. There had been smells in the market, both disgusting and appetizing and everything in-between; and all of it certainly exotic.
Her mind started to wander, revisiting points of interest that happened in her day. In particular that hulking alien that was smoking. What on earth was that? She'd have to look at her omnitool later and see if she could get a name for it. Something.
It was around then that she heard the doors start to open and in well-practiced reaction jumped to her feet. Cae's head poked out as if he was looking for her. It made her smile for some reason before she caught sight of what was clenched in his hand. Tilting her head though he couldn't see, Tayce eyed the energy bars as he offered them up to empty space. She quibbled with her conscience for a moment or two before snatching the proffered food.
Then came the dilemma of how to go about eating them, which would require her decloaking and that wasn't something she was willing to do quite yet. She paced in a quick circle before wheezing in distress, and then her ears folded back as she rethought her actions. It didn't make much sense to martyr herself to prove a point AND take two bars from him. One she could kind of forgive herself for, but not two.
Her breath a soft whining as she replaced one of the yoinked goods, she returned him the less damaged of the two packages; this one was only a -little- squished, before skittering away with her dinner. She'd have to wait for him to go back into his apartment before eating it though, not that it made sense but it's what felt right. She tucked it away instead, going back to her patch of wall and turning to look at him curiously.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 9:03 am
With how swiftly she grabbed the offered food from him, he wondered why he even thought luring her would work in the first place. Well, first things first. Get enough sleep to heal his damn leg, then figure out how to get Tace back into his apartment. And then maybe have a nice sparring match with her. Patience wasn't always his strong point, but somehow he didn't see this going any faster. He could try challenging her outside his apartment, but striking a fighting pose while wearing barely more than pants? Somehow he didn't see that ending well, especially against a cloaked cov-ops with power armor.
His ears perked up as they tracked her movements and faint wheezing, not quite sure of what was going on or if he could or should be doing something to help. Even more puzzling was the bar that she returned to his hand, leaving her with just the one. Cae looked at it for a moment, then shook his head and turned back into his apartment, letting the door close behind him. He hesitated for a moment, but decided to lock it just in case. She had the softkey in her omnitool if she wanted to come in, after all.
That taken care of, he set her shotgun on the couch, before turning down the lights and heading back to his room. Setting his pistol on the night stand, he slid his visor next to it and collapsed onto his bed, passing out from exhaustion soon after.Aaaaaaaand done~ Story continues in Gimme Shelter (The next day)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
