[h3]Girl talk[/h3] [b]A Rtronian and Dervanator Production[/b] Serena wandered towards the hanger with a pained groan. Everything hurt. Her shoulders. Her neck. Her face. She was pretty sure even her atoms hurt. [color=hotpink]“Ugh. Fuck. Why did I explode him. Because I didn’t want to die. Right.”[/color] She slowly rolled to her feet. [color=hotpink]“Still debating whether that was worth it. This whole, oh dear god do I hurt, not dying thing. If the pain meds could kick in at any time, that’d be great.”[/color] Serena made her way slowly into the garage, sighing as a familiar trashy music began to slowly grow louder. [color=hotpink]“Perfect! Someone I need to talk too.”[/color] She spoke cheerfully, wincing at the pain. [color=hotpink]“Tanya!”[/color] She called as she entered the hangar. [color=hotpink]“Turn that crap down! I want to talk!”[/color] Tanya’s head poked out from under the Yolac as she slid out on a wheeled board that let her move under the vehicle without crawling. [color=cyan]”That means it’s working!”[/color] she called back, disappearing under the truck again. Sparks were flying under the chassis as she used her omni-tool’s welding function to spot weld one of the supporting struts that had begun to strain and crack. All the while, her music continued on, unabated. Shithead was hovering nearby, providing illumination and acting as the source of the music, of which under a heavy synth and percussion track a turian voice was growling about being the last man alive in his platoon and going to go out with a bang. As far as turian standards went, it was considered cheerful. [color=hotpink]“Uuugh!”[/color] Serena complained, making her way over to Tanya. Slowly, as she both hurt and didn’t trust the footing to be safe. [color=hotpink]“I thought we were past this! You know, trying to block me out with terrible, [i]terrible[/i], god-awful, ear poison, horrible music!”[/color] She cursed, none too quietly. She kicked Tanya’s foot. [color=hotpink]“We have to stop meeting like this. I thought you agreed to turn the music down?”[/color] Sarah and Del floated back from her department, taking their usual positions above and behind her shoulders. [color=hotpink]“It’s important. I wouldn’t be bothering you while you’re trying to fix our newest addition and you know it.”[/color] The kick prompted an irritable grunt. Still, Tanya shouted out, [color=cyan]”Shithead, lower volume to 20%. Someone’s got a delicate constitution.”[/color] she grumbled, pulling herself out from under the Yolac as the music volume cut down considerably. Covered in oil and grease and wearing a pair of grey coveralls that were entirely black in places, Tanya was a veritable mess. Once clear, she sat up, staring up at Serena. [color=cyan]”Block you out? No, I’m simply using an old military tactic called area denial, meaning I’m keeping everyone at arm’s length. Not sure if you noticed, but the whole ship is filled with mopey cunts lately and I’m trying to forget the unfortunate incident with Vellios and Iosif. What could possibly be more important than unfucking our equipment?”[/color] Tanya asked, standing up with surprising agility without the use of her hands as she moved to a container that had a bottle of detergent and a pile of rags sitting on it. She began to clean her hands off, shaking her head. [color=cyan]”Shouldn’t you be, you know, in bed recovering? You got fucked up pretty bad. Vellios looked like he was coming to terms with the fact you might die. Pretty crazy, right?”[/color] Serena snorted, rolling her eyes to the heavens. [color=hotpink]“Delicate constitution my ass….You’re the one who forces me to kick you every time I want to talk in here.”[/color] Serena chuckled softly as Tanya continued, rubbing the back of her head. [color=hotpink]“Mopey Cunts. That’s a new one for ‘team whose members are all having problems at once’.”[/color] Which, now that she thought about it, was true. She looked guiltily away as Tanya continued about the incident with Vellios. Serena shuffled out of the way as Tanya got to her feet, watching as she began to clean. [color=hotpink]“Being fucked up pretty bad is why I’m here.”[/color] She gave a small smile. [color=hotpink]“If Vellios didn’t have this blank look and was promising to kill Haze, he wasn’t coming to terms with me maybe dying. I talked him down from doing something too stupid. Anyway! You’re good at not getting your face punched in by someone who gets too close to you right?”[/color] Serena seemed to shrink in on herself as she continued, embarrassment and shyness coming to the fore. As she ducked her head to avoid looking at Tanya while twiddling with her thumbs. [color=hotpink]“Could you, perhaps, maybe, teach me how to not get my own face punched in again….?”[/color] She looked up quickly before hurrying in a bit of a babble [color=hotpink]“You don’t have to, I understand that I’d be a pain in the ass and probably a terrible student and you really don’t have time what with all the vehicles that need maintenance and the vehicles and your own shit with Vellios I’m probably not helping you forget that you’re right, stupid idea I shouldn’t have asked you probably don’t even want someone else to carry around and have to weigh you down and be a general pain in the ass….I’ll just be going...sorry for bothering you…”[/color] [color=cyan]”Wait, wait, wait. Are you asking me to teach you how to fight?”[/color] Tanya asked, raising an amused eyebrow. [color=cyan]”Or are you asking how you go about not pushing people’s buttons to the point they want to punch you, because I am the exact opposite of what you want for that.”[/color] Serena looked up cautiously. [color=hotpink]“Yes to the former...the latter I assume I can do on my own.”[/color] A pencil-thin smile crossed Tanya’s face. [color=cyan]”Oh? And what exactly makes you think I’m the one to talk to for that? I’m sure Tonka would get you into shape in no time. Hell, go tell Dex the medbay smells like dinosaur shit after her and one of her fuck buddies desecrated it. She’d give you a crash course without a fuss.”[/color] [color=hotpink]“Basic Marine training covers melee combat to a proficient degree. Your style is the best suited to work with me. Tonka won’t for obvious reasons. Drono’s is too much based on his insanity. Vellios’ is turian training warped by his time on the [i]Haides[/i]. Khosin’s is too brutal, batarian military if I had to guess. Dex prefers to avoid melee combat, relying instead on stealth. Her style, turian training or no, would be sub-par. I’ll be going to her for shooting practice. Iosif’s, given his arm and physical stature, is based on strength I do not possess. Haze is more of a mix of Iosif and Dex. He prefers stealth, but when push comes to shove uses strength I can’t.”[/color] Serena stated matter-of-factly. [color=cyan]”You sound like such a dork when you over analyze something.”[/color] Tanya interjected, grinning impishly. Serena rolled her eyes again, shaking her head. Suddenly, she blushed slightly, looking down again and muttering, [color=hotpink]“All that, and you said you’d keep me safe. It’s stupid, I know, and we just met like two weeks ago, I know, but it made me think of you first. And you’re just one of the people I’m most comfortable around.”[/color] It actually was kind of touching. At least Serena finally cut the the chase and wasn’t hiding behind a wall of pragmatic stoicism. Tanya raised her hand. [color=cyan]”Okay, okay. Puppy dog eyes worked. I’m flattered. First lesson, be ready for anything at any time.”[/color] Tanya said, tossing the rag back on the table and crossing her arms. [color=cyan]”Second lesson? Take care of your body and it will take care of you. Lots of cardio, time on a punching bag, basically you need to have the stamina to last a minute at full effort, and most fights only last a fraction of that time. We start at the basics.”[/color] Serena beamed at Tanya, her smile slowly falling as Tanya gave the second lesson. [color=hotpink]“The basics mean lots of Cardio right now, doesn’t it? Ugh...have I ever told you that I absolutely despise working out? Can’t we just…”[/color] She waved a hand vaguely, [color=hotpink]“Buy cybernetic enhancements and get the same result? No?”[/color] Her shoulders slumped. [color=hotpink]“I didn’t think so.”[/color] She heaved a sigh. [color=hotpink]“Where do we start?”[/color] Tanya approached, and suddenly, she reached out with snap reflexes, grabbing Serena by the wrist and twisting it around her own back, making her arm bend like a chicken wing. [color=cyan]”Remember the first lesson? Now, you don’t have to be stronger than your opponent, but it helps. Failing that, start to figure out pressure points and other weak spots you can exploit. You’re not always going to be bigger or stronger than your opponent, but it doesn’t mean you’re totally at a disadvantage.”[/color] Tanya said, releasing Serena with a grin. She stepped back, crossing her arms and leaning against the container. [color=cyan]”You want me to train you? You do exactly what I say for a workout routine and meet up with me once a day for sparring lessons. I also expect a bottle of whiskey every two weeks.”[/color] she winked. Serena cried out as her already bruised arm and stabbed shoulder were wrenched behind her back. She spat out a curse as agony shot through her arm and shoulder. [color=hotpink]“Fuck. Can’t remember if that was the dislocated shoulder or the stabbed one. Either way this hurts.”[/color] She glared at Tanya over her shoulder, listening. When she was released, she gasped in relief and rolled her shoulder, wincing at the pain. Her head tilted and her eyes narrowed at Tanya, snorting then cursing in pain as it caused a sharp pain in her nose. [color=hotpink]“I take it these sparring lessons could happen at any moment you damn well please? To enforce lesson 1.”[/color] She gave a mischievous grin. [color=hotpink]“You’ll have to earn the whiskey. A chess match every two weeks for it. If I recall correctly, you still owe me one at any rate.”[/color] Tanya shrugged. [color=cyan]”If I told you, I’d take the fun out of it. I will say I think it came across well enough already, so I’ll wait until your boo-boos unfuck themselves before we get into the nitty gritty of it all. And hey now, you’re the one asking me for a favour. It’s called commission.”[/color] Tanya said, sitting down on the cart again as Shithead floated around the vehicle in sight of both of them. [color=cyan]”And what is with you and chess? I said I’d play you, it isn’t like you’re pulling my arm to do so. We just haven’t had time to sit down and do it yet.”[/color] Tanya said, leaning back onto the cart and pushing herself under the Yolac again, leaving her boots exposed. [color=cyan]”I’ll make sure we make time for a game sometime tonight during downtime, probably before I turn in for the night, or whatever the equivalent is during spaceflight.”[/color] she called out, continuing the conversation as she traced her fingers along the strut again. Whoever drove it back didn’t do the machine any favours. [color=hotpink]“I’m asking you to stick to your promise. Totally different.”[/color] Serena retorted, sticking her tongue out at Tanya as the other woman slid back under the Yolac. [color=hotpink]“What is it with you and blaring terrible music? It has to be more than just ‘I want space and most people won’t put up with that music except annoying people’. I like chess. Reminds me of home and it’s fun to play and teach to these aliens.”[/color] [color=cyan]”When have I ever broke a promise to you? [I]Pff.[/I] I’m offended.”[/color] Tanya replied flippantly, cursing as her finger brushed against a hot piece of steel. The music question made her smile as she continued down the vehicle, trying to locate where a fluid leak was coming from. [color=cyan]”Honestly? I like it. There’s a primal earnestness to it all, and I’m sure you’ve noted most of it’s from aliens. At first, I liked to crank it as a joke because of how absurd it sounded, and to annoy people because I’m a terrible person. But… after a while, I started to listen to it and it grew on me. We live in a wide, beautiful galaxy with so much wonder and so many different kinds of people, and their music is an expression of that. And…[/color] Tanya’s smile faded and a long sigh escaped her lips as she found herself stopping her work in recollection. [color=cyan]”It reminds me of home. The people I lost. I was kind of an oddball girl on Terra Nova, grew up largely in the desert and I found my calling in tinkering with old vehicles where other girls stuck their noses into books and dresses and other shit I never really cared much for. People I associated with loved all kinds of music that was like, I don’t know, counter-culture. New age punk, some local metal bands that were a hit with people my age, that sort of shit. None of this sanitized electro synth dance crap and pop music that hasn’t really evolved much in the past two hundred years… stuff that told a story, of experiences, wasn’t afraid to call people and the world out on the shit that was wrong. “It reminded me of my father, who died in the war. The rest of the galaxy probably loved the turians and how they went about their business, but my father and so many others stood up against their aggression and basically gave the largest and most powerful military in the galaxy a bloody nose they’d never forget. It’s defiance and pride. So, the fact I like my space and play music that people deliberately don’t like is my way of saying, ‘here I am, I dare you to tell me to be like you’. It’s not polite. It’s rude and abrasive, but that’s who I am. I don’t play by the rules of polite society, why do you think I went into merc life instead of taking over the shop when I had the chance?”[/color] Tanya said, an earnest pride in her voice. Serena listened quietly, a small smile playing on her lips. [color=hotpink]“I figured it was something like that Tanya. Good for you. Though I must say that you’ll be fairly distressed if I ever get enough money to grab dresses and books and other shit you don’t really care for. I love those things.” She looked speculatively at Tanya’s boots. [color=hotpink]“You know, you’d look really good in a well fitting suit. Even if we somehow wrangled you into a dress, I think you’d look better in a suit. Then again, I haven’t seen you in either, so this is all theory.”[/color] She blushed, glad Tanya was staying under the Yolac. [color=hotpink]“Not that I’m- I don’t mean to impl-Sorry. You probably don’t like being eye dressed by someone you just met. I was always too busy helping dad and mom keep the shop afloat to ever look at or even touch formal clothing. Or even especially pretty dresses. Just had my dreams and imaginings of formal balls and the like.”[/color] [color=cyan]”You mistake me. I own dresses. Even go out in them from time to time. What, y’think I spend all this time and product in my hair because I don’t enjoy how I look?”[/color] Tanya teased. [color=cyan]”Just because I spent a lot of my life waist deep in some kind of machine and living out in the field for military maneuvers doesn’t mean I don’t find time to clean up, put on the bare minimum make up, and show off the results of the hard cardio and strength training I do for the casual viewer. I like turning heads, Serena. Most girls do from time to time.”[/color] she said, not remarking on the sudden shy and embarrassed shift in tone of voice from Serena when she brought up Tanya’s appearance. Why would that be… Oh. [I]Ohhhh.[/I] Explained the pink hair. [color=cyan]”Tell you what, next shore leave, we’ll go to a pricy stupid club and grab a few drinks, dance, that sort of thing. We’ll ask Dex if she cares to join us.”[/color] Serena floundered for a moment. [color=hotpink]“Dresses? I had you pegged as a suit girl. Not that I’m trying to imply that you didn’t-, I didn’t mean-, You’re very- Ugh. I’ll shut up now.”[/color] Serena visibly perked up with excitement at Tanya’s offer. [color=hotpink]“Really? You wouldn’t mind? I’m sure Dex wouldn’t given her...amorous nature. It’ll be fun! Only other ‘club’ I’ve been to are the school ones in San Pedro Sula, and those were just a lot of drunk teenagers having sex and grinding, and the few we got in Basic. Which were...stiflingly formal. This will be a lovely new experience!”[/color] Suddenly she deflated. [color=hotpink]“But we’ll spend most of the credits trying to make our ship and vehicles less of a death trap...and I don’t have anything other than variations of mechanic clothing, which would probably not be appropriate for a pricy stupid club. You guys can still go! I’ve got plenty to keep me busy here anyways.”[/color] [color=cyan]”I work to live, not live to work, as the saying goes, and neither should you. We’ll get you sorted out. I think after Virmire… we all need a bit of a free-form shore leave.”[/color] Serena smiled in gratefulness. [color=hotpink]“Thank you.”[/color] Her smile dropped and she shifted slightly awkwardly. [color=hotpink]“And Tanya….Vellios told me what happened, after I refused to sit still until he did so. I’m not gonna defend his actions or try to make you forgive him, but if you ever want to talk about it, or anything else, I’ll be here.”[/color] She looked over to her own little section of the hangar. [color=hotpink]“Most of my shit is here anyway, so it’s not like you’ll have to track me down.”[/color] She gave an only slightly awkward chuckle. Tanya grunted. [color=cyan]”Look, what’s done is done with him. Looking back at it now… the actions he took make sense, I don’t exactly condone it, but I understand. It’s more how smug and dickish he was to me about waking up from a drugged stupor and not having a goddamn shred of compassion for what I was going through that got me. Someone’s scared they got sexually violated on account of being restrained on the same medical bed you know people in your crew fucked on with fucking fuzzy handcuffs? Don’t mock them to their face. Doesn’t take a scientist or a psychiatrist to realize that is a shitty thing to do. But whatever. What’s done is done, and I’m not going to stomp around the ship and causing issues. We barely survived that last mission. Last thing we need to do is have a divide that will get us all killed. I’m not going to drag up skeletons every time him or someone else does something fucking stupid.”[/color] She spat, voice dripping with vitriol. [color=cyan]”The facts are Vellios and Iosif were worried I’d get hurt if I wasn’t restrained because they didn’t know what the fuck kind of venom was going through my system. Vellios is an empathy-devoid sociopath without compassion. Iosif’s a bitter fuck who won’t drop a grudge against our batarian team member because he’s of the same species that tortured and enslaved him. I woke up, acted emotionally, it didn’t mesh well, caused friction. We both put that aside to rescue you from your situation and injuries. End of story. In the end, no one took advantage of me, and people are going to be dicks and I’d be a hypocrite if I called them out on it because God knows I have my share of being a jackwad under my belt.”[/color] Serena nodded, then realizing the uselessness of the action, spoke up. [color=hotpink]“I understand Tanya. But putting your problems aside for the good of the team is not the same as addressing them. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I won’t push, but you already know my two credits. Vellios is going to avoid you for a while. He does that when he screws up around people and thinks he’s making them uncomfortable. My offer stands, even if the only thing I can do is listen.”[/color] Tanya scooted out from under the vehicle, looking up at Serena. [color=cyan]”I appreciate your concern, I really do, Serena. Thing is, I’m not the best at putting my heart on the table and I honestly want to pretend the whole ordeal in Virmire didn’t happen. I joined this crew because I was running away from problems, not to find more. I’m just going to follow Tonka’s lead and not give a single fuck about petty things, or at least try not to, and unless someone actually does something that violates me? I’ll put on my big girl pants and get the fuck over it. Not sure if you noticed, but this is not a big ship. It’s way too small to house a grudge. That being said, if he ever wants to, I don’t know, apologize for acting like a cocksucker, I’d be more than happy to accept it.”[/color] Serena sighed, scratching the back of her head. [color=hotpink]“Yeah. Lot of liking to pretend things didn’t happen going on in this crew. And come on Tanya. You know as well as I that as long as people rub each other wrong there’ll be grudges. Small ship or no. But regardless, I’ll drop it.”[/color] She was already planning when she could approach Vellios again about it. [color=hotpink]“Is there anything left that you haven’t fixed already? I’m injured, not paraplegic, and can wield an omni-tool well enough to fix these rust buckets.”[/color] [color=cyan]”If you have to ask if there’s anything that hasn’t been fixed yet, you may not be qualified for this job.”[/color] Tanya teased. [color=cyan]”Everything is busted up. Kite’s flight stabilizer leaking eezo, it’s left view screen keeps kicking in and out, the Yolac’s main gun needs to be stripped down and probably retrofitted, the suspension springs are shot, and that’s not even going into the power issues… so yeah, if you think you can make magic happen, be my guest.”[/color] Serena sighed, stretching her neck from side to side. [color=hotpink]“I had hoped that you had maybe worked a miracle while I was out. I’ll start on the Kite. The screen won’t be a problem. The Eezo...that might be nasty. I hate working on rust buckets. Sarah, start doing scans on the Kite, Del, run over to my tool belt.”[/color] She glanced at Tanya, smirking. [color=hotpink]“First person to fix the most of their respective vehicle wins?”[/color] [color=cyan]”If we’re doing that, than I’ve already won. I already got a head start on both vehicles, and the ship itself.”[/color] Tanya called back. Suddenly, the music kicked up again, and Tanya was back to work, the sounds of welding arcs drowned out by the turian singer.