[b][center][h2][color=magenta]Reya[/color] & [color=gold]Tarak[/color][/h2][/center][/b]

Tarak makes his way through the rabble-rousing that is happening throughout the cave. Their mission was a success, they gained supplies that would allow them all to survive longer. They acquired munitions that would allow them to start striking back. Even with those who had died, they gave the rest something they were unable to find, hope. Now many people here are able to live longer, they are able to fight longer, and they can finally think about something other than the cold and thirst. As Tarak moved through he chuckled and laughed with some as his eyes finally landed on Reya as he whistled and said, [color=gold]”Heyo! Reya!”[/color] Tarak started waving to her to get her attention. 

—

Having her name called was a pretty common occurrence since the raid. [i]Can you take a look at this?[/i] [i]What do you make of that?[/i] [i]How does this work?[/i] Were the usual followups, or, her personal favorite: [i]What is she drinking now?[/i] In relation to a certain mechwarrior. Reya turned from her work, inventorying some of the more valuable salvage brought back from the battle, at the sound of Tarak’s voice. She was fairly rested for once and Sunny was off playing with some of the other children. Other than being in a cave and having nearly been blown up several days ago, things were feeling a tiny bit [i]normal[/i]. She arched an eyebrow in Tarak’s direction. “[color=magenta]Yes?[/color]” It was easy work, but she feigned annoyance with him as he approached, chewing on the stylus to her datapad as if she were considering something more important. 

—

Tarak saw Reya’s face and immediately realized that she seemed to have been doing something maybe important as her voice carried a similar weight. His face changed from that of happy to that that could be described as ‘yikes’ as if he might have screwed up, as Tarak made his way over he said, [color=gold]”Ah, hey, Reya. It seems you were doing something important, sorry about that, but I do have something I think you’d be quite interested in”[/color]. As Tarak pulls the stereo out from behind his back with one hand while his other hand does a flared jazz hand. The Stereo look pretty good, it had a solid housing with an even magenta paint job as Tarak said, [color=gold]”Tada!”[/color]

—

Seeing that he had taken her seriously was amusing. It didn’t take her long in her younger years to realize how easily she could manipulate people, particularly men. She eyed Tarak up and down briefly seeing that he appeared to be precariously off-balance from whatever he was trying to hide, so she stepped towards him to make his presentation even more awkward; like he had missed a step in a dance. Her head tilted a bit like she was examining a rookie astech and she leaned forward a bit. “[color=magenta]Does it look important?[/color]” She could see the magenta edges of whatever it was which piqued her interest slightly. Giving him a modicum of an opportunity to improve his position, she stepped back slightly.

[i][color=magenta]Well, someone’s been thinking about you, [b]a lot[/b][/color][/i]. She thought to herself amidst a wave of his ridiculous “jazz-hand” reveal. The fact that he even included a [i]tada![/i] made it hard for her to even keep a straight face. “[color=magenta]Don’t tell me you brought that back from the mission?[/color]" Then she instantly remembered the bizarre thumbs-up he’d given using [i]Black Phoenix[/i]’s hand controls. “[color=magenta]You did, didn’t you?[/color]" She couldn’t decide if she was impressed or flattered. If the Colonel knew a Mechwarrior had taken time to hunt for gifts in the middle of an operation, he would’ve had a heart attack. Still, she had to ask the next obvious question: “[color=magenta]Does it work?[/color]”

—

Tarak saw Reya’s face change and thought he was in the clear as he loosened up. When asked, Tarak said, [color=gold]”Yeah I got it on the mission. I pulled it from a vehicle and got some other parts and pieces for it while we were looking for supplies. Then when we got back I had Sammy go and rig it up with speakers, an internal power system so it can be charged, and then a housing with a new paint job so it doesn’t look trashy”[/color]. Tarak chuckled as he thought something similar to what Reya did, if the Colonel found out how much Tarak took for personal reasons, he’d probably die on the spot with the amount of brain hemorrhaging he’d have. As the final question came down as a smile came to his face as he said, [color=gold]”I don’t know~, wanna find out?”[/color] As Tarak holds up the Stereo and then holds out a tape for her to put in, as the tape says, [i]Classics[/i].

—

“[color=magenta]Uh-huh…[/color]" She regarded him as if she were listening to the tale of a child that had misbehaved on the playground. “[color=magenta]...So you stole a stereo for me.[/color]” That was certainly a new approach. She gave him a look of some cautious amusement. At a closer glance, the “homemade” nature of the device was more apparent. The look of incredulity across her face was only half feigned and meant to make him even more embarrassed, but he persisted, which she liked. “[color=magenta]You already know that it works,[/color]” She said. “[color=magenta]You just want to be dramatic.[/color]” She plucked the tape from his hand, reading the label for a second before dropping it into the open deck. “[color=magenta]This better be sappy love songs or I’m gonna be really disappointed, just sayin’[/color]” She said, mashing the play button. 

—

And disappointed she was, it was not some sappy love songs, though it did cross his mind at some point for the hilarity. No, it was something much more on-brand, as when the tape was put in and the play button was hit the [url=https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnPuuHgGQ4yTmTlVYBWh_YbJ4aKMC7I0d]song[/url] began. Tarak began bobbing his head and getting into the music as he started lipsyncing with the music and playing an air guitar as he looked to Reya with a smile and tried to get her to start getting into the music the same way he did.

—

Technicians and staff of the Green Knights began to look as soon as the first riff hit out of the speakers, then others as the tempo picked up. It was louder than she expected. The regular sounds of tools and machinery had become so routine that the sound of music was foreign and drew instant attention. People were [i]really[/i] starting to notice about the time Tarak broke into unashamed air-guitar and lip-syncing. Reya didn’t know the lyrics or the chords. She’d never heard anything like it, but her countenance was quickly burning flushed red as they had become the center of attention. “[color=magenta]Oh my God! Okay-okay-okay![/color]” She went to turn back what looked to be a volume control, but the switch was backwards causing the sound spike even louder before she frantically twisted it the other way. The other Knights were having a hearty laugh and shouts went up for Tarak to continue before Reya snagged him by the arm and led him away amidst even more whoops and hollers. “[color=magenta]You are crazy![/color]" She proclaimed, thoroughly embarrassed, but smiling broadly and trying not to laugh even more. 

—

Tarak was getting into it as he saw more and more people show up, he was trying to seem as into as possible to get as many people into this/ As Reya seemed to get more and more flustered she tried to stop the music, yet it was too much and Tarak was left  laughing as he was snagged and dragged away from the area by Reya. He saw the broad smile and proclamation of his craziness as he laughed out, [color=gold]”Always have been”[/color]. As ocne they finally made it away from the source of the commotion Tarak was still laughing as he said, [color=gold]”So, it seems like it works. Like it?”[/color]

—

“[color=magenta]Yes,[/color]” Reya replied, shaking her head. and still laughing a bit. "[color=magenta]You did surprise me.[/color]” She looked down at the rudimentary digital display, blinking slightly under Tarak’s grip before she realized she was still holding onto his arm and stepped away somewhat awkwardly. She made a small production of straightening up her jacket and crossed her arms like she was recomposing herself. “[color=magenta]Well, it’s a good thing you pilot your mech better than you perform as a singer.[/color]” 


—


Tarak chuckled slightly as he saw the little display of Reya trying to recompose herself before speaking once more. Tarak laughed as he said, [color=gold]”Dang I thought that would have been my big ticket. Guess I’ll have to figure something else out”[/color]. Tarak shrugged after saying that as he then said, [color=gold]”I am thankful that you do like it, I know things are hard. But it’s the little things, you know?”[/color] Once he said that Tarak tossed Reya a small smile.

—

Reya’s glance narrowed slightly at the sudden contrasts in Tarak. When it was just the two of them, he seemed hesitant and unassertive, but in front of others he was animated, unafraid of embarrassment. The court jester approach was cute and entertaining, however she had people competing for her attention [i]all the time[/i]. Hopeless suitors, even in their current situation, tried their best to impress, seemingly unperturbed by the gravity of their struggle for survival. The gift was definitely useful and unique, but she liked the more debonair Tarak. The one that took her hand as she [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/5372499]stepped[/url] from the bottom of a scaffold and could read when she’d been upset and lonely. The confident mechwarrior was what she wanted, not the stereo salesman. 

She eyed him closely for a moment, knowing the right words would do the job and that no one else was listening. “[color=magenta]I’m not worried about that stuff, Tarak.[/color]” She said, looking him in the eyes. Her glance was as piercing as a PPC bolt and her tone matched it. “[color=magenta]What I want is for you to go out there and [i]kill them[/i].[/color]” She tilted her head only slightly after the words, watching his reaction. “[color=magenta]Kill them that did this to us, [i]all of them[/i]... With your mech, or with your gun…[/color]” She retrieved the stereo from his grasp like she was accepting something that had never belonged to anyone else, as if it were her rightful property. “[color=magenta]...Or with your hands, whichever…[/color]” 


—


Tarak had a smile on his face as he was there, yet he felt the atmosphere shift. Reya seemed to have wanted something, something from him, as her eyes told him what she thought, while her words told him what he needed to know. Tarak’s expression changed almost without thought his stance changed as his full height seemed to have been diminished before. His eye sharpened from the soft crescents they made from his smile to that of complete focus. Giving his eyes the look as if they pierce through what they landed upon. 

Once Reya took hold of the stereo, it was hers’, so Tarak let go of it for her to take it as once she finished he responded, his smirk never wavering, [color=gold]”Of course. It never crossed my mind to allow them to liv-e”[/color]. As Tarak reached over to Reya lightly as he brushed some of the hair that fell to her shoulder before saying, [color=gold]”-You don’t have to worry about that”[/color]. As Tarak’s head tilted as he threw her one last smile as he began leaving and said with a wave, [color=gold]”If you want to, you can come by anytime, I have plenty of tapes that would love another set of ears to listen to”[/color]. Now as Tarak waved and walked away without looking back, his face was cold, almost as if completely focused on something. He needed to blow off some steam as he could feel the tension building in his back. He felt his anger rising as he was just reminded of something from Reya, the Fire Witch got away.



[@Th3King0fChaos]