Penny

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

The pun wasn't intended?! Why do you have to break my heart?

Also, just incase anyone forgot, the administration is still trash:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-43525549

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

I'll have to stop training my pet seal to chant Khmer Rouge slogans immediately!

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

Did he deserve the verdict? How worried are you about what this means for free speech? What thinkest thou o debaters of politics? How much does the context of the video[as a way to annoying his girlfriend] affect the actual video itself? Lots of stuff to potentially discuss here.

@IceHeart

This will doubtless have a chilling effect on the speech of those who teach pugs to perform nazi salutes on video.

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

A shocked silence hung over the room for a moment. The brandy bottle was frozen halfway to her lips at the nonchalantly delivered news. Her mascara, applied by the same expert servants that had fitted her for the gown had begun to run. She swiped irritability at the make up, succeeding only in smearing dark splotches beneath her eyes. It made her look oddly like an Trivet player ready to throw a pass. The tremble in her hand steadied. Crisis was focus afterall.

“Did you just say…” Taya began but Junebug held up a hand for silence. The girls sentence stuttered out and she looked uncomfortable and confused. For a moment she said nothing, merely staring at Neil. Carefully she set the half empty brandy bottle down on the table top.

“Highlander Six to control,” she said, activating her mastoid communicator which tied into the local net and patched her to Lonney in the Highlander’s control core. Tay mouthed the words ‘not secure’ without actually vocalizing them. Any communication that was routed through a local net was, by definition, suspect. All encryptions except for extreme high end quantum units were vulnerable to decription in minutes or hours with the computing power even a modest navi-computer could provide.

“Aye Capt’n,” Lonney chirruped.

“Run a scan of all local media sources you can access. Tell me what percentage of sources speculate on Neil being an assassin. Break.” There was a moment of silence while the AI ran his calculations.

“Twenty six percent Captain.” A sinking feeling began to settle into her stomach, a weird counterpoint to the spreading alcoholic warmth.

“Express that as a percentage of total theoretical professions.”

“Seventy two percent cap’m,” the AI came back instantly, data crunching far easier than data gathering.

“Six out,” Sayeeda said closing the link. She sighed contemplatively. Taya fished out the burger meant for Junebug and tossed it to Neil.

“I don’t like the smell of this,” Sayeeda confessed. Was it possible that Aiden was involved somehow? It didn’t seem likely, the Prince was no fool, but neither did he seem machiavellian enough to lure her away merely to deny Neil an alibi. She remembered Aiden’s sister glowring at him on the landing pad. Could it be the same woman.

“I don’t like the feel of it at all,” she reiterated.

@POOHEAD189

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

The the Justicar, Von Eikenhouser, stepped through the door. His looming frame filled the room and his greatsword hung across his back. He glanced at Camilla and down at the pistol nonchalantly leveled at his belly. It was clearly too tight quarters for the greatsword but he had just as clearly not come to fight. He turned in the doorway and yelled back at the mob.

"This is not justice! No one will be condemed before the facts are known!" The mob seemed to grumble in dissaporval at this but several men took a step back and lowered thier improvised weapon. Turning he fixed a harsh glare at Camilla.

"Threatening the life of a Justicar is a capital crime woman," he glowered. Camilla pulled the hammer back on her small dueling pistol.

"I'm sure that will be an interesting legal discussion mien herr. Of course I guess I will be having it with the Justicar sen't out to aprhend me for your murder." The big imperial laughed harshly at the threat.

"I suppose there is that Frauline, assuming I'm not fast enough to disarm you of course."

"I am willing to bet your life on it Mien Herr," she said sweetly.

"Enough, please, I'm innocent, I'm not a witch," Eloise almost wept. The Justicar looked at the bundle of possession in her hands. His expression hardened.

"An innocent preparing to flee the village in the company of two strange mercenaries no one has lain eyes upon before? Explain yourself woman, and be convincing, lest I am force to appeal to the mob."

@POOHEAD189

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

The door banged open and a laughing Sayeeda tumbled through. She was dressed in a completely different outfit from the one she had left in, a tailored dress of slinky scarlet fabric with ruby studded jewelery at wrists and neck. An elaborately embroided cloth of gold head covering covered her from her hairline and hung down her neck in a gausy wave. Beyond the door Aiden called his reluctant good byes with a quick 'tomorrow then' and he was off striding down the hallway with a swagger in his step. The door clicked shut and the room was in darkness for several seconds. Then the lights powered up with a quiet hum.

"Well?!" Taya asked excitedly. The animation that had been in Junebug's face faded buy degrees. A jerky dimmer switch moving from exctatic to somber in an uneven series of jerks.

"It was fine," she said at last and headed across the room kicking off the high heels she had been wearing. It had been fine, more than fine, Aiden had showed her the city talking at length about its history and culture as well as his plans for the Empire when he inherited. Apparently that would be soon, it was for the custom for the King to step down while still in reasonable health and to annoit a successor rather than let the children fight it out. He had been engaging and charming and she had enjoyed it immensley allowing the dinner to progress into a gala and an artistic display.

"I'm surprised you didn't follow along on the vid screens," she muttered, "Honestly its amazing people don't inhale the damn things on this world. Taya looked a little guilty at that remark but was in no hurry to confirm it. Reaching the bar she picked up an ornate bottle of what was probably a very expensive brandy and gulped down several quick slugs before wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"It was fine?" Taya pressed, "That isn't exactly a great recommendation for a date."

"It wasn't a date," Junebug protested without much enthusiasm. In her minds eye she saw the flashing of holo camera at the gala. In her minds eye she was back on Humbolt for a moment, plasma bolts blasting chunks of ancient glaciers into incandescent steam. The glint of a sniper scope the moment before a kinetic rounded blew Corvitz' left eye out the back of his head. The wink of incoming as it cleared the horizon on Kendal IV. She took another gulp of liquor, leting the fire of it burn down her throat and warm her belly. There was a slight quiver to her hand.

"...Junebug," Taya repeated in a tone that suggested that it wasn't the first time she had spoken the words. The girls youthful enthusiasm had transmuted to worry in the lost seconds between her second and third slugs of the brandy.

"You ok?"

"Fine, fine," she muttered and pulled the gold lace head covering from atop her scalp and tossed it into the corner. Her hair was still short but longer than it had been when she took over the Highlander, might be time to cut it again. She spotted a strange concoction that appeared to be meat and vegetables between two slices of some sort of carbohydrate. It was half eaten but apparently abandoned beside some fried tubas which had been cut into short sticks. She took a bite and masticated with determination, her nerves calming as her body focused on eating.

"Uhhh... thats Neils..." Taya interjected. Junebug shrugged her shoulders.

"I dont see him eating it," She mumbled around a mouthful of what must have been a 'braman burger'. It really was quite good, esspeically whatever that red sauce was. She poured herself a glass of iced sodawater from the bar and cut it fifty fifty with the brandy. No good in making herself too drunk. Sometimes being out in public got to her.

"You ask me why I'm a trooper," she hummed to herself, the familiar cadence settling her nerves somewhat.

"Ask me why I sleep in a ditch," she went on. The cadence helped her to press the fear and uncertainty into the back of her mind. Civilian life just had different challenges. She could adapt to them. Had to adapt to them.

"You guys didn't have dinner? You were gone for hours," Taya said flopping back on the bed, a little amused by the sight of Junebug swilling booze and eating a burger in an expensive cocktail dress.

"Vegie crap, no carbs in it," she mubled around the food.

"Where is Neil anyway, not out racing sky cars or something I hope?"

@POOHEAD189

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

Taya snickered undiplomatically as the Prince froze for a second in shock, his eyes darting between Neil and Sayeeda. Diplomatic training provided since birth kicked in and he covered his momentary chagrin with a wan smile and stepped into the room, the door automatically swinging closed behind him.

"Cultures vary a great deal between the stars," he said in as neutral tone as he could manage. Having shed his armor for the civilian setting the prince wore a jacket of spotless white silk with golden epaulets. The front of the coat was cut in such away to allow a line of golden buttons to run down the center of a zigzagging closure. Black pants with a red strip down one side and black boots, polished till they gleamed, completed the ensemble. So far as Junebug could tell he wasn't armed.

"Why don't you join us?" Sayeeda asked gesturing towards the hot tub. Aiden's eyes cut to Neil before fixing on her again and he shook his head. Having spent the last decade in barracks living where there was no room for gender separation Junebug could master only an intellectual understanding of his discomfort.

"The.. ahh rooms are to your liking I take it?" he managed awkwardly. Junebug nodded her approval.

"Other than the staff bugging us to spread out into two more," she replied reaching out to grab an appetizing fruit from a platter nearby, the gesture would have exposed her if not for the film of bubbles clinging to her, before sinking back into the water. The Prince coughed politely and turned his back. Prude.

"Yes... the mentioned you had security concerns?"

"I do," Junebug responded, "Plus you know we spend most of our time in a cramped metal box anyway, this is four times the square-footage we have aboard the Highlander. For a moment the prince seemed at a loss for how to respond.

"Mistress... that is Captain, I wonder if you might want come with me to discuss the ceremony in a few days, I could show you the city while we talk if you like." The words tumbled out a bit to rapidly to be entirely calm. Junebug glanced at Neil who shrugged.

"Sure give us a minute to get dressed," she replied climbing from the tub and beginning to towel herself dry. THe prince seemed to wilt a little at the use of 'we' but Taya piped up immediately.

"Actually Saydeeda, Neil and I probably better stay, he did order all that food afterall, wouldn't want it to get cold!" her voice was just a tad to sincere and Junebug gave her a sharp look. With the princes back still turned she winked at her captain and made a lewd thrust of her hips. Junebug threw the towel she had been using at the girl and started pulling on her undergarments.

"Fine, give me a minute then."

@POOHEAD189

Dogs of War: Old World Mercenaries

Camilla watched the byplay without comment, thinking on the situation. The stigmata of mutation was a real and terrifying risk across the known world. If Karl's eyes really had gone white, then there was little they could do for him. Most mutants started out as horrified by the changes that they manifested as anyone else, but whether by a twisting of the soul or the constant threat of exposure, they all fell to chaos in the end. The teaching on mutants was dogmatic but had only one constant. Suffer not the Tainted to live.

"You should leave signorina," Camilla counseled her, moving quietly to one of the shuttered windows.

"I... I can't leave everything I have is here," Eloise almost wailed. Camilla peered through the wooden shutters out into the street. Young men were straggling down towards the house, lead by the group they had driven away a few minutes ago.

"Even if you survive this," Camilla said gently, "the next time there is a crop failure, or plauge or bad luck, they will turn on you." She shared a long glance with Cydric.

"We have seen it often enough." In the street the men began to mutter among themselves, voices raising as they drew encouragement from each other. Several appeared to be grabbing piece of rotten fruit, others were opting for loose stones to throw. The cry of witch rang from first one throat and then another. Within a minute the whole crowd was chanting WITCH WITCH WITCH! and the shutters began to ring with improvised missiles.

@POOHEAD189

Grim Galaxy: Shots and Chances

Junebug could not help but chuckle as various pundits began to dissect the footage, speculating wildly about their origins. In the space of a few minutes she saw Neil labeled as a commando, an assassin and a run away slave, apparently a misinterpretation of his tattoos. Similar speculation ran on about both of the women in the group, growing increasingly implausible as the level of excitement rose.

"Don't these people have anything better to do?" Junebug asked in exasperation. Taya climbed from the hot tub, flesh steaming in the climate controlled air as she grabbed a towel and began to dry herself off. Junebug slid to her feet and shucked the silk robe before dropping completely naked into the hot tub, the bubbles Taya had deployed on the surface providing her a modicum of concealment.

"Not really," Taya explained as she flopped onto the grotesquely large bed, and spread her arms and legs in a wide starshape.

"Dar'monad is the focus for a small empire, fifteen or twenty planetary systems, most of the wealth comes here, enough that the people out there dont really have to work. Dar'monadi social custom dictates that the more important a noble is the larger a household he is required to maintain. Even the smallest lordings have chefs, poets, and artisans of all sorts. Most of the time they arent required to actually do anything just sort of hang around and be an ornament to their masters."

Sayeeda blinked at the explanation. Mercenary service didn't take you many places where there was enough wealth that people could expect to live without need of work. Places like that only had one person who could pay for intergalactic mercenaries and those people were already in power. She shook her head in wry bemusement. Neil looked slightly dissapointed and she glanced down at the tub.

"Hop in if you want we could fit a whole regiment," she invited, taking another sip of the cocktail and pushing the empty glass aside.

"I wonder why Ranald is so uptight, dosen't seem like a knife in the back sort of place."

@POOHEAD189

Frokane's Mildly Politcal Hangout Thread

@POOHEAD189

Hey cancer can be cured, feminism is terminal ;)