Courier 6 and Tora and Poppi
Level8 - (29/80) EXP (+3)
Level 8 Tora (9/80) and
Level 7 Poppi (55/70) (+3)
Location: Lumbridge -> Smash City
Word Count: 3207
The Courier stood there for a moment, a big confident, self congratulating smile across his face. He took in the cheers, both the automated and the real, bathing in the feeling of a job well done, of a task appreciated by the people. Once it all died down he stood there, staring awkwardly at the guildmarm, his hands on the counter as though waiting for something. Once it became clear that nothing else was happening he grunted.
”Oh. I get it. This is one o’ those, ‘for the people, for fame’ rewards.”He sighed, and Gaige-Tron shifted around. “Wait, so there’s no actual reward?” she asked.
”’Fraid not.” The Courier pursed his lips.
“UNACCEPTABLE! ANARCHY!” GT rolled to the nearest table and flipped it, then rolled around in circles flailing her arms.
”That’s enough, GT. Sometimes… Sometimes you just gotta live with the fact that helpin’ people is its own reward.” Though he spoke of altruism, he was clearly very disappointed. The Courier righted the table his robot had upended then approached the guildmarm’s counter one more time. He took a single bottle cap from his pocket, the currency of the wasteland in his world, and placed it for her to take.
”Fer the trouble, ma’am.” He tipped his hat then turned and walked away.
The Courier was then quickly accosted by a young man with messy black hair and a fancy black outfit. The young man didn’t have the red eyes of Galeem’s influence, which meant that he was probably saved by another of their group at some point. The Courier figured likely when they split up to head to the Dead Zone. He also showed familiarity with Link. Something about this boy didn’t feel right to him, but it was another ally in the war against the Light and he wasn’t one to turn that down.
”I reckon you had a run-in with our posse before. Yup, we got a method to get around fast. Was setup by the prince of the Koopas.” He gestured toward Bowser Junior, if BJ had joined him in the guild hall, and otherwise didn’t make any movements.
”Just might have made a whole mess of allies. Follow me back if’n you wanna join in the fun.” With that Courier 6 walked past Ren with a little gesture to follow, but not before calling out to Link. He went back to the paint portal that would place them back to Peach’s Castle, and then to the next portal back to Smash City.
Ren smiled, his expression just a touch more wolfish than the average high school student’s. “Excellent.” He followed the Courier outside, then paused as the draconian turned away. After a moment of waiting, he spotted Ryuji sprinting his way and a
blonde girl with pigtails struggling to keep up with the former track star. Both his friends slid to a halt one after another as they neared him, and he pointed toward the receding back of the Courier once they caught their breath. “Hey, Ann. We’re heading after that guy. Ryuji can explain the mission on the way.”
Ann looked dubious. “You mean he’ll try and you’ll correct him, right?”
“Hey, you don’t have to say it like that!!” Ryuji exclaimed, indignant. “We went over it, like, a minute ago! No way I forgot.”
Together, the three hurried after 6. “So you’re saying it’ll be super embarrassing if you do forget,” Ann acknowledged. “Alright, let’s hear it. What’re we up against this time?”
Ryuji looked over the buildings of Lumbridge town to where Galeem shone against the sky, far and away. “Basically? This whole world.”
As the grand meeting dissolved, with its many listeners heading their separate ways in greater or lesser degrees of enthusiasm, Tora wondered what to do with his time until departure. A look at Poppi reminded him that he really wanted to complete her ultimate form, but was that an option right now? He looked around the atrium as if he expected to see a high-tech workshop just hanging around. Though not a Nopon known for his professionalism or fastidiousness, he wanted Poppi’s third form to be a special achievement, not a hack job mashed together on the ground or in the tradeyard of some primitive podunk. He needed a real worktable. More to the point, Tora needed real tools, or failing that, someone who could cobble together such tools from whatever happened to be on hand.
Feeling frustrated, Tora continued to look around until his eyes fell on the intimidating new wings of Courier 6. Their owner appeared to be marching in the direction of the Master of Masters, but the sight of him -and the recollection of his abilities- made Tora realize that the wastelander could be doing something far more important and productive than whatever he had in mind for the black-coated mystery man. “Meeeeh!” he called, running over. “Courier! Tora need Courier help!”
Poppi watched him go, then briefly stopped by Isabelle’s desk. “Hello, doggypon,” she greeted the floppy-eared clerk. “Please mark Tora and Poppi for desert. Want keep moving forward!” After that confirmation, she hurried after her masterpon, who’d just accosted 6 by running right in front of him and bouncing up and down insistently.
Courier 6 stopped in his tracks, eyes fixed on that hooded menace while his face was turned the other way (or at least his hood was facing off another direction, who knew what was under there or how he saw things?). Tora’s voice grated him in that moment, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. No, this was a good thing. It was too early to confront the Master of Masters, and especially not in front of all these onlookers. No doubt it would cause a scene. GT stopped alongside him and faced the nopon and blade duo, her screen briefly flashing a question mark in the place of Gaige’s face.
”Howdy, Tora-pon,” he greeted happily, his previous irritation having melted away completely.
”Appreciate ya not callin’ me ‘druggy-pon’ this time.”“Tora want favor from friend Courier this time!” the rotund inventor explained, rather shamelessly.
He walked up to Isabelle’s desk near Poppi and heard where she signed up herself and her master to head out for. He gave a nod and said,
”Ditto to that fer me an’ my robot here. Seen a lot a places I never woulda thought I’d have seen in my lifetime, but gettin’ back to a desert would be good fer me. A bit of a nostalgia trip. Besides, if’n any a that desert is wasteland, y’all will need a real wasteland courier to show ya the ropes.”“Ew, a desert? Really?” GT pouted, crossing her tube-like arms multiple times like a child would. “Alright, if you say so, boss. But if I get sand and dust in my mechanisms it’s your job to clean it out.”
He glanced back to her.
”Yer auto-repair nanites’ll take care of it plenty fine. Anyway-” He turned back to Tora.
”What’s this help you’ll be needin’ from me, hombre? An’ remember, my help don’t come free.”Tora was ready and willing to spill all the beans he had up until the point where his quaint acquaintance mentioned payment. “Meh?! W-well, friend not expect payment for just hear Tora out, right?” Both he and Poppi looked at the Courier with concern, assuming that to be a real risk.
The Courier sighed.
”Time is money, as they say, but go ahead. I’m off the clock an’ I’ll hear what you’ve got to say. Bit’a advice though, anythin’ll sound a lot more appealin’ if’n ya get a drink in my hand.” He grinned and tipped his hat.
Tora scratched his chin. He remembered seeing drinks in the pizza place he and Poppi visited for lunch, but he couldn’t take them with him. If they were going to the desert, though, he probably ought to get a water bottle to take with him. While he didn’t relish the idea of buying supplies for someone else too, if a drink was all it took to secure 6’s cooperation, he would have to. “Okay, Tora find drink for Courier later. But now, I tell about plans.” He spread his wings toward Poppi as if presenting her, and the artificial blade posed accordingly. “Tora wanting to finish new super-duper cool form for Poppi. Couldn’t in adventure land because there no good workshop tools. Tora not compromise on quality for Poppi, but wonder if Courier have any experience with makeshift tools?” The end of his sentence trailed upward, indicating a question.
The Courier ran his teeth over his upper lip. Apparently Tora hadn’t heard of sitting down for a drink for a deal? Well, not that it mattered at this point, they already sprang the question, in a dramatic and suitably cheesy way. In response the Courier waved his arms and flared up his wings to show off GT, trying to give her a cue to play along. She didn’t quite get it though and just stood there, scratching the top of her metal chassis like a person expressing confusion. “Uh… Why did everyone suddenly turn into Power Rangers?”
”Eh, whatever. This kinda posin’ is fer molerat brains anyway,” the Courier murmured under his breath, repositioning himself.
”Where I come from there ain’t hardly a better mechanic’n me, an’ there ain’t hardly anywhere with a good workshop. I once repaired a military food processor with a few bobby pins’n duct tape. So yer concerned about making the most out of what we’ve got for Poppi’s next upgrade and yer needin’ the expert opinion is what yer sayin’?”“Uh, basically,” Tora confirmed. Following the 6’s speech wasn’t the easiest thing in the world, and he didn’t want to start agreeing to things he didn’t understand if money was involved. “If Tora can get hands on precision instruments and few high-class parts, can do job no problem. Parts maybe lying around somewhere, and can find spot eventually, but tools the problem.”
”Well that sounds mighty fine. I don’t mind helpin’ out with the classic art of robotics. For the right price, of course. What’s the job pay, hombre?” Shrewd as ever, it seemed the Courier wasn’t going to budge on it. Of course if Tora and Poppi had nothing, or spun a sufficient sob story then he’d (begrudgingly) wave the fee, but he couldn’t let others know he actually had a heart.
Tora gave a nervous laugh. “Well...have some money from mining job in adventure town…” Though reluctant, he thought about the current situation, and it took only a single step to arrive at a conclusion. “And it true nothing more important than this…” Feeling like he was betraying his heritage as a Nopon, but seeing no other option, he heaved a sigh and faced the money-grubbing courier with determination. “Tora give Courier whole savings if help make dream reality!”
”Whole savings?” The Courier was taken aback by this, and it showed. He was really willing to give up
everything for this? That was, it, what, really? He couldn’t really take advantage of that kind of desperation, could he? This was one of those life defining moments, the kind that took a huge impact on your karma. But if this was really that important to this little nopon, then how could he deny it? On the other hand, Tora didn’t even
attempt to bargain or haggle and instantly went all in on this. Did Tora actually have something up his sleeve, a hidden cache, while this was an enticing lie just to get the Courier to accept more readily? No, that couldn’t be it. Tora hadn’t displayed an ability to manipulate or lie whatsoever, more the inverse.
“You’re not actually going to take everything this little guy’s got from him, are you boss? How would that make you any better than a raider?” GT brought up a good point, but that wasn’t the end of it.
”What’s your whole savings entail?” he asked, genuinely interested. However Tora answered would likely determine the course of this arrangement.
With visible discomfort the engineer reached into one of his pouches and brought forth his wallet. When it clicked open, everyone present could see the bounty of zenny stashed within. “Tora not know exact amount,” he admitted. “Team got paid per shiny dug up from ground, then total split between us. Must be few thousand minimum, meh.” He left out that he possessed no idea of the currency’s relative worth.
Courier 6 eyed the wallet and listened to Tora’s story of acquiring it. He didn’t know the exact worth of the Zenny himself, but he did know the value of the sort of job Tora had to pull off to get it, and split between the different members of their group that had participated… This was a pittance. No other way around it. He couldn’t take such a meager amount away from Tora. That just wouldn’t be right. But he couldn’t let Tora know that’s why he had to turn the offer down, that’d he had for business! There was something
else he could still get from this arrangement though…
”Gonna have ta turn ya down on that one, hombre. Such a meager offerin’ simply ain’t worth my time, much less my expertise.” He let that hang in the air a moment, just to give the illusion he was being harder than he actually was.
”But you got somethin’ else to pay me with. If’n we’re gonna do this then I want to copy Poppi’s schematics and diagnostics.”He tapped his Pip-Boy arm mounted computer.
”I’ll be needin’ ya understand how she works to help anyhow, right? An’ I’m sure I can give GT some deathclaw sized upgrades with what I can learn from Poppi.”The offer sent a chill down Poppi’s spine. Aghast she looked at her masterpon, hoping he understood what 6 was saying. For a moment Tora considered it, but the furrow of his brow suggested he wasn’t agreeable long before he piped up, his voice resolute. “Meh, meh, meh! No way! Poppi not just hardware to be copied and traded around! Poppi own person, and that that!” He put his nub-arms on his hips and glared at 6 accusingly. “Why Courier want to take Poppi? Why even demand pay, meh? Help when in need without reward is what friends do! What heroes do! Tora would do same!”
The Courier stood there as Tora tore into him, taking it with a blank face.
”You done, amigo? M’kay.” He hacked up a loogie then spat it out on the floor before continuing.
”First off, we ain’t friends. We ain’t had a single conversation together before now, so don’t expect no special treatment. You wanna be my friend, that requires effort, not just askin’ fer favors when it fancies ya. Second, I do help without compensation when there’s a need. You got a raider with a gun to yer head? You damn well bet I’m gonna step in and take’em out. I don’t wanna see nobody die that don’t have ta. You starvin’ with no money, no prospects? I’ll feed ya. This here? Ain’t no ‘need.’ It’s a ‘want.’ Where I come from, people die every day because they don’t have what they need to survive. Ya never know when yer eatin’ next, or how many monsters are over the next hill, or if’n yer partner’s gonna turn on ya fer a quick buck. I don’ know where you come from but I can tell you sure as shit don’ struggle like my people.
“Third, you’ll never find a bigger advocate for the rights o’ sentient robots than me, but that don’ mean her mechanical designs make her, her. Look at my hair, you think that someone else gettin’ black hair means part o’ me is in them? That’s brahmin shit. You want her to stay completely unique, keep her design a secret? Fine by me, but don’t fool yerself inta thinkin’ it’s fer some self-righteous altruistic cause, and don’t insult me. Fuck off, ya varmint. I ain’t the desperate one here.” He spat one more time, then turned round and began walking away before giving pause for just one moment.
”You know, I’m a Courier by trade. I deliver messages, packages, and letters. Consider that advice a freebie.”As he walked away, GT rolled up to Tora and Poppi, her tv screen showing the static image of Gaige making a very awkward face. “Sooo yeeeeah… Sorry about that, guys. Maybe try again soon? Anyway have a nice daaaaaaay~!” she called rolling off toward her maker.
The two left Tora dumbfounded, his mouth wide open and his head covered in beads of sweat. It took a while before he worked up the strength to swallow. “W-well, t-that just bit extreme.” He glanced at his artificial blade partner. “R-right, Pop...Poppi?”
She nodded slowly, watching the transformed gunslinger heading elsewhere before she put him out of her sight. “It seem Courier strongly averse to favors. Poppi measure of stinginess based on masterpon undergoing recalibration.”
The reassurement left Tora feeling a little more courageous. He fixed the double spit splotches on the floor with a look of disgust. “Meeh...Tora understand people have it harder than him, but that no reason to treat like trash. How I ever think him friend, Tora never know.”
Poppi laid a hand on his head. “Thank you for not thinking of selling Poppi integrity to meany Courier, masterpon.”
A smile brightened the Nopon’s face. “No problem, mehmeh! Tora never betray friends. If he make tools from scrap, so can Tora! Just take little longer.”
The artificial blade looked around at the dispersing remnants of the crowd. “That good. Still, we learn valuable lesson from that conversation.” She glanced back at Tora’s curious face. “Even if we work with people and share same goal, that not mean friendship, or even we know each other. We should spend time with everyone and get to know them, so we don’t get rude awakening like with Courier. Poppi doubt he help us ever again.”
Tora concurred solemnly. “Mm-hmm! That druggypon not friend and not hero, even if Tora fight alongside and nearly become deadypon to protect him. Being hero more than deeds; it about character! So we definitely need find out character of others, meh.” He dug in his pockets for his wrench. “But for now, we ask around and find store-room. When Tora done, Poppi become so powerful that nobody can look down on us!” So saying, the Nopon engineer led the way out of the atrium and toward new horizons, not much older but a little wiser.
Izurich
Strosivadan