03 // Audio;

[justamobster]

Who: Ladon Ceto and yooooou~
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Waystation, near a non-fleet ship.
When: Prior to leaving the waystation/VRD area (obviously)

[ There's a sniff when the feed kicks on, like someone with allergies or a slightly runny nose. When Ladon finally speaks, he sounds a bit out of breath. ]

Anyone wanna make some quick dough? Need some help loadin' a shuttle. By the red and black ship, one that ain't ours. Might pay extra if you don't go askin' too many questions.

[ Action; ]

[ Ladon can be found loitering around a non-fleet ship with an open cargo bay and one of the Tourist's shuttles. The ship appears to be outfitted to carry cargo, a good seven large crates of which have been brought down to the end of the loading ramp.

Ladon himself looks a little worse for wear. The sniffing appears to be the result of a bloody nose, which he keeps mopping with a handkerchief. His one eye is starting to turn black and blue, and there are a few spatters of blood that have likely ruined his new white t-shirt, along with a tear at the shoulder.

More observant parties might notice the taste of electricity in the air and the subtle smell of some sort of gasoline/lighter fluid-like chemical. Whoever the crew are for this ship, none of them are around. There are a few smears of blood on the loading ramp, but nothing large enough to indicate anything too nefarious.

Something's fishy, but that's why he's offering extra money for no questions asked, after all. ]

Comments

[got_it_memorized]

[When Ladon assures him he didn't kill anyone, Axel laughs helplessly.] Hey, if it comes down to kill or be killed, my vote still stands with kill. I'm kind of attached to being alive, and I prefer my crew be that way, too. I don't think zombies can fly, do you?

[He looks a little puzzled when he turns down the offer to heal him, but he figures he must have his reasons. Macho pride may be one of them, and while he'd think that's a little silly, he's not judging. He waves one hand.]

As you like it. Still need a hand? [He holds his palms up.] I got two of 'em and a bit of free time.

[justamobster]

[ Ladon visibly relaxes when Axel posits his approach to kill vs. be killed. ] Glad we're on the same page, yeah?

[ He nods to the offer for help. ] 'Preciate it. Don't wanna go breakin' nothin' tryin' to lift 'em myself. Booze ain't worth much all over the ground.

[got_it_memorized]

[There's something refreshing about seeing the way the tension sort of untwists from Ladon's shoulders. Axel's been in a few kill or be killed kinds of situations, and he knows it's never a fun place to be; he can't really find fault with anyone for making the choice to look out for #1.]

It's a good page to be on.

[He rolls his sleeves back and leans down to pick up one of the crates, making an oof sound. He's stronger than he looks, what with that twiggy frame, but a crate full of liquor ain't no walk in the park.]

Sheesh, these suckers are heavy! [And he starts up the ramp into the shuttle.] So what've you been up to? I mean, besides intense negotiations. Don't see you around the ship all that often.

[justamobster]

[ Ladon hurries over to help with the other side of the crate. Things will go faster and safer with the two of them, after all. Axel's likely stronger than Ladon is (in this form, anyway) but he can still contribute to the work as best as he can. ]

This an' that. Been a distractin' few weeks. [ Once they get the crate into a safe spot on the shuttle, he mops a little at his still bleeding nose. ] Someone I knew from that station I was on showed up here. Been, er, helpin' her settle in.

[got_it_memorized]

[He shifts his grip so Ladon can take the weight of the other side of the crate, and they make their way up the ramp. They set the crate down in the cargo area and then Axel leans on it, giving Ladon a knowing look.]

'Her', eh? [He waggles his eyebrows.] Helping a lady friend 'settle in', I see. Sounds serious.

[justamobster]

She's just a friend. [ The defense comes quickly, partially because he's just so used to giving it. Practically the whole station had assumed they were mates, after all. The other part is, well. He's still stinging a bit from her departure. That he has her back has lessened the hurt a little but... ]

And er. She lost some of her memory. Been helpin' her fill in the blanks.

[got_it_memorized]

[He's defensive immediately, and Axel waves one hand.]

I'm just messing with ya, no harm meant. [He frowns a bit then, shaking his head.] Man, I know how that is. My best friend lost his memories for a while--totally forgot who I was. It sucked. I hope she can get hers back.

[justamobster]

She remembers me, yeah? Would be a lot worse off if she didn't. [ He tucks his hands in his pockets and heads back towards the other crates, debating how much he wants to tell Axel. So far his captain has been pretty relatable and nonjudgmental. And Ladon doesn't have the friendships he had back on Sacrosanct. No Cathy or Jin or even Camille to talk to when the frustration and confusion gets to him.

He avoids looking up, instead focusing on the next crate of booze. ] She's... different, though. Dunno how I feel 'bout it.

[got_it_memorized]

That's good, at least. Memories are funny, fickle things, but boy can it mess with everything when they fail ya.

[Axel is fairly laid back, and he's learned a thing or two about hypocrisy in his day, so he endeavors to stay objective about these things. He's hardly poster child for good decisions and healthy relationships, after all, so he's really got no leg to stand on to judge anyone else. He knows the value of being able to tell your story to someone without worrying that they'll spill it or laugh at it, though, and while he and Ladon don't know each other all that well yet, he'd like to get to know him better.

[He's quiet as Ladon moves for the next crate, and he grabs the other end of it.]

Different isn't always bad, though. Sometimes it just takes a little getting used to. People change, sometimes quickly, but it doesn't have to change how you feel about 'em.

[justamobster]

Yeah. Dunno if it's changed that or not. She even goes by a different name now. Lucky... [ He shakes his head, laughing just a little at that. It doesn't fit. She's still Toby, deep down, but he just doesn't know.

He helps Axel lift the next crate. ] Your friend who lost his memory. Ever get 'em all back?

[got_it_memorized]

[Axel presses his lips together. A different name, huh?]

Oh, I remember seeing her on the network once. I thought that was a really unusual name, to be honest. [He ventures a watery smile.] You don't always get a choice, though--sometimes a name's connected to things you can't be associated with anymore, or... things you don't want to be associated with anymore. It's probably nothing personal, not at you, anyway.

I think he did, but... fact is, I dunno if I'll ever know for sure. You can't exactly ask someone what they still don't remember, you know? [A sigh.] For all the good it does, anyway. He's... somewhere nobody can see him right now. [How do you explain that he's literally half of somebody else?] I dunno how to help him, and it's really frustrating.

[justamobster]

Considerin' she forgot her old name before, guess it can't be helped. She remembers now but... [ But she still calls herself Lucky. Just how different is she? ]

Mmm. [ That situation sounds rough, and he understands the sudden separation and how frustrating that can be. Axel has a point, memories are very personal, and there's no way of knowing how much someone has lost. Especially someone from a completely different world. Ladon has to admit, he knows a lot about Toby, but no where near enough to know for sure how much of her old life she's forgotten. ] Dunno if I'd want to. Help her, I mean. Losin' the good's one thing, but the bad...

[ If it makes her happier, he's not going to sabotage that. Even if it makes her different from the woman he was so enamored with. He's just not that selfish. ]