WELCOME TO RAYVEN'S REIGN.

[♖ Gypsy]

The hot dry air of the crowded market place was filled with a haunting shifting melody from an Erhu, the arking melody sliding from note to note with a soaring vibrato at the end of each phrase which caught the winds and occasionally rose above the chatter and bustle of a busy town trading day. The aged oriental man sitting upon the wooden balcony of his ramshackle house leaned over the instrument, the narrow wood clutched to his chest with such reverence, as if completely unaware of the crowds below him, who were just as oblivious to him above, his only attention locked solely upon drawing the haunting sounds from his instrument.

This music mixed with the shouts of the traders on the dusty streets, the sounds of the horses hooves and snorts and the conversations of a hundred or more people crammed into a small space created a bustling pleasant atmosphere, one most here were enjoying whether they were here to buy groceries or simply browsing.
This music was merely a background to the usual chatter, banter and disagreements of a market. This wasn't a core planet, trading wasn't monitored here and you needed no licence to set up a stall…. But nor was it one of the outer rim worlds where you'd be in fear of putting your goods out unless they were chained down. No, Red Wind was getting by somewhere in the middle; a moderately sized busy traders town serving as a stopping point for a variety of traders heading to or from the outer rim with all the buildings you would expect in such a place.
The alliance hadn't seemed to have had much influence here – there was none of the technology or wealth seen on the core planets. It was a western town, plain and simple wooden buildings and dust streets. But it was prosperous enough in its own way…

Past the hitched up horses and the stink of their excrement on the dust road, beyond the stalls of fruit and another with mechanical bits and bobs, a young male's voice could be heard, chipper playful and unrelenting - calling through the crowds and designed to attract attention.

"Cmon folks chase the ace - ain't hard to do, ain't nothin' but the runnin' red, n' ain't no more to be said! Step right up n'double those fortunes - the more y'bet the more y'get. Ain't no sin in makin' a win! Step right up right up!"

The boy doing the calling couldn't be more than eighteen, and it was perhaps the assumed naivety of his age that was attracting a few of the older looking hicks towards his little make-shift table, their gaze intent on the three cards he shifted with an expert's speed. The boy was dressed in a scruffy yellowed shirt, only buttoned twice across his stomach at the very middle, the worn sleeves loose around as his dark skinned hands as they danced fast across the upturned crate stand. Cards shifted and replaced each other as the three cards moved with practiced ease, not even making a sound on the wood of the crate.

"There we go, card's placed - make y'bet - wheres the red Sir?"

A wrinkled gunslinger's eyes narrowed a little at the set of three face down cards, he tugged down his hat and then finally motioned towards one with a dry cracked finger. The teenager opposite him grinned good naturedly, dark brown hues sparkling as he looked up at the man from under a thick tousled mop of straggly dark brown hair. "Far right it is! Lets see if right is right! Remember folks, we're chasin' the ace." He turned over the card. A disappointed grumble went up from the man, slapping his leg in irritation briefly before he folded his arms, the crowd around him chuckling and grumbling in equal measure as the teen continued. "Black eyed seven..." He was quickly collecting the cards and shoving them in the deck before someone got wise enough to check them.

"Cmon ladies and gents, step right up, one in three chance of winnin'. Chase the ace, the runnin' red! Make a little to buy y'drinks with tonight..."

What a pleasant market day...

This post has been edited by Gypsy on Aug 8 2012, 08:39 AM

[♘ Briea]

Not everyone was oblivious to the music that was the soundtrack to the busy market day. Leo stood off to the side of all the hustle and bustle, eyes partially closed listening close to the sounds. Someone very dear to her heart had played one of those. Had been playing the day she died. The music finally ebbed off into nothingness and the memories were pushed down to be though of another day.

Right now, she needed supplies and maybe make some money till she could afford a shuttle to Persephone. Her slim hands reached up and made sure the greasy rag she had hiding her hair was in place. She stepped out into the bustling crowd. No one paid much attention to the skinny, dirty boy walking through the market. Her bag of things were hidden up in the hills outside of town and someone would have had to seen her hide them to find them. All she had on her was her knife and the money she could afford to spend on supplies.

Leo could really use more, but no one here seemed to be looking for a mechanic. There weren't really that many people with stuff like that to be working on in these parts. A loud and pleasant voice made her look up. A game of chance? She chewed on her lip for a minute and slowly worked her way through the crowd. She was thin enough to squeeze between the more muscular men gathered around the small table.

The man at the table now pointed to the far right card. Leo was leaning forward a little, trying to see. The dealer showed a black eyed seven and the whole crowd let out a kind of aww as the man lost. He didn't seem very happy about it, but he was moving away. There were four more men bet their money and lost. Her eyes were on the table, never leaving it as she watched the young man's hands. The mathematical probability that this many people were losing was high. Then again if you factored in the human factor it probably was likely.

Her fingers ran over the pocket on her shirt that had her money in it watching the table. Almost everyone watching had a turn. The young man running the table was very adapt at pulling people in. She could see why, he was an A-grade specimen. Though he was talking to a crowd of fuzzy wuzzy looking people. Maybe she'd try her hand at this game just once to see if she could by chance win. No one had won yet, but she thought she might have his pattern figured out.

No one else was stepping forward so she did, reaching for her money. She pulled out a coin and tossed it on the table. She kept her head somewhat down, not looking at him directly. Her hands tugged at the over-sized man's shirt that she wore, nervously. Taking a deep breathe she pointed to the middle card, immediately shoving the rather feminine digits in her pants pocket, waiting on him to flip the card over.

[♖ Gypsy]

None of the crowd was stepping up but Ryder didn't let that lazy grin fall from his features. He would have to let someone win soon, they were tailing off and needed a bite. Time to let the real ace drop.

"Cmon folks! Can't win if y'don't try so don't be shy! One in three, that's all it is, chasin' the ace..." The practiced patter fell from his lips in a speedy repetitive drawl, inviting the monotony of thought that dulled the mind. He didn't one anyone looking too close.

The red ace of diamonds was held up to the crowds and shown as a possibility - their target, what they were looking for, what had them putting their money down time and time again. As that card casually relaxed in his hand and went limp slightly his other hand on the crate was making a big show of presenting the two dud cards they wanted to avoid, flipping the card up with a click of fingers and a practiced spin (a little flourish) and then spreading his palm to it as it went down. While they were watching his one handed card tricks and listening as he drew their attention to whatever the dud cards were with his cheerful patter, this would ordinarily be the moment that he would make the switch. The Ace would be turned back up his sleeve, secreted away on the underside of his wrist beneath his cuff, and the new dud card would be substituted in it's place.

This time however, he wasn't going to do that. There was only one bet on the table from this skinny boy, and he needed a win to bring the punters in. He just had to make sure she did win. The real ace was flipped and placed down, his gaze on the skinny boy's features as he began to pick up and shift the cards, crossing his hands and blurring the downward facing ace's movements with practiced ease.
"Round n' round she goes. Chase the ace. Keep y'eye on the prize..."

Finally the cards were set back down and his gaze flicked up the Leona. "Lets see if lady luck is lookin' over y'boy. Wheres the ace?" He gestured to the cards in turn as he labelled them 1,2 and 3, but as he got to two he made sure his fingers angled down a little further - a subtle and intentional tell, like he had screwed up, one she probably wouldn't even notice, but her mind might. He wanted her to win. This time... It would draw in more customers.

[♘ Briea]

Leona caught the drop of the finger. There was no missing it for her. She always watched for small things like that no matter what she was doing. Details could be what stopped an engine turning. A tube unhooked from the compression coil could be far more dangerous then you could imagine. Leona lifted her hand, finally looking up a little bit and pointing at the card he'd dropped his finger over. "That one."

She'd been off her home planet long enough to know to keep her words short, voice low as possible if she wanted to be believed as a boy. She pulled her hand back quickly. Feminine hands were harder to hide. If she won, she knew the man behind the table would try to get her to double or nothing it. She wasn't that naive. Walk away while you have a profit. That's always the rule. And never bet more then you can afford to lose.

Her eyes gazed at her precious coin, laying on the table and she bit her lip for a moment before looking back at the man behind the table. Taking a deep breathe she waited some what impatiently for him to flip the card.

[♖ Gypsy]

Dark eyes met hers of green and he gave her a slightly tense look, lips creasing up briefly as if he didn't know if the card she had selected was the right one. He let the tension bleed into the crowd for a moment as he met the eyes of the boy before him. Finally with a flick of his wrist and a slick finger movement he flipped the card up. Red. Ace of Diamonds. She had won. He grinned widely then gave a mock dip of his head, arms and shoulders sagging as if gutted to be beaten as the crowd cheered for Leona and a few clapped - pleased she had beaten 'the house'. "Aww Lao tien fu y'got me n fairs fair." He smiled begrudgingly as he met the boy's eyes again, he dug into his coin bag and pulled out two extra coins, folding them out for the boy.

Leona would reach for them but the con-artist didn't release them, dark eyes locked on the boys. "How brave are you feelin'..." Ryder raised and dropped thick dark eyebrows as if suddenly worried, rephrasing. "How brave am I..." Still holding the coins back from her, Ryder scratched his free hand into his hair, pushing it out of his face briefly as he looked over the crowds now, raising his voice. "How brave y'think this kid is folks? Me against him - final showdown... Reckon he can win...?"
The crowd didn't seem too sure, giving vague murmurs in response but nothing convincing. Ryder held up his free hand. "Alright fairs fair - what if I give him the edge eh...? House advantage... He -"
Ryder's dark eyes flicked back to Leona, studying "What's y'name kid?" The name received he turned back to the crowd raising his voice again with that easy lazy grin. "What if Leo here gets TWO guesses! I'm feelin' all kinds of generous! Two tries at the ace! I got a notion he should go for it, don't you folks?!"
The crowd roared and whooped, urging Leona on. Someone even slapped her on the back hard.

Ryder grinned, finally releasing the coins into Leona's grip, dark hues locked on her own, head slightly ducked. Ah, peer pressure... Who needed a second ringer when you could use the crowd to do it for you. He tilted his head, waiting. "How 'bout it Leo. Double or nothin'. Two tries. Can't say fairer then that."

This post has been edited by Gypsy on Aug 7 2012, 06:26 PM

[♘ Briea]

The girl smiled as the man behind the table seemed upset that she'd won his game. She held her hand out waiting on the coins to drop. She looked up a little puzzled as he didn't drop them. Here it came. The double or nothing offer she had expected. The moment he asked how brave she was feeling, she was shaking her head no.

This guy was good. He was involving the crowd. She sighed softly and tried to tell him she just wanted her coin, but he was to busy selling the bet. Leona dropped her eyes and shook her head. There was no way she was trying it again. When he mentioned giving an edge she looked at him one brow raised. Two chances. Interesting. That was almost tempting.

When he asked for her name she gave it. At least if he was standing her announcing her as Leo maybe others in the market wouldn't question her somewhat feminine features. She was lost thinking on her potential for getting a ticket off this planet sooner then she thought. If she'd figured his system right, then she could win next round on the first try. The crowd roared and someone smacked her on the back, making her stumble. She caught herself and looked between the cards an the coins now in her hand.

Sighing, knowing it was probably mistake, she laid the coins back down. "Double or nothing. Two guesses. Alright, fair enough." She motioned for him to do what he needed with the cards. Her eyes never left his hands. Not even a second as he moved them around on the table.

[♖ Gypsy]

Got him.

After this hand played Ryder would effectively only have taken her one coin but gained a whole lot more willing punters and not made a loss. As long as he reset the table after a few losses, and gave another 'lucky customer' a brief win, he could make a lot of credits here today. Free credits. The best kind.

The Ace was shown, attention then drawn to the dud cards as they were dramatically turned, the Ace was filped and swapped. Three cards on the table, none of them winners. Ryder made the turns and twists, crossing and uncrossing his dirt encrusted hands as his lips churned out the fair ground patter. The crowd had drawn in closer now, everyone watching, everyone seeing if they would have got it right even if Leona didn't, a precious few (if any) realising that there was currently no way she could win. Most doubters looked for the switch, the slight of hand now, staring for it, watching every little motion of his hands, looking for any sign of a double card thickness, while having no idea that it had already long since been made.

"There they ride, smooth n'steady." His gaze flicked up from under dark brows. "Pick a card." Ryders voice was encouraging, palms flat on the crate top, waiting.

The crowd hushed.

Leo gestured to her first choice. Ryder flipped it. Two of spades. The men and women gathered let out an 'ohhhh' of sympathy as Ryder shook his head in relief, tense, fingers drumming. He gave a short hard sigh as if nervous. "Y'second choice... Don't bankrupt me here Leo, I gotta powerful need to eat..." He joked, but kept his smile tight, nervous. The crowd and this kid had to believe he was nervous that he could lose.

[♘ Briea]

Leona watched the cards move, but she wasn't just watching the cards. She was watching his fingers and wrists. He'd offered her double or nothing to easy. Had baited the crowd. He was confident he was going to win. She thought she caught a quick move that didn't match the pattern he'd used when she won. That was interesting.

The moves stopped and she pointed to the card that rightfully should have been the ace. When it wasn't she was frowning. "Go Neong Yung Duh!" That couldn't be right. Her eyes went back to his wrists. He was cheating. He had to be. Her eyes lifted to his. The man behind the table was probably stronger then her, but he wasn't expecting what she was going to do.

Leona began scratching her nose. A sudden sneeze sent her stumbling, which bumped his table over. She looked at it big eyed. "Sorry. I'm ruttin' klutz." She nearly tripped over the table going to help him pick it up adding to her apparent inability to walk straight. She knelt down at the end of the table moving to help him pick it up. When she was down where no one could see her, she grabbed is wrist. "You best be for givin' me my coin back. Or I'll tell this whole crowd of chwen what a cheat you be." Her hand squeezed his wrist where the card was hidden. She was standing up, letting go and righting the table.

She smiled at him once it was done. "Reckon I've got one more guess when get ya self all set back up."

[♖ Gypsy]

When she cursed and called him a son of a bitch he grinned a little, looking down to hide the expression. He did feel mildly bad for the boy - but only mildly. Ryder wasn't looking to rip the kid off more than one singular coin. These other folks though? The ones with their fine leather boots and their shiny holstered guns? Those guys he would take for as much as he could convince them to part with.

As she sneezed and his crate table went over Ryder was ducking immediately, panic taking him briefly as he muttered a quick "Ta ma duh!!" ((dammit!!)) at the notion that those final cards might turn face up in the breeze. He slammed a hand atop the cards pressing them quickly to the crate top to stop them blowing free - the rest of his deck falling. Ryder's gaze now distracted on his bag of coin in the crate-well, hoping it wouldn't have split and scattered his earnin-

- Suddenly feeling tension he looked down at her grip on his wrist over his shift and leather cuff, his gaze flicked up to the boy's eyes, surprised. Ryder's gaze searched the 'boys' as she spoke, a little shocked that she'd made him. He thought he was better then that.
He didn't reply, there wasn't time, they both straightened the table, Ryder's hand still holding the two remaining cards flat, now painfully aware of that hidden ace (that should be on the table) burning a hole against his wrist. He couldn't make the switch back now. Too many people would see - and he saw some of the folks he had already taken money from in the crowds. They sure as shit wouldn't be pleased.

Folks on Red Wind weren't exactly forgiving... Not blood thirsty like they were on some planets, but one cry that he was a fraud and he'd have more lead in him then a damn pencil.

Ryder was a little rattled as he gathered himself - not worried about this boy, but worried by what could come out of his mouth. He resisted his urge to hide his cheating wrist, and the guilty tell that would provide, instead commenting after a little pause. "Reckon y'have."

He licked dark lips for a moment, rolling his jaw and then forced that smile back onto his features. "So." He met the boy's dirt streaked face - apparently more fire in the feminine features and weak slender jaw then he had given the kid credit for. "Pick a card." He tried to give the boy a signal - some sign he had agreed, but he couldn't give him a win now. He couldn't make the switch back with everyone looking like this. "I got a real strong notion y'lucks gonna change."

Leo picked. The card was of course a failure. The crowd booed a little as Ryder rapidly began picking up the rest of his deck and hiding that extra card within. Meeting Leo's gaze as he saw that flash of resolve in the boys eyes and Ryder added speedily with a small forced laugh. "No hard feelin's hey Leo? Lady Luck can be a yi da tuo da bian when she wants to be. But I see you later, I'll buy y'a drink, that work things out some?"

As he shuffled the cards easily, them concertinaing between his hands in a rapid dealer's skilled shuffle, he met her eyes, genuinely tense now rather than the show he had put on before, waiting on whether she would out him or not, or undertand his meaning.

[♘ Briea]

The ace slipped into the deck and her opportunity to rat him out was gone. This guy was good. Leo stuck her hands in her pockets, mad at herself for falling for such an stupid con. "Ta Ma De Hun Dan. Drinks are fine I reckon." She was so mad, she just turned and walked away. Leo knew she'd never see that guy again. She wasn't likely to forget his face. He was far to fetching to forget.

One coin wasn't going to ruin her, but it was the fact that she'd lost to that Ho Tze Duh Pi Gu. She shoved her hands deeper in the baggy pants she wore, deciding to get her mind off of him and back on what she should have been doing. Buying supplies and trying to make some honest coin.

She'd bought some food, stuff that would stretch over a few days. No one seemed to have work for a young person like her. Didn't matter how gorram talented she was with a wrench and engine. She was sitting on a low wall that ran along the market area, trying to figure out what to do now. Her coin was getting low. One lower after that... she pushed the thought aside and went back to planning.

Ships came in here, but not often and they usually all had small dedicated crews already. They came to trade with the locals. Not many came in here to set up a stall from off planet. Her ruttin' luck had to turn around at some point. It would help if she knew anyone here. Even one contact would be nice, but she hadn't seen a soul she knew at all. No one from Lilac and no one that she'd met on other ships or planets either.

Couldn't one little hard to repair engine break down? Just one. Something that only she was smart enough and quick enough to fix. She didn't think she was asking for a lot.

[♖ Gypsy]

It had been a good day for Ryder, other than that brief scare... But strangely the kid had played on his mind some. Ryder himself couldn't be much older than the boy - and he was dirty and thin enough to imply that maybe that one singular coin Ryder had stolen had actually been truely needed. Ryder tried to rationalise to himself that if it HAD been a genuine game of chance the kid could have lost it anyway, but somehow that didn't take a way that little nagging voice of guilt...

Ryder had long since packed up shop (if you could call bagging the credits, the cards and turning a crate back over, 'packing up'), and now was wandering towards the bar back near the landing port in search of a drink and a card game or two, while telling himself he wasn't actually looking for the boy he had robbed, despite the manner in which he found himself searching the dispersing crowds...

A slight form and dirty face caught his eye - that headband over tousled hair confirming it. Ryder tilted his head a little, stepping around someone who unexpectedly came to a stop in front of him. Was that Leo there? On the wall near the horses? A quick wary look around, checking the boy didn't have any crew members here abouts that could apply a beating and Ryder finally headed over, clutching his pack bag to his hip a little tighter and digging into it with one hand.

As he stepped out the crowd, his gaze briefly went to the restless horses before looking to the boy on the wall he spoke up.
"Hey kid...Here." He held out three coins to the 'boy', what was owed had she won plus one extra, waiting for her to take them, his other hand scratching idly at the vertical line of hair down his bare stomach briefly as he watched the kid opposite him. "Double or nothin' right? I made a peck, figured you could use some." Seeing the surprise registering on Leona's face he grinned a little, one corner of his lips tugging up before the other one followed suit. "...I know, I'm shocked my own self. Take it."
No apology, but there was coin, and that meant something out here right...?

[♘ Briea]

Leona looked up in mild shock. She'd figured that he'd be long gone off drinking or whoring the coin away. Before he changed his mind, she took the coin and pocketed it quickly. "I hadn't been expecting to see you again. Figured you be off 'n one a them bars. Drinking ya ill gotten gains on some whore." She pushed her self off the short wall and looked up at him.

The girl caught herself staring. He was right nice to look at. Still, she was supposed to be a boy and boys don't stare at other boys like that less they be sly. She touched her pocket where she'd stuck the coins and gave the guy a halfhearted smile. "That puts me that much closer off this infernal rock. Ain't no work of no kind to be found around here. Thanks man." She didn't know where she was going as she started walking. She hadn't been using coin for a room, just finding a dark corner to curl up in and grab a nap before she was up and at it again.

Stopping she turned and looked back at him. "I reckon wouldn't be right o' me to be telling anyone about ya game. You did right by me in the end." She lifted a hand in farewell and started walking through the slowly emptying streets.

[♖ Gypsy]

"I hadn't been expecting to see you again. Figured you be off 'n one a them bars. Drinking ya ill gotten gains on some whore."

As she stood, Ryder didn't notice the 'boy' staring. He noticed the silence though, but thankfully had occasion to be filling it. A small short exhalation of a laugh left him and he was shaking his head rapidly at her words.
"Round here abouts?!! Noooooo... no no no!"
He grin-grimaced slightly as his hand pushed into his dark hair, violently shaking through it for a few seconds as he continued casually. "Word of advice kid? Man to man?" He pulled a face as his thick eyebrows loosely raised, dark eyes locked on her. "Don't go puttin' your dick in nothin' nor no-one out here unless you gotta real keen notion of where they've been previous. Long-term. Theres them whores out here n' round about that'd make a man's manhood clean fall off from some of the powerful inner uglies they've got." He shuddered a little at the thought of catching anything from those girls. "Just ain't right!"

Stopping she turned and looked back at him. "I reckon wouldn't be right o' me to be telling anyone about ya game. You did right by me in the end."

"Appreciate it - I'd take that as a real kindness! Be seein' you Leo." A nod and a loose wave of one hand before Ryder was off towards a bar, likely to lose everything he'd earnt today on a card shark further up the food chain... And so the cycle continued...

***********

A sleepy early morning town on the edge of a rock, floating deep in the black. The sun had long since risen and already the dust roads had a familiar heat emanating from them. For the most part the town was quiet, the odd rider guiding a horse towards a hitching post, a trader setting up a stall, a woman carrying two pitchers of milk towards the local tavern... Before the business of another trading day began again it would be peace and tranquility for the most part. A rare moment of quiet. That was until....

A sizeable cloud of dust was kicked up into the still air as the young Ryder skidded noisily around the corner from the direction of the landing port, arms flailing to keep his balance in the sudden change of direction, open white shirt parted wide with the cart-wheeling of his arms. He took off again down the main street, stumbling briefly as his boots slipped on a rock but pushing himself up and sprinting down the street wildly again as if the very hounds of hell themselves were on his tail.
The woman carrying two pitchers of milk was caught in the flight path of the wildly running teen, frozen, deer in the headlights, beginning to go left, then regretting it and chosing right. Ryder didn't slow down and barely managed to avoid her as he lurched his run out to the side, vaguely seeing the dusty dirt changing to mud as the milk of one of the pitchers dropped and soaked it and muttering a "Sorry!!" to the stream of chinese curse words that were yelled after him as he belted onwards trying to gain control of his maddened run again.

Ryder's gaze was searching everywhere - every person he saw on the street, looking for one figure in particular, although his general direction was for the lodging house, hoping against hope that damn kid hadn't left world yet.
Oh Ryder was dead. He was so dead. So so so so dead. And for once it wasn't his fault.

This post has been edited by Gypsy on Aug 8 2012, 10:24 AM

[♘ Briea]

Leo's luck had gotten much better by the next morning. She had by chance falling asleep on a bakers porch. The man wake her and told her to be on her way. She didn't even bother to argue. The man was trying to get his motorized cart to start. He needed to get down to the trade area to sell his bread, but the cart wouldn't turn over.

The young woman stepped over and shyly offered to fix it for him. The man looked her up and down, but nodded not having much choice in the matter. Leo popped the engine cover and immediately saw the issue. The electrical was fried. She dug in her bag and found some scrap wire from another job. In a few minutes she had the contraption rewired. Making a motion at the man, she asked him to try to start it.

The engine turned over like it was brand new. The baker was grateful and shoved a loaf of still warm bread at her. She thanked him and tore into it to quiet her growling stomach.

As she walked around the trade area, things really began looking up. Two people approached her to fix things for them. The baker had been bragging about how fast she was. Leo quickly agreed and she was off to work finally.

********

She'd had steady work for a few days. As the day dawned it found her sitting in the area of the market she'd made hers. She was working on putting an engine back together. Grease smeared the side of her face as she wrestled with a spring that didn't want to go back into the mechanism she was working on.

There was a ruckus in the market, behind her. Needing a break from the spring, she pushed up and looked out at the main area. Someone was running wildly down the way. Leo lifted an arm, brushing the sweat from her brow on the back of her some what clean arm.

She shook her head and started turn back to the engine she'd been working on, but she stopped and took a sip of the drink she'd gotten at the lodging house on the way out. The running man seemed familiar, but she didn't give it much thought as she set her cup down. "Back to work. Half way to your ticket off this rock." She mumbled to herself as she stood at the front of her stand.

[♖ Gypsy]

Not him, not him not him - Ah! That dirty thin face, baggy clothes, rag around the hair. That must be the kid right?! it had been a few days, but there weren't that many young people on this rock.

Cart-wheeling into a change of direction, Ryder was belting over, hollaring at the poor Leona before he even got to her trade-stand. "LEO! Wo De Tian A - Leo?! It is - Leo - guh - right?!"

The tanned teen skidded to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust over Leona's engine parts and doubled up noisily, hands on dirty ripped pants, breathing hard - every dry wheeze given from under desperate searching eyes as he tried to find the words to speak again.
The con-man's face was flushed even darker from the exertion that long sprinted run had caused and sweat was clinging to a his dark-skinned bare toned stomach and chest, visible beneath the open white shirt, the leather cord of his necklace glued to his chest by the stink at an odd angle.

He finally opened his mouth and a garbled jumble of intensely rushed indecipherable syllables left him before he let out a grunt, hanging his head and panting for a moment again, trying to catch his breath. Finally he licked his lips and tried again. "You're a mechanic - I need - a mechanic - y'gotta come -" He was gesturing back down the street in the direction of the landing platform that served as a crude 'space port' of sorts.

Ryder was desperate now. It was supposed to have been simple. He had dropped the little criminal tribe off on the neighbouring moon a few hours ago - they would pull the bank heist, and he would pick them up after - leaving in the interim so suspicions were not raised. Everything was timed to perfection. The little moon had no law enforcement of its own, only the air space was monitored, which meant when the alarms were triggered there was a half an hour response time before the local law jetted over. Ryder would have been there and picked the crew up (thereby getting his cut), before they even showed up. At least, that had been the plan.
Buuuuutttt as usual, Lady Luck had spit in Ryder's face then rubbed it in. He'd gone to make the pick up, and the get-away ship wouldn't gorram start!! Ryder was grounded, hopeless, and every passing minute ticked away another where the law-enforcement were mobilizing, and his crew was left swinging in the breeze waiting for their lift.

He had tried every mechanic at the port, even ones that were on crews - all wouldn't work from the meager amount the teenager had on hand, or the simple promise of pay 'when he got his cut'. Others simply wouldn't drop the jobs they already had just for a couple of coin, and outright laughed in his face. Some had suggested 'Leo' as a joke.

As he looked back towards the landing platform, as if he could see the offending ship, his brow suddenly furrowed into a glare, hair that was glued to it by sweat shifting down for a moment, as he yelled a stream of curse words as if the ship in question could hear him.
"That lio coh jwei ji jeong hur ho deh yung DUH BUHN JAH J'WOHN of a SHIP wouldn't gorram START WOULD IT!!" After this bellowed yell he was looking back to her, as if remembering she was there now, still panting hard and giving her a look of desperation. His dark eyebows clung together for support as darker hues beneath pleaded with her. "And I got all kinds of needing for it to start. Like - half an hour ago. Please -" His hands were spread wide, already backing up, apparently ready to sprint off again back towards the ship, thinking she would agree. "Help a ghuh out!!"

This post has been edited by Gypsy on Aug 8 2012, 11:06 AM