Jeph pulled out the battered baseball cap that belonged with the rest of the JMC "delivery man" uniform he happened to be wearing, pulled his hair back into a ponytail, and tucked it through the back of the cap as he settled it onto his head. "We've got one of the panel vans out at the delivery dock. I brought in some boxes with me when we arrived, hopefully they won't have noticed anything past the 'probably a routine delivery'. I'll head out the door first, check to see if the coast is clear, then get you into the back to hunker down while we drive around the reporter cordon. If it goes well, we'll be able to get you to the JMC offices and plot the next move."
“If nothing else, we could have Kitbash fly the Void Eagle over,” Nene noted. “People will notice, yeah, but it’s not too unusual.” She grinned, taking a brush out of the bag. “Especially since we arranged to cover your delivery runs until you’re back on your feet. Kitbash DID tell you about that one, right?” she added as Chris turned and gave her a surprised look.
“... Oh, that’d be what she meant earlier,” the Orion realised, nodding in understanding. “I half thought this was the favor she’d gotten,” she admitted.
“No, this is a freebie. The freight work is costing you just enough it doesn’t qualify as a gift,” Nene said. “Now hold still,” she said, running the brush through her friends hair. “I’ll clean this up and we can stick it in a ponytail or something.”
Seeing the girls expression, Jeph laughed. “Welcome to the downside of having long hair… especially that long,” he noted dryly.
Snickering, Nene considered the green-black river. “You are either going to love or despise zero gravity,” she commented. “You’ll probably want to cut it short again, I suppose… hmm?” she asked, noticing how Chris had frozen suddenly.
When she answered, her voice was an odd mix of unease, and confusion as to why she felt said unease. “I, I really don’t want to cut it off,” she said.
Nene and Jeph gave each other bemused looks, then Nene patted Chris on the shoulder. “Then you leave it long. For now, let’s just get it presentable, hmm?”
***
“Okay, so it’s fair to say I’m a little nervous right now,” Chris commented as they walked along. “But is it just my paranoia, or are a lot of people looking at me?”
“It’s not just your paranoia,” Nene replied kindly. “You’re a very pretty Orion woman. From now on, you’d be drawing attention in a bulky spacesuit.” She paused, taking in her friends horrified look, and decided not to add that the way she moved was making it even worse. The poor dear would likely freeze up and try to ignore what was apparently her new natural body language, and then they’d never get out of here.
“Whelp, time to give into my social anxiety and become a hermit,” Chris muttered as they reached the delivery dock. Much to her relief, it appeared deserted.
“You’ll be fine,” Jeph reassured her, before heading out and walking over to the delivery van.
Chris rolled her eyes and folded her arms under her breasts. “Stupid Mads and their even stupider bodyguards,” she muttered.
Nene nodded. “That sounds reasonably fair,” she agreed.
“Should have shot her and be done with it, but no, I had to try and minimize casualties…”
“That reminds me,” Nene said, changing the subject. “You’re going to need to talk to the kid.”
Chris blinked, giving her an odd look. “Huh? What abo-oh, right. Yeah. That’s a fair point,” she admitted.
“Even before Miyu stabbed you,” Nene continued, paling slightly at the memory, and drawing a shiver from her friend, “she was freaking out more than a little about the whole thing. She knew you knew how to use a gun, and she knew you served in the Boskone War…”
Closing her eyes, Chris sighed in frustration. “She just thinks it was hauling cargo for OGJ and occasionally having to use the coilgun on pirates.” Opening her eyes, she brushed as loose strand of hair back over her ear and gave Nene a frustrated look. “I told her that for a lot of good reasons,” she pointed out.
“I know,” Nene said with a nod. “And I agree with them. But they’re not going to convince her any more. Just a word of advice?” Chris raised an eyebrow. “Don’t pull the old ‘From a certain point of view’ line.”
That got a giggle out of the girl. “Nene, I’m crazy, not stupid.” Leaning around the corner, she saw Jeph finish scouting the area and wave them over. “And we’re good,” she said, darting into the docking bay and running for the van. Nene followed, and they both jumped in the back, Jeph closing the door behind them.
“Get comfortable in there ladies,” he said, climbing into the drivers seat. “Next stop, hopefully the JMC offices.”
“If nothing else, we could have Kitbash fly the Void Eagle over,” Nene noted. “People will notice, yeah, but it’s not too unusual.” She grinned, taking a brush out of the bag. “Especially since we arranged to cover your delivery runs until you’re back on your feet. Kitbash DID tell you about that one, right?” she added as Chris turned and gave her a surprised look.
“... Oh, that’d be what she meant earlier,” the Orion realised, nodding in understanding. “I half thought this was the favor she’d gotten,” she admitted.
“No, this is a freebie. The freight work is costing you just enough it doesn’t qualify as a gift,” Nene said. “Now hold still,” she said, running the brush through her friends hair. “I’ll clean this up and we can stick it in a ponytail or something.”
Seeing the girls expression, Jeph laughed. “Welcome to the downside of having long hair… especially that long,” he noted dryly.
Snickering, Nene considered the green-black river. “You are either going to love or despise zero gravity,” she commented. “You’ll probably want to cut it short again, I suppose… hmm?” she asked, noticing how Chris had frozen suddenly.
When she answered, her voice was an odd mix of unease, and confusion as to why she felt said unease. “I, I really don’t want to cut it off,” she said.
Nene and Jeph gave each other bemused looks, then Nene patted Chris on the shoulder. “Then you leave it long. For now, let’s just get it presentable, hmm?”
***
“Okay, so it’s fair to say I’m a little nervous right now,” Chris commented as they walked along. “But is it just my paranoia, or are a lot of people looking at me?”
“It’s not just your paranoia,” Nene replied kindly. “You’re a very pretty Orion woman. From now on, you’d be drawing attention in a bulky spacesuit.” She paused, taking in her friends horrified look, and decided not to add that the way she moved was making it even worse. The poor dear would likely freeze up and try to ignore what was apparently her new natural body language, and then they’d never get out of here.
“Whelp, time to give into my social anxiety and become a hermit,” Chris muttered as they reached the delivery dock. Much to her relief, it appeared deserted.
“You’ll be fine,” Jeph reassured her, before heading out and walking over to the delivery van.
Chris rolled her eyes and folded her arms under her breasts. “Stupid Mads and their even stupider bodyguards,” she muttered.
Nene nodded. “That sounds reasonably fair,” she agreed.
“Should have shot her and be done with it, but no, I had to try and minimize casualties…”
“That reminds me,” Nene said, changing the subject. “You’re going to need to talk to the kid.”
Chris blinked, giving her an odd look. “Huh? What abo-oh, right. Yeah. That’s a fair point,” she admitted.
“Even before Miyu stabbed you,” Nene continued, paling slightly at the memory, and drawing a shiver from her friend, “she was freaking out more than a little about the whole thing. She knew you knew how to use a gun, and she knew you served in the Boskone War…”
Closing her eyes, Chris sighed in frustration. “She just thinks it was hauling cargo for OGJ and occasionally having to use the coilgun on pirates.” Opening her eyes, she brushed as loose strand of hair back over her ear and gave Nene a frustrated look. “I told her that for a lot of good reasons,” she pointed out.
“I know,” Nene said with a nod. “And I agree with them. But they’re not going to convince her any more. Just a word of advice?” Chris raised an eyebrow. “Don’t pull the old ‘From a certain point of view’ line.”
That got a giggle out of the girl. “Nene, I’m crazy, not stupid.” Leaning around the corner, she saw Jeph finish scouting the area and wave them over. “And we’re good,” she said, darting into the docking bay and running for the van. Nene followed, and they both jumped in the back, Jeph closing the door behind them.
“Get comfortable in there ladies,” he said, climbing into the drivers seat. “Next stop, hopefully the JMC offices.”