Feb 23 15:52:25 105 PA

From Chronicles

The current game time is: Tue Feb 23 15:52:25 105 PA.

Raina sips in and looks around. Not seeing anyone around she heads over to her locker to pop it open and extract her SAM again. Thinking no-one is looking she leans in against the PA as if greeting an old friend.

Caliopa is quietly sat on the tailgate of her truck, swinging her legs. "Got it mended?" She asks, sliding from her perch and walking over to Raina, her hands in her pockets.

Raina spins on one foot away from the PA as her tail snaps and twitches. "Ohh.. Cali. Sorry, you startled me." she abmits as she reholsters the pistol she found in her hand all of a sudden. "Your elf isn't here, is he?" she asks almost nervously.

Caliopa shakes her head slowly, taking several steps back. "Uh. No...he doesn't belong to me. Not really." The friendly smile has faded and her forehead wrinkles. "Sorry... I didn't mean to startle you."

Raina makes a face at Cali as she relaxes farther. "And I did not mean to scare you either. Was just...." She glances to the armor and shrugs, "Was thinking of home in the air. And trying to put a nightmare out of my head."

Tilting her head and looking at Raina carefully, Caliopa speaks slowly, "If you want to talk about it...I ain't busy." She moves closer to the SAM and offers a small smile, "Ain't precisely surprising that you having them..."

Raina grins slighlty at that. "Not suprised I'm having a SAM? Or the nightmares?" She shifts over to lean against the armor. Her tail lightly wrapping around one leg of the suit. "Don't think they are the same as what everyone else has been having though."

Caliopa rests a hand tentatively against the SAM for a moment, giving Raina a sidelong look. "Nightmares." She speaks abruptly, "What are yours? I had a few." There is a hesitation before she finishes the sentence. "Scared 'my elf' half to death."

Raina quirks a brow up at that. "How did your nightmare scare the elf half to death? Cuddled up all close whne you woke up screaming?"

Caliopa blushes a little at that, "He slept on the sofa, we ain't..." She hesitates, not comfortable, "Woke up screaming though." She gives Raina a shy look, "You?"

Raina's lips quirk slightly. "It'd be better if you just said you scared him out of bed, hon. Make people stop asking foul questions. And mine are almost more like memories of a time I barely remember. I keep hearing a woman's voice telling me to beware the metal men. And well..." She trails off and shakes her head as her tail hangs. "I think it might be part of a bedtime warning from my mother."

Caliopa listens to Raina, her cheeks still pink, "You don't remember it clear?" She speaks, avoiding the first bit, "Metal men.. like the robots? Or the one in the visions with the arm?" She is turning it over in her mind, analysing it in a similar way she might work out a problem with a machine. "Shame you ain't a machine and I could figure you out better..." The rueful smile she offers warms her eyes slightly.

Raina snorts softly, "Probably a good thing I'm not a machine. Could be dangerous for this place. And what arm in a vision?" She shudders slightly as she hugs herself. "Hon, I barely remember my home. Only clear memory I have is of a village built in the trees burning."

Caliopa moves forward, hesitantly, the comforting role sitting oddly with her. "You don't remember? What do you remember? Ain't someone you can get to ..." She hesitates, looking for the work, "Rummage about in your head, see what's there?" She reaches out a hand, to touch Raina's elbow lightly.

Raina doesn't jump from the touch as she shrugs, "I don't remember. I was captured and sold when I was still young, dear." The tail slowly unsnaking from the leg of the armor to wrap around Cali's ankle. "Not certain who would want to go into my head. Scary place in there with all the war and strife I have seen in my years."

Moving a little closer, Caliopa lowers her voice. "Sold? Do you remember where? Anything? In the visions I saw there was a man with a kinda silver claws." She shivers, glancing at the tail briefly, "I'd do it, if I could, ain't something in my powers though." She shrugs, "Machines, they make sense...folks don't, not to me."

Raina's brows furrow at that. "Man with claws nearly as long as I am tall?" Her eyes going round as she asks. A half step back at that. "N-no. It was a market and I was small. Barely a kit past my milk teeth."

Caliopa gives Raina a blank look, "Massive.." She agrees softly, uncertainly, "Thought you didn't see them? The visions. Did you get the one when it saw you? Got one when I was working on the engine, I damn near fell in..." She frowns slightly, "What do you remember from the market?"

Raina shudders, "No vision. Part of the warning was of a metal man with huge claws. Sharp enough to rend hulls at a swipe." She glances away and sighs. "The market was huge to me. Dimentional with things and beings stepping in and out of controled lights and rifts. I was up for auction individualy as they thoughts my looks might draw a higher price."

Caliopa is chewing her lower lip, staring at Raina, "In one of them visions, I saw walls torn up a bit by them claws." She shudders too, "Lots of blood. And a machine too, ..." She frowns slightly, "Ain't all clear right now." The small smile she offers Raina is an invitation to a shared thing, "Mebbe I need mind meddling too."

Raina wrinkles her nose at the mention of mind meddling. "Reminds me that Mr. Kelley mentioned something about psy-cholage-gee. Said it didn't involve mental powers at all. But I'm not certain of it either."

Caliopa moves back a little closer, her arms hugging her waist, giving Raina a wide eyed look. "The doc seems to have a head screwed to his shoulders, might give it a go." She hesitates, chewing her lower lip, "He mentioned some what else too. Thinks I ought to be able to defend myself somewhat."

Raina nods slightly to that. "I agree you should be able to defend yourself, dear. Especially if you keep going out into the wilds." She lifts a hand to lightly trace a fingertip down Cali's cheek. "You have too many friends that would miss you if you didn't make it back."

Caliopa 's eyes widen slightly, at the touch on her cheek and there is a stillness for a second. "Was wondering, if you'd help with that. I ain't up for learning to kill, because it sits wrongly in my head, but I ain't got plans to be easy meat to ...anyone."

Raina blinks at that as she lets her hand drop slowly. "What sort of help are you looking for, dear? I already have Katsumi trying to convince me to teach her to pilot the powered armors."

Caliopa reaches up, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just some teaching in shooting, mebbe a bit of knowing how to do something if someone grabs..." She trails off, flushing. "I guess it ain't fair to ask you... it don't matter none..."

Raina chuckles softly and nods. "Dear, I was just asking what you wanted to learn. Not telling you I wouldn't help." A half step as she turns slightly to glance around the AIM. That tail of her's slowly unwinding and arching up to lightly flick the tip of Cali's nose. "Do you have any weapons? Because I think that piece of scrap armored plate over there could be made into a target with a little work." She points to a half shreaded pice off some vehicle.

Caliopa blinks at the tail, her hand automatically moving up to catch hold of it. "I ain't got anything like. But I got funds to buy some...if you got time for advising me. I ain't wanting something to kill with, just to defend." There may some logic there, but hidden deeply. Her fingers almost automatically fiddle with the tail end, if Raina doesn't pull away. "If you got time..."

Raina's tail is strong as it fights the tug of war. She glances over and grins, "Sorry, it sometimes has a mind of it's own." Her head canting slightly. "Ion might be a good bet. It shorts equipment, but allows a reboot if things aren't scrambled too badly. Also shorts out the wireing of beings too."

Caliopa releases it, moving hands to deep in her pockets. "Ion?" Her face looks almost blank for a second. "Oh the weapon. Reckon that might work, stop stuff from hurting me too bad, without hurting anything..." She stops abruptly, colouring up.

Raina shakes her head, "Ohh, they will hurt, yes. But about the same hurt you get when you touch the wrong wire." She leaves off the, 'Only about a thousand times more.' But it will stop most things that are charging you.

Caliopa nods slowly, her face thoughtful. "I got to run, I got to see someone about a ride, but will you find me prices and tell me what you think I ought to get. That sounds more..." She rummages in her head for the word, "Fair than killin'."

Raina nods as she draws the pistol she had out earlier. "This is what I'd suggest. Ran me about 8k. Good price for the punch it gives."

Caliopa glances down and nods quickly, "I'll get one. Got to repair armour too but it ain't such a problem, since I can do the work myself..." She backs off, towards the door, still talking, "You should see that man the Doc suggested, see if something is in your head that needs knowing..."

Raina sighs, "I think it was Mr. Kelley himself that knew the art." She waves wit hehr free hand as she tucks the pistol back into it's holster, "Walk in peace, dear."