Valerie sighed as she set foot on the cold metal deck of Corfu's docking bay once more. She gave cursory inspection to her ship's scorched hull panels, ensuring no severe damage was present from her close shave with Theta's star. Glancing up, emblazoned just below the ship's cockpit, the word 'Valkyrie' could just barely be made out in white on the remainder of the ship's paint job that wasn't burned off, revealing the grey metal beneath. She paused for a moment in thought, before shaking her head with a quick snort, and setting off towards the station's corridors.
"Reaver." nodded the station's dockmaster, entering the bay and walking past Valerie to inspect the ship. Her walking pace slowed for a moment as she turned her head towards the Dockmaster, inhaling as if she were preparing to speak. After a moment, she settled for a simple nod in return and made her way towards the station bar.
Upon reaching her destination, assuming she would be second to arrive, she hovered just inside the bar's entrance, scanning its tables for her companion absent-mindedly.
Corfu's bar presented a familiar metallic vibe reminiscent of its docking bay, albeit a tad more inviting. Yet, the soft cyan glow from overhead cast a dim coolness rather than welcoming warmth. Following the Corsair upheaval at Freeport Nine, Corfu became the new haven in Theta, attracting Nine's regulars and other wanderers from across the Omicrons and beyond, seeking refuge or solace for varied reasons alike. The clink of glasses filling the air along with the low murmurings of the clientele brought forth a sense of familiarity that both pilots often encountered.
Amidst this varied crowd sat Wisteria, settled in a secluded nook away from the mass. The pilot had swiftly swapped out of his flight suit for something more relaxed before arriving at the bar, opting for a comfortable charcoal-grey hoodie that covered his frame loosely. The hoodie was sublty accented with azure stitching, it's luxurious appearance muddied by a worn-out look, showing its age. His choice of attire continued with a pair of faded dark jeans, and a pair of heavily used sneakers finishing his 'don't pay attention to me' look.
Catching sight of Wisteria, Valerie quietly walked over, keeping to the wall of the bar. Still in her faded green flight suit, worn from years of use, she sat across from him, glancing around the bar one last time to ensure no undue attention was drawn. Satisfied that their presence was largely ignored, she turned to Leo with a small smile, brushing her hair from in front of her face as she did so.
"Wasting no time getting ourselves comfortable, I see." she noted as she settled into the leather booth, letting her posture relax as she slouched a little.
Leo smirked at the remark as his gaze momentarily flickered around the bar out of an ingrained habit of surveying his surroundings. "Comfort's precious, especially in this sort of place." Grey's smirk softened into a faint smile before fading out entirely as he shifted in the chair, adjusting his posture into something less on-guard. "Seems you are not one for a flashy appearance either." Wisteria quipped as he observed the well-worn suit his companion was sporting with a flicker of curiosity.
Once more, the man's gaze turned away from Valerie and towards the window showcasing Omicron Theta, "May as well get comfortable, Vapid." He let out a brief sigh with a soft 'tsk' following up, "Seems the Company will be stationed here for a while. Escalation is inevitable, for better or worse. I wonder who will open their wallet first." 'Tap', 'tap', 'tap', Leo's fingers bounced atop the table in a steady rhythm in anticipation of the upcoming possibilities.
Valerie fixed her gaze on the bar's door as Leo spoke, nodding idly. She snapped out of it once he finished, as she fixed her gaze on him, her eyes flitting down towards his tapping fingers. "Nervous?" she chuckles, raising an eyebrow in doing so. She sits upright once more, squaring her shoulders as she slowly draws in a deep breath, before exhaling it in a sigh.
"Hmm.. Vapid..." she continues, drawing out the word. "It'll take some getting used to, I think. I haven't flown under anyone's colour in a long time." She paused for a moment, snorting a short chuckle as she noticed the pun, before shaking her head with a wry smile. She paused for a moment, thinking. "Comfort will come with time." she asserted, with a small but confident nod, before glancing out the window towards Planet Pygar.
"More cautious than nervous." Leo's expression softened with a grin at Valerie's chuckle as he replied. His tapping fingers slowed to a stop, folding together before resting on the table. "We'll be facing some grudge-bearing personalities out there. " He paused for a moment as a hushed sigh escaped him, his gaze focusing on the rookie Reaver, "After this? You, me, Cerulean, the Company will more than likely be hunted, at least out here in the 'Crons." A sudden smile crossed Grey's lips alongside a playful shrug, "Though, It's nothing new. We always find ourselves in the middle of some stupid shit."
"I am sure you will get comfortable with your new callsign." Wisteria nodded along his words, confidence being ever plentiful in his tone, "Eventually you will get the hang of how everything works. For now? You just keep on keeping on and rely on your new companions a little." He gave her another brief smile before tapping on the tabletop again, scanning the room for whoever may look like a waiter. "Hot chocolate?"
Valerie let out a bitter chuckle. "That's nothing new to me, either, Wis." Still looking out the window at Pygar, she seemed lost in thought for a moment. "It's strange, don't you think? In house space, a rock like that wouldn't get much notice. Save maybe a mining expedition, anyway. Out here, though? People fight and die even for the most barely habitable of planets."
She paused for a moment, catching herself. She looked at Wisteria once again, noticing he was scanning for a waiter. "Wouldn't mind one if you're offering." she sighed, her lips curling into just a hint of a smile as she remembered Leo's previous tease, before settling into her previous train of thought. "I suppose it's not much to us, so long as we get paid, in the end of the day."
"Omicrons have a way of making the insignificant, significant." Grey noted, gaze drifting momentarily towards the window before returning to Valerie, "It's the way of life out here in these systems. Everything feels like it holds a different weight when you reside in the outskirts." Leo looked past his companion at an approaching waiter and lazily raised his hand slightly, grabbing their attention.
A faint smile played on Leo's lips. "Sure thing. Keeping an eye out for my rookie, after all." The man's smile softened as he met Val's gaze. "But you are correct. The flow of credits tends to blur everything else into insignificance." He gestured to catch a passing server's attention. "Hot chocolate for the lady, and me, green tea with some lemon slices, pretty please." Wisteria gave a very forced false smile to the waiter alongside a quick shallow nod before they disappeared back into the crowd. Leo sighed, adjusting his posture once more, straightening out his back before leaning into the chair.
After politely giving a slight bow of the head to the waiter, a slight hint of a scowl came across Valerie's face momentarily as she lazily scanned the bar once more. Her posture remained slouched and relaxed, and her face once again settled into a neutral expression. "Would've figured it clear by now; you needn't look out for me at every turn. Been working on my own long enough, after all."
Val sighed as she made herself a little more comfortable, being in no particular rush to go anywhere. She slightly unzipped her flight suit to cool off a little, revealing an unremarkable plain undershirt and the shape of a small Liberty star in black ink tattooed just above her right collarbone, on the lower part of her neck. Her fingers crept towards the tattoo for a moment as she rubbed her neck, before she settled once more into a comfortable position, largely scanning for any sign of the waiter returning.
"I am fully aware you can take care of yourself, but, relax a little. We are here for a breather..." Wisteria responded, a playful glint dancing around in his eyes. Leo maintained his relaxed posture, mirroring Valerie's ease as he observed her with a content expression. "No need to have your guard up all the time, Val."
As the server seemed to be taking their sweet time, Grey leaned back into the chair as his eyes locked onto the Liberty star tattoo. "Pretty committed, huh?" A soft and brief chuckle escaped the man alongside an approving nod. Once more, he repeated the rhythmic tapping before letting out a quiet sigh, "Eager for that drink, or are you trying to escape my riveting company?" The coloured Reaver teased the rookie as he enjoyed the moment of downtime.
