[ We're going to assume they've been walking during this conversation, and have now arrived at the Fast Travel in the center of town. Maya beings keying in the coordinates for the preserve. ]
[ For a split second, she looks... surprisingly tired. She's been trying not to let the incident with the Order get to her, but even now she has nightmares about it. Her finger hovers over the last button, and she turns to give him a smile. ]
[ He doesn't miss that look; in fact, he's been watching for something like it ever since Maya has regained her memories. He would never admit it aloud, but he's a little afraid that this newly regained normalcy will slip away from them.
And that's why he takes her hand -- the one hovering over the controls of the Fast Travel -- and he speaks softly. ]
Are you sure you're up to this? Say the word and we can head back to the Milano.
[ She's not fine, not really. But the last thing she wants to do is worry him, not after all she put him through. So she puts on a brave face, giving his hand a little squeeze. ]
[ His brows furrow momentarily, and his lips part briefly as an argument forms on the tip of his tongue. Eventually, though, he exhales slowly and releases her hand. ]
... Alright. If you're sure. But we're heading back the second you're feelin' too drained, okay?
[ she's just going to have to do her best not to be a burden!!
She punches the last key and the two of them are whisked away to the preserve. The Fast Travel lands them on a hill overlooking the preserve- lush green grass, interspersed with red-brown rock formations, and oddly, giant mushrooms. In some places the grass thins out to make way for varkid mounds (not unlike termite mounds), but the insects haven't moved into the preserve proper.
Instead the place is overrun with skags and stalkers- Hyperion stopped using the facilities there ages ago, and nature is slowly reclaiming the buildings. There might be a few Hyperion robots still around, doing god knows what. ]
You see those? Those are stalkers. Once we start shooting, they're going to start cloaking.
[ Peter takes a moment to appreciate the view from here before he grabs up his guns; he peers at the creatures Maya's pointed out, before humming thoughtfully. ]
They kinda look like dragons.
Any trick to this, or just wait for them to go "Boo!" and shoot like crazy?
They can only stay cloaked for a few seconds at a time. The air sort of shimmers when the pop in and out. Hurt them badly enough and they can't cloak at all.
[ The interesting think about the digistruct network is that one can keep just about anything in their pocket, as evidenced by Maya, who scrolls through the items in her "backpack" with the push of a few buttons and pulls a sniper rifle out of thin air. Maya has a preference for Maliwan ordinance, it seems, because it's a Maliwan-brand sniper, with glowing blue lights on it. ]
But I don't mind thinning the crowd a little first.
[ Peter is always impressed whenever Maya uses the digistruct device (which he insists on calling her magical gun rack), but he likes the reassuring weight of his blasters at his hips too much to really be interested in one for himself. ]
Oh, Maya, it does such things to me when you start threatening to kill stuff.
[ She shoots him a smirk, raising the scope to her eye. The stalkers are just kind of milling around, and she sets her sights on one lounging in the sun. ]
Get ready.
[ The crack of the sniper rifle is deafening in the quiet of the preserve. The stalker goes down, convulsing as electricity courses through it from the bullet in its head.
The other stalkers immediately poof out of sight in a panic. The second one poofs back in, she targets it and lets off another shot. A few of the creatures have gotten wise to where the gunfire is coming from and start making their way up the hill. ]
[ The weird excitement in the pit of his stomach right before a fight is a familiar one, and Peter can't help a smile. Shooting things for money is familiar. It's normal, and something normal has been long overdue.
Despite both their efforts to keep up the same flirtatious rapport from before the kidnapping, Peter feels like something is still a bit off, something prickling just beneath the surface like a splinter. He hopes that falling more and more back into their old routine will eventually start helping.
He surges forward to create a buffer between the stalkers and Maya, knowing she'll need the breathing space to properly snipe. When one of the creatures comes back into view, he fires off a few bolts of electricity from his blasters, hoping to redirect their attention onto him. He thinks it works, but it's hard to tell considering they've popped out of view again. ]
Hey, what if I tamed one of these and kept it as a pet? Thoughts?
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[ she smirks back ] Ready to head out?
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For a fun-filled day of squishing bugs and killing lizard things? You don't even have to ask twice.
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God, that's sad. We need to get out more.
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[ He interrupts himself, then shrugs a little helplessly. ]
We'll get better at this.
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Sounds like we need a vacation.
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I'm thinkin' beaches should be involved.
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Yeah? I could get behind that.
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And that's why he takes her hand -- the one hovering over the controls of the Fast Travel -- and he speaks softly. ]
Are you sure you're up to this? Say the word and we can head back to the Milano.
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[ She's not fine, not really. But the last thing she wants to do is worry him, not after all she put him through. So she puts on a brave face, giving his hand a little squeeze. ]
Promise.
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... Alright. If you're sure. But we're heading back the second you're feelin' too drained, okay?
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[ she's just going to have to do her best not to be a burden!!
She punches the last key and the two of them are whisked away to the preserve. The Fast Travel lands them on a hill overlooking the preserve- lush green grass, interspersed with red-brown rock formations, and oddly, giant mushrooms. In some places the grass thins out to make way for varkid mounds (not unlike termite mounds), but the insects haven't moved into the preserve proper.
Instead the place is overrun with skags and stalkers- Hyperion stopped using the facilities there ages ago, and nature is slowly reclaiming the buildings. There might be a few Hyperion robots still around, doing god knows what. ]
You see those? Those are stalkers. Once we start shooting, they're going to start cloaking.
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They kinda look like dragons.
Any trick to this, or just wait for them to go "Boo!" and shoot like crazy?
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[ The interesting think about the digistruct network is that one can keep just about anything in their pocket, as evidenced by Maya, who scrolls through the items in her "backpack" with the push of a few buttons and pulls a sniper rifle out of thin air. Maya has a preference for Maliwan ordinance, it seems, because it's a Maliwan-brand sniper, with glowing blue lights on it. ]
But I don't mind thinning the crowd a little first.
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Oh, Maya, it does such things to me when you start threatening to kill stuff.
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Get ready.
[ The crack of the sniper rifle is deafening in the quiet of the preserve. The stalker goes down, convulsing as electricity courses through it from the bullet in its head.
The other stalkers immediately poof out of sight in a panic. The second one poofs back in, she targets it and lets off another shot. A few of the creatures have gotten wise to where the gunfire is coming from and start making their way up the hill. ]
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Despite both their efforts to keep up the same flirtatious rapport from before the kidnapping, Peter feels like something is still a bit off, something prickling just beneath the surface like a splinter. He hopes that falling more and more back into their old routine will eventually start helping.
He surges forward to create a buffer between the stalkers and Maya, knowing she'll need the breathing space to properly snipe. When one of the creatures comes back into view, he fires off a few bolts of electricity from his blasters, hoping to redirect their attention onto him. He thinks it works, but it's hard to tell considering they've popped out of view again. ]
Hey, what if I tamed one of these and kept it as a pet? Thoughts?
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Sir Hammerlock had an ex-boyfriend that tried to keep a pet stalker once.
[ blam goes the sniper rifle ]
It ate him.
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-- So I'm guessing that's a no to that idea.
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Doing okay?
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-- Doing just fine. Any idea how many are left?
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