The New Roleplay

*great, more drunks to contend with. I was still debating how to handle Sabrina, but could not deny any longer the urgency of the mission*

'very well, I'm in. but know this Sabrina, I do not take orders from you. this here is a group, and we put things to vote. if the majority thinks it might be to risky to do something a certain way, we change it, and we do not leave anyone behind, agreed? and if we are gonna start pulling rank, I remaind you that I outrank you' I said to her, looking straight into her eyes.

'oh, and one more thing, tell you friends in the council that if they want me to risk myself for them again, I want me and Olga to be reinstated in this very moment, rank and all that comes with it, those are my conditions, otherwise you will be going on your own, and good luck getting there without and expert pathfinder and hunter. and I will need at least five hours to get to the smithy and sort out my gear. I do not think I need to let you know I just got back from hell' I had a sipp of my now lukewarm coffee and looked at Jet who was sitting quietly besides me.

'the name is Odessa and this is Jet. try not to upset me, or her, cause you do not want to see us cross' I told the newcomers with half a smirk.

 

A long walk on the tracks had yet again come to a temporary end, with my arival in the "Oh, so magnificent" capital of The Ring. Not that I held anything against it, it was just that my way of finding comedic irony in everything I saw was waking up.
I chuckled a bit to myself, as I entered the first tavern-like building I could find. This "Lone Ranger" couldn't have been big the last time I was here, but at the moment it was sprawling with hulked figures, downing as much alcohol as they could afford, before heading of to their shacks, so as just to be able to feel the scent of yet another miserable day.
Eh, at least it wasn't that bad here.
With an out of place smile, I ordered what appeared to be sludge on a cracked plate, and made my way over to the most meagerly populated corner of the enclosure, along with my meal and decreasing bullet-count.
There were five people around the table by the corner I made sure not to irk too much, as I dumped down by the only other stall, my back turned towards them.
I trawled my haversack for anything interesting, and fetched up a book I had found in a tunnel a long time ago. The tome was ruined, old and most certainly not readable beyond about a third of each page, but it made do.
I continued chuckling to myself, poking the goop on my plate ever so slightly with the knife that had come with it. It bounced right back into place. Like evreything else.

 

Odessa. So that's her name. I like 'The silver lady' better to be franklin but I'll keep it professional for the time being, at least until I get to know her better. And this cowpoke guy, I don't really like him as far as first impressions go. Seems like an egg to me. Hard shell, but easily broken to show his true bulk of gooey glop. We shall see.

"Smithy's on break for another half hour. Or at least until I get back." I say to Odessa with a grin. "But don't worry, I'll take real good care of your hardware. For a price of course...".

"Speaking of pay" I say to Sabrina immediately changing the subject as to purposely leave Odessa simmering. "What's the split for this one? The usual?".

 

I point to the sneak in option silently before looking around.Seeing what the others pick.

 

"Alright" I said to this woman who appeared to be in charge. "I'll join you. And forgive my current state, I'll pack my gear and we can go."

 

I sat in my booth, trying my best to grap the contents of the written work on the end of my right arm. The contents were still as incomprehensible as ever, but the book gave away a certain feel when looked at, and leftt me in a satisfying state of mind. In the end, however, when i had nudged the heap on my platter down to a size nearly three times as small, I found myself unable to keep to myself beyond the physical state.
The folk behind me had managed to spark a sizeable discussion, and all though half of them seemed to either be, or trying to become as brain-dead as possible, they managed to get a grip on my amused curiosity. The tale led on towards the "National Socialists" north of us, and my chucle, which had been going ceaselessly since I woke up that morning, rose to a barely audible level. I realised just as the one who appeared, or at least tried to appear the most authoritative amongt the company laid out her maps, along with her pland and personal opinions, that my chuckle would be questioned no matter no much I hid it. And such I did what I usually would do in any similar situation, and pretty much any situation in general: I laughed,the irony reaching a point on the kettle that was my head, where it simply boiled over into wave after wave of rough, loud mirth. I turned my head towards the group, as most other heads in the establishment turned towards me. "Doesn't that seem just a tad simple, Miss‽" (That would be an interrobang, for those who might wonder) I concluded, after reducing the laugh down to the usual, inner chuckle. "My apologies for listening", I followed up, "despite not catching anything beyond a couple of minutes ago, but that could almost appear naive". I, once again laughing, turned back to my seat with the closing statement that the stations were hard enough to get into before these Reich-ers, or whatever formed, and that she should rely on something more than a kidnapped man's words.

 

"Whatever you thinks best is where my vote draws, Sab. After all they pretty much all seem like death sentences to me but, egh, could be worse I suppose..." I said generally aloud casting my vote.

Amidst our planning arose a monstrous uproar of laughter from the table over practically forcing everyone's gaze upon himself. Some big guy in a potato sack was bursting out in a crazed laugh that franklin disturbed me. He looked like the guys we used to bring up to the surface soley to chop emaciated trees with their endless strength. And this guy had the axe and everything. "Either this guys the biggest lightweight this side of the line or he's been smoking Kitay-gorods finest" I thought to my self in my brains. "Either way it was clearly uncalled for and akward for everybody. I thought of calling him out for eavesdropping before reminding myself that we were in a damned bar in the middle of what could very well be the most populated place in the world. Perhaps I could try to knock his act down with an always loved 'Der-og-etory' term. Something classy like, "Care to shed some knowledge with us big guy, perhaps you've got a bit extra on you to spare huh?" or something shady and 'am-big-u-us' like dropping my Polis badge on the table followed by something along the lines of "Official Polis business. Bud out or you'll get lost real fast big boy" in a gangster tone. But as cool as that would be I've no doubt I'd get shot down in flames faster than...

Whatever.

I've done it! I've decided how I'm to react to this lunatic!

*Facepalm

With both hands comfortably cupped I plop my face in them nice and deep forming a perfect jelly seal that makes a satisfying squishy sound on impact. I've learned well from Sab. She's been showing me this one for months.

 

"I choose option 4, I have some family near the Reich if we need shelter.They'll provide it" I said. I gear up picking up my AKS-74U and my bulletproof vest and ranger badge waiting near the meet point.

 

I'm ready!

 

"Well I guess I head back to the smithy and get my kit ready. Anybodies free to drop in and get their gadgets oiled up. It's on me since you bullets might prove a little more useful in your chamber than in my pocket" I say to the group, giving Odessa a nod in particular. "Do it fast though. I need to sleep off some drunk before we head out. You too cowboy, lest you want to stand on that platform for hours".

Leaving the group to their silly devices I returned a little more enthusiastically to the smithy. Alex had already gone to bed leaving me the sole worker of the shop. So, I sat at the front desk and began to do a detailed check up of my weapons. My ruck was almost completely in order already, waiting by the door for a job to spring up just like this. I had a lot of time to ponder things. Important things like the mission to come. But more importantly... The delicious sausage. What did it mean?

 

*silently we got up and I made my way to the smithy. I could leave my gear there and grab a few hours sleep before we met again, but first I needed to get some food supplies for Jet and myself. whichever way we went about it, it was gonna get very messy*

sorry guys, just got a heavy cold and been struggling a bit this week

 

After a few hours of sleep, I was geared up and ready to go at the meeting point.

 

The group in the stall behind me had left almost without my moticing. With a smile I had gone back to attempting comprehension of my book. Something which proved to be as futile as ever.
In my mind I made note to be in the bar when those people came back, if only to make a more mannerly apology for overhearing their discourse. I fished up my pocket watch, if only out of habit, chuckled to myself over the instinctuous simplicity that ruled me, while also noting how badly it, the watch and not the simplicity, needed replacement.
I ended up lingering in the bar far longer than overly necessary, drinking untasteful tea and making pleasantry.

I did have enough aquaintances in Polis to get decent lodging and ,along with it, equally decent rest, when I in the end decided to leave.
The majority of my surplus time I spent like I usually did when I visited any largely populated station; I mused over people and everyday life.
And I laughed. A lot. Citizens would eye me, before folding their faces into the dust of the paved floor, which usually resulted in me laughing even more. Following this model I was laughing when I again entered the Lone Ranger. I dumped into the same seat I had rooted into the last time, and concluded a relatively simple day by picking up my book again, the perplexing aura still creeping in on me, leaving me so induly serious that I almost burst into laughter once again.
When I eventually would leave the bar, I would be leaving Polis as well, I had decided, and when the bartender wanted pay for my tea, I decided I should acquire some lead as well.

 

"I drank from my mushroom stew when I noticed a box of German shepherd puppies and went to cuddle with them, i looked the seller and he said "75 bullets each", In reply i said "Reserve me the youngest male, When I'm back from my trip I'll buy him. He nodded and i returned to my post

 

It didn't take long before Odessa arrived and broke my intense pondering of the sausage which was probably a good thing, but stung at the time. She left her weapons with me and hardly said a word which was a little strange since it might be only hours before her life falls into my hands. Perhaps there was something even more serious than this crowding her brains, is it the woman we are saving? Oh... Oh I see. Troubling times indeed.

Getting back to business I admit to having much trouble working on her rifle. It was very different from anything I'd ever worked on before making me look it up in our shops small library on rifle designs of the 21st century. I stumbled upon it eventually and took detailed notes that I would add to the library as I disassembled and cleaned the complex gadget. It took no less than an hour and a half, but when I finished it turned out pretty good in my mind. Well oiled and cleaned. The pistol on the other hand was much more straight forward and admittedly I hardly had to do any work on it at all. It already seemed oiled and well maintained. A Slight spit shine and a touch up on the sights was all I contributed to it in the end.

With Odessa's weapons properly looked after I wrapped them up in a towel like cloth and set them by my rucksack for the early mornings meet. And with that final job completed I set my own personally made AK-103 beside hers and stood my Helmet on top of it's barrel. And finally. I could get some sleep.

3 hours 2 minutes and 54 seconds of it to be exact. I always liked to keep perfect track of it like that for some silly reason, I don't know why. The time seemed to fly by in minutes which is strange because usually being really anxious for something makes the time walk slower. Silly time. "Your secrets safe with me".

"Thanks!"

"No problem, Time. Want another piece of delicious sausage? The best in the Metro you know!" I say to Time. He's my friend you know.

"Nah, I'm good. I should probably get going anyway or I'll be late tomorrow. You too Ark... Do you know what time it is?"

---

Ugh! I open my eyes to the sound of my watch yelling at me. "Time to not be sleeping anymore!" it says. Ugh. I guess it was just a dream.

I look at my watch. I've had 2 hours 54 minutes and 3 seconds of sleep. I'm a lazy bum bum I know. But even I need my beauty sleep too. Anyway, time to get the adventure started. Getting up I leave a note on my bed for the Smithy owner Alex explaining my absence and shuffle out quietly with mine and Odessa gear in hand.

It's quiet this time of day. Early morning. The time when the good folks are just starting to twitch to life in their beds and the drunks are still crawling on the bar floor. An interesting twilight of a time for Polis standards. I like it.

A couple comrades are already waiting at the meeting point near a platforms edge and shuffle about as the time walks ever closer to the point were it arrives and tells us to do something. I join them and put down my stuff except for Odessa's weapons which I cradle in my arms for personal delivery. I Keep quiet mostly unless a question pops up and wait like the others for the other others to show up and get the ball inflated so that we can get it rolling again.



By the way Odessa, what is your rifle? I've forgotten and find it quite hard to look up using this IPad. Could you perhaps tell me here? Please and/or thank you. And if anybody is wondering, yes, Ark is a very odd person. If you see a very strange sentence that doesn't really make sense, that's just the way he thinks and is not a spelling mistake. Just to be franklin with you guys.