The Bebop, Jupiter's Orbit | Tuesday, Fandom Time

[flourish_or_perish]

Faye's trail had led them to a large fishing trawler idling in Jupiter's orbit, and while the pilot had maybe been a little gruff when he'd hailed the Razor Crest over the radio, he still opened the bay doors for them to come in and park the ship.

And, you know, if Din wanted to feel better about all the shit people talked about his ship, he'd come to the right spot. This wasn't the Accord or Camry of space vehicles so much as the space equivalent of an ancient Ford Transit that someone had converted to live in. But it was clean, at least. There was that.

Waiting in the bay was a child of indiscriminate gender, about thirteen, and a Corgi. Had Edward been told to wait to greet their guests? Of course she had, but when did she listen to anything either of those silly boys said?

Stark	There was a small part of Stark that worried that coming here was a mistake. A much larger part knew it wasn't and so he was not going to be hiding in the Razor Crest. He was going to walk out into the bay and see if anyone here was going to be helpful in finding Faye. He was just going to do so a bit warily. He didn't know any of these people. Who knew what might happen?
Edward	Yeah, who knew what might happen? He might be shouted at by a thirteen year-old. "Welcome!" Edward yelled, bouncing up and down with utter delight when someone finally emerged from that ship that Jet had said could stay here! "Welcome welcome, hello, hi!" They never got visitors! At least, not ones that weren't also bounties. Ein, for his part, barked. ('Hello,' he said, but since no one here spoke Animal, he would have to go untranslated but still hopefully understood.)
Stark	Maybe being shouted at by a teenager was scary! Except this one wasn't, at all. "Oh." This was a much more enthusiastic welcome than Stark expected. "Um. Hello." He nodded to both Edward and Ein, because that had sounded like a friendly bark. And he liked dogs. And children.
Edward	"Hello!" Edward said again, and she was actually going to bounce her way over closer to Stark to peer at him. "Edward likes your mask!" She even put a hand over half her own face, trying to determine how it would feel if she had one, too.
Stark	Thank you," Stark said, offering a small smile to both child and dog. "I do, too."
Edward	"Where do you get a mask like that one?" she asked. "It's fashion." Ein, who did not seem quite as interested in the mask as he was in Stark, wandered over to get a better look, as well.
Stark	"Is it? I don't think anyone's ever said that before." Stark grinned. "I don't know where to find one here. I've had this a long time. Maybe someone could make one?" He crouched down then to properly greet Ein. Because Ein was adorable.
Ein	Ein was adorable, and he was going to hold very happily still for greetings, thank you. He did not get nearly enough pets. And only Edward really talked to him these days, too! "Edward, what did I say?" a gruff voice called from a corridor. "Leave that ship alone until we can get there!" Edward looked a little sheepish for a moment before sing-songing back, "Edward isn't here!" and holding a finger up to shh Stark. It was a game. Play along!
Stark	Stark looked at Edward a little oddly before nodding. Sure, he could go along with that. He was just going to pet the dog though. That seemed safer than adding to the conversation.
Jet	"Of course you're here, you're answering me!" The man who appeared, finally, was clearly long-suffering -- but also, clearly, used to this. He was also huge, bearded, and bedecked with his own metallic accessories, though his were implanted in his skin. He gave Stark a wary look, as Edward scampered behind a crate with a giggle. "You the pilot?" He doubted that. Depth perception, et cetera.
Stark	Stark shook his head, patted the dog once more, and stood up. "No, not my ship. Haven't got a ship. I had to ask for a ride."
Jet	"Hmm." Jet eyed him curiously, though he wasn't hostile. Just curious. "Trying to get to one of the moons?" The hail hadn't been especially specific, and the look of both the spacecraft and this guy was...foreign. Though. "Titan?" he added, gesturing to Stark's mask.
Stark	"If she's on one of the moons we need to get to one of the moons or we need to keep going. I'm not sure where we need to go," Stark admitted. He hadn't even been sure they'd make it this far but they had and maybe, maybe this was going to work. "And no, not Titan." Stark shook his head, bringing his hand up to brush his fingers along the buckle at his neck. "Not even sure where Titan is. I'm not from anywhere near here."
Jet	Jet's own injuries had come from his police service (sort of), but that mask didn't look entirely unlike what a veteran might sport. And while the idea of someone not knowing where Titan was was...intriguing, Jet also seized onto one crucial little word: she. "Tell me you're not looking for Faye," he said, blowing out an exasperated breath. Honestly, that exasperation was as good as using her name, probably.
Stark	Stark, meanwhile, wasn't used to seeing anyone else with bits of metal on their faces, or with metal arms. Jet was just as much a curiosity to Stark as he might be to Jet, though almost certainly a more intimidating one. "I am looking for Faye," Stark said quickly, looking suddenly and almost pathetically hopeful. "She's...she's not here, is she?" She would have come out by now, if she were on the ship, wouldn't she?
Edward	"Faye-Faye's not here!" Edward shouted, peeking around from a crate. "She was here but now she's noooooot!"
Jet	Jet narrowed his eyes with a little sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah. What she said. She wasn't here long -- I just saw her on the cameras. But she took all of our cash."
Stark	Stark's face fell at that revelation. He glanced over at Edward quickly, then back to Jet, then down at the floor. "Oh. I...I was hoping she was still here. Or you knew where she was. I...I'm sorry. About the money. Do you know where she went?"
Jet	No, but he could both guess and then confirm that guess with a little tracking. Bounty hunters and all. "Why?" Jet asked, eyeing Stark. "Why are you looking for her?" She had probably robbed him, too, but Jet was something of a soft touch; he wasn't going to sell Faye out to just anyone, even if he wouldn't mind a little help tracking her (and the money) down.
Stark	She'd only robbed him a little, Jet. Possibly only due to Stark not having much worth taking lying around his apartment. Or maybe she'd just stolen his heart? "Because she left," Stark said, as if that explained everything. He was looking back up at Jet now, eye wide.
Jet	"So you haven't known her long, then," Jet replied with a soft snort. "Faye leaves. Usually she comes back." But she also usually didn't leave behind people who'd be interested in chasing her, and he was watching Stark and his wide eye with a softer sort of interest, now. "I'm Jet," he added, holding out one large hand -- the flesh one -- to shake.
Stark	"I've known her long enough," Stark said quietly. Long enough to know that he didn't want her to leave. Long enough to try and do something like chasing her into another version of the galaxy. "I don't know that she is. Coming back. I think...I don't know." He hesitated, just for a moment, before shaking the offered hand. "I'm Stark."
Edward	"And I'm Edward!" declared the child who chose that moment to make a full reappearance, cartwheeling out in front of them with a cheerful flourish. "Ein is Ein," she added, helpfully indicating the dog. "I wanna go find Faye-Faye!"
Jet	"No," Jet said immediately, his tone completely flat. "Not with where I'm betting she went."
Stark	"I want to find her too," Stark assured Edward. She even got another smile out of him. Whether it was for the cartwheeling, the enthusiasm, or 'Faye-Faye,' he wasn't sure. It was still a small smile. "That's why I'm here. To find her." The smile was gone when he turned his attention back to Jet. That comment was worrisome. "Where do you think she is?"
Spike	"Callisto." That was a new voice, coming from a lanky man with a fluffy crown of hair who was leaning in the doorway Jet had entered through. "She went to Callisto, didn't she?"
Jet	"It seems like the smartest bet," Jet replied, unsurprised by the new arrival as he turned to address him. "The cash wouldn't go as far on Ganymede or Mars."
Spike	"And it's Faye," Spike drawled, dragging on the cigarette dangling from one hand as he wandered over with overly-casual disinterest.
Stark	Stark looked from Jet to the floofy-haired new arrival curiously. "I need to go there? To Callisto? I don't know where that is." He thought he remembered the name being mentioned, once, but that wasn't enough to go on.
Jet	"One of the moons. This is Spike," Jet supplied, knowing that Spike wouldn't actually give his own name. "We'll get you there, don't worry."
Spike	"You'll get them there. I don't want to be involved in any of this," Spike replied, rolling his eyes even as he looked over at Stark with interest. "That woman is nothing but trouble. We're all better off."
Stark	"I'm not better off," Stark snapped, glaring at Spike. "If I were better off I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be looking!"
Spike	Spike surveyed Stark with casual interest for a moment before he offered, "You know what she's doing on Callisto, right?"
Jet	"Might not be anything," Jet added testily to Spike. His attitude spoke to both what kinds of things happened on Callisto, and the fact that Jet had definitely figured out what kind of a connection this weird, half-faced guy had to Faye.
Stark	No, Stark didn't know what exactly Faye might be getting up to on Callisto. He didn't want to, but he could make a guess, especially after that comment. Not helpful, Spike. "I don't know what she's doing," Stark said. "I don't even know that she's there! I just...I want to find her. That's why I'm here. Just to find her."
Jet	"I'll help you. Faye can handle herself, but Callisto's rough," Jet assured Stark in a voice that might have passed for gentle, if you actually knew him.
Spike	"What with all the drugs and that all-male population they've got," Spike added. Again, so helpful, that Mr. Spiegel. "Lot of vets on Callisto." Lot of vets, and a lot of guys who wouldn't have seen a woman in years -- let alone one who looked like Faye.
Stark	"I know she can handle herself!" At least Jet seemed inclined to be helpful. Stark was just going to try focusing on him and not on Spike. Focusing on Spike, and what Spike was saying, wasn't helping anything. "That doesn't mean I'm not..." Worried? Panicked? "Concerned." "I would appreciate help. Any help." Maybe not from Spike. Spike was just being mean. "Please."
Edward	"We'll help you!" Edward proclaimed, ignoring how Jet was just shaking his head at that statement. "Sometimes Faye-Faye pretends she doesn't want to be found, but she does." Out of the mouths of babes and all.
Jet	"You'll want a coat," Jet added to Stark, giving Spike a shove to steer him out of the room before he could be more of a dick. Not helping. "Callisto's freezing." Which probably meant that their girl had a good chance of having a sniffle once they found her, too.
Stark	Stark was just going to glare uselessly in Spike's direction for a long moment. "I...thank you," he said quietly to Edward. He wasn't sure what, exactly, a child could do to help but he appreciated the offer. He appreciated any help. He obviously wasn't getting this done alone. "It was still summer, where we were," he told Jet. "I wasn't expecting cold." He really wasn't expecting the level of cold he was going to experience. "She probably doesn't have a coat, either."
Spike	"She doesn't," Spike assured him over his shoulder, letting Jet push him but clearly amused by all of this. "It's Faye. She wouldn't wear a coat there." Just gonna let that barely-veiled implication hang there for a minute. "Because she's an idiot." But that was also a factor, for Spike.
Stark	Stark didn't usually have much of a temper. He just didn't get angry all that often. Spike was just bringing out the worst (or maybe it wasn't really the worst) in him after what had been a rough day already. "Quiet," he snapped, taking a few steps in Spike's direction. He absolutely understood the implication there, thanks, and he'd been trying not to think along those lines. She could do what she liked but that didn't mean Stark had to like thinking about what might be happening on the surface. His hands were balled into fists now, though he hadn't really noticed that yet. "Just, stop. Stop talking. About her. About anything. Just go!" Yes, this ship was Spike's home but Stark didn't care about that right now. He just wanted him gone. Gone, or hit. Maybe both.
Din and Grogu	Din had struggled to get Grogu to stay on the ship and then it became a struggle to get him to stay in the satchel, so... Alien toddler stuff. "There a problem here?"
Stark	"Yes. He's a problem." Stark was still glaring in Spike's direction. Din could probably guess who he meant.
Spike	"Sore spot?" Spike asked, not actually smirking but still somehow sounding like he was. That had pretty much been the reaction he'd been going for, since he was bored and Faye herself wasn't around to needle anymore.
Jet	"Will you put that out?" Jet snapped, reaching over to swat at Spike's cigarette. "We have guests, for fuck's sake." And that one looked like a baby. Or maybe a really ugly dog?
Spike	"We always smoke in here," Spike replied, stepping sideways to avoid the swat. Even around babies and children and Ein, please.
Din and Grogu	An adorable, small child who would choke out a raccoon in a heartbeat. Din tilted his head slightly to size Spike up before deciding he was someone to watch, but he could probably put him down if pushed. Which was normal for their line of work, right? Right. "Any help would be greatly appreciated," Din said to Jet, moving closer to provide a united front with Stark. Maybe that would help calm him down a little.
Stark	Stark did not want to calm down, Din! Stark wanted to knock Spike's teeth in but he did realize that trying that wouldn't end well for him. "He said he'd help," Stark said, nodding at Jet. "Not the other one. The other one's a drannit." Maybe Din's presence did made him a little calmer.
Jet	Jet already had one big arm out to stop Spike before he could round on Stark. He didn't know what a drannit was -- neither did Spike -- but it didn't sound complimentary. Good. 'Bout time someone put Spike in his place a little, besides Jet himself. "I'll help you," Jet agreed, addressing Din and really now getting a better look at that little green thing. There might have even been a little face-making, here, because some things were universal, and one of them was that Grogu was like catnip to big tough weathered guys like Jet. "We think she's on the surface."
Din and Grogu	Din didn't know what that meant either, but the tone was just universal. Which meant Din was sort of torn between sighing at the continued conflict and kinda proud of Stark for getting so snippy with the guy. "Thank you," he said as Grogu blinked up at the new people with those big ol' eyes of his. "We don't want to cause any trouble here. Right?"
Stark	"I'm not causing trouble! He is!" Stark hadn't even tried hitting him or anything, Din! "Not trying to cause trouble," he said in a somewhat softer tone after glancing over at Grogu and Din. "I have enough. I don't need more of it."
Spike	"Then you should probably stop hanging around Faye," Spike advised, holding up a placating hand at Jet as he turned to leave of his own volition. "Best of luck!" They were gonna need it.
Edward	Meanwhile, Edward had been watching all of this with wide, curious eyes, but nothing had her attention quite so much as Grogu. "Edward likes your froggie!"
Din and Grogu	Din kindly put a hand on Stark's shoulder because he got it. Really, he did. "...thanks?" he said a little awkwardly. But kids and dogs were always a weak spot for him, so he added. "I like your dog. He's very short." Admittedly, most of the 'dogs' he interacted with belonged to Tuskens.
Stark	Stark's shoulder was very tense under that hand. But he wasn't going to go chasing after Spike or anything. He would settle for more glaring and a noise that was very reminiscent of a growl. "He's a good dog," he agreed, looking over at Edward now. Talking about the dog was safe. He wouldn't start yelling then. Maybe he ought to pet the dog again? That might help.
Edward and Ein	"Ein can do anything," Edward assured them both with the confidence of a proud dog owner. But no, for real, Ein could probably babysit Grogu, make an omelet and pilot one of these ships if needed. But he would also take more pets, thank you, if they were being offered. "Edward will get coats!" she added brightly, because she knew there were a few spares around the ship! Maybe a blanket for Faye-Faye when they found her!
Din	"Thanks," Din said again. Because he was raised to have manners somehow. Probably due to fear of getting a hammer to the side of his helmet. "The sooner we go, the better."
Stark	Hopefully Edward had a coat that looked like it was made from the skin of a dead Muppet. That was Stark's favorite kind. "Yes. Sooner is better." Don't mind him while he crouched down to offer a hand to Ein again. He was trying to be calm. "And thank you. I... don't like the cold."

[NFB,NFI, OOC is welcome -- preplayed with stykera and thedadalorian!]