Beggars can't be choosers [Yxi]

[Thild]

He was tired and angry with the imbecile. All he wanted was a mechanical droid for a decent price. He knew that with his requirements, it wouldn’t be easy to find one. However, he had no idea that the only person to have them in the market would charge such outrageous prices. He sighed as the man restated his 50 gold coin price and shook his head. Thild needed that droid and he was not going to leave the market until he had a mechanic! “Please, I require this droid and I will not pay your ridiculous prices!” He was getting angrier towards this man the more that he refused to lower his prices. “It’s either you pay what I ask, or you find someplace else, half breed” This made Thil scowl to the man.

The nerve of some of these people. He knew that he wasn’t well liked among humans nor fairies, but that gave him no right to call him out on it. It wasn’t his fault; it isn’t like he chose to be this way. You couldn’t tease and call out on someone, for something that they had no control of. If anything, he should say horrible things towards his parents; but that wouldn’t calm him down either. He shook his head and looked down to his revolver. He was tempted just to pull it out and blow the seller’s head off and leave the money at the stall, but he knew far better than to actually do it.

“Why is it so hard for you to lower your prices? Is it because you think that a mechanical droid is worth that much, or is it that I am a half-fairy and you would rather sell to a poor beggar who can’t afford a mechanic droid, than to a half breed?” His voice had risen quite a bit during his little speech, which people turned to look in his direction. A mother or two turned their children from the stalls and headed away from the area, afraid of a bad scene occurring. Thild was angry with this man and it seemed as if nothing would calm him down.

“Look, if you won’t pay the price for a mechanic, then find someone else. You won’t be getting the droid for any less.” He huffed and his scowl deepened. “You know that you’re the only person with the mechanics I need, yet you still say such things. I would rather spit on my father’s grave than pay your fowl prices.” And with that, he spit on the man’s shoes and walked away. He ignored the fact that the seller was yelling after him and marched away from the scene. The nerve of that man! “Where will I find a mechanic now” He sighed and rubbed his temples, agitated.

[Yxiro]

Yxiro had just finished work on a client's navigational wristband when the commotion kicked up across the road. It wasn't surprising really, the pandar's here were mean and not particularly keen to negotiate their stock and prices. Yxi remembered his last encounter with the grocery tradesman and rubbed his stomach absently, then again, they had their prices and didn't see need to lower them; even if he was only one coin off the cheapest edible item for sale. Yxi sighed and handed the device over to it's owner with a smile. "Here you are, sir. I took the liberty of installing an emergency alarm into the coding in case you get stranded." He explained with a friendly tone. His client seemed pleased if the extra silver coin was anything to go by. Yxiro thanked him for his generosity and waved him off. Once out of sight, Yxi looked anxiously over to the verbal fight occurring over the road.

Then, as if by some freak of Fate, the customer involved in the dispute said the magic words. Yxiro stood and wiped his hands off in his trousers to get rid of any extra grease that had collected their during his work and wandered over to the gentleman opposite his work-place. Not that his workplace was anything official, it was just a spot on the street with a cardboard sign saying 'repairs'. But it was technically his work place seeming as it was the place he was currently working in. He looked to the man before him and noted the fairy elements the man himself had mentioned. Not that it bothered him, Kit had taught him to accept everyone and anyone that wanted help and so he did. It was like a moral guide for him, to accept everyone around him as an equal or superior.

"Excuse me, sir? I overheard you're looking for a mechanic..." he started, as politely as he could. "I think I can help you. I'm a mechanic myself...and an engineer if that helps at all. What kind of work were did you need doing?"

[Thild]

This was hopeless. He wouldn’t be able to find a droid capable of what he needed it to do. He needed a water proof, shock proof mechanical droid. He cursed the lightning storms that had taken Dave from him. After having a droid grow on you for over 30 years, it was hard to think of replacing them. All of his droids weren’t droids any more. No amount of upgrades or their programming could change the fact that they had developed their own personalities. Dave would surely be hard to replace now that his circuits were fried. Why couldn’t technology be lightning proof as well?

He turned to see who was addressing him. The boy sounded rather polite. He looked a little greasy, but with the dirt under his nails and the ensemble he was wearing, it made sense. He was a mechanic and an engineer. That was lovely, but he couldn’t just hire him. That would be a big leap in his self-esteem and integrity. He was known for travelling alone and everyone knew why. Some even agreed that he was right in doing so, since they also believed that no one would want to travel with a half breed.

How was he supposed to tell this to the boy in a polite way? He was reluctant to the idea of hiring a human on his ship. If he were to sail the skies, he would do it in comfort. Having a human that sees him as vermin wouldn’t be acceptable aboard the Bella-Marie.

“I need a full time hire mechanic. I travel alone, so I’m looking for a droid that can do the work I need. I don’t hire humans. I’m sorry. I’m sure you have exceptional work abilities. However, if there are no droids available, I would be quite welcome to seek someone willing to travel with a half fairy.” He looked the boy over. He looked to be about 19 or so. Would he be understanding? He was just a boy after all. ”Maybe you can tell me where I would be able to find another droid, if not, you could show me your abilities” He was still reluctant to see this boy’s abilities. The idea of hiring a living being scared him. His memories of his childhood and early working years brought negative feelings towards the boy. Though, they really shouldn’t. It wasn’t this boy that had ridiculed him.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Yxiro]

Yxiro watched the man for a moment and couldn't help but feel a little discouraged, there was something about him. Maybe it was the way his features moved as Yxi had spoken or perhaps it was in his stance, but somehow he didn't seem entirely convinced by Yxiro's offer to work. He guessed it was understandable if he had just come out of a fight with another pandar since he was bound to be in a fairly bad mood because of it...but he hoped that this man would give him a chance, if only to do temporary repairs while he was in dock. As he spoke, Yxi realized he was hesitant about flying with humans. What he didn't understand was why. Still, he seemed set on a droid mechanic and he would have to try and break the news to him gently.

"Well, the only place you can get fully operational droids is the guy who you just spat on..." he bit his lip softly and chuckled nervously. "But you can get droid parts at the warehouse downtown. You'd need it all built and coded which would take a good week or more. If that's any good to you, I'd gladly show you the way. If not, the only other possibility is to buy a PolyDOS droid which'll last you about...two weeks. They're cheap and easy on the fuel but they're not exactly built to last."

As Yxiro spoke to the potential client, Luka looked out from his HA mask to investigate; Yxiro took him out gently to stand him on his shoulder, he wouldn't stray far if he was on Yxi's shoulder. He was trained to do as he was told and being placed on Yxi's shoulder meant 'stay put'. Yxiro looked back to the half-faerie before him and smiled encouragingly. With any luck, he'd be planning to set sail soon and not have time for a mechanic to build a fully functioning droid. Still, if he did want the droid, Yxi may get work building it but still. This man had said 'full time hire' that meant sailing on the ship. It was what Yxiro had been searching for since he left home years ago. A permanent position as part of a crew...it was perfect.

"I was a little confused though, begging your pardon sir, you said you'd consider someone who wouldn't mind flying with a half-faerie...I don't understand why anyone wouldn't want to." he was genuinely confused by this, "See, my brother raised me to believe that every single person on this earth is equal...or most likely my superior, as it happens. So, I can't think of any reason at all why anyone shouldn't want to fly with you."

[Thild]

The bad news just kept coming as he was informed of the only other options for his droid search. He could go for a PolyDOS droid, but it would be completely pointless.

”This is not good,” he mumbled to himself, fiddling with his hands. Why couldn’t his original seller still be in business? Oh yea, the human died of old age. Architect bless his soul. He was a very good man to sell so proper and welcomingly with a half-fairy. Looking back to the boy, he looked him over once again. He was a mechanic and engineer, maybe it was lucky that he was looking for work. He would have to think this over though. How could he travel with a living being? Would they mind the fact that it would just be him and themselves on the ship aside from the other droids? Would he be harassed or frowned upon behind his back? He knew that if he employed a person, they would be cooperative to his face, but he wouldn’t be able to control what they said behind his back.

As he was still thinking things over, picking at his fingernails with his teeth, he noticed an animal peeking out from the boy’s clothing. It was a rat and that wasn’t technically a good thing. If he were going to consider hiring the boy, he would have to take the rat with him. That would hinder his decision if the rat were to mate at any point. All he needed was for a rat to infest his Bella-Marie with the rest of his populous family. He listened to what the boy had to say and his eyebrows rose in slight suspicion as well as curiosity. Was he just saying this because he wanted the job or was he actually confused about this? There were some very sneaky and conniving people in the world. He couldn’t go around trusting just anybody these days. The world was becoming a far darker place since the half sun bomb.

”Well you see, humans and fairies don’t take kindly to a half-breed like me. I sense that you are genuinely confused so I believe that you are not just spouting nonsense. I believe that you would not harass me behind my back,” He pursed his lips and looked at the rat before half-heartedly smiling to the boy. He needed a mechanic, and he had no time to waste here. He had another salvage to start if he was hoping to meet his deadlines. ”I will hire you, but I do have a few questions. Does he have a family? I certainly will not have rats infesting my air ship.” He smiled again. He needed to take this one step at a time. ”As well, you need to understand that I am a salvager as well as a trader, we will be travelling in harsh weather conditions so it would be best not to mind extreme cold or boiling hot weather. The pay will consist of three silver coins every two weeks for your services aboard the ship and room and board are included.” He had no idea what the standard rate of pay was now these days. So he hoped that it was enough to give the lad for his work aboard the ship.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Yxiro]

Yxiro could see that this man was not particularly enthusiastic about hiring a half-quality droid and didn't seem likely to wait a week or so for a new one to be built. This was good news to him though it was unfortunate for the man before him. Funny how fate span situations for the good of people at the cost of others. Still, he hoped this man would consider hiring him. If only until they reached the next port! He needed the work and longed for the chance to fly. It had always been his dream and heck be damned if he was giving up on that now. Still, as he explained why he was anxious around people, Yxiro was a little upset by the state of society.

"I promise on the life of my kin that I would never harrass you. Either in sight or out of it. I don't believe in cruelty or discrimination." he vowed solomnly.

As he was offered a job as this man's mechanic, Yxi smiled brightly and thanked his lucky moon that he had been fortunate. This was perfect. He would be working in a permenant position, that meant no more travelling to find work. It meant that he would always have something to do and wouldn't have to half starve himself to afford the eqipment needed. Not to mention the bed that would probably go with it. He couldn't remember the last time he slept on a matress. He had been travelling so long. He had left his bed almost three years ago now. He couldn't mess this up. He would answer anything and everything this man had to ask. As the man looked to Luka, Yxiro chuckled and petted the rat.

"Not at all sir. Luka is a working pet. No time for mating or families. Not to mention his training. He won't infect anything other than my toolbox, sir."As the details of the job were set out, Yxiro's smile twitched a fraction larger and he nodded enthusiastically. "That sounds perfect. Thank you. Oh, I'm Yxiro Marchill by the way."

[Thild]

Thild was shocked to hear that this lad would never discriminate or harass him. He’d never met any human that would so willingly partner, travel with or even stick around with him for too long because of what he was. And those people had even been his friends not too long ago. However, he understood now that it was a little awkward for his highschool classmates as they would be seen hanging out with someone who looked nine or so. He had started school late so that he wouldn’t look even younger by the time he reached the higher grades.

The smile that appeared on the lad’s face made Thil feel funny inside. He liked seeing the lad so happy. He had no idea why though. Maybe the thought of human contact was starting to appeal to him. He had never thought that this would happen to him. He had never considered actually desiring any form of company. Least of all, let it be human company. He didn’t have anything against humans or faeries, he just didn’t find it fair how they would single him out. He smiled a bit more as the lad told him that his rat, Luka, wouldn’t infect anything on his ship aside from the toolbox. That was definitely good new to hear.

”Pleased to meet you Yxiro Marchill. I am Thild Knught” His bright, cerulean blue eyes seemed to smile to Yxi as he did himself. It was odd, to like someone already and so quickly. However, that didn’t mean that he trusted Yxi. Yes, he was friendly, cooperative and a mechanic; it didn’t mean that he could trust him as a friend. The kids made fun of him before they matured and realised it was wrong; maybe he might feel the same, but immaturing instead of maturing. Thild would wait a little bit until he knew for sure that he could trust him completely. Secretly, Thild was afraid of getting hurt again. It was a big step for him to allow someone else onto his ship, he didn’t want to be hurt again.

”If you need to grab anything before we leave, now’s the time.” He smiled, starting to walk towards the docking bay. If he needed to get anything, he would grab it now and then follow him. He walked up to his beautiful Bella-Marie, patted the banister on the side, and smiled. She would finally see another living member aboard her. ”This, is the Bella-Marie,”[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Yxiro]

Thild Kaught~ what a nice name. Yxiro had been dealing with people who only gave nicknames and shortened versions lately, reluctant to give too much information away for fear of purgery. His last client had been Z, for crying out loud! But Thild was a nice name. The guy seemed pretty reasonable too, not many people took on a mechanic like him, even at such short notice. They preferred scholar trained and apprentice practiced mechanics. People who looked like they'd never touched grease in their professional lives. They were impractical idiots who usually didn't have a clue about any model they hadn't seen a book about. That was where Yxi was different. He'd never read a book. He learned all of his mechanical knowledge through experience and practice; sure it was a hard deal to pass his engineering and mechanics degrees without the skill but his practical examples were exceptional. He could build the engine of a train blindfolded and was able to reboot any droid given to him without referring a a single page of help. But it showed, his skin was marked with scars and bruises from his work, his hands caked in oil and grease, worst of all; he was penniless to boot. That meant he looked as much of the tramp he was.

"Well met, Sir" he answered softly, offering a partial salute.

As Thild told him to collect his things, Yxiro made a token look back at his make-shift workshop and sighed. Not much to take really. He picked up his tools and jacket, leaving the sign and blanket there. All set for the skies; he just hoped Thild would have available clothing an such on board. He ran to catch up with his new boss and captain, only to chuckle at the thought. He had a captain now. As Yxi caught sight of the ship he gasps softly and a grin lit his features. She was beautiful. Not that he had much knowledge of aircraft architecture and design but a ship that big had to have an engine the size of a room! Sure, carvings and structure were all grand and dandy but to get that baby off the ground it'd need one hell of an engine. Not to mention the smaller mechanics of the ship. He'd have to have a wander to the engine room and have a look at what he was dealing with. Of course his main priority was droid maintenance but...engines were almost an aphrodisiac to him. It was perfect. He shivered softly as he thought about the potential mechanics of the craft and tried not to get caught up in his own imagination. He followed Thild to the side of the great ship and tried to calculate in his mind how much fun he could have with the engine.

"She's certainly a beauty, Thild." he stated happily. "I can't wait to get started..."

[Thild]

Thild chuckled as his eyes bulged at the sight of his ship. She was grand. With a regular sized boat with two cabins on the main deck and copper banisters, the ship was decent. The helium balloon that would guide them through the air was sealskin sewn together and tethered to the sides. On the back of her was a wire like contraption. Being an intelligent man himself, he designed a system and installed it on board to allow a different form of energy to generate electricity. During thunderstorms, these wires would collect raw lightning and direct it into a portion of the cargo bay, which consisted of a steel room where the lightning would travel around and sizzle. It is in the room that it is attracted to a metal bar in the middle, which takes the raw lightning and transforms it into a renewable energy source that could be stored and used later. Of course, the plans didn’t exist on other ships yet, Thild wasn’t ready to interact with others enough to sell his designs and knowledge.

Seeing the anxious look in Yxiro’s eyes, he smiled and shook his head. He knew that the boy had never been so privileged in his life as to have such luxuries. However, he wouldn’t let that get in the way. Thil knew that not everyone was so fortunate with their lot in life. Even though he was rich and educated, he hadn’t had the best lot either.

”No need to salute me. Now, I know that you’re anxious to get started, just let me alert the droids of your presence and then you can help take off.” He walked over to a built in speaker system and talked into the speaker, alerting the staff of their new mechanic Yxiro and how to treat him. They would treat him as they would Thild himself. It was only proper to do so.

”Good to hear. There are a few modifications to the ship that you won’t have seen before and you will have to be briefed on when they are in use. But other than that, wander around, do as you please. Of course, you will have small jobs to do, unless we run into problems. Sky pirates would be one of those problems. Aside from that, welcome to your new home. Can you help me take off?” He walked over and started to unknot the ropes that were holding the ship to the docking bay. They wouldn’t need to lift any of the weight sandbags but would have to power the helium generator to produce more to make them lighter.[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Yxiro]

Yxi looked to the strange contraption on the back of the ship and tilted his head a little in awe. It seemed his captain was an inventor of sort, that or he'd seen part of the world Yxiro hadn't even dream of. That kind of engineering was amazing...he wondered what it was built for. He would have to explore that area and figure out the mechanics of the device or it'd drive him crazy. Engineer and mechanic as he was, he was more than a little curious about machinery and innovative new designs. He looked to Thild as he spoke and watched him announce his presence to the droids. Another device to play with, no not play. This wasn't his stuff to fiddle with. But maybe he'd do some maintenance on it some time and he could offer some kind of update or modification. Still, he was surprised that Thild told them to treat him as well as they would their captain. He smiles softly and petted Luka; he was gonna love it here.

"Thanks...You're probably the most hospitable person I've ever met...excluding Kit. But he was my brother so he had to be." he chuckled softly. "So, yeah. Thank you. I'm not really used to this kind of treatment." he blushed slightly.

Yxiro listened contently as Thild told him of the new devices and the risk of sky pirates. He knew he should have had a more mature reaction but in his mind it just sounded like an adventure so he merely smiled and nodded. He wasn't sure if he'd be any use against pirates, he hoped he would. He would have to finish that pistol we was making; at least he'd be armed that way. A wrench ain't so handy against a blunderbuss. He had been in his fair share of knife fights and bar brawls but pirates were something else. Still, he made himself a promise there that if it came to it, he would give all to protect Thild. He owed the guy for a home, job and gosh only knew what else. Besides, it was what people did for their captains.

"I'd be honored to help." he answered sincerely, placing Luka in the small cage attached to his belt.

He followed Thild's example, untying knots and releasing the grand ship.

[Thild]

Hospitable? Thild didn’t know that he was being hospitable. Fair and generous, yes, but he couldn’t see hospitable. He was offering Yxiro these things out of kindness, yes, but also for fair trade. He would work for him and he would provide Yxiro with a home, food and an adventure. It wasn’t too hospitable.

“Well, from the looks of it, you’ve never been on an air ship before either. So I can see why you wouldn’t be used to this.” He smiled to Yxiro, completely missing the point his mechanic was trying to make.

Thil continued to untie knots, not realising his mistake. He had taken Yxiro’s statement as a situation instead of an interaction. He was thinking about the fact that Yxiro had never been on a ship or had a job such as this before. He hadn’t even thought to consider that Yxiro be talking about such kindness he was giving the lad. He wasn’t normally this friendly, so the idea of being so open hadn’t occurred to him. Was it because he would be sailing with the boy that he was being friendly, or did he honestly want him to enjoy travelling with him? It was a bit of both, now that he thought of it. He had never had someone travel with him before. If Yxiro didn’t like travelling with him, he wouldn’t want the lad to leave the ship and spread bad word of his travel habits. Thild also had to admit that he did in fact want to sail with him, so he had to be nice. They would never get along if he weren’t.

Thild saw the spark in Yxiro’s eyes at the mention of sky pirates. He had to admit that the first time he had encountered them it had been a thrill. He had been trained in the art of fencing at school and knew how to defend himself. But the raw adrenaline and thrill that went through your spine as you battle was amazing. Looking over his shoulder, he smiled as Yxiro started to help him leave port. Pulling the plank on board, he stood and jogged over to the top of the ship, climbing two steps at a time up the ladder to the wheel of the ship. Taking hold of a long pole that was attached to a vent on the balloon, he pulled, which started a humming noise as the machine generated helium. There was a small lift as they flew up, the accustomed stomach flying to your throat as you ascended into the skies followed as well. After flying for so many years, he didn’t even notice his stomach reacting, he felt sorry for Yxiro who would really feel those affects. Leaving the generator on, knowing that the pressure gauge will turn the generator off once the balloon was a certain capacity, he climbed back down to stand next to Yxiro.

”I’m sure you’ll want to explore the ship before we get into things. Is your stomach alright now? If not, we are ascending at a constant speed now and it should go away soon. Just tell me when you’re ready and I’ll give you a tour”[/blockquote][/blockquote][/size]