de-paz

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Xander notes the tail with a wry smile pulling at one side of his mouth. Cute. This guy seems more beast than man, and consequently a perfect play companion for Meatball. It'll be nice for her to have someone else to tussle with, and work out her energy. Xander wrestles with her a lot, but a new playmate is always nice.

And she gets right into it, bashing Ed about (and probably getting bashed about in return), the two bounding around with great gusto. Xander sits back watching, until Meatball accidentally gets too rough and manages to draw blood -- she clearly feels bad, head lowered she immediately licks at the wound she gave Ed, but Xander sits up sharply in case he's going to have to intervene.

rolling back onto his stomach, ed springs up into a similar pose. it's even visible now with his low-riding pants that his tail is stuck up and wagging. charging forward, he's eager to get right into the tussling with meatball. he even keeps his claws away, something his untrained self would never have done—but he's not trying to draw blood with his blows, just play. it's been a long time since he's played with anyone but himself, and never like this. even so, it's the most natural thing in the world.

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"I bumped into you," he explains, still frowning in confusion. After a moment he realises he's still gripping this woman, and releases her. "I don't do that. You were here the whole time?" There's a sort of reproach in his voice, as though he is blaming her for his accident. And he sort of is! Surely she teleported there or something, and that's why he hadn't realised! It doesn't help that he's embarrassed, too. She's very beautiful, and now she's going to think he's some clumsy bumbling brainless beast.

It is as if a wall decided to become animate. Some muscled, overly tall thing of bricks and stone, and cement or the hardest things that Odie can think of. Or, she might think, if not for every bit of her being jostled with the force of something moving (him) against something stationary (her). She's been tailing a mark, a simple thing and they've been chatting with someone across the way for the better part of a few minutes when the cybernetics specialist blinks into existence unexpectedly. Thankfully, no one else seems the wiser...thankfully, she's within a crowded enough space that she may be able to play it off, but she's too caught off guard to mind anything else.

She is addled, stars swimming above her head in circular motion, time till ground fall? Imminent. Then, she is caught, two firm hands grabbing her as she reaches instinctively out to latch onto anything to stop her inevitable backwards motion. Even that hurts, grips vicelike and linked to an unknown strength and she has the sense of a rabbit caught in a snare. Blinking up owlishly at him, apparent in her surprise, Odie cocks her head, not quite understanding, not quite with her wits back. "What?"

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"Thank you." He gives a toothy grin, accepting the bag of chips with evident pleasure. His parents had often remarked fondly that he was like a guard dog: vicious at times, but also easily distracted with treats. Now that he is suitably distracted, he asks far less combatively: "What other tests?"

The amount of angry and downright nasty people she dealt with on a daily basis taking vitals and all that was something she had gotten used to so having a grumpy ogre bitching about whatever he was bitching about wasn't surprising for her. "Yup, food," she said as she took a few bags of named brand chips out and tossed it to him. "Best I could find"

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(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ The happiest Orc in Middle-earth

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Xander listens, nodding, brow furrowed. He’s listening because it’s polite, but he’s clearly a little bewildered. “The sky can’t envy anything. It’s the sky. And I can’t be sky or ocean. I’m… a man?” He isn’t going to be scathing because this girl seems sweet and harmless, but he sincerely has no idea what she’s talking about. Meatball, his faithful mutated companion, cocks her head in matching canine confusion.

open starter !

The sky was painted in deep strokes of indigo and amber as the sun dipped below the jagged horizon. Lyric leaned lightly against the rooftop railing, her gaze turned upward. The faint hum of the city buzzing beneath them, a dull reminder of the ever-present danger beyond its borders. But here, for just a moment, it felt far away. “ Do you ever think the sky envies the ocean ? ” she mused softly, breaking the silence as footsteps approached behind here. “ The ocean holds so many secrets — deep, endless, untouchable. But the sky . . . it just lays everything bare, exposed for the whole world to see. ” Her lips curved into a faint smile as she tilted her head to glance at the other. “ I think I’d rather be the ocean. Quiet, mysterious . . . but powerful. ” She paused, a faint giggle escaping her lips. “ But maybe that’s just me. What about you ? Sky or ocean ? ”

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The guys seems happy enough to be sniffed at and manhandled (manpawed?) by Meatball. People that don't appreciate Meatball's attention rarely hesitate to give Xander a disapproving or a desperate look, but Ed's clearly not even noticed his presence. So like any dog owner at the park when his dog makes a new friend, Xander simply helps himself to a seat on a nearby bench.

Meatball lowers her head between her paws, ass in the air, and she lets out another growl, this one more playful. Letting out a gruff yip, she bounds a few steps backwards, inviting Ed to play now that he's acknowledged who's boss.

even just a few weeks earlier, that snapping would have sent him into a frenzy. he still feels it inside of him like a coiled spring. ed tenses hearing the clack of strong jaws, but shock-training does him good. instead, he lets himself be rolled over, unseen nub of his tail wagging submissively. xander himself still goes ignored, uninteresting in the presence of something he sees as more like him.

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Marco was a drama queen, but on this matter Xander was on his side. Xander growls, looming over Xio with his teeth bared as if he might bite the very nose from her face. "You're gonna steal mama's face, prance around dressed like a fucking tramp, and ask me why it's an issue? Disrespecting her memory isn't a strong enough phrase by half for what you're doing. Take her face off. Now. Or I'll take it the fuck off for you."

"Marco's such a drama queen," she grumbles, standing up and straightening her t-shirt 'dress' . "I don't know what the fuck you're on about." Xio answers with the sort of petulance only a youngest child could be capable of. (Or a brat.) "Kids look like their parents all the goddamn time. Marco's a spitting image of dad without even trying. Why's it an issue if I do it!"

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Xander is usually pretty aware of the world around him, quick to perceive threats. And anything he misses, Meatball will warn him of. But somehow neither he nor his canine companion notice this woman, and he walks full force into her -- which is, unfortunately, quite forceful due to his broad 6'8 frame. His reflexes are fast enough at least that he manages to grab her arms on either side in case she would have been knocked down. "Huh." Xander's brow furrows invisible confusion, and Meatball begins sniffing the ground around this woman's feet. "That was weird." An apology may follow soon, when he remembers that that would be polite, but for now he's too occupied being puzzled by his complete blanking of this perfectly tangible woman. @wcrldend

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Alright, not exactly the response Xander expected, but not one he's bothered by. Any friend of Meatball's is a friend of his. She nudges her snout forward, pushing Ed in a curious little circle as they sniff. And she snaps at the air, very undecided on this creature. "Girl, be nice." he calls, which is probably why she keeps her claws in and only uses the rough pads of her furry paws to shove Ed's side, endeavouring to tip him over onto his back. Meatball learned a desire for domination from Xander, after all.

ed stays perfectly still for as long as the dog sniffs at his ass, and then drops onto all fours to repay it in kind... all the while, ignoring the obvious owner trailing behind. he's more interested in greeting what he knows than what he doesn't. but in the end, trained as he is, he understands he has to answer. "it's fine," he says, sending a glance in xander's direction before he dives in for another sniff under meatball's tail. ew?

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He's not going to ruin mama's face. Xio's already done that with this act of disrespect. The least Xander can do for mama's memory is rip this horrifying simulacrum of her off of Xio's skull, but he is distracted with a roar as she whacks his head and yanks painfully on his ears.

He does drop her -- call it fraternal instinct bred into him from years of spoiling this stupid little girl. And he sinks his knuckles into Meatball's scruff, taking comfort from her as much as he is holding her growling maw back from snapping at Xio. "Marco told me you died." he growls. "I see why. What the fuck are you thinking?" His hand that's not on Meatball flexes, desperate to rip the flesh off her head.

She shouldn't have expected anything else. She still yells as he grabs her, but it's a loud angry curse that would have any onlookers confused at the fact she's not yelping in terror. Her head knocks hard against a wall. A sickening crack as Xandi gets up close and personal. Stole mama's face! Rude!

"And you're about to ruin it," she hisses back, eyes wide and staring directly into his beady little orc eyes. "Let! Me! Go!" Xio yells each word punctuated with a punch to the side of his head. Finally she grabs both his ears and twists, "Xandi!"

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Xander blinks curiously at the panicking man. He doesn't really care enough to actually stop Meatball, but once she's done he calls her to heel and she trots happily behind him, peering through his legs at Sebni. "Isn't she just fertilising them?" he points out. Or is he thinking of shit? It's probably shit. "You can hose 'em off, anyway. They're flowers. They like water, right?" See, he's not a total asshole, he can make helpful suggestions. He's really trying to be kind, even if his gruff demeanour might not be terribly reassuring.

“ No, no, no, no! Not my petunias! ” Sebni rushed forward when the owner of the big mutant dog/warg type thing alarmed him with a zero-hearted apology, though not close enough to get mauled by the big mutant dog/warg type thing when his brain quickly reminded him that the mutant dog/warg type thing was big. Also not helpful: The big dog mutant dog/warg type thing's owner was also big. Seb wouldn't be surprised if the unapologetic and incredibly irresponsible owner was a mutant with the ability to turn him into Swiss cheese. That was just his petunias' luck apparently. “ Aww, man! Those were for someone. ”

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She doesn't seem fazed by his poor attitude -- which is probably the best way to deal with it. Xander spiral seasily into his baser instincts, and people that cower from his anger tend to bring more of it forth. So he grunts his acceptance and doesn't protest as she sticks him. It's just a tiny pinch, barely worse than a bug bite, and he watches with idle curiosity as his blood flows into the tubs. "Food?" he asks, pointy ears perking up. He doesn't always get offered food by nurses. "What've you got?" Yes, it really can be that easy to dispel his bad moods. He's quick to anger, but as long as it's not too serious he's also easily defused.

"Trust me, I get it," she said as she looked over at him, not at all fazed by the obviously pouty individual in front of him. "I know what you're capable of but I just do what I'm told and when I'm told to stick someone with a needle, well," she raises the needle in her hand before gently slipping it into the other's arm. "That's what I do, but at least I make sure it doesn't hurt," she winked with a small laugh. Blood filling the appropriate amount of tubes, she handed them off to the phlebotomist before turning to the other. "You need something to eat?"

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"Oi. Meatball." Xander says, a sharp snap as his companion has a rare moment of disobedience. She's gone bounding right up to this guy, and he can guess why: the claws, the tiger stripes. Naturally, Meatball has to go and take a real good sniff of his ass. Sighing, Xander states flatly, "She's just curious. Won't hurt you." ...Probably. @buriedwithit

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She opens her arms for a fucking hug, as if he wants to hug the humiliated carcass of his mother. They shouldn't have spoiled her so much, he thinks, because now she seems to think she can do no wrong. Meatball's hackles are raised immediately, a low growl in her throat as Xio opens her arms.

Instead of a hug, a broad, thick hand instead shoots out and grips her throat, shoving her back against the wall hard enough that he can hear the sound of her skull -- their mother's skull -- making contact with stone. "You stole mama's face?" he roars, uncaring of the general public around them, his teeth almost scraping her nose he's so close. Fully orc now, all he can see is red rage: he can't think of the wonder of finding his sister here. There is nothing beautiful or fofrtuitous about this meeting.

"Xandi—" she shrieks with joy at the familiar voice. And face! The hulking beast of a man that she'd run to for a hug if he hadn't started closing the distance first. His skin shifts, into his natural chalky orc-ish face. The one she loved so much. Even calling her anything besides her nickname has her beaming. She closes the distance going for a hug (if he doesn't catch her throat first). Even as he's furious. Fear eludes her, delusion has her gripped too tight. He's surprised to see her! It toally has nothing to do with her face! "Ohmygod Meatball!"

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Xander finds medical checks extremely annoying. Patronising, even. This is likely the last one he'll need to attend, but apparently the injuries he'd sustained to his head out in the wastes were enough to warrant this length of observation. His orc physiology helps him heal pretty fast, but apparently 'you can't be too careful' or some shit.

He heaves himself into the examination room chair, scowling at the nurse. It's too late to not scowl now, but he has to admit: it's less aggravating getting checked over when the nurse is cute. Too young for him to actually be interested in, but still. "No injections. I've given enough blood." He grunts, as if he's the one in charge of what needs to be done today. @freshcir

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Meatball requires a lot of walking, being a big mutant dog/warg type thing. And Xander generally lets her go wherever her whims take them. The strange, fresh smell of the greenhouse seems to have drawn her in today, and he follows her, where she immediately squats down and pisses on one of the plants. "Sorry." he grunts to the man tending the greenhouse, not looking at all sorry. Meatball is making firm eye contact towards Sebni as she pisses. @sebnimassoudafm

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"Nice ride." Xander grunts appreciatively, looking over the car that the man is working on. One nice thing, he will grudgingly admit, about somewhere as civilised as Sol City, is that you get things like nice cars that you simply don't get access to in the wastes. Meatball pads around it, sniffing curiously at the tires. @bitchtakes