Aside: Special Kind of Crazy

[Silje Falk]

**Enter Katrina, Silje, Ophelia & hounds from PT2: Persephone: Eavesdown Docks**

"You two must be a special brand of crazy,"

A musical, full bodied laugh erupted from Silje, hearty and loud. This little thing had more than a fire in her. As the dogs snarled again, she smiled down at them, idly wondering if she was going to have to follow through with her previous statement. Movement towards the leashes drew Silje's attention as she took in the clearly expensive 'decor' on the dogs. 'Comes from wealth, this one. Seems oddly out of place in this rough part.'

Upon indicating she wasn't lost and returning the question, blue eyes moved towards Katrina, her head turning to the doctor beside her. A quick, faint tilting nod was paired with lifted shoulders. "Not lost. Just looking." No reason to burden a child with their exact mission here, as her look and movements had intended to indicate to Katrina. With that thought, Silje's weight shifted as her eyes began another languid scan of the crowds around them. "And you are in a very rough place to not be lost, though with friends like these," her eyes found the dogs again briefly, "I don't see you having too many problems."

[Katrina Markov]

Katrina found the girl somewhat amusing, her attitude, her response, the overall sense that there was something much darker going on inside. She stared hard at the girl then back down at the dogs, raising an eye brow at the two animals snarling, choosing to ignore them this time around.

"Crazy isn't something people tend call me, no." She pulled out a hanky and wiped her hands down after touching the animals. Folding it back up she placed the tissue in her pocket and let her hands come down behind her. Her hands touching the pistol that remained in the small of her back, again reminding her of the area they were in.

"If you're not lost then why are you here?" Katrina stated in a bored tone, growing tired of the girl. They were off schedule and they needed to find Lucky, it was time to move on.

[Ophelia]

"Not lost. Just looking. And you are in a very rough place to not be lost, though with friends like these, I don't see you having too many problems," Silje wagered.

The girl looked around at the surroundings and shrugged a little. It didn't seem all that rough to her. "It's not too bad," she countered, looking back up at Silje with a curious rocking of her heels. "What are you looking for?" she asked. "I'm sure I could help," she offered politely. She had enough friends here who would know where things or people were that maybe she could be of assistance. Her dogs liked them so maybe they were interesting.

"If you're not lost then why are you here?" Katrina asked.

Ophelia paused and raised a brow, steel running behind the porcelain of her angelic face. Her gaze slowly slid down Katrina's person and up again, her lips set in a hard line. For a long few seconds she considered letting the dogs get to chewing on her leg, maybe rip off a couple limbs to satiate their hunger before dinner. The mood passed and her smile slowly returned, although it never reached her eyes. "I was meeting with a friend of my father's, although I don't much see how it's any of your business," she answered with a bright smile and a tilt of her head.

A man walking past in a hurry came too close to the group for the bigger dog's liking and he lunged forward a couple feet, stopping short of the man's legs so he wouldn't pull at his leash. Setting his feet apart for stability, the beast started barking savagely up at him, drool dripping from its maw and splattering in all different directions. The stranger yelped and hurried away, Ophelia watching him go with a bored expression. The female dog watched for a moment before looking up at Silje with one ear perked up. Crazy liked crazy.

[Silje Falk]

"Dei galnaste seier sannast*..." The phrase was lyrical, rolling off Silje's tongue easily as she watched the girl's face. There was a brief moment, an expression Silje knew well having seen it in more than one face in her life. Her own being one. The movement and barking of the bigger dog was given a cursory glance, but the reaction of the passerby drew a delighted grin before laughing eyes turned to the hound in front of her. Kneeling down, she came closer to eye level, putting her hands on her knees. "No, I don't suppose you two would let her get so much as a hair touched out of place, ya?"

At this level, she had a better look at the girl. Finally, Silje shrugged to herself. What could it hurt if she gave the girl a description of who they were looking for? "Friend of ours is what we're looking for. Cowboy, blondish hair, lighter than mine, maybe my height. Funny looking nose." It was probably a useless attempt, but fate could always spin things in strange directions.

(*The craziest speak most truly.)

[Katrina Markov]

"I was meeting with a friend of my father's, although I don't much see how it's any of your business,"

The girl was probably reacting to Katrina's curt response.  She liked her spunk, I suppose I forgot to smile. Katrina thought to herself.  She relaxed her face putting on a small smile, kneeling down with Silje.  The dog's breath was strong, and warm, but some how comforting. Perhaps this is why people have dogs...they don't engage in conversation. She smiled at the canine and gave him a more thorough scratch behind the ears, ignoring the snarls, they didn't seem too real to her.

Katrina looked back up at the little girl, attempting to be a little more personable.  She put on her doctor voice, "I'm Katrina, this is Silje...perhaps you could help?" Her voice was sweet, and melodic, a bit of a transition from her previous demeanor.  Remember to smile.

[Ophelia]

"No, I don't suppose you two would let her get so much as a hair touched out of place, ya?" Silje remarked.

The female dog opened its maw and panted heavily, amber eyes staring right back into Silje's. It's little nub of a tail moved once in what might have been some attempt at a wag, although it was hard to tell with such a small tail. Every now and again it'd snarl or growl at the woman's proximity, perhaps a little nervous about it, but it didn't seem actively aggressive at the moment.

The male closed its eyes and tilted its head to better enjoy the ear scratching, drool dripping from its mouth to settle on the ground by its feet. One eye opened to keep an eye on the woman, but all in all it seemed to be enjoying the attention.

Ophelia's eyes settled upon both girls and her absolutely useless guard dogs as they received petting and kind words from a couple of absolute strangers. Her hands settled on her hips and she eyed Katrina and Silje suspiciously. One of them was easy to read, simply because it didn't seem like hiding her personality was a priority, but the other kept flip flopping and it was both confusing and bothersome.

"What a useless pair of guard dogs, you are," she reprimanded the dogs, although her voice seemed more exasperated than angry and she didn't move to tug at the leashes or to order her dogs closer to her.

"Friend of ours is what we're looking for. Cowboy, blondish hair, lighter than mine, maybe my height. Funny looking nose," Silje informed her.

"I'm Katrina, this is Silje...perhaps you could help?" Katrina introduced and requested.

"Does he have a name?" she asked, raising her brows a little and lowering her hands off her hips. She hadn't seen anyone looking like that where she'd just been, but maybe she could help if she had a name. Names were easy to work with. Remembering her manners, her back straightened quickly and she dipped into a little curtsey, holding the edges of her dress out to her sides, "Ophelia Angelique Baptist," she introduced herself, "A pleasure to meet you, Katrina, and Sil..je.." she struggled with the other woman's name for a moment but managed to pull it off.

[Silje Falk]

"What a useless pair of guard dogs, you are,"

The exasperation on the girl's face and in her voice made Silje chuckle yet again. As she did, she reached out gave the dog in front of her a gentle stroke down her neck and flank. She wasn't sure these were the best guard dogs, being more bark than bite. Or at least, they seemed to be more bark than bite. The look in the dogs eyes hinted at it being otherwise, but it seemed comfortable enough with her. Staying quiet, but still wearing a pleasantly relaxed smile, Silje listened as Kat introduced them, even putting on a smile as she did so.

Relaxed smile went to cheeky grin as the little girl, Ophelia, attempted to repeat Silje's name back in proper greetings. A single, short laugh passed her lips. "SIL-YA, a bit like Ceceilia. But I won't fault you for the attempt." Her voice danced with the varied inflections as she repeated her name for Ophelia. With one last scratch behind the hounds ear, Silje stood, her index fingers finding their way into her pockets and hooking into the back corner. "Very nice to meet you, and your dogs, Ophelia. As to our friend, well, he usually just goes by Lucky. None too sure that's his real name, but always seemed to fit him." With the name dropped, Silje's eyes watched to see if there were even the slightest chance this tiny thing had heard or seen the man they were looking for.

[Katrina Markov]

A small look of surprise came over Katrina's face at the mention of Ophelia's  last name. She usually wasnt caught off guard, but it wasnt every day that you came across another spawn of a criminal organization.  Unless it was Tara, of course.  However Kat wasn't particularly in the mood to reveal who her family was today, or any day that is. The name had its benefits but it was something she was trying to detach from, after all it was her father's fault that she was as cold and disconnected as her mother. 


Katrina adjusted her face and continued to scratch the dog's ear, "Pleasure to meet you Ophelia." Katrina offered another smile and stood up clasping her hands in front of her. The girl did have connections though, as she mentioned Lucky.

" Do you know of his last whereabouts? It's rather important. "

[Ophelia]

"He usually just goes by Lucky. None too sure that's his real name, but always seemed to fit him," Silje informed her.

"Do you know of his last whereabouts? It's rather important," Katrina asked.

Ophelia puckered her lips in thought and looked the two of them over before shrugging one shoulder and reaching back into her frilly, bedazzled purse. She rummaged around a bit, bits of candy and a few coins spilling out before she yanked her data pad free.

"Do you two have a way off world?" she asked, looking down at the data pad and not up at them. Her fingers worked over the screen and she opened up a direct call to someone, her foot tapping against the ground as she waited for an answer. Bright eyes glanced up at Katrina, then Silje, waiting for the answer before her attention moved downward once more.

Both dogs seemed a little disappointed when the petting was over, but after a bit of sniffing and panting at the women, they turned to return to their owner. The female sat near Ophelia's shoes while the male paced about, its eyes following every human that moved about the street, its body tense and ready to attack.

" 'phelia, you know this isn't the best idea, to be calling us from an open line," a male voice came from the data pad. The blonde looked down and smiled brightly, her curls slipping forward to frame her face in gold. "Uncle, I need to ask you something. But, just wait one second," she told the man before looking up at Katrina and Silje. She'd go no further in helping them if they didn't have a way to get off the planet. With her.

[Silje Falk]

"Do you two have a way off world?"

Silje made a rolling stretch of her neck, tossing a glance coupled with raised eyebrows at Kat, before her gaze returned to Ophelia. Here was an interesting situation. The little thing before them seemed to possess knowledge, or at least the means to access knowledge, in regards to Lucky. What was strikingly odd was the confidence in her attempt at an exchange. Passage for information. Wit, brains and connections, this one was definitely a little piece of work. She was growing on Silje. "I'm supposing ya don't mean public transportation. Not the way you're asking."

Her voice had lilted the statement, as if the entire situation was more than mildly amusing. Before letting on that they did indeed have a ride, Silje briefly pointed to the few items that had fallen from Ophelia's small hand bag. "We still have a couple of places yet to look." Her eyes roved to the bar, then to Kat giving her a nod in the bar's direction. "Want I should go and look?"

[Katrina Markov]

Katrina saw Silje out of the corner of her eye. She pursed her lips and looked at Ophelia, the girl was resourceful.  Her eyes narrowed in thought as Silje  tried to hold off while Kat decided.  Her connections would probably be helpful though, as she seemed to be on better terms with her family. Maybe they didn't send her away.  That's a pity. Katrina thought to herself.  After all, if Katrina's parents had been more attentive she probably wouldn't be a doctor, she'd be...married? Dead? A psychotic serial killer. Any of those choices. 

Maybe if they took her in she'd have a chance, then again with those dogs...she probably didn't...at least she'd have money so she could pay.  Katrina sighed and nodded to Silje, "We have a shuttle. And a ship. What do you know?"

[Ophelia]

"I'm supposing ya don't mean public transportation. Not the way you're asking," Silje figured.

Ophelia shook her head, ringlets bouncing with the motion. Obviously she didn't mean public transportation. Never public transportation. Still, she waited with raised brows, her eyes sliding between the women as she waited for their decision. She glanced down at the coins and candies on the ground, not bothering to bend down and pick them up. They were dirty now.

"We have a shuttle. And a ship. What do you know?" Katrina finally confirmed.

Looking infinitely pleased, Ophelia stood straighter and smiled winningly at them both "Lovely, I'll be going with you on said ship," she informed them. Looking back at the data pad and the man waiting patiently on the screen, the girl lifted a hand to push some of her hair back away from her face. "Uncle, I'm on Persephone. Have you heard anything interesting about a man named Lucky? Cowboy, blonde hair, funny looking nose?" she asked, looking at Silje as though to confirm her description of the man was right.

"Lucky?" the man questioned, likely confused that she cared enough about someone who wasn't on their general hit list to even ask about them. Still, there was the sound of shuffling over the call and a few clicking noises of what might have been someone looking through their own portal to the cortex. "Aye, looks like there's a spot of bother where you are. Big Al seemed to be having some fun out there, seen with a man that roughly matches that description. Can't be too sure on the name but I'll send you what we have over a more secure connection. You know you shouldn't be calling this way, it's dangerous," he informed and admonished in the same breath.

Ophelia rolled her eyes but offered the man a smile and a wave, severing the connection without any good bye. A few seconds later a blurry image likely taken from the security camera on an adjacent building was sent to her data pad and she held it for them to look at. In it was a blonde man being escorted into a building with some very sweet looking giant thugs. "This your man?" she asked, raising her brows.

The male dog snarled at a passer by and the female slowly laid down, its relaxed body language betrayed by the ever vigilant gaze it kept on the two women, its gaze clearly telegraphing the capability to jump from comfortable to terrifyingly violent at a moment's notice.

[Silje Falk]

Through her teeth, Silje whistled one long, low note upon seeing the images on the data pad. Her expression hardly changed, save for the glint in her eyes which hardened noticeably. It wasn't a good situation and they weren't exactly supposed to break radio silence per orders. Problem was, those orders had come from the man in the image. Letting her eyes linger on the image for several seconds, Silje wondered what the next course of action should be. Finally, her eyes shifted to Kat.

"Rung Tse Fwo Tzoo... Ikke bra*. He made some new... friends..." Her smile was slightly diminished, though far more dark than it had been previously. Clearly, this was trouble they weren't expecting.



(*Merciful buddha Not good)

[Kasimir Stern]

Entering from PT2: Persephone: Eavesdown Docks

It didn't take him long to find them, as Silje had said roughly where they were heading. As he approached though he saw that they were not alone. A child, no, a young woman? With the way she was dressed she looked... out of place for this part of Persephone. Odd. And there were two very handsome Rottweilers with them as well, with their leads in the hand of the young girl.

He wasn't really trying to walk loudly as he approached, not trying to be stealthy, just wasn't really thinking about it. He stopped right next to one of the beautiful beasts. His head wasn't pointed at anyone in particular, but his eyes were looking to Silje. "Who's got friends?"

[Katrina Markov]

"Lovely, I'll be going with you on said ship,"

Katrina narrowed her eyes at the young woman, unappreciative of her self-proclaimed invitation onto their boat.  But she appeared to have information, which was easily actioned upon. Perhaps they could leave the girl here.

"Rung Tse Fwo Tzoo... Ikke bra*. He made some new... friends..."

She looked over at Silje and back at the Ophelia, indeed Lucky had made some unlucky acquaintances.  "Suppose we'll have to retrieve him." She stated almost irritated by the situation.  He would find himself into this situation.  Katrina sighed and looked down at the dogs, then back at Silje,

"Right well, we need to retrieve Lucky." Kasmir approached, which  seemed, lucky in itself because they could probably use him, "Lucky....He's uhm, ever popular." She smirked looking at Kas.  Her eyes found their way back to Ophelia, "You however, we don't need any more....Thank you for the location." She smiled sweetly.

[Ophelia]

"Rung Tse Fwo Tzoo... Ikke bra*. He made some new... friends..." Silje observed. Ophelia took the data pad back and pressed it against her chest, smiling a little when it seemed like she'd gotten the right person. That was lucky. In more ways than one!

Her dogs turned their heads to stare at a hulking man approaching their group, and oddly enough, they didn't growl or snap or bark in his direction. Instead, their amber gazes locked upon his face, the female's nub of a tail twitching a couple times in what might have been a pleased wagging. Ophelia looked between her dogs and the man and sighed heavily. Really, what was wrong with them today? Absolutely no help, they were! The male moved around Ophelia slowly, wrapping the leash around her legs and forcing her to turn in a circle to untangle herself. With a huff, the large beast sniffed at Kas.

"You however, we don't need any more....Thank you for the location," Katrina informed her.

Blue eyes widened and Ophelia pressed a button on her data pad to lock it. "Don't need me?" she asked, raising her brows and shooting the large man one more look before glaring at Katrina once more. Her chin lifted a bit and she clenched her jaw, violence flashing behind her angelic eyes and her grip tightening on the dog's leashes. She could play this a couple of ways, but both needed some thought. With a deep breath to relax her suddenly tense shoulders, Ophelia turned away a little.

"I guess you're right. I suppose you don't want to know where this photo was taken," she murmured, shrugging a little and reaching down to idly look over the glimmering leash around her wrist.

If they left her, she fully intended on contacting Big Al and informing him of their impending approach. Which might lead to either an increase in security or a moving of their guest. Either way, she figured saying so aloud would only be detrimental so she kept it to herself. 

[Silje Falk]

Silje greeted Kas not with an answer to his question, but a grin that silently accused him of getting bored on the shuttle and a greeting she reserved for very few. "Venn Kas! Glad you could join us!" He got his answer regarding who had made friends from Kat, who promptly dismissed the young woman as no longer necessary. That hadn't gone over well at all, though to her credit, Ophelia hadn't given an outburst and had played the hand Silje had rather hoped wouldn't be. In her head, Silje reminded herself never to let Kat negotiate on her behalf for anything. She'd likely end up dead. Despite this, not one iota of change passed across her own face as she watched Ophelia turn away.

"Now, Kat, I think what you meant to have told her was that we can't grant her passage. That's all Lucky's say. And seeing as we don't leave without him..." Silje shrugged, her hands lifting with the gesture as if to say there was nothing they could do to change that little fact. "Though I'd wager Lucky would be rather pleased to thank the person who put us on to his location. Might even be so grateful as to offer them a lift somewhere, but I can't speak for the man on that matter. Best to find out from him direct."

[Kasimir Stern]

"Lucky....He's uhm, ever popular."

"Ah." Kas imagined that violence would be needed to rescue the wayward man. The prospect neither excited him nor made him apprehensive. Likely he was being held by common thugs, and men like that had never given Kas much trouble.

"Venn Kas! Glad you could join us!"

Kas grunted a greeting to Silje. The girl with the dogs seemed to be angling for a ride off world, and was clearly insinuating that if they didn't agree to bring her she would tip off the people holding Lucky. Smart girl. Intelligent, and manipulative.

One the big dogs came over and sniffed him, wrapping his lead around the girl, forcing her to turn around to untangle herself. Kas knelt in front of the beast without a hint of fear, his face only inches from the dogs maw of teeth. Kas made a noise deep in his throat, somewhere between a growl and purr, and reached out to scratch the dog behind its ears.

[Katrina Markov]

"I guess you're right. I suppose you don't want to know where this photo was taken,"

Katrina eyed Ophelia, a smile curling into the corner of her mouth, she chose not to answer the child, as Silje seemed to have things under control. Though if she had a choice, Kat would've drugged her and taken her dogs by now.

Now, Kat, I think what you meant to have told her was that we can't grant her passage. That's all Lucky's say. And seeing as we don't leave without him..." Silje shrugged, her hands lifting with the gesture as if to say there was nothing they could do to change that little fact. "Though I'd wager Lucky would be rather pleased to thank the person who put us on to his location. Might even be so grateful as to offer them a lift somewhere, but I can't speak for the man on that matter. Best to find out from him direct."

Her eyes remained on Ophelia, narrowing slightly. She was annoyed with Silje's response, but Kat knew the reason behind it. Relaxing her face she sighed and smiled slightly, "Fine." Her answer was curt and the silence after her response echoed.  Looking over at Kas he had apparently made new friends, and finished his work on the boat, or was bored.   Either way his services would be needed,

"Glad to see you were able to join us Kas...I suspect we'll have some difficulty obtaining further information." Her head turned slowly back to Ophelia as if to indicate Katrina was unwilling to play further games to get what they needed.

[Ophelia]

"Though I'd wager Lucky would be rather pleased to thank the person who put us on to his location. Might even be so grateful as to offer them a lift somewhere, but I can't speak for the man on that matter. Best to find out from him direct," Silje informed her.

The girl's thickly lashed eyes narrowed and she eyed all three of them suspiciously, her own patience and trust wearing thin. But this Silje was making a fair point. If Lucky was the one to decide who came onto their boat, then rescuing him was the best way to get herself a spot. Curls bounced softly as her head tilted to the side, her attention sliding over to Kas and her dogs while she considered her options. A free hand rested on the small of her waist and she stared at the brute, her lips puckered and moved to the side a bit.

The female dog stood up and lumbered over to join the male in front of the stranger, sniffing at his lowered face as though vying for his attention. The male's jaws parted, its hot breath fogging up in front of its nose as it panted happily, readily accepting the petting. Ophelia sighed heavily and watched them bonding, brows knit in what could have been confusion.

"His name is Henri," she told the man, pointing at the male. "And that one's Jane," she added, finger moving to gesture toward the female now. Still considering the man and her options, her hand pressed against her cheek and she grumbled in confusion.

"Glad to see you were able to join us Kas...I suspect we'll have some difficulty obtaining further information," Katrina said.

The girl's eyes slid to the side and she glared at Katrina out of the corner of her eye, not bothering to say anything in response. Instead, she turned to Silje and smiled winningly, "I'll help, then I can ask your Lucky for a spot on your ship as recompense," she announced, going along with the flow for once.