06-19-2018, 10:44 PM
Brooke tapped her phone impatiently as she sat on one of the passenger barge's benches. The screen wasn’t working, and she had just bought this thing in Costa Del Sol before the voyage began. What the hell was she supposed to do without a phone out here? Ugh.
She let out a heavy sigh as she stuffed it back into pocket on her sleeveless vest. The young adventurer had packed away her typical cowboy hat and leather jacket due to the sweltering heat on a sunny day in the Vasty Deep. Last thing she needed was heatstroke on the way to the biggest payday she’d ever seen. The rest of her attire was consistent, however, as she still wore boots and jeans, with a belt holding her revolver and bullwhip. She knew she had to be ready to reach those weapons at a moment’s notice, as she sized up the crowd around her. There weren’t many she’d bet herself in a straight fight against. Despite the bounty hunter’s lack of combat training she had an ace in the hole, which was currently standing beside her and looking dumbfounded at the endlessly rolling ocean.
A nine foot tall Goron, Baldur had never seen this much water in his life. The towering, stone mammoth of a warrior had joined Brooke for the promise of adventure with nothing but the spiked steel armor on his legs, agreeing to be the muscle to her brains. It had worked out pretty well so far, but they’d only been on low paying missions in treacherous locations. A place so exotic and peaceful with a crowd so large was a bit of a sensory overload for the innocent, hulking golem. While he processed this whole situation, he was content to gaze upon the ocean for the first time in his life. There had never been anything like this in the Ashen Steppes.
Brooke looked up as a man with a cigar walked past, studying him for a moment. She could have sworn he looked familiar, but damn if she knew from where. Her thought process was interrupted when the odd looking man beside her suddenly spoke up.
“Supposedly that’s the guy that survived the Danteverse,” the werewolf looking mercenary spoke.
“Hm?” Brooke mumbled as she looked over to the one who spoke to her.
“Useless, burnout reality star getting in on this mission,” the beastman scoffed. “At least we don’t have to worry about splitting the payout with him.”
Brooke went to respond, but the man got up and walked away. Huh.
“I don’t think any of that stuff’s real, either,” Baldur mumbled as he watched the waves.
“You didn’t think the Vasty Deep was real until yesterday,” Brooke rolled her eyes and she stood up and joined her rock companion. “You better be cool here, alright? It wasn’t easy to get an offered this gig.”
“You mean with all of these other people?” Baldur skeptically retorted.
Brooke raised an eyebrow, but didn’t answer. Baldur had to let out a deep chuckle at that. He was beginning to understand the way Brooke manipulated people through words instead of actions. Fortunately, it was mostly harmless when it came to him. At least he hoped it was.
“What even is the job?” Baldur pressed curiously.
“We don’t know yet,” Brooke admitted. “Something sensitive, so he’ll tell us when we get there.”
“This is odd, I don’t like this,” Baldur confessed, grinding his teeth together.
“Don’t worry,” Brooke tried to soothe him as she gestured to the dock they were getting closer and closer to. “At the very worst, we get a free vacation in this beautiful tropical resort, and if the job’s bad we just walk away.”
Baldur frowned, unconvinced. “I won’t murder anyone for…”
“I know, I know,” Brooke interrupted him. She was well versed on how despite her unsavory origins in the Omniverse, Baldur was here for fun and not to peck away at the bottom of society to live. He could return to the Gorons at any point and leave her high and dry. “Nothing terrible.”
Baldur scoffed again, unable to shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong here. Brooke felt it, too, but she didn’t dare share that thought with her uneasy teammate. She’d shared bounties and targets with multiple people in the past, but it was always a “race to the finish” type of deal, and everyone was individually contacted in secret from one another. She’d never been a part of what was basically a group buy.
She also knew that Baldur could be skittish and unsure, despite him being a magnitude stronger than most people on the ferry with them. There were probably a few tricks that would make some of these people difficult opponents, but the Goron appeared pound for pound within the top of the group. Brooke didn’t want to concern him with the details, though. He was trusted to do the fighting, and she was trusted to work out the logistics. For all her own uncertainty about the situation, she knew the promised payment would be worth it.
She kept a brave, cocky face as the ship pulled into the harbor.
She let out a heavy sigh as she stuffed it back into pocket on her sleeveless vest. The young adventurer had packed away her typical cowboy hat and leather jacket due to the sweltering heat on a sunny day in the Vasty Deep. Last thing she needed was heatstroke on the way to the biggest payday she’d ever seen. The rest of her attire was consistent, however, as she still wore boots and jeans, with a belt holding her revolver and bullwhip. She knew she had to be ready to reach those weapons at a moment’s notice, as she sized up the crowd around her. There weren’t many she’d bet herself in a straight fight against. Despite the bounty hunter’s lack of combat training she had an ace in the hole, which was currently standing beside her and looking dumbfounded at the endlessly rolling ocean.
A nine foot tall Goron, Baldur had never seen this much water in his life. The towering, stone mammoth of a warrior had joined Brooke for the promise of adventure with nothing but the spiked steel armor on his legs, agreeing to be the muscle to her brains. It had worked out pretty well so far, but they’d only been on low paying missions in treacherous locations. A place so exotic and peaceful with a crowd so large was a bit of a sensory overload for the innocent, hulking golem. While he processed this whole situation, he was content to gaze upon the ocean for the first time in his life. There had never been anything like this in the Ashen Steppes.
Brooke looked up as a man with a cigar walked past, studying him for a moment. She could have sworn he looked familiar, but damn if she knew from where. Her thought process was interrupted when the odd looking man beside her suddenly spoke up.
“Supposedly that’s the guy that survived the Danteverse,” the werewolf looking mercenary spoke.
“Hm?” Brooke mumbled as she looked over to the one who spoke to her.
“Useless, burnout reality star getting in on this mission,” the beastman scoffed. “At least we don’t have to worry about splitting the payout with him.”
Brooke went to respond, but the man got up and walked away. Huh.
“I don’t think any of that stuff’s real, either,” Baldur mumbled as he watched the waves.
“You didn’t think the Vasty Deep was real until yesterday,” Brooke rolled her eyes and she stood up and joined her rock companion. “You better be cool here, alright? It wasn’t easy to get an offered this gig.”
“You mean with all of these other people?” Baldur skeptically retorted.
Brooke raised an eyebrow, but didn’t answer. Baldur had to let out a deep chuckle at that. He was beginning to understand the way Brooke manipulated people through words instead of actions. Fortunately, it was mostly harmless when it came to him. At least he hoped it was.
“What even is the job?” Baldur pressed curiously.
“We don’t know yet,” Brooke admitted. “Something sensitive, so he’ll tell us when we get there.”
“This is odd, I don’t like this,” Baldur confessed, grinding his teeth together.
“Don’t worry,” Brooke tried to soothe him as she gestured to the dock they were getting closer and closer to. “At the very worst, we get a free vacation in this beautiful tropical resort, and if the job’s bad we just walk away.”
Baldur frowned, unconvinced. “I won’t murder anyone for…”
“I know, I know,” Brooke interrupted him. She was well versed on how despite her unsavory origins in the Omniverse, Baldur was here for fun and not to peck away at the bottom of society to live. He could return to the Gorons at any point and leave her high and dry. “Nothing terrible.”
Baldur scoffed again, unable to shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong here. Brooke felt it, too, but she didn’t dare share that thought with her uneasy teammate. She’d shared bounties and targets with multiple people in the past, but it was always a “race to the finish” type of deal, and everyone was individually contacted in secret from one another. She’d never been a part of what was basically a group buy.
She also knew that Baldur could be skittish and unsure, despite him being a magnitude stronger than most people on the ferry with them. There were probably a few tricks that would make some of these people difficult opponents, but the Goron appeared pound for pound within the top of the group. Brooke didn’t want to concern him with the details, though. He was trusted to do the fighting, and she was trusted to work out the logistics. For all her own uncertainty about the situation, she knew the promised payment would be worth it.
She kept a brave, cocky face as the ship pulled into the harbor.