(im cackling)
P.J glanced outside - indeed, a sizeable-looking asteroid was heading straight for their ship at an alarming velocity. However, she simply waved a hand and buckled the seatbelt that was previously not even on. "Sherry has his ways. Although you might want to buckle your seatbelts."
Quill noticed the roadblock as well, and made some questionable facial expressions as he realized neither he nor Desi had any seatbelts. So, what to do when Quill knew exactly what was going to happen? He grabbed Desi and pulled her next to him - I mean, things were about to go down.
Sherry shrugged and buckled their own seatbelt, storing the wine in a little bucket under their seat. "You know things are going to get interesting when I buckle my seatbelt," They commented, and halted the ship right where it was, throwing everybody back in their seats. As the projectile was not deterred by this, he shrugged and flicked a switch - leaving the entire ship to drop directly downwards at extremely alarming velocities.
Maverick only acknowledged everyone's dramatic reactions with a doubtful quirk of his lips… until the drop. Long story short, everyone went deaf for a little bit after hearing Maverick's shriek.
"You scream higher than I can!" laughed Desi. Despite their efforts, Quill and Desi had both fallen to the ground.
"Bad move, Desi-" warned Adira before she was cut off by Maverick.
"I could make you scream higher any day."
Sighs, from everyone. "Well, back on track," Adira tried to reign in everything that happened. "We need-" she was cut off again - this time, because Sherry suddenly grabbed the wheel and decided to…
maverick istg
P.J turned to her just as the ship made an extremely sharp left turn, towards what appeared to be a cloud nebula. "Yes, Adira? What do we need?" She smirked, loving everyone's reactions to Sherry's piloting. As the captain, Sherry could get a little…extravagant with his ship sometimes.
Quill untangled himself from Desi, setting her back on the couch before sitting himself back down. "Are you okay?" He asked, a little concerned. I mean, she seemed the most physically weak of everyone, and she'd just fallen from a hyperspeed-drop. "You really need a seatbelt."
"hA!" Sherry yelled, mostly to himself. "This should give 'em a doozy. We're headed to Abrasax, right? The one with all the gladiators?" He turned to Quill, who only nodded silently. "This is the last stop before coasting for the night."
"We need some fucking Advil," Adira said, not caring anymore about protecting Desi's innocence. "But I also totally need to kick some gladiator ass."
"Ooh, Adi, I'd really love you to kick my-"
"Do not call me that. That is both disturbing, weird, and creepy."
"I really do," Desi agreed, before the left turn shoved her right up against the Quill. "Like, really," she mumbled, head spinning. "I think I'm going to throw up."
"So, this Abracasaxaphone place." Maverick addressed Sherry. "Are we 'coasting' there, or roller coaster mode again? Because if so, we better be getting some alcohol."
"…and sleep," Desi wearily sighed, leaning against Quill.
Maverick raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"
P.J shrugged, turning to Quill for verification. "It's behind the nebula, so unless you all are keen on getting lost in a space cloud…" She shrugged. "I think our best bet is to whizz right on through the thing." Quill nodded, glancing down at Desi.
"Yeah, um, does anyone mind giving Desi their seat? P.J, maybe?" He looked up at her with a pleading expression/ Seriously, she needs it, He mouthed. Rolling her eyes and sighing, P.J agreed and unbulcked her seatbelt to stand and take Desi's place on the couch. "There you go."
Quill looped one arm around Desi's waist and another around her shoulders, getting her to her feet and into the seat, buckling the seatbelt and leaning on the back of it. "You'll be fine now, just another hyperspeed run and then we'll coast for the night, okay?" He reassured quietly.
"Oh, cut the craaap." Sherry drawled, flicking a couple switches as the engines started to rev up again and the lights started to dim. "Yeah, it's a hyperspeed run. But then we gotta get out of there too. We'll see what happens next," He commented with a grin.
Desi frowned. "I…" she seemed to struggle for words. "I… don't… I need to hold something… for the night," she lamely whispered.
"Huh?" Adira shot Maverick an I-will-actually-kill-you-if-you-give-one-more-line expression and he shut his mouth.
"Like… a stuffed animal, or an arm." She muttered, barely speaking. "It's a… reassurance thing. I'll have… nightmares if I don't," she glanced at the ground, face red with embarrassment. Her whisper drifted through the spacecraft.
Adira shot P.J a questioning glance. Is this another abandonment thing?
I don't know, P.J mouthed back, glancing nervously between Sherry and Desi. She willed them not to start the ship, but…they started the ship.
"Yee haw, pardners! And on your left we have a vErY LaRGe pRoJeCtiLe," They shouted, whizzing around it with gusto.
"Jesus christ, here," Quill mumbled to himself, slipping for a moment and regaining hold, one hand on the top of Desi's chair and another on her shoulder. "You can hold my arm…sorry about Sherry, they're probably drunk…"
"Oh ok…" Desi latched onto Quill's arm and he helplessly stood there, not daring to move as she immediately fell asleep.
"How she manages to sleep in this chaos alarms me," swore Adira. Directing her words at P.J, she asked, "How do you put up with this idiot you call a friend?"
Sherry and Maverick, were, well, being idiots. Somehow Maverick had a belt in one hand, wine in the other, swinging both around like a cowboy. Adira could've sworn she heard a "Haw YEET!" emerge from someone's lips.
Meanwhile, the two had began a chant of "WE'RE THE RATS! WE'RE THE RATS!"
It's scary how close this is to our actual friends
honestly what
P.J shrugged, turning to the rest of the crew that weren't intoxicated. "They came to earth. I jumped. Not a long story, but this next one should be." She turned around in her seat as colors and bright lights of all different colors flew by the windows.
Quill eventually sat on the arm of the chair, sighing and gulping a little bit. This Desi would be a toll, that was for sure, but he couldn't just leave her. Eyeing the gray ribbon on his wrist that all the crew members had - they'd gotten them different ways - he then looked back at Desi. He was gonna help her.
Sherry grinned to himself, flipping a couple switches on the ship and it slowed down a little as they came out of the cloud, revealing what appeared to a bigger, badder rendition of mars. "This is it, folks. Abrasax."
ok side note: in every rp you're in your characters have gray ribbons around their wrists, for reasons that are either mysterious, revealed later, or never told. what is the freaking reason Lillian
Maverick turned to P.J: "I wish you 'jumped' on me instead," he saucily suggested.
"One day I'm going to kick you out of this rocket and wave at you through the window as you die." Adira vowed, even adding in a mocking wink.
The light dimmed a little behind his eyes, not enough to be noticeable, though. Quickly turning his attention back to Sherry- oh wowza that was a hecking coolio planet. Abracasaxaphone really knows its shit.
Desi pawed feebly at Quill's forearm; it was nestled in her vice-like grip. Digging in her fingernails, she left behind crescent moon indents. Her countenance contorted and as a strangled whisper screamed,"D-don't go!" Tears streamed down innocent features. "Pl-please. How could you?"
A hand reached out, touching the flesh of Quill's arm. As if it was a breath of reassurance, immediately her face relaxed, posture adjusted, and a happy sigh was the only indication before sleep captured her once more. Her hands still clenched around Quill's arm, like it was a pole to stay in reality.
you might find out later, you might not. :)
P.J rolled her eyes and kicked the back of his chair in annoyance. "Well, we're here. Who says we throw him in some arena?"
All but Sherry and Maverick raised their hands.
Quill sighed and gently shook Desi's shoulders gently, not wanting to startle her but meaning to get her awake. "We're here, Desi," He whispered softly.
Sherry rolled their eyes and set a mediocre hum to the engines, setting them on course for the planet. "We'll be there in a couple minutes, give or take," They decided, unbuckling their seatbelt and spinning around.
I am sensing a little bit of romance between Desi and Quill?
(Do you want the romance?)
(I mean like, it'll do whatever. )
Adira pumped her fist in the air, an unusual show of exhilaration for the girl. "Throw. Him. In. The. Ar-iee-nA!" she cheered. "And. His. Alll-co-hol! Wahooo!!"
Maverick began pouting in the corner. "I could probably just seduce all the opponents with my suave and charm," he grumbled, half serious.
Everyone gawked for a second, not knowing how to respond. It… it had been a joke…?
"I knew you guys actually loved me! Aww, it's so nice to know y'all would rather not send me onto a random planet with gladiator arenas," he joked.
I'm giving you the steering wheel with my cinnamon roll and Quill
P.J shrugged. "My bad. We'd probably get sued for something - not that any of us really care, but yeah." She said, unbuckling her own seatbelt and standing, striding across the room to open the door. "Prepare for a little departure."
Quill shook his head, crouching down by Desi. "I think it's best if she stays here, and we all know she doesn't like being alone. At all. I'll stay with her," He finished, glancing down at her sleeping. "She doesn't even have to wake up."
Sherry shrugged and led them to touchdown in an empty, open field - right next to a giant colesseum. "Well, folks, we're here. Let's boogie, boys!" They exclaimed, leaping out of their seat and following eveyone out of the airlock. P.J gave Quill a last look. "You know they trust you with the ship, right?"
Quill nodded and glanced back at Desi. "I know. I can pilot it if anything goes wrong."
Literally rubbing her hands together in eager anticipation, Adira practically skipped off the ship onto the planet. "Mmmkay. Where are the gladiators? I want to learn their fighting style and the best way to completely obliterate their as- I mean defeat 'em!"
Maverick sidled up to P.J and Adira. Before either shoved him off the edge of the planet, he held his hands up in a peace offering. "I know this is going to sound incredibly foreign to you guys but I just don't want to die. You too seem like the most capable here since he," a gesture toward a still whooping Sherry, "isn't really…"
Adira coolly made a circle around Maverick, analyzing him to the point where he felt invisible. Out of the blue, she shoved his knees until they buckled under him, twisted his arm, and gave his face a nice, heartfelt punch. "Payback." That wasn't the only vengeance she was getting today. Innocently strolling behind P.J, an effective trip. good timing, and fast reflexes got her gun back in her hands. "Toldja to watch your back."
Desi opened her dark-chocolate eyes to meet Quill's.
P.J growled in the back of her throat a little, but didn't make a move to retaliate, instead, she switched into shadow form, her shadow walking itself along the plain to the city. "I would suggest you hide yourself. Gladiators don't take kindly to foreign visitors."
Sherry closed the airlock behind them, running up to P.J's shadow and punching it affectionately. "P.J, dear, you know I don't hide myself. I'll be fine, especially with all the powers you all have, and guns -" He looked back at Adira- "Besides, I have some powers of my own."
Quill smiled gently at Desi, taking his hands from her shoulders. "Good to see you've woken up," He noted softly, leaning away from her again. "They all decided to leave real quick for a rest stop or something, but I thought I would stay."
"Eh… I'll manage." Adira swaggered away, confident now that she had her gun. "How long do you think we'll be staying here?"
Maverick skirted to stand beside Sherry and furthest away from the girls. He nodded along, not daring to say a word after what had played out earlier.
"Wow. You look really good from this angle," Desi blurted out, unable to stop herself. She wasn't one to normally hide her emotions, so why would she ever need to worry about saying the thoughts floating pass her mind? Her cheeks stained red as she realized what she'd said.
Propping herself up she once again was in awe of the 'beauty' this craft possessed. And it was all to themselves, now, wasn't it? The pilot's seat was maybe a meter away and there were so many colorful buttons. Some were innocent-looking enough but the one's that caught her attention were the bright red ones with words in a bold, capitalized font.
P.J shrugged. "Sherry wants to snap some pictures for their alblum, and then we can leave." She kept walking - er, her shadow walked - across the plain towards the city, Sherry holding up a camera as they followed her.
Quill blushed a little bit and scratched the back of his neck, glancing away and then back as Desi. "It's nothing." He noticed her glance to the self-destruct button hidden in the top right corner. "That's self-destruct, you know. Probably shouldn't press that one."
istg if she presses it imma
"Oh, alright," she was slightly disappointed.
Maverick caught her look and claimed, "We could probably cause a big enough commotion to draw a few gladiators to us…" he speculated.
At Adira's hopeful glance, Maverick grinned. "That's the only good idea you've every had."
"Hmm… what would cause a big commotion. Something bigger than"
"your ego? Sherry, could your ship, say, self-implode?"
Desi's finger hovered over the button. "It'd be terrible to ruin this beautiful work of art. But then we could piece it back together!" A light emerged from behind her eyes. "Then it'd be even better! It'd be hard but when we finish- imagine how satisfying that would be! I'd love remaking a ship. That's SUCH A GOOD IDEA!" she finished it all in one breath, panting but smiling by the end. Her palm began descending on the button.
XD
P.J melted back into human form out of surprise, and Sherry turned around with an astonished look on their face. "Are you kidding? Absolutely not. You've already tried to ruin The Late Arrival at least once, you're not doing it again," They commanded, grabbing P.J and turning back around towards the city. "Quill is in there, anyway. Nothing will happen to it."
Quill pulled her away from the button, sitting her back down on the couch. "It's really…not. Stay away from that button, okay, Desi? Like, literally any other button would be okay."
"Quill. He seems like the softie of the group," Adira observed, glancing between Sherry and P.J. A smirk played on her lips as she imagined Desi waking up and pressing the self-destruct button. Oh, that would make such a good story to have to explain.
"I don't like that expression," Maverick managed to get out.
His hands were on her and the warmth seemed to burn Desi. She stared up at him, wanting to argue but immediately got lost in his eyes. A small voice inside her admitted that he was probably right; but she didn't want to be logical right now!
Another small voice drew her attention to the fact that his looked really, really good in those-
A strand of hair fell into her vision as she shook herself. "Any… other button..? Any?"
"He kind of is," P.J's voice flew back towards them. "Although he made the Latey what it is today, and he can build the best machine's you've ever seen." She decided. Sherry nodded in agreement and shapped a photo as they neared the giant colesseum.
"Yeah. Mhm. You know what, yeah." Quill tilted his head at her and nodded. "I don't really think Sherry cares what you do as long as you don't mess up his ship. Yeah, press whatever." He sucked in a breath, for one knowing there was great flaw in what he'd just said and because Desi managed to look really pretty with her hair hanging over her face like that.
"Fascinating, great, how are we going to get those gladiators?"
"The fact that we're not allowed to blow up a spaceship really limits our possibilities," Maverick mused. "Do you think acting like idiots would draw them closer of repel them? Or maybe we could just trash their planet…"
Whistling, Adira advised to put that idea on the very, very bottom of their meager list.
Her eyes trailed over all the possibilities. They could literally tumble in circles over the universe, even… even go hyperspeed again, an option to transform the spacecraft into a boat, automobile, and even a missile - holy gods this spaceship had cannons on board.
"You made most of this, right?" Desi gazed at all the options in wonder. She chewed her lip as a battle occurred - currently debating between changing the floor to a pool, or opening a file saved on her Sherry's computer titled Selfies of Yours Truly.
"Well…" P.J considered. "We could just, you know, throw you in the ring. That would certainly attract their attention." Sherry let out a laugh beside her as they strolled through the archway, a din of cheering suddenly surrounding them.
"Yeah, I did." Quill admitted, scratching the back of his neck again. "I can control most of it, too, so even if you do take this thing back to Fareafica, explode a multiverse, or make it compatible for water, I can probably turn it back." He reassured her, following Desi around as she studied all the controls.
