From khyronn Thu Jul 21 13:02:02 1994 Return-Path: Received: by netcom2.netcom.com (8.6.8.1/SMI-4.1/Netcom) id NAA14932; Thu, 21 Jul 1994 13:01:59 -0700 From: khyronn (Khyronn) Message-Id: <199407212001.NAA14932@netcom2.netcom.com> Subject: Fight! To: dewshine@netcom.com (Kevlan), highlander@pine.circa.ufl.edu (Elissa), rivk@midway.uchicago.edu (Michael), langford@nyquist.ee.ualberta.ca (Sean), kamalia@fergus.cfa.org (Adriana) Date: Thu, 21 Jul 1994 13:01:57 -0700 (PDT) X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL23] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Length: 21956 Status: RO Introduction ============ Berni has gone to the ground floor to go see if she can cut some white dodecs to fill a special order. While she's by the lift doors, Ryalla comes upon her...... Lift #2 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #2 has arrived. Ryalla emerges from the efficient lift. Ryalla has arrived. Ryalla waves *** Ryalla just looked at you. ** Bernadette smiles and waves. Ryalla asks, "How's the foot?" Bernadette smiles and looks at the appendage. "Itches a bit, but other than that, it's fine. Boot's a little snug." Ryalla nods. "Probably stuffed with bandages? Try not to put too much pressure on it for a couple of days." Lift #3 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #3 has arrived. Elissa emerges from the efficient lift. Elissa has arrived. Bernadette smiles and nods to Ryalla. "Okay." Ryalla notices your crystal resonance. "Have you got any plans to go off-planet soon, Bernadette?" Ryalla waves to Elissa. "Hello." Lift #1 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has arrived. Aram emerges from the efficient lift. Aram has arrived. Elissa nearly runs into Ryalla and Bernadette. "Oh, hey y'all." She seems uncharacteristically unpleased. Bernadette looks at Elissa and smiles, raising a hand in greeting. She looks back to Ryalla. "Um, yes. For the passover storms..I'm going to Markianali with...um, a companion." She smiles. Ryalla raises an eyebrow and quickly steps out of Elissa's path. Ryalla smiles at Berni. "That's great. You could really do with some time away from here." Bernadette smiles and shrugs. "I guess so." Bernadette looks at Elissa. "Everything ok, Elissa?" Ryalla waves to the young man who steps out of the lift. Aram ntesis that he is in the whay as wel steps to the side Aram waves back Elissa grumbles quietly then takes a deep breath and shakes her head. "No, I checked on an old green claim of mine and discovered it had been jumped." Her jaw clenches tightly. "Now I have a stupid set I can't fill because someone else painted _my_ claim." Bernadette blanches and blinks a bit and says, "I...I'm sorry to hear that, Elissa..." Ryalla looks very surprised. "Claim jumping?! Who? Have you gone to the Guild Master?" Lift #1 leaves with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has left. Lift #1 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has arrived. Sean emerges from the efficient lift. Sean has arrived. Bernadette slides a glance to Ryalla. "It might not necessarily have been claim jumping...." SHe shrugs. Aram says "hi Sean" Elissa leans against the wall, arms folded. "No. What is Maxwell going to do? He'll ask, 'Did your paint wear off?' and I'll have to say yes 'cause the gods know I certainly can't find a trace of it under that disgusting purple and blue crap painted on it now." She kicks the wall with her heel. Sean blinks his eyes blue as he notices the gathering at the lifts. "Uh..hi, Aram." Bernadette coughs and slaps her chest, trying to catch her breath. "Um...*cough cough* I've, um, gotta go..." Ryalla tries to console Elissa. "I'm sorry that happened." Sean looks at Elissa, then to Bernadette. Elissa nods curtly. "Thanks, Ryalla. Won't help me fill out that set I needed, but I appreciate the sympathy. " She nods to Sean. Ryalla looks at Berni. "Sounds like claim jumping to me, but if Elissa says there's none of her paint left...." She looks over at the disconsolate Singer. Sean smiles at Elissa. Sean looks at Ryalla, then Berni. "Claim jumping?" Sean looks at Elissa. "Someone took one of your claims?" Ryalla asks Elissa, "Was that your only green claim? Elissa pushes off from the wall angrily. "Yeah, claim jumping. Some foul bastard jumped my green claim. Or painted over the remnants of my mark, or something, Sean. When I find out who...." She takes another deep breath, obviously forcing herself to be calm. "Ryalla, that was my _only_ claim." Bernadette stops on her way to the hangar and looks back. "Well if her paint was gone..." She shrugs and stands near the entrance to the hangar. Bernadette blurts "I'm sure...whoever....did it probably didn't SEE any paint remnants..." She spreads her hands in front of her and then shrugs again. Sean offers tenatively. "We had a couple of storms while you were gone. Could they have scraped off the paint?" Ryalla looks puzzled. "If that was your _only_ claim, I'd have thought you'd have pretty fresh paint on it. It can't have been that long since you were there." Elissa's eyes narrow slightly as she looks towards Bernadette. She asks silkily, "So, what claim mark do _you_ use, Bernadette?" Bernadette takes an unconscious step backwards. "Something, um, I can recognize..." Ryalla looks back and forth between Elissa and Berni. Sean looks at both women, legs and shoulders unconsciously tensing, and eyes dropping red. Ryalla moves toward Sean and whispers something to him. Elissa glances at Ryalla, "After Michael and I sang all that black, I didn't need to go back to it really soon." Her gaze slides back to Bernadette and she asks again, "But what mark, Bernadette? What colors do you remember best?" Sean looks at Ryalla, eyes still enhanced, and nods only slightly. Sean uhhs. "Elissa, could the storms have removed the markings?" Lift #1 leaves with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Ryallas breathe catches a little and she looks over at Berni. Aram steps in with a slight nod. Aram has left. Lift #1 leaves with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has left. Elissa drops her hands down to her side and takes a few steps towards Bernadette. Sean takes a tenative step between the two. "Elissa..." Bernadette puts her hands out in front of her towards Elissa. "Now, Elissa...I didn't know it was yours..." she pleads. "There weren't any paintmarkings left!" Ryalla steps toward Elissa, and puts a restraining hand on her arm. Ryalla says "Elissa..." Elissa doesn't even notice Sean as she stalks down the hall. "You jumped my claim, didn't you?" She yanks her arm out of Ryalla's grasp, still glaring at Bernadette with fire in her eyes. Bernadette backs up into the wall and looks at Elissa, "I didn't jump it!" Sean stands in front of Bernadette, holding his hands out. "Can we just stop and think for a minute, here?" Ryalla hurries down the hall after Elissa. "Hold up, you two." Lift #1 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has arrived. Elissa's gaze flickers to Sean momentarily and she snarls, "Do you remember the last time I decked you? Get out of my way." She takes a few final steps to get within arm's reach of Bernadette. Aram emerges from the efficient lift. Aram has arrived. Sean grabs Elissa and holds her back. 'I wans't adapted yet, Elissa. Now Its still not even." Ryalla yells to get Elissa's attention. "Is beating her into a pulp going to help? What do the rules and regs say about this?" Bernadette starts getting angry herself. "If it was so precious to you, Elissa, why didn't you refresh the paint?" Bernadette repeats "There were NO paint marks left, Elissa. The claim was up for grabs again." Elissa easily breaks Sean's grasp and gives him his one warning glare, then nods at Ryalla. "Yeah, beating her to a pulp _would_ help, help me feel better at least." She spins on Bernadette. "And you! You shut your mouth, you ignorant little twit. I visited that claim after the last big storm, those little ones couldn't have been near enough to erase all the paint!" Her fists clench tightly. Bernadette yells "Get a grip, Elissa! I wouldn't jump a claim if the paint was visible!" She stands her ground and glares back at the other woman. "I can't BELIEVE you're accusing me of jumping your claim." Sean stands looking at the two and glances at Ryalla. Ryalla looks over at Sean and shrugs, as if to say, if these two want to have it out, there's nothing that's going to stop them. Ryalla tries again to calm Elissa, "Please. There's got to be something that covers this. Are you sure there was none of your paint left? Did you look everywhere?" Sean looks over to the now seething Bernadette. 'You didn't see ANY paint?" Bernadette keeps her eyes on Elissa but says to Ryalla, "There wasn't so much as a speck of paint on the green claim." Elissa gets a mad glint in her eyes. "Me? Get a grip? Listen up, you foolish child, just 'cause you're sleeping with Kevlan, you think you have his rank? Well you aren't a black crystal singer, sweetheart, and I am. And don't think that by snuggling up at night with that mealy-mouthed little boy gives you the right to cover up other people's paintmarks with your own." She snarls. Sean looks with surprise at Elissa. 'Elissa! Enough of that crap!" Ryalla looks shocked. Bernadette snarls, "Why you jealous bitch! THat's what this is about, isn't it?! You can't STAND that Kevlan isn't fawning all over you anymore!!" She swings a fist at Elissa's jaw. Aram staps inbetwean the to to try to stop them Sean pulls the recruit back. 'Don't their both stronger than you." Ryalla quickly steps out of the way. Elissa doesn't duck far enough and gets clipped hard in the ear. She swing at Bernadette's midriff, snarling "You stupid slut, Michael's twice the man Kevlan is!" Sean looks at Ryalla. "Should I bother?" Ryalla looks over at Sean and shakes her head. "Not yet." Ryalla takes a quick look around and thanks providence that no heavy furniture is around to swing. Sean looks at Aram. "All symbiont enhanced humans are stronger and faster than unenhanced. I found that out the hard way. Just duck and cover." Sean stands near the two, ready to pull them apart if it gets too bad. Bernadette grunts as the punch connects and gasps "Slut?!" and launches herself at Elissa, tackling her neatly. Aram gets well out of the way of Elissa and Bernadette Sean jumps out of the way quickly, and moves near the pair, looking at Ryalla questioningly. Ryalla yells loud enough for everyone to hear, "We'll just have to wait for these bitchy little girls to settle their catfights right out in public. Will you two GROW UP!" Elissa folds in half and is slammed hard into the far wall. She grabs Bernadette's back and tries to bring her knee up to contect with the other woman's face, ribs, anything. Her left arm seems to not be working as well as the other. Sean looks at the two. "Ryalla?" Ryalla carefully works her way around the fights til she gets to Sean and Aram. "Thanks for pulling Aram out. I don't think there's anything we can do, and frankly, I don't want to get in the middle of that." Sean looks at Ryalla. "Neither of them weighs much, I could try to pull them apart...?" Aram says "I do not think that would be vary wise sean" Bernadette's head snaps back as Elissa's knee connects with her jaw. She growls and rolls on top of Elissa, flailing are her with balled fists, blood trickling from her mouth. Ryalla looks at the dueling pair. "Yeah, but then they'd just go after each other later." She sighs. "We might as well let it happen while there's someone to watch. If it gets too bad we'll try to separate them." Ryalla moves over to the hangar control panel and places a call to someone. Sean smiles at Aram. "Probably not, but my chances are better than anyone else's here." Sean winces as he watches the very styleless fight. Aram shuges. "I thingk thay should have sikurity Sean smiles. "They will, soon enough." Ryalla yells over from the hangar console, "Two minutes, ladies, before my biggest, meanest orderlies get here!" Elissa rolls over, breaking Bernadette's hold a second too late to avoid a bone-cracking punch to her right cheek. She backs off a second, touching her broken cheekbone tentatively. "Why you little bitch...." She dives back in, fists flying. Sean looks at Ryalla. "This is getting bad." Ryalla makes her way back over to Sean. "We'll wait til the other medics get here. They're bigger than both of us." Sean nods. "Good deal. Elissa's got a hell of a punch." He smiles mischeviously. 'Although, I DO owe her one..." Aram says "Are you forgeting somwone" Sean winces as the pair colide again. "Nope, Aram, but you'd be killed by these two. They're, for all they're sixe, probably a couple times stronger than you." Bernadette grunts again as Elissa's fist clips her in the eye. "You stuck up, jealous wench," and she lifts her legs, pushing Elissa off of her. SHe gets up onto her knees and starts to climb to her feet. Sean looks at Ryalla. "You sure about the wait?" Aram shakes his head at wat is hapening Ryalla looks concerned. She nods to Sean. "I don't think we shouldn't let this go on. If you think you can do something...." Elissa scrambles to her feet, setting herself up to nail Bernadette in the ribs with one of her workboots. "I'll show you stuck up, you silly cow!" Aram whishes he had a stun gun Sean grabs Elissa, and throws her against a wall quickly, while she's overbalanced from the kick, then spins on Bernadette. "You don't move, either." Sean spins on Elissa. "I don't want another punch in the head, Elissa, please don't move." Ryalla mutters about slow moving orderlies... Elissa's eyes go wide with rage as she forgets Bernadette for the moment and turns on Sean. "Don't you _ever_ learn, you twink?!?" Ryalla uh oh's. Sean smiles and drops into a half-crouch. "Not very well. Please stop this." Bernadette charges up behind Sean and slaps in the side of the head, pushing him out of her way as she advances on Elissa again. Bernadette mutters angrily, "I'll show you cow..." Ryalla wonders quietly out loud, "What in the world is a cow?" Elissa comes at Sean at the exact opposite angle from Bernadette, effectively knocking him down in her haste to get to Bernadette. Sean flies into a wall, smacking his head, then stands and looks at Ryalla, rubbing his skull. "Well, THAT didn't work very well, did it?" Aram says "Ryalla could you ger sumthing that would put those two under" Ryalla winces as she sees Sean in the middle. The doors to Lift #1 whoosh open Bernadette smack her hands down on Elissa shoulders on either side of her neck and starts shaking her furiously. Two very large men step out of the elevator, one of them holding a medical bag. Bernadette mutters a string of profanity that would put even the brawniest sailor to shame. Sean moves around the fight toward Ryalla, grinning sheepishly. "Didn't work, huh?" Ryalla runs over, grabs the medical bag, and starts frantically searching through it. Elissa grabs Bernadette's hands, pinning them and quickly saying something under her breath, a grin on her face, but the mad look fading slightly. She nods her head towards Sean, then whispers something to Bernadette again. The two medics look over at Ryalla, who nods at the fighting women. They begin to advance. Aram says "Sean look out" Bernadette blinks at Elissa, breathing hard and shifts her gaze to Sean, a malicious grin curving on her ruined lips. Ryalla looks up at Aram's warning. "What....?" Sean looks up from rubbing his head, as he sees the women advancing on him. 'What...?" Elissa lets Bernadette's hands go, then flexes her own fists, looking at Sean with the intensity of an Etarian sand tiger. She winks at Bernadette, wincing slightly at the pain of her cheek. The medics pause for a second, thinking the fight may be over. Sean takes a step back as realization begins to dawn on him. "Ladies..." Bernadette nods at Elissa and steps around the medics towards Sean. Aram goses to the other side of the room out of harms why Ryalla suddenly realizes which way the fight is headed. She barks at the medics, "Get them!" Elissa begins to chuckle softly under her breath as she advances towards Sean. It is not, however, a pleasant sound. Sean tenses his own fists, and looks at Elissa, eyes finally no longer smiling. "Don't..." Bernadette echos Elissa's chuckles and walks in step with her. Sean senses "Bernadette doesn't think she's going to be your favorite singer anymore. :)" Sean moves his glance to Bernadette, then back to Elissa. "What IS it, with you two?" Lift #1 leaves with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has left. Aram says "sean you beter laeve" Elissa pulls back for a swing just as one of the burly medics lifts her bodily from behind. "Hey! Put me down, you moose!! You whale!! Let me go!" Sean doesn't even glance at the recruit, as a snarl begins to appear on his face. 'I'm sick of getting knocked around for trying to help. Come on, then!" Ryalla runs toward Sean as the second medic closes in on Bernadette. Bernadette prepares an equally damaging punch to the gut as the other medic grabs her and lifts her off the floor. "Let go of me!" She kicks her feet in the air. Ryalla steps in front of Sean. "Now you stop it, too!" She orders the medics to separate Elissa and Berni. Sean relaxes his fists, if not his face, as the orderlies grab the pair. "Crazy Singers..." Ryalla watches Sean relax then turns to face the pinned Singers. Elissa looks over at Bernadette, hanging in the air next to her, and begins to giggle. Bernadette wriggles ineffectively in the medic's arms, flailing with feet and hands. Sean looks puzzledly over at Elissa. 'What..?' Bernadette, hearing Elissa's giggle, stops struggling and looks over at her. She lets her arms and legs go limp and joins in the giggling, wincing at the pain in her jaw. She says, in a joking tone, "You bitch...you broke my jaw." She falls into a fit of giggling. Bernadette(#3980PQce) A petite woman, standing at just barely 4'11", with a slight build. She appears to be in her early third decade. Berni has long, straight light brown hair, light brown eyes diffused with flecks of light green and yellow and a small, oval cherubish face. Her hair is pulled back from her face and secured in a ponytail at the back of her head, the ends of the long tresses reaching the bottom of her tailbone. The silken strands gleam cleanly, red and golden blond highlights visible. Very independent, she usually has difficulty keeping friends, although she's by no means an unfriendly person. Berni's small frame is clothes in a bright red jumpsuit, the collar turned up at the back of her bneck, a wide brilliant white belt cinched around her tiny waist. Her pant legs cover most of the shiny black boots she wears. Fresh out of a radiant bath, crystal resonance still courses through her body, making the hairs on your arms stand stiffly when in close proximity to her. Her eyes have a slightly wild look to them. She is back to wearing boots, but she steps with a little care still. Her face is covered in swollen bruises with one grandaddy of a shiner. She can't talk very well since her jaw is broken. Sean looks at Ryalla, frowning. "Now, what?" Ryalla points her finger at Elissa, then over at Berni, "If you two can't settle this peacefully, I'll incarcerate you both in radiant tubs right through passover with the worst tasting food I can find and then...." She breaks off her diatribe as they start giggling. Ryalla motions to the medics to set them down but stand ready. Elissa wipes the blood and sweat off of her face, snickering hysterically. "What about my cheekbone, you wench?" She glances up at Ryalla, then struggles out of the medic's arms as he lets her go. "Thanks, Bruiser." She sticks out her tongue at him, then winces. "Ah damn but that hurt." Bernadette elbows the medic gently as he puts her on her feet and speaks slurrily, "About time, you oaf." She grins at Elissa. Sean leans against a wall, shaking his head. "I don't believe this." Bernadette holds a hand out to Elissa, "You know, I really didn't jump it on purpose. And I'm sorry." She's still giggling. Sean grabs his head, and doubles over. "Agk!" Ryalla looks over at Sean. "What's the matter?" Elissa grins faintly. "Never liked that bug-infested swamp anyway, the green's color is lousy." She manages a wink (or is that just her cheek swelling up?), and shakes Bernadette's hand. "How about we go get cleaned up? I'll spring for a couple of polly wines." Sean drops to one knee, still holding his head. "Head...freaking..HURTS!" Ryalla pulls out a hypo from her bag and injects a soothing pain reliever in Sean's neck. Sean shakes his head carefully, and stands against the wall again, sighing. 'Thanks.' Bernadette glances at Sean, a bit a remorse crossing her face. "Sean, I'm sorry about that...I wasn't exactly...reasonable." She's not giggling anymore. Aram says "Why did you wate till now to say that insted of befor you had broken bones and way to much blod on the karpet" Ryalla puts a hand on Sean's arm. "I want you to come to the infirmary. You might have a concussion." Lift #1 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has arrived. Sean looks at Berni, and Elissa. 'That's ok. Just my way with women on this planet, I guess.' Bernadette peers at Aram and decides to ignore him. Aram steps in with a slight nod. Aram has left. Elissa looks at the recruit and snorts, grinning, then turns to Sean. "Singers, huh? Are we just the devils?" Lift #1 leaves with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has left. Sean nods to Ryalla, and enters the lift. He waves behind his head. 'As ever ladies, a pleasure." Lift #1 arrives with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has arrived. Sean steps in with a slight nod. Sean has left. Lift #1 leaves with a soft *whoosh*. Lift #1 has left. Bernadette giggles again. Bernadette nods at Elissa. "I'll go get cleaned up. Should probably see a medic about this jaw..." Elissa chuckles and pats her swollen cheek gingerly. "Yeah, me too." ============ Ryalla agress with the Singers and orders them both to the infirmary where they trudge off to have their various wounds attended to.