─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
The two first met in Penacony. Both were in a traveling ship that was owned by the IPC, a general transportation station, though both were in it for two different reasons.
While Mari didn’t despise Aventurine of the Ten Stonehearts, she didn’t take a liking to the IPC and the shady tactics that they hid from the general public. As a Counselor and teacher at Penacony’s Paperfold University, she was knowledgeable about the history of the stars, Aeons, and plenty of different planets and the cultures they hold.
She accepted his offer to travel on the station due to the fact that they were returning to the same location. For Aventurine, there were some IPC matters on a nearby planet. For Mari, it was a visit to a neighboring planet on a work trip to expand her horizons even further.
The security was expected to be on high alert, especially for the IPC’s standards, very much so since multiple Stonehearts were aboard the station. Though that didn’t seem to mean anything to the invading Galaxy Ranger looking to blast a bounty away.
Mari heard the commotion from her room, analyzing and thinking of possible solutions to this scenario. While she was only half Halovian, the guidance of the Harmony could help her be aware of her surroundings. Enough where she knew she wouldn’t be killed due to its abilities, but that would only stay relevant if she could get out of this proximity…
For sure this ship would surely meet an end soon.
She left her room, looking in the direction of the bullets in the main room where the common bar was. IPC guards met their fate from a cyborg cowboy’s bullets.
The woman recognized the face, a bounty being held on the cowboy’s own head by the IPC, though the stereotypical sketch of what he was supposed to look like acting as a sort of catfish.
She couldn’t see him clearly, both due to his black and white hair, but also due to her distance away. The man looked massive, as if he could snap her in half. Breaking out of her thoughts… he wouldn’t shoot her right? There were no hallways leading any other direction but towards the main hall. She took a small breath, feeling adrenaline pulsing through her. Either that, or the Harmony’s guidance trying to assure her. Whatever helped her more in that moment.
“Shit…” she murmured before taking her chance, “Why do I always have to be in these situations?”
Mari dashed through, making sure she avoided any sort of projectiles from either side. She observed behind one of the many knocked over tables, noting how flexible the Ranger was.
Looking around... only doors that only led to other rooms but were surrounded. Were the windows able to be opened? Only one way to find out.
She crept over to a window, trying with her strength to pry the window open, only for nothing to come about it. With a frustrated groan, Mari was about ready to curse another breath to the Aeons watching her, but looking over her shoulder was the Galaxy Ranger bolting at her at a high speed. What was he doing? Was he about to do a last ditch resort and take her with him?! S didn’t even work for the IPC for crying out loud!!
The woman bolted out of the way, resulting in the man going through the entire wall of the station to her surprise. Was that his intention or was it similar to a bull seeing red?
She once again didn’t have time to think due to the air pressure sucking her wings out of the station, then followed by the rest of her.
Thank goodness the station wasn’t out of bounds of Penacony or things would’ve been very rougher…
The large planet and the Reverie was miles below, but plenty of feet under Mari was the Galaxy Ranger… aiming his gun past her.
She could see how precise he was with his aim, how nimble his hands were with his gun, how when the bullet went past her curls… he almost knew that there was no way he would hit her. The bullet landed in the breaker panel of the ship's driver, resulting in the entire station exploding where it flew.
The kickback was enough to throw the woman off balance, but only a little. She was skilled in using her large wings, this situation being a sort of test fall.
Getting her balance back, Mari turned her head and once again met face to face with that damn cowboy plenty of feet away. Only this time, his one hand was at his head and holding his hat to prevent it from being lost in the air while the other was reaching out to her. Was he still out for blood… or did he trust her because of her obvious wings and the fact that they would splatter on the oncoming ground if there was no stable landing?
The entire damn situation in itself scared the living hell out of her, making her heart pound faster than it did in a long time… yet the rush of flying out of the station, using her wings to keep her in the air, the bullet flying past her head with such confidence, and the significant scoped eye of the Galaxy Ranger piercing her rarely open pink ones… it got her excited…
Mari reached out, taking the man’s one hand in both of her own. He flashed her a sharp and intimidating smile.
“My lucky day. Were you a guardian angel in there or do I have to deal with you now, birdie?” his rugged voice reached her ears.
The Counselor perked up, speaking her response in order to reason with him.
“Guardian angel. I mean no harm, cowboy!” she shouted, making sure he heard her clear answer past the wind and playing into his words. He chuckled, still looking to her shiny eyes past her glasses.
“Good. Mind helping me land then? Pretty please…” he teased, squeezing her hand to solidify his request.
She sighed, looking over his shoulder and seeing there was essentially a countdown to her answer.
“I have no real choice. I'd hate for such a charmer to be flattened to a pancake.” she tried teasing back. “It’s not like you were trying to shoot me…”
Mari did give in, using a gust to move behind him and to try and wrap her arms around his torso, under his shoulders. She squeezed, wondering if he could feel her grip. She then let her wings air out, the feathers easily catching the wind and resulting in them coming to a halt midair as they found a sort of “footing.”
As the rush of adrenaline wore off, she kept her hold as they slowly but surely descended downwards towards the grand hotel.
“Whew. I'd kill to have wings like yours. Especially with all those colors.” he said lightheartedly, seeing the soft pink, browns, and whites on her multicolored wings.
“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
“Good. cause that’s what it was, little lady.” He said playfully again, tilting his head up to look at her.
“My name’s Boothill, Galaxy Ranger. Mind sharing yours so I know who I'm gonna toast to later?”
This made her crack a smile, finding his behavior so carefree despite what happened. Though she could only assume what kind of scenarios Boothill gets himself into every day.
Mari couldn’t help but be attracted to it. As if she herself was a magnet to the metals of his body.
“Mari Andromeda. Counselor at Paperfold University. Know of that place?”
A small bit of tense silence…
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
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