nostalgiabomb | open post;

No, thank you. This is all I have.

[ One small suitcase and a little backpack.

She approaches the open bay doors and Peter, looking at the ship with undisguised wonder. ] Sensational!

[ "Sensational," huh? He raises an eyebrow even as he smiles. ]

Thanks.

[ Best to not point out that the interior was actually kind of a mess, with "kind of" being used generously. Even with the bay doors as wide as they are, Peter still steps to one side to allow her in. ]

Name's Peter Quill, by the way. Dunno if they mentioned. [ Also probably best not to mention the fact that he has an outlaw name. His criminal record hadn't exactly come up during negotiations, which led Peter to believe they weren't aware of it, or else didn't care. He banks on the former, rather than the latter. ]

It's a pleasure to meet you, Peter Quill!

[ You said that already Penny... ] Thank you for picking me up. I'll do my very best to stay out of your way.

[ He offers a hand to her to help her step up into the Milano. ]

Hey, don't worry. We've got a ways to go, so you might as well make yourself at home.

[ She takes that offered hand, stepping up into the ship. ]

Right!

I’ve never been on a real, actual spaceship before.

I kinda get that feeling, yeah.

[ He says it with good humor; he loves his ship dearly, but the Milano is hardly the most impressive ship out there. He steps back once she's properly on board, punching the button to shut the doors behind them. Once he's sure the doors have locked, Peter nods her over to one side of the ship. ]

C'mon. I'll show you your room.

[ When the bay doors close behind them, Penny visibly hesitates, expression falling. This was it, wasn’t it? She was never going to see Ruby or anyone else ever again. God, she didn’t even know if they were okay. Or if they were even alive. ]

Right. Okay. Lead the way.

[ The change in her demeanor doesn't pass his notice; he didn't get the full story on why the kid needed transport out of here, nor did he care to ask (it wasn't his business), and while he's curious, it's not in Peter's nature to pry for information. Still, he pauses, frowning. ]

If you need a sec to yourself...

[ Penny hesitates again, eyes fixed on the bay doors. Unlike Peter, she has no sense about what is okay and what is not to ask people about, or what constitutes as “prying”, which is why she blurts out: ]

Have you ever had to leave someone behind?

[ The question catches him off-guard, and he blinks a couple of times before answering. ]

Yeah. I have.

[ The answer is straightforward enough -- nothing cagey about his response, aside from its brevity. Telling a kid about all the times he's ditched a fellow Ravager for the sake of finishing a job probably isn't particularly wise if he wants to keep his rap sheet to himself. And it's probably not what she's looking for, anyway. ]

It's never easy.

Edited 2016-02-24 22:12 (UTC)

[ She clenches her fists, the handle of her suitcase creaking with the pressure. ] I told Ruby I wanted to stay.

[ His head tilts to one side. ]

Friend of yours?

My best friend.

[ Her only friend. ]

She doesn't even know I'm okay.

And I'm guessing there's a real good reason you haven't told her.

It's... really, really complicated. I don't know how much my father told you. He's usually very secretive.

[ He huffs out a breath, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards in amusement. ]

I pretty much got a time, a date, and coordinates, so. [ He shrugs. ]

It's not my business to know more than that.

[ If it’s possible for Penny’s expression to fall even more, it does. More secrets. She’s getting tired of secrets. ]

I see. [ A beat. ]

Everyone thinks I’m dead.

[ She’s really, really tired of secrets. ]

... Huh.

I'm guessin ' there's a real good reason for that, too.

I don't know if you know about the Vytal Festival, but there's a big tournament for students from the different nations.

I um. Something went wrong.

[ he knows exactly nothing about the festival, but he doesn't say as much. ]

How wrong, exactly?

I got cut in half. Lost an arm.

[ she clears her throat, nervous and self-conscious ]

You know.

[ uh ]

One more time?

I'm... I'm not a real girl. I'm a machine.

[ a pause, then, ]

You sure you should be telling me this?

No.

But I don't want to lie anymore.

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nostalgiabomb - 2016-02-26 10:15 (UTC) - Expand