"It ain't so bad, shootin' down on someone is better than shootin' up, s'what I always say," noted Asher as he still held the canteen, appearing to ignore the other PFC for the moment in favor of the busted wall. He shook his canteen a bit, before staring down the bore of the drinking part. "Hmm."
He turned the canteen over Pepper's head, pouring out the contents onto her, "Your hair is on fire."
Foothold:Ch. 1, Wall.
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
Winters sighed, Flipping up her visor and fishing something out of a front pocket- a fresh blow-pop, which she thusly unwrapped and stuck in her mouth. Voice now slightly muffled by the extra object in her mouth, the Sergeant ordered her somewhat understrength squad up on the makeshift battlements. "Alright you crazy monkeys. Get up there and find a good spot to settle in. You've got about twenty minutes until dark, expect there to be an attack at any moment within the next couple of hours."
With that, the black haired CO flicked her visor back down -the stick of her hardened confection fitting nicely in the cavity- and slung her carbine at her shoulder, climbing up one of the sturdy if a bit sketchy looking ladder that had been erected to allow soldiers up the wall- near it there was also a set of stairs made from metal gratings, and several other ladders as well. She soon reached the top, and found herself a box of some sort, which she shuffled over toward a bit of a gap in the top of the wall- a feature which had been added to allow the Terrans to shoot out while exposing themselves very little- and began her vigil, Carbine pointed outward.
With that, the black haired CO flicked her visor back down -the stick of her hardened confection fitting nicely in the cavity- and slung her carbine at her shoulder, climbing up one of the sturdy if a bit sketchy looking ladder that had been erected to allow soldiers up the wall- near it there was also a set of stairs made from metal gratings, and several other ladders as well. She soon reached the top, and found herself a box of some sort, which she shuffled over toward a bit of a gap in the top of the wall- a feature which had been added to allow the Terrans to shoot out while exposing themselves very little- and began her vigil, Carbine pointed outward.
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
With a definite look of contempt, Dom looked up at the wall that he was supposed to trust his life to. Then after mumbling a few choice words, the engineer began to make his way up to the top at a painfully slow pace that seemed to show just how worried he was about breaking one of the shoddy welds. Once he finally reached the top he then began to inch his way to a spot he chose specifically for the fact that it was as close to the edge of the section as he could get. Upon settling down into his station, he then began take down mental notes about all of the flaws his section had to offer, as well as how he would fix them.
“grumblegrumble We are all going to be buried under a mound of steel the moment a lizard even thinks of firing at us. Hell, a lizard could sneeze way back there in the bushes and knock us over,†Dom complained as he focused himself on looking down the barrel of his rifle so as to try and distract himself from the mediocrity that surrounded him.
“grumblegrumble We are all going to be buried under a mound of steel the moment a lizard even thinks of firing at us. Hell, a lizard could sneeze way back there in the bushes and knock us over,†Dom complained as he focused himself on looking down the barrel of his rifle so as to try and distract himself from the mediocrity that surrounded him.
- Mr. Blackbird Lore
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 1:48 pm
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
Camilla had disliked Pepper from the moment they met, but as soon as the young girl began blathering about table games and magic phrases, Private Enos instantaneously despised her. She seemed to be intentionally vapid and spoke incessantly. As Sergeant Winters began her climb, Camilla excused herself. "I seem to have forgotten something," she informed them plainly before quickly walking away. When she returned, her helmet was tucked snugly over her skull and the Private's carbine had been slung behind her back. She was now armed with a 'Papa,' which she shouldered so as to keep one hand free for climbing.
Having surmounted the wall, she could hear Dom griping even now and 'accidentally' thwacked him in the back of the head with the heavy pulse weapon. "Sorry, Dom," Camilla apologized insincerely. "I was distracted by all the bitching." Having hopefully set the engineer straight, the HO-certified soldier positioned the PPA-PA over a crenel and waited. Thanks to the tripod she didn't have to stand there all night supporting its full forty pounds, but come combat she knew she'd be lugging it all over the place.
Having surmounted the wall, she could hear Dom griping even now and 'accidentally' thwacked him in the back of the head with the heavy pulse weapon. "Sorry, Dom," Camilla apologized insincerely. "I was distracted by all the bitching." Having hopefully set the engineer straight, the HO-certified soldier positioned the PPA-PA over a crenel and waited. Thanks to the tripod she didn't have to stand there all night supporting its full forty pounds, but come combat she knew she'd be lugging it all over the place.
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
Pepper Mills squeaked as she was ground underneath Asher's cold anger.
"That's mean Asher!" she loudly exclaimed at first, quickly quieting down to consider the ramifications of being wet. The younger redhead went over her clothing and inspected it carefully, along with her armor and other things. "Huh. Hot tropical jungle, and water being poured on clothing equals...cooler. I think I should - " Pepper fumbled around and reached for her own canteen, located on the back of her pack and difficult to reach, hence her earlier begging for water. After a bit of a struggle, she managed to wrest it out and unscrewed the cap, raising it above head level, but then stopped. She just had a Pepper Moment. Pepper put the lid back on as they walked, and scolded Asher.
"...you could have at least done that when the sun was still up. At least that would have cooled me off better - I mean, it's still hot right now, but its twenty minutes to sundown Winters said! I mean, we can take turns pouring water all over each other in the day if you'd just ask, but right now? What if I get a cold? You'd better take responsibility if that happens!"
"That's mean Asher!" she loudly exclaimed at first, quickly quieting down to consider the ramifications of being wet. The younger redhead went over her clothing and inspected it carefully, along with her armor and other things. "Huh. Hot tropical jungle, and water being poured on clothing equals...cooler. I think I should - " Pepper fumbled around and reached for her own canteen, located on the back of her pack and difficult to reach, hence her earlier begging for water. After a bit of a struggle, she managed to wrest it out and unscrewed the cap, raising it above head level, but then stopped. She just had a Pepper Moment. Pepper put the lid back on as they walked, and scolded Asher.
"...you could have at least done that when the sun was still up. At least that would have cooled me off better - I mean, it's still hot right now, but its twenty minutes to sundown Winters said! I mean, we can take turns pouring water all over each other in the day if you'd just ask, but right now? What if I get a cold? You'd better take responsibility if that happens!"
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
"Eh?" Rolf quirked a brown up in a lopsided fashion as he gave Pepper an confused look. The brawler went about to strapping his empty canteen back into place, before poking Pepper right in the left side of her chest. He poked a few times, actually, seeming to check if Pepper was real or not. "I ain't yo daddy, you're takin' care a y'on sorry ass if y'get sick, thass' tha' law a'tha jungle."
He then started his way up the wall, putting his back to her so she could not see that demonically cherry grin of his, "By the way, thass' not wata. Iss' distilled piss."
He then started his way up the wall, putting his back to her so she could not see that demonically cherry grin of his, "By the way, thass' not wata. Iss' distilled piss."
- Gwathdraug
- Posts: 281
- Joined: Fri Dec 24, 2010 9:48 am
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
As Card climbed up onto the battlements she knocked Dom on the back as she passed the engineer – a few small droplets of juice and a last piece of fruit slipping off his armour with the blow.
“Just gotta see it in the right light Priv- Dom.†Card flicked the forehead of the other marine's helmet to make sure he was paying attention instead of sulking. “Think of this as advanced field engineering – get a Drathie plugged just right in one of these holes and let 'em cool for a bit in the chill a'night and this little perch won't ever need any reinforcing.â€
“And if you find you can't shoot that well -†Card just shrugged as she walked on. “ – no worries, everyone else here has your back.â€
Saddling up to the position next to Camilla's, Card let her rifle lean against the wall and made sure her hands were clearly visible in the heavy weapons marine's vision. As she scanned the forest for any sign of advancing lizards Emma decided to see if Private Doom and Dour had anything to say for herself.
“You gonna discretely off Pepper or Dom and then just hope that the next batch of greenies – if this place ever sees another – is more to your liking? 'cause if that is plan A for the moment I really don't see Footmold here surviving this whole shindig.â€
“Just gotta see it in the right light Priv- Dom.†Card flicked the forehead of the other marine's helmet to make sure he was paying attention instead of sulking. “Think of this as advanced field engineering – get a Drathie plugged just right in one of these holes and let 'em cool for a bit in the chill a'night and this little perch won't ever need any reinforcing.â€
“And if you find you can't shoot that well -†Card just shrugged as she walked on. “ – no worries, everyone else here has your back.â€
Saddling up to the position next to Camilla's, Card let her rifle lean against the wall and made sure her hands were clearly visible in the heavy weapons marine's vision. As she scanned the forest for any sign of advancing lizards Emma decided to see if Private Doom and Dour had anything to say for herself.
“You gonna discretely off Pepper or Dom and then just hope that the next batch of greenies – if this place ever sees another – is more to your liking? 'cause if that is plan A for the moment I really don't see Footmold here surviving this whole shindig.â€
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
Dom’s apparently not so quiet complaining had been called out to the tune of a sudden blunt impact to the back of his helmet. “Ah! The Hell?!†the engineer exclaimed as his head jerked forward suddenly as Camilla made her snide remark. “Well, don’t come crying to me when you are impaled on a beam and used for the main course at a Drathonian barbeque. Camilla-kabobs, yum.â€
Then as he was settling back in he was once again bumped, only this time in a much friendlier manner by Card who proceeded to suggest other engineering methods. “Oh no, you wouldn’t want to use a body to make a wall. The decomposing flesh would,†Dom started to explain before stopping suddenly as he caught himself. “Oh, nevermind, that was a joke wasn’t it?â€
Then as he was settling back in he was once again bumped, only this time in a much friendlier manner by Card who proceeded to suggest other engineering methods. “Oh no, you wouldn’t want to use a body to make a wall. The decomposing flesh would,†Dom started to explain before stopping suddenly as he caught himself. “Oh, nevermind, that was a joke wasn’t it?â€
- Mr. Blackbird Lore
- Posts: 722
- Joined: Fri Dec 31, 2010 1:48 pm
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
Camilla despised one thing greater than griping such as Dom's and vapidity such as Pepper's: when she rolled her eyes. It was the one and only pet peeve the Foothold native had about herself. She did so twice: once when Dom made his 'kabobs' jibe and again when Card inquired as to Private Enos's hypothetical plans to murder a third of the squadron. Thankfully these embarrassing quirks were hidden from public view by the default reflective properties of her Marine standard helmet.
To Card, she answered quite plainly: "I'm not killing anyone, but it wouldn't hurt if they would act like the soldiers they're supposed to be. Even if no one informed them that Foothold is the shittiest of shitty emplacements, it should be obvious by now. Complaining is nothing but negative for morale; on a planet like this you have to fix the fixable, prepare for the inevitable and celebrate only when everything hostile is roasting on a spit. Complaining gets us nowhere...
"Same goes for running your mouth and irritating teammates," she finished, glancing briefly in Pepper's direction.
To Card, she answered quite plainly: "I'm not killing anyone, but it wouldn't hurt if they would act like the soldiers they're supposed to be. Even if no one informed them that Foothold is the shittiest of shitty emplacements, it should be obvious by now. Complaining is nothing but negative for morale; on a planet like this you have to fix the fixable, prepare for the inevitable and celebrate only when everything hostile is roasting on a spit. Complaining gets us nowhere...
"Same goes for running your mouth and irritating teammates," she finished, glancing briefly in Pepper's direction.
Re: Foothold: Chapter one.
"Alright Alright everybody, shut up for now. New Rule is no Bitching, Whining, Complaining, groaning, moaning, grumbling, mumbling, and ESPECIALLY no Griping, from now on, you got it?" Winters addressed everyone over the comms, sounding just a bit annoyed. "We're on watch now so I need all eyes outward and everyone paying attention, Or I'll have you sent to the Company CO and let him deal with you." The Sergeant adjusted her seating on the box she had found, and then popped the visor of her Helmet, letting the faceplate open, swinging it up and back to reveal an annoyed, almost dour looking face, with a lolipop stick jutting out from the corner of her mouth, bobbing up and down as she chewed on the end of it.
"Speak of the Devil..." She muttered to herself, as a shortish figure approached. She stood up, and saluted. "Attention, Lieutenant on deck!" She ordered her squad, as the aforementioned Company CO approached. Short, but not Small, the Co was a barrel-shaped man with a very round, scarred, bald head. He looked amused more that anything else, sporting a wide grin, an unlit cigar chomped between his teeth, and, notably, a MAW strapped to his back, his SUGR lazily pointed toward the floor. A scratched and Dented helmet hung at his belt, and just barely visible under a lot of carbon scarring on his chestplate was the name 'Pichols'.
"Evenin' Folks!" He greeted, quickly saluting Winters and putting the squad 'at ease' with a motion. As he addressed Winters, the cigar bounced up and down in the lieutenant's teeth. "I know you guys got tha' short end a tha stick with this here bit 'o wall, but, I figure with the big guns on either side a ya, it shouldn't be too bad. Yeh've got Gunny Capella on tha Left," He pointed to one of the large gun platforms, and another small squad, led by a woman who appeared to be about Pepper's size, "An' Sergeant Armstrong on tha Right," This time, the Lieutenant plucked the Cigar from his mouth and used it to point at an incredibly tall Sergeant and his squad that was finishing getting their gun emplacement ready.
Pichols put his Cigar back in his mouth, and lit it, puffing a few times before getting back to Winters. "If yer havin' trouble, just holler, and I'll send some boys over ta help if I can spare 'em, ya got it. Dismissed!" With that, and a bit of cigar smoke, Pichols continued his way down the wall to check on his next squad.
Winters, having payed apt attention to the Lieutenant's address, was now left coughing and waving off the cloud of smoke from the Cigar. "You heard him. We're all that's here unless shit hits the fan. Until then we've got the big guns flanking us. I suggest we put priority on keeping them working so that we don't have to worry too much about anything getting close. And remember. NO WHINING." Winters snapped her faceplate back down, and sat back down on her crate to watch the edge of the forest as it began to swiftly get darker, heading toward night. The twilight somehow made the edge of the forest seem that much more menacing.
"Speak of the Devil..." She muttered to herself, as a shortish figure approached. She stood up, and saluted. "Attention, Lieutenant on deck!" She ordered her squad, as the aforementioned Company CO approached. Short, but not Small, the Co was a barrel-shaped man with a very round, scarred, bald head. He looked amused more that anything else, sporting a wide grin, an unlit cigar chomped between his teeth, and, notably, a MAW strapped to his back, his SUGR lazily pointed toward the floor. A scratched and Dented helmet hung at his belt, and just barely visible under a lot of carbon scarring on his chestplate was the name 'Pichols'.
"Evenin' Folks!" He greeted, quickly saluting Winters and putting the squad 'at ease' with a motion. As he addressed Winters, the cigar bounced up and down in the lieutenant's teeth. "I know you guys got tha' short end a tha stick with this here bit 'o wall, but, I figure with the big guns on either side a ya, it shouldn't be too bad. Yeh've got Gunny Capella on tha Left," He pointed to one of the large gun platforms, and another small squad, led by a woman who appeared to be about Pepper's size, "An' Sergeant Armstrong on tha Right," This time, the Lieutenant plucked the Cigar from his mouth and used it to point at an incredibly tall Sergeant and his squad that was finishing getting their gun emplacement ready.
Pichols put his Cigar back in his mouth, and lit it, puffing a few times before getting back to Winters. "If yer havin' trouble, just holler, and I'll send some boys over ta help if I can spare 'em, ya got it. Dismissed!" With that, and a bit of cigar smoke, Pichols continued his way down the wall to check on his next squad.
Winters, having payed apt attention to the Lieutenant's address, was now left coughing and waving off the cloud of smoke from the Cigar. "You heard him. We're all that's here unless shit hits the fan. Until then we've got the big guns flanking us. I suggest we put priority on keeping them working so that we don't have to worry too much about anything getting close. And remember. NO WHINING." Winters snapped her faceplate back down, and sat back down on her crate to watch the edge of the forest as it began to swiftly get darker, heading toward night. The twilight somehow made the edge of the forest seem that much more menacing.