A slightly smaller Mess

Charles: I just told you. I can take a damn hit, you don't like me, so hit me.

Anne: *chuckles* You know what i mean. Tougher to fight.

Emma: yeah... it is.

Hakken: *he slams his fist into charles' stomach, then picks him up by the neck and slams him into the wall.*

Jack: "You're better than that death cult assassin, probably anyway, she got a blade in. But then she died."

Akira: "In love with a man you can't have? Know that feeling."

Anne: better than a death cult? *smile* you know how to flatter a girl.

Charles stands up and dusts himself down after that "better?"

Emma:..you do?

Jack: *returns his knife and sword to their sheathes* "well, you're not dead, so that makes you better by default." *Smiles back*

Hakken: "Not in the slightest."

Akira: "Belive it or not, but max and i were not always so harmonious."

Anne sheaths her own sword and knife "True enough" *she looks over at mute and lucy*

Charles: what's wrong? Thought you didn't like me.

Emma: really? Forgive my saying but you two seem...well, kinda perfect together.

*Stunned silence. someone just drew with jack. wat.*

Hakken: "You don't even bruise, takes the satisfaction out somewhat. a normal man'd be dead,"

Akira: *Chuckles* "Nice of you to say, but yeah, we were on opposite sides of a gun once."

Anne laughs at their expressions

Charles: alright. Hit me again.

Emma: go on,...*drink*

Hakken: "No."

Akira: "Well, to give a bit of background, we met in the underhive, after hera was taken, i managed to dig myself out from under the rubble, find my dad's medical gear, and stitch closed the hole. Then i took what was left, and went down into the underhive. Lived down there, mainly mugging people for a few years."

Lucy: "Fucking hell."

Charles: go on. one more time.

Emma: damn... sounds rough

Anne does an over the top mock bow "I'm afraid there won't be an encore ladies and gentlemen"

Hakken: *he punches him clean in the nose. very fucking hard.*

Jack: "Oh come on, don't boast to the scrubs."

Lucy: "Oy!"

jack: *Laughs loudly.*

Akira: "Not so bad, coulda been worse, lot of girls turned to other sources of income. but anyway, i met max by trying to mug him, then accidentally saving his life."

this time when he looks back, his nose is clearly broken, and bleeding

Anne laughs aswell

Emma: ....how do you accidentally save someone's life?

Hakken: "Better." *he cracks his knuckles* "You're still a prat." *turns to leave*

Akira: "Defending your mark, shooting a pair of guys, then somehow not being quite being able to bring yourself to choke the bastard out."

Jack: "They're all just jealous."

Charles: each to their own. *his nose fixes itself after hakken's left*

Emma:...oh.

Anne: I can tell *chuckles* How'd you get that good anyway? Unusual style you've got.

Akira: "I was a... am, a brutal little miss."

Jack: "Killing people, mostly. The nobles on my world were nasty pieces of work."

Emma's eyebrow raises as she drinks

Anne: I was a noble back on mine. Saw what the ancestral heirloom was *gestures to the sword* wanted to actually make use of it. Spent most of my money on armour and training, then set about going down to the underhives, cutting my way through the scum that got in my way. Parents absolutely hated me for it.

Jack: "....................................." *eyebrows through roof.* "You are quite literally the people i killed."

Akira: "Then, we got an offer, on a job, some guy saw us take out the thugs, and like that, we were a team."

Anne: Likewise. *slight side-smile* But you're better than any of them were.

Emma: and a wonderful romance blossomed *chuckles*

Jack: *dilemma is etched on his face.*

Akira: "Not quite yet, took a while/"

Anne: *eyebrow raise* something wrong, tough guy?

Emma: Fair enough.

Jack: "I didn't just go and murder nobles by the dozens for no reason."

Akira: "but, when i had started to... develop feelings for him. his family came looking for him."

Anne: you think I'd just go out there and start killing the people making other people's lives a living hell if I was like other nobles?

Emma: oh...

Jack: *he is repeatedly throwing a knife into the air, letting it spin twice, then catching it by the blade.* "You were a vigilante."

Akira: "I heard something going on outside, kicked down the door to our base of operations, and there were two servo skulls with mounted guns, and some mercenary."

Anne: yep. That I was.

Emma:...oh.

Jack: "Well, we have something in common, just in opposite directions." *catches the knife.*

Akira: "His father gave some long ass spiel through the servo skulls, family, honour, all that. Then threatened to kill the whole gang if max didn't go home."

Anne: guess so.

Emma: damn...what did you do?

Jack: "well, i guess you aren't a noble of that sort. *smiles* no need to sleep with one eye open"

Akira: "Blew the skulls to scrap with a shotgun, then tried to talk to max. His dad made him order the merc to kill kerak."

Max: *Leans against the wall*

"What she means is I ordered the merc to shoot Kerak, and executed the bastard merc when he went nuts. That's when Akira took out the skull."

Anne: Glad to hear it *chuckles*

Emma: then what?

Akira: "I told max... to go kill himself. then saved kerak..." *Looks at max regretfully.*

Jack: *Slides the knife into a sheath in his chest rig.* "After we go deal with this nonsense the inquisitors are sending us at, we can spar again."

Max: "I...ran and then got captured by a bunch of cultists"

emma be silent

Anne: deal.

Max: Akira saved me

Akira: "I couldn't just let you walk off like that..."
Jack: "keep a kill count, i need someone to compete against."

Max: I made up for it in the end, made sure that Kerak got the best possible treatment and augments

Anne: you killed any astartes yet?

Emma's just listening

Max: But yeah...turns out Akira and I share a psychic link of sorts

jack: "Nah, that crazy fucker who's pals with your inquisitor gutted 'em all before i could get there."

Akira: "Of sorts. Enough to tell you to sit still and wait for me to come."

Max: Basically

Anne: lets count that as ten then shall we? *chuckles*

Emma nods and drinks

Akira: "yeah... basically."

jack: "five, ten for a sergeant."

Emma: right...wow

Anne: how many for a dark apostle?

jack: "I don't suppose we'll see one."

Akira: "yeah... Then, we went and killed his father for that."

Anne: What do you think I killed? *grin* Was heading a chaos cult in my world's underground, trying to cause an uprising and summon some other chaotic forces. I took his head before he could.

Emma: oh...damn

Jack: "Well, lets say 20 for one of those. and a hundred if you get a commander."

Akira: "That and other reasons."

Max:...They used to torture me

Anne: deal.

Emma: they...what?

Akira: *just stares at the wall, the ice in her drink clinking against the glass as her hand shakes in fury.*

Jack: "How much longer till we reenter realspace do you think?

Emma:...*puts a hand on akira's shoulder*

Anne: less than a day.

Max: "Yeah..." *Slightly depressed sigh* "but that's a story for another time I think"