An Inauspicious Beginning: Part 4

A few scattered people still occupy stretches of sand, but it seems like most are packing it up for the day, being as it's edging on towards sunset. One silver-haired human woman, however, sits quite contently on a blanket further up the beach, picking idly at the strings of a guitar.

Larin appears at the edge of the beach, his emerald gaze giving the ocean ahead a good long stare. As usual his hands are tucked into the pockets of his windbreaker. His face is lacking its usual good-natured smirk and seems to favor contemplation.

Arizhel doesn't notice Larin, and in fact doesn't seem to notice most of the people around her. She continues playing, and begins singing as well, softly enough that the words don't carry far over the sounds of the birds and the surf.

The ocean holds Larin's attention for a short while more before he lets loose a quiet sigh and lowers his eyes to scan over the nearly deserted beach. The silver-haired woman with the guitar isn't hard to spot and slowly his boots begin moving across the sand.

As the distance closes, her voice becomes more audible, a rich contralto that would probably have been heard the whole way down the beach, if not for the fact that she was actually singing to herself. It also becomes readily apparent that she's not singing in Standard. If Rish notices the soft footsteps through the sand, she doesn't make any sign.

As the Lunite draws closer and hears the singing, he lets a light smile replace the contemplative look that was over his face. In fact, as he listens to the song he starts with his own whistled rendition. He stops right near her towel, and sinks into a crouch, watching the ocean and listening to the song.

The whistling seems to go unnoticed, but as the sand right beside the silver-haired songbird shifts, the music trails off. She damps the strings with one hand and looks over, dark eyes blinking owlishly. "Oh, hey. You snuck up on me. I think I'm just easy to sneak up on or something..." She chuckles, and shifts her gaze out over the water. "I take it you got my message then?"

"I did.", Larin responds simply, his gaze out on the sea for a bit longer. Remaining in his balanced crouch he turns his gaze back towards Rish, perhaps hoping to catch her own. "You've a beautiful voice, you know."

"So I've been told," Rish retorts, a faintly mischeivous smile on her face as she shifts her gaze over to the Lunite again. "Mmh, figured I could use a day to just sit and contemplate the nature of the universe. It's kinda nice, actually. I feel... cooped up sometimes, even on a ship as large as the Masque."

Larin offers a sympathetic nod. "I'm happy to be off the Haste mostly. Talk about a bit cramped.", Larin remarks with a smirk. He continues to look directly at her. "If you wanted quiet contemplation you probably shouldn't have told me where you were." A quick wink at that.

Arizhel chuckles softly, quirking a brow. "I never said quiet contemplation. My idea of contemplation is playing, singing, composing... whatever I feel like that day." She tilts her head to the side then. "Hrm. You know, it -does- look like a pretty small ship. The Haste, I mean. I think I'd go nuts on board..." The end of the sentence trails off, punctuated by a slight shudder.

"The Boss lets me out and about as you can see.", Larin remarks with a quick smirk. He looks down to the towel for any spare space there might be for a moment but decides against trying to share just yet. He remains in his crouch and continues to talk. "I always wanted to learn how to play the strings ... One of my friends back at our precinct was supposed to teach me the Violin but he got the full-honors burial the next week after some punk kid got him in the throat with a 'zipper'." The last statement seems to darken his mood considerably.

Arizhel and Larin are further up the beach. She sits on a blanket, and has a guitar in hand, and he crouches nearby. The silver-haired woman looks up at the Lunite, her brow furrowed. "I... I'm sorry. Heh... a spot of claustrophobia pales in comparison to things like that, I suppose." She shrugs vaguely, her fingers playing across the strings in a light, jazzy riff. "I could always teach you. I play the violin and the piano as well."

"It's nice of you to offer but I don't know how good I would be at it or even how much time I have for that matter.", Larin remarks, picking up a bit of sand and letting it fall through his fingers. "So did you want to talk about something or ..."

Karlan stands behind Arizhel and Larin on the beach, one eyebrow cocked, after striding over the beach with his usual deliberate, silent motion. "Hello, Rish," he says with a vaguely bemused voice. "Having fun?"

"Anyone can play with a little practice, though guitar is easier to learn," Rish says, shrugging. "Anyway, I just wanted to see-" She's interrupted at that point by Karlan, her dark eyes going wide with surprise as she looks way, way up at the Timonae. "Uh... Karlan... hi..."

Though he doesn't notice the approaching Timonae, his body tenses slightly and his crouch drops just a little as if preparing to spring into action lest the source of the voice be unfriendly. He turns slightly and stands as he realizes who it is. He dusts off his pants and offers a simple nod, arms crossing over his chest. "Hello."

Arizhel lays her forehead down on the guitar for a moment, and heaves a sigh. "Ah... well... it's kind of complicated..." She shoots a brief, helpless glance at Larin before she shifts her eyes over to Karlan, her brows knitting together. "I guess I should start by asking how you feel about this. Us, I mean."

In the distance, a speck with white sails can be seen floating serenly toward the beach. A boat on the ocean. How quaint. The beach has the appropriate amount of people on it. Enough to be noticed as occupied, but not crowded.

Larin continues to stand, his arms crossed over his chest as Rish and the Timonae speak with each other. He gives them an impassive glance for the moment before turning out to look at the sea. His eyes follow the new object of interest momentarily before flitting back to the pair.

Karlan shrugs, tilting his head. "I don't know if I quite understand you, Rish. By 'us,' do you mean me, Larin, and you? Or which two out of the three? I'm not quite sure about me and you, to tell you the truth. We're both outsiders, in a way," he muses, looking over the sea, and mantaining a neutral, calm face.

The silver-haired woman's expression is somewhat pained, and she bites nervously at her lip. "Did Jens tell you?" Rish inquires of the Timonae, her eyes dropping to the sand.

The boat continues its lazy approach, coming into greater detail, as distant became not so distant.

Apricrot and Peaches, a tall Vollistan glides into the beach, a towel folded over it's arm, obviously in a good mood. Just another face on the beach of La Terre, really.

A light frown works it way onto his face as he notices Rish's pained expression. There might be even a bit of guilt there but again his attention is drawn to the new arrival of a Vollistan. He tracks it across the sand if only for the fact it provides a distraction from the trainwreck at hand.

Karlan nods, still offering Arizhel a thin-lipped expression of calm. "He did. He was concerned, more for you than for me, I think. But don't worry. You know I can't be angry at you over this, Rish. It's not really part of my nature," he finishes, sighing.

Arizhel nods, her gaze still firmly on the sand. "I... I don't know what it is, Karlan. Maybe I'm just getting older, and starting to think about settling down. Or maybe it's the opposite. I don't know. I'm really confused right now." She closes her eyes and sets her forehead down on the guitar again. "It's not that I don't care about you, and it's not that I'd give up our time together for anything in the world... I just... dammit, I don't know -what- it is," the woman finishes vehemently, her right hand clenching into a fist. "I wish I did."

Actully, alot of silverhaired people about on La Terre's beaches today, if one cared to look. Rish, Karlan, the newly arrived Vol who offers the trio a smile, a gaggle of Timonese passing a bottle between them. Yep, lot's of silver.

The boat, hanging just outside the shallows of the beach, comes to a sharp halt, sails pulling in. Odd? Well, that's up for everyone else to decide.

Larin shifts his gaze as he can't help but overhear what Karlan says. He purses his lips slightly but neglects to comment. His arms uncross themselves and get stuffed deep into his windbreaker's pockets as he waits for whatever is to come next. The sudden stop of the passing sailboat that had earlier caught his attention, however, is certainly enough to catch his interest.

Karlan smiles warmly at Arizhel and nods, patting her back. "I understand. It's alright. You're young, and if you need some time to decide what to do, I have plenty of time. I won't even force you to make any choices." He shrugs.

"Young? I'm nearly thirty," Rish replies bitterly, shaking her head. "A third of my life, gone. That's just it. That's what pisses me off about being so confused. I don't -have- time to waste on being confused." She sighs, looking up at the Timonae. "I just... I don't know. It's so hard to let you in, when I know it can't ever be forever. No chance at all. Forever to me is half of your life. I didn't think it bugged me at all, but... it apparently does."

The Vollistan turns back to the sea, staring out to the sparkling water, aura turning a curious shade of black. His eyes go wide for a moment, then reeling backwards, collapses on his back. Standing out in sharp clarity in his white robes, magneta blood. No sound of gunfire, no crazy charging lunatic with an assault rifle. Just standing one moment, on his back the next.

Larin is watching the boat for a moment before he scans across the beach towel where Rish and Karlan are located. He pauses for a moment, watching Rish mostly, before he continues his scan upwards towards the beach looking to track the progress of the Vollistan and time...just to see the Vollistan fall to the ground. Protect and serve. Larin cocks a curious brow before he notices the black aura and the sudden magenta over the white robe. Protect and serve. Larin dashes up the beach in the direction of the Vollistan, the two on the towel temporarily forgotten. Upon approach he takes a knee to check on the Vollistan's condition, a muttered curse coming out of his lips as he notes all the blood.

Karlan shrugs, looking at Rish through vague uncertainty. "If you think you couldn't live with it, I'll understand."

Arizhel sighs, placing her guitar into its case and snapping the lid shut. "Dammit, this would be easier if you at least had -some- kind of feelings about it, you know," she says, her tremulous voice threatening tears. She never finishes the thought, however, as she's distracted by the muffled thump in the sand, and the muttered curse from the Lunite. Her gaze goes up the beach, dark eyes going wide with surprise. "What the hell...?"

Protect and Serve. Cherish the blood of all creatures, low and small. Not a bad goal, really, but the Vollistan's life is already slowly draining away. The gaggle of Timonae look over in confusion, one lifting the bottle to his lips, then.. SHATTER! The container burst into glittering fragments, and he falls back, grabbing at his neck. Protect and Serve them. A pause, then a collection of high shrieks and yells. A human female swoops up a young boy, fleeing back toward safety of town. The Timonae all rise up, one dropping just as he stands, falling just like the Vollistan before him. Protect and Serve, man.

The sailboat continues to float serenly, just outside the shallow.

"I'm sorry. I just understand what you're going through, and don't mind if it means-" Karlan looks up, mouth open, head cocked to the side, eyes bulging.

Gunshot wounds are a familliar sight to someone who was a member of Sparta's finest for ten years, all the same it was never Larin who was treating them. His hands search around to find a pulse but who the hell knows where that is on a glowing lightbulb? He apparently chooses the neck area while unzipping his windbreaker to use in an attempt to ... shit! More screaming. His eyes widen as he sees another one fall, this time a Timonae. He scrambles up as it is too late for the Vollistan his eyes sending a betrayed glance back at the boat that arrived prior to the bedlam. 2+2=4. "Get off the beach!", the Lunite yells, reaching for the back band of his pants underneath his windbreaker from which he liberates a compact box with a barrel. He runs back towards the two with the small object in hand.

Karlan raises an eyebrow and stands up with a start, taking Arizhel's hand and pulling her up. "Rish, come. We'll talk about this elsewhere." He peers around himself, taking a somewhat hunched posture.

"What...? Oh, shit," is Rish's uncharacteristic response, her eyes darting about to take in the extent of the mayhem. Her expression pales, and she looks back at Karlan momentarily, nodding before she moves. With little hesitation, she gets to her feet, sweeping the guitar case and the blanket up before running up the beach towards town.

Hey, people were already doing that! Good suggestion though! Arizhel moves just in time, as a bullet impacts onto the sand where her had posterior had claimed seconds before, kicking up some dirt.

As the sand spurts up where Rish and Karlan had just been sitting, Larin snarls bringing what is now apparent to be a pulse pistol up to bear on the boat. Hey its a longshot but perhaps he might provide just long enough of a distraction for people to get off the beach or get lucky. Who expects the beach to shoot back anyway?

Karlan sprints away from the beach, deliberately moving after Arizhel, looking behind him as he runs off.

Tchew! Hisssss. The distance is frankly too much, the energy bolt losing cohension long before it can get to the ship, the energy sustaining it running out and disappating. Karlan does his duty as a man. Protect his girl. Too bad he gets shot for it. A bullet pierces through his right leg, taking all the strength out of the limb.

Larin triggers another seemingly futile blast at the boat before he sees the Timonae take the shot. Still scowling he throws the useless weapon away and runs back up the reach trying to reach Rish and her fallen comrade. Should he make it before getting shot he'll be attempting to help the much larger Timonae along with the rest of his group follow his wonderful advice. Protect and serve and all that lot.

Click, pah? Bzzt. Oh, shit, your pistol sounds screwed up. Better check the energy pack when you get home, Larin.

Karlan falls down to the floor without a sound, crashing silently onto the warm sand. Through the haze of the bleeding, he starts to drag himself over the sand rapidly, panting, looking up at Arizhel. "Run," he shrieks, dragging a trail of blood on the sand behind him.

Arizhel gives a little muffled shriek as a bullet hits the sand right behind her, and continues to run, muttering under her breath. She looks back over her shoulder at the edge of the beach, eyes resting on the Lunite. "Larin, let's get the hell out of here!" Karlan getting shot, however, dispels that thought immediately. "Oh God, no..." She looks back at Larin, now running towards her and the Timonae, and seems torn for a moment before discretion wins out over valor. She runs indeed, pelting toward town as fast as she can.

If one listened for but a moment, the sounds of someone crying softly can be heard, coming from nearby. In fact, it seems like the sounds are coming from underneath the wooden boardwalk, an observation supported by the fact that nobody in sight seems to be doing such a thing. For the most part, Malibu Way appears to be empty and quiet, any other survivors of the incident at the beach probably having left already, and with good reason.

Enter one pissed off Lunite and one equally-if-not-more-so pissed off and wounded Timonae. The Lunite is helping the other along who is now fitted with a makeshift tourniquet. Larin for one doesn't appear to be notice the crying at the moment, seeking to get Karlan to the hospital lest he lose anymore blood.

Folowing, or rather being dragged by Larin, Karlan stops and pants for a while, clutching his wounded leg and panting. "Where's... Oh, she must've gone to the ship already. Call..." He stops talking and grimaces. "Call for help, or something."

The flashing lights, yellow and red here on La Terre, of emergency medical aid vehicle approaches at a hurried pace. A hovercopter, the whole one unit that the LTDF civil department owns, has flown overhead by now after the sailboat. A few rugged jeeps are also on an approach route, emblazoned with the LTDF's star.

The Lunite nods, cursing himself for not thinking all that much in the heat of the moment. For now he stops dragging the Timonae and reaches up to the commlink in his jacket. He stops in midmotion as the hovercopter blows past them and help arrives on the scene. He stands up and waves his arms towards the emergency units. "Over here! Got a wounded civilian over here!", Larin shouts. It doesn't cross his mind that he for all intents and purposes is a civillian as well.

Still, the sounds of someone crying underneath the boardwalk can be heard, even if they go unnoticed. It doesn't seem like whoever's doing the crying really cares at this point whether or not they're heard.

Karlan breathes a slight sigh of relief and sits up slowly, looking at the vehicle. "Tell Rish I'm alright. I should be back into shape before long. Good thing it went clean through my leg. At least the bastard's using coated ammo."

The ambulance rolls to a stop, a pair of men in gray uniforms stepping off, then heading toward Larin and Karlan. The jeeps likewise halt, armed man opening and slamming doors, heading to the beach. One man, obviously the leader, tromps toward the pair but stops, Arizhel's crying drawing his attention about for a second. "Check under the boardwalk. Might be another wounded." His escort nods, and goes to do just that. "Ok, you two, what all did ya see?"

"I'll find her.", Larin responds with a nod, giving the Timonae man a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I'm sorry.", Larin murmurs, with a sigh. However now isn't the time for guilt. Protect and serve. "There's at least two others on the beach. I think one is dead.", Larin remarks to the men. He clears his throat. "A white sailboat stopped about 200 meters off shore. Then people started dropping left and right. Lots of screaming. That sonuvabitch must have been using a high velocity rifle or had it surpressed. I didn't hear any of the shots." He looks to Karlan, "He needs to get to the fucking hospital, not answer questions."

Arizhel flinches visibly at the nearby footsteps, and looks up at the man he approaches her. It takes her a moment to register the uniform, the bearing, and she sighs, shaking her head. "I'm... I'm okay. I think. I didn't get shot, in any case..." She trails off, amid a fresh torrent of tears.

"What I saw? What I bloody saw? I saw my leg turning to mush, that's what I saw," Karlan snaps. "Looked like a sniper to me. Felt like it, too. Started shooting from a sailboat."

"I know, ma'm." The soldier says, moving to assist the woman. "Let us get ya to the hospital anyway. Least we can do."

The gruff soldier looks to Karlan, then to Larin, then waves for the EMTs. They, together, move to place Karlan on a stretcher, and the copper grumps at Karlan's rant before turning back to Larin. "Doesn't look to bad. Melissa's place has decent equipment, he should be better in no time."

"Yeah well. Tell that to him.", Larin snaps before he winces. "Yeah yeah. Sorry. I know. Just doing your job and all." He looks around with a frown. He produces some identification knowing the drill, holding it out for the man to inspect before replacing. "Larin Weyr. I'm a passenger onboard the Masquerade if you need me for any furthering questioning ... but I need to find someone. Am I free to go?". He looks pissed, concerned, and guilty all at the same time.

Arizhel nods mechanically and pulls herself to her feet with his assistance. "Eh... dropped my stuff a ways back. Guitar's the only important thing... just have em take it back to the Masquerade if someone finds it, I guess..." she murmurs, halfway to herself, as she ducks out from under the boardwalk. She's covered in sand, her hair is plastered to her face, and she clings desperately to the soldier's arm.

Karlan pants and lies back on the street, holding his leg. "Yeah, go on, take your time. It's not like I'm dying or anything."

"I understand, ma'm." The soldier says, "Do you have a name? May need to talk with you at a later date about this incident."

The burly soldier nods his head, taking the indentification card. "We'll pull hospital records on your Timonae friend."

Finally, Karlan is lifted up on his stretcher, and between the two medical personnel, he's getting a free carry toward their fancy vehicle with flashy lights.

"Rish... er... Arizhel Velasquez," Rish replies, still following the soldier along. Her eyes remain firmly fixed on the sand in front of her. After a few moments, she adds, as an afterthought, "I work on the Masquerade. Tend bar. Dunno why anyone would want to shoot me..." Yeah, she's so crying again.

Karlan lies back and just lets himself go somewhere between consciousness and passing out while he's carried away.

Larin nods towards the burly soldiers. "Catch the fucker, ay?", Larin quips darkly before he walks off shaking his head. He catches sight of Rish and moves towards her, his pace quickening into a near jog. "Damnit Rish. There you are. Are you alright?", Larin practically gushes, his tone dropping from anger to outright concern. He looks quite ready to snag her from the soldier.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Velasquez." The soldier says, "Now, climb aboard the Ambulance, and we'll get you somewhere nice and comfortable, ok?" He pats the hand, tugs free, leaving the woman in Larin's hands.

The commander just shakes his head at Larin's statement, rambling off to go do, like, stuff.

Arizhel nods mutely, hands falling to her sides as the soldier pulls his arm free. She looks up at Larin then, and shakes her head. "No... no, I'm not okay. Someone just fucking shot at a bunch of people, myself included, and I don't know -why-." Her voice rises throughout the statement, the last bit bordering on hysterics. She draws a tremulous sigh, fighting the urge to cry again, and looks down at the sand. "I'm sorry... maybe they're right, and I should go to the hospital..."

Larin moves to embrace Rish in some attempt to comfort her. A deep frown rests over his lips. "No. No. Don't worry about it. Stupid question to ask.", Larin consoles. He takes a step back to look at Rish for a moment, his hand coming up to wipe away at any tears. "You weren't hit though. Thank God. I ... I shouldn't have just took off on you two ... I uhm ... I'm sorry." His voice is just dripping with guilt and fear as he moves once again to take her up in a reassuring embrace. "Let's get you outta here. Hospital ... wherever. Anywhere but here. Karlan is fine. He was smiling and everything when they packed him into the ambulance. Laughed it off and everything." A little white lie ... okay a big white lie.

"I don't believe you," the silver-haired women replies, nonetheless doing nothing to resist Larin's embrace. "Think 'm just gonna go back to the ship, though. Let em pay attention to people who're really hurt... I just need a drink...Y'think they'll let me visit Karlan later, after they take care of him?"

Larin sighs lightly as his attempts to console her are in vain. He puts his arm around her shoulder to hold her close and guide her back towards Blades Boulevard and then the ship. "Of course they will.", Larin replies, giving her arm a squeeze. "I'm so sorry this happened. I should have seen the boat ... it was just stopping there and I was too busy worrying what you two were saying and ... then people got shot." His voice is grave and entirely self-deprecating. "I'm /so/ sorry."

"D'ya think they'll let us see Karlan?" she inquires again, still not looking up from the ground, not even embracing Larin. She just walks along beside him, her stance wooden. "S'not your fault. S'my fault. I ran away..." She trails off, her shoulders shaking faintly in a new bout of crying. ooc Damn bf was talking to me on the cell phone while driving. That drives me

It doesn't appear to bother Larin that Rish isn't embracing him. In fact, he doesn't appear to expect it. He's doing his part as a friend right now. "Hush, Rish. Hush. They'll let us see him.", Larin attempts to console. "Please don't cry. You had to run. There was nothing you could do. Karlan was running right with you and there was no way you could have helped him. /I/ could barely help him along. Please just hush." He stops their stride for a moment to gently turn her face towards him so that he might wipe away a few more tears.

"Cuddidout," she protests, making a vague effort at brushing Larin's hand away before giving up on the half-hearted gesture. "God, why do people do things like this? Why today? Why here?" Rish shakes her head, freeing silvery strands that were plastered to her forehead. "I never ever thought someone would want to -kill- me..." Her face may be turned towards the Lunite, but her eyes most definitely are not. They still stare resolutely at the sand. Well, at least she's not crying anymore, at least for now.

Larin lowers his hands inspite of the gesture being half-hearted. He tries his best not to look hurt, relying on a bit of his anger before to mask it but it most likely isn't enough. All the same he works his jaw to come up with an answer. "I ... I don't know. Just some pyscho on a boat. Nobody wants to kill /you/. Its just the sickos in the Verse ... the sort we used to put behind bars. All he saw was some pretty girl with silv-". He pauses. "Karlan and the Vollistan. They had silver hair too." Now he is playing a little less emotional support and detective as he considers the motive. He was in homicide after all. A little while later he just shakes his head. "I don't know. They'll catch him...they had better catch him lest I get my hands on him."

"Think m'gonna dye my hair back then," she replies with a sigh. "Instead of waiting for it to wash out." Rish looks up at Larin then, perhaps hearing the hurt in his voice, perhaps just finally getting the courage to look at something besides sand. "I'm sorry. I know you're just trying to help. I just... ooh, if I would have picked somewhere different to hang out today, this never would have happened. No, wait, that's stupid. It would have happened, but it would have been less tragic to me personally because we wouldn't have been here. I'm so selfish sometimes..." Rish bites down hard on her lower lip.

"It's a common thing. We used to call it survivor's guilt.", Larin remarks, risking another pat on the arm before withdrawing it quick enough. He just shakes his head. "People are so fucking ignorant. Just pyscho.", Larin growls, his fists clenching slightly. He then deflates just a bit as he realizes his audience. "What a mess ... all of this. Just the whole lot. I'm sorry for dragging you onto this sinking ship. I should have never ... but no you're right. Things happen and then we deal with them." It's his turn to look down at the ground.

Arizhel shakes her head, leaning forward in an attempt to meet his gaze. "I made the first move, remember?" she inquires softly, a wistful expression on her face. She sighs after a moment and stops trying to catch his eye, instead stepping closer and leaning her forehead down against the Lunite's shoulder. She stands there in silence for a few moments, then comments further. "Besides, that had nothing to do with... this. You couldn't have known. Neither could I, I guess..."

Larin's hand comes up to run through the silver hair that had quite nearly gotten Rish shot or worse. He emits a light sigh. "The worst part. I know I would have not resisted and done it again." He pauses, his voice dropping into a murmur. "I was so worried about you but then I run off and start helping strangers when I should have been around helping you two. I ... understand if this changes things." A tight frown at that.

"Huh?" is Rish's only response at first as she looks up, meeting his eyes with a confused expression on her face. "What... what would make you think that? You went to check on the first person that got shot, then things just went south really fast from there. Hell," she says, the faintest ghost of a smile on her lips, "You helped Karlan off the beach. That... says a lot for you, Larin. It really does."

"Well its what I was supposed to do...I mean I couldn't just leave anyone there. I don't know if I would have ran over to check on the Vollistan if I knew it was shoothing but...", Larin stammers out humbly. He shakes his head slightly, biting at his lip. "Karlan tried to get you off the beach and got shot for it. That shows who was off playing hero." Though he's still being self-deprecating, his emerald eyes remain fixed on Rish's face.

Arizhel just looks for a long moment before sighing. "You say it like it's a bad thing," she says, shrugging faintly. "For all we know, the reason neither of us got shot at again was that you started shooting back. At least you -did- something." Her eyes narrow, and she drops her gaze, glowering at the sand. "Me, I'm just utterly useless. Run away at the first opportunity. Left Karlan behind, even. I don't deserve a man like that. Don't deserve anyone, now that I think about it."

"What I did was stupid.", Larin replies in a soft tone. He shakes his head slightly, his hands reaching out to both her arms. "You saw me coming up the beach. It's alright. You should have ran. You were a target and you would have probally put Karlan in more danger if you stayed behind. Two silver-haired targets is better than one right? It isn't your fault. It's the pyscho with the gun who pulled the trigger." With just a slight bit of guilt he leans in to give her a quick peck on the cheek. "Hush. You deserve alot. You deserve not to be shot at or have to worry about dragging a wounded friend from the beach. Life isn't fair right? I deserved to get one right in the face."

"I... wait, what makes you say that?" Arizhel asks, head tilting slightly to the side. "Stars above, this just turned into a very very ugly mess. I don't even know where to begin in thinking about it..." After a moment, she shakes her head, sighs, and leans closer again, murmuring, "I don't wanna think about it right now anyway..." The silver-haired bartendress buries her face into the Lunite's neck, her arms going around his waist.

"It's in the past. Let's not think about things ... it hurts too much", is all Larin murmurs to Rish. He accepts the embrace slowly, his hands finding their place at the small of her back. The Lunite male is still breathing a little heavily from the whole ordeal and doesn't smell like flowers but all the same he seems content to just stand there and hold here lest she suddenly disappear.

"Sorry I hid," Rish offers, still clinging to Larin. "I probably worried you guys. I just... I'm a coward, I guess. He told me to run so... so I did. I should have just gone back to the ship, but I couldn't..." She sniffles, reaching up with one hand long enough to scrub at her face with the back of it.

Larin continues to allow the clinging and nurtures it with a few strokes. "You needed a place to think ... somewhere safe.", Larin murmurs. "I can understand that. If I was worried it's just because ... I care a great deal about you." A weak smile at that but a smile all the same.

"It's so strange," Rish replies, pulling back slightly to look at him. "We've only just met a few days ago and yet..." She trails off, biting at her lower lip again. "I thought you were going to get shot, making yourself a target like that. I dunno... I don't even know if I hesitated cause of Karlan, or cause of you. Before he got shot, I mean..." Her brow furrows and her eyes close, her expression frustrated as she looks again at the sand at her feet.  Icarus has connected.

"I wish I had answers. I really do.", Larin murmurs. He then emits a sigh looking around the deserted section of the street they are on. "Things probally would have been easier for you if I'd never had showed up."  Amanda has connected.

Arizhel looks up at him again and shrugs. "Maybe. You did, though, and we'll never know now, hm?" Her expression softens and she manages a faint smile. "But then, who's to say that it wouldn't have been someone else? There's really no way. I dunno... I still have things to talk about with Karlan, but he... God, he's so passive about the whole thing. I don't know what to make of it..."

Larin sighs just a bit more and nods his head. "Let's get back to the ship.", Larin suggests. "I could really use a drink right about now."

"Yeah... I... I think I'm going to see if we have anyone that can cover my shift," Rish says, shaking her head. "I don't think I could pour a soda right now without dropping the glass." She reluctantly slips her hands from about his waist, and turns away to head back toward the landing pad.

The number of people in the Harlequin is about right for this time of day, picking up from a slow afternoon and heading in to the dinner hours. Behind the bar is Jens, currently occupied in conversation with Arizhel, who is sitting at a stool across from him.

Larin eventually makes his way into the Harlequin having indulged in a sonic shower and some general down time. He still looks exhausted but he certainly smells better than he did before. He walks up to the bar and practically collapses onto the stool next to Rish.

Arizhel still looks, in a word, like hell. No shower or change for her, just a couple of Double Helixes from the looks of things. She sighs and puts her head down on the counter for a moment before looking up at Jens again. "Thanks, hon. Really. I'm sorry... I don't think I could handle working this evening." The bartender shakes his head at her, his expression concerned. "Rish, you got -shot at-. Take care of yourself. I'll cover for you tonight. Today was slow anyway." The silver-haired bartendress shifts her gaze over to Larin then, reaching over to ruffle his ruddy locks affectionately. "You smell better now," she says, chuckling faintly.

Larin smirks a bit at Arizhel. "Well I'm happy that someone noticed ...", Larin begins before he thinks again. "... then again I don't know now." He just chuckles lightly. "Jens. I'd love one or three of those.", Larin remarks pointing to the drinks. "That way I can smell better /and/ be in a slightly better mood."

Arizhel downs the latest of the drinks, setting the glass on the table beside the other ones. "That makes three for me," she says, smirking. "I've almost got this afternoon out of my head now. Almost. Might take a couple more, though... God, what a day..." Jens nods sympathetically, obliging them both by starting the preparations on two drinks. "I'll make one at a time for you if that's okay, Mr. Weyr," he says. "They get weird if you leave them sit for too long."

Larin is sitting at the bar with a frown on his face. He is waiting while Jens gets him a drink ready while Rish is downing her own. "Yeah. That's fine.", Larin remarks to Jens. He drums his fingers nervously along the bar. "I suspect he'll be up for visitors a bit later this evening.", Larin remarks looking beat as hell.

Martine comes storming into the restaurant. Well, maybe storm isn't the right word, since she's obviously controlling herself very tightly, to avoid an impending explosion. She stops at the bar, and glances over at Rish and Larin. "Are you both all right?" She inquires, in a voice tense with fury.

"I hope so," Rish replies, sighing. "God..." She looks up, blinking at Martine's entrance. The bartendress' eyes are rimmed with red, hinting at a good bit of crying in the recent past. "Ah... yeah. I think. I will be. I didn't get hit... barely. Karlan, though..." She sighs, shaking her head.

Larin turns about in his seat, his windbreaker is still covered in a good deal of sand and he looks, of course, worse for the wear. "I'm fine. Karlan took a hit to the leg but ... he'll be fine. He had good color and I saw him onto the ambulance.", Larin explains. "I uh ... I'm sorry Captain. The boat ... I should have seen. I should have gotten them off the beach sooner." He bites his lip slightly.

"One does not anticipate these things." Lydia says in a low voice, then shakes her head. "Take your drinks, we're going downstairs to discuss what happened. I don't want this conversation going on up here. Do either of you need to eat?"

"Dammit, stop that, Larin Weyr," Rish says, swatting irritably at the Lunite's arm. "It's not your fault, any more than it was mine..." She trails off at Martine's comment, nodding. The two drinks are set on the counter, and the bartendress picks both of them up, seemingly by reflex. "I don't think I could eat if I tried, even though I know I should. I just... ugh."

"If I'd have just been able to get the shot right...", Larin continues before cutting himself short and nodding his agreement. He plucks up his drink and moves to stand. "I'm not especially hungry."

Martine turns on her heel and stalks towards the exit, expecting to be followed. She pauses for a brief moment to speak with a waitress near the door, then sends the girl on her way with a flick of her fingers.

Arizhel walks into the crew quarters shortly after Martine, following the captain. She risks a brief glance over her shoulder at Larin, but doesn't speak a word yet.

Larin carries his drink with him, his lips sealed the whole while he follows after the Captain. He gives the crew quarters a light perusing glance before he continues on his path. When Rish looks back at him his emeralds are right there to stare back at her.

"Find a seat. Both of you." Lydia says, pointing at the couch. She takes on of the chairs from the bar table, herself, and perches on it, hands on her knees. Her expression is still very tightly controlled, but her hands are white-knuckled.

Arizhel nods mutely, making her way over to one of the couches, perching uneasily on the edge of the cushion. She sips at the drink and looks at the captain expectantly, her expression worried.

Larin takes a seat next to Rish on the couch, his face taking on the blank professional expression he normally saves for business. He indulges a quick sip of his drink before he holds it in front of him, sitting on the edge of the couch and waiting for whatever talk there is to be.

"I am glad that you are both all right, and that Karlan will be fine." Lydia says slowly, then nods her head. "I will be sure to provide all three of you with the opportunity to speak with a professional about what you've seen. If you need to leave for a while, I'll understand." This is added towards Rish more than Larin. "I need both of you to tell me what happened, according to you, in as detailed a manner possible."

Arizhel shakes her head, ending up having to brush her hair out of her face. "Jens said he'd cover for me tonight... we'd originally switched shifts so I could spend the afternoon at the beach, but well..." She sighs, shrugging. "I'll cover for him sometime when he needs it. I... I think I'm okay now, though." The silver-haired woman pauses to drain half of her remaining drink, then ponders what to say next. "Well, I'd gone down to the beach to have some time just to think, you know? I told Larin and Karlan where I'd be though, so we all ended up talking a bit, then Karlan and I ended up talking more seriously... next thing I knew, people are falling over. I wasn't paying much attention up till that Vollistan fell over..." Rish bites at her lip uncertainly. "Sorry... I'm not much help, I know..."

Larin seems to have collected his thoughts better than Rish or was just paying more attention at the time because he is ready with his story. "Karlan and Rish were chatting while I was watching the shore. Off the horizon a white sailboat appeared and though I was a bit distracted by that Vollistan ... I noticed it stopped rather oddly right in front of the beach. I didn't pay it any mind until the Vollistan got hit ... I ran to see what happened and if I could help but then a Timonae got hit ... two and two got put together and it was obvious it was the boat. We tried to get off the beach and I hope to help by uhm ...". He pauses. He obviously has more to say but isn't quite sure he wants to.

"Do either of you remember how many people were there?" Lydia says, her tone of voice still hard to read. She seems to be listening closely, her hands still clenching her knees rather tightly. "And how many people were taken down."

"Silver hair," Rish whispers, picking absently at her own locks. "Everyone that got shot at had silver hair. I didn't even realize it until later, when you said something, Larin." She flicks her eyes up briefly to the Lunite's before looking back to the captain again. "I saw the Vollistan, and one Timonae... I don't know how many people got away, by that time I was running myself. Then, Karlan got hit, and he told me to run..." She sighs, and polishes off the rest of her drink, setting the glass aside. "I did. I ran and hid underneath the boardwalk near Malibu Way, until a soldier came looking for me."

"...Yeah well after my efforts were in vain to stop the ship, most of the people had gotten away already. I think Karlan, the Vollistan, and the Timonae were the only ones who got hit. After I got Karlan back to the street ... the boat had left and I don't know how many were there.", Larin elaborates. He doesn't elaborate on exactly what those efforts were.

Arizhel sighs and looks down at her hands. "I'm dyeing my hair back tonight. Screw waiting for it to wash out, if this is how things are going to be on La Terre... I'm planning on going to visit Karlan, probably tomorrow. I..." She shakes her head, lips pursing. "Didn't think I could handle it today... not after that."

"I suppose you'll be wanting to visit him alone. I'll check in on him a little after you're through.", Larin sidebars to Rish and then empties his drink. He nods to Martine, "Of course, Captain. The Masque has been so hospitable lately that it was my pleasure to help out. With any luck the authorities will catch the bastard." He smirks lightly. "I dare say he'd be better off that way rather than letting you or I get our hands on him."

"Larin." Lydia says a bit firmly, frowning lightly. She doesn't continue, just pauses and gathers her thoughts for a long moment. "You're offduty until it's decided what we're going to do, Rish. The party this weekend is cancelled until further notice." She adds, then gets to her feet. "Excuse me, I have some calls to make." She nods her head to both of them.

"But... I can..." Rish starts to protest, then seems to think better of it, instead slouching back against the couch with a sigh. "Have a good evening, Capitan," she offers, waving halfheartedly before folding her hands in her lap and staring at them resolutely.

Larin inclines his head to Lydia with a light nod. His smirk falters and he just shakes his head. "Just another day...", Larin remarks with a sigh. "Trouble seems to follow."

Martine enters her room, PDA already out, the door sliding shut behind her.

"Dammit!" the silver-haired woman growls, jumping lightly to her feet. "I'm off duty, the party's canceled... What a pleasant mess this turned out to be." She puts one hand to her forehead, her entire frame tense. "All because I had to go to the damned beach this afternoon instead of working."

"You didn't know that here was going to be some looney with a boat and a gun.", Larin comments from his perch on the sofa. "If anything blame him." He sighs lightly, and moves to stand.

Arizhel sighs, covering her face with both hands. "Still, I can't help feeling like it's my fault somehow. I don't even know how I'm going to talk to him about..." She looks up at the Lunite then, meeting his eyes only briefly before shaking her head. "When... God, I don't even know how to approach this now."

Larin holds his glass in his left hand as he takes a step closer. "You should get some rest. It's been a helluva a day. More than anyone should have to handle on three Helixes.", Larin suggests. "I think I may just turn in myself for whatever good it may do me."

"Four," Rish corrects, looking over her shoulder at Larin again. "Yeah... I'll probably worry about my hair in the morning, after I've had a shower and everything... I think tonight, I just want to curl up with my cat and cry for awhile..."

Larin is standing in the crew quarters (for one reason or another) looking like hell and holding an empty glass in his left hand. "Well uhm ... just take it easy alright? Safe now on the Masque.", Larin reminds her. He tarries for a moment as if not sure what else to say.

Arizhel takes the glass from Larin's hand and sets it down with her own. "Don't worry about that. I'll get it later," she says, then slips her arms around the Lunite's waist, burying her face in his neck. "Thanks, Larin. For helping Karlan, for calming me down... I thought I was going to go to pieces earlier... So, yeah. Thanks."

Larin runs his hand one more time through the silver thread that is soon to be no more in an effort to comfort her. "That's what friends are for.", Larin murmurs, caught up in the embrace. "I'm just glad most everything worked out alright ... mostly." He sighs slightly, content to just hold Rish for awhile.