"God..." *clank* "Fucking..." *thud* Magnus would be heard cussing loudly as he dangles over the rim of what was a large six person jeep's bonnet, hammering away at the engine in some haphazard way it seems. Several more parts are flung out from there as a frustrated looking fennec's ears swish about in response to his acute muzzle sniffing for trouble. Two wrenches, a screwdriver and a doughnut follow the pile of thrown out bits and bobs... "Come ooooonnnn..." Magnus gripes as he leans away from the engine block and rubs his forehead. He'd examine a metal piece in his hand, then throw it over one shoulder. "That probably wasn't important."

The fox then moves over towards the driver's seat, opens the door and turns the ignition key. The engine whirrs once, twice, thrice and finally starts up with a resounding roar! Its driver looked both ecstatic and relieved to hear the glorious noise of machinery at work. Grabbing a moist towel to wipe his hands with, Magnus flings it over one shoulder, then moves back up to the front, shuts the bonnet and collapses back atop the hood of their transport. Out here, he was alone with his gear and his vehicle, amidst the scorching sands and desert heat, which... were both neither sorching nor not at this time of year, but what they were is empty, vacant, dull to look at. Still! He'd be easy to find!

A serpentine figure slithers across the sands of the desert, clad in a combat harness with a sleek looking, modified PPD-VA under her armpit, various electronic gizmos attached in many places, and a plenty of pockets and satchels. On her back, there is a clunky sniper rifle and a short blade. As she gets loser, she waves to the Fennec. "Heya Mags! I brought guns! Because, you know, you never know!"

Without further ado, she clumsily tries to stuff her long, serpentine body into the jeep. Mumbling to herself, she says, "Jeez, how am I supposed to fit here... I swear, if someone steps on my tail.."

In the distance, a pointed, furless ear twitches. That's got to be the guy who set this meeting up. A figure only slightly taller than a human approaches, covered in green clothes and brown leather. Short brown hair and sharp green eyes lurk under a travelling hood, with a quiver peeking over his shoulder as if a second head. This look wouldn't be out of place at an old-world Renaissance Faire if not for the bits of biological Promethean armor plating layered strategically outside of the clothes, or the arsenal of more modern weapons that completely shatter the illusion. An old Russian semi-auto pistol and short pump-action shotgun are strapped in easy-to-reach locations, and some weird electronics in the vague shape of a rifle hang from a sling across his chest. He rises to his full height, removing a rectangular electronic abomination from a pouch at his hip and scanning its lens across the landscape. He spots the car, its owner, and a chimeric snake-goo woman who made it there before him. Yep. This has to be the meeting. He approaches from the roadside after a brief walk. "Magnus," he addresses the fennec with a friendly tone and a curt nod. "Ma'am - if looks aren't deceiving," he greets the other mutant, pulling his hood back to reveal some decidedly elven features. Definitely not Faire material. "I don't think we've met. Name's Richard. Nice to meet you!"

Escherr Arrives not first nor last or late as walks through the various parts of the jeep strewn about. To bad he could offer little help in the fixing of vehicles, had to be such an effort to keep those working now of days. Still watching the small fox move about and soon the roar of the engine showing signs of life, least they would not be walking.

The street shaman was out of practice but the need to further the goals and the asking for those with negotiation skills offered him a chance to dip his claws back in the pool. Putting on his best face rather litterally with a friendly fossa smile. Ears flicking as others speak up. "Shown weapons are never a great first impression is what concealed is for." Offering that same charming smile the form offers to the two already standing there "As for your tail I am sure a few would not mind to be coiled in it and prefer it to seatbelts." Least the group was a diversed group so far, having to wait for others the cat lept up top to sit some and wait and soak in some of the sun

Why... Is that a satyr coming this way? Quite a diverse group we're getting here. Bleu strides across the sands on his cloven hooves, wearing a blue windbreaker over his upper body to keep warm, but other naked to the elements. He's decidedly unarmed, as well, but he does carry a satchel and his comm. Raising a hand to shield his eyes, he calls out, "Mags, Darling! Bet you didn't expect your new mate to come along!" As he nears the jeep, the satyr nods his horned head to the others, none of whom he immediately recognizes. "Well, I brought wine! These will be most enjoyable negotiations!"

Fenris trots across the desert to the appointed meeting spot, his gear jangling as he jogs along. The wide-brimmed, white stetson perched on his head shields his eyes from the sun, but he wears little else aside from an open, plaid shirt and a heavy gun belt that holds his gear.

The burly tanuki bounces to a stop next to the jeep. "One tanuki, ready for action!? he says jovially, considering the size of the vehicle and his own bulk. He puts out a hand at the height of the jeep, then moves his hand up to the top of his head, then looks around at the other people around him. He ponders for a moment, then produces a pair of earings from his belt and puts them carefully in his ears.

"Wubwubwubwub!? he burbles as he visibly shrinks, ?Tanuki: Travel-Size! Dibs on Shotgun!? He scrambles around to clamber into the front passenger seat. "Hey, Magnus!? he grins, ?And hello to the rest of you!? He grins even bigger when the satyr arrives and offers wine. "That is what I like to hear!?

Running a little late- Though not running, certainly- Nena smoothly saunters in, hands in her coat pockets. The bat woman is, as usual, visibly unarmed and unarmoured, and she snuffs out a cigarette as a courtesy as she draws closer. "Sorry I'm late. I had to get the laundry in and folded before I could go running off for adventure. Good to see I didn't miss the ride, though." Finding space for her shouldn't be too big of a problem. By old world standards, she was what could be considered... Compact, though perfectly within the realm of average.

"Shepard." Magnus answers Richard with a dim snicker before pulling off his work overalls, revealing anther outfit beneath. Tossing the oil-stained work duds into the trunk, he shuts it promptly and looks towards Uvi. "Heya gummyworm. Hopefully you won't need to use those cause we are intercepting a caravan where a lot of my kids are working." He'd cast a wink her way, then lean against the jeep door and await the arrival of the others. Once escherr arrives, a feline of sorts with enough bling to hurt the eyes of the blind, Magnus snickers quietly and greets him. "Honorary Mall Rat are we?" is what he'd remark with a wink and a smirk "Doesn't matter, Mag's the name, thrills are my game, and it's been a while since I turned the engine over on this old bird, so here we are!" He'd extend an introduction toward Escherr, and anyone else who cared for it too!

Turning towards Bleu, Magnus closes the distance, gives the slutty satyr's ass a quick smack and rumbles. "No, but I'm expecting you to be cumming a lot when I'm balls-deep in you later." he'd practically smolder through lidded eyes, then part from him with a wink and a snicker. Upon Fenris' arrival, Magnus raises a finger to address the size issue, however... he seems to have handled it all on his own, leaving the fennec with a raised finger and a slightly open muzzle. "Okay, that fixes that. Heya detective. Welcome and all that jazz. I want a drink myself but I'll be driving, so... best I save you folks that trouble, haha~" Magnus snickers into one hand, then addresses Nena, with a hug, and a squeeze. "You're just in time."

With that, the fox rolls over to the jeep and hops into the driver's seat. He revs the engine, and honks the horn twice! "Let's go folks! Briefing while on the road! If anyone has any travel music requests, do make them known, else I am blasting Daft Punk!" Magnus announces as all the jeep doors open at once, inviting everyone in to take a seat. The car itself wasn't much to look at. It was renovated, painted an army green and carrying several dents with pride, a sturdy warmare to be sure, astonishingly powerful-sounding if the engine sounds is anything to go by too!

The lamia winks back at Magnus, and when the satyr arrives and she, she can't help but wonder exactly how many mates does Magnus have... She refuses the wine, saying that she doesn't drink on the missions, and once everyone has arrived, the girl peeks out of the vehicle, waving and greeting everybody. With a cheerful tone in her voice, she says, "Hello everybody! I'm Uvi, at your service! Well, as long as the service is reasonable.." Frowning her nose, she adjusts her glasses and adds, "Hop in! Just.. don't step on my tail."

Richard raises an eyebrow at the desert-doggo. "I'm not gonna jinx it with the proper response. You just fixed the damn thing, right?" He asks, nodding towards the car's engine. "Shame they never got to finish that series." He spares a glance towards the fossa as well. "True. Not like there are cops for us to call out here, though. Most of you guys are wicked short. Gotta have some muscle, or at least a discreet overwatch." He looks towards the tanuki in particular. Then he looks back to Magnus. "That's not kosher by pre-nanite standards. Minimum height for the passenger seat is at least 4 feet for safety reasons. Gods forbid we crash out here without nanites to quick-fix anything." A finger pointed to the satyr. "Let's save that for the celebration." He starts walking towards the car, just barely heeding Uvi's request. It moves side to side a lot, okay? That tail is hard to predict!

The feline flashes those pearly sharp teeth. "Nothing honorary about it. Is what I am naturally but igured this ride needed a friendly face and who doesn't love a friendly cat?" Chuckling a bit. "Escherr, been busy for awhile but use to come out to these things often. Japan, Goblins, sewers and more" To name just a few. Seemed least a few knew eachother and by the open display had a night of fun or two.

"Am ok with that pick of music, is either that or some of the music from the early Mad Max's......Made myself feel old" Chuckling some as jumped into the jeep and into the back though slipping over a coil and if not tangled in snake tail looking a tad pathetic like a cat tangled in string "Help.... Should of stayed on the roof."

Bleu moans into that sudden kiss and the smack from the fennec. "Eee... Yes, believe me, there'll be plenty of cumming, my little Love Muffin..." Turning his attention to the others, he takes notes of their various shapes, though he's moderately dismayed to note that the handsome elven man, Richard, seems to be a bit of a wet blanket. He could have a lot of fun rubbing those ears... Right-o, into the jeep, huh?" He starts to climb in after Escherr, deftly avoiding Uvi's tail. "Afternoon, Little Lady," he says to her, all Western-like. "Let's get this party on the road, eh?"

Fenris throws himself into his seat, buckles up, and turns to raise an eyebrow at Richard?s concern. The eyebrow quickly turns into a grin. ?Don?t worry about me,? he says jovially.

The tubby tanuki approves of and sings along, badly, to Magnus?s music choice. Not that his voice is bad, it is just that he only knows every fourth or fifth word, interspersing them in with his own nonsense lyrics. The shrunken raccoon-dog waves a chubby paw toward the back seat. ?As a card carrying Tanu- er, police detective, I am required by law to inspect any and all alcoholic beverages!? He reaches his arms above his head and his hands are visible from the back seat, making little grabby motions.

Returning the hug, Nena offers a slight smile. "Good. I would have even frowned had I gotten here only to find everyone gone." She climbs nimbly into the vehicle, avoiding the tail and other limbs as she finds a spot to settle. "If we're doing the introduction thing, I'm Nena. And I think I'll pass on the drink for now, but thanks. I'm not a huge wine girl, usually. It has to be a special. And uhh, whatever music really!"

It turns out that all Fenris would be singing along to were three words... "Around the world, around the world~" it seems, someone had remixed the classic hit from the legend Daft Punk, and Magnus was blasting that the moment everyone takes their seat in the jeep. "Fuck it. Hit me with some wine anyway." Magnus nods towards Bleu, before revving up the engine. He nestles into his seat and rolls down his window. His hand locks around the handbreak, foot presses down on the gas pedal, the tires spin up behind them, kicking up a massive dust cloud, before he releases the break and everyone feels the jolt of sudden acceleration! Truly, their transport was a beast of glorious, unbridled might! The team find themselves peaking highway speeds as the suspension handles the road imperfections with dignity and grace. The fennec drapes one arm over the open window and bobs his head to the sounds of the music, his other hand gripping the steering wheel at the top.

There weren't many turns to make, thankfully... it was all a flat, empty, sandy expanse in every direction around them, even as they leave the bubble. "ALRIGHT! Briefing time! We are to meet my son, Garry. Yes, Garry. He's arranged for some valuables to be handed off from the caravan he travels with, not for free obviously! Zephyr's already given me a grant." The fennec hooks a thumb behind himself to the trunk of the jeep. "Food, water, medicine, antivenom, basic survival stuff for the desert folks to make use of. Though stingy as they are, I doubt the nomads are gonna take so little for components so valuable. They know what they have and they are gonna play hardball for it! Our job is to secure the deal and haul the servos back. OH! Right, it's Heavy Duty Servos. That's what we're trading for."

"Now, understand that my kid ain't a big wheel in that caravan. He's worked really hard to get them to even consider trading with us, so don't expect favoritism, quite the opposite. Those nomads follow a routine, so them stopping just for us has already pissed them off. Put on your friendliest, don't get rough with them, I don't want trouble, alright?" The fennec instructs as they ride the dunes in their transport. "Should only be that. Nothing more to it, we grab the loot and skoot." Magnus nods and casts a glance around the others. "You folks got a plan? I'm not gonna be helping you. Not exactly a negotiator myself..."

"Ack! Ack!", exclaims the lamia girl, panicking as Escherr gets all tangled up with her coils. She tries her best to release the poor fossa, squirming and wiggling in her seat. "Ack! And you are tickling me, AAaah!" She holds her nerdy glasses with one hand to prevent them from falling, because loosing her glasses somewhere under the seat in a fully packed car is the last thing she wants. Well, there definitely could be worse things, like getting killed on the mission, or Magnus choosing to play some silly dance pop music. Having finally managed to succesfully release Escherr, she says, "Alright, only one tangled up mutantperson, I call it a success." She listens through the briefing without saying a word. Her smile withers when she hears that she probably won't have the occasion to shoot stuff, but a faint glimpse of hope can still be seen in her brown eyes.

Richard buckles himself in. Safety first! He also notices the looks the satyr is giving him. "I'm with the bat on this one. It stops being special if it's an all-the-time thing. Speaking of..." He relaxes back into his seat. "What's goin' on between you and Rommel up there?" As he nods towards the fennec, he catches a glimpse of the desert fox reaching for the wine with an officer of the law clawing for their own share of the booze. Between the hard negotiations ahead and the Driver's Ed PSA scenario he's gotten himself into, he can't help himself. "Fuck it, give me a thimble full of that stuff too." While he waits for a drink, he flips the safety of his shotgun on.

"Sorry sorry." Though unable to hold back a bit of laughter at the expense of himself and Uvi till untangled and finding a seat with a content sigh of relief "Drinking is fine just watch the road head now that can cause an accident." With the wine being passed around took some himself but unlike some friends did not down to much as it could effect the fossa much easier.

If anything the music only showcased some of that inner Mall Rat as the feline moved to it tail twitching and rings tapping at his peircings making a bit of a click to the beat as nodded along with it even closing his eyes as if listening on a headset. Still he listened to the debrief "Is always promise to bring other things out as well or our own funds. I can normally dig something up for anyone. May even be something in my pockets" Patting around some and finding a few diffrent things "Oh thats new" Putting it in another pocket as if to keep it. "If any of the wine makes it to the caravan is that to."

Bleu came prepared, it turns out. He starts pulling cups out of his satchel, and passes one to each passenger that asked for wine, then he uncorks his bottle and starts filling each cup. "Desert Fox, Rommel. So you're a history buff, err, Richard, was it?" He takes a long swig of his own wine, before answering the elf's question. "Mag and I are rather newly mated, so to speak... Been friends awhile, but he rocked my world a couple weeks ago, and thus we decided to go all the way." He smirks, lecherously, giving Richard another appraising look. So handsome to look at. "What about yourself? Don't believe we've met... You new to Fairhaven?"

Fenris gradually gets the hang of ?Around the World,? and bops along happily to the remix, looking like an excited toddler or chubby pet in the front seat. ?Servos, hard-nosed traders. Got it,? he says, ?And Z is footing the bill? Perfect.? The tanuki gladly takes a cup as Bleu distributes the goods and drinks it carefully as the jeep rumbles through the wasteland.

He sighs happily and thumps his belly with a sound like a bass drum in appreciation of the drink. ?Satyrs always have good stuff,? he says, then continues to tap out a drum beat along to the soundtrack as they all travel on.

"... Well, I just prefer beer," Nena says with a wry smirk. "Unless it's rice wine, I usually don't drink wine outside of certain events." She adjusts her glasses and folds her arms, which has the added effect of wraping herself in a cloak of wings- Or maybe a blanket. "Yes... It's a trade, right? So it's just a matter of finding what they want, and compromising with what we can provide. I do not have much in the way of objects to give, but I have other things. I am not empty handed." Her large ears twitch a little at the music. "What can you tell us about this caravan? Their routes, places they visit, the like. That will help me make appropriate offerings."

The team would go on for the better part of fifteen minutes, sands and dust clouds whizzing past them, the windshield wipers thankfully adapted with some brushes to sweep the fine grains obstructing their driver's view. "Oh, I forgot to mention..." Magnus adds as a large canyon comes into view before them. "There's only one way over that on this way around! We're jumping it!" he'd announce loudly, just in time for a long ramp forged of stones and planks to come into view. Magnus pulls a small guarding case concealing a red button atop the steering wheel. His fist makes loud contact with it as a sharp hissing sound is heard in front of them all. The engine roars loudly in response to what had just happened and the shock of sudden acceleration strikes them again! It's hard to tell exactly how much speed they'd gained, but they hit the ramp in mere moments!

Their transport earns a good several seconds of airtime, before the vehicle touches down violently, shaking and nearly spinning out of control due to landing a touch off to the side. Magnus breathes a sigh of relief and releases the gas pedal, letting the engine cool off for a little bit as they start to coast downhill. Once the slope was steep enough, he turns the engine off entirely, and leaves things to gravity alone. He'd sniff the air and ask "Alright, how many pairs of soiled panties do we have this time?" with vivid amusement, snickering as things calm down. "We've got a safer route back, a longer one too... but coming back with the parts, we're both not gonna be pressed for time, nor are we gonna be light enough to make that jump again anyway. Thank you for flying air fennec." Magnus jests as he takes another swig of the wine. "We'll be arriving soon." Magnus notes, as soon they'd spot a small encampment in the far distance, nestled among the sand dunes.

Uvi:was about to raise a hand and ask if drinking and driving was even legal these days, but then she felt the sudden acceleration of the vehicle. When the jeep gets airborne, she raises her arms and a loud, gleeful "Wheeeeeee~!" escapes her mouth. Looking at other passengers, she responds to Magnus, "Huh? I don't wear panties, you silly! Can you do it again?" After a while she adds, "You know, I thought about it, and, you know, servos are big and heavy, and there aren't too many settlements around here. If I had to carry big chunk of metal in the desert, I'd want to get rid of it and sell it as soon as possible. We can play hard and push this fact to our advantage."

Richard replies "Yep, that's me," then hems and haws in response to Bleu's question. "Ehhhhhh... not really. Just sort of isolated. Ten years in New Dawn's 'still human and would rather remain that way' enclave, then another year of scouting around for them. Things have slowed down a bit in my sector, so I'm in town mo-" Magnus's boast forces him to interrupt himself. "'The fuck?!" They don't have enough speed to make it over the gap with that earth-works ramp! Another jolt of momentum jerks his hands away from his seatbelt and the door handle, though, and also revises his outlook on the situation for the better. He holds down loose items (mostly his own) during the flight and landing, closing his eyes and hoping not to get splashed with any loose wine. Once things are settled down, he responds to Uvi. "Good thinking. I hope they're the kind that likes to travel light."

Escherr is mid drink and ears perk right up hearing that and seeing the cliff. "You mad bastard.......I like it." Feeling that the riskw ould be minimal if it had to be done but still who didn't get that stomach to the chest jump like when at the top of a roller coaster and you see the drop and pushed back into the seat with sudden acceleration as even gave out the typical WOOOOOO and arm raise. Looking around some and somehow managed not to spill anything. "Some are not even in pants though." Peeking outside the window and seeing the makeshift camp in the distance. "Reminds me of the days studying Anthropolgy before this. Who knew be actually helpful." More so leaning out the window now and sitting on the open ledge arm on the roof.

Bleu had just re-corked his bottle, and was listening intently to Richard, (whom he's already planning to snog, passionately), when suddenly there's the acceleration, and the jump... The satyrs screams, and closes his eyes, and then the vehicle lands, and he shudders. "What the fuck, Mag..." Though now that he's leaning closer to Richard, he gives the handsome elf a sniff...

Fenris laughs manically through the whole jump, raising his hands in the air like he is riding a roller coaster. The tubby tanuki claps his hands gleefully. ?That alone was worth the trip!? he laughs, ?You?ve been holding out on me!? He does not seem to mind the daredevil stunt in the least. "This caravan, though," he finally asks, sobering up a little as they near their destination, "Is it a Mad Max sort of thing? Or should we expect to meet a tribe of Bedoin, or what??

Nena does not mind the ramp itself, so much. Worst case scenario and they fall? She can glide to safety. But, as it is, while she's not given a fright, she does groan in discomfort as she goes up... And then back down on the seat with the landing. "A little more warning would be nice. Kind of hurts my ass doing that." Though she doesn't seem upset, just a little ruffled as she fixes her glasses and tugs on the furry collar of her coat. "If they don't want credits, the best I have to offer in return is information. Hopefully that will appease them."

"Well we're about to find out!" Magnus calls out as their wagon gradually comes to a halt under its own weight. They'd end up completely stopped and Magnus would pull the handbreak at the edge of... was that... was that a train?! Holy shit, yes it was, hidden behind one of the dunes on grounds more solid than the shifting sands was a honest-to-goodness diesel locomotive, with seven carts attached to its massive engine at the front. The camp the nomads had made was just a few pitched tents in a circle with a firepit in its middle, but now it was clear where these wandering desert folk were living. How they'd gotten this railway repaired and this locomotive operational was something to boggle about, but it would explain why they stuck to a routine, it seems.

"Garry!" Magnus opens his arms as another fennec just a few inches shorter than the desert fox himself dives in and gives his dad a tight hug. Garry was a fine young lad, fit and well toned, with a rifle across his back, an eyepatch over his right eye and raggy survivor's clothing. Sturdy pants, a dust-blasted shirt and a backpack slung over one shoulder. "Heya dad, you're looking as ugly as ever." He'd joke, earning a shoulder-punch from his old man. "Look who's talking, you got a face that'd crack a sink. Right, uhhh... business. We'l lcatch up later. Garry, this is my team of the day." he'd wave towards the others.

The scruffy fennec nods and casts them all a smile. His tone is cheery and distinctly male, though not coarse or deep, boyish... one supposes. "Right, we have been here for thirty minutes, that's less than the engineers expected, but we DO have to get underway, the one you'll wanna talk to is Sigmond. He's the big german shep looking-bastard in camp. He basically calls the shots, but mind yourselves. I overheard him saying he's ready to milk this deal for everything it's worth. If you wanna get on his good side, I recommend you make him laugh, he loves a good joke." Garry nodnods twice and puts his hands together. "That's all I can really say." the fennec follows with a shrug. There wasn't much to this caravan, one can easily tell Sigmond among them, the other members of this operation being two humans, a feline-looking girl and another fennec all huddled up in the camp, leisurely conversing. If there were others, odds were they were in the train...

Uvi opens the door and slithers out of the car onto dry ground, a waterfall of pink coils spilling behind her. Shielding her eyes from the sun and noticing the train, she curses, "Ah shit, there goes my fucking plan.." Adjusting her glasses, the lamia adds, "Alright, so whose cock do I suck to get these parts.. Sigmund, huh..?"

Richard boops the satyr on his sniffy nose with a single finger, then keeps pushing. "Save it for later. We've got business." He looks over his shoulder as he exits the car. "I promise you, it'll be better back in the bubble anyway." Richard decides to stay close to the car in case things go bad. Probably won't, but you never know. As Uvi sneks past him, he gives a quick nudge and asks her, "Hey, something funny I thought of that's been bugging me for a while. Why isn't 'lettuce' pronounced like it's an Italian word? I mean, it's spelled like one." He winks to her and lets her go on her way.

Escherr keeps tapping the roof to the music in his head still of the Daft Punk kind listening to each talk, flirt, and recover from the jump. Though hearing a few things made him duck his head inside and look to the bat "Information you say? We may need to talk after this thing is over."

Though looking back and seeing more appear that would gape any maw in suprise. And many say those out here can't do shit. They get things repaired faster then some of the other groups." Not that he would ever say that outloud to the main groups.... He may not be an Engineer but this still got him excited enough that his tail flicked and swished wanting to get closer.

Then the sudden attack from outside to inside the car but luckily it was not a cannibalistic mutant but family well the foxes family giving a bit of a wave and a beaming toothy smile at introductions. "We talking what kinda jokes here? Dad jokes, improve, puns?" Slipping from the vehicle through the window and rolling out to his feet.

Bleu grins at Richard. The satyr will have to try and curtail himself, but it *is* so very hard with such a handsome man. In the meantime, he hops out of the jeep, giving a low whistle at the sight of the train. "I do believe this locomotive came from a nearby train museum. Nicely done, I must say." He casts a glance over the few people outside the train, and hmms. They look like they could use a pick-me-up...

Fenris bounces from his seat to the ground. ?Let?s roll!" he crows, then the tanuki actually rolls himself up into a furry ball and bounces along, rolling around legs and tails and tents in a wild curlyque route that eventually brings him nearly to the feet of Sigmond and his cohorts before popping to his feet with a wave of his ridiculous stetson.

?Howdy!? he says, grinning. Then he looks around at the little gathering. He nods, reaches for his gun holster. . . and produces a large gourd with the Japanese kanji for sake. At his current height, the gourd looks especially large. ?Let?s do this!? he says. The mad little furball certainly does not waste time.

Stepping out of the transport, Nena stretches out and rubs at her hip, still minorly sore from the road stunt. "That's one way to make an impression," she says, her tone one of amusement in regards to Uvi's comment. Tucking her hands back into her pockets, she gives a shake of her head. "Sorry, my knowledge of English does not really include jokes. Especially not playing with words." So, she'll let the others do the buttering up, while she watches, and scrutinizes, taking stock of the caravan, the train, and any cargo she might be able to see... "... I miss trains," she says with a wistful sigh. "They aren't as big in the states as back home I think, in terms of use. Except the subways I suppose..."

"Well well well, I expected a buncha hoity toity suits coming here promising me the world, and what we get is a clown with booze." The shep around them grins, eliciting a few chuckles from the group around him. Two of them already had their rifles drawn and pointed towards Fenris, but Sigmund casts them a wave of the hand, and the barrels are lowered. "I'll take some of your booze if that's on the list of goods, but you and your gang better have more'n some fire water if you want your parts. I take it you're the ring leader then." Sigmund assesses Fenris, then stands up from his spot and wraps an arm around the eager tanuki.

"Let's go and have us a look at what you kind folks have brought over." The canine growls quietly, then looks back towards the tents. "Get the parts ready! Don't hand them off without my order!" he'd bark, before approaching the jeep, Fenris likely still in his grasp. "Garry, this your boys?" he'd huff at the fennec, earning a nod and a salute from the wee lad. "Off you go, help the engineers prepare for our departure." Sigmund orders, and Garry excuses himself with a nod, one more hug with his dad, and a wave before darting off to handle his duties. The large shep crosses his arms and looks around. "Well? I'm waiting..." He'd snarl menacingly. Magnus rolls his eyes and hooks a thumb to the trunk of the jeep, before opening it up.

The pair of males examine what was about a week's worth of supplies in water, canned food and various other goodies, before Sigmund would nod slowly. "That's a start, but not close enough." The canine cracks his knuckles. "Me and the boys coughed up half a cart of salvage and cotton fabric for these parts. I can't even give you one servo for this. What else ya got?" he'd practically bark, clearly not a fan of wasting his time~

The jello-lamia quirks her eyebrow, forming a confused look on her face. She briefly responds to Richard, "Huh? I'm sorry, the only thig I know about Italy is pizza and pasta." She then quickly turns to Nena and says, pouting her mouth, "Hey it was a funny metaphor! A metaphor!" Folding arms on her small chest, she mumbles while scanning the surroundings for signs of ambush or other danger, "I-I have standards, after all." However, glancing over Sigmund, she quickly assesses that he indeed meets her standards, and she unbuttons few buttons of her shirt, just in case. A handy negotiating trick she was taught once. Figuring out it would be better to not whore herself right in front of the whole squad, she remains silent for now. Looking at the shep once again, she cant help but bite her lip, though.

Richard relaxes by the car. He mutters to himself "...but it doesn't make any sense..." as he waits. Seriously, what's up with lettuce?

"Would you rather the suits show up? They woudn't get their outfits dirty is why they hire us. Plus they would try to be top dog when cleary thats your role. Something you have trained for and earnered right" Shooting for lame puns at first as moves about looking over a few things of the camp and thr train itself. Slinking about here and there, cat like motions of inspection and moving across the scene and bending odd ways when he talks to others. "Servo is no good to you so is junk in comparison that you have to lug around. With that though" Thumbing to the active train "Could maybe set up drop offs if this is your route you normally take. Can't pack to much in that car and you mentioned speed was important. If not for that could of brought a truck a long way. What comforts you missing?" Fishing in his own pockets some and pulling out junk food such as chips, chocolate, and sodas. Not a lot but comfort foods. "Easy to find and an ocasional treat ever try chips dipped in chocolate its strange i know but for some reason it works!" Opening his arms some and smiling big. "Has to be better then the sand-wich is out here" Letting the joke sink in some. "Can get a few to build a nice stockpile and any other sweets you want" Also waving said treats so others in the tribe could see them.

Bleu snickers at Richard. "I thought it was funny, mate..." Then he slowly makes his way toward the leader. "My dear sir... I bring you this." He opens his satchel, and pulls out a portable DVD player, a solar charger, and 15 DVDs of classic films. "I am authorized to offer you freecred as well... However, this DVD player is worth two whole servos, *at least*..."

Fenris allows himself to be led along, and does not seem to mind the clown comments. ?The sake is a traditional part of negotiations,? the tanuki explains, ?But if you are in a hurry, I guess we can skip it.? The squat little tanuki frowns as Zephyr?s contribution is shown immediately and without preamble. Beimg the first to give a solid offer was a bit of a blow to his inner haggler, especially since the other side would not be offering anything but their initial offer.

?I may be able to sweeten the pot a little,? he offers, producing a small box from. . . somewhere. It smells kind of like corndogs, but when the tanuki opens it, he reveals twelve, carefully packaged, perfectly ripe peaches. The sweet smell that wafts from them is the sort of thing no nanites could possibly replicate.

Nena makes a little face is distate at that. Suits? No thanks. She hangs out on the fringe of the group, listening to offers being made. And, she waits. Once all the other offers are out on the table, only then does the bat make her own contribution. Hands pulled from her pockets, she turns her empty palms up. "I have no items to give you," she admits. "But what I have instead is opportunity. Information. I have friends and connections I'm in regular contact with in southern California. I have information accordingly on things that are in demand there. What it is they want. Things they would be willing to trade well for, should your route take you that way."

The canine's attention is thankfully drawn before he'd feel his time was being wasted. As Escherr speaks, he'd raise his brows and cover his face at that terrible pun. As the feline goes on, Sigmund at the very least listens him out, his attention drawn to the sweets, seemingly interested in the tasty treats, though in the end... "I have a group to take care of, I'm not gonna hand over the servos for pocket candy, and we aren't making this place a regular stop either, the only reason we even considered it is the rotten fucking weather has forced the local menaces to pack up and move south. Keeping on the move is what protects us, it's our first line of defense and I'd rather we never need to come to our last either." The canine pats the revolver at his hip.

Casting a glance over towards the satyr that'd addressed him, Sigmund reaches out and picks up the player, and looks it over. "Alright, I'm sure the boys would like to hook this up to the old TV we got in the back, but you're stretching your luck if you think this is worth even one servo." He'd scowl deeply and place the DvD back in Bleu's hand. He doesn't seem disuaded yet however, in fact by the look in his eyes, his interest was piqued at least partially. The canine was mulling things over. Fenris' offer comes in harder than a lead weight as the canine spots that fresh, ripe, perfect fruit. "The boys would love these..." he'd think to himself and start rubbing his chin. Then Nena speaks up, her words flowing like wine as she proposes a trade of a different variety. The canine's brows lower and he shakes his head. "We move from camp to camp, don't have much freedom to do otherwise until the rails are better fixed, but... I'll hear you out anyway. You're making some decent offers... but..." He's about to give in, perhaps just a light nudge is all he needs...

Bleu starts to place the DVD player back into his satchel. "I paid 10,000 freecred for this..." He eyes the canine. "But I'll be willing to trade it at a loss to myself."

The bespectacled lamia sighs, taking the sniper rifle off her back, and gently placing it in the trunk, before kissing it goodbye. Yes, she kisses a gun. She really likes her guns, okay? Looking straight into Sigmund's eyes, she says, "Take my rifle." She stops for a moment and points at the train with her elicate finger. "I don't see any snipers over there, so I'm sure it will come in handy some time... And if that's not enough, there are other ways I could serv-o you." She smirks, unfastening another button of her shirt.

Richard sees the glint of metal on the canine's belt. He calls out to Sigmund. "Nice iron you've got there. Probably leaves capacity to be desired, though." He turns away and draws a sleek, black pistol of his own. Its magazine drops free with a flick of the thumb, and clears the chamber as well. He looks through the empty magazine well and chamber at Sigmund before placing the gun, ammo, and a few spare magazines down on the hood of the car. "Guarantee you this has at least double the round count of the one you have." He points to the end of the barrel, which has a long tube mounted to it. "Comes with everything you see here, including the suppressor. User servicable, as everything should be nowadays. Less than 150 decibels per shot, even when it's fouled." His pointing finger wanders to the frame of the gun, "And as you can see here, it's the same model that US Secret Service and spec-ops used before P-Day. Alice is a good, local gun-runner. I don't know how she does it 'Nother good one across the bridge south of the east forest, right on the edge of the bubble, but he's a bit out of my way." On the frame of the gun, there's a factory-new etching of the manufacturer's logo. 'Sig.'

Escherr runs a few nails at his neck in thought and getting the feel things were close to a deal. "They are going to way you down if your always moving, though that does have to get boring." Motioning at the diffrent things "Your always going to be trading for the basics thats just a given. Some of us can chip in creds as well, easy to handle always easy to move but everyone needs a break even badasses like you and your group." Giving a bit of a shrug. "Is just common nature or burnout. Let the kid enjoy some time with dad" Pointing to Mags "We can stick around for a short time, booze" pausing a bit "Good booze, food that can be crated into some great trearts and old movies. Could probably even work something with canvas and parts to make a projector. Lets make it a party before you head out and bring some music, fun and damn life to the dessert. We were told we arrived early so you have some time right?" Watching the lamia make suggestions "Is also that and a few of us can shift to many desires."

Fenris gently sets the small box of peaches aside and removes his earrings, suddenly growing back to his normal size. The burly tanuki rolls his neck and stretches his thick arms before drumming a quick tattoo on his expansive belly. ?We can even do the loading,? he offers, flexing in his tight, plaid shirt.

He shakes his head as more and more offers are made, getting increasingly. . . carnal. ?They?re servos, people, machine parts,? he grins warmly, ?But I admire a guy who wants to bleed Big Bad Z.? He waggles his big gourd of sake, ?I?m still willing to share if you want some time to mull it over.?

Nena tilts her head to the side, arms folding again. "Even if you're only able to stop at pre-defined camps, I am sure the trade routes would take you near enough. So, I'll share what I've got for you in that regard, as part of our end of the deal. Of course, if it's not enough, ontop of all the firearms my associates are willing to trade... Hmm. I could also probably spill a little on what some other traders are running, if you have an interest on getting a leg up on competition." Though, she is not offering herself like some of her companions, and as such, makes no comment on carnal matters. The bat woman doesn't want to get dragged into that potential affair.

The canine raises a brow and growls softly. "We are here to do business, if they want time together, I will let Garry off on our next crossing, then pick him up on the one after. I need him right now." The canine's hand strikes his chin as more and more offers come. He'd raise his brows at the mention of guns, then takes a moment to examine those offered to him. "This is a nice rifle, I am sure Sorcha would love this... she's been henning me for a better hunting rifle for a long time now..." he'd mutter to himself, then considers the pistol as well. "I'm not one for all this techno-babble, but we do need more weapons." Casting a glance among the group, he'd the sigh softly and nod towards Fenris. "Alright, here's what we're gonna do."

Clasping his hands together, the shep states his proposition. "I'll take a barrel of that sake and those peahces from you." he'd point towards Fenris. "Deliver them to camp. Now." He then turns towards Bleu. "I'll take the DVD player and your collection. Hand them over, now." Sigmund then grabs Uvi's rifle, but declines her offer. "No need for that, we are in a hurry anyway." Turning towards Escherr. "We have a kid with us... he'd like some sweets. I'll take those from you." The canine then turns towards Magnus and nods. "Have all these delivered to our camp, bring over the supplies from Zephyr, and you can have your servos. Chop chop! I ain't got all day!" he'd call out, clearly unwilling to dawdle any further. Packing Bleu's offerings into his pack, the canine then nods towards Nena and offers to walk with her, see what secrets she'll spill...

Fenris spends 1 rare edible salvage to: Perfect Peach Parley

The serpentine lady turns around and mumbles to the group, "Hmphf, I was bluffing anyway. I have standards, after all." She hastily slithers back to the jeep, wanting to get the best seat, as well as to go home as soon as possible. She appears to be that type who doesn't like staying out of bubble or too long. Fastening her seatbelt, she says, "Remind me later to file the bloody paperwork and force Zephyr to reimburse me for my rifle."

Richard shrugs. "Too much salesmanship? All right. I'll break it down for you. Fifteen shots per magazine, plus one in the chamber. Makes about as much noise as a popping balloon. Keep it oiled and it'll keep you alive." He reaches down and hands the unloaded gun grip-first to the sheepdog. "Plus it's got your name on it. I'd feel bad NOT giving it to you." He would let the dog in charge take it from him and cross his arms over his chest, smiling. "Seriously, if you need old-world guns, ask for Alice. Runs a store out of a bunker in Northwest Fairhaven. Trades in scrap and food. The other guy... Mike, I think he's called? He's building his own guns and they're not half bad." He glances over to Uvi's huffy exit, then back to Sigmund. "... guess she and I wore the same outfit to this party. Hope to see you again sometime." He exchanges farewells with the leader and chats briefly with the uninfected humans before returning to the car.

Escherr gave a shrug as thought it was a good idea but maybe came on to strong with overly friendly, would have to shelve the fossa for awhile if that was the case. Even more amusing at his ofers went to kids but probably one of the older ones here. Being stuck in a mall on P-day left him with a constant habbit and knowledge of comforts and junk food. He was sure even the grizzled dog would indulge just not openly. For now the feline would help and carry things back and forth and help where needed. Leaving a nice little pile of goods, never under estimate how much deep pockets can carry and they were full after the recent holiday of sugar. Once everything was squared off he slipped back ontop of the ride knowing would be long way home and possibly no jumps.

Bleu hands over the DVD player and the movies. What he doesn't mention is that he has more old tech in his bag, but that's fodder for another day. Transaction complete, he moseys on over to Richard, with a pleasant smile. "So, you're a gun man, eh? You should show me what you're "packing" sometime..."

Fenris assumes that by barrel, Sigmond means a gourd. The big tanuki shrugs and picks up his box of peaches and an armload of Zephyr supplies and makes the short trip to the camp. He lays out the supplies wherever he is directed, then gets ready to haul away Magnus?s servos. He is curious to see what he traded his peaches for. It was just as well that he traded them since they wouldn?t stay good forever.

Nena wanders off with the man, once the others have concluded their own negotiations. A deal was a deal, and she would happily speak of both the needs of other places in the state, and what other caravans and trading rings were providing. Not that she knew everything, but, what she knew, she could speak on.

With their work complete, the finishing actions come as swiftly as the agents had arrived. The two massive wooden crates full of their confirmed payload are loaded onto the trink of their jeep, and the journey back would be... mostly uneventful. The folks at the labs are gonna have a good day...