Fruit Loops are for Krogers (quadpower) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2012-03-20 20:19:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | !complete, commander tyra shepard, rapunzel, wrex |
Wrex.
Who: Tyra Shepard, Wrex, Rapunzel
What: Tyra signs on at Urdnot Ranch, sparring, and Rapunzel has a crush!
When: Sometime this past week
Where: Urdnot Ranch
Rating: PG-13
Status: Complete
Shepard twisted her hair back into a tail, before climbing up into the white first generation humvee. She loved this thing - it was the next best thing to driving a tank. She turned the key, the former military vehicle roaring to life with all the energy and menace of a tiger on the prowl. The vibrations shot through her. The only thing better was a motorcycle, but the DMV refused to let her take a test for one. It was as though they didn't trust her on a crotch rocket.
Soon. She'd try again soon(tm). It seemed to be a monthly thing.
The folded up letter in her pocket felt heavy against her chest. Urdnot Wrex had offered her a position assisting him at his ranch. She wasn't sure she would take him up on it but she was heading down to check it out. He made it sound like he was trying to teach those kids discipline. Help them make something of themselves and redirect their aggression and anger into something productive. Perhaps it would help her find a focus. It would give her an excuse to put off calling the man in the black coat about the package he'd given her. Extralegal paramilitary black ops sounded exciting, but she had reservations and her gut was telling her to stay as far away as possible.
She peeled around a corner, past a woman carrying a cat. She could barely hear the woman shout 'bugger!' before she was out of range. Pedestrians should learn to look both ways! Fortunately for society, there wasn’t much in the way of pedestrian traffic once she headed into the hills.
Approaching the ranch, she was impressed, it was larger than she’d expected, and seemed relaxing. She could learn to like it here.. Her only contact with Wrex had been a joint op. Eight people had squeezed into one humvee; three marines, three army and two contractors. Shepard had taken the direct approach, at times bringing the humvee to greater than 45 degree angles up rocks, skidding it down into ravines and finally across a mountain range to reach their objective.
She pulled up to the main building and parked. A girl in front of an easel, a highschooler by the looks of it looked up, her cheek smudged with paint. She waved her hand, a brush still in her fingers and splattered more paint everywhere, “Hello! Welcome to Urdnot Ranch!”
She bounced over on bare feet, “I’m Rapunzel.”
“I’m Tyra,” She smiled at the girl, her excitement a little infectious, “Wrex around?”
“Yeah, he’s inside. Its a waste of a nice day if you ask me.” She pointed with her brush, “Head in, take a left.” She added a ‘goddess be with you!’ to Tyra’s back as the older woman headed inside. She took a left, then knocked on a door marked ‘Wrex.’
The interior of the Ranch was warm stucco-painted walls with various pieces of artwork, spanish tiles on the floor and walls for decoration, with a lot of hardwood flooring otherwise. Throw rugs had been put down in various places, and it was obvious that someone with experience had been in charge of remodling it.
At least what Tyra knew of Wrex would allow her to know very well that he'd had nothing to do with frivolities like proper throw rug placement.
The pleasent smells wafting through the place were indicative that the cafeteria was in this building and not far away - the cooks were beginning the preparation for dinner. Wrex always loved this time of day, the kids ran around the house shouting for 2 hours about how they were starving and whining about how late the dinner hour was.
A voice bellowed through the door, "Come in!"
Tyra found the interior charming, warm and inviting, just like the exterior. And if the eyecandy out front was a regular occurrance, even better. She’d managed to not snicker at the throw rug. He’d paid good money for that decorator. Her stomach rumbled, and she walked in, nodding at the man at the desk, “Wrex.”
Wrex didn't even bother looking up from the gigantic book he was writing in. He nodded his head, "Shepard. Figured you'd end up here eventually."
“Well you did send an engraved invitation,” She replied, taking the letter out and waving it a little bit, before taking a seat. “You have a cute little welcome wagon out front. Something tells me she’s not one of your troublesome ones.”
That cute little welcome wagon had moved her painting to just outside and to the side of Wrex’s window. To get better light, of course. Nothing to do with curiosity or what that attractive blonde was doing with Wrex. Her Wrex.”My Kroger”
"I sent two of them if you count that net... thing." Wrex looked up from his work and leaned back in his chair, which revealed that the big book on his desk was in fact a gigantic accounting ledger. He'd been entering in the numbers by hand.
He looked Shepard over, noting the pink splotches of paint on her face, "I see you met Zel."
“Goddamn, Wrex, remind me to get you an accounting program.” Tyra sat back, crossing her legs as she watched the man. He really was an anachronism. She blinked, then touched her cheek and laughed, “I guess I did, didn’t I!”
Rapunzel squinted, then her eyes widened. Oops. She’d been holding her brush when talking to the woman. That happened at least once a day, she always forgot about it.
"I have an accounting program. It's in this stupid thing." Wrex motioned to his computer monitor, nearly whacking at it with his hand in the process. He briefly wondered if whacking it would help. It had helped back in the merc years.
"She's a good kid. Not one of the residents here, she teaches painting and looks after the grounds for me. I think it gives her a sense of purpose. Otherwise she just sort of ... I don't know. Teaches gang members to sing and talks about the grass's feelings or something."
Tyra playfully smacked it for him. Then paused and stared at him, “Did she make you hold a funeral for killing a bee or something?” She laughed, sitting back and studying him, “You look good, Wrex. This suits you. I don’t really know what the fuck you need me for.”
"Heh, actually. Yes, she did. My kids gave me all kinds of looks, but I made the ones that got mouthy clean up after the cows for a week."
Wrex grinned at Shepard, and got up out of his chair. He picked the keys up off his desk and tucked them into his pocket, then whacked the button on his computer that made it turn off, "Walk with me. We can steal some beers from the kitchen."
He headed for his office door and held it open for her, shutting it and locking it after she'd gone through.
“Cow shit, go figure.” Tyra got to her feet and walked alongside him towards the kitchen. Beers sounded good, “I still don’t know what I could provide you that you don’t already have.”
Crud! Rapunzel grabbed her easel and ran back to where she’d been originally, quickly setting up shop before she could be noticed to have gone missing.
"No one ever wants to clean the stables." Wrex snerked and lead her through the big living area, down a back hallway, and into a large kitchen. The evening chefs were busy cooking, most of them waved at him all friendly-like.
He waved back and hit the fridge with the lock on it, then pulled out two import beers. He cracked both open with his swiss army knife, then handed one to Shepard.
"You have skills. You're good at leading people. This place exists because of you, you know."
“Cleaning the stables isn’t so bad when you’re already full of shit.” She popped open the beer and took a swig, nodding in approval. She eyed Wrex, “Yeah, I told you to make something of yourself. To give back. Wasn’t what I had in mind, but I’m glad. Its like you’ve got your own clan here. Better than I could say for myself.”
Outside, Rapunzel had been struck with inspiration. To her landscape painting, she’d added the blonde woman riding a white horse.
It seemed appropriate.
Wrex laughed at the joke and headed to one of the training rooms, motioning around, "This room is for Aikido. I wanted that to be the martial art we learned here. It's about teamwork and respect. I've got an area set up next to it for boxing, YOU could be teaching that."
He walked through a set of double doors to the boxing area to show her what he meant. There were bags set up of varying sizes, and a small ring, "I want to do something with this. Like that episode of Battlestar Galactica. Settle your shit in the ring, not in the backyard with a knife you made from your toothbrush."
“Both are good idea. Don’t want to reinforce violence but do want to get them an outlet.” She smirked, “I could teach boxing.” She rolled her shoulders; they’d never know what hit ‘em, “Wanna spar?”
Wrex grinned, and started unbuttoning his shirt, "Kick this old man's ass, if you can."
Don't worry people, he has a wifebeater on under the shirt. He motioned over to an area with boxing gloves, "I don't have a mouthguard for you, though. We'll have to watch the hits to the head."
“If you can even hit me, old man.” She stripped her jacket off. She was wearing a white tank top over fatigue pants and boots. Adding the boxing glove and she looked ready for all comers!
Rapunzel came in, carrying her finished painting and stared. Oh no, not the violence again.
"Oh I can still hit you, Shepard. Who do you think has been teaching these kids before you showed up?"
Wrex laced the gloves on and got into a starting position, then smirked at the other woman and jutted his hand out towards her shoulder. He was a bit too focused to notice Rapunzel's entrance, or he might have stopped. He knew how the younger girl felt about this stuff.
Conflicted, Rapunzel felt conflicted. He was handsome up there, but he was also going to bloody and get bloodied.
Tyra started with a feint to the right followed by a left hook. She was fast, using agility to keep out of range and her momentum to add power to her strikes.
Wrex grunted. He refused to let himself feel old. It'd been ages since he'd sparred with anyone on his level.
He circled around Tyra a bit, shaking the hit off, then lunged in a bit to cuff her on the arm with one hand while he aimed for the solar plexus with the other hand.
Rapunzel gasped when it connected, then winced when Tyra snapped her head forward against Wrex’s face. Wasn’t that cheating? That was cheating!
Tyra backed away, gasping for breath. Wrex was strong. It felt like being hit by a brick.
Wrex used that moment to clear his vision, then press the advantage by charging in and headbutting HIS head against HERs.
Tyra’s head snapped back and she nearly tumbled out of the boxing ring. Her head was ringing, and she could see three Wrex’s. She upgraded her assessment from “brick” to “semi.” She sprung off the rope feinting left again, then actually following through on the left.
Wrex wasn't the only one that could hit like a truck when they had the mind to. He hadn't really been expecting the follow through to the left, since she'd feinted before and hit to the right.
Which was one of the reasons Wrex held Shepard so high on the respect meter. A thing he'd think about for a few seconds while staring up at the ceiling and watching little birds fly over his head.
Tyra danced around Wrex, waiting to see if he’d get up.
Rapunzel clambered into the ring. She leaned over Wrex, then looked around, shrugged, and went with it, “Ten.....nine....eight....”
“Stop counting the birdies, Zel.” Wrex was sure there were more than ten of them, too.
“I’d say he’s out for the count, sweetie.” Tyra reached down, grabbing Wrex’s hand and pulling him up, clapping him on the shoulder, “You let me have that one.”
Rapunzel tried not to hover.
“Did not. Took me by surprise, that’s all, “ Wrex shook his head, despite the fact that it was still swimming a bit, “You’re still good at this. This is why we need you, to come kick my ass into shape.”
He patted Rapunzel on the shoulder when he noted the hovering, “I’m alright, we were just sparring.”
“How does kicking your ass help the kids?” She put her arm around Wrex, “Aside from giving them satisfaction.”
Zel darted her eyes, then bounced out of the ring to retrieve her painting, “I finished that landscape for the front hall. I made a few alterations.” She turned it around to show them.
Tyra blinked at a stylized version of herself in cowgirl garb, on a white stallion with a sunset behind her, riding towards the viewer. A colorful rendition of the ranch finished out the picture. She raised her other hand and rubbed at the side of her head with the boxing glove.
“Well shit, if you’re going to make me art, I HAVE to stick around.”
"I'm so glad you're staying for her art and not because we need you here," Wrex grumped. He climbed out of the ring and pulled the gloves off of his hands, then took a look at the painting and nodded approvingly.
"Good work, Zel. Call the frame shop and get it set up. Me and Shepard have some stuff to go over."
That girl was always underfoot, he was beginning to realise. He wasn't sure what was up with that, but maybe it had something to do with his perpetual grumpy state. She was probably trying to get him to smile.
His smile was dreamy. She ran out the door with the painting, and instead of calling the frame shop, jogged over to the shop building. She could probably talk someone into making a frame for the picture. It was was better for the ranch and Mother Earth that way. And for the student she roped into doing it.
Tyra watched her go, then glanced at Wrex, “..she legal?”
Wrex squinted at her, "Yes. And No, you can't."
Stuff like that, though, the building a picture frame herself with the students, was among the reasons he liked having Rapunzel on his staff. She had all kinds of ways of thinking about getting the kids involved that he'd never even thought of. Somehow despite how hippy and mother earth she was, they managed to get along with her.
“I think she’s more interested in you, though I suppose she’s open minded enough.” She elbowed Wrex in the side.
“Knock it off, Shepard!” Wrex growled a bit, then shook his head, “She’d probably do it. You’re going to confuse her.”
And he really wasn’t even touching the idea that Zel liked him in any way but professionally. He rescued his beer and downed the rest of it, then took her into an area where the kids could change and mop down. There was a water cooler and some towels for wiping down after a work out, and he tossed her one.
“You kicking my ass reminds me that I’m not as good at this as I used to be. They need a good teacher. I’m just kind of a dinosaur running around and telling them to get off my lawn, mostly. And there’s other stuff you can help with. Security. Talking things out. Getting kids out of fights when they decide to be stupid. Plus, free lunch and dinner, good benefits, and I’ll pay you.”
“Its tempting, Wrex. She’s really cute. Bet she’d be open to experimentation. But I’ve got my eye on someone already.” Tyra’s mind was suddenly filled with images of Liara in assorted kinky situation and she picked up her beer and downed the rest of it in one go. Then a glass of water. She wiped herself down.
“One of the better offers I’ve gotten lately,” Shepard mused. “How much pay are we talking? I’m officially discharged in a week.”
“Probably about as much as they’re paying you. That depends on how much they’re actually paying, though. I can be a bit competitive but I can’t pay you in 6 zeros or anything.” Wrex wrinkled his nose a bit, “Other offers?”
“Man named Jack Harper,” She replied. “If he’d approached me a few years ago...”
"...Yeah. There's only so much of that you can do before you burn out on it, though."
He looked thoughtful for a moment, as he mulled over the name and why it sounded so familiar, "I think I know that name. Not sure from where."
“He’s up to something.” She started to pace, “He’s too interested in that mission we were on.” She glanced at him, not going into any more specifics. After all, who knows who’s listening!
Wrex watched her pace for a while, trying to think things through. He had a feeling this was really bad, the kind of bad Shepard didn't need to be involved with. It was her life, though. It's not like he could tell her NOT to.
"Whatever he wants, it's probably nothing you want to get involved with."
“Yeah, but what if they need someone like me to keep them on the straight and narrow?” She stopped pacing when she heard singing coming from the shop building. Several former gangbangers walked out, looking perplexed with flower wreathes. Rapunzel had struck again.
She shook her head, reminded of a picture from the 60s, the woman placing a flower in the gun, “Or maybe we just need to air drop her into warzones.”
"She'd get hurt," Wrex wrinkled his nose. He was protective of his staff and his kids, and he was sure every time Rapunzel went out on one of her 'making people love eachother' tours she'd end up dead. It annoyed the fuck out of him.
He sighed and got up, "It's your life, Shepard. I can't run it for you."
“Or she’d bring peace on earth.” She fell into step with Wrex, “I can’t find anything that indicates its illegal. But I think..maybe I can do some good here. Have some focus.” She stopped, and held out her hand, “Consider me on board.”