There was no fanfare, no well wishes of safe travels as Mach arrived at the Rhydin portal station in the still, cool air of the early morning just before the sun peaked over the horizon. Much like the city, most those that the man associated with were still asleep or off doing their own bit of mischief, unaware of his departure. Most....but not all as the man that had been up three hours prior to his departure time was still barely making it through the gate by the skin of his teeth. Now that had been quite the send off by the woman whom he'd sort of assumed didn't even know three a.m. was a time that occurred! Such nor the notion that he should just let Serah sleep when he was departing for a time were mistakes he was not likely to make again anytime soon.
And as for the rest of those the man acquainted with' Well, their absences was really by the hunters own doing as he'd not really informed anyone of this little trip. Didn't see a point really as he'd only be gone for a few days at most and the man knew no one would miss him for that amount of time. Hell, he'd had wild, violence filled benders that lasted longer than that! No, this place that he was learning to call home, these people that he was learning to care for would be fine without the schmooze for a little while as the man returned to the land of his birth for a family visit he wasn't over keen on being part of but one he didn't venture he could avoid.
The portal shuttle that the hunter boarded left the terminal at a quarter past five and journeyed uneventful for half an hour until it reached that trans-dimensional transfer gate that had been stabilized between the worlds of Rhydin and Tang. Mach sat alone in the small passenger compartment ahead of the cargo holds that was the trains true mainstay of service. He had with him a single, large canvas duffel done up in standard drab military olive which matched well with the brown military peacoat uniform he wore of his profession decorated tastefully with only a few insignia, ribbons, cords, and mantle that draped intimidatingly over his shoulders. The man did have the option to wear his caster given his rank and position and it had been a serious consideration given some of his past experiences while traveling but this was a homecoming visit. No need to look the part of a monster more than he had to!
An overhead small LCD band display flashed orange drawing the blue eye blue gaze of the sole passenger up to the display as the transition countdown scrolled along. Mach didn't really like this part, the sickening disorientation that came with moving from one dimension to another. He was particularly sensitive to the lunch churning nature of the transition given his enhanced sensitivity to ether climates and what he felt was a healthy paranoia about slipping into the great inbetweens of existence. Ten" nine" eight' he let his fingers curl around the well-worn ends of the armrests attached to his seat. Seven" six" five" four" his nails felt along the groves left by dozens of passengers before him who had prepared for this shift in the exact same way as he, a nice compromise of relaxed and clutching for dear life found as he settled in. Three" two' one" he sucked in a breath, holding it for a heartbeat before letting it out in a long, steady exhale as he felt that subtle shimmy that ran through the cabin as the train hit the anomaly. There was a sense of motionlessness as the world suddenly lost all indicators of time, the cabin taken by a flash of brilliant crystalline light from the dark, empty void that existed outside. Mental alarms went off as he felt the ether churn violently like a whirlpool while direction and orientation became meaningless. Those sensations of wrongness stretched for what seemed like minutes despite what he understood as the physics of what occurred, knew that mere seconds was all it took for trans-location. And suddenly, just as quickly as everything went strange did it revert but now was just slightly off from what it had been.
Outside what had been dawn as the fingers of sunlight were just beginning to crest the horizon over the sleepy city was now a radiant pre-noon spectacle with low level clouds casting diffuse shadows over the landscape. Mach felt slightly heavier as the increased gravity constant of Tang took hold, the pressure at the back of his mind easing as the concentration of chaotic magical energy dropped" the flavor and texture of ether drastically different. It all worked to make the man shudder as his body cried of something being horribly amiss. Something amiss and yet so familiar, comforting as a favored set of clothes in a favorite room during a favored weather pattern in one's favorite season' but such was to be expected. The man did spend thirty one years of life in this environment' though it was a testament to his adaptability as even now he felt just a touch nostalgic for that which he had just left. It was a feeling he nursed for the half hour it took for that train to travel into the hub of that small city that shone in the noontime sun. Tarsndel wasn't a very impressive city by any measure lying at the edge of the Korach Plains. If anything it was just sort of there, a place to travel through, perhaps catch a meal as one passed through to destinations of true note. If not for its proximity to a few prominent portals the little city probably wouldn't have existed at all much less be so grand as to have a large train-depot and airport as it had.
Blue eyes blue watched the buildings pass by as the portal shuttle speed through to that terminal station where he would make his change over for the transport that would carry him back to Prysbal. His wandering attention made note of the much more standardized style of architecture, of modern building material that made up the low reaching skyline of the commercial buildings that dominated this place rather then the manic mish mash that was typical of Rhydin. The place had its charm to be sure but the sheer variety was just a little daunting, the soupy nature of the space around the nexus almost nauseating to those not used to the sheer amount of strange and weird. He mused lazily over what exactly it had to say about him that such didn't really bother him....but then he had seen a lot of strange in his time even before reaching that melting pot of culture.
Mach stood to retrieve his canvas duffel from the overhead compartment as he felt the shuttle beginning to slow as it reached its destination. A tug was given here and there to straighten his uniform before he slung his luggage over shoulder and made his way down the aisle of that small passenger car to the set of loading doors in the front. Those last few pillars of the rain cover slid on by the man's view before the shuttle lurched gently as it came to a stop, a momentary delay passed before the doors let off a gentle hiss before opening to let an arid summer wave wash over him. He breathed in the subtle fragrance of the tectonically active valleys to the east which mixed with the heady fragrances of the dense mountain woods from the north all filtered through the distinct smogs of scientific and arcane industry. It smelled so familiar yet alien, a vastly different bouquet than found in Rhydin particularly with the lack of the salty sea from the docks, the smell of burnt fuel from spaceport, or the exotic medley from the marketplace or the west end. There may be hints of such smells elsewhere in Tang, perhaps even all of them in a few of the major cities but there would certainly not be the almost overpowering smell of the arcane that seemed to seep every corner of Rhydin.
He stepped out onto the lonely platform, no fanfare over his arrival and none made as he rushed over from the shuttle terminal over to the train station located in the same yard. He did note a few glances from those he passed by but there wasn't much time for him to take in the sights or sounds as this was the only train leaving from here to Prysbal. Sure there was an airport just a quick cab ride from the train depot which offered flights via both airship and airplane throughout the day to his final destination but the man was rather leery of such modes of transport. Perhaps it was just paranoia but then again the last time the man traveled via airship was during the Red Rose Incident in Trentval. Something about fighting off mind controlled soldiers while trying to force reboot the levitation matrix of his crashing flight left a negative impression upon him. The incident had soared not only him but a fair number of other hunters against ever considering such a mode of transport that required them to be lifted to lethal drop heights!
A pass of phone over the gate terminal flagged him through to that final jog up to the platform and in through the train doors moments before they rolled into action, a pressurized hiss emanating as he heard them snap closed behind him. "That was too close?" A wary sigh escaped him as he hoisted that duffel upon his shoulder, a tick of those blue eyes blue noting only a few other passengers. His gaze paused momentarily on each person as it went, a quick threat assessment made on everyone out of sheer habit. At the realization of what he was doing evidenced as more than a few of the passengers shrank away from his gaze, Mach friendly as it was, his expression just thinned. He chided himself mentally for letting such a bad habit express so readily, but then it was something typically seen as normal as normal could be in Rhydin likely because everyone there just sort of assessed everyone else for threat all the time. But then again Rhydin was chock full of dangerous types so such was not only expected but prudent. Not that this was any excuse for the man's behavior, in honesty he would have done it anyway. The only difference would have been the degree of blatancy which applied.
The subtle nudge of movement beneath his feet jarred the man's mind back to the here and now, legs finding motivation once more as he moved over to his assigned seat in the back corner. It was a bullet express train that would take him across the Korach Plains and into the gentle hills of the Moldon Plateau stopping in a half dozen cities along the way before it finally descended into the Tal Ysbin Flats where Prysbal was located. The trip wasn't long enough to warrant a sleeper such if he were traveling to the coast but it was still going to be a seven hour trip! He stowed his duffel into that overhead storage before flopping in to his seat, a sigh escaping him as he let his eyes close to just soak in the warmth of the noontime sun that filtered in through the window. Despite the slight apprehension at being back the man still felt a touch of nostalgic relief which mixed with the fatigue from his morning activities leaving him feeling pleasantly worn. He could probably catch up on some sleep to help while away the trip and so it was with that though that he settled in to his seat to doze off"
Or he would have if he could just shake that feeling of eyes upon him! A single eye opened against the light, a squint settling upon round hazel eyes that peeked at him from a messy mop of blond hair all atop a row of little fingers. Mach played a little game of one eyed squint with the youthful eyes that peered at him, a minute passing before finally half those little fingers curled in a silent wave. Straight faced the hunter lifted his hand, a lazy wiggle of his own fingers in a silent wave back before a mild grin pulled upon him as those eyes only widened. "Sup squirt?"
The boy looked to be about seven traveling with who he assumed, based off of facial feature similarities when he was profiling everyone, was the boy's mother who sat a few rows ahead of him. At his words the child's features lifted to expose a gappy yet tooth filled grin of their own. "Hello mister?" Mach almost chuckled at the mix of wonder and trepidation in the child's tone.
His other eye opened lazily to join the first as he watched the boy who in turn watched him. Another minute would pass in relative silence save the sounds of the train cutting along at a staggering pace before Mach's patience finally wore thin. "Can I help you?"
Mach knew he was terrible with children. This was not a fact that he would ever contest and perhaps made him a little glad that he was consequentially sterilized from being a hunter. Sure he did well enough with Gin's kid, but Regina was quite used to dealing with the generally broken, crass, and unpleasant sort of folks that hunters tended to be due to the sheer number of the lot she'd been exposed to throughout her life. Her very own personalized, dysfunctional, clown family.
Those blues ticked to follow the movement of the child's hand as it moved now to point at him. "Good guy?"
Mach smirked ever so lightly at the term used. "I don't know, why do you say that?"
The boy's features scrunched in thought. "Because you'rea shoulder!" A smirk escaped the man as the child chirped that with pride.
"A shoulder" You don't say!" A mock look of shock pulled on those rugged features before it gave way to a grin. "What makes you think I'm a shoulder?"
"Uh huh, a shoulder!" A nod as if asserting that fact was all it took for it to be true. Of course at the schmoozes question those round features scrunched once more. "Why..." Cause you wear a un...un"un-i-form...uniform!" And there was that pride once more before the child started chattering excitedly. "Mom and I saw a parade back home with a lot of shoulders with their colorful squares and their string!" A point of little digit was issued towards his rack of assorted ribbons and the service cords that encircled his right arm. The wonder was evident upon the child as they looked over Mach's service uniform, that gaze finally pausing on the odd-man-out piece " the decorative brown leather mantle that draped over his shoulders covering his epaulettes. It was as synonymous, ubiquitous, and symbolic of meaning as the campaign hat for drill sergeants or the special issue beret for ranger forces. Only those who were part of the hunters corp in the army were issued the hunters mantle, an at a glance designation of what they were for better or for worse. Along the left lower hem that fell just below the collar bone was the three golden stars signifying him as a Class A hunter while mirrored on the right was a rectangle with three gold thunderbolts and two silver hashes deigning at what level he was licensed.
Of course how do you explain to a child that your job was to hunt people down" Granted that's what all soldiers did but one could not try to loose such a fact in the details since that very negative connotation was the very moniker used to describe his chosen profession. "That's a mantle....means I'm a special soldier."
The youths features contorted just a hair as Mach inadvertently corrected them when he lost the cute mispronunciation of what he was though it would quickly slide to wonderment at the term. "Special" You're a special sho...solde...sol-jur" The boy struggled with the term but seemed pleased when they mostly got it. "Why are you special?"
Mach chuckled slightly at the boys struggle, a wry grin upon him as he considered that question. "Well....I stop bad people....who do especially bad things. Bring them to justice yeah?"
The boys brows dropped as they integrated this into their limited scope of the world, a moment or two consideration before a shocked look crossed him. "You'rea hero!?"
Mach balked at that term, a humorful snort escaping him at such an inappropriate view. But then it wasn't surprising since there was a lot of drummed up pride in soldiers at the moment. There was a sweep of nationalism and patriotism in Taj due to recent politics and military conflicts including a few short term wars. Nothing like having the enemy at your gates to stir pride in who was essentially your nations group of paid and trained killers. The man shook away that dark little thought as he noted that wide eyed hazel gaze that was locked upon him....oh, right. "No.....I mean, no more a hero than any other shoulder yeah?" A cheery wink as confusion now took the boy....was it shoulder or soldier!" Of course whether you were seven or seventy seven distraction was still a useful tool for when you wanted to avoid touchy subjects....and the man kept that tool very well maintained and polished.
The boy looked as if they were about to say something else when a set of larger hands fell upon their shoulders, those hazel eyes looking up at the disapproving glare that the woman that loomed over him shot the lad. A friendly enough grin was held as blue eyes blue looked at the small, pointing finger. "Mom, look! A shouldier!" And now Mach smirked as the child opted to just combine all the 's' words together! An apologetic look was given to the boys mother at his role in the delinquency of the child's vocabulary.
The woman spared Mach the barest of glances, a lingering look upon his shoulders before she gave the boy a tug."Yes....I see...lets not bother the man, come on."
"Aww, but I'm not bottoming....both-ering....bothering anyone! Am I mister!" A puppy like expectant look was shot towards the schmooze. Aw jeez.
"I-It's alright, really. No bottom....I mean, bother here." A slight chuckle and a cheeky little grin played upon Mach though the woman obviously did not find his terrible humor humorous. She bowed her head apologetic.
"N-no....sorry....about my son..." An uncomfortable tension lurked just behind that apologetic expression before the woman turned to her son once more, a more forceful jerk given as she pried the boy from the seat back which he clung. "Come along now Benji...” Her tone was an unpleasant hiss as she all but drug the child away.
Benji gave a half sad, half annoyed look to Mach as if he were being pulled away from a toy he wanted to play with. "Sorry mister....but moOW!" The boy screeched as he gave his mother an accusing look, little fingers grasping at that sharp grasp the woman had upon the child's shoulder as she lead him away.
For Mach's part he simply curled his fingers in a friendly little wave, a gentle smile offered to the boy and his mother as they retreated. It really wasn't his place to defend the squirts obnoxious curiosity or chastise the mother's sort of blunt and unfriendly manner....wasn't his place in the least. Not in the least. Damnit. "Hey now, careful yeah' I understand youth are the future and tend to be fragile sorts."
The woman turned a sharp glare at the mans glib tone though her ire sank at that humorless smile the soldier gave her....the hunter gave her. He wasn't sure if it was an apology or a curse that she leveled under her breath at him while she bowed slightly but it really didn't matter. Hell, he had no real obligation to have done such, no reason even other than the fact that the sight just sort of annoyed him. He really did have a knack for shoving his nose where it didn't belong! That thought was left to whither as he sort of settled back into his seat feeling a little accomplished for his good deed of the day. Those blues would close, letting the steady sound of the train, the gentle rock as it speed along at over 240 kph lull him to sleep.
And sleep the man would do, or try to do at least until he felt a very subtle tap upon his shoulder. Once....twice....and by the third those blues cracked open once more trying to take in the world he'd been trying to escape from. The sun had only progressed just a little since last he recalled indicating that he'd obviously not been out long before the interruption. A slide of gaze would follow those slender fingers up along the arm and to the face attached to such. The woman was young, pleasantly late teens by his venture with her blond hair dolled up in a professional like bun to match her uniform: a train attendant. A friendly enough smile was offered to the girl. "Sup doll?"
Even that overly friendly greeting wasn't enough to wash away the apologetic tension from the attendants feature as she smiled service industry pleasant at him. "I'm so sorry to disturb you sir, but, um, I need to talk to you about some complaints that, um, have been brought to our attention." Blue eyes blue watched as the woman tripped over herself in that dubious duty, her hands wrenching together uncomfortably. It didn't take much imagination for Mach to figure what had happened as he hazarded a glance past the girl, a note of the other passengers in the car.....and how almost none of them watched what was going on. That was just against human nature, to not participate in voyeuristic rubber necking, unless one had a direct hand in the show that was going on.
True there was pride, nearly stupid amounts of such, in the soldiers of the armed forces which protected the homeland against the hostile curs along the borders, the political strife, the internal conflicts. But then again the most recent war in the populaces memory was the Permiatic War....a war against a state of demi-humans, monsters, and mages which Taj lost. Now one may have thought that such would have made folks like him big damn heroes.....but if your powers, granted by the dangers of mad science, was no different from the media demonized monsters one was fighting against then what exactly did that make such folks" It was almost laughable that hunters who underwent such trials as they did so as to protect the populace against maleficarum and dangerous madscis would be lumped in the same category by the population they served. Almost giggle worthy.....and yet that was the truth of things.
Mach knew he was seen as an albatross, but he didn't think that hunters were seen quite so negatively! It was a good measure on what the tension level was against the normie population and the potentialed....and the fact that just redressing a sort of bitch mother rallied most of a compartment of strangers against him left a very soar taste in the mans mouth. Had things really gotten that bad" Or was there always this much tension but he was just sort of numb against it until he'd been in a place like Rhydin"
The hunter returned his attention to the girl, a sad little smile offered. He did not envy her in the least, at very least she was caught between a rock and a hard place and at most she had to have been thinking she was being fed to the griffons. It wasn't exactly a paranoid fear either as that's why there was such a an emphasis to ensure hunter purity and integrity as more than a few had gone mustache twirling bad....or at least let the power granted them go to their heads. "Oh' Good. Actually, I was wondering if I could get moved....keep getting bugged as I'm trying to catch some shut eye yeah' Long night..." A coy little grin pulled upon him as he shifted slightly, a stretch lifting his hand up to tap the girls nose bringing a little 'eep' from her.
The attendant blink, a confused look crossing those youthful features before the understanding of subtext finally clicked. That sad, apologetic look pulled on her once more though there was now a glimmer of honest gratitude. "O-Oh....well, I'm terribly sorry. Uhm, unfortunately we do not have any more business seating available. W-we can offer you general coach with a refund and..." He was already standing, a hand snagging the strap of his canvas duffel while he turned for the door leading further back in the train.
He was already walking, leaving the flabbergasted attendant behind without much interest in hearing the platitudes. Pulling open the sliding door to that corrider between cars he'd pause as there was a bustle behind him, a little struggle before he heard a familiar voice chirp up in his defense. "But why does he have to go!" He's a hero!"
A wry smirk escaped him but Mach couldn't help the smile that pulled on him. Youth are the future huh' He turned a beaming grin back to kid whom the mother was trying her best to contain, her motions becoming much less aggressive under the oppressive gaze of the hunter. Everyone else who had started to gander when his back was turned were suddenly trying to find somewhere, anywhere else around Mach to gaze so as not to potentially annoy the crazy, crazy, mage like hunter. Sly little bastards but such didn't exactly bother him.....human nature and all. "Damn straight kid, I am a hero, don't forget it either yeah?" The boy seemed to brighten as Mach winked at him cheekily and before he stirred anymore trouble he would turn and step through the linkage corridor and into the next compartment without further ado.
It wouldn't be until he'd made it into the coach class cars that the attendant would finally catch up to him, her expression pained and embarrassed. "I-I really am sorry about this!"
Mach waved off the apology, a glance over the occupants of this car noting the gazes he got as well....how the focus always fell upon his mantle. He probably wouldn't have bothered with his service uniform if not for the fact that he was going back to visit family in his homeland after half a year....it just seemed kind of fitting to arrive dressed in his prideful nines. That was a sentiment he would most certainly not hold again. "It's fine, I don't mind yeah?"
He made his way through the car and into the next one. At very least he should at some point run out of cars and wind up in the commuter cars upon which then it would be the problem of everyone else to move! Hot upon his heels the attenedent followed. "O-Oh, we don't have to go all the way to the back. We have some coach seating that..."
"What part of 'don't wanna be disturbed' do you not get' Nah, I'll just go back to commuter where if anyone's got a problem with me they can just sorta move or deal." A wry grin offered to the girl as he pushed from the connection tunnel the were in and into the next car.
"Y-you don't....you shouldn't have to do that..." There was a slight slow down in his pace at the sadness that pulled on the girls features, in that beaten tone. It was a sort of sadness that Mach knew well from his time around other hunters....and their families.
"Got family in the service...?" A wry little grin offered as he mindlessly wandered into the next car.
The girl looked at him, a wary, surprised expression upon her. "Sister in the army flies hunter support....had a dad that died in the Permiatic....got a body back to bury because a hunter was trying to get him medical aid even though it was too late."
Mach pushed into that last car. He wasn't exactly sure what his expression was at that moment but it seemed to make a few of the commuters jump as they looked at him. Remembering to smile he wandered off to the back bench which seemed to quickly vacate of it's occupant as he approached. Don't want to sit too close, might catch the magic! Something inside the man sighed a breath of relief that Serah had opted not to join him on this little homecoming....or any of his friends really for that matter. Dumping his duffel upon the bench unceremoniously before he turned about to join it those blues would tick back to the girl. "Ah....well, tell your sis and pops thanks for me, yeah?"
The girl looked conflicted. "I....I will, thanks. But....this isn't right....I mean, we can at least..."
Mach cut that thought off with a raise of finger. "It's fine."
"But...!"
"It's fine!"
The girl nibbled upon her lower lip, that conflict apparently at a head. "Are you sure there's not anything I can do for you...?"
Mach leveled a wary look upon the girl. She was pretty cute....naturally thin with the suppleness of youth and perky enough assets. The schmooze knew it would have been simple enough to talk her up, play up that ingrained sympathy to get her number, maybe a promise for some coffee even before he left. If he was really on fire, really turned on the charm he was fairly sure she looked the sorts who wasn't remiss to some rather 'risky' fun on the job and that he could have flirted his way into her considering such. It would certainly be a fun way to while away a few hours.
But then Mach wasn't living the schmooze lifestyle anymore....or was at least attempting to reign in the worse sort of habits from such. A personal choice...and one that was far reaching as he knew he'd never have agreed to this visit if not for some of the changes in his mindset that were starting to occur thanks to it. He'd have happily lied his way out of going back to Tang for his sisters white coat ceremony....gladly done such if not for the fact that if he completely forsook that part of his life as he had planned then what right did he have to try and enjoy the other which he had planned to forsake as well"
A sigh escaped him. "I'm sure doll." A crooked grin was offered up. "Just make sure no one shanks me or steals my shit while I nap, yeah?" This sentiment was sealed with a wink before he settled into the uncomfortable bench seat, adjusting here and there until he was as comfortable as he figured he'd get. If the attendant said anything else he'd not have heard it as he focused on getting back to sleep, on ignoring the world once more. And this time he would succeed.
- - - - - -
Mach had that last car mostly to himself for the remainder of the trip, his very presence seeming to repel all but the most apathetic souls as that train traveled along stopping every so often for fifteen minute blocks in the major cities along the way. He'd slept a fair amount of the time and whiled away the remainder sending off texts to various parties and generally keeping himself entertained with his phone. By the time that the train was rolling into the Prysbal train-depot the sun was barely hanging on to the horizon, sinking lower and lower to give way to the coming night. The hunter was well and ready to be off the train by the time he felt it start it's final deceleration, his duffel snagged and the last five or so minutes of that ride spent standing before the door to the platform.
Blues watched as the station scrolled into view, as the platform rolled up to the train which finally came to a gentle halt with barely a nudge as that last bit of momentum was lost. The doors waited a moment before there was that welcomed hiss, the grind as they slid open letting another warm wash of air pass over him pushing away the comfort of the conditioned air from the train. He breathed in the smells of heavy industry, ore processing, and of the grasslands that surrounded the city as he stepped off and on the platform with a little stretch.
He wasn't even ten feet away from the train, those blues sill adapting to the mish mash of lighting that came from a city at dusk when he'd hear a familiar voice boom across the platform, powerful and shameless.
"Eli! Eli you son of a bitch you really came!?" Blues ticked over to the approaching man. Mach was an imposing figure himself at 160 cm with that scrappers build but the man that approached was a real daunting bastard standing at 170 cm and a build like a trained gorilla. Of course that short, slicked back haircut and the gaudy dragon print silk shirt didn't help that very organized crime thug feel that hung around the man. The hunter dodged left at that first attempt of an embrace, a duck and around at the second before the behemoth finally caught him in the third. Mach could swear he felt a few tender ribs snap as the man gave him a hearty hug. "Gods damn it's so good to see you man!"
"Alright, alright....I get it Mike, jeez..." Mach wheezed out the response as he sort of tapped out uncle upon his brothers broad back. Michael Portman Turner, the eldest sibling with two years on Mach and likely the one he was closest to. The two of them had been raising hell since they were young, both mutually bad influences on the other but at the same time had each others back through thick and thin. Mach couldn't even begin to count how much shit they had gotten into....nor how many times they'd dragged each other back out no matter the cost. Hot headed, short tempered, and fiercely loyal the man was far too bullheaded and lacking of restraint or respect to have made it in the military as Eli had and generally had too much sense to ever really throw his lot in as an enforcer for a proper organized crime element. And so he simply worked out his aggressions through a string of hard, manual labor jobs and a penchant for substance use that made Mach's look tame.
The hunter tapped uncle a little more trying to escape the eldest Turner's bear hug. "Seriously....keep this up and folks are gonna think we're fruity man!" A wry grin pulled upon him, between a few coughs, at the quickness which Mike released him at that insinuation.
"Yeah right man, two fine ass examples of manly men" Would be a tragedy for all womankind if we took to porking each other!" A wicked grin pulled upon the man's broad features, similar yet vastly different. A smirk began to pull upon Mach in response until he was nearly doubled over by the hearty clap of wide hand upon his back. "Besides man, you won't believe some of the shit that's been going on in your absence yeah' Fuck-ing-ay man." A chortle escaped the galoot as he snagged the large duffel from the hunter, hoisting it as if it were nothing.
"Hey now, I got that..." Mach began to protest but Mike was already walking off with his pack. Was this how it was like to have to deal with a force of stubborn that did things even when you don't want them to' Mach may have to apologize to a few folks when he got back to Rhydin!
"Oh don't want the fancy and learned of us to break a nail." The man offered a wry wink back before a bark of laughter escaped him. "Come on bro, so much to catch up on and dinner'll be waiting so lets hop to yeah?"
Mach just sort of glowered at his older brother for a long moment before a smirk escaped him. Here he was, the human turned monster and Mike was just too damn thick to care! He chuckled as he picked up his pace to catch up to the man. "Thanks baggage bitch, I appreciate it!"
Mike simply snorted at that jab. "That's Mister Baggage Bitch, respectable like right' Anyway, stupid and stupid aside, you remember Traci Yorinell....that chick with the massive fun bags going out with Oli" Well...?
And the two hell raising brothers turned men caught up in their particularly broken manner as they headed back to their sisters place.
And as for the rest of those the man acquainted with' Well, their absences was really by the hunters own doing as he'd not really informed anyone of this little trip. Didn't see a point really as he'd only be gone for a few days at most and the man knew no one would miss him for that amount of time. Hell, he'd had wild, violence filled benders that lasted longer than that! No, this place that he was learning to call home, these people that he was learning to care for would be fine without the schmooze for a little while as the man returned to the land of his birth for a family visit he wasn't over keen on being part of but one he didn't venture he could avoid.
The portal shuttle that the hunter boarded left the terminal at a quarter past five and journeyed uneventful for half an hour until it reached that trans-dimensional transfer gate that had been stabilized between the worlds of Rhydin and Tang. Mach sat alone in the small passenger compartment ahead of the cargo holds that was the trains true mainstay of service. He had with him a single, large canvas duffel done up in standard drab military olive which matched well with the brown military peacoat uniform he wore of his profession decorated tastefully with only a few insignia, ribbons, cords, and mantle that draped intimidatingly over his shoulders. The man did have the option to wear his caster given his rank and position and it had been a serious consideration given some of his past experiences while traveling but this was a homecoming visit. No need to look the part of a monster more than he had to!
An overhead small LCD band display flashed orange drawing the blue eye blue gaze of the sole passenger up to the display as the transition countdown scrolled along. Mach didn't really like this part, the sickening disorientation that came with moving from one dimension to another. He was particularly sensitive to the lunch churning nature of the transition given his enhanced sensitivity to ether climates and what he felt was a healthy paranoia about slipping into the great inbetweens of existence. Ten" nine" eight' he let his fingers curl around the well-worn ends of the armrests attached to his seat. Seven" six" five" four" his nails felt along the groves left by dozens of passengers before him who had prepared for this shift in the exact same way as he, a nice compromise of relaxed and clutching for dear life found as he settled in. Three" two' one" he sucked in a breath, holding it for a heartbeat before letting it out in a long, steady exhale as he felt that subtle shimmy that ran through the cabin as the train hit the anomaly. There was a sense of motionlessness as the world suddenly lost all indicators of time, the cabin taken by a flash of brilliant crystalline light from the dark, empty void that existed outside. Mental alarms went off as he felt the ether churn violently like a whirlpool while direction and orientation became meaningless. Those sensations of wrongness stretched for what seemed like minutes despite what he understood as the physics of what occurred, knew that mere seconds was all it took for trans-location. And suddenly, just as quickly as everything went strange did it revert but now was just slightly off from what it had been.
Outside what had been dawn as the fingers of sunlight were just beginning to crest the horizon over the sleepy city was now a radiant pre-noon spectacle with low level clouds casting diffuse shadows over the landscape. Mach felt slightly heavier as the increased gravity constant of Tang took hold, the pressure at the back of his mind easing as the concentration of chaotic magical energy dropped" the flavor and texture of ether drastically different. It all worked to make the man shudder as his body cried of something being horribly amiss. Something amiss and yet so familiar, comforting as a favored set of clothes in a favorite room during a favored weather pattern in one's favorite season' but such was to be expected. The man did spend thirty one years of life in this environment' though it was a testament to his adaptability as even now he felt just a touch nostalgic for that which he had just left. It was a feeling he nursed for the half hour it took for that train to travel into the hub of that small city that shone in the noontime sun. Tarsndel wasn't a very impressive city by any measure lying at the edge of the Korach Plains. If anything it was just sort of there, a place to travel through, perhaps catch a meal as one passed through to destinations of true note. If not for its proximity to a few prominent portals the little city probably wouldn't have existed at all much less be so grand as to have a large train-depot and airport as it had.
Blue eyes blue watched the buildings pass by as the portal shuttle speed through to that terminal station where he would make his change over for the transport that would carry him back to Prysbal. His wandering attention made note of the much more standardized style of architecture, of modern building material that made up the low reaching skyline of the commercial buildings that dominated this place rather then the manic mish mash that was typical of Rhydin. The place had its charm to be sure but the sheer variety was just a little daunting, the soupy nature of the space around the nexus almost nauseating to those not used to the sheer amount of strange and weird. He mused lazily over what exactly it had to say about him that such didn't really bother him....but then he had seen a lot of strange in his time even before reaching that melting pot of culture.
Mach stood to retrieve his canvas duffel from the overhead compartment as he felt the shuttle beginning to slow as it reached its destination. A tug was given here and there to straighten his uniform before he slung his luggage over shoulder and made his way down the aisle of that small passenger car to the set of loading doors in the front. Those last few pillars of the rain cover slid on by the man's view before the shuttle lurched gently as it came to a stop, a momentary delay passed before the doors let off a gentle hiss before opening to let an arid summer wave wash over him. He breathed in the subtle fragrance of the tectonically active valleys to the east which mixed with the heady fragrances of the dense mountain woods from the north all filtered through the distinct smogs of scientific and arcane industry. It smelled so familiar yet alien, a vastly different bouquet than found in Rhydin particularly with the lack of the salty sea from the docks, the smell of burnt fuel from spaceport, or the exotic medley from the marketplace or the west end. There may be hints of such smells elsewhere in Tang, perhaps even all of them in a few of the major cities but there would certainly not be the almost overpowering smell of the arcane that seemed to seep every corner of Rhydin.
He stepped out onto the lonely platform, no fanfare over his arrival and none made as he rushed over from the shuttle terminal over to the train station located in the same yard. He did note a few glances from those he passed by but there wasn't much time for him to take in the sights or sounds as this was the only train leaving from here to Prysbal. Sure there was an airport just a quick cab ride from the train depot which offered flights via both airship and airplane throughout the day to his final destination but the man was rather leery of such modes of transport. Perhaps it was just paranoia but then again the last time the man traveled via airship was during the Red Rose Incident in Trentval. Something about fighting off mind controlled soldiers while trying to force reboot the levitation matrix of his crashing flight left a negative impression upon him. The incident had soared not only him but a fair number of other hunters against ever considering such a mode of transport that required them to be lifted to lethal drop heights!
A pass of phone over the gate terminal flagged him through to that final jog up to the platform and in through the train doors moments before they rolled into action, a pressurized hiss emanating as he heard them snap closed behind him. "That was too close?" A wary sigh escaped him as he hoisted that duffel upon his shoulder, a tick of those blue eyes blue noting only a few other passengers. His gaze paused momentarily on each person as it went, a quick threat assessment made on everyone out of sheer habit. At the realization of what he was doing evidenced as more than a few of the passengers shrank away from his gaze, Mach friendly as it was, his expression just thinned. He chided himself mentally for letting such a bad habit express so readily, but then it was something typically seen as normal as normal could be in Rhydin likely because everyone there just sort of assessed everyone else for threat all the time. But then again Rhydin was chock full of dangerous types so such was not only expected but prudent. Not that this was any excuse for the man's behavior, in honesty he would have done it anyway. The only difference would have been the degree of blatancy which applied.
The subtle nudge of movement beneath his feet jarred the man's mind back to the here and now, legs finding motivation once more as he moved over to his assigned seat in the back corner. It was a bullet express train that would take him across the Korach Plains and into the gentle hills of the Moldon Plateau stopping in a half dozen cities along the way before it finally descended into the Tal Ysbin Flats where Prysbal was located. The trip wasn't long enough to warrant a sleeper such if he were traveling to the coast but it was still going to be a seven hour trip! He stowed his duffel into that overhead storage before flopping in to his seat, a sigh escaping him as he let his eyes close to just soak in the warmth of the noontime sun that filtered in through the window. Despite the slight apprehension at being back the man still felt a touch of nostalgic relief which mixed with the fatigue from his morning activities leaving him feeling pleasantly worn. He could probably catch up on some sleep to help while away the trip and so it was with that though that he settled in to his seat to doze off"
Or he would have if he could just shake that feeling of eyes upon him! A single eye opened against the light, a squint settling upon round hazel eyes that peeked at him from a messy mop of blond hair all atop a row of little fingers. Mach played a little game of one eyed squint with the youthful eyes that peered at him, a minute passing before finally half those little fingers curled in a silent wave. Straight faced the hunter lifted his hand, a lazy wiggle of his own fingers in a silent wave back before a mild grin pulled upon him as those eyes only widened. "Sup squirt?"
The boy looked to be about seven traveling with who he assumed, based off of facial feature similarities when he was profiling everyone, was the boy's mother who sat a few rows ahead of him. At his words the child's features lifted to expose a gappy yet tooth filled grin of their own. "Hello mister?" Mach almost chuckled at the mix of wonder and trepidation in the child's tone.
His other eye opened lazily to join the first as he watched the boy who in turn watched him. Another minute would pass in relative silence save the sounds of the train cutting along at a staggering pace before Mach's patience finally wore thin. "Can I help you?"
Mach knew he was terrible with children. This was not a fact that he would ever contest and perhaps made him a little glad that he was consequentially sterilized from being a hunter. Sure he did well enough with Gin's kid, but Regina was quite used to dealing with the generally broken, crass, and unpleasant sort of folks that hunters tended to be due to the sheer number of the lot she'd been exposed to throughout her life. Her very own personalized, dysfunctional, clown family.
Those blues ticked to follow the movement of the child's hand as it moved now to point at him. "Good guy?"
Mach smirked ever so lightly at the term used. "I don't know, why do you say that?"
The boy's features scrunched in thought. "Because you'rea shoulder!" A smirk escaped the man as the child chirped that with pride.
"A shoulder" You don't say!" A mock look of shock pulled on those rugged features before it gave way to a grin. "What makes you think I'm a shoulder?"
"Uh huh, a shoulder!" A nod as if asserting that fact was all it took for it to be true. Of course at the schmoozes question those round features scrunched once more. "Why..." Cause you wear a un...un"un-i-form...uniform!" And there was that pride once more before the child started chattering excitedly. "Mom and I saw a parade back home with a lot of shoulders with their colorful squares and their string!" A point of little digit was issued towards his rack of assorted ribbons and the service cords that encircled his right arm. The wonder was evident upon the child as they looked over Mach's service uniform, that gaze finally pausing on the odd-man-out piece " the decorative brown leather mantle that draped over his shoulders covering his epaulettes. It was as synonymous, ubiquitous, and symbolic of meaning as the campaign hat for drill sergeants or the special issue beret for ranger forces. Only those who were part of the hunters corp in the army were issued the hunters mantle, an at a glance designation of what they were for better or for worse. Along the left lower hem that fell just below the collar bone was the three golden stars signifying him as a Class A hunter while mirrored on the right was a rectangle with three gold thunderbolts and two silver hashes deigning at what level he was licensed.
Of course how do you explain to a child that your job was to hunt people down" Granted that's what all soldiers did but one could not try to loose such a fact in the details since that very negative connotation was the very moniker used to describe his chosen profession. "That's a mantle....means I'm a special soldier."
The youths features contorted just a hair as Mach inadvertently corrected them when he lost the cute mispronunciation of what he was though it would quickly slide to wonderment at the term. "Special" You're a special sho...solde...sol-jur" The boy struggled with the term but seemed pleased when they mostly got it. "Why are you special?"
Mach chuckled slightly at the boys struggle, a wry grin upon him as he considered that question. "Well....I stop bad people....who do especially bad things. Bring them to justice yeah?"
The boys brows dropped as they integrated this into their limited scope of the world, a moment or two consideration before a shocked look crossed him. "You'rea hero!?"
Mach balked at that term, a humorful snort escaping him at such an inappropriate view. But then it wasn't surprising since there was a lot of drummed up pride in soldiers at the moment. There was a sweep of nationalism and patriotism in Taj due to recent politics and military conflicts including a few short term wars. Nothing like having the enemy at your gates to stir pride in who was essentially your nations group of paid and trained killers. The man shook away that dark little thought as he noted that wide eyed hazel gaze that was locked upon him....oh, right. "No.....I mean, no more a hero than any other shoulder yeah?" A cheery wink as confusion now took the boy....was it shoulder or soldier!" Of course whether you were seven or seventy seven distraction was still a useful tool for when you wanted to avoid touchy subjects....and the man kept that tool very well maintained and polished.
The boy looked as if they were about to say something else when a set of larger hands fell upon their shoulders, those hazel eyes looking up at the disapproving glare that the woman that loomed over him shot the lad. A friendly enough grin was held as blue eyes blue looked at the small, pointing finger. "Mom, look! A shouldier!" And now Mach smirked as the child opted to just combine all the 's' words together! An apologetic look was given to the boys mother at his role in the delinquency of the child's vocabulary.
The woman spared Mach the barest of glances, a lingering look upon his shoulders before she gave the boy a tug."Yes....I see...lets not bother the man, come on."
"Aww, but I'm not bottoming....both-ering....bothering anyone! Am I mister!" A puppy like expectant look was shot towards the schmooze. Aw jeez.
"I-It's alright, really. No bottom....I mean, bother here." A slight chuckle and a cheeky little grin played upon Mach though the woman obviously did not find his terrible humor humorous. She bowed her head apologetic.
"N-no....sorry....about my son..." An uncomfortable tension lurked just behind that apologetic expression before the woman turned to her son once more, a more forceful jerk given as she pried the boy from the seat back which he clung. "Come along now Benji...” Her tone was an unpleasant hiss as she all but drug the child away.
Benji gave a half sad, half annoyed look to Mach as if he were being pulled away from a toy he wanted to play with. "Sorry mister....but moOW!" The boy screeched as he gave his mother an accusing look, little fingers grasping at that sharp grasp the woman had upon the child's shoulder as she lead him away.
For Mach's part he simply curled his fingers in a friendly little wave, a gentle smile offered to the boy and his mother as they retreated. It really wasn't his place to defend the squirts obnoxious curiosity or chastise the mother's sort of blunt and unfriendly manner....wasn't his place in the least. Not in the least. Damnit. "Hey now, careful yeah' I understand youth are the future and tend to be fragile sorts."
The woman turned a sharp glare at the mans glib tone though her ire sank at that humorless smile the soldier gave her....the hunter gave her. He wasn't sure if it was an apology or a curse that she leveled under her breath at him while she bowed slightly but it really didn't matter. Hell, he had no real obligation to have done such, no reason even other than the fact that the sight just sort of annoyed him. He really did have a knack for shoving his nose where it didn't belong! That thought was left to whither as he sort of settled back into his seat feeling a little accomplished for his good deed of the day. Those blues would close, letting the steady sound of the train, the gentle rock as it speed along at over 240 kph lull him to sleep.
And sleep the man would do, or try to do at least until he felt a very subtle tap upon his shoulder. Once....twice....and by the third those blues cracked open once more trying to take in the world he'd been trying to escape from. The sun had only progressed just a little since last he recalled indicating that he'd obviously not been out long before the interruption. A slide of gaze would follow those slender fingers up along the arm and to the face attached to such. The woman was young, pleasantly late teens by his venture with her blond hair dolled up in a professional like bun to match her uniform: a train attendant. A friendly enough smile was offered to the girl. "Sup doll?"
Even that overly friendly greeting wasn't enough to wash away the apologetic tension from the attendants feature as she smiled service industry pleasant at him. "I'm so sorry to disturb you sir, but, um, I need to talk to you about some complaints that, um, have been brought to our attention." Blue eyes blue watched as the woman tripped over herself in that dubious duty, her hands wrenching together uncomfortably. It didn't take much imagination for Mach to figure what had happened as he hazarded a glance past the girl, a note of the other passengers in the car.....and how almost none of them watched what was going on. That was just against human nature, to not participate in voyeuristic rubber necking, unless one had a direct hand in the show that was going on.
True there was pride, nearly stupid amounts of such, in the soldiers of the armed forces which protected the homeland against the hostile curs along the borders, the political strife, the internal conflicts. But then again the most recent war in the populaces memory was the Permiatic War....a war against a state of demi-humans, monsters, and mages which Taj lost. Now one may have thought that such would have made folks like him big damn heroes.....but if your powers, granted by the dangers of mad science, was no different from the media demonized monsters one was fighting against then what exactly did that make such folks" It was almost laughable that hunters who underwent such trials as they did so as to protect the populace against maleficarum and dangerous madscis would be lumped in the same category by the population they served. Almost giggle worthy.....and yet that was the truth of things.
Mach knew he was seen as an albatross, but he didn't think that hunters were seen quite so negatively! It was a good measure on what the tension level was against the normie population and the potentialed....and the fact that just redressing a sort of bitch mother rallied most of a compartment of strangers against him left a very soar taste in the mans mouth. Had things really gotten that bad" Or was there always this much tension but he was just sort of numb against it until he'd been in a place like Rhydin"
The hunter returned his attention to the girl, a sad little smile offered. He did not envy her in the least, at very least she was caught between a rock and a hard place and at most she had to have been thinking she was being fed to the griffons. It wasn't exactly a paranoid fear either as that's why there was such a an emphasis to ensure hunter purity and integrity as more than a few had gone mustache twirling bad....or at least let the power granted them go to their heads. "Oh' Good. Actually, I was wondering if I could get moved....keep getting bugged as I'm trying to catch some shut eye yeah' Long night..." A coy little grin pulled upon him as he shifted slightly, a stretch lifting his hand up to tap the girls nose bringing a little 'eep' from her.
The attendant blink, a confused look crossing those youthful features before the understanding of subtext finally clicked. That sad, apologetic look pulled on her once more though there was now a glimmer of honest gratitude. "O-Oh....well, I'm terribly sorry. Uhm, unfortunately we do not have any more business seating available. W-we can offer you general coach with a refund and..." He was already standing, a hand snagging the strap of his canvas duffel while he turned for the door leading further back in the train.
He was already walking, leaving the flabbergasted attendant behind without much interest in hearing the platitudes. Pulling open the sliding door to that corrider between cars he'd pause as there was a bustle behind him, a little struggle before he heard a familiar voice chirp up in his defense. "But why does he have to go!" He's a hero!"
A wry smirk escaped him but Mach couldn't help the smile that pulled on him. Youth are the future huh' He turned a beaming grin back to kid whom the mother was trying her best to contain, her motions becoming much less aggressive under the oppressive gaze of the hunter. Everyone else who had started to gander when his back was turned were suddenly trying to find somewhere, anywhere else around Mach to gaze so as not to potentially annoy the crazy, crazy, mage like hunter. Sly little bastards but such didn't exactly bother him.....human nature and all. "Damn straight kid, I am a hero, don't forget it either yeah?" The boy seemed to brighten as Mach winked at him cheekily and before he stirred anymore trouble he would turn and step through the linkage corridor and into the next compartment without further ado.
It wouldn't be until he'd made it into the coach class cars that the attendant would finally catch up to him, her expression pained and embarrassed. "I-I really am sorry about this!"
Mach waved off the apology, a glance over the occupants of this car noting the gazes he got as well....how the focus always fell upon his mantle. He probably wouldn't have bothered with his service uniform if not for the fact that he was going back to visit family in his homeland after half a year....it just seemed kind of fitting to arrive dressed in his prideful nines. That was a sentiment he would most certainly not hold again. "It's fine, I don't mind yeah?"
He made his way through the car and into the next one. At very least he should at some point run out of cars and wind up in the commuter cars upon which then it would be the problem of everyone else to move! Hot upon his heels the attenedent followed. "O-Oh, we don't have to go all the way to the back. We have some coach seating that..."
"What part of 'don't wanna be disturbed' do you not get' Nah, I'll just go back to commuter where if anyone's got a problem with me they can just sorta move or deal." A wry grin offered to the girl as he pushed from the connection tunnel the were in and into the next car.
"Y-you don't....you shouldn't have to do that..." There was a slight slow down in his pace at the sadness that pulled on the girls features, in that beaten tone. It was a sort of sadness that Mach knew well from his time around other hunters....and their families.
"Got family in the service...?" A wry little grin offered as he mindlessly wandered into the next car.
The girl looked at him, a wary, surprised expression upon her. "Sister in the army flies hunter support....had a dad that died in the Permiatic....got a body back to bury because a hunter was trying to get him medical aid even though it was too late."
Mach pushed into that last car. He wasn't exactly sure what his expression was at that moment but it seemed to make a few of the commuters jump as they looked at him. Remembering to smile he wandered off to the back bench which seemed to quickly vacate of it's occupant as he approached. Don't want to sit too close, might catch the magic! Something inside the man sighed a breath of relief that Serah had opted not to join him on this little homecoming....or any of his friends really for that matter. Dumping his duffel upon the bench unceremoniously before he turned about to join it those blues would tick back to the girl. "Ah....well, tell your sis and pops thanks for me, yeah?"
The girl looked conflicted. "I....I will, thanks. But....this isn't right....I mean, we can at least..."
Mach cut that thought off with a raise of finger. "It's fine."
"But...!"
"It's fine!"
The girl nibbled upon her lower lip, that conflict apparently at a head. "Are you sure there's not anything I can do for you...?"
Mach leveled a wary look upon the girl. She was pretty cute....naturally thin with the suppleness of youth and perky enough assets. The schmooze knew it would have been simple enough to talk her up, play up that ingrained sympathy to get her number, maybe a promise for some coffee even before he left. If he was really on fire, really turned on the charm he was fairly sure she looked the sorts who wasn't remiss to some rather 'risky' fun on the job and that he could have flirted his way into her considering such. It would certainly be a fun way to while away a few hours.
But then Mach wasn't living the schmooze lifestyle anymore....or was at least attempting to reign in the worse sort of habits from such. A personal choice...and one that was far reaching as he knew he'd never have agreed to this visit if not for some of the changes in his mindset that were starting to occur thanks to it. He'd have happily lied his way out of going back to Tang for his sisters white coat ceremony....gladly done such if not for the fact that if he completely forsook that part of his life as he had planned then what right did he have to try and enjoy the other which he had planned to forsake as well"
A sigh escaped him. "I'm sure doll." A crooked grin was offered up. "Just make sure no one shanks me or steals my shit while I nap, yeah?" This sentiment was sealed with a wink before he settled into the uncomfortable bench seat, adjusting here and there until he was as comfortable as he figured he'd get. If the attendant said anything else he'd not have heard it as he focused on getting back to sleep, on ignoring the world once more. And this time he would succeed.
- - - - - -
Mach had that last car mostly to himself for the remainder of the trip, his very presence seeming to repel all but the most apathetic souls as that train traveled along stopping every so often for fifteen minute blocks in the major cities along the way. He'd slept a fair amount of the time and whiled away the remainder sending off texts to various parties and generally keeping himself entertained with his phone. By the time that the train was rolling into the Prysbal train-depot the sun was barely hanging on to the horizon, sinking lower and lower to give way to the coming night. The hunter was well and ready to be off the train by the time he felt it start it's final deceleration, his duffel snagged and the last five or so minutes of that ride spent standing before the door to the platform.
Blues watched as the station scrolled into view, as the platform rolled up to the train which finally came to a gentle halt with barely a nudge as that last bit of momentum was lost. The doors waited a moment before there was that welcomed hiss, the grind as they slid open letting another warm wash of air pass over him pushing away the comfort of the conditioned air from the train. He breathed in the smells of heavy industry, ore processing, and of the grasslands that surrounded the city as he stepped off and on the platform with a little stretch.
He wasn't even ten feet away from the train, those blues sill adapting to the mish mash of lighting that came from a city at dusk when he'd hear a familiar voice boom across the platform, powerful and shameless.
"Eli! Eli you son of a bitch you really came!?" Blues ticked over to the approaching man. Mach was an imposing figure himself at 160 cm with that scrappers build but the man that approached was a real daunting bastard standing at 170 cm and a build like a trained gorilla. Of course that short, slicked back haircut and the gaudy dragon print silk shirt didn't help that very organized crime thug feel that hung around the man. The hunter dodged left at that first attempt of an embrace, a duck and around at the second before the behemoth finally caught him in the third. Mach could swear he felt a few tender ribs snap as the man gave him a hearty hug. "Gods damn it's so good to see you man!"
"Alright, alright....I get it Mike, jeez..." Mach wheezed out the response as he sort of tapped out uncle upon his brothers broad back. Michael Portman Turner, the eldest sibling with two years on Mach and likely the one he was closest to. The two of them had been raising hell since they were young, both mutually bad influences on the other but at the same time had each others back through thick and thin. Mach couldn't even begin to count how much shit they had gotten into....nor how many times they'd dragged each other back out no matter the cost. Hot headed, short tempered, and fiercely loyal the man was far too bullheaded and lacking of restraint or respect to have made it in the military as Eli had and generally had too much sense to ever really throw his lot in as an enforcer for a proper organized crime element. And so he simply worked out his aggressions through a string of hard, manual labor jobs and a penchant for substance use that made Mach's look tame.
The hunter tapped uncle a little more trying to escape the eldest Turner's bear hug. "Seriously....keep this up and folks are gonna think we're fruity man!" A wry grin pulled upon him, between a few coughs, at the quickness which Mike released him at that insinuation.
"Yeah right man, two fine ass examples of manly men" Would be a tragedy for all womankind if we took to porking each other!" A wicked grin pulled upon the man's broad features, similar yet vastly different. A smirk began to pull upon Mach in response until he was nearly doubled over by the hearty clap of wide hand upon his back. "Besides man, you won't believe some of the shit that's been going on in your absence yeah' Fuck-ing-ay man." A chortle escaped the galoot as he snagged the large duffel from the hunter, hoisting it as if it were nothing.
"Hey now, I got that..." Mach began to protest but Mike was already walking off with his pack. Was this how it was like to have to deal with a force of stubborn that did things even when you don't want them to' Mach may have to apologize to a few folks when he got back to Rhydin!
"Oh don't want the fancy and learned of us to break a nail." The man offered a wry wink back before a bark of laughter escaped him. "Come on bro, so much to catch up on and dinner'll be waiting so lets hop to yeah?"
Mach just sort of glowered at his older brother for a long moment before a smirk escaped him. Here he was, the human turned monster and Mike was just too damn thick to care! He chuckled as he picked up his pace to catch up to the man. "Thanks baggage bitch, I appreciate it!"
Mike simply snorted at that jab. "That's Mister Baggage Bitch, respectable like right' Anyway, stupid and stupid aside, you remember Traci Yorinell....that chick with the massive fun bags going out with Oli" Well...?
And the two hell raising brothers turned men caught up in their particularly broken manner as they headed back to their sisters place.