Chickadee

"We know some basics but that's not really our thing. And I told you Renwick wasn't much of a mechanic." Jun smiles. "Drank more than he worked. Isn't that right big man?"

"Rrrm." He grunts.

"We've been doing what we can since he...um...left." Jun flicks one his canines with the tip of his tongue as he thinks. "This is what you'd be signing onto. You think you're up to the job?"

"I'll have her singing pretty in no time."

"You really think you can get my baby back to her best?"

"And more." The mouse states confidently. "Just wait until you feel what I can do with her. She'll be like a brand new bird."

Jun liked the sounds of that. "You hear that Remus? Like a brand new bird." He looks over to Posey and the pair share a little moment of budding respect.

"We aren't lookin for a partner." Remus says, breaking the moment. His fists had relaxed and the growling had stopped but his eyes were still wary. "Alright. We won't kill ya. We'll set ya down at the next settlement." He swipes a bit of guts from his snout and flicks it to the floor. "That's the deal. The only deal we're offerin."

Just then the robot clanks its way up the ladder to join the rest on the main level. "Miss Posey..."

"Shut up Scraps."

"Yes Miss Posey." It comes to stand beside Remus' knee. Remus glowers down at it.

"We could use an engineer." Jun dares to suggest, the gun trained on him dips further to gut level. "This could actually work."

"No." Remus replies. "I don't like her. Can't trust her. She's no good."

"Well fuck you too." Posey retorts.

"Rrrr."

"Listen wolf." Posey says. "You almost killed me and I nearly killed flyboy, but neither happened. If you're willing to call it even so am I."

"You're being hunted." He states. "We don't need the trouble. No way. Nothin about you smells right."

"Here I took you for boys who could handle a bit of trouble."

"We can handle it fine." Remus says. "Still don't mean we need it. You ain't worth it mouse. And I ain't no boy, bitch."

Posey is about to reply to that but Jun jumps in. He knew that Remus wasn't the type you could convince of something all at once. "Well, there it is then. Decision's been made. We'll take you as far as the next station then you're on your own."

There was something in Jun's tone that told Posey to trust him. "I keep the walker." She says.

"Nope." Remus says as he pulls the hammer off of his back. "That's fair salvage. You keep your life and your tin can." He kicks Scraps. "That's it."

"But..."

"I'd take the deal." Jun advises.

She looks into his beautiful jade slitted eyes then sighs. "Fine. It's more than the Crits would have offered I guess."

"Good." Jun says. "Now, could you PLEASE put the gun down!"

Posey peers back at hulking Remus worried about what he would he do when she lowered the weapon. He snuffs and shakes his filthy head sending bug juice against the nearby bulkheads. "I'm takin a shower." He hangs up his hammer, turns and heads off. "If you fuck us I'll tear your head from your body." He promises bluntly as he disappears through the heavy hatch style door into the living quarters.

"He doesn't mean that literally of course." Jun jests with a foxy smile.

"He won't tear my head from my body?"

"Oh no." Jun says as pulls back on the wheel to start to climb again. "He'll definitely do that if you double-cross us. But if you fuck us...probably not."

She rolls her dark eyes and tucks the pistol away in her boot. "You wish flyboy."

His grins widens, an impish glint in his eye. "That's right. You've got metal man there to keep you company."

"Keep me...company?" Her little pink nose begins to darken with a blush, Jun thought it adorable.

"Your robot went into battle mode while you were unconscious."

"Battle mo...?" Her eyes widen. "Ohhhh nooooo!" She shrinks into her seat and covers her eyes with her hands.

"I'm not sure that weapon was military issue."

"Oh my God."

Jun lets out a high infectious yipping laugh. "I didn't take you for a pink sort of girl. Struck me as more of a tomboy."

"Shut up!"

"Hey, a lonely life on the run." He teases, his green eyes twinkling. "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. No judgment here."

"You're going to make me regret not killing you, aren't you?" She slips out of the seat and stomps over to pick up her robot. "Is there a spare bunk in this rust bucket?"

With a chuckle and nod of his head Jun says. "Ren's old room. First one past the door. It's all yours for the trip." He glances back. "You'll have to wait your turn for the shower. Just...give the big man some space, alright?"

"Sure." She goes to leave but pauses. Without turning back toward him she asks softly. "Hey flyboy, what's your name?"

"Jun."

"Jun." She nods. "Well, thanks for not leaving me down there Jun. I owe you one."

He pats the throttle. "Thanks for getting Dee off the ground."

"Sure." She hesitates a moment longer before hurrying off. Just before she disappears through the door his keen ears catch her whispering harshly to Scraps. "You weren't supposed to show that to anybody! I swear I'm going to turn you into a..." Her voice fades as the hatch closes behind her.

Jun laughs and shakes his head. Things had just gotten a whole lot more interesting aboard the Chickadee.

***

Chapter 4

Posey's little mouse heart is beating like a pair of bongos played by a hyperactive hare as she heads through the door into the living quarters of the Chickadee. Somehow against all of the odds...she was still alive! With Scraps held tight to her chest she leans back against the door she'd just shut behind her and lets out a great sigh of relief. That flyboy fox she'd just held a gun to had straight up saved her life, no two ways about it. That stunning...gorgeous...sexy...and ohhhhh so fuckable flyboy fox...mmmmmm. She could still feel his arms cradling her as he whisked her away from danger. She could still smell his foxy musk. And those gorgeous green eyes! Ohhhhhhh wowwww! She nearly melts on the spot.

Posey shakes her head and chuckles at herself. "Easy there girl." She mutters. "I've been on my own too long."

"Concur." Reports Scraps far too loudly. "Loneliness can cause a host of deleterious..."

"Shhhh! You stupid robot!"

"Yes Miss Posey."

Beneath the fur of her cheeks she could feel another blush coming on as she recalls Jun's teasing her about the dildo hidden within Scraps. Nobody was supposed to see that, ever, least of all such a handsome heroic man like that. The humiliation! At least he treated it with good humor. She liked a man with a good sense of humor. And oh how cute he looked when he started talking for his life. She sighs...then shakes her head again. She was more eager than ever for her turn in the shower. Not simply to clean the grunge off of her but to get a much needed bracing blast of cold water to tamp down her rising libido. It wasn't just simple loneliness that had her thinking these steamy thoughts.

'Wednesday evening.' She thinks. 'Why did I have to meet them on a Wednesday evening?' Now that she was no longer in a fight or flight state focused on mere survival other instincts were starting to reemerge the more she relaxed. Being a rodent her natural estrus cycle was very quick, merely a week long, with Thursdays as the day that she was in full heat. While embarrassed about her secret toy being revealed it wouldn't stop her from making of use of it after she went to bed. She'd need it! That little robot and his special attachment had gotten her through a lot of horny nights. 'Why Wednesday evening?' She thinks again. 'And why did that damned fox have to be so damned HOT?'

She gives herself a light slap to the cheek to refocus herself away from her libidinous thoughts. Before her was the living quarters of the Chickadee. She stood in a short hallway with a door closeby to her left, the one Jun had mentioned she could use, and another down at the corner to the right. The hall opened up into the main common area of the ship that went right from the port side hull to the starboard. A gentle pale light built into the ceiling and lamp sconces on the walls illuminated the whole area. To the left was the ship's galley. It looked to be a small but well equipped kitchen, they even had a working refrigerator. In the center was a rectangular wooden table and two benches, all bolted to the deck to keep them from sliding about. And to the right was a lounging area complete with a velvet padded chair, a deep green loveseat, a few bookshelves, and a cylinder style phonograph. Angled windows built into the curve of the outer hull allowed for a view down to the land below. From where she stood all Posey could really see was the blood red of the fading evening light. Around the space were also various closets, cupboards, and cubbies for storage. While faded and worn there was still an air of quality and refinement to the room and its furnishings. It was...nice. The old dame might not be much to look at now but she had been a real fine lady in her heyday.

Beyond this room was the master cabin, she could see this because the door was currently wide open. The room beyond was dimly lit so she could not see much detail but she could make out a door at the very far end with a round porthole window that looked out onto sky, indicating there may be a balcony at the aft of the vessel. This seemed to be the only other room which heavily suggested that the wolf and the fox shared quarters. Not unexpected.

She was still checking the place out when suddenly Remus' great gray body fills the doorway of the far cabin. He has to duck his head to fit through the space. A pang of fear hits Posey, a gasp of panic escaping her before she could stop it, as she sees the brutish man that had come so close to ending her life so recently. In this space it was just him and her and her little robot Scraps. If the wolf decided to change his mind on sparing her there was little should could do about it. That fear quickly turns to surprise however as she realizes the massive wolf was buck ass naked!

And massive is exactly what he was, in more ways than one. The tips of his furry gore splattered ears brushed the ceiling and his hulking body seemed fill the space up but she already knew what a unit he was. What she hadn't seen before, what had been hidden by his heavy battle kilt, was the enormous swinging cock and balls hanging between his powerful legs. Still flaccid the wolf's manhood was EASILY the largest Posey had ever seen, surely even rivaling that of the legendary bulls. Not sure of what to say or do Posey just stands there awkwardly trying her best not to stare. Not only does he show no shame but Remus barely even acknowledges her, just a single annoyed glance at the unwelcome interloper, as he makes his way to the washroom to take his shower. He looms closer and closer, momentarily cornering the mouse in the short hallway, before tucking into the washroom.

Posey doesn't breath until the door closes behind him. "God damn!" She mutters. After yet another shake of her head she turns to the near door and opens it up. Or she tries to open it up but it quickly grinds to a halt. Putting her shoulder into it she forces the door the rest of the way open, the rattle of shifting glass accompanies the swinging of the door. She stands in shock a moment before exclaiming. "What the fuck is this!?"

For a base pup raised to keep her bunk in order, her kit organized, and her boots shined to a gleam this wretched room was an absolute waste pit. The "bed", if you could call it that, was a simple low wooden box lined with twigs and hay and nasty old oily down feathers. Outside of the nest every square centimeter of floor, wall, and ceiling space was littered with...junk. Layers on layers of worthless bric-a-brac and empty cans and shiny bits of glass and busted pre-reckoning artifacts and hells knows what else filled the small room. And bottles, so many empty whiskey bottles. This Renwick seemed to like his drink as much as Jun said he did. Among all of this were dozens or hundreds of glossy jet black raven feathers. She drops Scraps to the floor in front of her and puts her hands on her head as she takes in the filthy sty that would be her cabin. She'd slept in cold alleys and prickly bushes and smelly dumpsters during her short life on the run but those places looked like royal residences compared to this shit hole.

Turning on her heel she marches back through the door and back up to the cockpit. She is about to give the pilot a piece of her mind when she catches sight of what lay in front of them. The Dee was still climbing while also making a very slow turn westward. In the distance the roiling bank of crimson clouds loomed much closer than when she'd last seen it. Eerie flashes of lightning within and between the clouds look like bright veins pulsing within the bleeding flesh of the storm.

"Find your bunk?" Jun asks.

"You're heading into the storm?" She says in a low nervous tone as she steps up close to peer out the window.

"Nah. Not into it, over it." He says. "Blood storms have a low ceiling. By sailing the peaks we'll get some turbulence but we won't have any trouble with fliers for the night. You'll learn out here that a good night's sleep is as valuable as a trunk full of coin."

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I'm assuming you don't want to head back into Dega."

"No." She says softly.

"I figured as much." He says. "You were heading to La Grange?"

"Yeah."

"You really aren't from around here. They picked up and skedaddled out of the badlands a few months back. Heading west. They'll be out into bayou by now." He finishes the turn but keeps the ship gradually climbing. The nearest towering cloud now looking like a great tidal wave. They'd be clipping the top of it. The flyboy was acting casual but Posey could see by his tight grip on the wheel and his regular checking of instruments with quick darting eyes that that cresting the stormfront was not a simple thing. "That's the thing with crawling cities." He continues. "They sometimes crawl."

"I guess so."

"We can at least take you as far as Stonewall. It's not much but it's a proper town at least. You might find passage from there if you're set on La Grange."

"I'm not set on anything. Sure, Stonewall is fine." Her ears droop. "Anywhere is fine."

"Just keep that pea shooter close and your wits about you. It can be rough...like everywhere in the Hells." Jun glances back, concern in his ginger face. "Are you sure you really want to be out here Posey? You can't go back? The Hells aren't for the faint of heart."

She nods, her gaze searching into the distance. Though he had questions Jun respects her privacy. Everybody had their own story as to why they risked a life out here and few of them were the type of tale to be shared with strangers.

"You found your bunk?" He asks again to break the silence.

She blinks and her round ears twitch up again. "That is what I wanted to talk to you about! That room is a giant mess! I could barely open the door!"

"Yeah." Jun chuckles. "Corvids, ya know? And old Ren wasn't much on cleaning. At least it doesn't smell anymore. Much."

"You didn't clean it out after he fell!?"

"We went through it for valuables." He shrugs. "That's about it. Didn't need the room for anything so we left it as is."

"It's disgusting. You actually expect me to sleep in there?"

"Well..." He smirks. "...I could certainly think of better places for you to bed down."

"Keep dreaming." She scoffs even as her clit perks up at the insinuation. She sighs. "Fine. It'll do. Thanks, I guess."

"You're welcome." He grins widely. "Is there anything else I can do to make your pleasure cruise more enjoyable Miss Posey? Aboard the good ship Chickadee we are always at our passenger's beck and call."

"Yeah, yeah." She rolls her eyes. "I was just sayin."

"Anything else?"

"Does our illustrious captain always walk around with his hot dog hangin out?"

This makes Jun laugh, such a pretty laugh. "Oh yeah, you better get used to that at nights." He shoots a playful glance back at her. "Now you know why I call him big man."

"Indeed!" She moves to leave.

"Hey." Jun says softly before she can head back again. "Did you mean what you said about getting the Dee running as good as new?"

"Yeah. She just just needs a bit of TLC." Posey looks around her, a hand strokes the nearby bulkhead. The more she was inside of the ship and felt its deck plates under her feet the more Posey was able to see past the shabby upkeep and the paraphernalia of a couple of rough scavs living hard to the bones beneath it. "She's a real rare lady this one. You gotta treat her nice, especially at her age, but with a bit of care she could still be the belle of the ball."

"Hm."

"Offer still stands."

"I know." He says. "The storm's coming soon."

"I'll leave you to it then."

Posey heads back to the living quarters. This hiss of the shower was still running and Scraps still stood where she had dropped him just inside the room. Her eyes lock onto her annoying robot. At last the little bastard was going to earn his keep. "Scraps, clean out that room. I want every bottle, every feather, every god damned thing smaller than you inside of that room shot out the nearest garbage chute."

"Yes Miss Posey." Without complaint or hesitation he turns to follow his order.

With the room being dealt with and the shower still occupied Posey had some time on her hands. What to do? If her body had its way she would be using Scraps for a very different purpose but sexual hungers would have to wait for tonight to be slaked. In the meantime, if her body could not find satisfaction, she could at least feed her intellectual appetite. This salvaged ship was unlike anything she'd ever seen before and she'd only gotten the briefest of looks at it thus far. With her engineer's curiosity piqued Posey decides to explore.

***

Chapter 5

With a roiling bloody red-black ocean of cloud beneath them Jun levels the Chickadee out into a high, slow cruise for the night. Thankfully the storm was vast but not particularly high. He locks in the cruise and with a final check of the instruments is satisfied Dee would see them out the night. His eyes linger a moment on a pressure gauge that was reading better than it had in months. That mouse had been up in the engine bay just a few scant minutes and managed to do that. She might have been bargaining out of desperation but Jun suspected her claims of mechanical prowess were not overstated.

On the topic of that cute mouse, Jun figured he better get back to check on the others soon before she and Remus started butting heads. He wasn't worried about Posey's safety any longer, Remus had given his word and he would see it through, but the more he could help keep things smooth between them now the nicer the voyage they would all have. He springs from the pilot's seat and walks back to the living quarters.

The moment he is through the door he is greeted by a walking jumble of litter. He cocks his head, his pointed ears tilt. It takes him a second to recognize the legs upon which it walked was that of Posey's robot. It had just walked from Renwick's old room and was marching toward the garbage chute in the kitchen. Jun follows the trash ball curiously. As it gets near to the chute there is slight buzz and all at once all of the metal bits and bobs clatter to the floor around Scraps' feet.

Jun grins. "You magnetized yourself."

Scraps, who also had an armful of bottles, begins to dump the junk down the hatch a bit at a time. "Correct."

The fox takes a few steps back and peers into the messy room. Posey was nowhere to be seen, choosing to leave the dirty work to her servant. The washroom was empty and she wasn't in the main living area either. She was either down in the hold or up in the guts the ship. From the little he knew her he would bet the former.