Continuation of log 6

Quinn quirked a brow when Oriana went as far as to promise her gun away if she didn't shoot straight. Sure was a good thing the girl had stumbled upon this ship and not someone else's, as most would be happy to take advantage of such a thing. She continued watching her, only half listening to the conversation going on between the pilot and Kasai, though when the young man looked her way she peered back. "Yeah, well," she stretched, eyeing the food still untouched on her plate. She picked up her chopsticks and took a big bite of potatoes. Alright, c'mon Xin. "We all learn one way or another."

To disspell the creepy Kasai had introduced into the room, Quinn decided it was time for the surprise. She turned back to Oriana when the girl announced she was finished and ready to head out. "When's last you ate?" she asked, surprised to see her plate already empty. The captain moved to stand and situate her crutch beneath her arm. She walked to the ice box and took out a stainless steal tub, the cold thing tossed Shai's way with a grin. The oven was opened again, another pie making an appearance on an empty hot plate on the table shortly afterward - cinnamon apple pie, to be specific. "Fore you all get excited, I didn' make this... so don' go expectin' it." She'd paid more than seemed right for the homemade ice cream and pie, but was feeling generous after she left Humphries' with beer in her belly and a full coin purse.

When she returned to her seat, Quinn leaned back in her chair and used her crutch to press the comm button on the wall behind her. "Doctor - get up here fore Shai eats everything."

(( Lets do free for all posting again, I think that works best in the forum ^^ ))

The doctor finally re-emerged from his bunk, looking much more put together. He hadn't bothered to fix his hair again, just toweled it dry and gathered it into a small, wildly curly ponytail. He had, however, taken the time, to re-wax his mustache into two perfect curlicues and put on dry clothes. Black boots, black casual slacks, and his gray tank top. The sleeveless shirt revealed more of his tattoos that traveled from his knuckles to the tops of his shoulders. Mostly nonsensical tattoos, characters from old horror movies, antique cartoon animals, images of Dia de los Muertos, and a few Chinese characters. The only tattoo that seemed to carry real emotional weight laid on his upper right shoulder, rendered invisible by most shirts with even the slightest bit of sleeve but could be seen like this. It was the medical symbol (Hippocrates's staff surrounded by two serpents) inside of the flag of the Independents. It looked older than the rest of his tattoos, possibly his first one.

He pushed the door open, giving a small smile to the captain and company. "Evening." He drawled, meandering first over to Oriana with an extended hand. Once everyone had stopped talking, he spoke in a calm, even tone that was more than likely taken for coolness by anyone who didn't know the man. "Apologies for not introducing myself earlier, Dr. Gao. Feel free to call me Xin."

After pleasantries had been concluded, he managed to lumber over to the plates and utensils and started serving himself some delicious dinner. As he did so, his eyes widened at the sight of the apple pie and ice cream. "Dang zhen? I'm not sure I've had a proper dessert since before the war. Nice find, Captain." When he had gathered a small portion of everything onto his setting, he sat down, silently observing the situation before him. Quinn seemed hard-pressed to be polite to Kasai, or believing Oriana's ability. Which is not to say that his own suspicions were far off, but he managed to come off far more subtle and neutral than Driscol.

Oriana had to think awhile at Quinn's question. "Well, I had a biscuit earlier today," she said thoughtfully. "And then the last time I ate was... Um... Couple days before that?" She took one of her long curls in her fingers and twirled it nervously; indeed, it appeared as if Ori had a hard time sitting still. She had begun to shiver, as she was still wet from the fiasco outside, She knew she was being too trusting towards the crew, but she couldn't help it; they had fed her, and anyone with food and a kind ear would win her over right away. Such a fierce loyalty had gotten her into trouble before, hence the whole being-stranded-on-Ita-Moon thing. As Xin introduced himself, Ori smiled and took his hand, giving it a small shake. "Name's Oriana, but call me Ori," she said.

Turning back to face her empty plate, Ori's eyes widened as Quinn brought out the dessert. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had something sweet. Discovering that her mouth had dropped open at the sight, Ori hastily closed it and swallowed. She averted her eyes from the pie and went back to twirling her hair between her fingers. She could feel uncertainty and judgment rolling off the other people, and a small knot had formed in her stomach. Confident though she was in her abilities, she had begun to feel out of place amongst a crew much more seasoned than she. She watched the others, keeping silent for the moment, and waited for Quinn to decide when she wanted to see Ori's capabilities.

Shaiyat truly was surprised by Kasai's response. Considering what he'd heard about the man's skills the profession fit him. "Figured as much...ya know much about external ship weaponry?" The pilot had nothing against such a life, he found it rather necessary. And Quinn had been the same not too long ago as well. He found comfort in the thought that if the got into a similar scrap like on Triumph they'd have Kasai...and now possibly Ori. And if he stayed in the cockpit like he was supposed to all might go smoother. The wave of guilt settled quickly as he pushed the past back where it belonged...in the past.

The slightly somber mood in the room was broken with Quinn's surprise. Nothing was a better distraction than ice cream. Shai shot the captain a look of surprise and joy and he clasped both hands around the frozen goodness and pulled it closer to him. He could probably count on one hand how many times he'd had the stuff...he peered towards the other passengers, playing at keeping all of the ice cream for himself jokingly. He'd have reached out to grab the pie as well, attempting to take full control of all the dessert...that is until Xin walked in. The pilot found himself distracted by the the extent of tattoos he got a glimpse of on the doctor...particularly the one sporting the Independent flag. Was there some envy in the pilot's single eye? Maybe a little. It certainly was some inspiration for the man when he decided to add onto his own little bit ink. Anyhow, after taking his fair share of ice cream he slid the cold tub down towards Xin with a wide smile. "We celebratin' like this, must mean we got paid." A questioning look was sent Quinn's way though he didn't expect a detailed answer. Not with Ori around.

This brought his attention back to the girl. The pie was nudged her way, as if answering her silent desire to have some. Shai was not one to begrudge someone pie. "No need ta offer up eveythin' ya have...no matter how this ends, it'll go down fair." He gave Ori a reassuring smile. Her offering up of the gun actually gave the pilot a bit more confidence in her abilities. He figured it was akin to him offering up his ship to show just how good a pilot he was...something he'd never do unless he was sure he'd come out on top of the bet. "Jus' what sorta work was er family into?" He asked casually, not one to press for an answer if she didn't want to give it. As always he was simply curious..a trait that lead him back to trying to stare as politely as possible at Xin's decorations while he enjoyed his ice cream.

Kasai didn't express any surprise at the pie and ice cream, looking at the desserts more as a curiosity than a rarely received delicacy. He'd lived without those kinds of things for most of his life, and never really expressed the interest in trying it. He did have to admit to himself that it looked somewhat appetizing, but he returned to take another small round of the rest of the meal if any was left.

The man couldn't help but continue to feel unwelcome, despite the pilot's genuine interest in himself and the other newcomer. He peered at Xin when he entered, raising a brow at the extensive inkings on his arms. The Independents flag. He narrowed his eyes for a short moment, and stopped himself from muttering a curse. He had guessed at what kind of ship he was on before now, but the flag on the doctor's arm solidified the former operative's suspicions. Brown Coats. He had nothing personal against them for the fact, but he knew all too well that anyone who fought for independence weren't very receptive once they found out he used to be an Alliance dog. He muttered something quietly to himself,
"Ten ga watashi o bassuru₁..." He took a glance back to Shai, and thought over his question.
"Well, I know how to use 'em, that's for sure. Been on a few fighters while working. I understand specs and how they function, but I haven't done much hands on work, though."

He quietly picked at his food, eating his small portions slowly and deliberately. He was somewhat surprised at Oriana's comment on how long it had been since she last had a true meal; figuring that someone that small had to have a fast metabolism and must have needed plenty of food. He contemplated excusing himself from dinner while eating, considering taking to the hold to practice with his weapons. He batted the last chunks of his food around with his chopsticks, hid head resting in the palm of his left hand as he leaned on the table. He looked distant and detached, barely paying any more attention to the other people around him.

---
1 - "The heavens punish me."

The doctor didn't respond to the conversation happening between Quinn, Shai, and Oriana. Figured it wasn't any of his business. I mean, Ori's story, if true, was definitely unfortunate, but it's nothing that couldn't be fixed with the beginning of a regular eating schedule.

Xin looked up for a moment from his food when he thought he recognized the language Kasai was mumbling to himself. His brow wrinkled as he tried to make out the mutterings. Politely, he inquired, "Nani? Sumimasen. Mouichido itte kuremasuka*?" ...dang rich boys and their private tutoring. I mean, Xin was by no means a linguist, but besides the fluency in English, Chinese, and Spanish, he spoke a smattering of Japanese, German, Italian, and Esperanto. And although he wasn't EXACTLY sure of what Kasai had just said, he thought he had caught the gist of it and was slightly wary as to what it meant. After all, he had attempted to be slightly warmer and less distrustful of Kasai, with the lending of the bag and whatnot. He just wanted to make sure that trust wasn't going to waste.

Truth be told, if he knew what was going through Kasai's head, he could sympathize to some extent. There was a reason he had been non-specific about coming from "an Alliance family". That could mean almost anything. To say that he was the grandson of one of its Founding Fathers, well, that was a mite more specific and would possibly cause Quinn or Shai to question his loyalty. But having no way of knowing Kasai's background, he settled on a friendly curiosity mixed with a lazy suspicion.

______________________________
* = "What? I'm sorry (I didn't catch that). Can you say it again?"

With everyone accounted for, Quinn finished up her dinner and washed it down with dessert. She was pretty happy that everyone (well, mostly everyone) enjoyed the treat she'd decided to bring home for the evening, and met praise and excitement with a contented smile of her own. Shai's question on getting paid was left alone for the time being, as Quinn wasn't one to discuss such matters with non-crew in the vicinity... which happened to include more than just the eager young mercenary at her side.

Kasai's sour response to Xin's entrance had been noticed, and it was something she planned on asking the young man about when she returned. To her knowledge Xin hadn't done anything to offend the man, and part of the list of conditions for his continued presence on the boat was to treat it's crew with respect. Kasai's use of languages she didn't know was also getting on Quinn's nerves, but she decided she'd chose her battles with him... and hostility toward the crew, however slight, was a big one she wouldn't ignore. Xin's response to his foreign statement caused her to quirk a brow, but she didn't pay the pair much mind otherwise, just made a mental note to approach Xin about it later.

If the girl was open to getting herself some dessert Quinn would wait a while longer before taking her outside. Ori's response to the last time she had eaten had served to tug on the captain's heartstrings... just a little. So she wanted to at least see that Ori had a full stomach before she ventured off in search of work. She even considered sending her back Austen's way, or perhaps to Humphries' group. They could certainly use someone to accomplish little tasks, whereas Vega needed people with a bit more specialization. Little did Quinn know...

"Not havin' any ice cream, Kasai?" Quinn asked casually, watching the young man from across the table. Regardless of his response, she turned to Ori shortly after and asked to see the girl's gun. If she complied, the captain handed it back and disappeared for a few minutes, returning with a silencer that would fit the pistol. There wasn't any need to cause a stir around the neighborhood, but the captain was determined to see Ori shoot all the same. "Alright, Oriana. Let's you and me head out so you can show me whatcha got."

The night air was muggy outside, the clouds overhead still heavy and threatening to spit more rain any second. Quinn had gone around to the side of the ship and put her hands on her hips, peering around for something suitable. After a few long moments, she half turned to the girl and pointed to an old coffee can someone had placed a top a wooden pole, probably about fifty feet away. "You see that old can? I want you to shoot it through the middle, but toward the left."

Oriana smiled as Shai nudged the pie towards her, but didn't take more than a small slice. Before answering his question regarding her family, Ori took a small bite, and savored the flavor, even as her body rejected the sweetness after such a long time of eating a diet of starch and protein. After swallowing, Ori looked back up at Shai, sure that her voice would be steady. "My family used to heard sheep, and spread the word of God," she said. “As you can see, I decided that wasn’t the road for me.” She left out the reasoning of her so drastic a change in occupation, figuring the story wasn’t appropriate at the moment. She also hated thinking about those circumstances…

With a relatively full stomach, Ori reluctantly took out her gun, and when Quinn returned, she outfitted Bessie with the silencer. She followed Quinn outside, grimacing at the humidity but relieved to be outside, where her dripping wouldn’t cause any damage. With Bessie in her hand, Ori’s demeanor had changed exponentially. Her usual shaking had all but disappeared, and her eyes, usually darting in all directions, had settled into a calm gaze that seemed to regard all of her surroundings. Ori patiently waited until Quinn pointed out her target, and peered up at the coffee can at the top of a wooden pole. Smiling slightly to herself, Ori raised her gun, took aim, and shot. The coffee can made a slight <I>ping</I> as the bullet passed through it, and teetered off the pole to the left. “Should I go get it?” she asked. “So you can see if I’ve shot it through the middle or not.” If granted with an answer in the affirmative, Ori ran off and fetched the coffee can, presenting it to Quinn with a proud but shy grin. The coffee can indeed had a small puncture through the middle, and she waited for Quinn’s judgment, fiddling with her gun.

The young merc's mind was wandering, and he let himself drift along with it. For a brief moment he was sitting in a dark room, the only source of light a few candles on the table he was sitting at. The food he saw was luxurious, cooked by an extraordinary chef especially for him. He took a bite of it, but found it to be incredibly bland for all of it's delicious look and flared dressing up. The crew and newcomer weren't at the table, but a woman was sitting across from Kasai. He shifted his eyes around the table for a moment; he knew who the woman was but didn't want to look at her for some reason. He felt compelled to glance up, and as he did he was brought back to the moment by Xin asking something in Japanese.

He barely hid the displeasure on his face. Dang rich boys and their fancy educations, indeed. It wasn't common that he ran into anyone else who could speak the old language, though even then almost none were fluent like he was. He turned to the doctor and put on a friendly face, trying to make up for so openly showing his feelings through facial expression just a moment ago. He spoke quietly, trying to only include himself and the doctor in this side conversation.
"Sorry. I said, ten ga watashi o bassuru₁. The reasoning is somewhat personal, though." He had figured the doctor was from a rich background before, but of course he was certain of it now. Kasai figured that since he was part of the Alliance before he'd have to be that much more opposed to it now than any non-Alliance Brown Coat was. That was his general experience with those who turned against the large governing force, that they never went back. It just wasn't something he wanted to get in to in the midst of trying to find the White Lion.

He looked to Quinn when she addressed him, giving a polite smile.
"No thanks, just not in the mood for sweets right now. I'll probably get a small bit later, if Shaiyat there doesn't eat it all." He winked at the pilot with his quip, hoping it went over well. As the captain made her way out with the little mercenary, Kasai turned his glance to the other two men. He hadn't paid any attention to Xin's introduction to Ori earlier, but if he had he might have recognized his family name. Still, even without making that connection, he thought perhaps the two had just the smallest bit more in common than the others on the Vega.
He wondered to himself what he should do while the captain was testing the little merc as he picked through the last of his meal.

---
1 - "The heavens punish me."

Quinn's brows shot up when the can was hit and came tumbling off the wooden pole. "Oh," she commented, a bit surprised Oriana had managed to hit the thing at all. She nodded when the girl asked if she should go retrieve the can. When it was returned, the woman turned it over in her hands until the label was facing right as it had on the pole - and sure enough, the little merc had successfully punctured the can where Quinn had told her.

"Nice shot," she commented, peering at Oriana with new eyes. Okay, so the girl could shoot a target. "Chances are what you'll be shootin' won' jus sit there 'n wait for yer bullet." Quinn backed up several feet and held the can out, making eye contact and a tossing motion before the object was thrown high into the air.

Regardless of how many ways Quinn got the younger woman to shoot a stupid can, Oriana's abilities would never be entirely clear until they encountered a situation that called for precise shooting while keeping a level head. With her stated inexperience and child-like air, the captain maintained her uncertainty despite an obvious ability with firearms. However, considering the latest disaster and the semi-desperate need for trusted hands, Quinn was pretty much ready to take the girl on, if not for a bit of a trial run.

Oriana smiled at Quinn’s reaction to her shot, but made no comment. She figured Quinn would want her to shoot at something moving next and was ready when Quinn motioned that she should shoot at the thrown can. Again, unnaturally and uncharacteristically calm, Ori raised her gun and shot off two rounds. When the can landed, she retrieved it as before and handed it to Quinn. Upon examination, Quinn would find two additional holes, impossibly close to the first one.

“Anything else, cap’n?” Ori asked cheerfully. She checked her gun and went on, “’Cept I only got about three rounds left.” Ori grinned sheepishly at her obvious lack of money and supplies. Times were rough, and work was hard to find. She knew a can would never compare to the real thing, actual combat, but hoped it was enough to secure, at the very least, a few meals and a place to sleep. Taking her gun, she held out the grip to Quinn, her eyes dancing. “Or should I just go ahead and surrender Bess to you?” Ori tried not to let her extreme hope of winning Quinn over show in her face, and now that she wasn’t shooting at things anymore, her body had begun its strange tremors once again, though they were not as noticeable as before.

Shaiyat was glad Ori took some of the pie at least, even if it was just a small slice. Most of his attention remained on the conversation between the girl and Quinn until they left. He'd half a mind to follow the two, but he was still hungry and not in a huge hurry to go back out in the rain.

As for the small bit of Japanese that was exchanged between the doctor and Kasai, the pilot wouldn't understand any of it even if he had been paying attention. Shai's English wasn't that great, communicating with anything other than the more common Chinese was beyond what he could follow with one small exception. He'd been taught a fair amount of sign language thanks to his half-brother, but he was a tad bit rusty now that he had little reason to use it. Anyhow, with everyone finished, or nearly so he felt it was safe to take seconds. So he did just that, taking more meat pie and potatoes with a slightly guilty smile shot the other two's way.

He didn't take offense to Kasai's teasing. Then man was right after all. The pilot found himself hungry most of the time, though over the past couple years he had trouble keeping on weight despite this. He thought little of it, chalking it up to nerves and the fact that he'd always had too little on his tall frame. "I'll try ta leave ya some Kasai...rather not face your revenge over not gettin' any ice cream in my sleep." He joked back, chuckling after he did so to make it clear he was doing just that. He moved back to the slightly safer conversation of weaponry...at least safer with the mercenary anyway. "Well, ya know any tricks when it comes to ship-guns I'd appreciate hearin' it. What Vega's got ain't fancy...but it'll still blow a hole in'a boat if we need." It was a bit unconventional that the pilot had added weaponry to the common transport ship, but he had his reasons for being paranoid. A trait he didn't show often, and liked to talk about less. The canon's themselves were hidden on the vessel, built into the framework in a way that any curious Alliance fed wouldn't take notice of them.

Shai stuffed his mouth with one last fork-full of food before he pushed his plate away, finally satisfied. The bottle of whiskey was reached for soon after, the glasses Quinn had put out to good use...the bottle offered to Xin afterward. He fumbled in one of his pockets, finding the small blue bottle of pills the doctor had 'prescribed', planning on chasing down a couple with a mouthful of liquor. His face showed just how great that tasted, nearly gagging on both as he turned away though he managed to get it all down. "Notta good idea..." He mumbled, mostly to himself.

Xin considered Kasai's reply quietly, nodding politely before returning to his food. Huh. Well, I guess there was nothing TOO suspicious about cursing the heavens randomly to yourself, it was just a little...odd, in his opinion. But then, the doctor supposed others could view his own nature as odd and...well, unnatural. So thankfully, he let it lie. He had a suspicion as to Kasai's meaning and perhaps a vague inkling as to his background, but he also had the feeling that despite Quinn's intention to shake him off, they'd be carrying Kasai for a while. It was easier to be friendly and non-confrontational the less you knew about someone's past and until further notice, that was Xin's strategy.

As he slowly ate the precisely cut bits of food on his plate, he grinned in agreement with Kasai in regards to Shaiyat's appetite. "Would eat the quán chúfáng* and leave us to starve, that one." He brushed off the proffered liquor with a simple shaking of his head. He was by no means a teetotaler; he liked drinking as much as the next man. However, it was drilled into him not to be under the influence while on the clock. If there was even a remote chance of anyone needing medical assistance, he would need his wits about him.

...and obviously, his eyes widened in horror at Shai's next course of action. Letting his plate drop on the table with a clatter, he jumped up and strode over to the man-child-idiot. "Bà! Shì nín yīgè bèndàn?!**" Of course he tried to grab at the bottle before Shai managed to suck it down, but failing that, he walloped him on the back (pretty hard) in the hopes of the pilot coughing up the pills.

_________________________________________
* = entire kitchen
** = Stop! Are you a fool?!

Kasai was completely taken aback by the joke the pilot shot back at him. He blinked repeatedly, confounded by the statement. He tried to maintain his composure, letting an annoyed smile run across his lips that would have conveyed exactly what he was thinking; excuse me, what did you just say? Kasai knew Shai wasn't being serious, but had no clue why that would be an acceptable joke. Ever.
"You'll have to excuse me, I don't quite get what you mean by that." He sat quietly, dumbfounded as he tried to find a reason for the 'joke'. He didn't think he had presented himself as the vengeful type who would sneak into other's rooms at night to exact his judgment upon them for lack of ice cream. He turned his head to the side, as if searching for inspiration in the flooring. While waiting for someone to hopefully enlighten him on how exactly the pilot's joke had been a joke at all he went about eating the last bite of his food.

Though he found that quite difficult as he watched the aforementioned pilot pop some pills and try to chase them with the whiskey he had offered Xin. Again, completely dumbfounded by the pilot's actions, Kasai's last bite of potato sliding out of his open mouth. He watched the scene unfolding in front of him, feeling almost as if he were watching a poorly funded sitcom. But no, this was real life. He wasn't behind a vid-screen. He was sitting at the dinner table with a Brown Coat doctor from a rich Alliance family, and a pilot who apparently lacked a proper education on what to mix alcohol with and what not too.

He leaned on the table again, resting his head in his hands in a somewhat defeated way. He slowly picked his head up, letting his hands fall into his lap as he took a deep breath. He glanced to the doctor, wanting to ask a question, but holding his tongue for the moment. He didn't want to seem rude to the fine pilot by asking if such things happened on a normal basis, though he would certainly ask about it later. He had been on a boat where the pilot had a tendency to need medical help for strange and random reasons, and recalled it being quite like not having a pilot at all.

Quinn tossed the coffee can away after examining it for a second time. Yep, girl could shoot, and well. The captain peered at Oriana thoughtfully, then waved her forward as she moved back toward the Vega. "I'll give you platinum so you can stock up on bullets fore we leave port - it'll come outta yer first paycheck." The little merc's seeming nervousness wasn't lost on Quinn, but she figured it wasn't really her place to ask unless it got in the way of Oriana performing her job.

Quinn stopped in the cargo hold after closing up for the night and turned to face Ori. "Bridge, engine room 'n sickbay are off limits less yer invited." She peered over her shoulder, then wagged her hand to indicate the rooms beyond the sickbay. "There's rooms back there to chose from, though bunk eight's taken by the doctor. There's also bunk one upstairs. You can take yer pick." She frowned thoughtfully, crossing her arms. "Not many rules to follow aside from where not to go... and not bein' an idiot." She hadn't meant to sound harsh.

Wanting to give the girl some space before she questioned her about a few more details, the captain made her way upstairs and stopped just short of entering the mess. Any embarrassment at having to confess about underestimating Oriana vanished as she watched the scene unfold. Instead Quinn just stood there and stared.

"You boys can't behave yerselves for ten minutes?" she joked, though the crease between her brows showed she actually was concerned.

Xin attempted to snatch the pills out of a presumably shocked Shaiyat's hand. "Your gorram pilot doesn't seem to know that taking alcohol and analgesics together earns one anything from hours of vomiting to a sleep that doesn't wake up." He grumbled angrily, half to Quinn, mostly still directed towards Shai. He was sure he was going to regret being so sharp with Shai later, but right now he was really irritated with the pilot for not using his brain and almost causing him a sleepless night of stomach pumping. Also, keep in mind it was probably really frustrating as a well-educated doctor to see one of his patients do something that just defied common sense.

He held the pills up to Shai so his next point could be nice and clear. "You've lost your medicine privileges for the time being. If you need any pain meds, you come to me, you take it in my presence. Dong ma?" Xin was careful not to be too mean, but he definitely wanted to make sure he stressed the seriousness of the situation.

Kasai had opened the door, Shaiyat had simply walked into it. He'd been pleasantly surprised by the little bit of teasing the man had given as so he felt comfortable returning with the same. Something that perhaps the mercenary wasn't able to take. Of course, the joke could've been taken so personally because of the man's past, the many demons that haunted him possibly dulling his sense of humor. But the pilot hadn't meant for the words to take on any sort of personal judgment, and there'd been nothing in his tone to show he'd been aiming his words in such a way. Did he really expect the mercenary to come after him for something so silly, or in reality be a danger to him for anything at all? Of course not, that was ridiculous. He'd have said the same line to Quinn or Xin had the path of conversation gone in their direction. It was like him getting his feathers ruffled over the doctor's comment. Of course he wouldn't really eat them out of house and home, and if they were all starving Shai would be the first to fore-go food for the sake of the others. But, as mentioned earlier...all this was said in jest. And when things quieted down later Shai would make note to himself not to try such with Kasai again anytime soon. Seemed poking fun was a one way street with the man.

But, none of this got resolved as Shai was taken by surprise. He didn't even see Xin coming, the small swig of whiskey he'd taken interrupted by the sudden string of Chinese and a rather abrupt exiting of the pills from his throat. The pilot sputtered, coughing as he tried to wrap his head around just what had gone wrong. Coming from a past of rough men and rough places, it wasn't too surprising that he thought whiskey no much more harmful than water. Had he heard not to mix alcohol with some things? Sure...that amongst other very 'reliable' medical advice from very unreliable people. XinTou was really one of the first competent doctors the man had been around, far removed from the old wives tales of his farm growing up and the mislead and purely stupid actions he'd had modeled for him afterward from living with numerous crews of 'self sufficient' men. Common sense wasn't always so common out in the black.

Excuses like such aside of course Shaiyat would appreciate Xin's intervention later, the side effects he'd just labeled off to Quinn far from pleasant and the harsh words perhaps needed to help them sink in. But for now, in the chaos of the moment the pilot just sat very still at first, leaning away slightly from the doctor and actually wincing when the bottles of pills were taken away. He gave a slow, wide-eyed nod towards Xin. Yeah...he got the point. "Sorry...dong mah...."

Quinn's entrance was noticed by the way, but not commented on right away. Shai's single eye had caught the look of disdain from Kasai. He wasn't stupid, but he could read as much going across the mercenary's face. Well, hopefully if the man had questions about his abilities to do his job he'd direct them at the pilot himself. He'd gladly clear up any doubts that he had. He may be more prone to bad luck and such than some, but he wasn't inept. Not everyone could fly a ship after being shot, or worse, and bring their crew out safely on the other end. One short pointed look the man's way hopefully showed that Shai at least suspected the doubts....

Anyhow, Shai stood then...an awkward smile shot towards the others in the room though the expression hardly looked like anything that resembled happiness. He gave one long pointed look towards the ceiling, focusing on one of the many pipes that criss-crossed above them as he ran a hand though his hair, rubbing the back of his neck afterward. He glanced at Xin quickly before looking away, towards the exit. "Might be for the best..." He paused. He opened his mouth to speak further, but decided against it instead. "Should plot out where we're headed next..." He mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck a bit more, managing to look small despite his tall frame. "Ya'll know where ta find me if ya need..." The comment was directly mostly at Quinn, trying another weak smile as he tired to shake off the tension in the room before he slipped out of it, quickly past the captain...making his way to the bridge so he could breathe and actually think.

((**Edited the god-awful amount of typos.))

Oriana gave a wide smile at Quinn’s reaction to her shooting, and after taking off the silencer Quinn had let the merc use and handing it back, returned Bessie to its holster. She walked with Quinn back to the ship, nodding her understanding. “’Preciate it, cap’n,” she said. The idea of getting a paycheck, while not a foreign one, was exciting after such a long time looking for work. Ori liked Quinn; while quick to judge someone, she seemed fair, and Ori appreciated such a quality.

Ori carefully listened to Quinn’s instructions, making a mental note of where she was allowed. She voiced her thanks and set about gathering her still-soaked possessions; once those were precariously perched in her arms, she made her way beyond the sickbay, selecting room 10. She laid her things out to dry, and fumbled in her coat pocket for a small, long, and thin plastic container. Opening this, almost panicky, Ori took out the tiny capture tucked inside the case and pressed the screen. A vid of several people, all with black curls identical to Ori’s, smiled and laughed and waved at the screen. Ori paused, a wistful look on her face, then pressed the screen to turn the vid off, and clicked the cover back into place. Ori dried the cover off and placed it reverently under her pillow. After hanging up her wet clothing and jacket, and leaving on her drying jeans and a tank top (and, of course, Bessie), Ori made her way back up to the mess hall, just in time to see Shai heading out of the dining hall and towards the bridge. She walked up to the doorway and stood on her tiptoes to look over Quinn’s shoulder, wondering about the situation but too shy to ask.

The tension in the mess hall had certainly risen quite quickly, that was definite. Kasai sat quietly as the pilot awkwardly made his way out of the room. He got up soon after Shai was gone, and went about gathering up the dishes. He asked Xin if he was finished with his, leaving it if the doctor wanted to finish his food or taking it if he didn't have the appetite anymore. Either way he made his way to the kitchen area so he could clean the gathered dishes.
"If you don't mind, mon capitaine, I'll clean up the kitchen as long as I'm on your boat. Now where do you keep your soap?" He figured such chores wouldn't be missed by the crew, and was completely unwilling to stay aboard the ship without helping out in some fashion. He waited for an answer, and then set about hand washing the dishes.
"Also, Miss Driscol," he added shortly after beginning, "I need to talk to you later. I have a potential lead I'd like to discuss with you." He didn't look up from his current work, seeming quite wrapped up in the menial task.

He could tell that it was going to be a long night from the goings on during dinner. Tensions between himself and the crew would need to be ironed out, at least eventually they would need to be. If he was going to be riding along on this boat for more than a week they'd all have to make friends real quick, or he knew he'd end up back where he started; stranded on a dustbowl trying to find a lift off it. He'd have to discuss things with Shai, because with all the friends Kasai had during his friendly days his experience was that jokes normally stemmed from either the perception you have of the one you're joking about, or a fact you know about them. He was also intrigued by the doctor, and wanted to chat with him out of sheer curiosity. And in the back of his head he knew that Quinn had a few things to say to him. She would be the hardest to win over, he figured, as she was quick to judge and completely willing to put her mistrust out in the open. Perhaps it came with the occupation of being a ship captain, though he hadn't worked with many in his day so he couldn't say much from experience. Oriana didn't cross his mind, as he had only been around her for the duration of one night's dinner. Though, if he had seen how the girl's composure completely changed when she held her gun, he would have an immediate suspicion of the tiny woman.

If Xin was still around after a few minutes from when Kasai had started cleaning the dishes, he'd ask a question of him.
"Ishi Xin₁, do you think you'd have time for a chat later?" He wanted to be polite as he could with the crew, and would prefer to get to know them one on one if possible.

---
1 - Doctor Xin

Quinn kept quiet, though her eyes narrowed some as she peered between Kasai and Xin. She moved so Shai could get past her, though she dropped her hand to allow it to brush against him.

Clearing her throat, the captain walked farther into the mess, about to pick up a few dishes though she paused when Kasai offered to do it himself. "Please do," she answered, having planned on asking for his help, anyway. "Soap's under the sink." Quinn grabbed a glass and filled it with water as she listened to the young man. "That'll be 'captain' or jus Driscol, thank you, and I'll be sure to hear yer idea in the mornin'." Although she'd gotten used to the idea of being called captain, the issue of names was still a sore one.

Quinn approached the doctor and held out her hand. "Can't think of anyone less deservin' of harsh words," she muttered, flexing her fingers slightly. Shai was obviously in pain if he had tried to take the medication in the first place, and she was going to see that he got the relief he sought.

Oriana was finally noticed, Quinn half-turning to the girl. "Yer bed got blankets on it, Ori?" She didn't recall if the rooms downstairs were outfitted with anything aside the furniture bolted to the floor.

Xin winced at Shai's pathetic, puppy-dog-with-tail-between-his-legs exit. ...he hadn't meant to be that harsh, but the man had just tried to drown narcotics in 80 proof bourbon whiskey! Ugh. But it's not like yelling at him had achieved Xin any satisfaction that Shai had learned his lesson. When Quinn came up to him, the doctor sighed and gave her exactly two pills, keeping the bottle for himself. "Here. Give him these, make sure he takes them with water, I'll bring the rest up myself." The doctor motioned that he was indeed done with his plate and nodded his thanks to Kasai, rubbing his forehead, feeling a headache coming on.

As soon as Quinn looked to Oriana and her bedsheets or what have you, he turned back to the dirty mess hall situation, quietly helping to clear off the table as best he could. "Hm? Oh, sure, I'm free roughly...now." He shot a small, weary grin Kasai's way as he lumbered over to the spilt whiskey and pills with a dish towel.

Quinn left the mess hall, giving Xin and Kasai some privacy. Regardless of Oriana's answer, the captain still motioned to a small closet on her way to the cockpit, where spare blankets and such could be found.

"Hey," she called, standing outside the bridge and leaning forward to try and see Shai. Assuming he responded with something warranting her entrance, Quinn came in and held the glass of water out to the man, the pair of pills clamped beneath her pinky dropped into his palm. "Got ourselves a new crew member. You feelin' alright?" she asked casually, sitting heavily in the co-pilot chair and propping her foot up on the corner of Shai's. She rubbed her eyes and rocked the chair some. Yep, almost bedtime.

"'ey...." Shaiyat answered the captain, waving one hand lazily to welcome her in. He'd plopped into his own chair a few minutes before, rubbing his face a few times before settling back into his more familiar pilot-mode. The larger screen in the center of the control panel kept most of his attention even as Quinn entered and took a seat. It took him until she spoke again to notice the water and pills she offered, and he briefly smiled before he downed both. The pills still tasted horrible...but if he was going to catch any sleep that night they were needed to dull the pain in his shoulder.

"New crew member? Ori's gonna stay on then?" He didn't answer the question re-guarding himself just yet, rather surprised the captain had let the girl on. Well, she must've been something impressive then. She seemed friendly enough, so Shai had nothing against her staying. "Gonna need ta find work soon then, eh? Maybe somethin' less intense than the last, just'ta see how the girl does?" He offered, leaving out that his bigger worry over Quinn's rather beat up prosthetic. He noticed she wasn't wearing the thing at all after Triumph. Which meant it hurt. He contemplated mentioning she should see Xin about it, but left that alone. As the doctor had mentioned earlier...it'd be better if he brought that up himself. "An' with all the grief I give Xin, he might appreciate a job we don't all get shot on." He chuckled a little. He certainly had no hard feelings towards Xin over the harsh words. The doctor was simply doing his job after all, even if that meant saving Shai from himself.

As the pilot spoke one of his hands moved over the simple keyboard in front of him, ever now and then glancing at the screen he typed into though for the most part his single eye focused on Quinn. "No word from Nar yet...gotta few job offers..." He mumbled, but paused seeing the tiredness in her expression. "Can look over those later." His fingers continued to tap continuously as he found some music to play He finally settled on some very light jazz piano music*, the sound of which played softly through the speakers in the mess hall as well as the rest of the boat. "Did everyone else go ta bed?" He asked a nearly a whisper. With a sigh he leaned back in his seat, moving to rest his arm next to Quinn's foot. He smiled a little in her direction. "Did'ja know I went with Xin today ta meet an actual Companion? A real one Driscol...went in 'er house an everythin'. An' guess what, they do have fancy pillows jus' like I thought." He turned his nose up a little with pride, his odd habit of collecting pillows that may have (Or more likely, have not) belonged to those in the profession was now justified.



------
*https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1elTXLiWB9Y

Quinn nodded her agreement of taking something a little less stressful and with less risk this time around. She watched Shai carefully when he mentioned the doctor, and was glad to see the man didn't seem to bent out of shape over the whole thing, though she did feel Xin had overstepped his bounds a bit. But it was better to let this one die.

The captain frowned lightly when Shai mentioned Nar was still missing in action. Damn kid... where the hell was he? "Offers?" she asked, looking up to see Shai peering her way as he typed. Creepy. All Quinn could do was hunt and peck. A simple shrug answered his question on the crew.

Quinn closed her eyes as she listened about the pilot's newest adventure. "You go dressed like that?" she teased, smiling. "Surprised you didn' ask fer one of her pillows... or did you?" Switching to more serious subjects, Quinn nudged Shai with her boot. "Yer pay's in the safe." She sat forward and rested her elbows on her knees, sighing into her hands. "You should get a haircut fore we leave," she mumbled as an afterthought, "and I'll hear you out on the jobs in the mornin'."

The woman almost went to stand, but paused and sat on the edge of her chair instead, brows pulling low as she sought Shai's gaze. "You know I gotta yell at you fer what happened on Triumph, right?"


( Another log is going to be started soon here on the board (probably by tomorrow or Saturday), but this one won't be inactivated or anything so feel free to keep posting. Unless you all would like to meet up in chat, we'll be on the board until next Friday, Oct. 1, 2010, about 7ish PST (I have to study for midterms this weekend, ew). If you do meet in chat please post a log. )