Continuation of log 9

Quinn gritted her teeth as she went out with the rest of the crew, walking with her crutch. Despite her mood and the odd situation she managed to behave, even leaving her pistol and it's holster on the ship. She thanked the pair for their hospitality after giving Richard's hand a firm shake, his wife a slightly lighter one. She nodded a greeting to the sneering twins and just kind of looked at the young girl. Quinn was pretty clueless when it came to children.

The captain coupled Xin's warning look, though hers was only directed to Kasai. She peered Oriana's way when she noticed the girl had some red in her eyes, but her behavior seemed fine otherwise so Quinn didn't bother to ask. A sinking feeling settled in the woman's stomach as breakfast was mentioned and everyone started moving inside. She snorted quietly at Shai's comment, grey eyes peering longingly in the direction of the water.

There was no denying the situation was weird. It was like... well... going to your doctor's house to meet his family and have breakfast. Of course Xin was more than the ship's doctor, the last couple years supporting Quinn's idea of him as a friend. But coupled with the Alliance issue, the whole thing was odd, and Quinn would need some time to get used to the idea. For now she simply looked forward to throwing out an excuse to return to the Vega.

All right, all right, so this wasn't the most ideal or normal of situations. However, one had to admit there were less pleasant places to be. Especially when they entered the home. Although the outside was impressive, the inside was especially so. Above their heads glittered a glass dome offering a clear view of the perfect sky, and surrounding them, immaculate green marble walls decorated with tapestries, paintings, and even a few pictures now and then. Family portraits and the like. Mostly of Richard, Isabella, and Rosabella, but now and then, one might catch a glimpse of what looked to be a very young Isabella, a tall, slim, haughty teenage older brother with what would be a handsome face, had it not looked so arrogant, a happy if vacant mother, and a very austere Chinese man with iron gray hair that seemed to glare disapprovingly even through the medium of photography. Xin seemed to walk past this particular portrait with a slightly quickened pace, nothing too noticeable.

Finally, they reached the dining room. To say the amount of food was plentiful was no less than a complete understatement. To say there was an absolute obscene quantity of food, that might be a little closer. The buffet seemed fit to host a royal parties. Various selections of meats, cheeses, fruits, vegetables, and breads surrounded the lot of them. In the distance, an expansive table set with delicate silver utensils and powder blue napkins lay waiting. Their red-headed host gleefully spread out his hands to indicate that his guests should help themselves. "Tuck in!" He exclaimed, going for a plate to do so himself, accompanied by the coy Rosabella that was incorrigibly taking small bites of things and trying to subtly replace them on the silver trays.

Strangely enough, although one might expect the doctor to have been at complete ease with the atmosphere he grew up in, he seemed a little on edge. I mean, he fell into proper manners and customs easily enough, but were it not for his sister, he seemed just as eager to get back to the ship as the captain, although he politely disguised this fact as well as he could.

When everyone had served themselves and were sitting at the table, Richard very breezily tried to attempt pleasant conversation, much to Xin's chagrin. "Well! What brings you folk this side of the 'Verse, if I may ask?"

"Just passin' by," Quinn offered easily. She'd seated herself next to Shai, a few pieces of fruit and meat on her plate. Although the buffet appeared enticingly wonderful, to the point of being stuffed with exotic foods Quinn had never seen before, it only deepened her discomfort. It was excessive, moreso since most of it was actually fresh, and even now so many starved out on the rim. But for the sake of being polite she'd eat something.

"The doctor here was feelin' a little home sick 'n wanted to stop by." She smiled at the sister inparticular, whose excitement over seeing Xin was kinda cute. Quinn hoped that would be enough to satiate Richard's curiosity, or at least stem his questions considering her lack of one.

Shaiyat had never been in a house that was so...nice. He'd have pretty much stared at everything wide-eyed and mouth open had he not caught himself doing just that and forced himself to keep up with the group. His curiosity did get the better of him when it came to the portraits however. He lagged behind some, pausing at the picture that Xin quietly avoided. The pilot didn't notice such, instead he was caught by the young teen of the group with a familiar face. Even though Shai recognized the doctor, to see him void of tattoos and such was just as different for him as it probably was for even one else to see the man with them. "Oh..." He reached out to touch the frame, but stopped himself, suddenly realizing everyone had moved on.

He hurried to catch up, shooting an apologetic smile Quinn's way if she'd noticed his brief absence. And then he was hit by the food. The sight, the smell, the huge amount of it. His stomach growled again and he was further reminded that he was in a totally different world. While the environment was far from familiar, the pilot found Richard and Isabella to be pleasant enough people and for that reason he came off more comfortable than he was. He took enough food to show that the offering was very appreciated, finding himself a seat between Quinn and Ori.

He tried to watch the others at the table without being hugely obvious that he was doing so. Did it matter which fork he used first? Did it matter how he sat, or how fast he ate? He took most of his cues from Xin, noticing that the doctor seemed a little stiff as well. Hmmm. His worry over doing everything 'right' faded as soon as Richard spoke however. The pilot was really a rather social person, and wasn't about to be shy when it came to talking...but with this particular question it was probably better that the captain answered even though Shai had opened his mouth to do the same. He nodded soon after, agreeing with Quinn's statement. "Yeah, we were around an' had a chance ta stop...have'ta say I haven't spent much time here...it's beautiful." He gave a genuine smile while wracking his memories for anything Xin had mentioned about what exactly his family did for a living. He shifted the shoulder brace uncomfortably for a moment before he spoke up again. "What keeps you all busy here?" The pilot tried very hard to break his habits of poor grammar and was rather proud of himself even if he had to speak a bit slower to try and keep his accent at bay. He hoped asking Isabella and her husband what they did wasn't too personal, he simply figured it was safer to keep the conversation on them....and he was curious.

Oriana was never one to turn down food, and today was no exception. She also used the buffet as an excuse to hang back and check out the surroundings. Ori had decided to make her skills more marketable, and to convince Quinn to keep her around, and so she was practicing memorization and observation. Satisfied that she had memorized the exits and how far away each one was, Ori took her plate of food and sat by Shai.

Ori also took her cues from Xin, glancing over at him every once in awhile, but she didn’t keep her eyes on him. Instead her eyes darted from each face to the details of the room, even as she delicately placed the napkin in her lap and tried not to look too awed by the flaunting of riches. If one were to look closer, Ori’s tremors had completely disappeared, her moments graceful and unhindered. Attempting to come off as her usual friendly self, and trying to avoid questions about the removal of her coat, Ori gave everyone a wide smile, especially Shai after he spoke. She tried to convey that his speaking seemed especially appropriate through her glance, then gave Quinn a quick glance to see her reaction to the place, finally turning back to her plate and, once the hosts began eating, took small bites.

Xin, even as absentminded as he was, had fallen in to old habits. Without even thinking, he transitioned seamlessly from proper utensil to next proper utensil. So it'd be incredibly easy to follow him and he wouldn't even pick up on it. He merely gave a half-smile and nodded to Quinn's answer, his unease melting some when Isabella reached out and squeezed his hand at the mention of him being homesick.

Before Richard or Isabella had the chance to answer the question directed at them, the arrogant teenager in the room with them piped up, not looking directly at anyone. "Please. Passing through. More like illegal mercenaries. Or smugglers." Nian Zu turned sharply to Quinn, his smirk and lofty attitude possibly reminding her of a younger, defiant version of the doctor. "Captain, yes? What's your cargo? Food? Medicine? ...slaves?" He jerked his thumb towards Oriana with a mean little laugh bubbling. "That one available?"

While Isabella and her husband went gape-mouthed at Nian's rudeness, Xin quickly responded with a loud snap that made all, including Nian Zu, look his way. "You will keep a civil tongue and mind your own business." He directed evenly towards his younger brother, his eyes displaying a dangerous amount of anger. The teen held his gaze for a moment, then scoffed, but folded and looked down. The doctor's sister looked absolutely mortified at Nian's behaviour, and looked towards their guests with a wide eyed, 'hands up' look that seemed to say, 'So sorry. Don't pay attention to his bad behavior.'

It was finally Richard that responded to Shaiyat. Richard, also a very sociable and boisterous creature, answered them both cheerfully. "Well, my family was one of the first on Bellerophon, so we sort of began this little community." Shai might notice that it didn't seem these people seemed to concerned about good grammar. Isabella quickly interrupted proudly. "But Richard started his own fortune, investing in a medical supply company when he was twelve. Now he's the CEO!" Richard shook his head, mumbling, "More complicated than that..." but he shot a small grin his wife's way.

Then, appropos of nothing, Isabella looked excitedly over to Quinn and Oriana. "So! Xin told me you two might go shopping for clothes with me today!" Guiltily, Xin choked on his food, trying to cover with his hand. Oh yeah. He didn't tell Quinn that his sister was craving girl time. That, uh, slipped his mind.

Nar was a bit overwhelmed by it all too. He was canny, and while he wasn't exactly privy to the reasons behind the tense nerves, he could tell that the general mode of the crew wasn't as breezy and relaxed compared to their hosts. In a way though, he'd been glad to see the children. They were afterall probably closer in age to him than some of the others, though he was still trying to make an accurate guess as to how old Ori was. He wanted to get to know Ori a bit better, too, but so far he'd been unable to think of an angle to start from.

But Nar had been a bit preoccupied since returning to the Vega. Apart from the occasional bout of his usual self, he'd been very withdrawn and thoughtful. Today had been no exception, and he'd simply shuffled out of his room in a passably presentable state shortly before they'd left the ship. His greetings to Xin's family had been largely composed of smiles, nods and handshakes. The surroundings were to his eyes, beyond any measure of opulance, as he'd first been used to a fringe world settlement and then a selection of ships and engine rooms. Infact, despite a shower and wearing his best t-shirt and slacks, he was avoiding touching anything for fear of leaving some damning oily stain behind.

However, being presented with breakfast shook out some of the thoughtfulenss out of him. Food was food, and sure as heck it was more grand than was usaually available on the ship. Indeed, some of the finest he'd ever been confronted with. He ate steadily, not making a pig of himself, but not being dainty about it either. The dire attempts at conversation going on around him were largely ignored, instead he leaned across to Isabella and offered her a smile. "This is really good." He told her, the first thing he'd really said all morning.

Then he fell silent again, listening to the banter going on around him. The tasteless comment from one of Xin's younger brothers caused a narrowing of his eyes, but he bit down on his tongue as Xin rounded on him. He was only a kid anyway. He was soon caught up listening to Richard's tale, and coupled with the grand surroundings he felt his respect for the man quietly starting to slip somewhat. If only because his story rang a bit of a bell in Nar's mind, mostly about a man he'd known from his own dusty homeworld. A now dead homeworld.

Nar could not however prevent himself from choking on the bread he was eating at Isabella's exclaimation. He could have more easily pictured Kesai clothes shopping than the Captain. Red faced and coughing, he turned back to the table to avoid Quinn's gaze and saught out a cup of water.

Nian’s comment did not appear to upset Ori, but her demeanor changed; instead of carefree, she became guarded and solemn. She put her utensils down and pressed her napkin to her lips slowly, then looked over at Nian with a raised brow. She highly doubted that he understood how people had to live when they weren’t drowning in money like he was. She regarded the teen for a few moments with pursed lips, then looked over at Xin as he snapped at his brother, surprised. She had never known the doctor to be angry, and she was interested to see this new emotion in him.

Ori made quiet compliments about the food to Isabella, offering a tentative smile. She listened to Richard’s story with little interest; because his story didn’t involve any sort of manual labor, which she thought of as actual work, she didn’t consider his riches well-earned, although his generosity was much appreciated.

As everyone choked on their food at the idea of Quinn shopping for clothes, much less wearing anything other than her normal attire, Ori did nothing more than let out a tiny giggle. She would very much like to go shopping with Quinn and Isabella, possibly for no other reason other than seeing the captain’s reaction to such a feminine activity. But Ori’s face slowly reddened as she thought about going shopping. She hoped Isabella had an inkling of just how poor Ori was; looking at clothes would just be teasing, although she was admittedly curious to see what rich people wore and considered good taste. She gave Isabella a sheepish smile but kept silent, looking over at Quinn to see her reaction.

The captain didn't need to take any cues from Xin - aside from her general appearance and the uncomfortable expression, the woman seemed semi-accustomed to the atmosphere, even sitting a bit straighter than she ordinarily might as a subconscious response to the change of environment.

Quinn didn't like where Shai's inquiry would take the conversation, but couldn't help but pass a small, affectionate smile his way. She hoped it'd calm his nerves.

And then one of the snotty teenagers had to go and turn up the heat. Quinn slowly leaned back in her chair, her face darkening the longer Nian spoke. It was a good thing Xin responded when he did, as it gave the woman time to remember he'd asked her to behave. Sigh. She decided to wait and say something to the little shit when people got up to leave. There was no way Quinn could avoid saying something eventually - but she also respected the doctor enough to try and avoid causing a scene in front of Richard and Isabella. So she'd misbehave discretely.

Quinn continued staring in Nian's direct after the confrontation ended, imagining him mopping the cargo floor or scrubbing out the waste tank. It was Richard's response which finally caused her to look away. She smiled around a sigh. Typical.

Quinn's face fell when Isabella asked about a shopping trip. The following reactions from her crew caused her to feel a little insulted, which quickly replaced whatever hesitancy she had over spending time with Xin's bubbly sister. She liked shopping. Just... probably not the kind Isabella did. Maybe they could find a happy medium. Yeah. "Sounds fun. Oriana, you wanna go? The boys'll probably like some time to themselves." Although she hadn't made it obvious Quinn had watched the little mercenary enough to notice her attention to detail and the way she seemed to calm while on the job. That certainly helped to boost her confidence in the woman and made her someone Quinn certainly wanted to take along.

Plus, she had to go to the post. And it was an excuse to get the hell out of this house.

Shaiyat had finished half his plate before the conversation had gotten very far. His mind was already on the thought of going back for seconds from the extensive buffet and if doing so was even proper. He didn't have long to dwell on that however, his attention mostly on Richard as he waited for an answer to his question. Instead, Nian Zu piped up with his own opinion of the crew and their 'work.' This earned the teen a look of disapproval even from Shai. He wanted to say something as much as Quinn, but the doctor seemed to handle the situation just fine...and in this setting it was perhaps better that he did. "Yer food's gotta come from somewhere..." He mumbled softly under his breath, it'd be hard to make out much besides his irritation. This outburst did show the pilot that perhaps wading into a party full of Alliance who thought very much the same as the youth was going to be harder than he thought. He held to the idea that this venture was going to be worth it in the end, ever the optimist.

He was able to bring himself to smile at Xin's sister and brother-in-law. How they got their fortune didn't bother him overly much. They seemed like good people and that was enough for the pilot for now. He was going to continue the conversation until Isabella changed its course to shopping...and bring the women of the crew with her. Shai immediately shot a glance Quinn's way. She'd not been overly thrilled by coming to this planet to begin with...let alone spending 'leisure' time with Xin's sister. He coughed, his body freezing in much the same reaction as the rest of the crew. It wasn't the activity he couldn't wrap his head around so much as it was Quinn wandering the streets of this planet with Isabella. They were quite literately from two totally different worlds.

The captain's response however put any worries Shai had at ease. He sent her a reassuring smile. A 'see, this plan could work?' sort of expression as his confidence rose again. They could blend in, see? Right. The pilot's attention moved back to Xin, a ghost of a smirk turned his way. "Maybe Xin can show me an' Nar around too?" While Shaiyat knew the address of the upcoming party he wasn't at all familiar with the area...and he figured the more he was shown before the event the better he could fit in and come off like Bellerophon was some place he frequented. Plus, he worried the more time they spent with Nian Zu the more likely one of them would slip. Something he knew all of them wanted to avoid.

Nar recovered himself, feeling a little bit guilty about his reaction as he drank some water and then streightened up, deciding he'd had quite enough of the rich food for the moment. With the Captain thus occupied the rest of them were going to be at a loose end, and Nian's comment had somewhat cooled Nar's previous idea of just kicking back and skiving off for a game or two of some kind with the boys.

Shai's idea about seeing some more of the place was welcomed with enthusasm. "Oh, great idea Shai." He said. "That's if the Doc is willing anyway." He added, glancing across at Xin with a slight grin. Then he glanced across at Richard, another thought rising into his mind.

"Richard, I don't suppose you know anything about what happened on Zephyr?" He asked, tentatively. This was the subject that had been occupying him recently. It was well known that the planet of Nar's birth had been hastily abandoned because the generators had failed, but the fact they had been sabotaged was known to only a few. As far as the rumour mill was concerened, the most plausable cause for this was simply the mechanics in charge failing in their duty. Thus, despite having a better idea of the facts, Nar was not about to admit he was from Zephyr himself.

"Must have been three years ago now. I know it was a long way off, but did you guys ever get some refugees from there?" Given the man's position and how long he'd claimed to be here, some event like that would have at least come to his attention. Or so Nar hoped.