Log 10 - Halloween, Alliance style

It was the morning of the third and last day. Quinn planned on leaving immediately after she made contact with the mystery man Shai was sure would land them jobs and coin. They'd recently discovered the party was in fact a Halloween ball, which caused the captain to feel slightly better. That still didn't mean she was thrilled. Personal feelings aside, the occasion would make it easier for the crew to 'blend in', and coupled with the fact that costumes were cheaper than the clothing Quinn would otherwise be forced to purchase, it was an overall pleasant surprise.

Quinn made it clear all crew were to attend this thing, and this was not something to be taken lightly. She reminded everyone this was still enemy territory and that necessitated being aware, quick and not calling attention to oneself. She mentioned briefly the importance of roleplaying and keeping up the act that they were supposed to be there, which was a little awkward because she knew she was a horrible actor.

Quinn had Shai get a hold of Kelsey and Maysen - not only because she needed their help but to harass them for the last job, too - and luckily they had a connection that could tweak the guest list and add on a few more names. Nar and Oriana were to enter as a couple and were assigned the names of children from wealthy diplomats on a nearby core planet. Quinn adopted the previous captain's name, and Shai's relation made that easy. Xin would be able to go as himself and Kasai could do what he wanted - Quinn didn't yet consider him crew so didn't care what he did, as long as it didn't step on her toes.

The cargo bay was strewn with clothes after the captain had gone through her minimal wardrobe and tossed a few things down for people to sort through. She'd gone into the storage room and found a couple old trunks of clothing from the last crew and random passengers - with Shai's blessing, all that made it down to the pile, as well.

The woman leaned along the catwalk, peering down at the mess with a bit of a smirk on her face. She had yet to change into her costume and refused to do so until it was time to leave. Quinn flexed her left leg with the newly-attached prosthetic, which she was still getting used to - what with having gone a while without one and it being a newer model, she was back to limping, but it wasn't bad.

((Be as inventive as you like with what's in the trunks!))

Nar had gotten over his inital shock at the role he was to play in the plan for the big party. His reaction had been to the tune of "Ori and I are an item? Why wasn't I informed of this?!" He had already picked out what he was wearing to fit his role. He'd encountered a halfway decent buisness suit in the pile, and decided that it would be suitable. He might even look vaguely distinguished. He wasn't sure if it was dress up or not, but he'd decided a vampire wouldn't be to difficult to swing if it was.

Now he was emerging from his room, clad in....an interesting getup. With still some time before they left for the party, he'd been rooting through the heap of random odds and ends of clothing for anything that was passable for him to potentially lay claim to later.

Currently his clothes consisted of patterened shorts, sandals, sunglasses, and a shirt that even colour-blind tourists in Hawaii would instinctively avoid. He set upon the heap again, tossing things aside as he saught through the pile for anything else he'd missed on previous raids. Movement above caught his eye though and he streightended, lifting the sunglasses up to get a better look.

"Hey Cap'n." He hailed her with a wave. "Oh yeah, I have some stuff strewn about I've been meaning to give to people. Kind of presents for everyone really that I got in my two years off. Think I have time to hand them out before the party?" He asked, though Quinn's present was going to be a bit difficult. Still, after all that time he couldn't not give it to her.

Oriana had a difficult time deciding on a costume. She wanted to wear something that wouldn’t make her stand out, and would be easy to move around in. The dress she wore for Xin’s family was a rare occasion, and she broke out the jeans as soon as she could.

Ori spent a long time rummaging through the clothes, her mind empty of ideas, when inspiration suddenly struck. Pulling out an oversized plaid shirt, a worn cowboy hat, and a belt with a giant buckle, she ran back to her room to change into her costume.

When she next emerged, Ori could be seen wearing a white wifebeater under the plaid shirt, which was tied at her waist. The beltbuckle was clearly visible and at her hip was, of course, Bessie. Her normal jeans (relatively cleaner than usual) and boots completed the look, along with the cowboy hat, perched low on her forehead. Her hair was braided into two long pigtails. Satisfied, Ori returned to the piles, expressing greetings towards Quinn and Nar. Upon seeing Nar’s outfit, Ori’s eyebrows shot up, and she stifled a giggle behind her hand. She leaned against the wall, watching as Nar dug through the piles, keeping an eye out for anything she might be able to snag as well.

Quinn quirked a brow as Nar came into view. "Hope that's not yer costume," she commented with a little laugh, leaning back and crossing her arms. She'd already seen the outfit he'd decided to go with, and she approved. With the right touch Nar'd make a pretty convincing vampire. Ori was given a smile and tip of an invisible hat. Good choice.

Sitting on a little table next to the pile was a collecting of makeup, a package of fake, glue-in vampire teeth and hair gel she'd bought while in town, all of which was free for the taking. Quinn watched the pair sort through the clothing, glad to see some of it was being sequestered.

Nar's question was a bit unexpected. "Oh... uh. Yeah, sure." After she recovered a bit from being caught off guard, she added, "That sure is sweet, Nar."

Nar smiled, half to himself as he glanced across at Ori, lifting the sunglasses to get a better look at her. "Lookin' good." He said, dropping them back into place and abandoning his search through the heap. He was about to turn away when something else caught his eye. "Check it out!" He said excitedly, scrabbling in the heap of clothes.

He pulled out the top half of an alliance uniform, apparently for some sort of minor officer. "That could be useful if we can find the rest of it." He said, laying it to one side. "I'll go get the other stuff for me gift giving." He said, dissapearing hurridly in the direction of his little fighter. With some effort, he had soon transferred a large, long wooden crate into the cargo bay and then dissapeared again, only to return with a sack of things over one shoulder. He'd also aquired a silly red hat from somewhere too, which only made him look even more rediculous.

"Seeing as you guys are here, I might as well start with you." He said, digging a couple of boxes out of his sack.

The larger of the two he handed to Ori, it resembling a carry case of some kind. It turned out to be a self-contained lockpicking set, with equipment for both ordinary, and electronic locks. "I tried to get practical things." He said, somewhat awkwardly. "Speaking of..."

The smaller oblong package was handed to Quinn. The box opened up to reveal a prosthetic leg. Though it was not exactly Alliance specification, Nar had put a lot of effort into making it for her. The ankle, the arch of the foot and the toe section were all articulated, wrought of stainless steel joints with aluminium and plastic to form the shape of the foot, with the circuitry worked carefully into the body of the prosthetic to protect it.

"Should fit your boots Cap'n. If you're still wonderin' who pinched your boots for a day about two years ago, that was me. I know you just got a new leg but... I dunno, thought you might need a spare or something."

Shaiyat was going to be a pirate. This may have been an obvious choice for the pilot, but with the advantage of his eye-patch being easily explained away as part of his costume he figured it was his best one.

He was glad the clothing in the trunks was being put to use. He'd never known what to do with the stuff the old crew left behind. Luckily for the current group the old captain had a rather flamboyant flair and there was plenty of interesting clothing to choose from. Shaiyat had claimed a floppy wide-brimmed black hat he planned on pinning up into a more three-cornered 'pirate hat' sort of style. He'd disappeared into his room for a while to do so while the others had gathered, returning around the time when Nar had begun his gift giving.

He made his way down the metal stair case, wearing the now altered hat which was now sporting a long, rather colorful feather that looked like it was made out of a thin paper. He'd managed to find a pair of black slacks with he'd tucked into his normal boots. He'd yet to find just the perfect shirt so for now he wore a simple blue tank-top with a koi fish painted on it. The wide scar that ran down his cheek and neck clearly continued over his collarbone and further was visible now, and cut even further down his chest though his shirt hid such. He wasn't wearing his shoulder brace, as he'd taken it off to change and wanted to ask Xin if he could leave it that way for the party.
Anyhow, he greeted the others with a smile and came to stand next to Ori. He nudged her wiht his elbow lightly. "Nice hat." He chuckled, winking...or well trying to anyway. It was hard to do so with one eye.

He didn't comment Nar's get-up right off, more distracted by what he caught of the interaction he caught between the young man and Quinn. He'd not been around when Nar had announced he was giving gifts, so he wasn't entirely sure that the new prosthetic was made by the mechanic...he gawked anyhow, creeping closer to get a better look. He whistled low once, before he tried to catch the captain's eye..."Ain't that shiny..." It was around then Shaiyat made the connection between Nar's red hat and the sack. "Oh!" He stepped back, breaking the quiet with a smile. "Oh! I get it..." He looked slightly embarrassed for taking a bit for putting two and two together. 'Santa' had never really made an appearance on Ezra during the pilot's childhood.

Quinn made her way down to the cargo bay and shuffled over to the pile of clothing, nudging the Alliance top with her prosthetic. She'd already snatched up what she wanted from the pile. Nar's reappearance as a pseudo-Santa caused her to chuckle a bit. This should be interesting. She moved to the bottom of the staircase and took a seat, glancing up in time to smile as Shai appeared above and made his way down. "Great minds think a like," she mumbled, referring to his getup. Quinn would be going as a pirate, as well. It wasn't too far from the truth, would be easy to dress for, and now, suited her just fine considering her partner would be dressed similarly.

Oriana's new lock picking set earned an approving nod from the captain. Good, that would certainly come in handy. Quinn quirked a brow as Nar approached with her gift. "Nice'a you to keep us in mind, kid," she commented easily, giving him a little smile before she opened the crate.

The woman's eyes went wide when she viewed what lay inside. She hadn't really known what to expect, this probably being the last thing. Her joking attitude subdued, Quinn peered at the young man during his explanation, answering with a genuine smile. She reached in and pulled the prosthetic out, her hands exploring the jointed foot and ankle as she balanced it in her lap. "I'll be damned," she said with a little breathy laugh. She tilted it up right and peered at the top half of the artificial leg, her hands moving along the edges and the inside of where her stump would go. Might need a few adjustments, but other than that, this was by far the nicest prosthetic Quinn had ever had. "Thank you, Nar." The captain's voice sounded a little thick. She cleared her throat and pulled herself upright, again peering down at the prosthetic. "Wirin' all set to go?"

Kasai had returned from his excursion exactly when he had promised, the afternoon of the day after he left. A change in his demeanor would have been noticeable immediately upon his return, and if it hadn't've been for the unloading of his belongings and subsequent retreat to organize his quarters, the crew most likely would have been surprised by the normal attitude that replaced his earlier stand-offish awkwardness.

Speaking of belongings, Kasai HAD brought back quite a few things. A few small chests, fancy metal briefcases, and a few duffel bags; it certainly seemed like he figured he'd be staying on the ship for a fair amount of time. He had spent the rest of the second day on Bellerophon arranging the things he had unloaded from the shuttle in his room. He had even brought some makeshift shelving and furniture.

Currently the man had just finished a well needed shower, and was shaving. He had already spread the shaving cream over his beard, and was slowly taking his razor to it. After a few quick slides, he ran the razor under the running water of the sink and set it aside. He splashed his face with water and looked himself over in the mirror, checking for nicks and cuts. He smiled at himself in approval of the clean shave, and gathered his things. He hurried his way across the cargo bay, towel wrapped securely around his waist, holding it tightly with one hand just in case. He waved to the crew of the Vega as he passed, throwing some words slyly towards Quinn;
"Don't worry, mon capitaine, next time you see me I shall be properly clothed." He winked to her as he spoke, hurriedly making his way up the stairs and through the mess before finally reaching his quarters.

He scurried down the ladder, closing the door behind him before he threw the towel on the ground and began rummaging through the clothes he had brought with him. He had considered rummaging through the things Quinn had thrown on the floor of the cargo bay, but decided to scrounge together some things from his own collection.

"Now where did I put that damned mask?" He asked no one in particular as he pulled garments out of one of the many duffel bags he had brought back with him.

Nar paused, watching Quinn's reaction. He was glad, and a little suprised, glancing across at Ori to see how she was getting on with her gift, then back to Quinn. "Oh it's all wired up. It will probably need a few tweaks to make it comfortable, but I did as much as I could short of attempting to attach it to you in your sleep." He remarked, adjusting the red hat and then tipping Shai a salute as he approached.

"Ahoy captain." He said with a smirk. "Just the man I wanted to see actually, over here." he said, putting his sack down and crossing over to the big crate he had dumped onto the cargo bay floor. After wrestling with it a moment, he pulled the lid off to show the contents. "I'm guessing you guys are familiar with these." He said, brushing aside packing material. It was a large machine gun, complete with a folded tripod and several boxes of ammunition. "I talked a lot with this old guy when I was working on a big rust bucket transport ship. Among other things he told me about civillian ships getting jury-rigged after the Browncoats nabbed a big Alliance armory. Figured I could do something like that after I picked this up cheap. I was going to put it on my fighter, but that's got enough guns on it already." He streightend up, giving Kasai a wave as the man streaked by.

"Could just keep it as is. Wouldn't take long to set it up in front of the doors here and it'd make a real mess if any reavers came knocking. It's a bit of a bitch to carry though." He shrugged lightly. "I could rig up a mount for it on the hull, the tripod bolt wouldn't be hard to duplicate. It'd give Vega a nasty sting if we were backed into a corner and unable to scramble Old One Eye. Ammo for these isn't too hard to come by either, fairly standard."

He wrapped the hat around his hand, glancing around at them before looking back to Shai. "It's your ship, and your call. But the option's there now."

"You should play Santa more often," Quinn mumbled, her brows raised as she peered approvingly at Shai's gift. She nodded slowly throughout the mechanic's suggestions. "Would be useful on the hull or rigged in here on a swivel." The captain leaned down to put her new prosthetic away and hoisted the package beneath her arm, a smile shot Shai's way. "Yer call. You know better'n me where this boat needs more firepower. Either way, I'd like to get somethin' mounted in the cargo 'case personal weapons won't do the job." If they weren't boarded, Shai would do most of the weapons operating if they encounter an enemy ship in the black... which seemed more and more likely, considering where they were headed after the party.

Quinn quirked a disapproving brow as Kasai hurried past, and rolled her eyes when he winked. "I'd appreciate you keep yer nudist tendencies to yer room, Kasai." Her comment didn't have as much growl as her earlier ones toward the mercenary, his prompt arrival with the shuttle and little attitude since then seeming to have worked in his favor. She'd been a little unsettled with the amount of stuff the man brought back with him but got over that quickly enough, reasoning out that it'd be in her favor to have another good shot on board when they ventured out.

"Guess we'll hafta wait to see what the doctor got." The woman turned to head back up the stair case, pausing a few steps up to peer down at Ori, having noticed the little merc to have gone a quiet. After a brief questioning look Quinn continued up the stairs, calling over her shoulder. "We'll head out in two hours."

((May I jump in? I'm down to play today, 3-8. ))

Xin had been strangely distant since arriving on Bellerophon. One would've thought that the doc would be all the more relaxed, being the prissy-pants aristocrat of the ship and all. But something about the environment made him withdraw from everyone socially, except maybe his sister who, through the haze of unpleasant memories, he was genuinely happy to see.

However, tonight he had an extra spring in his step. He had always loved Halloween, and it had been a while since he had done some partying. Plus, they were all masquerading in more ways than one tonight, and Xin couldn't pretend he wasn't eager to see Quinn try to pass herself off as a lady or Shaiyat a gentleman. Plus, as for himself, his own costume looked fantastic.

Slinking around the corner with snake-like grace, he rapped his knuckles on the captain's door, smirking when he saw Quinn's getup. "Uh, Captain, I'm not sure you got the memo. This is a 'costume' party. See how the rest of us are dressed up?" Smartass. In all honesty though, Xin had put a lot of time and creativity into his costume. He seemed to be directly split down the middle: one half of him was quite lovely. He had shaved off half of his moustache and goatee, and slathered that half of his tattooed face in foundation, and the result was quite startling. He looked almost fresh-faced, or at the very least, the handsome young man of 30 he truly was beneath the ink and metal. This side was also wearing very professional olive green business suit, complete with a handkerchief in the front pocket, half of a vest, and half of a tie. Perched atop his immaculately slicked back half-head of hair was half of a black bowler hat. Yes, Xin had cut the bowler hat in half. The only thing slightly abnormal about the side was the gauged ear (nothing to do when the gauges were that big), but he had put in a clear plug and it was mostly unnoticeable.

Now, the other side was absolutely ghastly. Demonesque, nearly. To start with, the hair on that side had been allowed to curl to its heart's content, and not neat, controlled curls, but reckless, teased-to-the-max ringlets flung every which-a-way. The skin on this side had been powdered to a pale, sickly green that almost glowed, and set off the bright red contact in his eye quite well. The half-moustache and goatee on this side had been heavily oiled, then garishly curled into corkscrews. He was not so much wearing clothing as he was wearing iridiscent jade silk tatters strewn across his chest and torso, leaving peeks of skin, although the material completely covered his back for some reason. Additional touches included false black fingernails that came out an inch past his fingertips, a remarkably life-like false snake crawling through the hole in his ear, and then he had outlined his visible tattoos in glow in the dark paint, which one could vaguely make out now, but would be far more effective in the darkened Halloween party. He twirled around a couple of times, showing the normal side, then the monstrous one, then once again. He was obviously proud of his handiwork. "Like it? Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. If you can believe it, this side," here he indicated the normal side "is wearing at least twice as much makeup as the other."

Shai reached out to squeeze Quinn's shoulder briefly before he backed away, letting her take in Nar's gift without being aware he was about to receive one of his own. His single eye went wide at the size of the crate that the mechanic dragged out, but his expression truly lit up when he got to see what was inside. The pilot's appreciation of large amounts of firepower was a semi-recent development, and his desire to decorate the Firefly with all sorts of heavy machinery was curbed only by their need to keep Alliance suspicions from being raised. But he'd never considered mounting a decent gun inside the cargo bay, and the suggestion from both Nar and then Quinn cemented the idea with him. It brought the smile back to the pilot's face as he walked a circle around the gun, as even just hearing the word 'reavers' had made him shudder. Not normally a violent man, the thoughts of just what something like Nar's gift could do brought him a little bit of peace.
"We'll mount 'er in here then, yeah...think you can rig it so I can control her from the bridge if need be?" He looked like he may just hug the machine gun for a moment, reaching out to pet it once before he tried to sneak in a hug towards the mechanic instead. He clapped him on the back once before stepping back, finally taking in Nar's 'interesting' outfit. "Glad ta have ya back...we'll have'ta get 'er set up if we have time once this party is over." He paused, raising a brow. "Just what'ya supposed ta be?" The pilot wasn't aware that the mechanic had yet to dress up.

The pilot didn't wait long for an answer, remembering that he had to get his own costume finished. He ran his hand down the
gun's barrel as he made his way back upstairs, intending on making his way to his room...and maybe stop by Quinn's to get some ideas since she was going to be a pirate as well. It was Xin however who stopped Shai in his tracks. The pilot actually jumped at the sight of the doctor's get-up, yelping a bit as he caught a glimpse if the 'Mr. Hyde' part of the costume first. "Oh!.....wow..." Shai smiled then, stepping closer just to get a better look. He tipped his hat to both Xin and the captain. "Almost got my stuff together...need'a better shirt though, don't think pirates wore tank tops." He smirked, pulling at his own shirt.

Quinn was eventually able to see past her own discomfort to notice that Xin seemed less than thrilled, as well. She was initially surprised, but after recalling her reasoning in hiring the man in the first place - Browncoat, tattoos, obvious rebellion - it made more sense, and she felt better about the whole situation.

The woman peered up when Xin knocked, brows raising in surprise. Quinn shuffled the lid over the crate containing her new leg and pulled herself back up the ladder, coming to stand with her arms crossed as she scrutinized the man's costume. Impressive. The quip earned him a glare, which she smirked around. "Ha ha," she replied, snickering when he mentioned which side wore more makeup. "I'll believe it. Looks good." Kinda fits, she thought, narrowing her eyes as she admired all the artistic touches... though she did cringe when she noticed the snake through one of his ears. Shai was given a small smile when he wandered up.

"Well you boys are puttin' me to shame," Quinn sighed, turning to head back into her room and get dressed. "I gotta shirt, but it'll be too wide 'n too short. You got any words a wisdom for us goin' into this thing, Xin?"

Oriana went quiet when Nar handed her a box. She looked up at him in surprised before taking it, with hands that shook more than normal. “Nar, I can’t accept this…” The little merc hadn’t expected anything from him, as she was brand spankin’ new on the ship, and Nar had obviously had a few adventures with the crew before. Nevertheless, she took the box and sank to the floor, fiddling with her new toys.

Ori was content to watch the crew interact for the time being. They had a few hours, and she didn’t have anywhere to be, and didn’t have any doors to practice on (at least, she didn’t think the captain would be too happy about her practicing on any doors in the Vega). She peered with interest at the gun that Nar presented to Shai, her fingers itching to examine it. She hung back, making a mental note to ask Shai If she could take a look at it after the party.

Xin’s costume was, of course, a source of great interest, and looking down at her own costume, she felt inadequate compared to him; the idea of it left hers in the dust. With a grin, she called out, “Nice costume, doc.” She could see why he would like Halloween; it seemed like something that would be right up his alley. Getting to her feet with a groan, Ori packed the tools she’d been looking at back into the box, and after shooting a small thankful smile towards Nar, her eyes flicked from Quinn and back to Xin. She hoped Xin had some advice; she was unsure of how to act around these people, though she supposed she should play up her rustic-planet upbringing, to make it seem like she threw all her effort into her costume.

Ori's attempt at refusal was simply met with a smile. Someone was going to have to get used to it, and if she was a new crewmember then why not her? Another feather in her cap. He returned Shai's clap on the shoulder, glancing once more into the open crate with the machinegun. "Well, sure. Fixing it up to fire from the bridge will take a lot of re-wiring though. Depends how much time I'll have to play with. But let your mind run wild Shai. I'm willing to take a stab at anything you can cook up if it's halfway likely to work." He then patted Quinn on the shoulder, almost bumping into the Doc as he turned to look at his outfit.

"Woah!" Was his appricative outburst. "Looks good..." He said, peering at all the details. He then glanced at the makeup that had been left out for him, grinning at Shai. "Not dressed yet, you'll see." He replied, before returning to his sack. "Oh hey, Doc." He said, dredging the next item from the bag with both hands. It was a bulky, complicated bit of equipment, made even more so by Nar's personal additions to it. "It's a chemical analysis unit. I mean, it's a portable thing so it's not massively powerful, but I know we don't have anything like it on board. It's medically oriented. Basically I saw it and thought of you." He said, setting it down with a grunt. "Yeah, it's heavy. Shouldn't have to move it around too much though."

Then he turned, glancing around at them all a moment. He'd generally expected a 'that's cool' from the various things he'd brought on board, but their reactions had suprised him. Smiling to himself, he slipped away to his room to get dressed.

After getting most of the way through preparations, he paused to stare at himself in the mirror. He didn't move for over two minutes, and eventually, he heard a little 'click' behind him as Angel's power switch flicked to On,

"Something wrong?" She enquired smoothly. "Party tonight, I'm supposed to be taking Ori." He replied, not looking around.

There was a long pause before the computer responded. When she did the tone was amused, teasing. "Is she pretty?"

Nar winced. "Yeah."

"So what's the problem?"

He sighed, shrugging his shoulders. "She reminds me of Nahla. I told you about Nahla right?"

"Nahla?" Angel paused again. "Oh... Oh" Then she switched herself off after he didn't respond.

"You gonna need more makeup boyo?" He asked his reflection, then nodded to himself. He needed to talk to someone about what happened on Zephyr. But it would have to wait.

Presently, Nar reappeared in the cargo bay, having pulled himself together for the evening. He was wearing a smart waistcoat, dress shirt and trousers, and a cloak he had made for himself out of what had been a badly worn black velvet dress. Makup had been liberally applied to make him look pale, with shadowed eyes. He'd also doused himself in hair gel too, darkened with some engine oil and then a gallon of aftershave so he didn't reek of the Vega's engine. The fake fangs completed the whole getup, and he certainly looked different. Nar did brush up well when he needed to, and he almost looked mean too.

"How do I look?"

((Hey! It's no big deal, but the cargo bay is downstairs from where Quinn and the others are by the upstairs crew rooms. We'll just say Ori and Nar went up the stairs to see them and stuff ))

(I lost track of who was where. *inserts several ladders into his post*)

Xin perked up slightly at the praise, preening like a proud pheasant. His good humor shrunk slightly as he was asked for advice, but he managed to put on a friendly smirk and said, "Yes, as a matter of fact. Say as little as possible, agree with everything non-controversial, and when in doubt, emulate the most popular person at the party. For example, not me." His smirk turned sardonic, but he managed to turn around and stop speaking before too much bitterness was revealed in his voice. Yeah, he might be the only one in the room going as himself, but he secretly longed for another identity. This one was far too hard to hold up in this environment.

After a moment, the doctor cleared his throat and turned around, apparently bucking up, for all intents and purposes. About that time, Nar presented him with his gift. The wide-eyed doctor silently listened to Nar, looking back and forth from him to the...big, hunk of metal object. After a moment, he realized that Nar had left. "Thank you!" He called out belatedly, not wanting to seem ungrateful. He had just...never used one of these before.

Inwardly sighing, he picked up the rather awkwardly shaped and heavy thing, and began struggling towards the sick bay. "Be right back."

Shaiyat would have taken Quinn's shirt even though it was too short like she'd described. He'd managed to find a navy button down jacket that was long enough to cover the flaw. He tamed his hair back into a pony tail and made sure his hat was perfect. He was rather proud of it after all.
After two hours had passed and the crew was ready Shai contacted the taxi service that was going to bring them to the party. It was probably best that they didn't all arrive in Vega's one beat up old shuttle. It felt odd for the pilot to let someone else take up the job of flying the crew around but he dealt with it. The estate wasn't too far from where they were, it'd be a nice moonlit ride over the water. Lady Katherine's home would be easily spotted even before they landed, the place bustling with activity and shining with artificial light.

The house the crew walked up on was just as large as Xin's sister's home, though it was more on the overly-extravagant side. The woman who'd inherited the estate wasn't shy about showing just how much money she had to throw around. She was known for her lavish and eccentric parties and this one was going to prove no different. There was a sprawling garden out front of the main house, the well manicured hedges and flower bushes now coated with faux spider webbing and glowing green spiders. Skeletons and tombstones poked up from the ground and sheer-fabric meant to look like ghosts hung from the wide-reaching oaks. The night was a cloudy one, the small bits of moonlight that peeked through made the already eerie scene more-so. Lights were everywhere, small twinkling dots in the trees and bushes made to look like glittering eyes. As they moved down the cobblestone walk, the entrance was flooded with dry-ice fog, people in various costumes and music. There was a marble fountain in the center of the outside activities, the water dyed red and the stone angels on top fitted with glittering devil horns.
It became clear that the party spread from the front court outside into the actual house. More music greeting them as they entered, this time a more folksy up-beat type meant to get the guests dancing in the grand ballroom. Illuminated pumpkins were scattered throughout, elaborate candelabras helping to further light up the room. The smells of food overpowered the space, spicy scents of meats blended with sugary notes from the many cakes, pasties and of course candy. There were buffet tables lining the outside edges of the room filled with every sort of sweet imaginable . There were breads, cheeses and fruit spreads. There were even 'servers' moving around the room, dressed in rather skimpy devil costumes handing out Hors d'œuvres and alcohol. Yes, there was plenty of booze at the celebration as well. The party was in full swing and rather packed with people, the crew's fears of standing out should be short lived, there was a rather large crowd to disappear into.

Quinn would be approached first most likely, though as planned the rest if the crew was allowed to spread out and mingle, a tall woman dressed in a red sequined suit and far-too much make-up greeted them at the door. Despite her appearance she seemed to mean business. "Name?" She seemed annoyed, not really by the crew in particular but by the whole event. Lady Katherine's parties were well-known and plenty of people were trying to sneak in. She cluthced a small hand-held, scrolling the screen with one finger as she waited for an answer. Shai stuck with the captain for now, trying not to look as nervous as he felt.

Quinn knew going into this thing that she'd have to dress up. She didn't think it really mattered what the costume was - the sort of women who frequented stuff like this were probably never seen without being dolled up. It had been years since she wore makeup. Quinn sat for a long time in her room staring at the stuff scattered around her sink, fretting she didn't remember how to apply anything properly and that despite the ghoulish look, Xin was going to put her to shame. But it seemed all her mother's coaching had paid off, and the captain did indeed remember something about being girly. Not that her makeup was over the top - mascara, lipstick, a bit of eyeliner, the basics - but considering she never wore any it would probably be a shock for the crew to see. She even tried to cover up the scar across her nose and removed her nose ring for the night.

She had washed and allowed her hair to air dry, giving it a bit more wave than it normally had. The top of her head was covered with a red bandanna, one of Inas' red velvet hats placed over that. It had an extremely wide rim that dipped a bit low in front, the material complementing another item from Inas' wardrobe she'd manage to find - a matching velvet doublet. It was a little big for her so she belted it at the waist, the top open to reveal a white camisole. Black slacks and a pair of boots completed the outfit - she'd switched the sleeve out from her old prosthetic so the new one fit properly, and tested Nar's gift a great deal before trusting it fully, and indeed, it worked fine. It was odd to see two boots, and although the right was more worn than the left, Quinn hoped it wouldn't be too noticeable.

Quinn slipped her pistol beneath the doublet and out of view, and with a sigh, headed toward the ladder. Knowing this night was going to haunt her for a long time, she emerged and got down to business, reminding everyone about what needed doing and adding in Xin's advice. Gray eyes lingered on the doctor during the taxi ride, his earlier sarcasm not lost and leaving Quinn curious on how this trip (and people there he may know) would treat him.

The woman tried to at least keep a neutral expression as she wandered up with walkway with Shai. The last bit of bruising was starting to fade from her stump so it decreased the limp, though Quinn's pace was a little slower than usual as she tried to banish it altogether. "You got any idea who we're lookin' for?" she asked quietly, catching sight of the woman apparently guarding the front entrance. Quinn tilted her head to direct a look Shai's way, meant to request he leave the talking to her.

Do I say hello or somethin'? The woman mulled silently after being asked for her name. After a moment of awkward silence Quinn spoke up, trying her best to silence her accent - surely the noise from inside helped. "Inas Oth'fyrr. This is my cousin, Shaiyat Oth'fyrr." The captain quirked a brow almost impatiently and peered toward the festivities. She tried not to wrinkle her nose at the overwhelming smell of perfume and sugar.

Because Oriana was already dressed, she only needed a few minutes to add the finishing touches to her costume. A few freckles sprinkled across her nose, with the help of an old eyeliner pencil, which she also applied around her eyes, completed the look. The rest of the two hours she spent cleaning Bessie in the hallway.

Upon arrival at the estate, Ori’s eyes widened, and it took all her willpower to keep her mouth from falling open. She couldn’t imagine spending money on things this silly, and she could only dream of how much money this woman had spent on the decorations, much less the estate itself. Although she found the peacock-like display of wealth slightly nauseating, she couldn’t help but appreciate the small details Lady Katherine had paid attention to. The red water produced a grin from the tiny merc.

Ori’s worries that her costume would be too simple were unfounded and did not last long. She saw several cowgirls with fewer details than she, although she had a suspicion that most of them had never seen a ranch in their life. After being allowed into the party, Ori took Nar’s arm and steered him towards the food. “Thought we might make a little detour first,” shemuttered with a grin, making sure she could catch a glimpse of Shai and Quinn if she needed their attention. After reaching the table, she placed a few select items on the intricate orange and black plate before turning back to Nar… And catching a whiff of his hair. “Āiyā, Nar, did you dump the engine on your head?”

Nar was taking in the display with a little less guarded disgust at the sheer opulance of their surroundings. And he thought it had been bad visitng Xin's family. But then he'd grown up in a fringe settlement and later on in deep space, where you wasted nothing because you never knew when you were going to get more of it. Still, they were here now, with their cover names given at the door, they were free to wander around the absurd dispays and gawk at the house. The woman was certainly making a statement. But what a waste!

His ire was only increased by the fact that he'd already bumped into three other vampires, one almost literally, but then it was halloween. He hadn't exactly been the most original had he? He allowed himself to be steered where Ori wished to go, having no great preference at the moment. He was feeling a bit defenceless without his rifle too, but Ori had her pistol. He wasn't sure if the others were armed.

"What?" Her teasing pulled him out of his thoughts, and he felt himself blush under his makeup. "I needed to make my hair darker." He retorted. The fact that she was holding onto his arm only made it easier to elbow her lightly.

Then Nar took a plate for himself as well, inspecting the food dubiously before he picked a few things that were identifiable and loaded them onto it. "I hope this is all going to be worth it." He said in a low voice, glancing over his shoulder towards Quinn and Shai as well. "Did you see where the Doc went?"

The woman in the red sequin tux looked Quinn up and down once. If she appreciated her costume it'd be hard to tell, she simply seemed annoyed to be doing her job at all. As soon as their names left Quinn's lips the woman typed them into her little handheld, a small 'ping' sound announcing they were clear to mingle. Before Quinn could walk away however the woman smiled. Or tried to, her sudden friendlessness coming off a bit flat as she reached out to touch Quinn's upper arm. "It looks like the Queen of Hearts, the lady Katherine would like an audience with you this evening...but do feel free to enjoy the festivities on your way to the throne." The forced smile remained as she motioned for them to look into the open ballroom. On a raised platform was the 'throne.' Seated in the elaborately decorated golden chair was an older woman dressed in a shimmering red ballgown that all but swallowed up her small frame. The party's hostess was in her early sixties, but she was far from old. She was known for her fiery spirit and strong opinions. She'd dressed up as the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland, complete with a crown and scepter and she was dripping with rubies and diamonds. At the moment she was distracted by a few of her many party guests.

Shai and Quinn were left alone then, or as alone a they could be at the crowded party. The pilot's face lit up when he spotted Lady Katherine from afar, elbowing Quinn with a small smile as he leaned closer to her. "That's 'er. The older woman...I remember her callin' Inas now an' then. Guess she knew we were comin'" He tried to sound reassuring. As far as he was aware, Kathrine had been a job contact only to his late uncle. The jobs the past crew had pulled for her had always paid well so the pilot remained hopeful that in the end the result would be the same for them even without the 'true' Inas. Shai calmed, pulling his hat down some. "Ya make a rather fine pirate Driscol ya know." He smirked. "I'm thinkin' ya should wear that hat all the time." He'd rarely, if ever, seen Quinn so 'dressed up' and was pleasantly surprised by how different she looked and how well her costume had come together. The pilot decided it would be best to make their way to Lady Kathrine and get the meeting over with as soon as possible, keeping an eye out for the rest of the crew as he did so. "Not sure if she'll remember me or not, figure she'll get Inas's name though and we'll just explain that ya took over the ship and his old jobs. We could say he retired or somethin'" The pilot whispered his thoughts aloud to Quinn, still anticipating this meeting would go well. He spotted Nar and Ori near the food, offering a smile if he caught their eye before pausing mid-step. He seemed spooked for a brief moment but shook himself out of it, trying to cover the odd moment with the same smile as he turned his attention back to Quinn and tried to avoid walking into anyone.

Meanwhile the band stopped playing, making room for the next act which turned out to be a small jazz set that filled both the ball room and outside with sound. Ori and Nar weren't left by themselves for long. A small crowd from the dance floor made their way over, a gaggle of giggling women suddenly crowding the buffet table. A blond dressed like a skimpy mermaid bumped into Nar and possibly knocked his plate out of his hands, hardly paying attention to her surroundings as she ogled the man she was with. She clutched tightly to his arm. "Oh, you're just so funny!" She squealed in a high-pitched tone before turning back towards the mechanic. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment and she blurted out an apology a bit too loud. "I'm so sorry!" She giggled again. Her 'date' seemed more genuinely apologetic however, an awkward smile sent both Ori and Nar's way. The young man took the opportunity to pull away from the blond. leaving her to chatter with the other over-dressed females. He seemed to be part of the party staff, dressed in a similar devilish theme with small red horns and a red silk shirt left partially unbuttoned. "I believe Lily here has had'a bit too much party if ya know what I mean, you'll have'ta excuse her." His words were slightly accented, something he tried to hide with more 'refined' speech that sounded a little forced to anyone who knew better.

He stepped forward towards Ori with a friendly smile. "You've got the most shiney cowgirl outfit I've spotted tonight miss." He was tall, with short brown hair that seemed to have a mind of it's own and kind blue eyes. He had a familiar, easy air about him. He carried a guitar under his left arm, marking him as one of the members of the band that had been playing earlier. "I'll have ta play a song just for you on my next set...something from back home a cowgirl would appreciate." He winked before setting his attention back to Nar with a small chuckle. "Unfortunately I don't know any songs 'bout vampires...either of you to try this yet?" He switched subjects, motioning to one of the more exotic looking appetizers set out at the buffet table. He seemed relieved to be talking to anyone besides the group of girls vying for his attention from behind. The blond in the mermaid costume huffed once she realized she was being ignored, glaring daggers at Ori. "I'll try it Javan! I'll try it!" That said she all but stuffed her face with one of the small morsels while Javan tried not to look completely disgusted and kept the majority of his attention on Nar and Ori.

Quinn resisted the urge to smack the woman's hand away, offering a little nod in understanding as she moved into the crowd. Grey eyes peered skeptically at the bejeweled woman on the throne, irritation twisting the corners of the captain's mouth as she reflected on how nice it would be for Shai to give her all the details ahead of time. This thing may get complicated, as the greeter's statement made Quinn think twice about what kind of relationship Lady Katherine and Inas had. Perhaps telling her he was no longer alive or that he retired wouldn't get the best of results.

The blonde nodded slowly as Shai confirmed who their contact was. She realized that standing around staring at the host was probably a little odd, so she started forward, moving around people to the edge of the room in order to start a slow progression toward the throne. Quinn was brought out of her thoughts when Shai suddenly complemented her costume, and she looked up in surprise. She watched him closely for a moment, judging on whether or not he was actually making fun of her... though he seemed sincere enough. A tiny smile tugged at her lips as she turned and faced forward, the enormous hat shielding her face from view. "Ain't far from the truth, though I think we'd lose contacts, I show up on jobs wearin' this thing." Aww, she thought.

Flattery aside, Quinn nodded to Shai's suggestions on how to deal with Katherine. She missed the moment Shai hesitated, eyes forward as she picked up the pace a little, hoping to get this over and done with as quickly as possible. It wasn't long before Quinn stood at the bottom of the throne, tilting a smile Katherine's way. "Good evening, Lady," she bowed her head. "Inas Oth'fyrr sends his regards an apologizes for not bein' here himself. He asked I speak with you." She hoped dropping the deceased captain's name was enough to gain some of the old woman's attention... and trust.