Birthday drinks and laments

[Jove Gadria]

A lot of time had passed since she'd entered the galley, apparently, and Jove had to wonder how many drinks had slipped passed her notice in that time. Her vision was far from fuzzy right now, but she did not the bottle she'd moved closer to her, and the glass she may've refilled a few times. For the most part, though, Jove had been listening to the conversation and story that followed. It sounded like a good'un. Even had her grinning. The Captain's silence had left her a little unnerved, but the strange man was quickly becoming apparent to the businesswoman as a man of many oddities. It made her wonder if what some said about the war was true. Some never got over the loss, or could never really leave it behind. Something that made her think, and feel a little grateful-- if not a little guilty-- for the fact she'd never been involved. We're all allowed those selfish little thoughts, however. Jove liked her health and survival. She liked her business-- even if she had the worst luck with it.

All this build up to the story had her thinking on a few of her own. Which was probably what caused her to lapse into her own little world. The glass in her hand being swirled as she peered down at the brassy liquid. It was almost the same as the drink left untouched in her shuttle. For all this time. A bottle of Guanmian-- though, like the mechanic, she'd never liked the brassy stuff much. Something clear or something wine usually suited her tastes at times. Yet, whenever in a certain mood she'd always end up on this rotten stuff. Always the way, yeah?

Her gaze lifted back up when Ari all but accosted the new recruit, and hid a chuckle from the exchange. Jove was a little buzzed, now, and the direction it was going in was either ending up with her head in a toilet, or a bad night's sleep. Which... would be the same direction, but before the toilet there would be a lot of laughs and fun.

[Terrance Grimm]

((I'm so sorry for the wait guys, going to go ahead and bookmark this site now so I don't lose track again ))

The Captain finally blinked himself back to existence, glancing up to the woman as she told her story. He seemed a bit...distant. Like he was reliving those moments. He lowered his eyes to the table as she told the story, nodding to her words and carefully lifting the drink in his hand. He threw back some, probably more than he needed to, and lifted a finger, pointing towards her with a chuckle.

"One thing you forgot, there, Ari. The bullet. See, in the...hrm...place, we were sittin' ducks. Bullets everywhere. Zippin' past, and all that. So I sit up, and I'm bleedin' all over, and remember, we're both pretty drunk. I lift the bottle up and I yell, 'COME 'N GET ME!!', and glass, the cork, and only some of the drink, go spillin' all over the gorram place. Never seen me duck faster'n my life, and when I fell on the ground, I yell, 'OKAY! NEVERMIND!'. Heheh, good times. Was lucky I had such a great crew. Still lucky."[/i]

He glanced over to Ari with a smirk, something knowing and affectionate back at her. When Sain reacted as though there was some kind of monster, he tilted his head a bit, scratching at his chin as he watched him. It was if he was sizing him up, trying to gauge why he'd have a reaction like that. But this was a time of celebration, he could leave the captaining at the door for now. He smiled and took the boy's hand, shaking it firmly.

"Glad you could make it, Sain. Drink up, celebratin's in order."[/i]

He smiled over to Ari and leaned on the table a bit, taking another drink of the stuff and letting the burn roll down to his gut. His eyes kept hold of hers a moment before he looked down at the table again.

"It's a gorram miracle I found you. I mean, what with all the noise. Seems like it's hard to focus sometime when it just won't stop, but... I'm glad I did. Feels like old times. Only with less bullets and shrapnel. And more noise."[/i]

He glanced down to the drink Jove was holding, his brow perking up as he pointed towards it.

"What about you, Jove? What's the story on that drink?"[/i]

[Ari Deschain]

Ari glanced at Grimm when he added to the story, nodding and giving him a knowing smirk. The affectionate look he gave her was not lost on her, despite her drunkenness. Her cheeks flushed even more than the alcohol had already reddened them and she quickly fell into a joke. "You forgot ta add the part where your pants were down, Cap." She winked cheekily at him. "Cap likes to take his clothes off when 'e drinks." Of course, his pants had not been down. But it made the story that much more fun. Also, humor distracted her from the way his eyes kept finding hers, and the way he still had her wrapped around his finger, the arse.

The mechanic folded her arms on the table and slowly, ever so slowly, lowered her foggy head onto them. She watched Sain as he struggled to pick a drink, smiling slightly as he finally lifted one and poured it. "Sure you don't wanna...take it a li'l slower there, sugar?" she asked softy as he filled his glass. He either didn't hear her or ignored her because he proceeded to shoot the drink down. She shrugged and then grinned at him when he toasted her. "Thankya, Sain."

She cocked her head more to watch Jove and Leighton, each of whom had been quiet for some time. "Hey. Pretty lady. Doc." Raising her eyebrows, she lifted her chin at them. "Maybe one of you should tell us a story, yeah?" She grinned, trying her best to make it charming.

Grimm spoke, and once more she found him looking right at her. She cleared her throat, shrugged, cleared her throat again. The alcohol was making witty retorts and thinking kind of difficult. "Aye, I missed having you aroun' ta tell me what ta do. Don' miss the bullets, though. Maybe the shrapnel." There was something she'd been wanting to ask, and was now finally drunk enough to do just that. "Hey. So. What gorram noise are ya talkin' about?" Her voice was lowered in what she thought was a whisper, but with all drunk people it turned out to be just a stage whisper.

[Jove Gadria]

Mentioning her name had Jove's head peering up from the glass in a slight haze as it began to settle over her. She assumed she was also now 'Pretty Lady' as well. 'Cause she weren't a doctor last time she looked, and Leighton weren't wearing no dress. After she checked real quick. Nope. The smell of the drink was like a waft of nostalgia she could really do without right now, but apparently the fates were pushing her towards it. Unfortunately. Still, she enjoyed the company of her new crewmen, and what's a lit'ul story 'tween friends, right? A small grin managed to grace her lips as she regarded the two that had asked. One was the Captain, after all. Could've been an order, she thought jokingly.

"The drink? Not so much, Cap'n. Boring little story. Though, does remind me of a lot of others. Good an' bad. Old crew I used to run with. Heh.." She'd pause and take a sip, examining the glass one more time.

"Let's see.. there was when the Pilot blew a hole clean through out ship-- lucky we were docked at the time-- after not being on the crew but a few days. Captain didn't find it too funny at the time." She'd snicker.

Jove tapped her fingers on the glass, still thinking for more. There were a fair few times she'd rather forget.

"One job I did plan was probably one o' my best, though."

She'd settle back in her chair, swirling the drink and almost spilling it as the alcohol was taking a little bit of control from her motions.

"Simple business deal. I brought the crew along for back-up. We went and grabbed a whole load'a scratch from some rich Mayor-- never miss it. My associate gave us all we needed. We were expected a large slice as a result, but it involved transferin' money to an account and trustin' the guy to pay us. The job's a bit 'airy, and we get out a little scraped. Captain's mighty pissed off. Thinks the guy tried to get us killed after we wired the money. Because that's when the cavalry showed."

There was another pause, another sip of her drink, and to break up the long tale into easier segments. Her senses were getting a little duller.

"So. We do all that, we get back. And well, that's were I betrayed the crew."

She said it so matter-of-factly, too. Like she didn't have a caring bone in her body. Her tipsy state maybe making her words a little easier to say? Either way, she'd said them, and whether she got those looks.. The looks the crew at given her. The pilot's had been murderous and shocked as he'd handed over his weapons. The worst looks Jove had ever received.

"I moved to stand beside my associate, and yeah, I explain what all happened. My plan, et'cetra. The Captain's lookin' me right in the eye. Dead-on. No anger or nothin'. Just this.. stare."

Her voice wavers for but a moment, as if she was having trouble telling this story, and then she seemed fine. Jove carried on.

"I go on with, 'Well I guess we don't need you anymore. Did good work, but I know you well enough to know you'd come after us.' I'm looking my Captain in the eye the whole time. My gun raises up... I end with, 'I'm sorry.'" She'd actually been looking the pilot in the eye when she said the last part, and his expression had almost made her waver nervously.

With them all hopefully hooked on the little story, and waiting patiently to hear what she did next, Jove gave a little more silence to the suspense.

"My gun shifts, and I shoot my associate right out 'is boots. My final comment being, 'You always were an evil bastard, Lomis.' Then proceed to toss the Captain 'er gun and shoot the guy holding the rest of 'em." There was a sense of finality in her tone as she spoke, a small smile gracing her lips. Lomis had asked her to betray the crew. And after running it all by the good Captain, of course, she'd accepted the offer. You had to be good at acting most times to be good at business.

The rest of her drink was downed, and Jove set the glass firmly on the table.

"'ad to make it up to the crew I'd not informed of the job. Took 'em out for drinks. And well.." Embarrassment caused her to stop there as she remembering that little part of the story. How drunk she'd gotten at the time. "They forgave me was what matta'd."

Jove poured herself another, and shrugged off the blush before it could happen. Funny how awkward such a confident woman of business could get. She smiled crookedly at them.

"Good story?"

[sain]

Sain didn't really enjoy stories about guns to terribly much. He enjoyed stories about as much as the next person. Though too many times his own had almost been ended at the point of one of the many peace keeping barrels of death just lounging about out there until they were needed to end an argument. He'd seen his share of shady deals go bad, he'd been chased a few times to know that they weren't a grand ol' time.

"Slower? Why?" He asked, with a small grin as he poured himself another drink of the stuff. he knew not to overdo it. The fun part about medicating you're own self is that you either knew when to stop taking something, or you got the instructions wrong and you may or may not be dancing naked listening to music that no one else could hear. Of course, you wouldn't be in too good a shape to really think about the consequences, so it all worked out.

He thought about it carefully. What was on his mind, was a matter of great importance and he had to approach it gently when in the presence of the crew.

"Hey...did you all know that you're stark raving mad?" He asked, laughing softly as he absently scratched at the metal frame around his leg. "I know i just recently came aboard and all. But if i have to handle a gun, you might be better off spacing me now. I'm rubbish with one in me hand."

There were only a very few times that Sain hadn't been sober. He really didn't remember them to well. So he just didn't pay any mind to the feeling his head was giving him. He almost constantly saw blue anyways, so he might as well see fuzzy. Right?

[Terrance Grimm]

"My clothes off? Wishful thinkin' for everyone on board."[/i]

When she mentioned the noises, his face almost blanked for a split second, the answer obvious to him.

The screams.

But he recovered quickly enough that, hopefully, no one noticed the slip up.

"Noises? What're you talkin' about?"[/i]

He chuckled and took another drink, throwing it back a bit more quickly than he normally did. When Jove began her story, he gave her his full attention, hopefully extinguishing these questions about what he was hearing all the time.

The Captain regarded her story cooly, not tensing or seeming confused in the least by the way she told it. In his heart, he knew she'd never do something so sinister. He'd only known her for a while, but he knew she was on the up and up. He kept his eyes on her or the table, the occasional shift over to Ari. If and when she caught his gaze, he'd give her a smirk. She'd seen it before, years ago.

When her story finished, he grinned over to Jove.

"Cunnin'. Gotta admit, though, I didn't think you were capable of betrayal on that level. Just...don't think you do. At least, not to good folks. Heheh, don't go provin' me wrong, now."[/i]

He laughed lightheartedly with the joke, looking up to Sain as he asked his question.

"Now, son, we ain't mad. Maybe a little angry, but not mad. And not being able to use a gun is somethin' you should be proud of. At least, I think so. What is it ya plan on doin' with yourself, there, Sain?"[/i]

[Ari Deschain]

"My clothes off? Wishful thinkin' for everyone on board."
Ari stuck her tongue out at the Captain. "You need me ta teach you the meanin' of modesty, Grimm?" The others may not have noticed the way he hesitated for a moment when she mentioned the noises, but even in Ari's stupor, she did. The smile slipped from her lips for a moment, her hand sliding towards his across the tabletop. She caught herself and pulled her hand back, threading it through her hair instead. Instead of answering his question, she shrugged and offered him a knowing look. She wasn't going to drop it, but she knew better than to bring it up again around the others.

The mechanic grinned back at Sain, resting her chin in her hand. "Alright, then. Do it your own way." Ari listened to Jove's story attentively, only moving once to slyly refill her glass. When she saw the look Grimm sent her, she grinned sheepishly at him and pulled the drink closer to herself. "I'll drink it slow, Cap..." she muttered with a wink. She returned her attention to the gunslinger, trying to ignore the smirks Grimm was sending her way, but unable to wrench her gaze from him for long. When Grimm started speaking to Jove, she used the opportunity to take a quick sip of her drink. "Grimm, but she dint..." Ari slurred, raising a hand. She seemed to lose track of her thought and glared down at her drink. "Jove, thas a pretty clever trick, yeah?" Ari pushed the rest of the drink away from herself, mumbling as she did. "No' a good idea, Deschain....no more fo' you."

"Hey...did you all know that you're stark raving mad?"

Ari turned to him, cocking her head. "If we're all mad, whas tha' make you? You mus' be pretty mad y'self." When he mentioned his gun usage, the mechanic laughed. "We've more'n enough gun people aboard, luv. No worries." She was feeling pretty good, floating on a detached glow and with a familiar numbness that made the edges of her vision a bit fuzzy.

[Jove Gadria]

Even though her business had the waft of dishonesty and trickery about it's shady dealings, it was all too obvious sometimes-- however not to her-- that Jove appeared a little less distrustful than every other two-bit trafficker and trader in the 'Verse. Of course, she wasn't without her tricks. She'd fooled a lot of people and conned her way into a little bit better than she was offered. Only, usually, when she knew she could get away with it.

Her old Captain had also seen through it all, too. Which was why she didn't get killed long before she turned the tables on Lomis. Whether anyone she ever played was deserving or not didn't really matter as long as it was doing someone that mattered some right. Or so Jove tended to hide. There was that Robin Hood-esque way of thinking to the whole ideal. Jove ripped off the rich, the bad, the Alliance and the ugly and sold or traded (though far more reasonably) and even took favours from the people that actually needed whatever she was selling. One of her old crew had even had the pleasure to witness the businesswoman coming out with a 'you owe me one' as a form of finalising a transaction. Probably why he forgave her so quick for pretending to betray them and not letting him in on the plan.

Finally noticing she'd been staring intently at the bottle of Guanmian on the table, Jove shook her head and peered between the Captain and the Mechanic.

"I guess it was.. an' I guess I'm not. Still, those tha' don' know me well e'nuff don' catch on as quick." There was a sly, impish grin on her lips as she reached a hand across to slide Ari's abandoned drink her way, saving the Mechanic the temptation of finishing it. She gave Ari a wink and downed the contents. No waste!

At Sain's admittance to not favouring guns or their use, she agreed with the idea that not all of them needed to be the gun-totting, trigger-happy types. Jove herself wasn't overly much of gunslinger. She could shoot, but it was usually a form of "back-up", and best used as a surprise tactic. Too slow on the draw for her. And none too accurate in an all-out gunfight. Not that she doesn't try. Especially to protect herself and a profit.

She'd tip her empty glass towards Sain.

"We'll leave it to the experts." She'd chuckle, adding on the end in a stage-whisper, "Provided they're sober."