Fine Dining

[stoot]

M'real name's Ariana Deschain, but don't call me that, yeah? Ari does me fine."

"See?" He said, "We both got a name we ain't likin'. 'Least your full name's purty; it don't sound like some altar boy's name or nothin'." He smiled before adding, "But I'll call ya Ari. S'what I'm used ta, after all."

After his question towards the companion, there came a punch at his arm. It didn't hurt at all, and he grinned broadly at the owner of the fist: Ari. He was glad to see that there was amusement in her eyes rather than disapproval. He would have felt bad for his question if Ari had not approved.

"Actually, I'm still a virgin...You know, Danny, I would be thrilled to have you as my first."

The mudder went silent for a moment in disbelief at her bold response. Her use of 'Danny' was embarrassing for him, and you could tell by the red that was barely visible under his shaggy beard. Her sarcasm was almost missed by him as well, for the question of, "How are you a companion if you're a virgin?' rose to his throat, but didn't get a chance to escape. Faye Murphy had intervened. It was only during her lecture that he felt truly stupid for his gullibility; he was thankful he had not let it be known to the others. Ryan, for sure, would never have let him live it down. He threw his friend a reproachful look. 'I can't believe you let her call me Danny,' it said.

"Well, aren't you just makin' a big show o' yerselves? Stoot, what does that sort o' behavior say about the kind of ship you and Captain Hannigan run? Now, you'll both keep civil tongues, or God help me, I'll cut 'em out o' the very mouth they're in! Do we have an understandin' between us?"

Stoot was normally a cheerful guy, sometimes a little too cheerful for a serious situation; but right now he was a little pissed off. It showed by the way his beard twitched as his mouth curved downward into a frown. He wanted to tell her that this wasn't her ship and she definitely wasn't his mother, so she ought to keep her mouth shut. But she was a lady, he wouldn't speak to her that way. He also wanted to tell her that 'that sort o' behavior' said that Atlas wasn't a whore house, and it shouldn't be housing companions on it.

But Stoot had common sense enough to know that vocalizing these thoughts would be murder for him. Not only would it anger Faye and Ursula, but Ryan as well. Perhaps it would even anger all of Faye's crew for his rudeness, and Ari for being so insulting. His thoughts would only ruin things, and he wanted to keep peace. It didn't wipe the frown from his face, though.

"Yeah yeah, I understand." He muttered, deflated, popping a piece of steak into his mouth and chewing, as to distract him from having to speak anymore. He wouldn't apologize as Ursula had, nor would he try and justify himself to Faye. Therefore, he would avoid her until this foul mood blew over. He would just have to get his shots in at Ursula when she couldn't hear; he knew he wouldn't stop. He wanted Ryan to see what a bad choice she was. He was being a good friend.

[hackanut]

Three pairs of eyes found their mark on Ryan. all of them seemed to be blaming him for what had transpired; what tzao gao that was! Faye's questioning of his actions was what set him off the most. She was completely overreacting so he directed his irritation at her.

"Pyen juh duh jiou cha wen! Captain Murphy I believe you are mistaking my lack of action as a lack of manner, and that I can't abide. Ursula here's a tough one, she don't need my say so to defend herself. You should know that better than most! if a problem needs solved, it gets solved a might quicker when others aren't being jing-chang mei yong duh!"

Ryan scanned the faces around him. He couldn't believe this was how things were going to go tonight. He was disgusted by all of it.

"Nee mun! doh shr sagwa! You act like children when we ought to be laughin' and carryin' on." There was clear exasperation in his voice, but he still held a commanding tone. "Now, if that's all settled I invite you all to a round of more lan-dan jiang.

At that he reached for his mug and took another swig of his Hard Cider.

"Oh, and you two," he said, pointing at both Ursula and Stoot. "Later you'll tell me what possessed ya both to act a whole mess of disrespectful in front of company, but in the meantime, you will act civil on my ship. Dong ma?"

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OOC: just to help out a little

tzao gao- "crap"

Pyen juh duh jiou cha wen!- "stubborn disciplinarian"

jing-chang mei yong duh!- "consistently useless"

Nee mun! doh shr sagwa!- "Idiots! All of you!"

lan-dan jiang.- "weak-ass sauce"

Dong ma?- "understand?"

[Ari Deschain]

Ari was finding it very hard to concentrate on her conversation with Ryan as Ursula shot back a comment just as nasty to Stoot, and when Faye virtually exploded on Ursula and Stoot, all pretense vanished. She stared openly at the Captain of the Riley, mouth slightly agape. It would have been funny, if Faye had not looked so serious. "Kao," she whispered under her breath, looking sidelong at Sam. She didn't know how to react. It was amazing how quickly things had gone downhill. The night had seemed so promising, and now they had gotten unbearably awkward and even a little hostile. It was amazing Ari had nothing to do with it, this time. Ursula had been the catalyst, it seems, as they'd all got along until she walked in with Ryan. It wasn't her fault, exactly. She wasn't used to people like those sitting around the table, and at least some of them were obviously equally uncomfortable around her.

Ari could see fury behind Ursula's eyes, but the Companion forced it down. Her response was crafted to seem innocent enough, but Ari could tell what she really meant. Daniel's response was much more subdued and respectful, and Ari flashed him a sympathetic look. Just as it was not Ursula's fault she had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth, it was not Stoot's fault he'd been raised on a planet of mud and didn't know how a high-class prostitute expected him to speak to her. Her own temper was growing thin, and she bit her lip. The whole situation was so ridiculous. They were all so different, but instead of learning about each other to reconcile those differences as they should have been, they were instead fighting.

Ursula and Daniel were both staring at Ryan reproachfully, as if he was supposed to control the tongues of both of them. It was irritating to her, and she wasn't even the one being stared at. Now, it was Ryan's turn to get mad. "if a problem needs solved, it gets solved a might quicker when others aren't being jing-chang mei yong duh! Nee mun! doh shr sagwa!" She let him carry on, then stood up slammed her hand down, the gun still clenched in her fist banging loudly on the table. However angry she was, her voice was chillingly cold and quiet as she addressed both Faye and Ryan. "Ching-wao tsao duh liou mahng! What's useless, Capt'ns, is carryin on' at us all as if we're children. That's no way ta make us listen." She whipped her head around and rose her chin to Ursula as she put a hand on Stoot's shoulder. "Miss, I know ya prob'ly ain't met many like us, and it may not surprise you I ain't met many like you, and most o' the rest could probably say the same. So we got different ways o' speakin'. Is that such a big ruttin' deal? We all bleed red. I know, 'cause I seen it." The last sentences were directed not just to Ursula, but at everyone, and half to herself. She had to remind herself that she may have been quick to judge Ursula, even though the woman hadn't proved her wrong yet. Biting her lip, she stuffed her gun into the back of her pants and pushed her chair in. Head down, she shrugged in Ryan's general direction. "Sorry if I went too far... Her anger seemed to evaporate, and she threaded a hand through her hair. "I need a drink." She walked quickly away from the situation to the icebox and opened a bottle. "Anyone else?" she called from behind the counter, trying to act normally though her heart was thumping rythmically.

_________________________________________
Translated:
"Goddamn/Goddammit"
"Frog-humping S.O.B!" (haha line from Mal)

[sam]

Sam, as an understatement, is lighthearted, but that's not to suggest he doesn't know when things are serious. The groups current situation struck him as very serious, in fact. He sat chewing his steak and shoveling in mashed potatoes while he watched the rest of the group quarrel. Personally, he had found what Ursula said to be quite funny; everyone here was flawed in their own way, what was wrong with a little joking around? Faye had seemed to overreact, and actually, her sudden outburst struck Sam as very out of character. He wouldn't bring it up to her, but he thought maybe she was nervous, or there was something else that caused her to act how she did. Whatever it was, Sam was, surprisingly enough, somewhat disappointed with his Captain's handling of things. That information, however, would never leave his head; he loved Faye too much to say anything of the sort.

Ari finally broke the awkwardness with the suggestion of drinks. Sam, having filled himself with food very quickly throughout the argument, thought that sounded like a grand idea and he perked up right away.

"Aye, Ari, I thin' ya got yerself a stroke o' genius, you 'ave! Lemma 'alp ya wit dat."

[Admin Account]

OOC: Yeesh, what Ursula said wasn't THAT bad, was it? xD
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Ursula was quite surprised at Ryan's response, not because of how angry he obviously was, but because through his anger, he still stuck up for her. Did she really deserve that? Ursula surely felt she did, but the feeling she was getting from everyone else around the table was like that of a swarm of angry bees. It skewed things. She felt very grateful for Ryan's support, though. She had an ally.

The companion started when there was a loud banging sound; the sound of Ari's gun being slammed down onto the table. It reminded Ursula that she was not among civilized company here, far from it; these people were barbaric and violent. Of course they would solve their problems through threats and violence rather than calm verbalization. She was disgusted and slightly apprehensive at how this might turn out. She did not fancy the thought of having a gun in her face right now.

"Miss, I know ya prob'ly ain't met many like us, and it may not surprise you I ain't met many like you, and most o' the rest could probably say the same. So we got different ways o' speakin'. Is that such a big ruttin' deal? We're all bleed red. I know, 'cause I seen it."

Had her words towards Stoot really been that offensive? What was the big deal about? It was HE who had offended HER to begin with. Was she not allowed to respond? Ursula felt as if her response had been rather kind in comparison to what she would have liked to say instead. Why was everyone suddenly attacking her about it?

Of course she knew why. She was the black sheep here. In any case in which you were the outsider, you would always be treated badly...it was human nature. Her position demanded respect, but she had been a fool to assume she'd get it from a bunch of low-lifes such as the present company. She sniffed. This was absurd.

Ursula wouldn't dignify Ari with a response; she was trying to use war references to make her feel guilty. It wouldn't work.

Ari stood up, declaring her need for a drink. Ursula, for the first time, allowed her metaphorical mask to slip off for a moment when she rolled her eyes. She stood from her seat as well, not caring about how her chair legs scraped loudly against the floor.

"I think it's a little crowded in here." She said smoothly. "I believe I should make my leave. I'm sorry to have interrupted your dinner."

She turned to Ryan now. "You've been supremely kind, Captain Hannigan; but I was a fool to assume this arrangement would work out." Grudgingly, Ursula would return to the Esteem and ask for the shuttle. She didn't want to ride the Esteem, but it looked a hell of a lot more preferable than the drama that surrounded the Atlas. She refused to be treated in such a way; she thought her joke would have been more well-accepted than frowned upon. It turned out that these were just a bunch of humorless slobs. She would not be a part of it.

She turned her back on the dinner party, on the redhead who she now surely despised, on the blonde who contented to drink away her ignorance. Stoot, who was not even worth the chair he sat in. The other by-standers, whom she did not gain an opinion on because they had not yet spoken to her. She was sure they weren't much better. And Ryan, the only person in the room who she felt bad to turn her back on.

That wouldn't stop her from turning her back, though. The cons outweighed the pros.

[faye]

OOC: Faye didn't actually attack Ryan out loud. She just mentioned him in talking about their ship because it was appropriate. So she's not really a bitch. I thought you all should know.
I'm in school and don't have time to post, but I shall later.

[Ari Deschain]

ooc: oops! I totally read it wrong. I thought she had addressed Ryan, but sounds like she was just speaking of him to tell Stoot he represents his captain?

[hackanut]

OOC: she did suggest that Ryan doesn't run a very good ship, tho. And that's what set him off.

[raven]

With long, quick steps, Auj maneuvered through the ship, away from where all of the people were. She wasn't antisocial, but for a girl who was used to being more or less alone - that many people in one room all at the same time was disorienting and pushed her roughly out of her comfort zone. She slid her lighter out of her pocket and flipped it open, continuing her smooth stroll through the walkways as she flicked the trigger to ignite the flame. In the hush of the walkway, she could hear - almost as if time had slowed - the catch of metal on metal and the swish as the flame bloomed into life. Feeling more at ease with the flame flickering before her in the slight breeze, Auj continued walking, eyes darting from side to side as she looked for somewhere to stay for a moment.

Turning a corner, Auj paused, eyes widening. The medic's room was a bit spacious, with a comfortable chair for a patient and long counters for equipment. There were cabinets and a rolling tall-top for extra space to work. She moved slowly into the room, eyes lighting on each and ever surface, flame dying when she set down the lighter. Her pink lips - spread into a wide, excited smile - framed straight white teeth. She lifted the pan off the tall-top and used a hankerchief from her bag to rub away some of the dirt on it until it was clean enough to see a reflection. She appraised herself in quiet contemplation. Curls of honey tumbled to just past her shoulders as she pulled the elastic from her hair. Her eyes were a rich, vibrant shade of blue that was deeper and somewhat darker - but no less as surprising and alive - as a robin's egg. She was tall, with long, shapely legs, and a curvy upper body. Her swan-like neck led to a straight jawline and high cheekbones that accented her long, thick, dark lashes. Her hands were small and nimble, with long fingers that helped her to do her job to the best of her ability.

Rolling her eyes, she dropped her hands and smirked at how concieted she was being. Two mirror-scopes in nearly two hours. Very peculiar for such a girl that didn't enjoy looking at herself. She shrugged the thoughts away and gave the medical room one last lingering gaze before hiking her bag up her shoulder and leaving, heading back towards the congregation of people. She kept her pace even but quick, moving quickly towards her target. As she neared, she could hear somewhat sharp voices, and her brows raised voluntarily. What had she missed?

She stood in the doorway as a new blonde woman said she must be going. As the woman stood, Auj noticed something chillingly familiar about the way the blonde held herself. Companion. But the fact that a companion - other than herself - was on board slipped from her mind as the woman turned. Auj almost gasped and let her mouth drop open, almost let her eyes widen incredulously; but she'd been trained by the best and stood silently, tall, chin lifted, eyebrows raised.

"Well, isn't this fancy. Miss Ursula Garvel has granted us the gift of her time."

Auj let her face break into a wide grin, unable to contain her surprise and happiness a moment longer. Ursula and herself had gone to school together, rooming together for Auj's last two years at the school. They'd been quick friends and had, althought they'd never admit it, stirred up quite a bit of trouble in their time together.

She paused and looked at the group behind her blonde friend. "You aren't leaving already, are you, Urs?" She frowned but nodded, as if understanding the blonde's lack of comfort. "Apparently. I'll come looking for you later." She moved to the side to let her old friend through.
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ooc: I was making it up a bit as I went, Amy. If anything's not okay, just let me know and I'll change it asap. :]

[hackanut]

Ryan sat, defeated in his chair. He couldn't believe it, this was the second time he had to watch Ursula walk down that same corridor. Sure he didn't know her very well, and she turned out to have a little bit of an attitude, but he still cared about her, regardless. He had since they first spoke.

He slouched over in his seat, running his hands through his hair and rubbing his eyes with his palms when he was through. He looked up and pushed his plate away, towards the center of the table. The thought of eating right now didn't exactly strike him as shiny. Leaning back, his gaze fell on Danny-boy. Ryan tried to hide it, being the Captain and all, but he was sure he still looked like a sad puppy dog. His eyes met with Stoot's for a split second, just long enough for him to get his point across.

'Gorram it, Danny-boy...'

[stoot]

Stoot kept his face towards his plate when Ryan exploded, but he ceased eating. Even a husky man such as himself could not find it in him to be hungry. He hated to be reprimanded for something he didn't think he should be reprimanded for. It was frustrating.

When Ryan's wrath fell onto he and Ursula, Stoot flinched. His first night as first mate, and he was already pissing his captain off. What did this say for him?

"Oh, and you two. Later you'll tell me what possessed ya both to act a whole mess of disrespectful in front of company, but in the meantime, you will act civil on my ship. Dong ma?"

"Dong ma," Stoot muttered grudgingly, pushing his potatoes around with his fork. It wasn't until Ari got up that he finally raised his eyes from the mush. He had not flinched at the gun banging on the table, perhaps feeling a little too self-loathing to be affected by it. He appreciated her sticking up for him, though, more than he could portray. When she offered up the idea of grabbing a drink, Sam immediately concurred, going to meet her at the counter.

Feeling too heavy to rise to the idea himself, Stoot finally allowed his eyes to travel back to where Ryan was sitting, only to see that he was looking right back at him. It didn't last long, but the look in his eye made Stoot's frustration and child-like stubbornness evaporate. It was replaced with an undying guilt.

'Wuh duh ma huh ta duh fung-kwong duh wai-shung doh', Stoot thought restlessly. He knew what he had to do, as his gaze flitted to the doorway where Ursula was exiting. Inwardly, he groaned. Couldn't he just let her leave? Apparently not. Ryan was a fool for a good challenge; this, it seemed, was going a little far though.

It didn't matter, Stoot realized. If this made his friend happy, then by God, why not let him do it? He was a grown man; certainly he knew the repercussions of his actions?

He scooted out from the table ungracefully, his chair legs scraping loudly against the floor. Much like Ursula's had, except somehow she had made it sound prettier than Stoot did. He didn't care much.

"Aw hell," He said, walking around the table and towards the exit. "I'll be right back."

Stoot didn't bother to notice everyone's reactions; he had a duty to see to. This whole fight had, ultimately, been his fault. Whether he felt guilty for his quip at Ursula or not, he knew he had to at least take charge and attempt to make it right. For Ryan's sake.

Down in the cargo hold, Stoot caught up to the retreating blonde. "Wei! Ursula," He called, descending the stairs. He approached her, not feeling as intimidated as most men did. Whether it was the ignorance he had towards the customs of Companions or the fact that there was a lady in the kitchen whom he found prettier, he wasn't sure. "I think we got some talkin' to do."

[sam]

"Na' wuss in 'at bag?", Sam said half to himself as he met Ari at the counter. "Aye! Al-ka-hol! Seems sum'un thought et prop'a to leave these here fer da takin', eh?", and with that he nudged Ari's shoulder with his own, smiling widely at her. He liked Ari, not for any particular reason, however. If he had to pick one it would probably be her general lack of being a troublemaker. That was something Sam always liked, and it more than qualified you as a good person in his book.

The two of them began to get to work setting out all of the bottles Stoot had bought, Enough to get all of them sloshed more than a few times over, that was for sure. But Sam couldn't recall the last time he had drank (probably because he was too out of it to recall much of anything) so he decided it wasn't too horrible to let loose tonight.

Sam turned around dramatically to face the rest of the crew, holding a bottle in each hand "A'right, who wants wut, and 'ow much?!"

[Ari Deschain]

As Ari began to calm down, she searched the kitchen for glasses. When she found what she needed, she poured a little of the liquid from the bottle she had opened into a shot glass she had chosen and drank it down. As she slammed it back onto the counter, Sam came up beside her and began pawing through the bag. She smiled at his satisfaction, wiping the back of her hand across her mouth. When he nudged her, she poked him between the ribs. "'Was Stoot. I helped him carry 'em back to the ship." She twisted the lid back on the vodka she had opened and helped Sam begin to set out the bottles.

She bit her lip at Ryan's reaction to Ursula walking out. She felt in part responsible for the companion leaving, but it was not her place to go after her. However, Stoot stood up after a moment of hesitation and followed Ursula out. She smiled at that as she turned to get more glasses out. He was a sweet man. She didn't know if he'd be able to fetch the companion back, but at least he was going to try. For Ryan's sake, she hoped he succeeded. Sam broke into her thoughts with his outrageous invitation, and she laughed, adding, "Name your poison." She lounged back against the bar beside him, ready to help.

[hackanut]

Ryan grabbed his mug and stared at its emptiness. "I"ll take another round of Cider. I know there's a bottle of it in there somewhere, Sam." He got up, not pushing in his chair and walked over to the counter where Sam and Ari stood opposite him. His stupor was beginning to leave him now. Sam was filling his mug and Danny-boy was getting Ursula back. Hopefully, at least.

He thought about the grand scheme of things. What was going to happen to them? Where were things heading? He wondered. This life didn't exactly afford a person the piece of mind one gets when their life isn't being threatened. Was this really what he needed to get his mind off of the War? To escape into all that cold and all that dark? He knew just as well as any that there wasn't an answer for him yet. Not for a good long while.

[faye]

OOC: Sorry I haven't been around, guys. I can't even describe how sick I've been for the past couple of days.
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"Pyen juh duh jiou cha wen! Captain Murphy I believe you are mistaking my lack of action as a lack of manner, and that I can't abide. Ursula here's a tough one, she don't need my say so to defend herself. You should know that better than most! if a problem needs solved, it gets solved a might quicker when others aren't being jing-chang mei yong duh!"

Faye was taken aback at Ryan's overreaction to her. Garvel and Stoot had both begrudgingly accepted her scolding, so she didn't understand why he'd jump up and keep the drama going. That was the problem with rookie captains; they confused their crew with their friends. Sure, Faye's crew was like family to her, but they understood that she had two modes: captain and casual, and they couldn't be confused. When they were on the ship, Faye was like normal, not pulling any rank unless she absolutely had to; but they knew she had to make her authority clear when they were around other crews, or they'd think she didn't run a good ship. Sam knew, and so did Delilah, even. Soon Hannigan and his crew would have to learn as well.

"Perhaps I spoke out of turn, Captain Hannigan," Faye said, her bright green eyes practically glowing, like solar flares. The blades were still in her voice though, and she didn't apologize. But Faye wasn't uncouth; if she was going to criticize Hannigan's captaining skills (or lack thereof), she wouldn't even think of doing it in front of his crew.

"Miss, I know ya prob'ly ain't met many like us, and it may not surprise you I ain't met many like you, and most o' the rest could probably say the same. So we got different ways o' speakin'. Is that such a big ruttin' deal? We all bleed red. I know, 'cause I seen it."

Faye looked at Garvel, ready to put her lights out if she said anything in support of the Alliance. But she didn't, instead choosing to leave. Thank god, Faye thought, but she wasn't even through thinking it when Stoot begrudgingly went out after her. She suppressed a graon when she looked over in Hannigan's direction; she'd seen that look before on the faces of countless men. Captain Ryan Hannigan wouldn't let that dame go. Not because he needed her rent or her respectability -- no, that wasn't it -- but because he was sweet on her.

Oh, yeah. This trip was gonna turn out just great.

Delilah, meanwhile, chose to stay above the fray, slowing eating her food and trying not to listen to them. She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them, her feet perched on the edge of her chair. Sam hopped up with Ari, and they started to get drinks for people. When Sam asked who wanted what, she looked up at him. "I'll just have some cider too, Sam, if you please."

Faye took a deep breath. "Pour me one, Sam," she said, smiling at him. Her voice was softer now; the razors were gone. She didn't mean cider, though. "You know what I like," she added in Gaelic. And he did. Faye wasn't what was considered a 'heavy drinker' on McKinleigh, but she had an unbelievably high tolerance to alcohol; most McKinlians did. Which meant, of course, that most of what Faye drank would make an average person cringe and cough, but she liked her drinks that way. Despite the fact that half their party was now gone, the night looked a little bit like it would turn around.