Fine Dining

[hackanut]

"No, no, no, I'm fine... I wasn't expecting to see you so soon is all," Ryan said, looking a bit in awe, but smug at the same time. "But it does me good to be doing so, I can assure you."

Ryan stood in front of Ursula. He wondered what brought her back to his ship. What happened to that great fat man outside of the Esteem? Surely she wasn't denied a spot on that Alliance ship; a woman like her did not simply get denied. She had to of made the decision to not rent the shuttle, and the thought of that made Ryan glad. There might yet be a hope for her to take him up on his offer. Now was as good a chance as any.

"What made ya come back?"

[Ari Deschain]

Delilah brightly complimented her name and Ari smiled modestly, rubbing the back of her neck. "Well thank ya, Delilah, though yours is much prettier." Then, wonder upon wonders, the woman put a strawberry in her hand. Ari took it, staring at the tiny, perfect red fruit in awe. "Th-Thank you." She said softly, completely caught off guard. It had been a long time since she'd had a strawberry. She was dismayed, though, when the younger girl got upset over Stoot's promise to sit by Ari. The mechanic was about to explain that Stoot had two sides, or even to relinquish her seat to the girl just to make her happy again, when Audrey came up and interrupted brilliantly. Ari was at a loss of words, anyway.

Seeing as how Audrey now held Delilah's attention, she headed towards the table. However, Stoot's voice caught her attention, and she turned slightly to watch him. His voice was a lot better than one would expect from him, and she smirked at the song. The Hero of Canton. Such a mudder, that one. She listened for a moment, surprised and impressed by his vocal talent. Biting her lip, she smiled almost shyly at him, but turned and walked to the table without complimenting his voice. She had already embarrassed him enough, it seemed, and she still had to think over the strange way he was acting, and the affection she was starting to feel towards him.

Choosing an empty seat, she spun it around and straddled it, resting her arms on the back of the chair and glancing at the other two. Ryan had disappeared, for some reason. She introduced herself yet again, this time to Faye and Sam. "Hello Sam, Faye. I'm Ari, mechanic. Some night, yeah?" It had been for her, anyway, and she was slowly gathering that it had been a pretty lucky day for most everyone else here. She turned the strawberry over in her hand, then took a tiny bite. Closing her eyes, she savored its sweetness.

[sam]

"Some noight indeed, Ari... all-doe I'm bloodah hun-grah! I could certainly do wit one o' dem steaks in muh, eh?" Sam said laughing and patting her on the shoulder.

One would think that Sam was busy thinking about his surroundings and forming opinions about the people he was meeting, but that couldn't be further from the truth -- He let life come as it may, not worrying about what might happen but only what was happening. Some might even think he was stupid, or ignorant to be so apathetic towards problems that might crop up, to him or to others. They just didn't share Sam's outlook. Life was simple for Sam. He didn't see it as something worthy of stressing himself over. There was beauty in this 'Verse and he was determined to focus solely on it. And that's why he flew -- for the beauty of it all.

"Speakin' o' steak-- Aye, Stoot! How're dem slabs o' wonderful comin'?"

[Admin Account]

"No, no, no, I'm fine... I wasn't expecting to see you so soon is all. But it does me good to be doing so, I can assure you."

Well, at least he had not lost his small obsession, Ursula mused. That meant that there was a pretty good chance of being accepted onto his ship, even after her hurried departure from earlier. The smug tone in his voice only made this more clear; he would probably try to throw her for a loop, but in the end, she would be boarding this ship tonight. She smirked.

"What made ya come back?"

Her smirk faltered at his next query and Ursula had to think fast to come up with something. She didn't want to tell the whole truth, that the Alliance captain was a dog. That wasn't any of Ryan's business. Several sarcastic quips came to mind to respond to this question with, such as 'Turns out he's Alliance. I sure hate those guys', or 'your ship is much nicer on the inside.', or even, if she were daring to lead this man on, 'You're much more attractive than the competition.' Her smirk regained its posture at these thoughts. Perhaps doing a little leading on wasn't so bad, given her profession. She wouldn't be blunt or tacky about it though. She would, however, do what she must.

"I want to talk business," she said, her tone implying exactly what her words described. "I wish to take you up on your offer from before, about the available shuttle. I believe I can do better business from Atlas, you see," She added, knowing that Ryan would be sure to ask why exactly she didn't board Esteem instead. It was a lie, she knew it was; but yet, would he be able to pick up on it? How was he supposed to know the business of the Alliance cruiser, or where it traveled? She hoped he would take her reasoning and continue on with business. To help this along, she stepped past Ryan and into the threshold of the cargo area.

"I did not give your ship enough credit before, Captain," She said, dropping her business-like tone and replacing it with a more soothing, feminine one. Her aim was to flatter. This always worked. "It's simplicity is part of it's charm, I think. Small but comfortable, frail but sturdy." She ran her hand along the railing of the stairs but did not climb them. She turned around to face Ryan.

"She's very beautiful." She told him intensely, as if she were no longer speaking about the ship.

[stoot]

Very surreptitiously, Stoot watched Ari take a seat at the table, watching under his eyelashes. He was still singing of course, but his eyes weren't watching the steaks as intently as they should. She sure was pretty, and he simply could not fathom what would possess her to want to be close to him at mealtimes. It made him feel very good, of course, but Stoot had never been treated this way before by a female; he wasn't quite sure how to approach the situation. It wasn't until Ari took a bite out of her strawberry that he averted his gaze and redirected his attention, for the first time registering what Delilah, then Audrey, had said. He broke his singing in order to speak normally.

"I may be a biggun," he teased, "But I still got two sides-a sit on. Same as you. Y'all want to sit all in a row, s'fine with me!" He felt very cheerful right now. This Delilah was a cute little lady, child-like, and she seemed to like Stoot rather than feel disgusted or afraid by him. This was a new happening with pretty women. It inflated his spirits.

He heard Sam telling Ari how hungry he was, and before he could wag his fork at him and tell him to stuff it (playfully, of course), Sam made the first move. "Speakin' o' steak-- Aye, Stoot! How're dem slabs o' wonderful comin'?"

"I'm gettin' there," He called in response. "Only a few more ter go before chow-time. Oy, Delilah, how're you doin' over there?" She was in charge of the beans and potatoes, and Stoot refused to serve dinner until all of it was done. He also refused to serve dinner when someone was missing, and though Stoot hadn't been paying attention, he could sense that there was someone missing indeed.

Looking up from the stove and around the room, his brows furrowed. "Where the hell's Ryan gone off to?" he asked loudly.

[hackanut]

Ryan couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was lying to him. Of all the things she could of done to win him over, this was the least likely to work.

"You know, Miss Garvel... you would of done much better if you told the truth. I know you didn't come back on account of that... and I don't even want to know the real reason." Ryan had lost all smugness in his voice, replacing it with sternness. " Just know that if you want to be allowed to live on this boat, you will do me the favor of telling me the truth. Never really taken to an overabundance of flattery, 'specially when it ain't from the heart. Shiny?"

[Admin Account]

'Damn', Ursula thought. Of course he would see through her facade, her attempt to flatter him into leading her upstairs. She dropped her hand from the banister and placed it on her hip. Ryan was not going to behave like most men, this was obvious. She would have to try a different approach. He wanted 'from the heart', he wanted someone genuine. Why he expected this from a companion, Ursula would never know.

But she could spoon-feed him that, if that's what he wanted. Ursula was well-trained to give men what they wanted, and since Ryan had asked so plainly for it, she would oblige him. Anything more, though, and she might need to start charging him for the effort.

"I'm sorry, Ryan," she said, sighing. "You must understand that life as a companion has a certain code of conduct, I do not often let it falter. However, since you are not convinced by said code, I might as well put it out there." She stepped away from the banister and approached him, eyes glittering solemnly. Inwardly, her hand itched to slap his face. It would be an honor for him to have a Companion on his ship! He was acting as if her being professional was a bad thing. She wanted to teach him some manners, but knew that wouldn't get her where she wanted. Also, she was doing a good job so far of upholding her polite air of the companion and would not abandon it, not unless Ryan said something truly unflattering. If that should happen, she would not hold back her rising frustration.

At least he wasn't treating her like meat. Men were foul sometimes.

'I'm not trying to be false, I'm trying to gain your acceptance. I am sorry that my way is offensive to you; I honestly do not know how else to behave." She finished, looking into his eyes and refusing to look away before he did. Eye-contact meant truth; should she look away, he would suspect her of lying. Which, for the most part, she was. It was a half-truth, so to say. There was a code of conduct for her to uphold as a companion. However, she was not letting it falter in this moment like she was leading Ryan to believe. Should she let it falter, she knew she would have his immediate dislike. She wasn't a very mature woman when it came to handling a situation, but she was mature enough to know that other people did not react well to it. Discipline was key; keeping his adoration was key.

Letting him think she was being Ursula, rather than a companion, was key.

[hackanut]

Ryan thought for a moment about what she said. Ursula seemed to be telling the truth this time; he wasn't positive but he had a good feeling that she was at least partly truthsome, and that counted for more than nothing to him.

"Hmph... Okay," He said, turning around and heading up the stairs. He gestured that she follow. "I"ll show you to your shuttle. Both of 'em are exactly the same so I trust you wont need to suss out a preference."

Ryan didn't really know how to react to Ursula's change of heart, if she really was telling the truth, at least. His thoughts moved to his crew, he wondered how they would react. Hopefully there weren't anymore outbursts like they'd had earlier. A companion, after all, was a fairly honorable title to hold, and having one on the ship would do good for their reputation.

Ryan lead her down the catwalk and to one of the ships two shuttles, pressing the door control and stepping aside to make way for her. The space inside was about the size of a bedroom. There was a bunk and the utilities, along with a cockpit hidden by another door. All of it would likely be replaced by Ursula's things, however.

"Well, what'dya think? I venture it'll look better once you gussy up the place with your things, but she ain't too bad for now, eh?"

[Admin Account]

Relieved, Ursula followed Ryan up to the shuttles, listening to him describe them as they went. There was a certain feeling of mistrust in the air that felt rather unpleasant to her, but she would take what she could. Get the shuttle now, work on regaining trust later. After all, he had probably only trusted her so much before because he was too blinded with awe. Now that his eyes had adjusted, Ursula would have to try a little harder. She didn't want too much mal-content on this ship, despite the fact that she didn't feel comfortable with being herself around him just yet, if ever.

He stepped aside to allow her entry, and she smiled at Ryan before letting herself into the Shuttle. It was small, much smaller than she would prefer, but she saw a lot of potential in this shuttle. She walked around it, inspecting for anything that may be broken or in need of repair. She touched everything, went to the cockpit and checked out the controls. It all seemed to be in working order to her. This was her first shuttle; therefore, she had nothing before to compare it to. While she knew the Alliance shuttle would have been larger and cleaner, Ursula could not suppress the sentimental attachment she was already associating with this small space.

"Well, what'dya think? I venture it'll look better once you gussy up the place with your things, but she ain't too bad for now, eh?"

She looked up at Ryan, who was still in the doorway. She smiled at him, the smile coming more naturally this time. "I think I can work with this." She said with a nod, standing fully erect and meeting Ryan at the doorway.

"I think we should set some ground rules now before I move in," She told him, business-like again. "Please tell your crew that I will not service them for any discounts. If they have the credits, they have them. Also, I can provide my own food if you wish not to have me in the dining area, I understand how uncomfortable that may be for some," She was thinking of Stoot now, knowing that the two of them would not get along. She planned to avoid any uncomfortable confrontations as best she could.

"Since this shuttle will be my place of business," She continued, "I ask that no crew member, including yourself, enter this space without permission; I demand my privacy. Emergencies only. If there are any terms that you would like to express, please share them. I want to have an understanding."

[hackanut]

Ryan watched her examine the shuttle, and to his surprise she actually seemed to be happy with it. He hadn't expected as much, at least.

"No, no, I insist you eat with us. You may not technically be a part of my crew, but you're still on my ship. And speaking of this being my ship, I will tell the crew that you aren't to be disturbed while servicing a client, however, I will be granted access to this shuttle whenever needed. I ain't plannin' on ruining private time for you and yours, but this is my ship, If I need you and you aren't with company, don't expect a knock.. We clear on that point?"

[Admin Account]

"I suppose I have to be, don't I?" she asked a little sarcastically. "Don't abuse your authority, captain, I respect your position but I will not tolerate you barging in here whenever you please. As I said: emergencies only."

She would not back down from that point. She then thought of what he said a moment ago about eating arrangements. The muffled sound of clinking and several voices could be heard from somewhere in the distance, assumedly from the kitchen. She looked to Ryan.

"Are you entertaining guests?" The last time she'd been on this ship there had only been two other crew members. Stoot and Rebel. She had seen Rebel earlier though, when she'd been shopping. The girl looked disturbed and had gone into the shuttle station. It was a curious happening but she could safely assume that the mysterious girl had run away from Atlas, leaving only Stoot. Had they made friends in the short time she'd been away, or had they had them all along?

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OOC: I didn't want to waste any time discussing Rebel's disappearance, thus my adding that into my post. xD

[hackanut]

"I ain't abusing my authority, just tellin' you that I have it. And yes we are, as a matter of fact. Got us a job after you left and the crew of the ship we're to be working with's come over for a little dinner. Come join us, we'll get your things in the morning, shiny?"

He really wasn't keen on the idea of Ursula telling him what he was and was not to do. After all, this was his ship, she was just a guest. The fact that she was a paying guest bought her more rights than usual, but It was still his ship. That was not going to change anytime soon. He wasn't planning on barging in very often anyways, he just wanted the standings of authority and who held it to be set inline.

[faye]

"Actually, Delilah, I was wondering if you'd sit next to me and tell me about those magnificent strawberries you've got there. Is that okay?"

Almost instantly, Delilah was smiling again. "Okay!" she said happily. She was like a fairy, flitting about the room, her short skirt swishing behind her, and every so often she came back to see how the food was getting along. "Do you guys have any rosemary?" she asked no one in particular, looking around in cabinets and things.

Faye reached over to a spice rack sitting near her on the counter and pulled out one of the bottles she'd noticed. She handed it to Delilah. "Here you go, darlin'."

"Hello Sam, Faye. I'm Ari, mechanic. Some night, yeah?"

Of course, Sam gave her a robust answer before Faye had the chance to. It was one of the things she admired about him; he never hesitated to make new friends. Delilah had the gift too, but Faye had always had issues with new people. Being a woman, and so young, she tried hard to make her authority known. But Sam and Delilah -- they just went with it.

"Absolutely," she answered Ari while Sam spoke to Stoot. "At least the crews are gettin' on well." She bit her lip, looking for something to say. "So, what's your story, Ari? Where are you from?"

"...But I still got two sides-a sit on. Same as you. Y'all want to sit all in a row, s'fine with me!"

Delilah gasped, terribly excited. "Let's all sit together!" she exclaimed with a small bounce. Faye smiled; Del always got excited over the smallest things. But the crew seemed to like her, and she was saying thank heaven for that. Other crews hadn't been so kind to Delilah, calling her crazy or stupid. Those crews hadn't fared very well in the eyes of Faye.

"Oy, Delilah, how're you doin' over there?"

"We're good!" Delilah sqeaked back, putting the hot potatoes into a bowl to mash them. She paused to stir the beans for a moment, then grabbed the masher and started her work happily, adding some spices and herbs occasionally. No one could cook things quite like Delilah.

[Admin Account]

Ursula didn't much feel like dinner in a crowded room of people whom she knew were probably going to be just as loud and uneducated as Stoot was, but also knew that Ryan wouldn't take no for an answer. She couldn't deny that she was a little famished. It had been a long day and she hadn't eaten very much. She wondered what people ate on a ship like this; she might have to pick at her food now and find something real to eat later.

It was natural for Ursula to expect so little of a setting like this; she'd never really had to deal with less-than-luxurious before, so this was a huge step for her What had the Independents been fighting for again? It seemed that their lack of technology was ever-present out here. The thought of being lacking in that department had seemed like a myth to her when she'd read about it in texbooks; now she was going to have to be living it. Oh, what a way she'd come! She wondered suddenly what her sisters were doing. Ayla, the eldest, was a medic on Sihnon but hadn't come home to visit in a few years. Beatrice had gone to Companion training, but had failed out shortly after joining and was getting into trouble somewhere across the 'verse. Cain, her younger brother, still lived at home with her mother. At least she knew that one of her siblings was still doing well for themselves.

"Lead the way, Captain Hannigan," She said in a friendly fashion. "So you found work, did you? What kind?" She didn't have any idea what kind of jobs that the men on these ships did to stay in the air. It was sort of interesting to find out.

[hackanut]

"Well... my line of work tends to lean more towards the illegal end of things, Miss Garvel. Illegal if you favor the Alliance side of things, that is. We got a job transportin' some Alliance goods off-world, should be quick enough."
Ryan lead them out of the shuttle and down the catwalk. He smiled quizzically and asked, " How does that business strike you, Ursula?"

They reached the kitchen to find that Stoot and Delilah were finishing up the food for the night. He'd forgotten that only one person in the room knew who Ursula even was, but he was quickly reminded when they were greeted with the collective stares of both crews.

"Everyone, I'd like you to meet, Ursula Garvel. She's a companion, and she'll be renting a shuttle here on the Atlas."