Gunfight at the Whitefall Corral

[Ari Deschain]

Ari stared at her reflection in a little mirror as she sat in her bunk. Her hand kept slipping up to cover her left eye, then sliding back down again to reveal it. When it was covered, her face was clear. When it was uncovered, there was the illusion of a shaky film of darkness over her face and especially to her left periphery. The damage done to her vision in the left eye usually didn't bother her, but they had a job to do today and she had to concentrate. The shadows that entirely made up her vision in her left eye would distract her from that job, and make it hard to focus. Many thought that with only one eye's vision fully intact, she had trouble with depth perception. It was a common misconception. Most people who lost an eye, or lost sight in one eye, actually had no problem with depth perception and Ari was no exception. Her only problem was peripherals. She had to keep people she trusted on her left, and therein lied her weakness. Her field of vision was limited.

She tossed the mirror back into her bag. Tugging from said bag an elastic band with a small, rounded triangle of reinforced fabric attached, she positioned the eyepatch on her head and let the patch itself snap down over her left eye. The patch was black, nothing special, but she had sewn in the outline of a heart with red thread. Typical Ari, making things her own. She hated the patch, though. Usually it brought about some mild fussing, and Ari resented the attention. She also hated that it was such a blatantly obvious testament to a real weakness when she worked so hard to be strong.

Ari tightened the laces on her boots, sliding a knife into the right one. A pistol was shoved into the waistband in the back of her pants, her brown coat hiding it from the casual viewer, and she strapped a second knife to her thigh. One couldn't be too careful.

The last step was to trap her hair beneath a tied bandana, to keep it out of her face. As she positioned this on her head, she made her way to the kitchen area. It was deserted. Ari tended to rise early. She poured herself a glass of water and sat at the table to drink it. Her stomach was all in knots in anticipation. A dangerous job always did that to her; she craved the adrenaline rush and adventure it would bring, and her body was just preparing itself. The sound of footsteps alerted her to someone else's approach, and she glanced up, painfully aware of the patch.

[hackanut]

OOC: This is Amy, hijacking Corey's character until he chooses to be active again. So....sorry if I don't play Ryan as well as he does! :/
----------------

Ryan rose up quickly from slumber, cold sweat beaded across his forehead. His breathing was heavy and ragged as he looked around, wide-eyed, for a moment before slackening. Another bad dream. He shook his head at himself before reaching to his bedside cabinet and downing the glass of water he always kept there. Five o'clock in the morning. He groaned.

The content of his dreams were ever-changing, but never the subject itself. The war. Gruesome and tiring, certain memories from the battle never left him. They re-appeared in his dreams and sometimes even in his waking life. Sometimes he had to sit down. Sometimes Ryan needed to be alone for a moment. So far, the crew didn't seem to catch on, didn't seem to notice that he was shell shocked. Thank goodness for that, at least. Of all the things Ryan Hannigan wanted people to think of him, 'wimp' was not one of them.

Today there was a big job ahead. Five AM seemed to be a fitting time to rise, anyway. Shrugging into his usual get-up, Ryan tried to get the image of a dying man out of his head. Today was no time for flashbacks of the war; today would be his biggest test. Having Post Traumatic Stress Disorder meant that being confronted with a similar situation to the traumatic event would make his mind more vulnerable to collapse. He might fail where he'd otherwise succeed. Ryan needed to prep himself mentally. He buttoned up his vest, placed a hat onto his head, and gingerly picked up his pistol from the bedside table, which always rested next to his water.

"Don't you make me all loopy today, shiny?" he said to it, his voice cracking due to non-use. "I promised Danny-boy that I'd get Patience first if she opens fire, you better see to it that I do." He knew the gun wouldn't respond; he wasn't that crazy. But it helped to ease his tension, even if for a little bit. He climbed the ladder out of his bunk and headed towards the kitchen to have an early breakfast before the crew rose. That should help.

Since it was so early, Ryan didn't expect to see someone else already at the table when he arrived in the mess area. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he took in Ari's appearance, not missing the eye patch at all. "Good mornin', Ari," He greeted, inclining his head a little as he continued over to the cabinets. Ryan and Ari didn't get a lot of time to bond; she and Stoot had been busy with that, as far as he understood. He was going to give them their room.

But despite all of that, he was her captain and she was his crew. He didn't avoid talking to Ari, he just never had a proper chance to. Their conversations were mostly about the ship's mechanical state or where she was going when on-world. Ryan wasn't exactly a conversational sort of man, anyway. PTSD and all.

He rummaged through the cabinets until he found a protein bar. He pulled out a chair across from Ari, unwrapped it, and took a bite. "Better eat," he advised, taking note of the glass of water before her. "Won't be any use if you go out there weak from hunger."

[Ari Deschain]

The man who entered the dining hall was Ryan, her captain. She tensed with apprehension as his eyebrows raised at her her appearance, but she smiled easily when he greeted her. "Mornin' Cap'n. You're up early." The two hadn't been able to talk as much as she would have liked. Ryan seemed to be a man of few words, and she had also been hanging around with Stoot a lot more than anyone else on the ship. It wasn't really hard to see why, though. The two got on very well, being so alike. Ryan she hadn't quite figured out, yet. There were something compelling under the surface, something she felt he was hiding.

He sat across from her, and she laughed at his words. "You don't need ta worry about me, Cap'n. I jus' don't like eatin' alone." Downing the rest of the water, she stood and took it for a refill, getting herself a protein bar as well. She sat back down and began unwrapping it. When she sat all the way back in her seat, her feet didn't quite touch the floor, and she let them swing childishly as she took a little bite. It was obvious she was excited. The monotony of the ship was about to be broken, and even if the job went smoothly it would be great to get outside for a while.

She appreciated him not bringing up the eyepatch, but knew she'd have to explain it sooner or later. Sliding forward, letting her feet rest on the floor, she leaned forward on her elbows. Not the best of table etiquette, but then Ari'd never learned manners. "Sleep well?" The question was just a lame way to keep the captain talking. She disliked that they didn't know each other so well yet, especially as he was Stoot's best friend. Cocking her head, she nibbled on her protein bar as she watched him from her right eye. He seemed tired often; maybe he was an insomniac, or was under some kind of stress?

[raven]

[ooc: sorry i havent been posting, and that no one on the ship really knows auj. maybe ari and her can be friends? ;D]

Audrey sat silently in her bunk, staring up at the ceiling. She'd had a restless, dreamless sleep that left her tired and wanting for more. Of course, it was the worry of the coming job that had caused her to have a bad night. It was her first real job, for she didn't count the small plays she'd been a part of as actual jobs. She'd been out of the ship as much as possible when they'd actually touched down, searching for needed medical supplies among the shops. When she was on the ship, she was more than often in the hospital. Soon after taking her place on the ship as medic, she had maken the hospital hers by rearranging it and hanging up a picture of her mother. Rolling over, Auj stared at her room. It was bright, and clean. A picture of her mother rested on the small desk she'd pushed to the left of her door.

Sighing, Auj rose and changed into a pair of stretchy jeans and a loose, blue t-shirt. She left her curls down for the moment as she pulled on boots, tugging on the laces to make the boot hug her foot firmly. Sliding a sheathed blade into each boot, she stood and rotated her ankle to make the blade settle against her skin. Stretching, she walked out of her room, flicking off the light and shutting the door firmly behind her. With smooth steps, Auj made her way to the kitchen. She walked in with ease, smiling at her captain and Ari. Moving to the cabinets, she found an apple and sat down with it after grabbing a knife. She sliced pieces of apples off and took a bite, remaining silent as not being brought into the conversation.

[hackanut]

Ryan smiled encouragingly as Ari rose to grab some breakfast for herself. At least she wasn't one of those anorexic types. Just thin, a funny thought came to his mind; how ironic it would be for Ari to be anorexic while courting Stoot, who never missed a meal or left a scrap on his plate. He shook his head, grin widening, at the thought.

"I slept alright," He answered once Ari had returned to her seat. That was an understatement, but when questioned, Ryan was a dripping faucet, not a fire hose. "And yourself?" He hesitated now, no longer able to ignore the eye patch with the large red heart sewn into it. "I wouldn't ask under any other circumstance," He proceeded with caution, not being oblivious to how touchy one could be if confronted about any sort of personal flaw. "But today I need ev'ryone at their best. I ain't gonna fault you for it, but I need t'know if that patch there is just a fancy dressin' or if you done gone blind in that area." He motioned towards the patch with the tip of his protein bar. The idea that his mechanic was half-blind and he was going to let her come with him today, armed, made him weary, but he couldn't deny that he needed all he could out there. Strength in numbers and the like. Also, Ryan had a feeling that it would cause more problems than good if he forbade Ari her participation; not only from herself, but from Stoot too.

Damn him for getting so attached. Not like he could talk; at least Ari gave Stoot the time of day. Ursula had not left her shuttle since the night she arrived. It drove Ryan crazy.

Speaking of blondes, Audrey entered the kitchen at this time and busied herself at the counter. "Mornin' Auj," He said, not wanting to make Ari answer right away just in case the subject truly was a sore one for her. Though, Ryan thought, she can't expect people not to ask when she's wearing such a noticeable trophy of her disability.

"You know you're stayin' on ship today, remember?" He asked the medic, swiveling a little in his chair so he could see her better. It was best to make sure everyone knew the plan rather than go into this deal with, no pun intended, a blind eye. "If anyone gets hurt out there, we need you here to tend to 'em. Shiny?"

[Ari Deschain]

(ooc) Of course they can be friends!

Ryan returned her question, and she finished chewing, preparing to answer, when she noticed he seemed to be prepping himself to say something else. She swallowed carefully as he finally questioned the patch. The fingers on her left hand brushed the patch lightly, self-consciously tracing the threading that made up the heart, and her easy grin faltered slightly. Her face was tilted towards the table, but she quickly regained her composure and lifted her chin. Damned if she'd let herself feel less than good enough just because she had a messed-up eye. "I don't hold it against ya for askin', Cap. I'm sorry I didn't tell ya sooner." She paused, as if collecting her thoughts to proceed.

Audrey entered then, saving her from having to answer at that moment. Ari smiled broadly as Audrey sat down with them. "Hey there, Auj!" She greeted her in a friendly manner. Ari liked the medic. Audrey seemed like a no-nonsense kind of person, and although she was closer to Ursula than Ari would ever be, Ari respected Auj greatly. As Ryan addressed the medic, Ari went back to nibbling her protein bar. She was suddenly struck with apprehension, wondering if Ryan would make her stay on the ship because of her disability. After their exchange seemed complete, she turned to Ryan, worry flashing in her right eye. She tapped the table urgently to catch his attention.

"It was the war. I was hit with shrapnel. Concussion. Lost most o' the vision in m'left eye." She tipped the patch up to show him her eye, which looked just as normal as her right, as if he hadn't seen it all the time since she started work on the ship. "I can see shadows, but nothin' more, from that side. It doesn't bother me none usually, but if there's lives on the line I don't need shadows distracting me, yeah?" Her eyes pleaded with him to understand, though her face remained impassive. She let the patch snap back down into position. "Cap'n, I can shoot jus' as good as anyone you know, and better than most I'll wager. The only consideration you'll have to be givin' me is to keep a good guy on my left." She was trying hard not to let her frustration turn to anger. Ryan was only voicing a legitimate concern, and she had to respect her captain. It was so difficult, feeling weak like this. She almost wished she was completely blind in that eye, so that she wouldn't have to wear the patch. No one would ever know otherwise.

[raven]

Audrey was surprised at the sudden hellos just after the captain spoke of something so serious. She smiled and said hello to each and bit into her apple, wincing at the crunching noise. She moved her gaze to Ryan, and finished chewing before answering. Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, she said, Aye, aye, captain. I can handle not being in the line of fire. She glanced over at Ari, frowning. The woman seemed worried - probably about being stuck on ship, just like Auj. She bit her lip and spoke softly to Ryan, trying not to make it seem like she was trying to help Ari - which would definitely be frowned upon - or undermine Ryan - which would also be frowned upon. "Captain, for all it's worth, if I'm on ship, I need to be calm in case someone does get hurt. If Ari's on board, I'm sure she'll be a nuisance, wanting to leave but not being able to." She smiled playfully at Ari, hoping the woman wouldn't be angry with her. She liked Ari, and was happy Stoot, who seemed good enough to her, had found someone. But also, Ari seemed like a right sort of person - the kind you wanted on your team and not the other.

She took another bite of her apple. She was only a tad bit thankful that the captain had told her point blank that she was on board. She wasn't one to handle a gun, and so she only had blades. However, she would have liked to feel the adrenaline pump when faced with the danger. She knew it was just fanciful thinking from one too many novels when she was younger. But it was still nice to dream. She finished her apple and rose quickly, dropping it in the receptacle, before grabbing a glass and filling it with water. Swigging it back, she grimaced at the taste and put the cup on the counter, returning to the table.

[sorry it took so long; and sorry it's short. i have writers block.]

[hackanut]

Ryan listened carefully as Ari confessed about her disability, and visibly and mentally, the captain slackened. He even had a grin to spare, which was a rarity for him in the mornings. "Aw , Ari," He told her, shaking his head. "I thought you had done that recently. If you been gettin' along this long with it, I reckon you know what you're doin'." He decided it was best not to say anything along the lines of, 'sorry about the accident' or any other war-related sentiment. It was too early in the morning, and the memory from his dream was still too fresh to be able to talk openly about the war.

Hell, who needed excuses? Ryan Hannigan was never up for talking about the war. The only person he really ever spoke to about it was Stoot, and that was mainly because they had experienced it together, as friends. It felt different with Stoot--he could always make the situation sound funny, or laughable at least. Ryan didn't feel so tortured when he spoke about it with Stoot, but still tried to dodge the subject all together.

Back to the situation at hand, Ryan smiled good-naturedly at Audrey as she tried to sway him into letting Ari into the action today. "Don' worry," He told her. "We are gonna need Ari out there. If she gets riddled with holes, she'll still have you on the boat. Nobody's missin' their action."

--------
OOC: *yanks out hair* I suck as Ryan. Corey, return to me!!!!!

[Ari Deschain]

Ari may have been incredibly headstrong and proud, but she was not entirely irrational. So, when Audrey spoke slyly in her defense, Ari did not get upset. She flashed the medic a grateful grin, knowing she was only trying to help. Her attention returned to the captain, and she kept her face carefully composed. She did not want to appear desperate, or as if she were begging him to let her go. Ryan had shown himself to be a reasonable man in the past, and she hoped he'd continue that trend now. However, even with this in mind, Ari was surprised to see the grin Ryan tossed her way. She tentatively smiled back as he talked, her smile coming more natural as his words sunk in. "Thanks, Cap." She winked and went back to paying attention to her food.

It meant a lot to her that he trusted her enough to take her at her word, but Ari wasn't one to voice sentiments easily. She was also very grateful that he didn't ask her the details of the injury. Ari had no qualms discussing the war, but she obviously had problems talking about her injury. She especially hated to remember how her friends had kept right on fighting and dying as fell unconscious and was dragged away to safety.

She shook her protein bar at Ryan, laughing. "Won't be riddled wit' holes out there, I can promise you that." Her eyes flashed to Audrey and her stomach knotted slightly. If someone did get hurt, it would be horrible. It began to sink in through her excitement that there would be real danger. A determined glint appeared in her eye and she smirked. Wouldn't no one get hurt out there if she had anything to say about it. "Don't ya know it's bad luck ta say stuff like that?" She teased the Captain.

[stoot]

"Luck's a myth," Stoot said as he entered the kitchen, only catching Ari's last comment. He too went to the cabinets first and found some oatmeal mix within, and proceeded to mix it with water in a bowl and pour some sugar into it. Not exactly a meal of champions, but it should be able to perk him up a little at least. "Mornin' Auj," He greeted the medic, who was still standing idly by the countertops rather than at the table.

He took his breakfast and sat down beside Ryan, across from Ari. "Mornin' you two," He told them, perhaps the most perky of the entire bunch. Stoot wasn't usually a morning person, but once he was awake, he was awake. He didn't often display drowsiness or morning-grouchiness. Hell, he could go so far as to say he was excited.

He could not say the same for Ryan, who, for lack of better wording, looked like hell. He decided to shine light on the subject, not really thinking before speaking. A usual for Stoot. "You look like hell, Cap," He said. "Better get eatin', we gotta day today!" Stoot knew the dangers that waited on Whitefall but he did not fear them. In his mind, Patience was just an angry old lady who would surely be taught a good lesson once she laid eyes on the Atlas crew. If she wasn't taught at that point, Stoot had been practicing his marksmanship a lot lately. She wouldn't be a problem for him.

Besides, a firefight sounded almost appealing right now. It would be the first action the crew would see together, and for Stoot, it would be the first action he'd seen since the war. It was an auspicious day indeed.

He looked to Ari and noticed her eyepatch. For a moment, he thought she was just being funny. "S'cute," he told her, gesturing to the heart on the front. But then he began to wonder about it, and simply had to ask. "You get hurt, Ari?" he asked, his voice sounding concerned as he looked from captain to mechanic. He just knew that engine room was a dangerous place...

[Ari Deschain]

ooc: eh, I kinda wanted another post from Ryan or Auj to work with, but I also wanted to keep it going so it's really crappy and short. I'm sorry, please excuse it. =]

A new voice captured Ari's attention, familiar as it was to her, and she looked up with an easy smile to watch Stoot come in. When he finished preparing his food, he came to sit across from her and she leaned towards him on her forearms. "Well I tend ta disagree, Stoot." She cocked her head and smirked cheekily. "I make my own luck, yeah?" Her inclination was to wink at him, but clearly that would not have been noticed seeing as there was only one eye visible.

As he commented on Ryan's appearance, Ari tried to hide a grin. She reached across the table and patted Ryan's arm. "Ah, don't listen to him, Cap. Y'look just shiny." Sticking her tongue out at Stoot, she sat back in her chair once more and nibbled at her food. It was then that Stoot's attention turned to her patch, and she blushed slightly as he complimented it rather than first questioning it. "Thanks," she said with a grin. "Stitched it in m'self." Not that it was a hard thing to do, but Ari was pleased by simple things. Finally, he asked the question she knew was coming. He looked at the captain as if Ryan had been involved, and Ari was quick to explain, "Long time ago, Stoot. In the war. It don't hurt me anymore, but I have trouble seein' out that side. This just helps me concentrate." She smiled at him to aleviate his worry, seeing how concerned he was.

[hackanut]

Ryan snorted as Stoot entered the room, jib-jabbering about luck being a myth. As his friend sifted through the foodstuffs, Ryan turned his attention back to the mechanic. "If we're lucky," He said with a shrug, "We ain't gonna need luck anyway. Best to leave it to skill."

Stoot sat heavily down beside him and Ryan smirked at his sentiments. Leave it to Stoot to point out the obvious, leave it to him to make you feel like a total ass. In a good way, that is. Sure Ryan had had a rough night--but if he didn't want anyone knowing, he might as well get used to the idea that he should act like he doesn't want anyone asking bout it as well. Ryan sat a little straighter in his chair as he took a bite out of his protein bar; he then waggled it a little at his friend. "You look right purty yourself, there Danny-boy," he said, "And I am eatin'. Just don't have time for somethin' fancy. Riley should be here soon."

He finished the rest of his breakfast and wiped his hands together a few times to rid them of crumbs. Ryan couldn't help but be amused at Stoot's behavior towards Ari--it was probably the first time Ryan ever heard him start out a conversation with "cute", followed by genuine concern. It was, for lack of better term, amusing for him to watch. He always knew ol' Danny-boy was just a teddy bear deep down. In the war, Stoot had been one of the jollier soldiers but damn proficient with a gun, which is the only way he could have survived. It was a different sight, to see him as a civilian, seeing him build relationships outside of ones you were forced to have in order to survive.

Ryan envied him. The only relationship he had been stuck on creating so far was one with a Companion. He was not a stupid man, not usually--he knew it was a longshot to even consider Ursula as anything more than a hole to screw. Ryan couldn't even explain to himself why he was so determined to break past that image, to get to know her and not her insides. Perhaps it was because Ryan felt he couldn't handle a real relationship--dreaming of one with Ursula, one he could never have, would keep him occupied. It would keep him striving for something.

He envied Stoot for not having to try so hard; it just happened for him.

[stoot]

Stoot sighed with relief, but you could tell on his face that he was still a little upset by the fact that Ari was disabled in any way. More importantly, that she hadn't told him about it before. Did she think that he would make fun of her or something? He wouldn't admit it, but there was a sinking feeling in his stomach that felt a lot like hurt feelings. It wasn't enough to kill the mood, though. He would push it back and dwell on it later, if ever.

"I'll be your eye today," he told her, not aware of how cheesy it sounded when said aloud. "I'll cover your blind spot today on Whitefall." He finished his bowl and pushed it aside, lacing his fingers together behind his head. He looked over to Ryan, who had also finished eating whatever was stuffed into that protein bar. Stoot hated those things--they didn't even fill him up. "That ain't eatin', Ryan," He told him as if he had said it a hundred times in the past. "No wonder you stay so damn skinny, you don't eat nothin'!" He reached over and clapped his friend on the back, a smile behind his whiskers.

"So Auj," He said, craning his neck to the medic, who was still standing in the back of the kitchen. "Ya excited?"

[ooc:] I suck. Grr! Arg!

[Ari Deschain]

Although there had been speculation among the crew as to how Ryan might feel for Ursula, Ari had no idea as to the turmoil he really felt. It was easy for her to flirt with Stoot, to have a good time with him. She had only to be herself around him, and he around her. There were no pretenses, no walls. Sure, she had kept the problem with her eye a secret, and there was still the matter of her father. But things like that, real weaknesses, took time to spill. She didn't hide her true self from him, and was an open book about most everything else. If she had known the difficulties facing Ryan in his relationship with Ursula, she would have appreciated the easy friendship Stoot gave her even more than she already did.

Copying the captain, Ari finished her food and downed the rest of her water in one long swig. Wiping her mouth with the back of one hand, she looked around as if she expected the Riley crew members to materialize, or just the rest of the Atlas crew. "I hope everyone's gettin' ready..." she said, adjusting the bandana on her head. She noticed the look on Stoot's face, then, and her eyes crinkled slightly with concern. Was he worried about her, or upset that she hadn't told him about her eye? Biting her lip, she cocked her head and repeated the line she'd already said to Hannigan, but this time with a touch of regret. "Sorry I didn't tell ya sooner." She realized now how he might feel slightly put-off that she hadn't shared this with him, but it was so hard for her to swallow her pride and reveal her weaknesses, even to Stoot.

His next words, about being her eye today, touched her and she ducked her head slightly to hide a slight blush. When she let her eye meet his again, she smiled and nodded. "No one I'd rather be on m'left, Stoot. Thanks." It was true. There was no one on this ship she trusted more to cover her ass than the man across the table from her. It also meant a lot that he trusted her enough, even with the one eye, to stand beside her and fight with her. She'd just have to prove she could cover him as well. Her gaze lifted to Audrey as Stoot began to talk to her, and she smiled at the medic. The woman seemed well-suited to the task of taking care of anyone if something did happen to go wrong, and she was glad someone as steady and strong as Auj seemed to be was their medic.