[IC] 🦄 After Miranda - A Firefly Rp - Season 1 (Completed)

[FantasyChic]

---

---

Mei Qiáo

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

Mei watched the scene unfold in front of her. She pinpointed a few noteworthy individuals. Some went upstairs to handle their own "business" while others stood at the bar and drank. Some went off to play cards. She didn't want to stand out too much, so she moved to the bar and ordered a drink. She kept one ear open though. Surely there would be some talk. Especially if they got drunk enough.

She wished she saw who shot her so she could avoid them particularly. Hopefully, she didn't stand out thanks to her new duster jacket. It proved to be somewhat of a good luck charm.

---

---

Jacqueline Croix

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

Jackie nearly spit out her drink. "You mean I never told you my name? Well, fuck me, that's rather rude of me. Sorry, handsome. Name's Jacquline. But you can call me any number of naughty names, if it pleases you. Or just Jackie." She saw the tip of the glass the woman gave her. She downed the rest of her own drink and ordered another one.

She saw the few get up and walk over to the tables and a lightbulb went off in her head. "I reckon a game of cards should be fun. There are other things to occupy our time here, but I'd rather save those for later. Shall we?" Jackie didn't really give the boy much choice as she took his hand and walked over to where the group sat down.

"Sorry to trouble you lot, but I'm showing my boy here a good time. Mind if we join in? I got some credits burning a hole in my pocket."

[Morose]

---

---

Dorothy Pender

---

Location: Lady Luck's

---

---

Had it been a different situation, Dorothy likely would've reminded Anisa that she only promised to have one drink. But given the circumstances and what the Captain had been through, she supposed that she would have to tough it out and have as many more as Anisa decided to order for her. On normal occasions, she either refused the drinks or simply just stayed behind, completing some crossword puzzles that Daphne had lent her.

But perhaps between the pair of them, Anisa and Dorothy averaged out the alcohol intake to something moderate that evening. She was nursing the weaker drink Anisa had ordered for her while the Captain was through almost six shots already. In the back of her mind, she was monitoring Anisa's alcohol intake. It was something she would have done for any member of the crew, but especially Anisa tonight. It was easy to just drink away the pain.

"As a physician, I recommend alternating with water and if you choose to continue drinking, eating something will help. It won't help with the alcohol already in your system, though," Dorothy replied. "But as your friend - cards. Definitely cards."

She adored the game. When she served, she would play a hand of cards with the other members of the medical staff during those rare quiet moments. It was a game that could be played just about anywhere, with all sorts of people from all walks of life. It never ceased to put her in a good mood. When the woman and her boy - a rather pasty thing, he looked a bit out of place here - asked to join, Dorothy glanced at Anisa, figuring she'd let the Captain call the shots. She didn't mind herself.

---

---

Fitz Townsley

---

Location: Lady Luck's

---

---

Fitz blinked a few times. He had never quite had a girlfriend before and so, there never had been a situation where he was instructed to call someone naughty names. While he was aware of them, for some reason, the only thing that came to mind was Drawing Five Bonds to Carbon. It was as if his brain was actively attempting to counteract whatever meager social skills he possessed. However, his eyes still lit up when Jackie suggested they try a round of cards.

Cards were, after all, practically a board game - just without the board - in his opinion. While he had never played cards before, he imagined that there had to be a set of rules and a goal, just like with any other game. His naiveness would likely show, as there was a bit of a disconnect in his mind with the idea of gambling and playing a game of cards here in Lady Luck's. Yet as Jackie pulled Fitz over to the group playing cards and called him her boy, two equally horrifying interpretations came to mind:

1) Boy, as in, boyfriend.
2) Boy, as in, slave.

[BlueSky44]

Daphne Pender

---

Location: Lady Luck

---

She looked up from her drink as Harper came back over to her. Daphne laughed slightly when he asked to hear about piloting for the crew. "Not long before we met you lot we seemed to do a lot more crashing than flying," she said, sipping at her drink. The incident that landed them on Whitefall was definitely something. The fact that they hadn't blown up was really surprising to her at the time.

"The reason we were on Whitefall in the first place, if it wasn't obvious, was because we made a crash landing, lucky the ship didn't explode. The Captain was not happy to have to get the spare parts that we needed. Pretty sure she yelled at Gideon about it. That was definitely an interesting few days. Especially with the whole thing with the Reavers that happened when you lot showed up. We were lucky to get off the ground, though landing without any engines was definitely something. Hopefully never doing that again," she continued, it was the most recent memory of her flying a ship that wasn't the Retribution, and before the two crews merged together. It made sense to her to mention what was going on at their end of things. Daphne did miss that ship, though after that last landing, it probably wasn't going to be able to of Whitefall very easily anyway.

She looked over at the table that the others were gathered at. When she looked more closely, she saw that two other people had joined them, and one of them looked familiar. Though with this many people, it was difficult for her to be able to see them better. "Looks like a few other people are joining the others, shall we go over and join them?" she said, taking another sip of her drink.

[Lady Absinthia]

---

---

---

Lady Luck

---

---

If Anisa had the ability of emotions within her right then she would have been thrilled that Dorothy agreed to join her playing some cards. One, she loved the game. Two, she doubted she could tolerate Jahosafats constant rambling without shooting him. It was probably a good thing she wasn't dressed as she normally was and packing her usual side arm. It didn't mean she didn't have a weapon on her, it was just a little more trouble to get at than normal. Though if he continued it might be worth it. Glancing over towards Dorothy she shrugged slightly. "Then order me the anti-hangover meal off your medical menu. It's going to be a long night," she said before taking a seat.

Jahosafat grinned widely as he pushed her chair in and waited to do the same for Dorothy. Once she was seated he had a seat and picked up a deck of cards from the table and started to go through them, making sure they had a full set and there were no duplicates. As he was, he started his usual rambling, going on and on and on about the place. How it was good enough but that they should have seen the speak easy located where he and Foy hailed from. It was about sixty seconds into his little speech that Anisa rolled her head until she looked over towards him, reached into her clutch, grasped something shiny and dropped it on the table in front of him. Luckily for him it wasn't her gun, it was money.

"If you can keep your trap shut for the next sixty seconds it's yours," she spouted . Jahosafat about agreed to it verbally but barely caught himself. His mouth snapping shut as he nodded. Taking out his pocket watch he started to witness the seconds tick by. This was going to be harder than he thought, especially when two others came over towards the table and asked to join in. He was forced to chew on the inside of his cheek to keep from giving them a glorious welcome indeed but he was determined to win this little pittance of monetary metal.

Anisa on the other hand glanced over towards them, shooting Dorothy a look, before her attention was turned back towards the new comers. "Why not. I'm Anisa and..." she said as she motioned towards the other side of the table.

"I am Dr. Jahosafat Moreau, pleasure to meet such a fine looking lady and her companion on this splendiferous evening!" Anisa took a deep breath and rolled her eyes as she pulled the money off the table and slipped it back into her clutch. "Oh fuddle...."

[Sigil]

---

---

William Harper

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

---

The former Alliance pilot known in this incarnation as Harper listened politely as Daphne discussed the nature of their original crew's most recent impromptu landing on Whitefall. As much as he didn't approve of crashing in any instance, the old saying about "any crash you can walk away from" definitely held true. It did seem a shame to destroy one of engineering's marvels of yesteryear; a Firefly Mk3 in good condition. Perhaps one day they could hope to recover the vessel, if scavengers hadn't picked away its parts and such before then.

But the time for depressing observations was best left for later on. Right then, Harper had company, a drink in his hand, a new crew, and was out from under the thumb of the Alliance, for now. Plus, he had his own ass to cover in case their visitor from earlier returned. Not that he would know this person by sight, really. He was in the fore of the vessel when the shooting started. But an eye out for anything out of place, or anyone paying extra attention to their comrades. Still, he was catching as quiet a drink as possible in this night spot with a young lady (and fellow pilot), and she deserved at least as much of his attention as he was directing to things outward.

"Yes, hopefully." he agreed, referring to Daphne's desire to not land a ship with failing engines ever again. "It's interesting to look at a situation you've been party to from someone else's perspective. About Whitefall, I mean." Harper noted the two people behind his young companion, especially interested in the fact that their path took them from the bar directly over to the crew's table, almost immediately as Jahosafat secured it for them. One of them was the same woman that bought Anisa a drink not minutes earlier. Could be nothing. Could be something.

When Daphne suggested that they join their compatriots at the recently vacated table, Harper agreed. "Yes, I like that idea. Just a second?" He waved the bartender over, motioning for refills on both of their drinks and pointing toward the table. Tossing a bit of scrip onto the counter, Harper placed a hand on the small of Daphne's back and began to lead her partially across the room and to the table, where apparently a game of cards was afoot.

Harper pulled out a chair two seats down from Anisa, and motioned to Daphne. He eyed the two that arrived from the bar just before them, trying to draw what information that he could from their clothing and demeanor. He smiled, quietly and politely, and took the seat between the one he pulled for Daphne and their Captain. There was a bit of friction between the two as of late, and he intended to act as a buffer between them for the time being, especially now that alcohol was flowing. He didn't really know either of the women very well, but it seemed like the responsible thing to do in the situation. Internal drama might lead to distraction, anyway, and he really didn't want to deal with that until they were out in the relative safety of the Black, whenever that would be.

He looked to Daphne to see if she needed anything in the meantime, then turned to Anisa. With a neutral voice, he remarked, "I'm sorry that we are a little late to the table, Ma'am. And who are these fine people?"

[FantasyChic]

---

---

Jacqueline Croix

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

Jackie watched each of the members at the table. If she were going to join this game, she needed to be able to read them. They seemed like decent folk though, so perhaps she should just play it straight?

Nah, fuck that.

"Nice to meet you guys. Name's Jacqueline, but call me Jackie or I may have to kill you," she said with the sweetest smile. She didn't bother correcting that either. Only fuddy duddies called her Jaqueline and she wasn't afraid to shoot a fuddy duddy in the face. She urged Fitz forward, "And this is my new friend. Seems to be the quiet type, but he's a good guy."

She pulled out a chair and joined them, meeting each of their eyes. "So what's the game of choice? I've coin burning holes in my pocket and I'm itchin' to make people cry."

[Morose]

---

---

Dr. Pender and Dr. Townsley

---

Location: Lady Luck's

---

---

Dorothy was going to stick to her principles and protest having her chair pushed in by Jahosafat, but at this point, she had to pick her battles. The man was over the top and extreme - this was such a small thing, and it was acceptable with other people, that she bit her tongue and allowed it to happen. If only Jahosafat had elected to do the same - she was simultaneously bored and irritated with his speech. She doubted he'd be able to keep his trap shut for sixty seconds and figured that Anisa had similar doubts. Otherwise, it never would have been that large a sum of money.

Dorothy was about to offer to double the sum if he agreed to go two minutes, when Anisa began introductions with the newcomers. And surprise surprise, it was enough to get Jahosafat to start up again, ending his speech with a phrase Dorothy had never heard before. She figured it was just another one of his Core World Alliance shenanigans. "Dorothy," she introduced herself.

Fitz was blinking rapidly, trying to comprehend the situation. Why had money been removed from the table when the man gave an introduction? He had never gambled before, but he didn't know there were rules involving speaking. If the object was to never speak, then this would be a game he could excel at - his stutter and social anxiety made that easy. He nearly swallowed his own tongue when Jacqueline urged him forward. "H-Hello...Dr. T-T-Townsley, engineering," Fitz introduced himself. His eyes widened a bit with eager recognition as he noticed Daphne. Was this her crew, then? Either way, it didn't matter. It was another familiar face - it only could've gotten better if Royus was there.

[BlueSky44]

Daphne Pender

---

Location: Lady Luck

---

Daphne followed Harper's lead over to the table where everyone else was. As she got closer, she saw why one of the two newcomers had looked familiar to her. It was Fitz, the engineer she had met when she had gone off to wander around town. She had come to like the guy, but she did not recognize the woman he was with. A complete stranger, but at least there was someone around that she knew, and someone else besides the rest of the crew to talk to. She nodded at Harper as she sat down in the seat that he had pulled out for her. It was still a little strange for her, but she went with it.

"Hey there Fitz, what have you been up to since I saw you earlier," Daphne said, looking over at him with a smile. Might as well start talking to him, someone that she knew. Though she probably should introduce herself to the other woman. For the moment, she was more curious as to how Fitz had run into this woman, but she would probably get those answers eventually.

[Lady Absinthia]

---

---

---

Lady Luck

---

---

"Knew you couldn't keep ya trap shut," Anisa said with a smirk. Jahosafat grinned and laughed a bit before nodding.

"Oh I should have know better than to make a wager with my captain. Truly a misstep on my part. It seems you have knack for reading people and knowing them quickly. Tis a shame, that piece would have been most welcome but then again, I know I would only let it burn a hole in my pocket for so long before it was whipped out and put into use. I must be a bit over jubilous right this moment. Fine drinks, fine people, fine times to be had!" Now that he wasn't being bet to stay quiet, it seemed he was making up for lost time.

Anisa knew she would put a bullet through his skull if this kept up. Pulling out the coin she flicked it in the air and Jahosafat caught it as it nearly struck him in the chest. He rose a brow and looked at his captain in a very quizzical manner. "Go, find a whore, find a companion, find a damn dog. Just get out of here and burn off some of that mouth of yours," she said in a quip before taking a sip of her drink.

"If you insist! Yes, yes, a bottle of Bordeaux my good woman and you!" he said picking out a woman as she was walking by. "Ladies, gentlemen. I must away!" he said excusing himself as he flipped his hat about before placing it on his head and running his finger along the brim. Giving a wink he darted off, grabbed the woman and began dancing with her across the floor towards the stairs, picking up the bottle that was being rushed after him as he went.

As the door shut to another anonymous room Anisa let out a sigh of relief. "Thank fucking god..." she muttered before turning her attention back to the table. "No, it's fine and I have no damn idea," she said before looking over at Jackie and Fitz as they introduced themselves. "Alright Jackie, what's your..." she started before her words trailed off as Daphne addressed Fitz with familiarity.

How did she know the man? She didn't this quickly to the new crew members, had she known this man before they landed? If so, how did the captain not know him herself? Daphne had been on her crew for years, the original crew was close. They really didn't have "friends." So, that left one reasonable conclusion. She had met him when she should have been working on the ship like the rest of the folk. And if she was acting more open to some stranger she must met over her crewmates, it didn't sit well. Eying Daphne she leaned back in her seat and ran her finger over the rm of her glass. "So, Daphne, who's your friend?" she asked in a terse voice.

[Sigil]

---

---

William Harper

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

---

Jacqueline, and Fitz Townsley - Doctor of Engineering. Harper filed away the names, regarding them with a polite nod but not offering his own name immediately. Perhaps it was the polite thing to do, though his mind was elsewhere. Hwightened awareness, some may call it, thoigh others had less fashionable words to describe the status of being him recent days.

Harper was very slightly startled when his and Daphne's second round of drinks arrived, hers in an octagonal tumbler and his in a tall mug. It was only noticeable by a sudden flick of his eyes in the direction of their server which was quickly smoothed over with a smile and a single folded piece of scrip for a gratuity. He raised his glass momentarily and took a sip of his extremely low-alcohol concoction. It tasted strongly of bitter ginger, but looked very much like a red lager.

Amid this, he too wqs curious as to the nature of the friendship between Daphne and the young Dr. Townsley. Also amid this, he realized he was hungry. Before the server left, Harper made mention of menus, if such things were readily available. He might not be able to relax fully, but at least he wouldn't have to worry about making his own meal tonight. And from the amount the Captain was imbibing, he hoped she would not begrudge him the offer of a fried sandwich or pepper-dipped poultry wings.

[FantasyChic]

---

---

Jacqueline Croix

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

Jackie didn't quite understand the interaction between Captain Ballcruncher and Dr. Never-Shuts-up, but she didn't much care, to be frank. She wanted to play cards and win. Especially win. She watched over the others within her vicinity to size them up. The other woman that seemed close to Captain Ballcruncher, the woman of few words, seemed not to be too comfortable in this setting. Maybe she and Captain Ballcruncher had a thing going on? Respect.

The other two, the man and woman (who Fitz apparently knew, the dog!), seemed quite couple-y, but maybe there was more to it than that? The man made her feel...weird. Something about him resonated with her and she couldn't put a finger as to why. The woman that Fitz knew (again...the dog!) wasn't too remarkable.

Were all these people on a crew? How the hell did they get anything done? She shrugged it off. Fuck it, who cared when there were drinks to be had and cards to be dealt. "Fitz, are you cheating on me? You sly dog, I didn't know you had it in you! She's a looker too, nicely done!" Jackie eyed Captain Ballcruncher as she started the process of grilling Daphne. Twas a shame Daphne had no balls to be crunched (or did she?) or Jackie may actually enjoy the show. She did so love causing trouble.

"I'm a bit curious myself how the two know each other. I met the boy and he could barely stumble two words out together and now I find out he's a hit with the ladies. What gives?"

[BlueSky44]

Daphne Pender

---

Location: Lady Luck

---

She looked over at Jacqueline strangely when she made her comment. It was definitely not something she would have expected someone to say just randomly. Though, the Captain's words definitely made her feel a little strange, since it seemed like Anisa was annoyed now. Daphne didn't like the fact that she pointed something out, but if she hadn't Fitz probably would have eventually, so might as well say something now right? Besides, what could go wrong where they were at the moment.

"We met when Fitz here literally ran into me," she said, though it wasn't too bad of a situation. It was an accident, and she knew that, though everyone else probably didn't. It didn't matter, Fitz seemed nice enough, though he did stutter a bit more than she thought was good for someone, she didn't think that was a good thing to point out. Fitz didn't seem too comfortable in this situation, and it made her wonder how he met Jacqueline, though from the sounds of it she did most of the talking.

[Morose]

---

---

Dr. Pender and Dr. Townsley

---

Location: Lady Luck's

---

---

Dorothy was keeping a watchful eye on both her sister and Anisa. Despite coughing down her drink, she didn't feel any of the tell tale signs of becoming tipsy. Perhaps a mild buzz, but even then, it could easily have been her imagination. However, she knew she wasn't imagining Harper pulling out Daphne's chair for her and her eyes widened for a moment, before she smirked. Little Daphne Rachel and the new pilot? She hadn't seen it coming, but her sister wasn't a little kid. She had needs, just like anyone else.

"B-b-board games," Fitz answered Daphne quickly. "I-I mean, I went and got a g-game..." He may have been socially awkward, but even he could tell the tension quickly growing at the table. Was Daphne not allowed to go out and meet new people? Or was he specifically the problem? Sure, he was from Osiris but...Was this anti-Alliance prejudice? He supposed that could be a thing, but he never had grown up considering politics at all, so he never considered that others would as well. He had only just recently left his safe bubble.

"...I-I-I-I d-d-didn't know w-we were d-dating?" Fitz said, misunderstanding the tone of Jackie's "accusations." The poor thing seemed like he was about to melt into a nervous puddle and it was all he could do to nod meekly to confirm that he had, indeed, run into Daphne. He was practically trembling, as he realized just how far out of his comfort zone he was.

"Kid, you okay?" Dorothy asked, her eyebrows furrowed with concern. He looked like he was about to pass out. Turning around for a moment, she flagged down a waiter and asked for a water to be brought to the table. The kid probably needed it.

[Lady Absinthia]

---

---

Anisa Crowe

---

Location: Lady Luck: Table Main Room

---

Jahosafat had made his way into one of the upper floor repast rooms. It wasn't private like the bedrooms, multiple people or couples could be in one any given moment. Yet they were far less crowded than the main floors and did give at least a hint of privacy while allowing for mingling. It was enough for now while the doctor waited on a room to be freed up and cleaned. He dare not ruin his coat.

Taking a breath Anisa glanced over towards the conversation, her eyes darting back and forth between Fitz, Daphne, Dorothy, and Jackie. This was interesting the kid looked like he was about to pass out, Dorothy seemed to be seeing something that Anisa wasn't, and Daphne seemed to be up to a lot more than the Captain had thought she had been while she was wandering about earlier. Looking over to Harper she leaned in a bit. "We shoulda kept joyriding," she said in passing to her new lead pilot before righting herself as the waitress brought over a stack of menu's for the group in general, handing one to Harper since he had asked for them.

"Hope ya brought the gorham smelling salts Dor, this one's about to faint," Anisa added as she grabbed a deck of cards and started shuffling. Looking over at Jackie she smirked a bit. "How'd ya keep him calm until now?" she asked as she started dealing cards. As she came to Fitz she paused. "Going to stay vertical for this hand or want to pass?"

[Sigil]

---

---

William Harper

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

---

The conversation seemed to turn almost in its entirety to the naive, stuttering Doctor of Engineering that had joined them at the table just before Harper and Daphne's quiet entrance. Harper refrained from direct comment, but he did lend a portion of his attention to the manner in which the man spoke. Through the choppy, oft-repeated syllables, he could swear that there was something familiar about it. He just could not immediately place why. Whatever the reason, this guy had a near suicidal ability to draw attention to himself. So long as it wasn't on him, even by association, Harper was fine with that.

He did crack an honest smile at Anisa's comment about joyriding. It was true, he would have greatly preferred to remain at the helm of the new ship, skipping across the atmosphere and gunning the craft through minor obstacles of topography. It was the freest he had felt in a long time, and the reason he felt the need to extend his thanks earlier. He locked eyes with Anisa momentarily, glanced around the table to those present, and nonverbally agreed with her assessment with the barest nod of his head.

At that time, the menus arrived. A stack was unceremoniously placed on the table, but the waitress was attentive enough to hand one to Harper personally. He handed his over to Daphne and procured another for himself, opened it, and gave it a cursory once-over to determine what he felt he might stomach in a place such as this. The establishment had the feel of a "one stop spacefarer's watering hole" to him, so while he expected that any food sold here would be palatable, it would also conform to certain basic expectations. While giving Daphne ample time to peruse the menu for herself, he leaned over to Anisa and mentioned discreetly, "If I may observe, Ma'am? Your ability to toss liquor is respectable. Seeing as we are in mixed company, I hope you will not mind if I get you something to blunt the edge a bit. They have Baozi₁ here." It was a little working class, but it was almost universally accepted and remained one of Harper's nondescript favorites, especially back in his younger drinking days.

Thinking about his younger days back home, Harper decided to join the conversation concerning the overly nervous engineer sitting next to the more talkative woman. The way he spoke, when he wasn't stumbling over his words. He did find it familiar. Harper took a pull from his drink, then for the first time since joining the table, addressed them directly. "Where did you say you were from, Doctor Townsley?"

Translations

1 = Steamed buns stuffed full of barbecued pork and vegetables, often sold as street food. They are distinguished from dumplings due to thicker bread, a greater filling-to-bun ratio, and the fact that they are much larger. Sometimes served with various sauces on the side.

[FantasyChic]

---

---

Jacqueline Croix

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

Jackie looked over to Fitz as he started to malfunction. She shook her head and clicked her tongue, "Dear me, I seem to have broken the poor boy. Hey, sweetcheeks, take a deep breath, I was only kidding," she said to Fitz, hopefully it would get the boy to calm down a bit. As Captain Ballcruncher spoke to her, she merely shrugged her shoulders, "He was about the same as he is now, just with more hyperventilating."

The other woman called for a water and that would hopefully help. She could do with another drink herself and she made it known when she put the empty cup on a passing waitress' tray. She kept a close eye on the other man with them. She couldn't place it yet, but he gave her serious vibes. And not the good, fun type of vibes. The fact he was paying, even more, attention to Fitz worried her too. Had she fallen for the boy?

Nah, he was more like her property now. She was invested in him. "So, are you lot work buddies or something? I can't imagine a lot gets done then."

[BlueSky44]

Daphne Pender

---

Location: Lady Luck

---

Daphne listened in on the conversation around the table, glad that the conversation wasn't directed at her anymore. She did feel bad for Fitz, from what she could tell when she had met him, he wasn't too good with crowds. It was by sheer chance that they had ran into each other, and now the guy seemed like he was going to faint. If that happened, well, at least Dorothy was there, she'd probably be able to do something. She hoped that it didn't come to that.

It was a little concerning that Fitz seemed to be getting even more nervous, though what the woman had been saying before probably didn't help. She did not like the woman, and was finding out that she liked her less and less the more she spoke. The talk about him needing to take deep breaths, well that was probably true, but if the woman stopped talking for two seconds that might also help.

When she was handed a menu, she didn't really feel all that hungry. She hardly glanced at it as she watched the others conversing as Anisa dealt out cards. Dorothy was asking for some water for Fitz, that was probably something that could help him. He looked like he needed something stronger then water, but her sister knew what she was doing, at least she hoped so. She stopped worrying about stuff like that, trusting in her sister's judgment. It also was nice to see Harper getting the conversation away from anything awkward, that might help to calm Fitz down in the long run. He definitely looked like he needed the conversation away from the current topic. Though she should probably stop worrying about that, drawing her mind away from Fitz and back to the menu in front of her, they might be there a while, so she might as well get something.

Daphne stayed silent when the woman asked if they all worked together, she'd probably make some rude comment or something, plus she would probably say the wrong thing. She was already on the Captain's bad side, at least as far as she could tell, and she did not want to dig her own grave even deeper by saying something that she shouldn't.

[Morose]

---

---

Dr. Pender and Dr. Townsley

---

Location: Lady Luck's

---

---

"'Fraid not, I can see if the bar has any if he can't stay topside," Dorothy replied, biting her lip for a moment as she thought through the various options. She could always see what the nastiest smelling thing they had in the back was - there was bound to be something disgusting that they could use. When the waitress delivered the water for Fitz, Dorothy practically stared him down. "Drink up - but not too quickly, you hear?" Dorothy instructed him. She was worried that he'd guzzle it and the water would then make a reappearance a moment later - but this time, all over the floor of the tavern and mixed in with whatever Dr. Townsley had had for lunch.

"Th-th-thanks," Fitz said, taking the water with trembling hands. It was a miracle it didn't go all over the table and Fitz gulped down the first bit. He took a deep breath at Jackie's instruction, before downing the rest of the glass. So much for taking it slowly. But at any rate, it did seem to calm him down some. Fitz gripped the empty glass, finding that he could keep his body steady.

To say he had social anxiety was an understatement.

Dorothy glanced over the menu, noting once more that Harper had passed one to her sister. There wasn't an outburst of I can get it myself or anything along those lines. Perhaps she'd need to give Daphne the Talk when they got back to the ship later. She could be entirely wrong, but Dorothy had a guilty fondness of matchmaking. It was sweet and exciting at the same time.

"I'll pl-play," Fitz answered, forcing a smile at Anisa. There was some sweat on his forehead but he loved games. If he had cards in his hand and could focus on the mechanics of gameplay, it'd be better for him in the long run. As for the pilot, Fitz glanced up in confusion. He hadn't said where he was from - just that he was an engineer. Or was that his way of asking? He didn't see much harm in it.

"I d-didn't say, but I'm fr-from Osiris," Fitz answered. "Y-You?" He didn't think twice about it - it felt natural to ask. It was like if someone asked what your favorite circuit was - you say parallel and then ask them what theirs is.

[Lady Absinthia]

---

---

Anisa Crowe

---

Location: Lady Luck: Table Main Room

---

Jahosafat set his hat down on an end table next to him and pulled the lady of the night down into his lap as he popped open the bubbly. He was more than content just having her dot over him until later and they were in more private surroundings. Granted this was far more private than the table a floor down where the rest of his "friends" were but it wasn't so private as to be in the middle of "flagrante delicto!" Now, while some of his compatriots were already partaking in the fruits of womanly labors he was one to savor a few worldly pleasures first, well other ones. A meal to be precise. Some preferred to eat after but not he, he wished to have all the nutrients he needed and plenty of calories too burn.

Anisa shuffled the cards and started dealing them out, nodding towards Fitz as he said he would play. Setting the deck down in front of her she picked up hers and started looking at them before glancing over towards Harper as he offered to order her something to eat. It wouldn't hurt and she had planned to get something anyways. "Yeah, that'll work," she said before leaning over and taking a quick glance at the menu Harper was holding. "Also.. Get that for the table, and those for me," she pointing to an appetizer platter first and then to some pomegranate macaroons for herself.

Resting back in her chair she looked over at Jackie. "Might want to order that one a paper bag," she said about Fitz before addressing her question. "My crew gets plenty done," she said as she rested her cards on the table face down and reached into her clutch. Pulling out her lighter she set it down before pulling out her pack of cigarettes. Selecting one she placed it between her lips and quirked a brow towards Jackie. "And you? Other than rescuing hyperventilating men from the crowds?"

[Sigil]

---

---

William Harper

---

Location: Newhope - Lady Luck

---

"...Osiris..." repeated Harper. He shot a look toward Fitz that lasted for a only a fraction of a second; strangely, it looked like pity. He immediately took a drink from his tall, frosty mug and quietly set it back onto the table, forcing his expression to remain neutral. He didn't even realize that he was tapping his nails on the edge of the table until he was five or six rotations in. He was right about the guy's speech - through the stuttering, it had a similar cultured inflection with which he had grown up, himself. The situation had some significance to the man.

This was a naive engineer from Osiris, thrust into an uncaring universe with apparently zero social skills nor idea what horrifying possibilities awaited him. He seemed exactly the type to get his intellectual curiosity piqued, leading him to trust the wrong person and get his guileless ass shoved into some dark, forgotten part of the 'Verse to rot until he finally manned up and started clubbing down the right people with a big fucking wrench before manufacturing a horrible, life-ending industrial accident and effecting a daring escape from a prison (that technically didn't exist), using the technological skills birthed of a superior Core World education. Not that he was projecting. Of course not. That would just be silly. Fitz didn't even look that much younger than Harper, though his demeanor might have suggested it.

He was giving consideration to answering Fitz's return inquiry when Anisa leaned over and made her request, taking Harper up on his offer. It was probably for the best, both the fact that the Captain put in a hearty food request and that the subject had opportunity for change. Though it was the proper thing to do, Harper would rather not have answered the question of his origins anyway. It might lead to a conversation he didn't want to have concerning his background, and he'd rather not lie to him from the outset, particularly in front of his new crew this early in their association. Nodding, he locked eyes with a passing waitress and held his hand out to get her attention.

Firmly but politely, he addressed their waitress, "Evening, ma'am," motioning to the menu. "Alright, App platter, and go ahead and make it the Jùxíng Xīniú Pìgu₁ sized one, we have others joining. Baozi plates - two of them, one for me and one here..." he lightly tapped Anisa's shoulder, ...and macaroons. Pomegranate." He gave a second's consideration and continued, "Oh, the Hot & Savory Cashews and Peanuts for me. And what the hell, upsize that Baozi. It's been a while." That was an understatement. He handed over his menu to the waitress, then looked to Daphne, "Anything on the menu strike your interest?"

Translations

1 = Giant Rhino Ass