Non-Standard
Invictus - Crew Commons =>Invictus<=
===================================================
This is the ship's common room, a place for the crew to relax, eat, and talk. In the middle of the room is a big table with comfortable chairs placed around it. To the port side near the Med Bay's entrance is a simple kitchen beside a basic storage rack for food and drinks. Starboard, the entry to the Crew Quarters can be found, as well as a number of large lockers for the crew's kit storage. To the room's aft are placed some couches opposite to a Cortex terminal and a large screen where currently some sort of gaming console appears to be hooked up. Between the couches, a small table holds some books and other things to read. Finally, to the front near the entrance to the Captain's Quarters, a corkscrew stairway up to the Bridge can be seen.
===================================================
Wren wanders out of the corridor, her hair tousled from sleep. Scrubbing a hand across her face she pads over to the kitchen and opens the fridge, peering inside it as if searching for an answer to a very difficult question.
Only a minute or two behind Wren comes Jiao; he pads down the passage into the commons, a leather-bound book tucked under an arm. He immediately heads over to one of the couches and takes a seat, stretching out and glancing over towards the small kitchen, where the light from the refrigerator is forming a little pool amidst the otherwise dim environs. "..anything good in there?"
Lifting her head out of the fridge, Wren peers over at Jiao, blinking owlishly at him for a moment. "Define good," she says finally, cold air billowing out from the opened door.
"Good..?" Jiao ponders aloud. He lifts a hand and brushes away several stray coal-black bangs. "That would be anything that hasn't started growing mold yet, I suppose." He smirks and stands up, setting his book down on the table next to the couch, and makes his way over to the adjoining kitchen. "At any rate, I think I'd like some oolong.. care for a cup?"
Wren wrinkles her nose in distaste, frowning faintly at Jiao as her eyes track him into the kitchen. "No mold," she declares, shaking her head a little, and backing away from the fridge, letting the door fall closed. "Tea," she agrees with a nod, finding a place to perch on the counter.
A small packet of tea leaves is soon extracted from one of the kitchen cupboards, and a pot of water set to boil; while he's waiting on that, Jiao leans against the counter opposite Wren and grins. "There'll be plenty. I hope you like oolong, then." He hesitates briefly, then reaches into one of his pockets and takes out a pack of cigarettes. He lights one and stuffs the pack back from whence it came.
Canting her head to one side, Wren studies Jiao and the cigarette for a moment and then frowns a little, looking up as the comm comes through. "Not dead," she echoes, shaking her head a little.
Gabriella swings into the commons, slender silver crutches tucked securely under her arms, fingers wrapped around the handles. She moves with some ease, indicating she was somewhat used to the posture, her gaze sweeping over the handful of people in the commons, bringing a soft sigh from her. "Make it another, would you?" She asks towards Jiao as she finds the central point in the room to rest.
Alabaster Smith emerges from the crew quarters, and peers over to see who's up to no good in his kitchen. Then he offers a broad smile. "Hello, Wren, Jiao, Gabriella, how is everyone doing tonight?" He wanders over to lend Gabriella a hand if she needs it in getting settled down.
"Mm?" Jiao's gaze swivels towards the passage to the individual crew compartments as Gabrielle hobbles in. He smiles and motions towards the pot that's heating up. "Lots to go around, no worries." For a second his eyes go to Wren, and he pulls the cigarette out of his mouth and, after a second, snubs it out in the nearest ashtray. "Ah.. sorry, didn't mean to bother you." One cool blue eye shuts in a wink, and he crosses his arms over his chest and waits for the water to come to a boil.
"All right, folks. Here it goes. I don't have the patience or the tolerance today to be all flowery and sweet hearted, so we're going to cut to the point. Anybody got a problem with that?" Gabriella asks as she leans against the arm of the couch, pulling a pack of smokes out of her pocket, setting the crutches aside.
Wren looks up as Gabriella and then Alabaster enter the kitchen, flashing a quick smile at the Preacher as he asks how people are. Jiao's snubbing out the cigarette and apology are met with a confused series of blinks, and she shakes her head a little. "Smoke is fluid," she notes with a shrug before turning her attention back to Gabby.
Alabaster Smith chuckles, and shakes his head at Gabriella, as he settles into a seat of his own. "By all means, mah dear, get to the point, and tell us what's on your mind. Ah'm curious to hear what's up."
Jiao, being somewhat lost as to whatever's going on, merely nods to Gabriella and waits for her to unload. He glances at Wren, arches a brow, and shakes his head. She totally lost him, apparently. At any rate, he goes about getting four glasses of tea ready, and hands them out to everyone in the room after the water has enough time to steep, then sits back down on one of the couches and sips idly at the near-boiling liquid with practiced impunity.
"All right. There's a whole hell of a lot going on that I'm sure a lot of you are fairly clueless about. And for that, I apologize. Especially since, that's not going to change tonight. What you do need to know is that the situation is extremely serious. In the last month, we've had a member of our family kidnapped. We've been nearly exploded, had ships fall on us, and been shot at, or.. just plain shot." Gabriella says, with a glance down to her leg, sighing.
"This may be a lot to handle, and it may seem like a lot of trouble for nothing." She takes a long drag from her cigarette, letting out a slow exhale. "But there's eleven little girls out there that need us to finish this. And one more sitting on the Antoinette, terrified to leave the ship because she's afraid that whoever slaughtered her father and his crew will find her, and do the same to her and her mother if we don't manage to fix this."
Accepting the tea as Jiao passes it to her, Wren carefully holds the cup, blowing across the surface to cool its contents. She shifts uncomfortably as Gabby begins to talk, drawing more and more into herself as the accumulation of words grows, and the cup in her hand is held more and more precariously. Tea begins to spill out upon the floor, but she remains oblivious to it.
Alabaster Smith listens intently to Gabriella's speech, tapping his fingertips thoughtfully. "You bring up very good points," he states. "But Ah know one thing... Ah'd never be able to rest easy at night if we didn't see this thing through to the end, and do what we can to save those girls."
"To let you know where we stand most recently. Katrina Wellington is alive, and never left the ship. She's been hiding on the Antoinette for a month, waiting for someone to rescue her. Havermathy, the missing pilot, is dead. He was attacked by someone and hid in a hatch, or was put in it, not quite sure yet. It looks like the crew was gassed with some kind of sleeping or poison gas, considering the fact that the girl was wearing some kind of super mask that kept her from passing out."
Another drag, her voice flat, her expression neutral. "What I do know is there's too many questions unanswered, and I'm not liking that. In my opinion, we need some help. On that note, I think we need to be bringing on a few more hands. Even if it's just for a bit, to make sure that at any point in time, we have the resources available we need to keep our crew safe, and to get this ended. I think it'd be a good idea to be bringing Chance on as an extra medical hand, even if we can't make it all permanent like. I also have a few feelers out for a few people of my particular skills that should be amassing in the area soon, to try and get to the bottom of this. The quicker we find our answers, the sooner we can all sleep easy." She says to Alabaster. "I need to know if any of you have any problems with extra hands filtering in."
"Not strong enough," Jiao mumbles; he stands up and walks back into the kitchen, dumps his tea back into the pot, and lets it steep a while longer. He cocks an ear towards Gabriella as she starts to speak, listening with rapt attention.. until he decides his tea should be strong enough, at which point he occupies himself mostly with making a new cup. "Mm. So, the little girl still won't come out of the ship at all? I suppose it's not surprising.." He blinks at Wren, and lifts a hand to gently steady hers before she can dump the entire contents of her cup on to the floor.
The steady stream of tea is interrupted by Jiao's timely action, only about half the cup's contents making it onto the floor. Wren's fingers simply release their grip on it, forcing him to either take the thing from her or let it drop. Vague hazel green eyes are focused at nothing and partially hidden behind a fringe of pale hair.
Alabaster Smith continues to listen, mentally filing everything he's told. "Of course not. If they pass your background checks, and seem to be of an appropriate moral character, then the more people we can find to help us, the better," he says thoughtfully.
"For now, till I get a chance to clear things with the Captain, Chance and the others will be on as passengers, and I'll be covering their expenses and the like. This is on me." Gabriella says, with a shrug. "I'm tired of bleeding out, and I want this gorram thing over with." She raises her comm and speaks into it briefly. "On that note." She says, lowering the comm and crushing out her cigarette. "Nobody leaves the ship without someone who knows how to shoot, or without gorram armor. Unless preacher man or the Captain says otherwise."
"Er.." Probably more out of reflex than anything else, Jiao manages to save the poor tea cup from an early retirement. He sets it down on the counter and turns back to Wren momentarily with a look that communicates both amusement and total bewilderment. He leans closer to whisper something in her ear, then glances at Gabriella and smirks. "Well.. I'm just one of the new guys, Gabriella shao jeh. Not much to say, here.." With a grin, he raps a fist on the armor hidden beneath his silk robe, and chuckles. "Well, except that I'd be more than happy to escort anyone outside who needs the protection."
"Jiao Long, you want to wait outside and escort the good doctor on? He should be showing up any minute." Gabriella says to the man.
Jiao Long whispers: As cute as it makes you look, the whole 'empty stare' thing doesn't quite suit you..
Wren blinks rapidly, eyes slowly coming into focus again turning her head to look at Jiao as he moves away from her. One hand comes up to rub her ear, an odd expression forming and dissolving in a matter of moments. Frowning a little she looks down at her empty hand where the tea cup would have been, staring as if trying to work out where it might have gone.
Gabriella leans on the arm of a couch in the middle of the room, the other crew members scattered about, looking rather worn and weary. "So. I'll be available tonight for anyone at all that wants the full down and dirty of what exactly's going on. The next couple days too, though chances are it'll be hit and miss." She says, as if concluding a lengthy kind of speech, crushing a cigarette out on the ashtray beside her.
Chance is escorted in by Samuel Nate (that NPC guy) that Gabby sent to find Chance. Chance nods to Samuel, "Thanks. I think I can find her from here." He turns to look at the rest of the group and gives the slightest of bows, "Greetings." He gives a small smile and puts his hands behind his back to wait patiently.
Alabaster Smith stands to greet Chance, offering his hand to the man. "We meet again, mah friend. Welcome onto the Invictus. Ah hope all is well? Do you care for a drink, or anything?"
Wren is perched on one of the counters in the kitchen, a small pool of pale liquid puddled on the floor beneath her. No one seems to be paying it any attention. At least there don't seem to be any telltale damp spots on her clothing that might point to a less than sanitary cause for the puddle. Looking up at the newcomer, she blinks at Chance a little. "No throwing knives," she states unequivocally.
Chance grasps Smith's hand firmly and says, "No and thank-you. I am just fine." He looks to Wren and nods, "I won't even juggle."
"Folks, you remember Chance. Chance, folks." Gabriella says by way of informal introduction, digging out and lighting another cigarette. She didn't seem to quite have her chipper energy of the night before, if anything the closest she looked like was hung over, even though that didn't seem quite right. "Here's how it's going, Chance." She says, gesturing for him to make himself comfortable. "Officially, for now, you're a guest. I'll be paying your cabin rent, and I'll be paying out per diem out of pocket till I get the Captain to sign off on you. Got any problem with that?" She questions.
Chance nods just a little, "I do. If I wanted welfare I'd go stand in a line someplace. If you have me a job, well then, I'm all ears and in." He smiles suddenly, disarmingly, "Nice place you have here. Feels like home."
Alabaster Smith says dryly, "It's not welfare, mah friend. She's just picking up the tab until we can get Captain Grey to hire you on properly, or reimburse her for her expenses. So don't worry about your pride. There's definitely a job for the time being."
Wren mumbles something in response to Chance, a faintly puzzled expression creasing her forehead. She looks from Gabby to Alabaster and back to Chance, and the crease in her forehead deepens. "Indeterminate... There's no clause for this," she determines after a fair amount of thought.
A brow arches upwards definitively, a glance and a nod given towards Alabaster. "Trust me, darlin', you'll be earning your keep." She says dryly, tucking away pack and zippo. "Between people being shot, having parts of ships fall on them, and all of us just getting over nearly being ..." She pauses for a moment, glancing towards Wren. "... blown up, there's plenty of patching up to do. Not counting we have some tests we need to have run on some samples that our doc hasn't had time to do, with her running ragged just to keep up." She gives him a faint smile at his comment. "It does, doesn't it?" She says, then asks her original question again. "So. Do you still have a problem with those arrangements?"
Chance looks to Wren and nods to her, "As you so say." He looks back to Gabby and shakes his head with a smile, "No. No problem. Just don't want to take advantage unless its me makin that decision. Hope I'll live up to the bill."
Shifting a little, Wren grimaces as Gabby talks, and then shakes her head again, muttering to herself. She seems lost in her own argument for the moment.
Alabaster Smith settles back in his seat, and nods. "We've definitely been in need of a second person with medical skills and knowledge to take the load off of poor Zahara," he says agreeably, before glancing at Wren curiously.
Chance says, "I'll be more than willing to help as I can. I realize no decision has been made to accept me into the crew. I'm just here to help out for now." He nods to Alabaster, "Just let me know what to do to help."
"Well, there isn't much that you can do tonight, unless you've got an inkling to be checking my bandages at some point. The tests we need run you'll need Zahara for, Dr. Ayasha, as it were. She's got the samples locked up tight, and though I could probably be digging them out I prefer to have her on my good side." She says dryly. "Otherwise, there's just a few rules to go over." She says with a shrug. "Rest of it's enjoying the little bit of time you've got before we all get to scattering tomorrow." A sideways glance is given to Wren as she mutters, but... as usual, she refrains from comment.
Chance nods and smiles, "Rules. You have my attention. I would hate to go astray and not know it."
Alabaster Smith offers an amiable smile to the others. "Ah suggest you take whatever opportunity you get to spend time with the others of the crew," he advises Chance. "See how you might just fit in if this turns into a long term assignment. Though luckily, Ah think you've met a good percentage of us already." He looks to Gabriella, to see how she'll interpret the rules of the ship for the newcomer.
Wren looks distinctly unhappy, dragging herself away from an argument that has spiraled into repetition. Heaving a sigh, she drums her heels against the cabinet below where she sits, looking up at Gabby pensively. "Busted," she determines with a slight rise and fall of her shoulders.
Gabriella glances to each in turn as they speak, an odd and slightly confused look given Wren's way, before glancing back to Chance. "First of all, there's a ship in the cargo bay. The Lady Antoinette. You may or may not have heard about her, mixed up in all the Wellington business. You are not to go on board her without an Officer of this ship present. That means myself, preacher man, the doc, or Captain Grey." She dictates. "Second, no fiddling with anything that isn't yours. For now, the bridge and engineering bay is off limits without being called there for a purpose. Med bay, I'd say is pretty much free reign, within a certain degree of respecting that Dr. Zahara rules that particular kingdom." A pause, as her eyes roam around the room, weighing her words.
"I've asked that none of the crew go off the ship without someone with them that can keep them safe, in as much as anybody can. Now, you aren't officially crew, but I'd appreciate it if you kept yourself from getting shot if you can help it." Another pause. "You'll be having one of the passenger quarters for now. Mostly common sense, really." She says with a shrug. "I'd appreciate it if you keep what you see and hear on this ship on the ship, but I'm not planning on shooting you if you don't. Most of these rules aren't normally in effect, but we've had a good bit of trouble this last month, and until you're signed on, I'm responsible for you, and I don't need anything being brought down on me."
Chance nods as Gabby speaks. He waits a respectful moment to respond, "By word and deed, I give my pledge, that what I see and hear, remains here. I'll not go astray within the ship unless called for by one of the officers and will respect Dr. Zahara's realm." He then purses his lips and adds, "If I can be of assistance in guard duty, just let me know. I tend not to have many problems in dealing with the,ummm… public."
Alabaster Smith grins at Chance. "Well spoken, friend. You'll go far with that attitude," he says agreeably. "And if, for whatever reason, you ever need spiritual counseling, mah door's always open. Mealtimes tend to be as regular as possible under the circumstances, and otherwise, there's usually sandwiches or leftovers for those keeping odd hours."
Buried under the weight of so many words, Wren's gaze loses focus, her eyes wandering vaguely across the room. She twitches once or twice in reaction to something, and then stills, scrubbing a hand across her face tiredly. "Busted," she reiterates, shaking her head. But this time she's not looking at Gabby.
"Well. I think that you and Zee will get along just fine." Gabriella says with a slightly thin lipped smile. "I'll let the crew know you're up for playing tag along too." She says, crushing out the forgotten cigarette, her hand rubbing at the back of her neck. "Once the Captain gives me the go ahead, you and I'll have to sit down for a few hours and fill you and all the other stragglers in on everything that's been going on these last few days, but as I said earlier, I don't have the patience or the mind to deal with that tonight any which way." Finally, she leans over and scoops up the tea long set aside and takes a long drink.
Chance nods to Gabby and then smiles easily, "Sounds good to me." He looks over to Wren, "Busted. Can I help fix it?"
Wren's head comes up sharply at Chance's offer, a single word bursting from her lips, "No!" She stares at him, gaze sharp and wary, and everything about her suddenly shouts that she's ready to bolt at the least provocation.
Alabaster Smith blinks at Wren, and quickly adopts his most soothing demeanor. "Wren," he coaxes, "it's okay, he was just trying to help. It's okay, you can relax, mah dear. You're safe, among friends."
Gabriella twitches at the sudden outburst, her cigarette clenched between her fingers tightly, sending a spray of ash and embers across her arm, unnoticed. The flesh beneath her skin drops to a chalky white for a moment, eyes staring blankly towards Wren. And then, a few blinks, as she crushes out the cigarette and hauls herself upright, reaching for her crutches. "Make sure he gets settled." She manages to mutter under her breath towards Alabaster as she tries to negotiate her way through the common area without being quite able to see straight.
Chance looks down ever so slightly, a sign of submission. His voice clear and relaxed he offers, "I would never help unless you said yes. The decision is yours." He lets out a small sigh and says softly, "I heard a wildbird sing, it's song entrancing. I thought to near and see, each step intruding. It heard my steps and stopped, now only silence. The price I paid was dear, for my ignorance. Long now I wait to hear, her to sing again. But I'll listen afar, for song on the wind." He looks as Gabby stands and moves a step aside for her. He gives her a small smile and a nod, "I'll settle in easily, I hope."
Wide eyes dart to Alabaster, focusing on him for only an instant before her attention returns to Chance, and then bounces briefly over to Gabby as she gets up. But these are only temporary diversions, fleeting and barely noted, the whole of her focused on the newest recruit’s response. At his words she tenses for just a heartbeat, and then gradually subsides as they wash over her, calm and soothing. "Wren's sing, sometimes," she notes very quietly, letting her gaze drop away again.
Alabaster Smith continues to try and look soothing, as yet another crew meeting devolves into chaos and odd commentary. "We'll see to it that you're settled in," he tells Chance. "Luckily, Ah keep the guest rooms fairly well prepared." Then he looks, worriedly, to Gabriella. But lets her go for now.
Gabriella somehow not only manages to make it out of the commons on her crutches without falling over, she manages to make it look good! And she's gone.
Chance gives a small nod, "I can verse more, when you'd like. Just let me know. When I go and get my mandolin, I might play something nice too, something to sing to. I like music." He watches as Gabby makes her way out of the room, "Let me know if you want me to change your bandages." He looks back to Alabaster, "So. Is there any ship that might have a grudge with the Invictus so I know who not to piss off unless it's on purpose?"
Songbirds sing, but Wren is pretty quiet for now, only a faint tremble betraying how tense she was only moments earlier. "I like music," she echoes Chance, nodding a little in agreement, and then looks over to Alabaster. "Thyme and rosemary and sage-- and I've started a few peppers and tomatoes," she tells him earnestly, and oddly apologetic.
Alabaster Smith beams at Wren. "Oh, splendid. Ah'm looking forward to them all. You're doing an excellent job, Wren," he says, radiating approval at her.
Chance offers, "There is no finer art, than that of giving life." He looks to Alabaster, "I've never met a Preacher that didn't have a story. I would be honored sometime if you would tell me yours."
Wren gives Alabaster a relieved and grateful smile, bare feet swinging a little as they dangle just above the floor. Canting her head to one side she regards Chance curiously, silently echoing a few of his words with her lips.
Chance says, "Well, I've a few things to gather from the Hotel. If you don't mind, I'll excuse myself and go and fetch those."
Alabaster Smith dips his head to Chance. "By all means," he says. "We'll still be here." He grins. "Just stay out of trouble in the meantime, please."
Wren simply watches in silence, content for the moment to let things be.
Chance gives a nod, "No troubles. No worries. I'm not even in so much a hurry. Perhaps when the night comes, we'll all sit around and have some fun, and listen to music until the late of the night, when dreams fall and we catch them." He then turns and slips out of the room.
Alabaster Smith watches Chance go, contemplatively. "An interesting fellow, but Ah think he might just fit in," he muses. "What do you think, Wren?"
Wren considers the question, lips pursing in thought. "He knows nice words," she determines eventually, nodding a little as she looks to where he passed. "Should be okay... Long as there's no fixing," she states, biting her lower lip. Obviously there's still a bit of concern there on that point.
Alabaster Smith nods to Wren. "This is true," he agrees, studying her for a moment. "Nice words, and good intentions. Ah'll be keeping mah fingers crossed." He shakes his head. "It's getting so hard keeping track of how everyone interacts. Ah've clearly gotten lazy."
Canting her head to the side, Wren blinks at Alabaster for several moments, expression thoughtful. "Increasing variables and strange attractors-- finding the patterns in a chaotic system is difficult..." she notes slowly. "I'm non-standard."
Alabaster Smith nods solemnly. "You are indeed," he agrees. "One of a kind. Unique. Offbeat. But you're definitely our Wren."
Take me back to Wren's RP Logs
