RP: "Adventures in Gunrunning" - Act 12

POSTED BY: FrauDirektor
UPDATED: Tuesday, March 23, 2004 21:45
VIEWED: 19241
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ASTRIANA

Friday, March 19, 2004 2:08 PM

ZOE'S MOVE:
LOCATION - DINING ROOM/GALLEY

ZOE enters the galley just in time for BOOK to be handing out bowls of steaming hot food. She takes a bowl for herself, and one for WASH, picks up a couple of spoons and napkins, and heads to the bridge, chuckling at the tail end of the Shepherd's story.

ZOE (to herself): "Sure has a lot o' funny stories for a Shepherd."

LOCATION - BRIDGE

ZOE walks onto the bridge and sees her husband sitting at his accustomed post, looking out at the stars. Carefully placing the bowls, spoons, and napkins where they won't be disturbed, she lays her hand on WASH's shoulder and looks out into the black. With a slow, deep breath, she relaxes, releasing some of the tension of the last couple of hours... no days. She runs her fingers through the hair of the wonderful man she's chosen to share this life with, drinking in the feeling of home he brings.

End Move.

~A~

...I'm still free,
You can't take the sky from me.

RAVENWHYTEWING

Friday, March 19, 2004 3:02 PM

Wash looks up to see Zoe wandering in, with two plates of chow. With a grumble more audible than the engines, Wash realizes how hungry he is.
Zoe puts the plates down on the console, and puts her hand on his shoulder. Automatically, he reaches up and places a hand over hers. As she moves it up to run her fingers through his hair, he leans into it, sighing heavily. "Xei-xei, bao bei," he whispers, for the first time totally relaxed since this damn trip started.
Wash leads Zoe around with his hand, so that she can sit on his lap. He wraps his arms around her as she leans her head on his shoulder. For now, they can both easily relax.

EOM

I'm talking about geese.

CIARA

Friday, March 19, 2004 4:08 PM

Inara's turn

LOCATION: SEVERAL PLACES.

MAL: "Said he's on the trail of a cure for RIVER. Not much detail. May get in touch later. And RIVER? I don't know, 'NARA. I reckon as we'll all be lookin' out for her. She didn't seem too shook when she heard SIMON's gone, but is that a good or a bad thing? See about gettin' her bedded down for now, please, an' we'll talk on it tomorrow. You should prob'ly get some rest too. G'nite now."

Inara nods to Mal--seeing the mantle of exhaustion pushing at his shoulders. He kicks open the door to his bunk and begins to descend. Inara turns and heads back to the dining room, to fetch some of whatever's smelling so good, and retires to her shuttle.

Entering her shuttle, Inara sets the warm stoneware bowl on her low table and reaches her arms up in a slow stretch. Taking the remaining pins from her hair, she removes her shift and changes into a robe. Making herself comfortable, Inara takes a few bites of Book's fine stew, then sets the bowl aside again. Before she's even settled back, her eyes are closed and her breathing is slow and heavy.

End Inara's turn

Just a humble supplicant in service to all things Joss

CHANNAIN

Friday, March 19, 2004 4:35 PM

Rowan's Move:
LOCATION - DINING ROOM

Quote:
Damon looks down to see Rowan starting on her third stitch.

DAMON: "How many more of those am I going to need?"

With the tip of her tongue sticking out slightly, Rowan makes quick work of the third and final stitch, and looks up before clipping the ends.

ROWAN: "I was just getting the hang of this. Sure you don't want one more?"

Seeing Damon's glare, she smiles and gives him an awkward wink - she's a right-side winker normally - before setting down the clamp in favor of medical scissors. Snipping off the silk, she sits back to admire her work.

ROWAN: "A fine piece of knitting, if I do say so myself. Heck, now I hope you do go do yourself a harm so I can get a little more practice in."

Seeing his ears turn red just before he's about to protest and go on about that ludicrous hot knife business again, she gives a placating nod while putting the instruments away.

ROWAN: "Yeah, yeah, I know (lowers her voice in a tough-guy Damon imitation) 'I can fix it my own self'. Kids today, I tell ya."

Straightening again, she takes a long deep breath of the amazing aroma of whatever Book's making in the kitchen with his garlic, rosemary and basil. No sooner does her mouth literally begin to water, than the Shepherd is walking over with two bowls full of his ingenious concoction.

Quote:
BOOK: "Ready when you are."

Smiling gratefully, Rowan snaps the gloves off and shares a smile with Book before he strides away again. Wondering at how a preacher gained the bearing of a king, she lets Damon choose a bowl first, then takes the other. After a taste, her eyes roll in deepest appreciation while Book settles himself down at the table employs his sermon-making voice, gaining all the attention in the room.

Quote:
BOOK: "...he said David got stoned off his ass."

Laughing appreciatively, Rowan takes another spoonful and savors.

ROWAN: "Shepherd, you have definitely got the gift. If I wasn't any the wiser, I'd marry you just for your skills in the kitchen."

She raises her spoon to him and continues to eat, wondering when she's ever felt quite so at home, on a ship or anywhere. Eyeing the table where Book is sitting, she considers a few measurements in her head and figures the holo-billiards system will work nicely, once everyone's bunked down. Even Damon is likely to collapse soon, albeit with protests bodering on the manner of a two-year old. I'm not tired...*YAWN* I don' wanna go to bed.

EOM

We have art so as not to die of truth ~ Neitzsche
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922

GEEZER

Friday, March 19, 2004 5:34 PM

Thorne’s Move

Location: His Quarters

[Thorne sleeps peacefully. It’s been a good day, and tomorrow promises to be better. Although he is asleep, his empathic ability is working overtime. He dreams.]

------------------------------------------

The coach arrives at the opera house. A footman in knee breeches and powdered wig opens the door. Thorne emerges, handsome in Alliance dress purple. The severe, almost black color of the uniform is interrupted only by the rows of service ribbons and decorations on the left breast. He steps from the coach and turns to offer his hand to Inara. She takes it and descends the step, her white silk dress rustling slightly. A tiara of sapphires and diamonds adorns her elaborate coiffure. Matching earrings and necklace shine against her skin. Long white gloves cover her arms to the elbow.

Inara and Thorne walk arm in arm to the opera house door. Kaylee and River, dressed as handmaidens, strew their path with rose petals. Jayne, in a janitor’s coverall, follows with a broom to sweep them up. Rowan and Damon, also in Alliance uniform, snap to attention and pull open the double doors. Inside, Merz, in a 1930’s usherette uniform, takes the tickets that Thorne proffers. They are warmly greeted by Book, who wears white tie and tails. He escorts them through the ornate, empty, lobby to their box, uncorks the chilled bottle of champagne, and departs.

They are the only people in the theater until the orchestra files into the pit. Simon Tam walks to the podium and raises his baton. The houselights dim as the overture begins. Swept up in the music, it seems to them only a moment until the curtain parts and the performance begins. It is a series of pas de deux, two dancers on the bare stage. Nijinsky dances with Fonteyn, Barishnikov with Mei Lin. As pair after pair perform, Inara and Thorne sip champagne and watch, enraptured.

Another couple take the stage, dancing around a straightback chair set in the center of a spotlight beam. Slowly, as they dance closer to each other, their forms change, until they are recognizable as Zoë and Wash. Now their clothes disappear and they are dancing naked. Now they’re…well, they’re not exactly dancing anymore, but the chair is still involved.

Thorne turns to Inara, who smiles at him suggestively. He draws the curtains and reaches for her…as a buzzer sounds.

-------------------------------------------

[A buzzer? It’s the comm, flashing to indicate he’s received a wave. Who the F*** would call him here? And why right now? Damning the caller to the same hell as that to which Coleridge had condemned his ‘person from Porlock’, Thorne switches off the alarm and tries to go back to sleep.]

"Keep the Shiny side up"

BOOMERGOODHEART

Friday, March 19, 2004 6:38 PM

Kaylee's Move
Location: The Heaven & Hell of the Mind

Pictures flash across Kaylee's subconscious; moving memories in a flip book...

*click!* She is 8, and her dad is lifting her high into the air. She's just fixed a piece of equipment that's been vexing him for days now. She laughs down at him...could anything be better than being loved?

*click!* She is 15 and in the middle of her first serious love. The boy works on a neighboring farm, and is 16. The night is hot & dry; young, sweaty bodies slide together as the allusions of youth pass on amidst the pleasures of adulthood.

*click!* She is 17 and the same young man is yelling that she's a freak. He doesn't want to see her ever again. Her eyes well with tears as her fragile heart hardens.

*click!* A man she's never seen before is offering her a job. Who knew that a somewhat satisfying encounter could lead to a life away from this rock?

*click!* Shot in the stomach. The Captain & Simon yelling. Pain.

*click!* Simon kissing the daylights out of her. Adult love at it's strongest. Simon fading from her sight.

She begins to stir restlessly.

*click!* The Captain yelling at her.

*click!* The crew dying around her. Too slow.

*click!* Strapped to a chair. Simon wearing Blue Gloves. Her brain open.

*click!* River staring. Her turn for insanity.

*click!* Blackness.

The young woman with the heart of a child crys in her sleep.

End Move

BoomerGoodheart
"I love my Captain."

SQUEE

Friday, March 19, 2004 6:54 PM

Damon's turn:
LOCATION - DINING ROOM

Damon lowers his shirt as Rowan begins to put her medical suplies away. He sits up as Book approaches with two bowls of food and takes the nearest one as soon as it comes within reach. He blows on the first bite a couple times, but it isn't long before he's inhaling the wonderful contents of his bowl like tomorrow will never come.

He half listens to Rowan and Book, too occupied to busy himself with conversation and too tired to get jokes. He finishes his bowl before they are even half way through with theirs and gets up to get another.

I'm not broken, in my dream I win...

RAVENWHYTEWING

Saturday, March 20, 2004 12:02 AM

OOC: sorry gunrunners. Spring break is upon me, and I feel the surges of youth flow through my blood. And so, over the next week or so, posting will erratic, at best.

I'm talking about geese.

CHANNAIN

Saturday, March 20, 2004 1:27 AM

Rowan's Move:
LOCATION - DINING ROOM

Watching as Damon refills his bowl and begins to wolf that down as well, Rowan considers cautioning him against a potential stomach ache. Deeming that a bit too motherly, and pretty much guaranteed to get ignored, she finishes her own meal instead and rises to put the bowl into the dishwashing unit.

JAYNE (with a mouthful of food): "Much obliged."

Straightening, she looks at him, remembers the kiss in the cargo bay and smiles wistfully.

ROWAN: "Your turn to do the dishes is it?"

He nods and resumes eating, shoveling in a spoonful as his eyes roam over her from somewhere around her throat down as far as her hips and back. Not to hard to tell what was on that mercenary's mind.

Turning slowly to give him a rear view as well, she moves out of the kitchen grotto and heads out to the back passage way. She pauses for a moment, almost sure she can hear the sound of crying coming from somewhere. Unable to locate the source, she heads down the aft stairs again, wondering which of Serenity's systems would make a sound like that.

Quickly heading up to her dorm room, she pulls the attaché out again and opens the large pouch on the side to remove a black mesh bag with a zipper on top. Inspecting the contents through the mesh, she reaches back in for a small hand-held device and then shoves the attaché back under her bunk. Pulling out her cue case, she slings that over her shoulder. Checking for the money pouch again - successfully - she heads back out and up the stairs, returning to the dining room. Book is still at the table, but seems to have finished his meal and she approaches him.

ROWAN: "Excuse me, Shepherd, I'm in need of some practice time - you don't think anyone would mind if I set up here, do you? The table's a little narrow, but it'll do in a pinch."

EOM

We have art so as not to die of truth ~ Neitzsche
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922

MERCEDESTROY

Saturday, March 20, 2004 1:58 AM

MERZ move
LOCATION - GALLEY to MERZ DORM

She sits quietly at a table for a while, just letting the conversation roll over her. She is puzzling over something the one pointed out to her as Shepard Book had said:

Quote:
”...he said David got stoned off his ass.”

everyone laughed. why? so he got knocked from his riding beast by a rock - that is funny? It must have been how he said it, something MERZ missed. Doesn’t seem particularly amusing to her.

The evening seems to be winding down, and she is tired. Beyond tired, she is weary down to the bone. MERZ takes her empty bowl, spoon and glass to the sink, rinses everything and retires to her very own room. She looks again rather wistfully at the bunk, and then stretches out face down on the floor, her head pillowed on her hands.

She is asleep almost immediately.

The room is dark. There is nothing in the room but a chair and a table. On the table a disassembled firearm appears –broken down completely into all of its component parts including one magazine. The manual for that particular weapon appears next to it.

There is a voice ‘this is your final test. In 15 minutes your enemy will arrive. Assemble your weapon and defend yourself.’ MERZ seats herself and begins to assemble the gun. Should be easy, she has done this uncounted times, and under worse conditions.

But not this time. This time, try as she might, nothing seems to go right. She can’t remember how to start. The pieces fail to connect properly. She reaches for the manual to see what she is doing wrong, and finds that the pictures have been removed and the text is gibberish. She moves faster and faster, hands blurring, to try to get it right, but is unsuccessful.

‘Time’ says the voice, and MERZ feels a large hand descend on her shoulder. There is a new voice, a familiar voice, warm breath tickling her ear. . . ‘Little Mercedes, I have found you at last.’ She tries to jerk away, but cannot move under the pressure of that touch. ‘Yes, it was me that you saw, and you did not lose me. Oh no‘

She wants to reach for the gun, to try again. But she cannot move and the pieces have turned to small piles of rust.

‘Make new friends, hide among strangers, makes no difference to me Mercedes – when I am ready I WILL take you home.’

He moves his hand and she is free to go, to turn around. But she cannot bring herself to move while he is still there. She can sense him moving off before he pauses, ‘Oh yes, I met a friend of yours earlier and I have brought you a present.’ Something comes flying over her shoulder to land among the dust on the table. A pair of dark glasses. ‘He does not need them anymore.'

MERZ pulls herself awake. And sits a long time shuddering and staring into the darkness.

EOM

If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress

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