RP GR "Adventures in GunRunning" ACT 16
POSTED BY: DireKtorsSmeagol
UPDATED: Wednesday, May 19, 2004 22:54
VIEWED: 21727
PAGE 4 of 11
Inara watches Mal when he's not aware--as she often does...though she'd never conciously admit it.
She watches as he grins with goodnatured comraderie at his first mate and pilot, watches as he glances in Rowan's direction, his visage softened, giving her a slight nod of thanks. Now he's in transition, a brief flash of concern flits across his features as he turns toward her. Here is a face she has studied so often, from behind lowered lashes, or with a quick glance, and then away...never truly revealing her interest.
Suddenly, the object of her scrutiny is turned toward her, and a slight flush creeps up the back of her neck as Mal leans in close, a strange expression on his face now...his neutral features only enhance the gleam of..what is that? Love? Trust? Hope? As suddenly as it comes, it's gone..and she's realized his lips are moving but the words haven't reached her ears. She begins to pay attention:
MAL"Its been too long since we shared a sit on the catwalks. I hope we have time to do it again soon. I miss those times ... ... If it is OK with you, I'll catch up with you later, after my business with Mr. Thorne is complete."
INARA
her voice lowered, tuned for his ears only
"of course, Mal...I've a bottle of Kaylee's wine left--I think this batch is a bit less...fresh. Come by the shuttle when you're in the mood to try it."
Inara smiles up at Mal, fancying she sees a small secret smile on his lips as he gives her a final nod.
Inara turns and smiles to Rowan, who returns the smile knowingly..."ahhh I wonder if she'll question me about this?" Inara thinks.
Rowan and Inara make their way down into the cargo area, and over to the shuttle, companionable silence stretching between them...as comfortable as childhood friends.
EOM
*phew* my muse is gettin' wordy :( *sigh*
Just a humble supplicant in service to all things Joss
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The direKtor decrees - Time is aligned. All on Serenity are in the same timetick of round-abouts 1350hrs/1:50 PM on the 23rd day of the year 2118.
Carry on... 
Now to confuse - we jump time one day for an interlude...
Interlude 3 Part III
LOCATION - GYRFALCON and ALACHINA RANDI
Connected by umbilical walk through
2518 ~ Day 024/January 24th ~ 1800/ 6 PM
AS...
CORVAIR TROY enters the Gyrfalcon. Something is ... amiss. He freezes just outside the hatch. He sees that the pilots chair is turned away from him, only a man's suit clad elbows visible. A tang of ozone mixed with copper indicates the presence of airborne nanites. Corvair focuses -- a minute buzzing trill underscores the soft hums and clicks inherent in a Gyrfalcon on standby. "Yes, nanites," CORVAIR sneers softly to himself. No air movement stirs the fine hairs on his arms, the scrubbers are turned off.
Absorbing all the information his senses could assimilate, his mind clicks into analysis mode. Two men... One awake in the pilot's chair: Not Niska. The other: prone in the rear compartment. Nearly invisible scorch marks told the tale of nanite electrostatic propulsion. The second man's nanite crutch must have retreated from a perceived threat. Otherwise, there was no other taste, smell or touch of violence.
VOICE FROM CHAIR
"It iz OK, to enter, my dear boy. You are more dan velcome here."
CORVAIR's analysis is rapid ...Has Adelia's meter perfectly paced, but the pitch and tone are incongruous. ... CORVAIR realizes it is the same voice, but issuing from a different larynx. Yet another unfamiliar sensation begins to creep up CORVAIR's spine and prickle his bald pate. A frigid hand grips his bowels. This was not logical. He had never had these sensations before. He smelled flight hormones ... to his newfound horror, he realizes it is his own scent tinged with a new, haunting, flavor.
VOICE
with fondness
"Now, now my dear child, it iz not to fear ...small chuckle ... do you even know fear? I suppoze not, trained well, you are. A very good family invezment made szo many years ago with ze right ... oracles."
The irony of the VOICE's statement is lost on COVAIR. For he now battles with these new, conflicting sensations. Most the input data points to Adelai, but not one hundred percent. Nothing in his experience nor in training database classifies or clarifies this strange new situation. He thinks ... I need more input ... Yet another 'feeling' comes over COVAIR ... frustration. It is one of the sensations he was very familiar with. His search for 'her' had provided many opportunities to experience that particularly egregious emotion.
CORVAIR
in strong voice - overtly strong
"You are not Adelai Niska."
The man in the chair stands. Still in shadows, he turns to reveal a tall slender ... youth. His eyes are hidden by circular lenses. Capable of filtering the 400 to 490 nanometer frequency range, CORVAIR surmises by the sienna tint of the lenses. The young man's grin was o-so-much like Adelai's. At this realization, CORVAIR's blood seems to suddenly be infected by the cold roiling in the pit of his abdomen. Ice splinters shoot through his veins to impale and paralyze muscles. Staccato thoughts obliterate all others in CORVAIR's mind: " Not rational. This could not be. Could not exist. Should not exist. Not allowed TO exist.
YOUNG MAN
with arms spread, elbows above the hips
"Corvair, you know za shell may change. It iz the spirit withzin that definez the soul. OR perhaps, you do not understand. Your range was limited. Zo sad, a waste of good manipulatable emotion."
EOI 3 Pt III
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Rowan's Move
LOCATION – FORWARD CORRIDOR, JUST OUTSIDE THEBRIDGE
1350hrs/1:50 PM on the 23rd day of the year 2118
(OOC: so... it’s January? )
MAL with gratitude: "Thanks Miss Rowan. I am sure that spa will be just what the doc ordered. Tickets to your contest would be a helluva good thing too."
ROWAN to herself: Miss Rowan – I’ll be gorramed - he still remembers. Will wonders never cease?
ROWAN to MAL: “I’ll make some inquiries then, Captain.”
At his nod, she only has to wait for Inara and so is witness to an extremely warm exchange between captain and companion. A clear case of opposites attract, these two, and yet Rowan can’t escape the notion that they seem to suit each other surprisingly well. Seeing Inara’s somewhat sheepish expression as she turns to leave, it’s clear she’s half expecting some inquiry on the situation. Rather than ask, Rowan simply smiles in understanding. If there’s anything she knows about, it’s falling in love with the right fella at the wrong time. Judging from the look in Reynolds’ eyes, though, he’d give a great deal to be that fella.
WASH (overheard): “Ah, so you dare challenge me to 9-ball! You are a fool! You shall be defeated again, ha ha!”
Rowan chuckles as she and Inara depart. Following her down the stairs to the catwalks in comfortable silence, it doesn’t occur to her that Inara may have some clandestine information to share until they reach the cargo bay. Jayne is still there, just finishing up organizing the bay. He glances up as they go by, then does a double take when he sees her that he takes great pains to cover up with unnecessary action that looks downright clownish. Damon is with him, doing his part in the chore and turns around when he hears their footsteps, instincts on high alert as always. As he looks at her, Rowan almost doesn’t recognize him at first, then marvels at what a clean-shaven appearance can do for a fella.
ROWAN (calling down): “Say – when did this shuai nan hai manage to get on board?” (squints and feigns shocked realization) “Why Damon – is that you? By the Almighty – who knew you’d clean up so good?”
Giving him a playful wink – which barely hurts at all now – she smiles and continues on her way, sharing a quick smile of delight with Inara.
EOM
shuai nan hai = pretty boy, less snide this time.
OOC: (paraphrase Niska) wordiness I LIKE
We have art so as not to die of truth ~ Neitzsche
http://www.mnartists.org/artistHome.do?rid=7922
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Damon's turn:
LOCATION - CARGO BAY
Damon looks up when he hears footsteps on the catwalk and sees Rowan and Inara making their way back toward Inara's shuttle. Rowan slows to a stop when they make eye contact and calls down:
Quote:
Originally posted by Channain:
ROWAN: “Say – when did this shuai nan hai manage to get on board?” (squints and feigns shocked realization) “Why Damon – is that you? By the Almighty – who knew you’d clean up so good?”
Giving him a playful wink, she smiles and continues on her way.
It takes Damon a moment to let her words sink in. She wasn't insulting him, no sarcasm or ridicule. It was just a compliment, which leaves him all the more stunned. Still, he didn't shave to impress anyone, and certainly wasn't looking for attention.
He knows he should say something, but has absolutely no idea what that should be. Falling back on the sarcasm that he is so accuston to, he calls back: "Yeah, I'm winning a lot of beauty pagents down here," he gives half a smile, "Must be those lenses of yours."
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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MERZ move
LOCATION - CARGO BAY
1352hrs ATM/1:52 PM on the 23rd day of the year 2118
ROWEN
Say – when did this *shuai nan hai manage to get on board? Why Damon – is that you? By the Almighty – who knew you’d clean up so good?
MERZ watches as the two women work their way back to the shuttle together, gentle smiles on both of their faces. She stands up while considering ROWEN’s words. DAMON has removed his beard lately, and JAYNE has acquired some interesting facial bruising. But in the tactile/ taste/ visual/ audible/ olfactory gestalt that represents an individual person to MERZ, there has been no essential change. Confusing.
So far, in the last hour, ROWEN has used these same words to DAMON and to JAYNE. But, JAYNE does not look like DAMON. Neither of them look like a sunset, or a painting, and she has heard the same word in the same context with these items also. And women. Women are pretty. She supposes if she asked the males, they would tell her INARA and ROWAN are pretty.
And none of these things look enough like each other to give MERZ even a fighting chance of figuring out just what the bloody hades “pretty” is. She remembers thinking of the little girl, of RIVER as ‘lovely’. That is just another form of pretty and it was in context. Sometimes her mind translates like that. But it never explains why.
somewhere in the furthest reaches of her emerging humanity a pitiful voice cries ‘am I pretty?’ but it is not a question she can hear herself yet, and could not dream of asking.
Blanking her mind of fruitless thoughts, MERZ trails JAYNE to the com. If he is done with her, it is getting on toward time to buckle down and show ZOË how to use the cannon. That needs to be done soon.
EOM
*shuai nan hai = pretty boy
If Justice is the dish, then I am your waitress
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Jayne's Move:
LOCATION - CARGO BAY
1:50 PM
MERZ
"Can I borrow the dog?"
"Get in line."
After a second Jayne's face lights up once more and he inhales for a mighty laugh that doesn't come out. Instead he freezes, watching as Inara and Rowan walk into view from the bridge. Rowan meets his eyes, and Jayne immediately casts his view to the ceiling, pointing upward and loudly commenting about how you can still see his footprints up there from when the gravity was turned off one time.
Jayne quiets down as the two women disappear behind the port docking bay door. His face sinks into a frown while he watches for a moment, then turns abruptly and stomps over to the comm.
JAYNE
"Wash. We're gettin' ready ta seal the cargo bay. Let the crew an' passengers know to stay out. You can blow the airlock doors at... what time is it now?"
WASH
snidely
"Since when did you develop a temporal lobe?"
JAYNE
"The only temper load I got is with yer smart mouth. Jus' give it 30 minutes, then blow it. Now call who ya need up there on the bridge an' seal the door. Seal the docking doors, too."
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Wash's Move:
Location - Bridge
Wash (On ship-wide intercom): "Ok, I'm gonna lock down the ship for thirty minutes, starting when you hear the alarm sound. You need to be either in the galley, Inara's shuttle, or the bridge with me. I'll let you all know when it's safe to come out... Captain, Zoe, and Merz, why don’t you come to the bridge, and have that gunnery practice before dinner, ok Bridge out."
(Wash switches over to the communications link to Inara’s Shuttle… “You two ready in there, I’m gonna seal you in ok?” (Wash waits to get the acknowledgement from Inara)
(The timer on the galley microwave sez (because the whole ship is wired for this): 1351 AMT (01:51pm)
EOM
Decoy, they make me go first.
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LOCATION:- CARGO BAY TO INARA'S SHUTTLE
As ...
Inara pauses as Rowan jibes Damon goodnaturedly, leaving the young man with a confounded look on his face.
As Rowan speaks, Inara watches the three below, Damon, eyes fixed on Rowan, Jayne, avoiding eye contact entirely, and a blonde woman who Inara has seen, but has not been introduced to. The woman stands stoically, neither seeming interested or disinterested, merely observing, just as Inara herself. The woman is finely muscled, the strongest-looking woman Inara has seen in quite some time, and her body glows with a fine sheen of sweat.
Realizing Rowan has finished speaking and begun to walk toward the shuttle again, Inara nods to the woman, whose intense eyes have locked to hers as she moves away. The woman makes no move to return the nod.
Inara unlocks her shuttle and both women enter, the familiar scent of her quarters doing little to calm Inara's jangling nerves. Inara desperately searches her console for that telltale green light that will signal that a call has arrived..with an internal groan, she sees the console is dark.
Surreptitiously pulling the curtain covering the console area closed, Inara motions for Rowan to be seated. Inara walks about the room restlessly, mind spinning for an excuse to delay Rowan until the call comes.
The comm suddenly crackles to life and Inara hears Wash's voice: “You two ready in there, I’m gonna seal you in ok?” Inara thumbs the console switch and replies: "Yes, Wash..thank you, we're ready. Don't forget us in here, you promise?"
As Inara straightens from the comm, a green light blinks to life on her console. She breathes an intense yet silent sigh of relief. Sweet Aislin..punctual as ever.
INARA:
Rowan, you can sit up here and take the call if you'd like.. [Inara motions to the cockpit area] I'm afraid it's the best privacy I can offer.
EOM
Just a humble supplicant in service to all things Joss
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Book's Move
LOCATION - COMMON AREA
A vague smell hits Book's nose as he leans out to take the memory stick from River's clenched hands. He wrinkles his face up and sniffs questioningly at the air. "Smells like sealing cement." Kaylee looks on somewhat worried as she doesn't appear to smell anything unusual. "Kaylee," he says as he puts the memory stick in his pocket, "how did Simon sound to you on the message he left for you? I mean, did he sound like himself?"
As Book waits for Kaylee's answer, River stands fretfully, as if anticipating something, and Wash's voice comes over the comm.
--------
"Ok, I'm gonna lock down the ship for thirty minutes, starting when you hear the alarm sound. You need to be either in the galley, Inara's shuttle, or the bridge with me. I'll let you all know when it's safe to come out..."
--------
Book stands as River starts to move away. "River, wait. We should get to the galley. Kaylee?" Book questions her more with his eyes than his words, as he starts to herd River to the aft stairway. Kaylee, stands and begins to follow as Book and River ascend the aft stairway. As they enter the galley, Kaylee is not immediately behind them, but Book assumes she will be right along.
Settling River in a padded chair in the corner, a few minutes later Book sets her favorite mug in front of her, steaming with hot cocoa, and eases himself into the chair next to her.
EM
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Damon's turn:
LOCATION - CARGO BAY to GALLEY
Quote:
JAYNE
"The only temper load I got is with yer smart mouth. Jus' give it 30 minutes, then blow it. Now call who ya need up there on the bridge an' seal the door. Seal the docking doors, too."
Wash (On ship-wide intercom): "Ok, I'm gonna lock down the ship for thirty minutes, starting when you hear the alarm sound. You need to be either in the galley, Inara's shuttle, or the bridge with me. I'll let you all know when it's safe to come out... Captain, Zoe, and Merz, why don’t you come to the bridge, and have that gunnery practice before dinner, ok Bridge out."
Seems like a lot of hassel for some spilled tequila but if it clears the air of the fumes, it'll be worth it.
Damon walks toward the stairs. "I'm headin for the galley, Jayne."
He reaches the galley and scanning the room, he spots Book and River sitting in a corner. He locks eyes with River for a few uncomfortable moments but all she does is stare back silently. Pulling his gaze away, he walks into the kitchen and pours himself a large cup of cold water. He brings his drink back into the dinning area, giving Book a nod in greeting, and sits down on the floor in a corner of his own. Resting against the wall behind him, he lets out a weary sigh and takes another swallow of water.
I'm not broken, in my dream I win...
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