[Common Area - Firefly Class Transport]
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A few stairs lead into this space. It is spacious, containing a kitchen area, eating area, and place to lounge all in one. Cabinets and alcoves provide room for storage.
Two support beams have been given an opportunity to hold a flat plank of a table between them, thus serving as a primary staging area for both preperation and delivery of the food to the table. Behind this sits another counter top, this one with several cooled storage units above it. To the left lies the sink itself.
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Mei Li pauses in her work to look back over her shoulder at Teg, offering a warm smile. "I'm not certain whether to be touched or mildly disturbed, Mister Dravis," she murmurs softly. Her head turns back so that she can pay attention to what she's doing. "Truth to tell, I don't know how much trouble they'll be. I've sent in a call to Captain Alekson. He should be here at some point today. That should help somewhat." Her eyes dart to the coffeepot briefly. "It's ready. I.. I won't turn around. I mean.. you can stay and talk and drink your coffee. I won't look," she offers.

The offer produces some silence as Dravis thinks about it, before he moves to pour a coffee. "Yeah, the running off to surreptitiously drink the brew sometimes comes off odd. Thanks. Let me know what the law says on it. I don't hold by slavers at all, and consider them a natural enemy. I'm not so hindered by rules, either, which Alekson might be." He reaches up to unfasten two points on his mask; the front hinges at the top, allowing him to sip without too much revealing.

Good thing, too - Cole's in enough trouble without getting an eyeful, yet the little fellow stumbles out of the electrical junction at that moment. "Mornin'," he greets with a yawn, rubbing sleep out of said eyes and heading over towards Mei Li.

Mei Li smiles as he pours, choosing to stay. Her fingers guide her knife quickly through the lump of protein, chopping off some to mix with their meal. The woman is efficient in her movements, moving on to some of the vegetables that Ani had picked up for them. "I would not wish you to place yourself in danger on my account, Mister Dravis. Though I do thank you for the thought." True to her word, she keeps her eyes down, not peeking. Her lips curve up a bit more as Cole makes his appearance. "Good morning," she greets warmly. "I'm just making us something to eat. Do you want something? I don't believe you and Mister Dravis have been introduced.."

Spider arrives from Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Spider has arrived.

Teg quickly removes the coffee mug from his lips, lifting a hand to secure the mask as the boy pops out of the ductwork. "Introduced?" he asks. "Not properly, only as a door guard." Oddly, the first word slips past the mask's filter; the hunter's unaltered voice is a soft drawl. No wonder he uses a speaker, it's hardly intimidating. Giving the boy a nod, Dravis sets the mug down and holds it there on the counter.

[Spider]
-----
No taller than 5'2" in her boots, this woman is a mongrel of races; some Asian blood shows in the epicanthic fold on her brown eyes which have thick, black lashes, her skin-tone is darker than that of an Asian and reveals African heritage and there's also the signs of Caucasian blood in her cheekbones and nose. That nose is small and buttony while her lips are full and generous to smiles. The chin tapers into a point on her oval face. Her hair is a black mess of curls, but cut short in such a fashion it helmets her head. Her small ears sports several golden hoops on each side, which seems to be almost her only concession to female vanity. Her small form has a limberness and tone to it and what she lacks in strength she makes up for in agility. Subtle but feminine curves gives her a pleasing over-all appearance; more exotically pretty than conventionally so.

She wears an outfit consisting mostly of grey-scaled clothing; a tightclinging top in a silvery grey, a pair of dark grey utility pants with plenty of pockets and a long and rather scruffy old looking coat in an even darker shade of grey than the pants flaps about her legs when she walks. To finish the outfit, she wears a pair of well-worn combat boots of some ancient looking model.
-----

Cole drops down at the table and yawns again, idly pushing back his disheveled hair as he grins uncertainly towards Teg. "Ummm... I'm Cole," he tells the hunter, before looking back at Mei Li. "Food? Sure, I mean, thanks and everything."

Spider has kept out of sight for quite some time, hiding away in her rented room on the ship. She might be pissed off, she might just want to be alone... She's been outside though, roaming Persephone and having brought back some items she's bought, and this is how she enters the common area now, with a bag that carries new clothes by the looks of it. "Hi!" she calls cheerfully - then stops as she notices two new faces. She regards the two, then quickly smiles. "New passengers?"

Mei Li doesn't even have to fetch more food to accommodate the boy, her own appetite sparing at best. As Teg's true voice is heard briefly, she just manages to catch herself to keep from looking, curiosity getting to her. "You're welcome," she tells Cole. "It is good to see manners. Too few have them nowadays. Did you sleep in the .. the.. I don't even know what those are called," she mutters. As Spider joins with, she glances back, offering the woman a cheery smile. "Oh.. You'd not met Mister Dravis? Mister Dravis, this is Miss Spider. Miss Spider, Mister Dravis. And this.. is Cole." With a new arrival, Mei does dive back into the refrigeration unit to pull out more food. "There's tea and coffe. Grab what you want."

"I hear you've made the fortunate mistake of falling in with known and wanted good-hearted people," Teg comments to Cole, lifting his mug just enough to swirl the barely-touched coffee within. His voice is back to it's usual even modulation, helped by the audio pickup and speaker built into his odd head-apparel. As Spider joins them, the hunter glances to her, his coffee swirling pausing a moment as visible green eyes study the newcomer. "Miss Spider," he repeats."

Cole may have some manners, but they're trumped by his sense of humor. "Spider," he repeats, giggling. "That's a weird name." The laugh subsides when Teg mentions his earlier troubles, though. "Scum Scrapers... you think that's who they really were?"

Spider gives Teg Dravis a wide-eyed look, his appearance startling her and being quite intriguing - and somewhat scary. Her smile turns a bit nervous as she puts the bags down by a wall, moving offer a hand to shake, first to Teg and then to Cole. The latter is studied curiously and a more earnest smile is offered to the boy. "Nice to meetcha both," she says, her voice pleasant. "How are things around here? I've hidden away. I was all moping about not getting back to Beylix, but then I decided that wow, Persephone! I couldn't miss that," she babbles. She shifts back and forth, immediately turning to Dravis. "What's with the helmet? It looks like you robbed a bag lady and put it together with her crap and made a kind of artistic armour from it. It's kind of creepy and intimidating and very, very..." She pauses, and thinks. "... nice." And, to Cole while she's on a roll; "Oh, it's because I skitter and go everywhere. Climbing walls, almost."

"Wanted?" Mei Li asks, glancing to Teg briefly, a smile on her lips as she flutters her eyelashes oh-so-innocently. "Who's wanted?" Turning back to food preparation, the doctor smiles as the other woman babbles. Still.. it is Cole's words that catch her ears. "That is what they told the Captain," she murmurs. "We will find out soon enough. Whatever they are.. we need to step carefully, Cole. We're not trying to keep you here or anything but you really really need to make certain you're safe if you leave the ship. Take Mister Dravis or Mister Rush with you, dear." The vegetables and protein are set aside to cook while the woman goes to the fridge to pull out the milk, pulling down a mug and pouring it for the boy. It's not that far a walk to the table. Smiling down at the child, she places the mug within his reach and winks before heading back to the kitchen.

This guesswork on the purpose of his leather headgear seems to take Dravis aback, and the man, after politely shaking Spider's hand, blinks at her mutely. Which part of her monologue has prompted his sudden inert confusion isn't clear, but the hunter recovers eventually. "Well worth mugging that bag lady then, glad you like it." The monotonal words neatly disguise any oddness in his voice. At Mei Li's volunteering him for guard duty, he casts the doctor a swift and unreadable look.

Cole shrugs offhandedly, getting up to fix a cup of tea. Belatedly answering Mei Li, he remarks, "The junction's a lot warmer than the floor of Mister Jace's quarters. The heat from the engines and the cooker kinda build up in there."

"I once heard about a bag-lady who carted around some old artifact from Earth that she didn't know she had, until some art dealer wandered past and saw it. Thankfully, he was a nice guy and bought it for like LOTS of money, so she could buy herself a house and live happily every after," Spider informs Dravis seriously and gravely. She grabs herself a mug of tea, beaming a thankful smile at the doctor. "You really /are/ a life-saver, Doc." Grabbing her purchases she plops down at the table and rummages around until she finds what she wants and holds it up - it's a completely indecent dress, low-cut and too short. "I just couldn't resist this. But gorram, I'll never have a reason to wear it, unless I'm forced to act like a hooker for whatever reason. Which I never have, not sure I could pull that off." Something of what is being talked about suddenly gets through to her babbly self; "Scum scrapers? What did I miss?"

Cole's sleeping arrangements seem to be a concern for the doctor. Mei Li's brow furrows slightly. "I will speak with the Captain. I believe we do have some extra passenger rooms and I know we have extra blankets.." The unfurling of a dress catches her eyes and Mei's brow shoots up at sight of it. "It's.. it's lovely," she tells Spider, trying to sound enthusiastic. It looks nothing like the rather prim and proper dress that the doc had been scoping out when last window shopping. For a quick moment, her gaze shoots to Teg and then back to the woman. "Slavers. They were after Cole. And evidently Ani and me now as well. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate Persephone? Something awful happens every time I come here." That said, she turns to give the heating food a good stir.

As Spider rambles on, Teg stares at her, his coffee forgotten. The only hint of why is in the green eyes visible through the mask; the bounty hunter is trying to follow the story, or perhaps comprehend all the energy being tossed at him. Fortunately, the troubles distract well enough, and the man blinks and looks down at his coffee, tilting the mug and remaining quiet as the discussion turns to the slavers.

At the suggestion that the slavers are after Mei Li and Ani as well, Cole lets out a guffaw. "Something not right about that," he murmurs to himself, but he doesn't comment any further, quietly sipping his tea.

Spider drums her fingers against her mug as she sips it, some of her need to talk having subsided as she now has spewed out a lot in very short time and have settled down with tea. The dress is stuffed back in the bag and she smiles happily at Mei Li. "Thanks! You can borrow it if you want. It'd look great on you and I'm sure Mr. Rush would drool all over you if you wore it." She's so tactful, isn't she? "I hate slavers." She frowns darkly and watches Cole seriously and not unkindly. "I agree. Why would they go after people that are likely to be missed? Sounds gorram stupid," she points out, like she's an expert on slavers or something. Her gaze swivels back to Teg and she studies him closely from behind her mug, but says nothing to him.
Mei Li flushes at the suggestion that Mei squeeze herself into that dress. Especially for Rush's sake. "Tempting as that might be..." she murmurs. Her gaze flickers over to Cole at his comment and then back to Spider. "I don't think they were truly serious," she explains, turning to get plates from the cabinet. "Evidently I managed to irk the woman to no end and Ani.. well.. She's a pretty young woman. They could most like get a lot for her. More than anything though, I think she was just trying to give Nathan a scare." As she speaks, she begins doling out food onto the plates.

"If they aren't worth getting riled about, then all the better," Teg speaks up with a nod, looking to Cole somewhat questioningly. The topic of the dress, who would wear it and for what purpose is lost to him, or perhaps deftly sidestepped. "My offer stands, however." His gaze flickers in Spider's direction, but doesn't rest there long.

Cole stays quiet, letting the adults have adult conversation while he nibbles on food and drinks tea. He's certainly attentive to every word, though.

"Because you saved Cole here, or for something else?" Spiders asks, about the giving a scare part. She's turned more serious, definitely, the topic making even her cheerful self more serene. There's a hint of something sharp in her eyes there, showing that she's hardly an air-head even if she might've come across as such for a moment. But it's gone almost immediately as she asks Dravis; "What offer is that, Mr. Dravis? What do you work with, anyway? Are you a mercenary and if so, are you for hire? I know a few people that could use a good beating, really. Why, one of the merchants out there," she says and gestures vaguely in the direction of downtown, "claimed that I couldn't try the clothes on unless I went into some kind of booth to do so. It wasn't like I was /naked/."

Mei Li inclines her head to Spider. "Because we tried to intervene no doubt. Also because we are women and.. well.. No doubt she was counting on Nathan's gentlemanly nature. What she doesn't know is that we've the Police Captain on our side. He and I have become good friends in the past few days. I'm certain Captain Alekson will do all that he can to ensure our safety." She falls silent as Spider speaks, one corner of her lips lifting as she turns to hand out another plate of food.

Teg leaves off playing tides with his cooling coffee, and pushes the mug away from himself as he fixes his attention on Spider. "I'm handy with firearms," he admits, his mechanical monotone stripping any modesty out of the statement. "I've done merc work on occasion, being posse--" Pause, reword. "When the need arises. When the beatings are needed." The corners of his eyes crinkle at that. "But hunting pays my wage. Bounties." The lines around his eyes smooth as he watches Spider calmly.

Cole looks nervously between Mei Li and Teg, choosing to focus primarily on the former. "Captain.. Alekson?" he asks. "You don't have to mention, y'know... /me/, when you talk to him, do you?"

- Spider rolls Bluff with a modifier of 0. Result: 6

"Bounty hunter? I've never met one before. Well, not that I know of, anyway, but all kinds show up on Beylix and some of them were /likely/ bounty hunters, but it beats me why they'd come there. It's just a small mining community," Spider explains and waves a hand dismissively. She sits up straighter though and ther's a slight tensing in her shoulders, even if she's offering him a broad smile, eyes going briefly to his guns. She sips her tea again and eyes Mei Li. Just... eyes her. "You've made friends with a cop? Why?" She seems to share something of Cole's sentiments there, as she can't imagine why /anyone/ would want to be friends with a police officer.

Mei Li chuckles at Cole's sudden concern. Spider's own lack of understanding seems to give her amusement as well. "Because at times it is pleasant to have an official authority position on your side," she explains. "Besides.. Captain Alekson is a good man. Have you had troubles with him before, Mister Cole? I don't see why I have to mention your name. And if you were no where in sight when he boarded I'd hardly be lying if I were to tell him I did not know where you'd run off to. No reason to draw attention to you if there's no need," she assures.

Even after Spider looks to Mei Li, Teg watches her thoughtfully. The crinkling in the corners of his eyes appears again, amusement there in the green. The hunter relaxes where he stands, looking now to the food as the doctor explains her relationships.

Cole breaths an obvious sigh of relief at Mei Li's suggestion. "I've not really /met/ him, in person... a couple of his deputies have been put out of shape tryin' to catch me, though. Thanks for lettin' me stay away from him." He glances at Teg. "So if you're a bounty hunter, what would you do if these people tried to hire you?"

Spider gets up from the table, grabbing her shopping bag. "Let me get these stowed away. And I should take a shower," she explains, smiling warmly at all three. She shoots Cole a look, and raises her eyebrows at the hunter. "That's a very good question. And... I'll check for the answer to that when I return. I need to get the smell of hot dogs out of my hair." And with a little fingerwiggle of a wave, she's heading out, swinging her bag at her side.

Spider heads through Aft Passageway (AP) into Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Spider has left.

Mei Li nods her head to Cole, smiling warmly. "It is no hardship," she tells him. With his question, she looks to Teg, her own head tilting as a brow arches, waiting quietly for his answer. Spider is given a nod as she departs.

Nodding to Spider, Dravis watches her head off before turning a keen look to the boy. "If you mean the slavers, I don't deal with their kind. If I take a job, it's because someone did or is doing something they're not supposed to be doing, not because someone is too lazy to follow their own decrepit trade themselves. That is called outsourcing," he adds, the hardness his eyes had gained through the short speech fading a touch. "And the paperwork is hell for it. If you mean if this crew tried, well... maybe a discount, if they ask nicely." His gaze moves to Mei Li.

Cole shifts in his seat a bit at Teg's gaze, maybe shifting his weight just a little bit closer to Mei Li. Tracing his finger along his teacup, he asks timidly, "Well, what are they...?" He pauses, turning to Mei Li and offering her his first small, genuine smile. "Well, what are /we/ doing that we're not supposed to be? Or not doing that we are?"

One corner of Mei Li's mouth tilts upwards at the look from Teg, but the doctor shakes her head. "I have no wish for anyone to die, Mister Dravis. Given justice, yes, but not death," she murmurs. "And I would not put anyone in danger for my own account if I could avoid it. Captain Alekson and his men may handle this. It is their duty." Looking down at Cole, the doctor can't help but melt a little, her own smile softening and warming for the little one. "From what I understand, borrowing other people's things without permission is frowned upon," she teases gently. "But.. it isn't always what you've done wrong, Cole. There are people in this 'verse who make their living preying upon those they see weaker than they. It is one way to make a living but.. a very sad one to my mind. Right now though.. we did wrong in their minds by trying to keep you safe." A small sigh escapes her and she shrugs. "There is little we can do to help that though. They will get over it."

The bounty hunter merely nods firmly in agreement with the doctor, and adds, "There'll always be people who get mad when they can't get what they want. It's how you react to it, and what you want, that determines... quite a bit." A faint shrug, and he leans against the counter, looking over the room now with a furrowed brow.

"I get that, I guess," Cole declares, picking his teacup up and sipping it again. "And I'll be worth it, I promise you guys. I used to do all the maintenance work on my mom's shuttle, and I fixed the temperature sensors on your heating panels already. I'm sure Mister Jace can use me to get to the hard to reach spots that need fixing."

Mei Li beams at Cole, a hand lifting to run through his hair, stopping just shy of actually doing it though. "I have no doubt," she tells the child warmly. Teg's words weren't missed. She lifts her gaze to him, her smile extended to the bounty hunter as well. "Mister Dravis is quite right. A wise man despite his sometimes dubious nature."

"We all do what we must," is Teg's reply to that, though he doesn't turn from his contemplative study of the rest of the room.

Cole does flinch a bit at the hand raising, but only a bit, and then he looks a little embarassed about it. He doesn't say anything, though, choosing instead to get up and bring his plate to the sink. "I.. hope that there's no need to worry too much. You said we're leaving soon, right? Where are we going?"

Mei Li inclines her head to Teg once before looking to Cole. "We will leave once we take on cargo. The destination will be determined by where the cargo needs to be delivered. Hopefully not one of the Border worlds. Such a long trip! Have you an interest in seeing somewhere in particular? Mister Dravis.. Would you like me to top that off for you?" she asks, nodding towards the cup.

Stirring from thought, Teg glances back, then at his discarded cup. "It's all gone cold, I'm afraid, but I wouldn't mind a refill. I'll return the cup as usual." The monotone oddly matches the flat look in his eyes, and he straightens from his casual lean against the counter.

"I like the border worlds," Cole suggests from the sink, turning it on to wash his hands. "People are less... stuffy."

Mei Li purses her lips a bit as she looks to Teg, her brow furrowing. Hands smooth over her skirts as she contemplates and suddenly one corner of her lips curve upwards. "Don't go anywhere, Mister Dravis," she requests. "I will be right back.." Cole's words gain an arched brow as she begins to retreat. "You must tell me which ones you've been to when I return."

Spider arrives from Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Spider has arrived.
Mei Li heads through Aft Passageway (AP) into Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Mei Li has left.

Teg gives the departing Mei Li a puzzled look, but stays put as asked. "I agree," he says to Cole with a nod. "Even if they're up to no good, people at least make no bones about their nature there. Think you'll stay on with the crew here for a bit, then?"

Spider glances after Mei Li as the two almost meet in the doorway. She smiles briefly at Teg and Cole and then goes to refill her mug of tea, not immediately saying anything. Sitting back down in a lazy sprawl, sinking down on her chair, she turns most of her attention on Cole this time at Teg's question.

Anastasia has arrived.

Cole turns back towards Teg, onc Mei Li has gone. "For a planet or two, anyway. I've been on Persephone for a little too long." He nods at Spider upon her return. "I'm surprised you're not wearing your new, uhh, dress."

Dravis also looks to Spider with interest, though not, one assumes, because of the potential of the dress. "Sounds like a good idea," he comments. "The staying, that is. Though why buy clothing when you have no intention of wearing it?"

Mei Li arrives from Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Mei Li has arrived.

Spider sits at the table sipping tea, sprawled out lazily. "Oh, there's a time and place for everything. That dress will wait for the right opportunity," she explains and waves a hand, smiling broadly at Cole and Teg. "And I told you! I couldn't resist. It fit me so well and all," she burbles out, cheerfully. "I could never find anything like that on Beylix." She turns to Teg and asks; "So, what was the answer to the question of what you'd do if you'll be approached for work by those slavers?"

"It's beneath his style," Cole answers for Teg, stepping away from the sink and back to the table. "So, what kind of cargo do you usually carry?"

"Yes," Teg agrees, with a nod at Cole's words. "I thought I'd tell them to piss off, if it ever came up." He reaches to reclaim his coffee mug, tapping it absently.

Groggy after sleeping a good chunk of time, Ani crutches her way up to the Lounge figuring the all clear has to be done by now. Eyes still uncovered and her casted leg thunking against the ground as she is not paying much attention in her barely awake state. The sound of voices don't register with her as she makes her way towards the cooler, red hair hanging down everywhere without her usual bandana to hold it up.

Mei Li steps back into the Common Area a few steps behind Ani, with a long swath of silklike cloth. Black in color with no decorations, Mei holds it in her hands like a banner, her smile wide and bright. Of course.. now the room has a few more people and she slows a bit, biting her lower lip as she looks to Teg consideringly. The cloth is lowered, folded carefully in her hands and whatever she'd been going to say is shoved to the side and forgotten.

"Oh, nice to know that," Spider says and her eyes glitter with something as she peers at Cole and Teg from behind her mug, both hands holding it as if her fingers are cold and she wants to warm them. She looks up as Anastasia enters and she watches her curiously, offering a polite nod even if Ani isn't looking at anyone. "Hey again, Mei Li. What's with the cloth?"

Teg is also curious, and waits for the answer, taking his mug to the table to sit. Pulling a chair out at some distance from Spider, he sits almost gingerly there.

The voices start to be clearer and as Ani pours yet another glass of milk for herself, her standard drinking fare she looks around at the three who are not Mei Li, eyes narrowing a bit in the direction of Spider. "I swear if we pick up any more people we're going to have to change this bloody ship in to an Inn..." She's muttering under her breath of course but it's loud enough to hear.

Mei Li blushes faintly and shakes her head, tucking the scarf into her pocket. "Nothing," she murmurs softly. Her gaze drifts to Cole as he moves, offering him a warm smile. "Whatever cargo we can find that we'll get well paid for and not run into trouble with the law. We had cows not too long ago. Ani.. There's still some food on the warmer, dear, if you're hungry," she directs.

Spider raises her eyebrows at Mei Li, but she doesn't press on at the topic. Instead, she shifts subtly on her chair as Teg sits down at the table, sitting up more straight and regarding him closely for awhile. Just a faint hint of suspicion there, almost impossible to see. Another glance is given to his holsters, before she slowly turns towards Anastasia. "Hi, I'm Spider," she greets cheerfully. "What did you do with your leg? Does it hurt a lot? I've never broken a bone in my body, though I /did/ get a concussion once when I fell off a roof."

Settling back in his chair, Teg watches Spider a moment before looking away. Then, standing abruptly, the man moves decisively to the coffee again, dashing out the cold drink into the sink and refilling, silently.

Ani blinks as she's spoken to and her response is rather level. "I jumped through a window. It seemed like a fun idea at the time." Flashing a smile that is about as sincere as a poorly written Hallmark card, Ani hobbles her way towards the food warmer and looks at what is there before glancing up at Mei, "Will any of this... er... be bad for me to eat?"

Mei Li shakes her head at Ani and then laughs. "No, dear. It should set alright on your stomach. Just protein and some vegetables. You go sit. I'll fix you something. You're hands are too full anyway." She moves towards the kitchen to start prepping Ani a plate, more than happy to busy herself. Chancing a glance at Teg, she lowers her voice, murmuring for his ears only.

Mei Li whispers to Teg Dravis.

Spider grins at Ani then, in appreciation at the reply to her questions. She tenses as Teg so abruptly stands up and swivels on her chair, staring at him intently for a moment before she pretends to busy herself with a pocket on her pants, feeling around inside it as if searching for something but soon pulling it out again with nothing in her hand.

Cole remains quiet and out of the way, following the old adage. Uncanny, how invisible a quiet lad can become.

Teg pauses, full cup in hand, to listen to Mei Li. Then with a shake of his head, he says low, though the speaker makes his reply more audible than her words, "Thanks. I think it best if I just go back to my room." And, good on his word, the bounty hunter exits swiftly without another word or glance.

Ani watches Teg jump up and get more coffee, her glare towards him is far from unnoticable as she's staring daggers. But as Mei moves to start preparing her food, Ani hobbles towards the table, muttering loud enough for everyone to hear. "Someone needs to switch to decaf..."

Mei Li nods slowly to Teg, disappointment quite evident. "Of course, Mister Dravis," she murmurs in reply. Her eyes follow him towards the exit before she turns around, a plate full for Ani. She chuckles at Ani's words and shakes her head, her skirts rustling as she draws closer to the table. "Don't be too hard on him, dear. He was only bluffing and trying to help get you into the infirmary where you belonged. He didn't know, Ani," she murmurs to the girl. The plate is set before Ani and then Mei's eyes look over everyone else. "May I get something for you?"

Teg Dravis heads through Aft Passageway (AP) into Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Teg Dravis has left.

Spider looks between Ani and Teg, curious but keeping silent. And Teg's back gets a lingering and thoughtful look from her as he leaves the area, and as soon as he's gone she relaxes visibly. "I'm fine, thanks Mei Li," she assures the doctor. "I ate out on town earlier. So... what's with this Dravis guy then?"

"He's a jerkwad." Ani mutters to herself, smiling a bit at Mei though as she brings the food, but it's ignored as the milk is sipped. "And he may not have known but I don't care... it was mean and he doesn't even care. Therefore, he must pay."

"He is not a jerkwad," Mei Li corrects gently. "He has reasons for the way that he is. As you have reasons for the way that you are, my dear. And you are very wrong. He does care. Trust me on this, Anastasia." Her gaze flicks to Spider and that smile is offered to her as well. "He is a bounty hunter. We know little else other than he does not wish his face to be seen. I have my own theories regarding that but I will be keeping them close to the vest. No need in spouting them out and then being made a fool, hmm? He's a good man though," she offers as she settles into a seat beside Ani, her hands resting in her lap.

Spider squints at Anastasia. "What did he do?" she prompts curiously and not unkindly to the other woman. She listnes to Mei Li and a little amused smile plays on her lips. "A good man? He hunts down people to either hand them in to the law or to other people that aren't interested in just putting someone in jail. That's usually what bounty hunters do."

Ani shrugs silently towards Spider, obviously not wishing to really discuss it to much as it's a touchy subject before she responds to Mei. "You're just saying that cause you're in love with him or some stupid such fancy."

"What? I thought she was in love with Rush!" Spider says and now stares at Mei Li. "At least, you really looked at Rush with all blushes and all that. And he was so cute to you!"

"There goes my shot," Cole adds under his breath, with a wry grin on his face.

Mei Li arches a brow at Spider. "And since when was bringing criminals in to the law something to look down upon?" she asks softly. "Perhaps some of those criminals do not warrant arrest if their intent were to have truly been known but the crime was still performed. They had their reasons though, yes? Why should we not give Mister Dravis some measure of leeway regarding his own. You do not know his practices or how he chooses his jobs anymore than I do." Her eyes widen at Ani and then again at Spider. Even Cole gains a look of disbelief. Her lips press thin for a moment and then she rises, simply heading into the kitchen to wash whatever dirty dishes may be there.

At her rant and following reaction, Ani just giggles a bit. "Get back over here Mei and stop being all indignant like. If you could listen to yourself and see your reaction just now you'd realize I was right you know." She then casts a glance towards Spider and Cole, trying hard not to laugh before clearing her throat and straightening her expression.

Spider looks thoughtfully after Mei Li as she departs, commenting no more on bounty hunters or on Travis. Then she grins at Anastasia. "She's right. We're only teasing you," she says softly. She stands up, and walks over to have her mug washed, doing it herself. "I'm sure Mr. Dravis is an upstanding and fine man."

Mei Li simply begins washing, her jaw set rather stubbornly. "I am not even going to grace that with a response, Ani," she tells the girl stiffly. Even Spider only seems to get a nod from the typically polite and congenial doctor.

Ani giggles again as she begins eating her food quickly, cleaning the plate in a matter of moments as the food vanishes. The milk is drained away and she pushes her chair back to slowly totter up to her feet. Slipping crutches under her arms she carries her plate and cup over towards the sink while humming a song softly. Aw... Ani's humming the wedding march.

Cole snickers at the goings-on, glancing between the women as though at a tennis match.

Spider just smiles at Mei Li, putting her now clean mug away. She snickers a bit at Ani's humming, shaking her head in amusement. "I think I'll go... talk to Mr. Dravis," she then informs kind of officially. "Thanks for the tea. I'll catch you folks later." And with that, she strides out.

Spider heads through Aft Passageway (AP) into Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Spider has left.

Mei Li just glares at the girl, unamused by any means. Spider is given a nod and not much more at all, her eyes focused on the redhead. Drying her hands on her skirts, Mei lifts them to draw her locket from her blouse. The little oval is opened easily enough and within is a picture of a man in his mid-twenties with sparkling blue eyes and curly dark auburn hair. He is smiling widely and has the type of congenial expression and face that just automatically makes people want to smile along with him. "I *am* married, Ani," Mei all but hisses.

Laesh has arrived.

[Laesh]
-----
This man is of average height, though rather thin of build. Dark brown hair adorns his head, kept cut rather short and revealing an expanding thin spot. Warm brown eyes are set into a too pale face, the only real color coming from his neatly trimmed perpetual five day beard. Archaic wire rim glasses are perched on his nose, lending a certain bookishness to his appearance.

A shirt and pants of utilitarian black cover his body. His feet are shod in heavy lace-up boots. Over all of this he wears a long leather duster.
-----

Ani blinks a bit at Mei, then the locket, then Mei again and she frowns. "Oh Mei..." Her voice is very soft. "I didn't know..." She starts crutching towards the woman.

"You're married?" Cole asks with surprise, scurrying over to Mei Li to get a good look at the pendant also. "Where is he?"

Mei Li's cheeks stain crimson at the responses but she nods slowly. "He's.. He was killed in the war," she explains softly. "This was taken before we were married. Before he went off and joined." She leans forward a bit so that it is easier for Cole to see the picture. "I know that means I'm a widow and so.. But I'm not, Ani. Not in my heart. I'm.. I'm just not."

The sound of footsteps on the stairway leading from the cargo hold announce Laesh's arrival. Topping the stairs he doesn't even pause to look around, but moves directly toward the stove to check the coffee pot. Halfway there he realizes that he's not alone and stops, blinking confusedly for a moment. "Erm... Hello," Laesh says, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Ani blinks a bit towards Mei and smiles rather warmly. "Of course not Mei... I... need to order some more food supplies since we're taking on extra people so I better get to that. Maybe see if I can track down some kind of cargo to haul." Slowly the girl turns and starts to crutch her way towards the cargo bay.

Cole takes a moment to admire Mei's husband's photo, before the arrival of Laesh startles him. He turns away with a guilty look on his face, clearing his throat and heading for the table. "Hello," he greets. Looking at Ani, he asks, "How many people are on this ship, anyway?"

Mei Li nods to Ani, feeling the need to add, "I'm sorry I got angry with you. You didn't know." Cole's examination gets a smile, the woman's eyes going to the boy's hair briefly. And then there is Laesh. As Cole scurries away, Mei turns her gaze to the man. "Mister Valsh.. You aren't interrupting. The coffee is still fresh. Shall I get you some?" Again her gaze shifts to the child, her smile widening as he speaks with Ani.

Ani looks towards Cole and shrugs a bit, "Ask me when the day's over... everytime I wake up we're taking on more people... and Nathan wonders why I'm always yelling at him about being under supplied..." She mutters and hobbles on out.

Anastasia has left.

Smiling gratefully to the doctor, Laesh sets about making himself a cup of coffee. Glancing over his shoulder at Cole once his coffee is ready, he turns and leans back against the countertop. "Seems there has been quite a few people boarding of late," he comments, prompted by Ani's parting comment. "Hope the Captain is charging appropriate fare."

"Some of us are workin' it off," Cole quips, heading near his favorite junction. "How long has the crew been together, anyway?"

"Oh! You've not met Cole, have you? Mister Valsh, this is Cole. Cole, this is Mister Laesh Valsh," Mei Li introduces. "And Nathan says that Cole is welcome to travel with us so long as he can help out. And I have a feeling he's going to be very handy indeed." Her eyes dart towards the ceiling as she tries to think on that. "About four months, I believe. Nathan, Ani, Mister Nguyen and I began together. We picked up Mister Rush and Mister Jace along the way. Mister Valsh is a fairly new addition as well. And the rest are passengers."

"I'm not really a crew member," Laesh explains to Cole, "The doc just keeps me around to compliment her on her coffee." He gives the boy a playful wink before taking a long sip of the dark liquid in his cup.

Cole grins back at Laesh, pushing his hair back again. He looks to Mei Li. "Is there a shower on board? I'm afraid I might... uhh, smell a little. Y'know, month since I've had one and all that."

Mei Li smiles warmly at Cole, chuckling softly. "Go back to the passenger quarters. There's one back there to be shared. You can stop in my room and grab a towel or soap or whatever you need," she tells him, her gaze fond. Yeah. She's smitten. Looking to Laesh, she shakes her head. "Perhaps you are not truly crew, but it feels like you are to me."

Remy arrives from Aft Passageway - Firefly Class Transport.
Remy has arrived.

"Well I feel welcome here.", Laesh says to Mei with a smile. "Hopefully I'll be able to pull my weight around here until something comes up where I can start earning something." Glancing sideways at Cole, Laesh lowers his voice enough to not carry across the room. "We need to chat about the letters later.", he says seriously to Mei.

[Remy]
-----
Standing here is a man who appears to be in his late twentys and just over 6 feet in height, topping out at perhaps 6'2" if wearing thick soles on his shoes. He might appear just a bit taller because of his body frame, weighting in at around 180 pounds max he has the build more of a gymnast or runner giving his form a bit of a muscular look. His brownish/red hair is pulled back into a ponytail that reaches betweenhis shoulders, while the hair on the top of his head seems to be a spiked mopped mess. His jade green eyes play off the sly smirk he seems to always have across his mouth, bringing a bit of softness to the lower half of his face that is covered with a bit of stubble of a 5 o'clock shadow.

His clothing seems to be just as two sided as his face, he wears what would be a very high class blood red silk shirt, but a beat up and old brown leather jacket over it. A pair of black cargo pants or dockers of sorts covers his legs and falls the to top of his feet, which are encased in an odd mix of boot and running shoe. The last item or note is the set of gloves he wears on his hands, jet black with a red spade from a playing card air brushed onto the backs.
-----
- Cole rolls Listen with a modifier of 0. Result: 4
- Rolled Listen with modifier of 0. Result: 0+2+0+2=4

If Cole heard the whisper, he doesn't show any sign of it. Instead he starts towards the doors, only to bump into Remy on his way. Looking up, he backs up a step, perhaps intimidated by the man's size. "Geez.. so many new faces..."

Mei Li reaches to her locket and snaps it shut as she chats with Laesh. His whispered words are given an absent nod, her thoughts elsewhere. "The first time I saw him I just wanted to run my fingers through his hair. It needs a brush.." There is more and it's evident that she is thinking but she holds her tongue, chuckling as the boy bumps into Remy.

Remy steps thru the doorway into the common area, the bumping him almost makes his drop his pack, which slips off his shoulder and hangs only in his one hand. Looking down at teh young boy he smiles and nods to the child and side steps to let him pass as he winks to Mei and nods to Laesh "Crew gadering? I hope 'm no entruding."

"You're not intruding at all.", Laesh directs at Remy. "I just came up for some coffee and take a look at the kid." Gesturing toward the pot with his cup, he adds, "And there's more coffee. Though from the dreamy look in the Doc's eyes, there'd be more kids here too, if she could help it." He gives Mei a gentle smile, something not often seen on the socially backward technician.

Cole smirks. "Well, 'the kid' needs to go get wet and naked now. Hope I don't clog the shower. Let me know if there's something I can fix when I get out." He sidesteps Remy and makes his way up the stairs.

[Cole heads off to the shower, and stays reclusive for a few hours...]