milliways_bar | The Crew.

Entry tags:

academy

The Crew.

(OOM: The crew in the kitchen of the Serenity)
You don't even really need to be paying attention to notice the nine members of the Serenity coming into the Bar. What you do need to be focusing on in order to see is that Mal is mumbling something to himself, mulling over any possible outcome of what may come to pass. Shifting to the right of the Door until Inara passes through before moving toward the center of the bar, Mal walks ahead of his crew toward a corner happily unoccupied as of yet.

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River's been looking off into space. Listening. She doesn't react to Eddie's nicknames, or to the mention of her own name, but her face is intent and absorbed, and she's listening.

At the question, her head turns, and she looks sharply at Eddie, and then at Mal.

Her face is unreadable, as it often is.

*Inara gazes at the serious faces around her. She isn't sure precisely what is going on here, but the importance of the situation is obvious. She sits back, listening intently.*

*Jayne looks at Mal, and then at all these new, serious folk, suspicious.*

Better be some gorram pay in this one, or I ain't openin' to no one, 'specially not this lièzhì bunch of niăo shī de dŭguĭ.

Simon shoots an irritated glance at Jayne, and then an apologetic one to Eddie.

Zoe barely glances at Jayne, her eyes sweeping the group across the table instead. Her expression is neutral, her arms folded.

She's not at all sure about this whole situation. Particularly the part where a group of gunfighters has taken an interest in River. But what the talker--Eddie Dean--has said about honor and justice rings true.

This whole bar at the end of the universe deal is still iffy, to Zoe's mind. But these people--somehow, they feel right.

River doesn't bother to look at Jayne. Her eyes are still on Mal.

"Shoots with his gun."

Flat, simple. Maybe a little contemptuous, maybe not.

Under his breath: "You say true."

Seems this one might be at home with a blue coffin tattooed between thumb and first finger. A regulator. A harrier.

But it won't do to say that here, now.

*He mutters, interested, but trying to hide it.*

Thanks, Stabby. I'll keep that in mind.

*Jayne sizes Roland up; he drops his eyes down and away after a few moments.*

Wash's eyebrow goes up.

Stabby? he mouths to Zoe, trying (and failing) to hide a smirk.

Zoe's better at hiding her own smirk.

Okay, a bit better.

"Jayne, bù guăn nĭshì fŏu xĭ huān, this is the way it is." Mal turns away from looking at Jayne, and meets Eddie's eyes.

"Shia, we're here to be truthful with you. We're just lookin' to take care o' our own; ain't lookin' for trouble and such." The phrase of our own surprises Mal momentarily, but he lets it pass in his mind.

(just lookin' to take care o' our own)

Susan's smile is sudden and soft-- and understanding, oh aye, even though she doesn't say anything. She glances quickly aside at Roland, and then returns her attention to Mal and Eddie.

Duìbùqĭ, but I'm not sure I understand exactly why you are interested in helping River. *She narrows her eyes slightly* What are your motivations exactly?

Ted, quiet until this point, speaks now. Who better to answer?

"Madam, my name is Ted Stevens Brautigan, of your Earth-that-was. I am a psychic. I was imprisoned in a place called Algul Siento -- Blue Heaven -- " And here his eyes flicker to River, and then back to Inara. " -- by forces who wanted me to use what I can do to bring existence to an end." Pause. "Nothing like what was done to River happened to me. But there were...mind games. I was the only successful escapee. They didn't like that very much. And it was these gentlemen -- and this lady -- " A nod to Susannah Dean. " -- who destroyed the place. They hold to Eld's Way, as Eddie said. We asked for their aid, and they gave it."

A small smile. "They have experience. But for the rest of it -- that's for another to explain, I think."

River is not looking at Mal any more. Nor at Ted. She's staring fixedly at the table, head hanging. Shoulders tense.

Her face is set and half-hidden by dark hair, and her hands twist in her lap.

Her lips are moving slightly, but nothing is audible.

Simon looks at her, and reaches over to cover her clasped hands with one of his own.

"It's okay, meimei."

Blue Heaven is the first thing that sets the hairs on the back of Wash's neck on edge.

Bring existence to an end is the second.

And destroyed the place....

His forehead creases, and he swallows, mouth suddenly dry. "Uh...there something you're suggesting here?" he asks slowly. "And I'm kind of really, really hoping the answer's 'no, of course not, your crazy space dementia's just acting up again.' Is it? Please say it is."

"I doubt you're misunderstandin' what they're considerin' taking on there, Wash. Not at all."

Eyes completely focused on Ted. Then Roland. Then Eddie. "Don't know if the Academy's exactly like this...Algul Siento, but certainly sounds like. Seems to me however that we'd be aimin' first for help for River herself 'fore we decided to run off and be heroes in a fight somewhere."

Another bit of a pause. "Not that attackin' a part o' the Alliance doesn't sound like worlds o' fun." Actually said with half a smile.

*Jayne's sneer deepens considerably, if only because he's hiding a shiver at the mention of

(two by two)

all this blue gŏushĭ and remembering the acrid taste of fear and battle-lust on

(hands of blue)

Ariel and so when he speaks it's far harsher than he even means, and that's quite a bit, say thankya.*

So what you're sayin' is that we go up against an entire empire for Our Very Own Serial Killer, here, all for The Good of the gorram Whatever 'Verse.

Qù tāmāde!

*Inara rolls her eyes slightly at the last comment.*

Roland looks back at Mal.

Then at Ted.

He rests a hand on Eddie's shoulder and says in his ear, "I'll be back."

And he goes upstairs.

A grin flashes across Cuthbert's face briefly, but when he leans forward to speak, he's serious.

"We'll help River any way we can, sai Reynolds, of course. But the other 'students'"--there's sharp sarcasm in his tone at that word--"at the Academy need our help as much as she does."

Then, he grins again. "Besides, Alain and I missed out on Blue Heaven, and we've got that to make up for."

Alain's gaze cut sharply to Roland about halfway through Ted's speech. This is Roland's future, even if it's Ted's past, and he shouldn't be hearing it. Minds splitting, and a brilliant smile as his younger self walked off into forgetfulness and decades of pain--

He looks back at the group, as Roland murmurs something to Eddie and moves away from the table, but part of his mind is still focused there.

But despite all that, at the end of Mal's speech, he looks at him just as sharply, and his lips curve in a matching knife-edged half-smile. And for a moment, the worry takes a back seat, because he hears Mal, hears him very well.

(heroes in a fight - worlds o' fun)

Mal and Cuthbert are smiling. Susan is not.

(blood death fire ashes children Wolves)

And yet she knows that it won't stop her from helping. Nor would she want it to.

(ka-tet one from many)

Muttered to the table, "Whole 'verse of shininess."

Her hands aren't twisting, now. They're clenched white-knuckled on each other.

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