Irish Coffee and Conversation (Day 1, Late Night)

Serena rubbed the back of her neck as she waited for the coffee to brew. The passengers, as far as she knew were tucked in to their turned down beds, and the day seemed even longer what with everything going on with Elle. The bottles she’d found were returned to their place in the cargo bay. The only ones now missing were accounted for in Keller’s room and empty. The crew chief himself was scarce, because she couldn’t smell any fresh lit clove cigarette, which made the pigtail teen slightly relieved, less worrying about stitches, because she also couldn’t lie to him. All that was left to do was to bring the night pilot his thermos full of coffee, no milk like he liked it.

The teen padded up the stairs and quietly knocked on the cockpit door.

“Come in.” Drake said as he went over the readouts and navigation. Just regular checks, mostly keeping an eye out for any anomalies.

“Heya Dream… uh… I mean… Drake. The Captain asked me to bring you some coffee on account of he’s planning on having drinks with some passengers and sometimes he lets me stay with them on account of I pour a perfect bourbon, which really isn’t that hard, what you do is wrap your hand around the glass, and pour til it gets to the top of the finger you point to people with, but aside from that he usually doesn’t let crew hang out with them, except maybe for Roose on account of…. I don’t know why.” The teen said, holding out the thermos. “I made it how you like it, no milk.”

Drake smiled anyway. “Thank’s darlin’.” He said accepting the thermos of bitter black sludge that passed for coffee on the ship. “You seem to know a lot fo the going on regarding the crew … “ He said unscrewing the top. “ … care to join me for a spell?” He offered fishing out a couple dented tin mugs. “I still have that new smell.” He joked.

“You.. want… me … to stay here?” She asked suspiciously. “With you? …. " She agreed that he smelled, but it was more of an intentional thing, like when Keller tried to cover the fact he was drinking. "Sure, I guess, Wait… is it okay?”

“I … don’t know. I mean you think you might get in trouble keeping me company for a bit ... “ Drake blinked. “... or you talking ‘bout Riley’s no one on the bridge rule? Technically that only stands when she’s piloting. I, on the other hand, am a bit more of a social creature. So While I am on the bridge … yes. It’s okay? Coffee?” He offered.

Serena giggled like a pre-teen and accepted the bitter coffee. “Thanks! You get the best view of all the stars, see? You couldn’t much see them from anywhere but the bridge of the Sampan, that was my last ship, but I’d sometimes get to go an’ look at them there too. I’m gonna ask the Crew Chief to take me on a space walk sometime, on account of that’s when you get the best view ever. Me and him sat up on the top of the Veil when we were in New Kasmir, to see the lights in the sky which he said when he was little that he thought they were the souls of friends and family lost which I thought was a really nice idea if you had friends and family you lost that you cared on. You sure you don’t want me to start bringing you tea at night instead of coffee? Mr. Cortez says I make tea really good on account of the secret is getting the temperature just right. I don’t think I’m all that good at making coffee.”

Riley wasn’t kidding when she said the girl could talk. Drake was positive she did that in all one breath. “A Sampan eh? That a big ship, nothing but cargo space.” Drake said thoughtfully. “So you and Crew Cheif? Er … what’s his name? Sorry I’m still getting the swing of things … You want a little spice to your coffee? Drinking age on Beaumonde I heard was 17.” He said splashing a bit of Irish cream in his cup. Sue him he had no milk! He was making DUE! Everyone was making sacrifices including the coffee!

“We didn’t take passengers on the Skyhook. Crew Chief’s name is Vas Jat which begins with a Vee and a Jay, and the drinking age on Beaumonde was sixteen, on account of I’m sixteen and I got to drink, and is it the kind of spice that makes your mouth feel like it’s on fire, on account of food like that makes my belly hurt something fierce and it’s just starting to feel better from when I got shot, which, oh! I got tape from, wanna see?”

“Right Vas, you two close? When did you get shot? That … happen often on the ship?” Drake said with a quirked eyebrow. Was he going to need a gun? Needed a gun was sounding good right now. “Oh, my mistake you looked older than sixteen and this is very tasty, it’s liquor that goes really well with coffee.”

Serena put her shirt back down. “I’m close to the Crew Chief. I don’t think no one on the ship understands him like me. ‘Course, I think I’m also the only one who bothers to, they just don’t… get him is all. He would do anything for crew. When I got shot, Crew chief threw the boy who did it off the ship. That was on Verbena. I don’t know no one else who got shot on the ship. Gil cut his hand only he did that himself, and he got bit by a wolf, but that wasn’t on the ship, and Elle got hit on the head in the cargo bay, but that weren’t the same as getting shot. And…” she giggled again. “I look older than sixteen? I’d like the liquor that goes good in coffee. Crew chief says maritime law means I can have one drink, and that would count as one drink, right?”

“More like a third since you only pouring for a bit of extra flavor.” Drake negotiated with a laugh pouring a bit in Serena’s cup to color it. “Well you know girl mature faster than boys, so I thought you were a bit more older than how you looked.” He complimented. “Your Vas seem a little … rough around the edges. I mean … you know. I mean with that happened to … Elle? Right? Lotta jaw flapping, I figured since you know most you could tell me straight about ‘em.”

Serena narrowed her eyes. “I’m tellin’ you true, Crew Chief wouldn’t do nothin’ like that, not ever. If he wanted to hit you, he’d do it square lookin’ you in the eyes and you’d know full well not only that it were coming, but what it were for. I know him. He’s *my* scary monster. He wouldn’t cheap shot anyone like that, no matter if they deserved it or not.”

“Not where I was going but still good to know.” Drake said taking a sip. “So you two are … together. As in a couple then?” It sure sounded like that. Though the rumor mill had mentioned the other deckhand Gill but the way she talked up the Crew Cheif that sounded like a more realistic line of thought.

“No. He don’t like me *like that* which is okay, because me and Gil have sex and he likes me [i[like that[/i]. He called me his girlfriend, no lie. And not just a friend who is a girl, except, I don’t think we much made that clear. I’ll ask him later when we’re having *conversation*.” She explained, taking a sip herself. The liquor made the coffee warm her belly even more, and improved the taste of the coffee a hundred times over.

Drake nodded thoughtfully. ”Not surprised a girl a like you snagged herself a boy. Gil is lucky. So I take it Vas isn’t … liked by most of the crew, just you mention you really the only one that gets him?” He said nudging the conversation back on track.

“Gil *is* lucky.” She declared. “He hasn’t taken me on a single date yet and he let some other girl draw a kiss on his hand. I don’t see how no ne couldn’t like the Crew Chief. He’d fall on a hundred swords for his crew, I’m crew and I know this for fact, honest and swear. He gets hollered at by the Lieutenant all the time and he don’t even put the blame on the person who should all be gettin’ blamed on account of he wants to protect his crew. People don’t like the person who tells ‘em what to do is all. I mean, GIl doesn’t mind when I tell him what to do, but that’s just because Mistah Doctah Adluh says that it’s part of a healthy relationship in bed.”

“He ain’t up and taken you on a date yet? That very gentlemanly of him. Don’t you let him take you on a date on Silverhold, ain’t nothing much to do or see there. Just rock, mud and booze. Greenleaf though, that’ll be a nice place to go on a date.” Drake advised. “You could go to a theater, I hear there some real nice parks.” He added. “I mean I get it, it can get lonely out in the back but that any excuse not to court a girl proper.” Drake clear his throat sipped his coffee and got himself back on track. “I hear he got pretty mad before take off, I weren’t there so I don’t have a clue what the kerfuffle was down there. That maybe one of the reasons Crew Cheif ain’t being look on with such kind eyes as your own?”

Serena giggled again at the mention of proper courting, then refocused. “I *can’t* go on a date til Peloram on account of Crew Chief grounded us all til then, we’re on the ship less it’s for work, dropping off cargo or orders. That was part of him gettin’ pretty mad, and even though I didn’t do nothing, that’s what crew is, everyone goes and gets punished together. And Lieutenant gets plenty mad ALL the time, but people still find kind eyes for her. I’ll never understand why, anytime I’m around her, she’s all…” Serena held up a hand for emphasis,”and you don’t get to talk none at all.”

“Well Riley’s easy to get when you know what she’s about. Crew Cheif seems to have good bead on her. Wait so everyone is ticked cuz Crew Cheif came down on ‘em for messing up? Am I getting that right?” Drake asked with raised eyebrows. Maybe it was the Academy training but Drake was used to being yelled at. For everything and anything. Sure he might have deserved it all but he was used to it none the less. Riley wore an I heart the military on her gorram sleeve so if her crew couldn’t take the hint that was how she ran the ship there were gorram idiots who got paid to much. Kinda snowflakes did she HIRE!?!

“Uh-huh. He hollered at the crew on account of no one was tellin’ him nothin’ and then when the lieutenant asks him questions he’s gotta answer I dunno, and the Lieutenant does NOT like to hear them words at all. She doesn’t like to hear ANY words from me, but that’s another story. So he was just settin’ the record straight on account of there was some confusion of who reports to who, and then Elle went and --” Serena gasped, and closed her lips tightly together, taking a minute before continuing. “So yeah, people got their feelings hurt and it weren’t personal. I’m a spacer, always have been, so I think I’m made of sterner stuff.”

“Well, yes, clearly. But that’s this about Elle? What she do?” Drake asked since Serena has skipped over like a bad recording.

“I can’t say. I don’t want stitches.” The teen responded in a whisper before taking another drink of the coffee.

“Why would you get stitches? Didn’t you get taped up?” Drake asked confused.

“Everyone knows that’s what happens to snitches. Gil got his hand cut up, and Lyen got her hand cut on a can, and I don’t even know who they tattled on.” She replied, secretively.

“Okay but … whos doing the cutting?” He asked trying to bridge the logic.

“The verse. It’s called Karma.” The pigtailed teen explained. “Like Elle, she *implied* the only reason the crew chief liked me was on account of I was pretty and young and obliging, and everyone knows that’s a nice way of saying someone’s a whore, and look, she’s now in the medbay with a big old lump on her head. And then there’s the part I can’t tell you because then I’m gonna need karma stitches, and tape gets itchy after a while. Did you want to see my tape again?”

“Sure. You know we got monks and nuns abord. You could talk to them cuz if anyone knows anything about karma and not getting stitches over it it would them right? That’s there stock and trade after all.” Drake reasoned out.

“Don’t lie, less you want lied to.” Serena told him, narrowing her eyes. “Snitches get stitches, and that’s why I have to avoid the crew chief.”

“Well, I don’t particularly follow any one way. I’m pilot not priest after all. But Karma has a funny of working, not saying your wrong just you might not have the full notion of what karma is and what it does. Just saying. It ain’t so simple.” He pointed out. “But good luck avoiding you bossman.” How she planned on avoiding him long would likely be hilarious with the way the girl could chatter on.

“When I first came on the ship, I could avoid him for hours.” Serena bragged. “But thank you, for the wishes of luck. You’re as nice as you are pretty.“ She drained the rest of her coffee. “No matter what anyone else says.”

“Oh you think I’m pretty?” Drake teased. “Wait … what's everyone been saying ‘bout me?” The chat had been rather enlightening if anything it gave him a feel for how things were and being that he was the night shift pilot wasn’t going to getting much one one one time with anyone any time soon.