Doesn't Mean I Can't Steal Your Shit (Peerless)

[Abigail Gunn]

There was absolutely nothing sacred about playing tonsil-hockey with a fellow crew member. That being said, the conversation leading up to the event, as well as the event itself, lent itself to curiosity about Vitale. That curiosity could have, of course, been sated by long and mature conversation, gradually and respectfully getting to know each other, and all that crap that people normally did.

Yeah, that's not what she was doing.

So far, she'd learned that he preferred boxers to briefs and the colors gray, black, and navy, not white, and he seemed to prefer gratuitous nudity from Paquin (likely because of the exaggerated tales of the wild women on the gypsy planet).

Where was Vitale? Didn't particularly matter. What did matter was that he wasn't here, in his room, going through his drawers and personal affects like Gunn was. Nate was casually lying on his bunk with his right leg dangling off, down to his boxers, perusing a very educational commentary about society... a commentary which had a glossy cover and gratuitous nudity on the inside. She pulled a thong out of the drawer beneath the bunk, powder blue with black lace.

”Why you goin' through the boy's underwear? … Why does he wear thongs?”

”It ain't his,” came her simple reply as she shoved the garment into her pocket.

”How would you know?”

”It's mine.”

Nate covered his mouth with one hand and laughed when Gunn dipped back down to Vitale's things. Underwear, ammunition... and something wrapped in the glossy cover of Paquin's finest. When she pulled the pornography away, she found a large bottle of whiskey---good whiskey. She remembered seeing the whiskey.

It was a bottle Onas had purchased for a ridiculous price and given to Roger with a note of welcoming. Or, at least, it had been packed for Roger. She doubted Davis had ever touched the stuff. When she pulled the whiskey out of the drawer, she slid it closed with her right foot and waggled the bottle toward Nate.

”That looks like hush money to me.”

”Hell no, you ain't getting' the whole damn bottle.”

”A'ight, but I'm gettin' some of it.”

”Deal, your silence for whiskey. And tell me when the little shit steals my underwear again.”

”No can do.”

Nate slipped down from his bunk, leaving the Voluptious Vixens of Verbena lying listlessly on his pillow (though he did kiss his fingertips and tap the page almost reverently before discarding them, in a very classy display of respect). The two ended up sitting in the floor with the opened bottle and a couple of shot glasses, leaving the door to her quarters open and the bottle out of sight --- until the whiskey lowered their already questionable inhibitions about, well, having stolen the whiskey.

[Deleted]

Mai had just taken a shower and was on her way back to her quarters when she heard noises coming from a nearby room. She recognized Keller's voice but not the male one as she drew closer. Mai didn't want to disturb whatever was taking place but from her spot on the corridor she noted the door was open and that meant Rachel wasn't worried about keeping things private. Or she had forgotten it open.

Tying the silk robe tighter around her small waist, Mai walked up to Rachel's quarters and stopped by the threshold. A small smile crossed Mai's lips as she noticed both Rachel and what was his name? The pilot? Mai had to search her memory for a moment. Nate. That was it. Rachel and Nate sitting in the floor sharing a drink.

Mai cleared her throat. "Hello," she said sweetly, looking between Keller and Nate. "Are we having a party?" Mai asked with a grin. "Or is it a celebration?" she added arching one brow.

It was in Mai's interest to mingle with the crew. That was what she always told herself when she joined a new group to pull a con or any job but deep down, she had enjoyed her previous talk with Keller and there was nothing wrong in making a friend for the duration of this job.

Mai tucked a strand of the still dump hair behind an ear. "If it's private I can leave," she added for good measure. The open door could have been something other than an invitation. Could have been that Keller was into voyeurism.

[Abigail Gunn]

”Hey, Mai!” She said it with genuine enthusiasm, which wasn't just because of the whiskey (although the whiskey was involved, don't be fooled). She liked Mai, although the woman's nigh-constant composure was unsettling in some way... Maybe it was because it didn't seem human. It seemed formal, and distant. It made her feel a pressure to have that same formality in dealing with Mai, and also a desire to totally break it.

Formality was a buzz kill.

”A celebration... uhm, I'll go with that. To uncovering treasures and reclaiming the past!”

Back to the open door... if she hadn't really wanted to be caught, she could have been a lot more careful. On some level, she was instigating Vitale, and for no real reason than her amusement. On another, it was interesting to be a little open to the world. The ship was quiet, and that was even more claustrophobic than being in the ship.

”She jacked 'tale's whiskey.” Nate offered up, grinning toward her. ”Mai, right?”

”Private?” She looked at Nate for a moment. Really, it hadn't occurred to her that that particularly implication could ever be made. Nate was sort of... he just screwed around with everybody he worked with, was well liked by everybody, but he just wasn't the guy you imagined as getting a lot of women by the way he operated at work. That wasn't true, though, he was a lady's man in the bar scene, but on the job, he was kind of like... a perpetual big brother sort of thing. ”Nah. Bar's open, but only if you take a shot.”

[Deleted]

"Uncovering treasures?" That caught her attention and made her more interested in the subject. "That sounds...enriching," Mai remarked with a grin. They probably didn't mean the same treasures she was interested in but a celebration was always a fun thing to be part even when the treasures uncovered and the past weren't hers to be reclaimed. Mai's eyes shifted from Keller to Nate and back to Keller when the pilot mentioned Vitale and the whiskey. 'Angry Vitale looked nice enough' Mai said to herself.

"Yes. My name is Mai." she looked at Nate and offered him a light bow. Mai stepped into the room, eyes taking in some of the details of Keller's private domain. It looked like a typical room for a gunhand but Mai knew everybody had secrets. People were always trying to hide something. It was human nature to keep something of themselves a mystery. If Mai stayed in this ship long enough she might figure out Keller's secrets.

"I take this is a prank aimed at Mr. de Cordoba then?" Mai asked as she sat down next to Nate. Mai made sure she didn't have back to the door. Old habit. "Should I expect to be pranked back once he finds out?" she inquired more curious than actual fearful of a revenge from Vitale. She had seen him upset back on Beaumond and Mai made a habit of knowing where she was getting into before she got into them. "Not that I mind...I just want to be sure," she explained with a smirked. "And since the bar is open, how about you pour me one glass?" Mai asked. "If, in the future, I might be the target of Vilate's punishment I want to make sure I committed the sin."

[Deleted]

It was fairly evident that Rosalind Merrick wasn't someone that you saw often. She didn't know anyone well enough to make social calls, and hadn't made much effort besides the laundry list of crew members she had filed into her medbay for check-ups. It was as close to 'getting to know them' as Ros would most likely get without effort. But to be fair, you could learn a thing or two about a person just from their medical records. Unless they had a particularly spotless clean bill of health. Then you just learned they didn't really get up to much. That just meant it saved her on supplies and work, of course. So not really ever a loss in her books.

The medic was making her merry way through the twists and turns of corridors, wandering the crew deck in hopes she actually bumped into her area of destination. She didn't really know where everyone slept, and really wasn't going to find out any time soon. It happened, of course. People got tangled up when on long-haul space flights and with all this crew and only a handful of women aboard, well... Merrick was just going to be sleeping with her one little pistol and an inoc-gun full of anaesthetic. What the crew got up to was their own business - provided it didn't endanger their health. Though, looking at some of the faces to pass through her infirmary, she wasn't sure any of them should be considered safe-sex.

Of course, that was when the tall, dark-haired woman came across the little group engaged in conversation. Keller's voice was actually something now she readily recognised. Though, sometimes odd not to hear the large, slow, man-child of a puppy at her heels. It was like a stray that followed her home, was the only way for Ros to put it. Instead, she found the form of the third other woman aboard this ship. There were only three currently. It wasn't hard to determine that this was Mai, someone she no doubt had seen come through on the conveyor belt of crew - if she wasn't that sharp. So, she hadn't met Mai, yet. And would no doubt need to see her at some point. That also saved her another trip. That left the final member of their little group, whom she actually managed to find out as the man she was looking for. Atkins? Atkins. The pilot. She had seen him in the last few faces to come for their examinations. Just a little follow-up that got her to stretch her legs. Not that she was going to keep chasing down members of the crew. Usually, she wouldn't have, but with her still organising everything in stock, she'd overlooked a few boxes here and there. Didn't realise they had some things and didn't have others.

Long story short, the Doc tilted her head into view, not particularly caring what exactly they were all up to, and why Atkins was in his underwear, or why Ling was in a silk robe. This was just her on a business call. Work. That thing. Though, there was a slightly dubious, raised brow on her face.

"Evening..." She almost asked a little warily, not wanting to interrupt them long.

"Atkins." Ros called through the door, holding out a white, squeezable little tube of something between her hands. There was patient confidentiality, and there was Rosalind Merrick. This wasn't that sensitive, of course, and if he was sitting in his boxers he had nothing to hide.

"Hydrocortizone. For the rash you were complaining about." Of course, Ros didn't elaborate that it was just a small allergic reaction to something and wasn't in places unseemly.

Either Ros lacked all the social graces one should have, or she was just uncaring. Or cruel and unusual in her interactions. Maybe she got bored with her work and needed to amuse herself somehow. Not that Ros was one for giggles and guffaws.

"I suggest you keep an eye on anything new you've come into contact with or eaten lately and let me know."

A small, almost pleasant little smirk and nod was given to the three of them present. It was a small, nagging feeling in the back of her mind to be suspicious about what they were up to, but part of Ros didn't want to get involved. Other part had eyed the drink they were all consuming. If there was nothing else, of course, she would probably be on her way.

[Deleted]

Desmond had been walking through the ship, looking for something to do. They were still out in the black, so his job was harder to do. Of course this was when he noticed the doctor standing in front of Keller's room. Stopping by the door, he peeked inside for no good reason other than the doctor was standing there. Smelling the air, he smelled a mixture of soap, which must have been from Mai since she looked like she had been out of the shower, and whiskey. "Do I smell whiskey?" He asked, a crooked grin plastered across his face. He turned to Ros and motioned with his head into the room, asking her to join. It was obvious to him that people were invited. Besides, he wasn't going to pass up a drink now.

He sat down, glad for once that he had left his gunbelt behind considering alcohol was involved. "So what are we drinking too?" He knew it didn't matter, they needed to blow off steam, or in this case drink it away. In any case, whiskey was involved, and by looking at the bottle he assumed he was going to be very happy that he had joined in. Of course that was assuming that someone hadn't simply reused a bottle, he hated when people did that. It made them liars, or worse, they didn't share the good stuff. Without waiting for much longer, Dez held his hand out for a shot.

[Abigail Gunn]

Keller really hadn't considered how it would look. She had been fully dressed herself, from her typical dark tank and jeans to the steel-toed boots she wore, complete with a get-the-hell-out-of-my-face stance toward her hair in the pony tail. She hadn't thought much about Nick being in his boxers (she had, after all, been invading his room), and Mai was entirely a coincidence---a coincidence with a soft-looking robe and a very pleasant fragrance. Basically, a mannequin. Before the night was out, Keller wanted to at least hear the other woman swear.

She poured the shot for Mai, offering it up just as the good doctor (her very brief hostage, though at an arguably polite distance) came along. Keller was a bit tipsy, it was true, but she would have laughed at that exchange anyway.

”It ain't what you think!”

”I'm just saying, make sure the dog has all its shots before you take it home.”

”That ain't even okay, Keller..”

”Merrick, Sassy,” she addressed the doctor, then the mechanic jack-of-all-trades, gesturing toward the bottle---which still had a long way to go. ”Bar's open. This may be the only whiskey on the whole gorram ship right now, and we have it.”

”Vitale -did- have it.”

”You know what they say about snitches and ditches, shut it.” Came her retort to Nate, who only grinned. ”And to answer your question, Mai, I think he'll probably mess with me,” she winked. ”Diffusion of responsibility never hurts, though.”

[Deleted]

^{(((OOC:What Vitale is wearing, but a black shirt.)))}

Vitale had been working out in the gym, and was wearing some sweat layered shorts, and a shirt that was once size too large, and mostly cut away to allow for breathing, while maintaining flexibility. They didn't have a full run like back on 'Seph, but the Peerless sported a bench, some weights, and a fine sit up machine. The dumbells took a minute to figure out, since they were secured in place with a bar, but he figured it out without using the 'manual' or asking anyone. Vi wasn't tired though, he was loose, and he really wanted to take a run, but that was a ways off yet. He needed to check in with Davis about the mission in a bit, but before that, he wanted to get some chow.

It didn't take three steps into his room before Vitale saw his drawer left open, and his stuff rifled through. Nate. A glance at Nate's bunk told him that the jackhole didn't know how to ask to borrow stuff. It was ok, he had eaten Nate's crackers without bothering to ask, so, fair play. He set his bag down on his bunk and reached down to the drawer for his shower stuff. It was lipped open a bit. He swore quietly, and jerked it open. The whole of yesterday's stowing had been mangled, and he felt a tense vessel in his forehead bulge, as he searched to the bottom. That Bei Bi Shiou Ren had NOT done it Again!

Vi slammed the drawer shut and stalked away towards her room. He entered without asking, or knocking, or anything of request. He knew exactly where she'd put it, and by God, he was going to get it back! But as he stepped in, it became quickly apparent that the whole crew was partaking, and Keller was the bartender. "Untrustworthy, unethical bitch!!!" He hollered as she saw him, and nonchalantly turned to acknowledge him.

[/color] She had expected to get Vitale's attention, though she had a moment wondering if he'd noticed that she'd stolen her thong back first, or the whiskey. It was kind of like the chicken - egg question, though, as it didn't matter right now because the rooster was back and crowing. She didn't mind, though... it was the little shit like this that made the boat actually feel --- homey, if that was even a word.[/ul]

Vitale ignored her comment's lackluster, and took a step forward, "You stole my whiskey again! You know how long it took me to find it the first time?!" She'd taken it several days prior to this event, and now everyone was indulging. What happened to honor amongst thieves?

[/color] The whiskey had been a gift intended for the esteemed captain from Onas Knox. In all honesty, she'd probably have never touched it if she hadn't found it under Vitale's mattress when he'd gotten up for a bathroom break. Hey, she wasn't sleeping with him, but that sure as hell didn't mean professional distance. She probably should have waited before she ditched him for some alone time with the bottle in her bunk, though. As it turned out, men were a little more privvy to women leaving without goodbye's than vice versa... or maybe it was just her.[/ul]

Vi continued to ignore the room entirely, instead he shook his fist at Keller, "But he doesn't know that ya puh da hou ten!" Vitale stepped closer to Keller, reaching out for the bottle as she recoiled with it.

[/color] And with that Gunn stood, bottle in her left hand, pulling free the crumpled powder blue garment and waving it for emphasis.[/ul]

Vi snatched the underwear from her hand, "A lesson, dear one, about stealing from fellow crew mates. One which you obviously did not learn! Gimme back my whiskey!" He flung the thong over his shoulder, and stepped at her again, and again she sidestepped him.

[/color][/ul]

Tali hesitated for a minute, that was worth a moments consideration, he had actually take most of her underwear, problably all of it. Though, only that pair had been with the bottle... Call it a trophy "That was two days ago, what the hell are you wea-... no... never mind. And you left with MY WHISKEY and no goodbye! And that's forgetting the fact that I had to wait fifteen minutes till 'Rio left to get to my room. Stop sandbaggin and gimme what is mine, or so help me God!"

"Thank God I missed that 'un," Nate interjected under his voice.

[/color] When Nate contorted his face, she glanced back toward Vitale. "That was funny 'cause you knew! There are no moral lessons to panty raids, hot shot, and it ain't your gorram whiskey."[/ul]

Nate laughed again, shaking his head and watching with keen interest.

"It is my whiskey, I stole it fair and square!" Vi stepped forward swiping again, but she again was too fast. Then he turned on Nate, "And You! You let her take it!"

"Hey, I didn't know she took it from you, it could have been anybody's!" Came his indignant response. His eyes were nearly innocent. Vitale rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"Oh Yeah? Who's copy of march is lying on your bunk?" Vi stepped between Keller and her bunk, then took a step back.

"UHM.... SEE WHAT HAD HAPPENED WAS... UHM..." Nate floundered audibly for a moment before coming out with, "It was a gift. Today's my birthday."

"A GIFT FROM MY DRAWER! Birthday my ass... Keller..You're forcin my hand!" He reached his hand inbetween her mattress and boxspring, and removed a thin, red box.

[/color] She scratched the back of her head, looking from Vitale to the box, then back to Vitale. It was kind of useless to resist. "Don't bring chocolate into a liquor fight." Nate laughed in the background, quieter for the attention that he'd gotten moments before.[/ul]

Vitale nodded his head and began to open the box, "You think I won't? The chocolates for the '30." He circled her again, stepping over Mai, and cutting Keller off from the doorway.

[/color] And she darted past Vitale and into the hallway with the bottle, fully intent on stowing it somewhere in a hurry.[/ul]

Vitale cussed as she got past him, tripping on Mai in the process. "I'm Eatin These Chocolates!" He screamed in protest, then he looked around the room at everyone, then he bored holes in Nate for his part in this, "Nate, get her bras! And grab all of her shoelaces and toilet paper!"

[/color] came from the hallway, even as the bearer of the voice seemed to be distancing herself.[/ul]

Nate's eyes widened. "Dude, she'll do it too, you better stop the bitch!! Those are collectibles!"

Vitale tossed the box to nate, "Keep it safe this time." He turned and hollered out her door, "WELL I'M EATING THE GORRAM CHOCOLATE!!" But there was no response, the little bitch had fled the area. Vitale started to size up his predicament in full. No way was she drinking his entire bottle of Sprout Thirty and him not getting an ounce. "I'm gettin' that damn whiskey back gorramit... Ok... ok."

Nate rubbed his eyes a little in what might or might not have been an exaggerated display of emotion. "Man... just thinkin' about her cuttin' up the Verbena Vixens made me a little emotional... shit, I don't even cry at funerals."

Vi threw her drawer open looking for leverage, then another. She'd moved her bag of stuff. Damn. "No she's not Nate, go to the room, get the stash and hide it.. hide it in Ollie's room, and make sure its where he cant find it. And stop sobbin, this whole thing is your fault! Mai, cut her off from the main galley, Dez, do a sweep of the third level... I'll circle around the by the shuttle bay. There's a box of chocolates in it for ya if you get the bottle, ok Move People, and don't let Davis see this!" He motioned for Mai and Desmond to follow him, "You comin Doc?"


_{(((OOC:Pathetic wretch: Bei Bi Shiou Ren, literally “shameless dirty little person”)))
(((OOC: All Keller(Gunn)'s lines submitted by Jules-the-empress-of-night. Thanks Jules!)))}

[Deleted]

Dez looked up as Vitale stepped in the room, halfway through his third shot and frozen mid shot as he watched the exchange in silence. Vitale was stealing underwear? What kinda freaky guy would do that, certainly not the gunsmith who subtly stuck the thong in his pocket so he could play a joke of his own. Or so he told himself, in reality however, his engine room got a new flag. Watching the rest of the exchange between the two, still holding the shot glass up to his lips, in rapt silence. Of course, when Keller ran past him he almost spilled his shot, which caused him to down it quickly before something happened and he lost it. Or Vitale decided to claim it for himself, this shot was his.

Dez stood when Vitale started issuing orders, ideas already forming in his mind. Shrugging he nodded, a grin plastered across his face. "Third level, gotcha Vitale. I'm holding you to that box of chocolate reward." Dez went out into the hallway and went straight for the stairs, evil plots already forming in his mind. "Don't touch her shit! I will help her get revenge!" He would help her for no other reason than because she was cute.

It didn't take him long to reach the third level, looking around he started walking around. Whistling softly as he nonchalantly searched the deck. "So Vitale is searching for that whiskey... I say we have some fun darlin'." He offered, looking around the deck almost lazily. He didn't know if it was the trace amounts of alcohol in his system, or his own natural prankster nature, but he didn't frankly care. At least he wasn't shooting Vitale with a paintball gun or anything. Not yet anyway. "Why don't we pull one over on Vitale ourselves? So let me know where you are and we'll talk it out."

[Deleted]

As far as the good doctor went, she had remained standing, leaning into the doorframe and sampling the drink when it was offered. Just a glass. The arrival of Matheson earned him a nod, and with the coaxing they had managed to get the doctor to come on inside to this open bar, however she was already looking for an excuse, or an exit to retreat back to either her own quarters or the infirmary itself. She was probably going to live and die in that room.

Her task had been completed, of course, Atkin had taken his little tube, snatching the cream out of her grasp in order to hit it in his palm - considering the lack of pants.

Then, of course, came the domestic exchange between the now returned Vitale and Keller. An exchange Ros hadn't ever witnessed before - probably considering she'd been an only child and never had kids of her own. Because this looked for all the world like a brother and sister squabbling over trivial matters. Stealing from one another until, no doubt, an adult would maybe need to step in and put them both in time-out. Of course, half the gathering were drunk. One drink wasn't exactly going to go straight to Merrick's head, but it had loosened her up by a fraction. So much so that she regarded the whole back and forth exchange very distantly, little glass cradled in her hand as the wall proceeded to prop her up.

When directly addressed, Ros blinked away the slight daze she had fallen into just to deal with the silliness of the situation around her. Was this the crew she'd signed with? Well, yes, and somehow she wasn't surprised by it all.

"Oh, I'll, uh... wait here. See if anything turns up." Like the whiskey. Ros wasn't about to go running all over the ship to catch Keller. Could be she'd wait for them all the run off and just come back to her room to stash the booze.

Not that Ros was really looking to help, here. She was just... supervising. Make sure nobody was seriously injured. If a fight broke out, they'd all be lined up in her medbay before too long. Davis might not appreciate whatever his wayward crew were getting up to in their free hours, but Ros wasn't going to tell him.

He'd hear it soon it, enough, most likely.

She gave Vitale a little wave, motioning him to get running if he was going to save his ill-gotten - apparently - whiskey.