Flying Without Wings

Posted on Sun Sep 20th, 2020 @ 10:32am by James Thomson & Alden Loxley & Alison Bliss & Karen Dawson MD & Tristan & Daiyu & Chloe Waltz PhD

Mission: The Milk Run
Location: Hera Boneyards - Fortune's Echo
Timeline: Day 14 Evening

Somehow it seemed fitting that they were stuck hanging out in the semi-repaired Firefly, to say their official goodbyes. It felt as if the Fortune's Echo, sat on the cliff edge of Serenity Valley boneyards, needed their company right now too, in her own moment of discomfort and pain. It felt as if the ship missed Noah as much as those who had cared for him did.

Alden and Karen had taken the shuttle into town to pick up supplies, he'd briefly introduced Chloe to everyone, and the galley was now home to more alcohol and food than they could surely consume in one evening. A send-off, a proper one worthy of the recently deceased engineer, however, deserved excess. It certainly looked as if that was the theme, pretty coloured bottles decorating the central table, and trays of prepared food littering the counters. There was no bunting, but Alden had turned on the multi-coloured fairy lights strewn all around the room, the ones they saved for special occasions.

They'd been drinking for a little while now, and the Echo's Captain currently stood up on the table's top, holding a beer bottle as if it were a microphone, belting out the lyrics to a song that reminded him of Noah.

Chloe was never much of a drinker, but she had grown used to work events and stuff, which she tried to pretend this simply was. She sat a bit away from the strangers, drinking just the smallest bit so that she might "blend in" with the others, but not enough to actually feel anything from it. She tried to stay cheerful - but she hadn't met Noah, so this send-off meant little to her, and the prospect of leaving the Core behind was daunting, to say the least.

Karen had begun the subtle shuffle with a plate of cheese danishes and a cold, dark bottle of ale. The goal was to mingle casually as she expertly headed for an exit, then slip out unnoticed.

Trick was, she was sure Alden or Alison was likely to keep her from achieving her goal. So for the moment, Karen found herself standing in front of the table of food. There she began to nibble on her plate.

Although she had spent the day with the rest of the crew, Niamh had kept her distance from the crew for most of the day, leaving them to their grief. So far, she'd mostly been keeping an eye on Alden's deliquent cousin to ensure he remained on his best behaviour; she'd figured today of all days was the day that Alden deserved a break. James had been quiet for most of the day and had sequestered himself out on the fringes of the celebration with nothing but a bottle of whisky for company. She could tell guilt was his burden but he'd dismissed every attempt to talk about it; apparently he didn't care to vent.

She'd left his side with a polite smile and the promise that she'd return a couple of minutes prior, satisfied the younger Ezran had no intention of being himself and was quite content to wallow at a distance. After grabbing herself a drink she made her way to Karen's side, unable to help herself once she'd noticed the doctor's own reluctance to participate.

"He carries quite the tune, right?" she said once she'd come to a stop, half smiling. It was true, despite his inebriated state she had to admit he was pleasant enough to listen too.

"Think I'd prefer him on the guitar," Karen replied as she mock-cleaned her left ear out with a pinky.

Niamh's grin grew, "Don't let the kid hear you saying that, might hurt his feelings" she joked observing Alden being freer than she'd ever seen. It pleased her regardless of his abilities at current.

Karen nodded with a small laugh and subtle shift toward the exit. Much as she'd love to stay and see Alden make a fool of himself, she really did not want her dour mood to dampen this celebration.

Alison was sitting on the sofa, with her legs on the sofa, a glass of whiskey on the rocks in her hand. She didn’t feel the whole concept of the party honestly and as far as she could see, only the captain was having a good time. She was sitting in tight-fitting denim pants, white tank top, bra-less and barefoot observing people and softly smiling.
“Captain, maybe we call it off, since Karen is already leaving.”

Like a five year old, Alden stuck his thumb against his nose and waggled the fingers of his upright palm at Alison. But he jumped down, a surprisingly agile move with a 'Ta-da!' as his boots hit the decking. Pointedly ignoring Ali's luxuriously draped form, Alden made a beeline for Chloe, who was quietly sat all on her lonesome.

Making her first entry into the gathering, Daiyu carried a ceramic dish with reverent hands. It seemed empty at first glance, but upon closer inspection a potpourri of various herbs, clippings, and other assorted materials could be seen within it. Setting it on the table in front of everyone, Daiyu began sparking a flint with aggressive determination until her incense finally lit. Once it caught fire, she removed a bundle of small sticks from her pocket and began lighting them. Finally, she began to pass them out without any explanation.

The Echo's captain reverently took a lit stick from the young woman. "Thank you, Daiyu," Alden said, tone filled with warm sincerity which was slightly aided by the handful of beers already soaked into his bloodstream. "Chloe, take one too," he coaxed their new addition.

"Thanks," Chloe said quietly as she took a stick of incense from Daiyu. The woman stared at it for a moment, confused. She really didn't like incense. She had always been sensitive to scents, and incense was just... too much... for her. But she wouldn't dare be rude and refuse a gift from her new temporary crew. The engineer gave a slight smile of forced gratitude.

Daiyu went back to the table, knelt down before the bowl of incense, and began to inhale deeply. After a moment of a solemn stone-faced expression, she started to giggle. Once she started, it was like a dam breaking. Waves of giggling overtook her until she hugged her stomach and fell on the floor laughing.

Chloe looked at Daiyu, the strange laughing crew member. She had no idea what that girl's role was on the ship. Was she normally like this? Or was she drunk? Either way, this was a stark difference from the formal, prissy gatherings of the Core. It only served to make Chloe even further from home, and the woman felt herself tense. "Here," she said, handing the incense towards Alden without about as little explanation as Daiyu gave. She just wanted it out of her face and Alden was the closest person to her.

Alison took offered stick on fire by Daiyu and her eyebrow shot up. She didn't say anything as Daiyu remained silent about the ordeal.

"I guess to the alcohol intoxication we can add herb inhalation." She murmured under her breath waiting for things to develop.

"Uh..." Karen plucked a stick out as well and handed it to Alden. "Yeah... represent me as well. I'm not in the mood for this type of shindig anyway."

"Wow. What a team spirit. I feel like in real family, when people are supportive, accepting and together." Alison commented. She could understand Chloe not wanting to have anything in common with the crew. After all, she wasn't part of it. But Karen... it felt a bit disappointing.

"Back-off-Alison," Karen warned through gritted teeth, then swiftly made for the aft exit of the dining room with her plate of danishes and bottle of beer in hand.

Alison raised her hands in surrendering gesture when Karen barked at her.
"Backing off." She said obediently.

As Daiyu tried to pick her simpering self off the floor, she found herself with a pristine lack of balance. Her arms began tangling in her loose blouse, so she began pulling it off.

"Why is it so hot in here?" she groaned.

Before her top had cleared her head, she dropped her trousers and tried kicking them off. Instead, she managed to trip and fall onto the table which scattered the incense everywhere. She caught a heavy whiff and started chuckling again.

"Ah... yeah..." Daiyu chuckled ever so softly and began to nod off right there on the floor.

Alison eyed Alden with unspoken question in her eyes before she put her bare feet on the ground and stood up.

"Well, I guess I'll take my leave as well, captain. I am not interested in drugs today." She announced and headed out putting off the fire on the stick and leaving it by the door.

By this point, surrounded in the relatively confined space of the rapidly becoming less crowded galley, Alden had already inhaled more than enough of Daiyu's herbal concoction to be grinning soporifically back at the three of them - Chloe, Karen and Alison. He waved to Karen as the Doc left, giggled a little at the bitchy to and fro and then stared intently at the Echo's co-owner as she decided she was also leaving.

"Wassa matta? Going to get giggly with your girlfriend again?" Alden asked, a stupid smile on his face as he pulled his shirt off over his head and lobbed it over his head to land over the reclining Daiyu like a tent. "It's too hot," he told the departed Ali. "Too many things are happening..."

Chloe looked confused. She felt strange... strange, but not bad. She looked intently at the floor, not noticing when Daiyu took off her shirt. She did look up when the two women left though. Drugs? What drugs? Only then did he notice Daiyu. What a... strange crew. This never would have happened back in the Core, to Chloe's estimation.

When Alden's shirt landed on her face, Daiyu woke up screaming and fighting at the oversized garment draped over her face. "What?! Hey! Where... who... Help!!!"

Chloe stood up when Alden's shirt landed on Daiyu. "Is, this, uh..." Chloe hesitated. Things were getting rowdy in here. Did... did the two want some privacy? By now she had realized the "incense" was some sort of drug. Was it something sexual? "Should I go?" She asked, towards Alden. Despite his state, Chloe just automatically deferred authority to the Captain.

Alden looked from Chloe to the sound of screaming and back to Chloe again. Chloe was steady and strong, sure and some other s-words his brain started to conjure up for no apparent reason as it simply followed the theme. Drugs? He frowned, then grinned a soporific smile as he sat down, cross-legged on the floor, canted his head to the side and looked up at the newly loaned engineer.

"Sorry," said the Echo's captain. "Was sposed to be a good night. Say b-bye to Noah. Now's messed up some. Fuzzy." He looked confused, but happy about it, eyes unfocused and distant yet still somehow focused on Chloe as if she were a lifeline. "Find James," he said, then scooched his backside across the floor to lift his shirt off Daiyu's noisy little form.

"Hey, lil bean," Alden told her, voice happy and softly slurred. "S'okay. Ssshh. Jussa shirt, see? You need a cuddle?"

Daiyu let out a chuckle. "Nipplewort. Sticky Willy. Sausage tree... No, no, that's not right." Lazily turning to face Alden, she said, "I mixed up the incense and I don't know what to do because I don't know what I got wrong and-and-and-and-and-" Her repetition broke down into giggling. "Now we're in a cuddle puddle!"

Chloe just sort of looked away. She found this situation oddly comedic - and she found it even stranger that she felt that way. She could still smell the... the whatever. Should she leave? That would probably be most appropriate. But it felt strange to walk so soon on the ship without a proper escort. They really shouldn't trust her, did they? Not with the Captain in a position like this. Maybe she should join in this... "cuddle puddle". But that would feel just as wrong. Instead, Chloe awkwardly sat there, looking down at the table to avoid eye contact and staying as far away from the "incense" as possible.

"Sausage tree, Silly Willy," Alden repeated, amusing himself in a little circle of 'speak the word, make yourself laugh'. "Didn't do nuthin' wrong, Mei Mei," he chastised Daiyu lightly. "S'good. Nekkid feels shiny. Mostly nekkid..." He looked from one young woman to the other and beckoned to Chloe. "C'mon, Piow Liang, you look sad, come snuggle." He smiled. "Bring food!" He added, enthusiastically.

James sauntered over, the pain in his leg quickly forgotten as the effects of Daiyu's incense enveloped his senses. He didn't let it overwhelm him though, just accepted the ride it wanted to take him along. Reaching the trio, he looked down at his cousin and Daiyu, "ain't nobody wants to come down there, Alden" he drawled, his eyes awash with mischief before turning to face Chloe, "Sorry about that, he doesn't get out much," he joked with a lopsided grin.

"Help... help me up," Daiyu said as she grabbed for James' hand. Her grip was nearly nonexistent, though, which led to her slipping and grabbing onto his leg for support. It didn't help much. Daiyu fell back onto Alden and dragged James after her. "Gah ài ya!"

There followed a muffled howl as two bodies aimed at him, but the weight of the drugs in Alden's system temprorarily overwhelmed that of his injuries.

"If that's someone-" Chloe stopped herself, mid-sentence. She was going to try for a joke and say "if that's someone who doesn't get out much, I'd want to see someone who does," then changed her mind. Did that even make sense? She didn't really know. Nor did she know this other man, who seemed slightly more sober than the other two. She hadn't really gotten to know the whole crew yet. "I-sorry," Chloe muttered, apologizing to James for her failures at speaking.

James laughed heartily, bearly registering the thud that shook his body as he met the floor, "Don't be sorry, this is weird" James acknowledged as he clumsily climbed back to his feet, a task that felt harder than it should. How was it that he felt light but heavy at the same time? Once stood his extended his arms towards Daiyu, palms up and waited for her to be ready for attempt 2. "We honestly aren't normally like this, heck, Alden's usually the one keeping us all on our best behaviour," he said over his shoulder to Chloe.

Alden, meanwhile, lay flat out on the floor and stared wistfully up at the ceiling, one hand on his belly, the other on his bandaged shoulder. He couldn't feel it, only see the colours emanating from him like a rainbow cloud. Mesmerising, all encompassing.

"But he needs this," James concluded, "I think we all do, I think you might too" James suggested. He'd spent most of the morning with Alden's therapist friend. He expected it was to keep him in line, but he actually felt like she'd taught a lot as she'd helped him process the day through her eyes, "and don't worry about being embarrassed, ain't one person on this ship is going to judge you" He finished, his tone earnest.

The door to the room opened as Tristan took a few steps in, giving the scene an odd look as he perused the people in attendance. "Sorry I'm late," he said, softly, as he closed the door behind him. "What's going on?"

"Hey, lil fella," a semi-naked Alden cooed up at Tristan from the floor beside the galley's table. "S'notsafehere," he warned, the stupid smile on his face belying that promise of danger. "Mei Mei Mix made me muzzy minded," there was a silly chuckle followed by a sideways roll and the Echo's Captain tried to sit up. "Ow," he noted with amusement rather than any overy sign of pain, and Alden lay back down again, palm flat against his bandaged belly. "Imma gonna stay here..." Then, as an afterthought... "Trisss... pass fooood?"

"I would never go so low," Chloe responded to James, as if on instinct. Sure, there were many awful things about her, but she had always been raised on the straight and narrow. She hardly drank, much less did whatever sort of drugs this was. She didn't even think about how that might offend those others on the ship. It simply didn't cross her mind.

James shrugged, "I see," he said thoughtfully as he considered how deeply strange the events unfolding around them probably seemed for Chloe. "There isn't much to do out on the border, you know? For most of us, this is as good as it gets" he explained. He didn't begrudge his life though until his mother died life on Ezra had been good. Things didn't truly start going to shit until he started working for Niska. "Way I see it, you wouldn't say no to a painkiller for pain, this is just a painkiller for the head."

"My head is all I have to rely on," Chloe responded with a shrug, justifying things more to herself than to James. She wasn't strong; she wasn't pretty; she wasn't a fighter. If she were to dull her mind, even just for a bit, she'd lose her one advantage in life, and advantage that she especially needed out here among strangers.

"We have each other," James quipped looking down at Alden with a soft smile. A rare gesture reserved only for his closest family members. "Don't get me wrong, we all have our own smarts, but together we're a tough nut to crack. If we'd have been on our toes..." he stopped, the light buzz in his mind resisting his accidental attempt to shift the focus back to what their little party was really about. "What I mean is that it's great to be able to take care of yourself, I'm the same. But it's better having people to back you up sometimes, makes the unbearable more bearable", he cursed mentally once he took in what he was saying. He was resolute that he wouldn't be spending time with their new counsellor, she made him too reflective.

James did not reflect.

Without a warning, he dropped down and scooped his taller and much heavier cousin up on to his feet, "Give it time and you'll see what I mean" James promised, turning his attention to Tristan, "Could you give me a hand with this lump?" He asked, his tone jovial, but beneath the surface, the pain from his injuries was resurfacing, nothing major but the dull ache was enough to remind the younger Ezran to push it.

"Bù xíng!" Daiyu griped as she pawed at James' and Aldren's legs. "Take me with you! I... I can't get up by myself." Her body got dragged along the floor before finally making them both trip up. Seeing them tumble to the floor incited another round of rare giggles from the scarred young woman. "Duì bù qi..." Sorry. The rapid-fire laughing did not seem overly sincere though.

Certain Alden could stand alone, if only for a beat, James dropped down, gesturing over his shoulder with his thumb, "All aboard the James' express, departure imminent," he joked as he offered to carry her on his back, he had no doubt her grip would be sufficient enough for him to focus on bearing his cousin's weight too. Besides, how could he not accept when her apology qualified as the kindest thing she'd said to him.

Daiyu did her best to mount the larger man's burly shoulders, but her fingers just wouldn't cooperate. She let out a cooing moan as she gripped him. It felt... strange. And then she lost her grip, which sent her sliding down the length of his body and back onto the floor. She landed on her posterior with a hard thud.

"Oww!" The sound of her outcry in her own ears made her start laughing again. "Again!"

Clambering up his leg, Daiyu began to climb James like a spider in a sink -- unsuccessfully.

Seeing everybody making their exit in James' arms, Chloe finally worked up the nerve to slip out. However, instead of following James and them, she branched off, making her way towards her room and away from this chaos.

"Shoulders," mumbled Alden as he wobbled in place, then grabbed a steady hold of his cousin's upper arm. "Daiyu, shoulders," he repeated, and with a grunt of effort, a big paw of a hand gripped her backside and hoisted her upwards to sit aboard his own. "Sit! Stay!" Alden chimed assertively. "James," he ordered. "S'go. Bed. Sleepy time."

"Watch your hands!" Daiyu squealed in a flash of anger. Then when her body weight shifted against James, she started giggling again. She let out a whoop of joy at being carried. "To bed!"

Preparing himself with a heavy sigh, James began the unnecessarily arduous task of taking the two oddballs to bed. He could feel the pain returning but he smiled to himself regardless. After recent events, the laughter of his cousin and Daiyu were like music to ears. He'd take something for the pain when he got back to his bunk, but for now, the James express was in full transit and the crew may or may not have heard him hamming it up along the way to his stops.