Gotcha! [Tally] [M/TW]

[Rhi-Rhi]

Ari gave a small shrug.

"Towels are up there," he said, pointing up at the ceiling to indicate the next floor. "Ya want a towel or food, ya behave yourself. Whiny, stabby bitchboys get neither, got it? Now move it, chop chop."

He backed his way out of the cell--yeeeah, not gonna learn more hard lessons about turning his back on this one--and held the door open for him to follow.

[Tally]

"Yeah, you just keep callin' me that, chief.  Keep it up, talk, talk, talk while you can cuz I'm gonna shut you up."  Sometime.  Maybe.  Hopefully?  It felt like a hollow threat, even to him.

He still followed.  Still wanted that food and that towel.  Still needed to see more of the ship and find out what he was up against if he wanted to escape.

The button he'd been levitating for half the night lay in his pocket, for the next time he got a few hours alone.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Ari pushed Riot in front of him and shoved him toward the stairs, guiding him up them like a sheep dog. Or something like it.

"Yeah, well, my talk's come true, darlin'. Thus far you've just been blowin' a lotta hot air. Should put ya in with the engines, might be able to power this ship on your bullshittin'."

At the top, he opened the door--which would lead them out and into the ship proper.

"Now, question is, how am I gonna introduce ya? As a prisoner, or as crew?"

[Tally]

"Oh yeah?  Like, okay so, who was who gave you that stab wound again?  Uhhhhhh, oh yeah!  Me!  Bam, that's right."

Riot preceded Ari into the ship proper and squared his shoulders.  He still didn't know how he should answer this question.  Like, which was the smarter answer?  He could honor his pride or whatever and say prisoner, or try and be all deceptive and pretend to go along with it until he got the chance to escape, but would Ari even believe that?

"Ummm..."

[Rhi-Rhi]

Ari flashed Riot a smug smirk. It didn't matter that he was still in pain, popping pills like candy, and having to walk in a very careful, measured way to hide signs of his injury. He still felt on top here. He had come out on top here.

"I recall stabbin' you, too."

[Tally]

Riot sneered at the bad pun.  Sure, he wanted to throw a punch at Ari for it, but it was just so totally cheesy.  "Bleh.  Whatever.  I'm going to find food."

He knew crap all about where to find anything on this scrap heap, so he just started walking.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Ari grabbed Riot's shoulder before he could get far and held him still. "Hah, not yet you're not. Ya never answered my question, puppy."

[Tally]

Riot jerked his shoulder from Ari's grasp.  "Uh, yeah.  Like, y'know what?  I totally did give you an answer.  You just didn't like what it was."

If Ari thought that Riot was gonna go pirate after one cold night in a brig, then he clearly hadn't made enough of an impression yet.

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Humor me," Ari said with a wry smile. "Spell it out for me like I'm five."

[Tally]

"I ain't a pirate," Riot said.  "I'm better than that."

Ari had given him a lot to think about, but he wasn't about to throw away a lifetime devoted to Libra just on Ari's words.  If the pirate expected him to cave after one day in captivity, then he was just majorly underestimating Riot's obstinacy.

[Rhi-Rhi]

"There now, puppy, was that so hard? Usin' your words? We ain't all mind-readers here," Ari said with a wry grin and a wink.

"Just curious--what's your plan for after all this, anyhow? Y'know, when ya make your grand escape and bust out all heroic-like?"

[Tally]

"Fuck if I know," he muttered.  He hadn't thought that far ahead yet.  He hadn't thought beyond breakfast yet and Ari asking about it just made him feel stupid.  "Can we go now?  You gonna, like..."  He made a talky gesture with his hand. "...at me some more?"

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Ya don't know? Really? Well, I admire your honesty, darlin'. Way you'd been talkin', it sounded like ya had it all figured out."

With a shrug, Ari gave a little flourish to indicate Riot go on ahead of him. "Well, anyway, I figured out what to call ya. So go on then, doll."

[Tally]

"Gods, finally!  What-the-fuck-ever!"  Riot stormed onward.  He didn't know what was going on or what he was doing and now Ari was calling him some other shit name and just whatever!  He knew one thing.  One damn thing.  He knew food was this way, and this was the way he was going.

[Rhi-Rhi]

Ari along after Riot and herded him into the kitchen, nonchalant as ever.

"Man, someone's sure got a case of the grumps today," he said, heading toward a cabinet and pulling out a small packet. "You're like a PMSing chick. Ya need coffee or somethin'? Hope you're not a snob; we just got instant."

[Tally]

"Coffee," he confirmed.  Riot plopped down on one of the benches and aimed a sour look at Ari's back.  "So like, where's the rest of your posse?"

He was prepared to start an all out brawl with the crew to establish respect.  He'd want some caffeine before attempting that.

[Katie]

"Well, one of them is right here," said Alia. "Captain mine, how come he's walking around up here instead of locked up down in the brig?" She had a pretty bad bruise on her forehead from yesterday. Not that she thought she couldn't take him (and that had been some great flying), it was just that it wasn't generally accepted practice to not lock up your prisoners. Then again, Ari was in charge here. She didn't know why she even bothered being surprised.

[Rhi-Rhi]

"Well, good mornin' to ya too, sweetheart. Relatively speakin', of course," Ari greeted Alia without looking at her as he went about preparing the coffee--three cups, just in case. Zap the water, spoon in some powder, and bam. Deliciously cheap coffee. Didn't taste half bad with a lot of sugar and creamer.

He turned and slid the mugs to the two of them and held onto his own--his second cup so far today. Then he took a seat at the table--slowly, hoping neither noticed his stiffness, and carefully hiding his grimace by flashing Alia a winning grin.

"Now, as for him? Don'tcha worry. Riot and I, we had a little heart to heart. Worked our issues out all manly-like. He's gonna help us out. Plus I think he likes me. Couldn't keep his hands off me."

[Nix]

Ykan had stood silently in the door way watching Ari's movements carefully, after all he had heard about the stabbing and the stitches and the bitchboy. Well as long as everyone was moving past that then he could be his light and playful self.

He quietly moved to wrap his arms around Ari's neck from behind but was careful not to put any actual pressure on the captain's frame. "Mhmmmm how could anyone resist putting their hands-" He let one hand playfully slide down Ari's chest gently. "-all over this?" He grinned brightly before nuzziling Ari's cheek and looking up at Alia. "Good morning gorgeous~" He said in a put on, rather flamboyant tone as he untangled himself from Ari and approached the caffeine fiending pilot.

It was nice to not have to depend on coffee like some of the people on the ship. Mainly because Ykan couldn't stomach that crap. He took note of the red head but chose to ignore him for the moment. "You guys hungry? I was going to whip up some breakfast... maybe pancakes." And if he had to feed the prisoner, he'd drop them on the floor first.

[Tally]

Two crew members materialized like out of nowhere.  He hadn't even seen their approach.  Riot gave each of them a hard look, but they mostly ignored him in favor of kissing Ari's ass.

He didn't relax a bit, but he did accept the coffee, which he clasped in both hands and then forgot about.  He didn't deny what Ari'd said—couldn't, not without making himself the victim, and that was the last thing he could be here.  There'd be no hiding what happened between them.  Couldn't do nothin' but go along with it and beat the shit out of anyone who made an issue of it.