driftfleet | (no subject)

[It would be far too much to hope for another alien on this ship. Aside from Vash, who was alien only based on his say-so, Garak seems to be the only non-human in this entire fleet. A pity, but something that he's unfortunately used to. At least it's not Bajorans; these people have no real reason to hate him on sight.

He smiles politely as he enters the galley. The woman there looks captain-like-- she looks relaxed, and judging by that yelling, used to being obeyed. That's a bit of a relief; it would be a pity to have deal with incompetence.]

Garak. Your newest crew member.

[He nods politely and takes a seat-- right where he can view the door, of course.]

[the Red Fish's resident security officer is not far behind... he's dressed in his heavy wool coat and a full face of skullish paint, as usual. his dimly-glowing orange eyes add to the theatrical menace, and he doesn't bother being subtle with looking Garak over as he enters... but at least when he grabs a chair, it's just to drag it against the wall near the door instead of throwing it at someone.

he sits down. Coil should be right behind him.]

[and Coil is indeed right behind him. he had to be... retrieved, but he's at least tailing along obediently now. the kid's only a year or two over the middle of his adolescence, but he's full of scars and missing an eye, and his remaining one has the same eerie glow that Zhas' does--but in a dim moonglow white instead of orange. generally quiet and a little severe-looking.

and if Zhas is going to sit near the wall, Coil is going to remain one step more distant, and just stand near his skullfaced superior. sitting is apparently for chumps.

Garak receives the same sort of greeting--one sharp little eye darting over his face, silently tallying up little judgements.]

[She looks over the remainder of her crew and... perhaps just sighs a little, very softly. She'd very much appreciate Cecil's presence right now. A friendly face for the new guy, who after all hasn't done anything to anyone yet, as little as they might know about him.

But there's no use dwelling on what can't be changed, so with practiced ease Hange pushes the wish down until it disappears. A boat scuttled.]

These two aren't a friendly bunch, Garak. I apologize on their behalf.

[Zhas gets a bit of a pointed look. She expects him to uphold a reasonable standard, at least.]

Meet Zhas and Coil. [She gestures to each of them as she speaks.] Zhas is a security officer, Coil is a lab tech - like me. The captain position is separate, since it isn't obvious. Welcome to the Red Fish.

[He raises a ridge-- not a captain, then-- and offers all three a charming smile. It's not a particularly sincere smile, of course, but at least it's more than the other two are offering.]

No apologizes needed. I'm aware not all humans are particularly used to aliens; it's hardly their fault.

[To both of them:]

I promise I shan't bite, you know. You don't have to be afraid.

[despite Hange's pointed look, he doesn't seem to change. at all. he might not even blink, if we're taking details. but after a long moment of dense humorlessness, he glances back at Coil and gestures for him to stand in the room. 'Don't be rude', he signs.

and then, hey, okay. he faces the room again, crossing his arms. trying this from another angle. in his usual gravelly monotone:]

What do you do.

[the 'afraid' comment almost warrants a narrower glance, but then Zhas pulls his attention over so he can read the signs.

fine, fine. he steps into the room like he's sort of part of this group, but he doesn't leave the wall or the vicinity of Zhas' side. he folds his arms, leans against the wall, and looks particularly teenagery.]

[This is already some bullshit. She really wishes Cecil was here at this moment... someone else who knew how to get along with others professionally. And she's already kind of making a note that she'll need to talk to Zhas later.

For the moment she smiles... in a professional manner. She's itching to ask Garak some more questions, but right now she'd rather prioritize putting him at ease and getting the crew used to each other in some slight... fashion...]

That's a good question, Garak. I assume you've noticed your augment. Does you know what abilities it's endowed you with?

Communications, I believe. I certainly know a good deal more about them than I did before.

[And that's true, oddly enough. Not nearly as much as he'll pretend, but he's surprised to find himself armed with a good deal of new knowledge.

He glances over at the two boys.]

Beyond that, I used to be a tailor. If you need something made, do ask. I can't imagine skull-themed outfits are particularly popular.

[see, that was funny. he chuckles... or something like it, since his shoulders move and he smirks (under the grizzly, painted-on teeth) but doesn't really make much of a sound.]

That's good. We need both. Our previous communications officer has been gone for several months, and she left a substantial void.

[in what, exactly, is another story--though only Hange would know he might mean something other than skillsets. but look, he's relaxing. words are coming out of his mouth. he points to Coil, but continues speaking to Garak.]

Coil is mute, and you've already gathered that I don't like conversations.

[Coil glances in Zhas' direction as the skullface... sort of chuckles and then explains things. but it's more because of the amount of words coming out of his mouth than what is actually being said.

he always gets a little nervous when Zhas says a lot. and this definitely counts.]

[Better. Zhas gets a gold star. Hange's strictly professional smile eases somewhat into something more real.

She knows exactly what Zhas means by the void Nunally left, and agrees... but though it might well be a story it's one for a different time.]

Excellent. I'm also glad to hear that. We were getting a little heavy on guns and lab workers here, now we'll be more well-rounded.

I wouldn't be surprised if waystations and such offered fabric for purchase. That said, you'll need money to buy that and you get money by... well, being entertaining, seems to be the implication. Being active, meeting people, doing things. Whether or not you choose to believe that word for word, [and she doesn't necessarily,] that's why we've been brought here.

Mm, so I've heard.

[His smile fades just slightly; for the first time, Garak looks a bit more as he should: exhausted and displeased at being kidnapped. Again.]

Unfortunately, I'm not precisely the entertaining type. I suppose I'll simply have to go without for a good deal of time.

[good. Hange is happy and Coil is acting less like a sullen brat.]

I'll split. I don't care.

[he tilts a little in Coil's direction so that he can multitask and sign to him again, asking him if he wants the lab upgraded, or something else.]

[oh, he's so relieved to have something else to focus his attention on. he can clip himself right out of the other conversation--whether he really should or not--and focus on what Zhas is asking him.

with abbreviated little gestures, the signing equivalent of whispering, he conveys that he looked already. there is no available lab upgrade. so, he doesn't care.]

[Hange knows they're talking, though she's not tracking what about, for the moment. She'd be pleased Zhas brought up upgrades though. Another item on the agenda.]

That may not be necessary, boys... Garak, you might surprise yourself, your personality might appeal to people in different ways.

Besides, we might be able to take a proactive approach and scare up more cash ourselves. If you keep your ear to the ground, you'll hear tell of little jobs... I'd rather we were cautious about sending crew members out without backup, but if a job calls for two or even three people, in my opinion we should consider taking some of those. It'll keep everyone busy and potentially rustle up some money. Thoughts?

A far better prospect than entertaining, and one I wholeheartedly support.

[He glances up at the two boys.]

Is there so much work on the ships that we need to worry about sending too many people out at once?

[the line of his skullish mouth presses thin; he's obviously got a couple of reservations. he didn't like group work when "mother dearest" told him to do it, and he likes the idea of doing jobs for complete strangers even less.

so he shakes his head to Garak and gives that so-so gesture of his. Zhas is not totally on board.]

[ugh, Coil wanted to not be part of this conversation at all, but he suddenly finds that he has input to share. and because of circumstances he'd grown accustomed to before being pulled to this world, he 'speaks up' before he really thinks about it.

first, he automatically starts signing toward Hange... but it isn't easy, spelled-out words. so, he stops and corrects himself, turning to Zhas instead. maybe he'll... be okay with playing translator. he maybe should have asked first, but it's too late for that now.

it's a little confused, but he relays the point that he works just fine on his own. he's done it a lot. he can make money by himself.]

[She has stuff to say in response to both Garak and somewhat to Zhas, but now she holds up her hand to everyone, looking at Zhas. Translate, please; she would like to hear what Coil has to say.]

[he pays attention. this is news to Zhas, too, even if it doesn't take a great stretch of the imagination... and while he doesn't like speaking for himself, he'll talk for Coil without hesitation.]

...Says he'll do fine on his own. He's got a lot of experience making money by himself in situations like these.

[She nods slightly... all right, points one by one:]

Garak: it's not so much that I'm concerned about the ship as I am concerned about our safety. We don't know quite yet what this universe has to throw at us, and so far every situation has had something new. I wouldn't want to send out one person without another to watch their back. At the same time, four could get unwieldy.

Anyway. [More to Zhas and Coil now.] A job situation might be simple, but a potential hostage situation or kidnapping... might be good for our pocketbooks, but sounds like a potential mess to me. I'd rather not send one person out without some backup.

Either way, it's not something we need to commit to now. We can keep our eyes and ears open, see what kind of opportunities come up, and see if we have the requisite skills to fulfill them. Without one person gallivanting off alone. [A short but pointed glance at Coil; it seems like a risk in this case. Anyway, with that she has nothing more to say on the topic personally.]

[He nods, privately agreeing. Hange seems entirely sensible; he's quite pleased she seems to be in charge. At the mention of kidnapping, though, his ridges raise-- that's something he'll ask about later. Goodness, this ship might be better than he thought, if they're not so morally uptight.]

Might I ask what skills each of you possess? Beyond your augments, obviously.

[He asks it with wide eyes, going for intrigued and slightly awed.]

[...and suddenly, Zhas becomes acutely aware that torture, murder, and necromancy--however true--are not very acceptable answers. especially towards someone who says that he's just a tailor. face ridges or no.

...but he fails to think of any acceptable substitutes, and just... kind of... looks over towards Coil. any ideas, buddy?]

[Coil is doing his own thing by looking off somewhere neutral and uninvolved while the conversation rolls forward... until he hears no answer from Zhas.

...and when he finally glances over at the silence, he's suddenly caught by Zhas already looking at him.

there is a moment of somewhat hilarious blinking as Coil is caught uncharacteristically off-guard. so much so that he just automatically shrugs in defense!

it's not their finest moment.]