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Who: The fine crew of the SS Red Fish!
Broadcast: Probably not so much...
Action: You betcha.
When: Barely forward-dated to Halloween!

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[welcome to the Red Fish, the ship that always looks ready for Halloween anyway.

while today is a popular Earth holiday, it's also Zhas' birthday, and he has probably mentioned it to everyone on board in an unsubtle way over the last few weeks. there are a hilarious number of jack-o-lanterns around the ship, showing off skull-face carvings of... varying quality. thanks, Syeira!

what's in store on this spooky night? HILARITY, probably.]

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a )

[Arthur is... drunk. Very drunk. It started with a couple glasses, and then he realized maybe he had more than that when he stood up.

He seems very happy at least, greeting anyone who approaches. But, at the moment, he's sitting at the table, stacking kitchen items on top of each other like a strange version of Jenga.]

Don't break my concentration, [he warns whoever's approaching, his eyes set on his pile as he tries to put a ladle at the tippy-top.]

b )

[After that, he's winding down to sleepy and drunk, and he tries to appear bright-eyed and sober while slumping over in his seat, his chin in his hand and elbow slipping on the table now and then. In his other hand, he has a pen, and he's doodling on his sketchpad, now and then drawing the people at the party (his drawing skills are remarkably still pretty good while drunk), the Penrose steps, and words, scribbled notes about dreams and imagery and metaphor.]

[Coil is not much of a drinker, and it only partially has to do with the fact that he is considered too young for it in most places in the world. but there is one day a year that he doesn't believe that he has much choice in the matter--and that day is today.

he'd stopped fighting the drinks that Zhas had pushed into his hand early on, because it was easier to just give up than suffer all the badgering. and the more that Coil "joins in" on the "fun" of Zhas' birthday, the happier his normally-skull-faced partner seems to get. so... his cup is currently half empty, and it's not his first one of the night.

by now, an expertly-stacked tower of kitchen supplies is actually pretty fascinating. and he's not thinking about how distracting he might be when he leans around to try and get Arthur's attention by signing at him.]

[Arthur's surprise is over-exaggerated by how drunk he is, and he drops the ladle. It crashes onto his pile, and some of the objects topple over. He looks to his pile and sighs, but it's not really a big deal in his really happy brain right now.

His eyes flicker over to Coil, and he smiles.] Sorry. What were you saying?

...

[and Coil is so surprised by Arthur's surprise, and the clatter that follows, that he... totally loses track of what he'd been saying.

he blinks for a moment at the ailing tower of kitchen supplies, as if that might remind him, but he just ends up staring at Arthur after that.

Zhas has pushed more than one drink on him over the course of the night, after all.]

[Arthur smiles sheepishly.] Sorry, you... you just surprised me. I had a question for you, though, if you don't mind.

[Coil is apparently more emotive after a couple of drinks, because he can't hide his surprise. blinking a little, he straightens up, and lifts his chin in acknowledgement after a moment or two.

he can't imagine what Arthur might want to ask him, but he's listening.]

Well... [He scratches the back of his neck nervously.] I just- ah... What do you do with your hands? Is that ASL?

[after tilting his head a bit, he first forms the actual sign for 'signing,' before hesitantly nodding.]

Do you... think you could teach me some?

[Maybe that's not clear enough. He clears his throat, his fingers rapping nervously on the table.]

I mean, I'd like to be able to talk with you more easily.

[who knows how he would have reacted without a couple of drinks in his system... but as it is, the blink and sharp rise of his eyebrows clearly conveys the sentiment of ...really?]

[He smiles, trying to look like he knows how to be friends.] Well... we're crewmates, right? I'd like to get to know you.

She takes the seat across from him, folding her arms on the table, watching him sketch and try not fall face first into the page.

"Did you have fun?" She starts conversationally, with a tiny smile.

He looks up at her and practically lights up when he realizes it's her, grinning like a dope.

"Yes," he answers her. "Did you?"

"Yes," she smiles back. "I like birthdays."

She rests her chin on her folded hands, not quite as drunk as he is probably, but enough to be floaty happy.

"I'm considering getting Zhas drunk more often."

"Do you?" He laughs a little at her last statement, nodding. "Gotta say, he's not so bad."

"Told you so." She's beaming at that. Them getting along is great, her best friend and her boyfriend. Far preferable to them punching each other.

"Yeah, yeah," he says with a laugh. "You're usually right about things."

"Am I?" She chuckles, eyes a little bright with a touch of mischief. "I'll have to remember that for the future."

"Well..." he starts, frowning. "I need your advice, actually. I don't really have anything, but... should I get Zhas something? Is it too early in our... weird relationship?"

"Hmm." She's sober enough that she can take the question as seriously as she should. So she thinks about it.

"I think, right now, what matters is that you came. He...doesn't really expect gifts." She smiles, remembering his reaction to the sword and the bracelet. "If there's something you'd want to give him, then that would just be nice. Otherwise, there's no need to go out hunting for something. Being here, that's what matters."

His elbow slides on the table as he listens. "You really think so?"

He mulls that over. "Did you know he knows a lotta languages?"

His elbow slides too far, and he jumps, trying not to fall on the table. He clears his throat, pretending like that didn't happen.

She presses her lips together to prevent herself from laughing and giving away that she totally saw him almost face plant.

"I didn't. Which ones?" As if she will recognize any of them anyway, not being from Earth. But no one ever remembers that when talking to her. XD

"Um..." Which ones did he say? "English, Spanish, German... something, something. He knows more than me," he admits with a smile. He reaches for her hand. "How many do you speak? I mean, there's gotta... gotta be lotsa languages where you're from, right?"

Yeah, she has no idea what Spanish or German are. Though English is what they call Common, she's figured that out a while ago.

"I grew up with Common and Elven. I was given Drow not long before being brought to the fleet."

"What is Drow?"

He hiccups right after that question and puts a horrified hand over his mouth, his eyes dramatically wide and his eyebrows raised. "I may possibly be drunk."

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