"Maybe you folk are just spending more time down here than up there, but it was somewhat plain to see." Neil said, flicking a spinning top that one of the youngsters had presented him. The child laughed with glee and clapped his hands, watching the top as if mesmerized. It spun in a blur on Neil's finger. 

"Don't you dare insult our bravery!" Javier shouted, stomping forward threateningly. Neil nearly dropped the top at the sudden outburst, but he didn't seem perturbed or offended. Taya had seemed to have gotten somewhat cozy, albeit shyly, with the older boy at the table. As long as she didn't expect to steal him onto their ship, she could cast wayward glances all she wanted. Though both she and the boy shrank back when Javier yelled. 

"I'm not insulting anybody. Just saying you've been down here a lot, right?" Neil asked, bumping the top up to spin midair before he caught it. The dexterous pilot knelt down and handed it to the boy. "I think it's smart you folk are down here, what with the kids. It's sort of why I don't want kids. Keeps me from doing fun shit like blowing stuff up and going on vacation." Javier still looked rightly pissed off, but Neil paid him no mind. "Anyway, can you tell us about who's controlling the Spiders?"

Junebug raised an eyebrow at that, curious herself. Javier's angered seemed to have disippated and he swallowed uneasily, suddenly nervous at the prospect of speaking about it. Magdalena spoke up instead. "His name is Ungol," She said, brow furrowed. She tugged at her braid absently. "I've only see him once from far off. He's half machine...and he's huge. He has six steel legs like-" 

"Like a Spider." Neil finished. 

"Spiders have eight legs." Junebug corrected him. 

"Look, I know. But he has two arms as well, right?" 

"They can't say I'm with you for your brains," She muttered teasingly. If Neil wasn't in front of the children and their parents he would have tackled her then and there. He just crossed his arms and mumbled to himself, and she ruffled his mane of hair. Magdalenda cleared her throat to draw attention, though it wasn't their attention. She gestured to multiple stacks of bowls, and one by one her kids got up and went to help serve the table. 

"Please, sit. It's not often we have guests. Particularly ones who save our skins." The middle aged woman bade them, and returned to filling the bowls with a ladle. Javier for all his bluster didn't help. He just sat at the table with the guests, looking tired and put off by anything and everything. Neil guessed he was one of those men who did very little but worried over much and considered it 'working'. 

"So where can we find Ungol?" Junebug asked as she was given her bowl. The question was met with abject silence. She didn't notice it until she had a spoonful of broth in her mouth. "What? We just met the Scorpion's leader."
[@Penny]