[h2]Supper With Shipmates - Part 2[/h2]

[img]https://i.imgur.com/3hmyNZI.jpg[/img]

JP/collab from [@wanderingwolf], [@Psych0Pomp], [@Aalakrys], [@Xandrya], [@Gunther]. [@Winters]. [@MK Blitzen], [@Yule], [@sail3695], and [color=ffd700]@LuckytheParrot[/color]



Rex was startled awake either by the smell of food or the hum of conversation; it was hard to tell which. He almost knocked the cup of cold coffee over as he immediately went into a stretch. Lucky let out a perturbed squawk before retreating to his place under Rex's coat. "What the hell?" He glanced around. "When did this happen?"

“Magic.” Mathias snickered with jazz hands before snagging a plate to load up with food. 

Alana tried her best to stifle a laugh even with her mouth full. No doubt the drinks from earlier that day had loosen her up a bit, causing her to find humor in just about anything. She reached for a smaller piece of salmon to give it a try. Truth be told, her taste for seafood wasn’t all there, but she was the adventurous type when it came to food either way. “Glad you could join us; heard you mumbling a whole lotta nothing in your sleep,” she went on matter-of-factly as if such a thing had actually happened.

Penelope was all innocent as she snagged up some more potatoes with the chopsticks she’d traded her spoon out for, for precision. That blanket had been there a while now, but she wasn’t going to own up to it when others were taking it in a different direction.

Cyd giggled at her twin’s response. “Hook the cook,” She put a piece of salmon on her own plate, then one for her brother. “Everything looks kiff, off the track, shot for it.” 

Rex rolled his eyes at their passengers. He then felt something tickle the back of his neck. Someone had put a blanket on him. Lucky hadn't said a damn thing, probably relishing the entire debacle. He just grumbled through the fog of sleep and reached for a plate, eyeing the vegetables like an alcoholic eyed a full bottle of gin.

“Help yourself,” Cal said with a full mouth, sliding an empty plate across the table to Rex.

With the table set and everyone digging into the food, Hook considered sitting next to Rex but preferred not to be near the bird. He chose a seat near Cal instead. Although he worked on a farm when he was young and got along well with horses and cows, he just didn’t know the bird. What the hell was it? It spoke and that just didn’t set well with Joe Hooker. He was just a bit uneasy around the bird.

Watching Joe take a seat, Cal set down his chopsticks and cleared his throat. “It’s good most everyone’s here because I promised certain people that I’d let you all in on our next job when I had it set. Tomorrow, we’re lifting off come afternoon to take on four-thousand pounds of tuna. It’ll be all hands-on deck to get it set and strapped, but that means we’re going to have ourselves a mighty fishy trip ahead of us to Greenleaf.” Cal lifted a glass to his lips before continuing. “In order to preserve our catch, we’re going to be flying without temp: we’re turning off atmo for the ship, so it’s gonna get cold.” Captain Strand surveyed the faces across the table from beneath the brim of his hat. “But I got a couple space heaters in storage, and we’ll break out the blankets. My sources say it’ll be about twenty-three degrees, but we’ll see when we get in the black.”

[i]Lesson learnt. Never turn the Doc down when she’s pushin’ pain pills.[/i]  Abby couldn’t be sure it was really her surgery doin’ tha main hurtin’, seein’s she let her legs git all burned an’ such.  Needless tah say they’s none too happy bein’ jammed inta a pair ‘o’ chinos.  As Cap’n filled ever’one all in on tha chilly run ahead, she limped in...like an old gramma...and lowered herself all careful like inta tha chair Pen waved her toward.  With a quiet ‘thank yew’ fer the pilot, the deckhand set tah work fillin’ her plate as folk passed the dishes her way.

“How long is this trip to Greenleaf?” Hook asked. He was thinking if the trip was too long, the crew would freeze to death, and they wouldn’t need whatever money they earned for the trip. But with space heaters, that might be just enough to take the edge off and make the trip tolerable.

“Near sixteen hours, but maybe Penelope can get us there sooner,” Cal replied. 

She glanced over at the pilot as she reached for some water. Alana would have to shop for something to keep her warm unless she wanted to end up an icy treat.

Penelope looked up from her cut of fish at being called on. She’d been figuring in her head, about somethin’ else, but gave a nod in his direction all the same.

“That’s quite a lot to ask folk to put up with sub-freezing temperatures for sixteen hours,” Hook interjected. He knew he could make it. He packed some winter clothing and was prepared to don them if needed. He figured he could always duck into the engine room to absorb some warmth from time to time.

“Well, they’re gonna have to put up with it. No better way to transport four-thousand pounds of tuna without losing a percent to degradation.” Strand shook his head decisively. “I suggest you pick up an extra coat ‘fore we leave shore.” Chopsticks back in hand, Cal took another bite from his plate.

“We need to pick up warmer sleepers,” Cyd said as she pierced her fork into the salmon, nudging her brother. “Especially if we’re gonna doss on the floor.”  They had ordered Japanese style bedding to save space.

“If we keep the door closed, we can use the shuttle atmo to stay warm. We can still get some extra warm stuff. Just in case.” Never hurts to be careful after all. 

Cyd looked to the captain. “Is that right?” she asked, “shuttle has heat?”

She contemplated for a moment. “If the shuttle will keep heat, we’d be glad to share it with anyone who wants to warm up or even doss...er… sleep,” Cyd offered. She [i]may[/i] have looked towards the captain with the invite, but it was completely unintentional, or at the very least subconscious. She shifted her gaze to Pen, Hook and Abby. “Open invite to all,” she added to clarify. They’d make room, and it could be fun. Play some cards, play some music. [i]Oooh![/i] She mused, [i]Karaoke![/i] Rave on.

“Aye, your shuttle has heat; you lucked out on this run.” After that, Cal’s mouth was busy with dinner as the chill he’d forecast settled over the table in the nervous looks among the crew.

Hook decided to focus on eating the salmon. It wasn’t that bad. Another recipe he got from Mrs. McGinnis. Of course, that thought made him think of Penny. He often wondered what happened to her. They did everything together. With the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. McGinnis, Joe assumed Penny and her brother were dead. He thought about Penny often. They were close when he lived on that farm.
  
Rex poked at the asparagus and potatoes, tending to the food slowly as his stomach would let him. Salmon didn't agitate him like red meat did, but it all bothered him. He raised a brow at Cal's declaration of the temperature drop. "You trying to kill my bird?" He paused. "It isn't going to bump you up in my favorite people standing. I'll replace you with your little clipboard toting clone." He pointed the chopsticks towards the captain accusatory with a smile on his face. 

“I was hoping you’d come down with hypothermia and I’d get to keep the bird, but beggars can’t be choosers.” Cal shot a wink Lucky’s way.