001 ✫ Video

[useofaswhat]

Afternoon, folks. – Evenin', now. [The man on screen clears his throat and nods in greeting, a little awkwardly. (And no, he's not actually wearing a floral bonnet. Today.)] This Admiral fella wanted a handful o' help and thought I was the man to give it so wǒ zài zhèlǐ. Name's Captain Reynolds, Mal if you ain't one to stand on ceremony. I'm sure it's fine to meet you all, and if it ain't, you go ahead an' let me know. [There's a smile purely for the sake of decorum, which drops off his face almost immediately as his eyes rake over something off-screen, as if reading.]

Let's see what we got here, then... Prison ship, eight levels and two additional restricted areas, complete with library, common rooms, medbay, an' my personal favorite, fully stocked kitchen. Probably serves better'n protein too. Laundry services, showers, art therapy facilities, and gardens included. Now that don't sound like any prison I ever been to. Hell, y'all even got a bar? Got quite a slick operation here, real nice 'n cozy.

But it still ain't as good as my boat.

Comments

[mattersverymuch]

Low expectations, or people?

[Warden Filter]

[scentbombed]

I'm glad to hear it, Captain. I don't have any bad blood toward you, either.

[thestarspangledman]

Wait a few weeks, you'll find out sooner or later.

[useofaswhat]

They always are.

[Warden Filter]

[useofaswhat]

So that'd make you... wolf-woman, huh?

[Warden Filter]

[scentbombed]

"Werewolf" will do just fine.

[Warden Filter]

[useofaswhat]

If you don't mind my askin', how's that work out if we land on a moon?

[unweeping_willow]

Most inmates won't like it if you treat them like a job.

[useofaswhat]

Not even if it means puttin' them first?

[Warden Filter]

[scentbombed]

[She opens her mouth... and closes it again, blinking.]

...I can't say I'd ever thought of that before.

[unweeping_willow]

Prefer being people.

[useofaswhat]

They can be both!

[Warden Filter]

[useofaswhat]

Captain, d'you mind if I ask kinda an indelicate question? One you don't gotta hear if you don't want.

[Warden Filter]

[scentbombed]

Well, I'd say you probably can't surprise me, but apparently you can... Which is pretty impressive, just so you know.

Still, all right. I'd rather talk about it with you than have you get your answers, um, elsewhere. [Like from a slayer. :|]

[yeahscience]

What with the, uh, aforementioned Admiral being a tool and all? Yeah.

[Warden Filter]

[useofaswhat]

Keeping in mind I never met a werewolf before, uh, an' didn't think your folk were, strictly speakin', technically, real... When you're turnin' fuzzy, you don't go all wild, do you? Seein' as you're a warden you probably got some handle on it, but... [But they'd have to look out for wolves and coyotes back on his mama's ranch on Shadow and he's seen the ranch-hands take some damage from them. Can't be too careful.]

[useofaswhat]

So how long you been waitin' around this rig?

[Warden Filter]

[scentbombed]

[It's... frustrating. It's always frustrating, all these years of being a model citizen and still having to field the "wild animal" thing. But for gods' sake, she tells herself, at least he's asking, and presses her lips together in a tight little smile.]

No. It doesn't work that way, Captain. I'm just me. I'm always me. The worst thing I do is stop being a vegetarian every once in a while, and I always try to make up for the chickens. Your shins are safe. [Or jugulars, really, but she feels it pays to downplay things like that.]

[yeahscience]

I've only been back a couple weeks... Before that, it was like, ten months or so.

[Warden Filter]

[useofaswhat]

[Asking is actually on the "extremely polite" side for him. He even prefaced the question with a warning! This is Mal at his classiest, for what little that's worth.] Gotta thank you for that, ma'am. They're very nice shins.

Bet you get that round the clock, huh?

[useofaswhat]

Okay, old timer, got any advice for the new kid?

[yeahscience]

[He shrugs, suddenly a little helpless in the face of being treated as an equal -- a superior, even.] Don't be a dick to your inmate, I guess? It usually doesn't go well.

And, um-- [He is taking this shit seriously now; he bites at his thumbnail, thinking hard.] You know, give them reasons if you tell them no for something. I mean, I guess that's part of not being a dick, but, you know. Keep them, like, in the loop. It helps. It helped me, anyways... eventually.

[Warden Filter]

[scentbombed]

It comes up on occasion. [Dry as a bone.]

But better asked and answered, isn't it? It's all right. I've been told bites are a worry, too, so I may as well tell you: I don't, and if I did, it wouldn't do anything to you except make you go "Ow."

[useofaswhat]

Low expectations.

[unweeping_willow]

...Maybe. [But feels a little twang herself, whenever Claudia refers to her as an inmate or a job...]