trans_9 | CEEEEEELEBRATE GOOD TIMES~

Several buildings in the City had been completely destroyed during Aang's rampage, but a few had survived relatively unscathed. It had only taken Kang two days to repair the Drunken Dragon; he'd done so by himself, not even waiting for his leg to heal up a bit first.

Usually, he didn't bother lighting any candles or using the fireplace in the tavern unless it was a period when the artificial sun had set. He could see perfectly fine in the dim light. For the celebration, though, he'd thrown the windows open wide, scrounged up every candle he could find, and started up a fire, knowing that human vision wasn't as good as his own. The tables surrounding the stage had been cleaned, as well as the tankards, and the door was propped open. The bozak had even wrestled two of the 60-gallon barrels from the back room into a corner of the main room for easier access, one of cactus juice and one of ale. If more was needed, he was sure he could get someone to help bring out another.

Tess had commandeered the kitchen to make her food, bringing in her own equipment. Kang had been slightly afraid at first that she was going to burn the place down, but nothing had happened yet. She seemed to know what she was doing, even if she'd given him a few scares.

The sunlight glistened on the old sword blade teeth and dinnerplate eyes of the comical-looking wooden dragon grinning above the entrance. Come in, relax, have a drink and a bite to eat!

[OOC note: Both drinks are alcoholic, and the cactus juice has twice the kick of the ale. :D;]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Uh oh. Luis' eyes dropped slightly to glance over her again. He liked to think he was being subtle about it.

"You should," he replied. "Somebody of your expertise would fit right in and I could always use the help." Yes, he had no idea what they were talking about at the moment but he wasn't about to guess and risk it.

"Long as there's nobody that'd mind me too much, I don't see a problem with it." Her mind was fuzzy enough to like where the conversation was going, though it was hard to tell anymore (which didn't say much, considering they'd only been talking for a few minutes)...

Whatever. Back to the cactus juice.

"I couldn't imagine anybody would. Besides, that's the nice thing about being the department head," he added, "I get to write in the privileges."

He finished off what remained of his drink and set down the cup, leaning one arm on the table and smiling at her. "No lo sé, pero adivinaría you must be good with your hands."

"Well, that's definitely a perk to work with," she agreed, settling her mug back on the table.

Good hand up, she wiggled her fingers at him. "That's what I've been told, at least. I'd like to think I am."

A warm smile slid across his face. It occurred to him with alarm that he had lost the train of conversation a while ago. Okay. Topic... default- science!

"I don't have any of the things I've built here, or at least readily accessible here, but I should show you the P.R.L.," he said. "It's a medical laser I built in one of my old labs and probably the best thing I'll ever manage, but I hazard to guess a genius like you could take it apart and put it together better than it was."

Second default- innuendo! "And as for your hands, you'll just have to show me sometime."

Well, now, that caught her interest plenty. "I dunno, sometimes the default's the best way to go, with some projects. Might be pieces you don't need, maybe, but half the time they try to improve somethin' 'n end up makin' it almost useless." Like the Capissen 38, for example. "If we ever get the chance, though, I'd like to hear more about it." When she wasn't going to forget everything he said.

Kaylee smirked, all teasing now. "Maybe I will."

"Well, I was in a bit of a hurry when I built it the first time," he admitted, "But I'd be happy to show you. I think mi amigo mentioned it was stashed somewhere down in storage, so I'll dig it up one of these days."

Oh god, not fair. Now he really had no idea what was going on here. Dammit, this was the last time he was going to touch that cactus juice garbage, it tasted like too-sweet grass clippings and it threw him off his already hit-or-miss game. "Wouldn't I be the lucky one?" he teased back, heavily resisting the urge to just ask if this was supposed to be as suggestive as it sounded. "Linda e inteligente también. No estas justo, amiga."

"Even blueprints'd be nice, but if you've got the whole thing here?" Her grin widened. "Even better."

Kaylee had pretty much lost track of where it was going, too, but what did they expect from half-drunken science-ridden semi-flirting? "All depends on how you're definin' lucky." She shook her head at the last bit, though. "Fluent in Chinese. Spanish, not so much."

Luis simply hadn't had time to go find the P.R.L. in its alleged resting place, and it's not like there was much of a purpose for it anyway. He was oddly defensive of the idea too, since that dick Brainy would probably show up and start trying to improve on it and Luis would have to smack the little bitch and then where would they be.

By now beyond the point of either understanding or trying to be subtle, he provided a full translation. "I said it's not fair that you're both cute and clever. The gentlemen on this ship don't stand a chance against you, bonita."

Maybe it was a good thing, then, that Kaylee hadn't met Brainy. Odd feelings all over on that one.

"Well now," with a bat of the eyelashes, "you keep talkin' like that, I doubt there's a gal in the 'verse who couldn't stand to listen."

His eyes lit up suddenly like somebody had set fire to a fuse.

"You think so?" he replied. "Perhaps you could stand to hear a little more, then?"

"If you'd be so kind as to entertain, I could listen all night," she promised, settling her chin on her hand.

Oh god, was it- was this- the end of a literal lifetime of involuntary celibacy? (technically.) "If you could stand to be my audience that long, I'd be happy to."

Probably not, but it never hurt to hope, right? "Hell, if you've got enough words to fill that long and keep it interestin', I'm all ears." ~~Or hands.~~

At this point, the fact Kaylee had not recoiled in disgusted horror or smashed him with a rolling chair was already the closest Luis had gotten to some semblance of success with women since before he had died.

"I think it's worth a try," he offered, and leaned forward on his elbow slightly. "What are you doing after this?"

The mechanic shrugged. "All depends on who else walks through those doors this evenin'." She did want to check up on people, and there were still plenty she hadn't made her way around to see yet. "Though after's pretty much still up in the air, I think."

"Me too. So if you are so inclined later on, and looking for somewhere to land--" Luis grinned at her and lowered his voice. "You are more than welcome at my place."

Pause. "Room. Lab. Whichever sounds the most exciting."

"Glad to know the door's open." Kaylee took another thoughtful drink before nodding her head. "Play it by ear, then?"

"As I prefer to do most things," he said. "I'm sure you'll be able to find me, mi amiga bonita."

CEEEEEELEBRATE GOOD TIMES~

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