Taverns are something every good universe should have

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

Having seen more of the 'Verse than most people would dream possible in his rather eventful life, Mal had also been a patron of just about every type of drinking establishment there was. From upscale Core World bars to shacks out on the very Rim held together with mud and prayers, it was very likely Mal had at least stepped into it for a drink, and possibly a nice fight. Bars and Taverns were where you could learn a great deal about a person, just by watching how much they chose to abandon their own restrictions and self control in the presence of others. They were also where there was information, business deals, and new contacts to be found, all present in one neat central location, one that many communities revolved around. Whenever he stopped in a new port of call, Mal always made sure to pay the bar a visit sooner rather than later.

Of course, with all his experience with watering holes, he had to admit that the Drunken Dragon was something very new. On the surface it could almost be mistaken for a Rim world bar, with its rough and almost primitive design motif, almost comical dragon decoration, and lack of all the da bian luxuries the Alliance insisted marked them as civilized. Mal had been in enough of those dives, however, to realize that the Dragon was far more well maintained than most of them could afford to be, and that the design itself was not the result of a hodgepodge of whatever materials they could scrounge. It looked more like something out of an ancient Earth That Was picture book. Setting foot inside, Mal took the time to survey the layout of the place, memorizing the locations of all the tables, staff, and exits just in case he needed to leave in a hurry.

Not that he expected to have to do so, given Kaylee and Wash's assurances about the respect the patrons paid the owner of the tavern, but old habits died hard, and if he let them die then he expected he would soon follow. Still, it seemed like he'd arrived a bit early, and with time to spare before the person he was meeting arrived he made his way across the tavern to a place where he could sit with his back to the wall and watch the door. Of course, once he sat he needed a moment to get used to the fit of his suit, as he had for the past few days. He was rather glad the ship had seen fit to save the coat that was a symbol of his continued defiance against the now dead Alliance, but he had to wonder if it would have really hurt to save his pants and shirt too.

[OOC:This thread is mostly for if characters who Mal had arraigned to meet for drinks at the tavern, but if you want to thread with him feel free to have a character run into him while he's waiting. Individual threads can be set at different times too.]

Comments

[fieldpromoted]

It was with the sleeves of her uniform jacket rolled up and the jacket itself unzipped down the front that Trudy walked into the bar, clearly off-duty. She liked making that distinction given that she never really changed out of the uniform - Stacy's sonic showers were just as effective on clothing as they were on people, it seemed.

She looked around the tavern until she spotted Mal at his table in the corner, then walked over to him and offered her hand. "Captain Malcolm Reynolds, I presume," she said with a smile, meaning to set him at ease. "Not very many new faces in this tavern, so any new ones we've got have to be just popped. I'm General Trudy Chacon. Can I get you a drink?"

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

Having never actually spoken to Trudy outside of the comm system, Mal had to admit he was a bit curious as to what this woman was like. She was a general, a title that came with plenty of preconceived notions for a man who had been sold up the river by several bearing it, but after talking to her she didn't seem like any general he had ever met. Finally he had decided to withhold any judgment until he'd had a chance to share a drink with her.

Luckily it turned out that holding off from preconceived notions proved to be the right call, because the woman who found him in the tavern was definitely not like any of the browncoat generals he'd run into, man or woman. Standing in a relaxed way, Mal accepted the handshake with a firm one of his own, as if he were a soldier again. "That would be me, which I'm hoping makes you General Chacon." Mal wasn't really at ease, hadn't been since he'd woken up here, too much had been swept out from under him for that, but given that she was the one filling him in, he could at least manage to be friendly.

"That's handy to know, though I'm still learning those faces myself." He let himself smirk a little at the drink offer. "I've had to live off of too much engine tonic to refuse a free drink, but only if you let me cover the next round."

[fieldpromoted]

"That's me," Trudy said. "Don't sweat the details, Captain, there's no currency on this boat. We've got ale and some stronger liquor, depending on what your poison is. I take the ale myself unless it's been a hell of a bad day."

She sized him up as she spoke. He carried himself like a man who had pride in what he did, he had a firm handshake and an honest face. She could see why Wash spoke highly of him, and she had a feeling that this was going to go well.

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

"Free drinks? Well now, this forced cruise just got a bit more bearable. My poison is whatever gets me not thinking about work, and so I think I'll follow your example and get some ale myself." After all, it couldn't be worse than Mudder's Milk.

Nothing could be worse than Mudder's Milk.

The irony of Mal's nobility was that everyone, from his crew to the most callous criminal, could see it, except for Mal himself. All he could see was what he had been forced to become and forced to do to keep his freedom after the war. Yet even as Trudy was sizing him up, he was returning the favor, and already he could see why people followed her. She had an open frankness about her, the demeanor of a person who didn't waste time with bullshit, and didn't try to sell you on the greater good. She looked like she had pride and fire, and those were two characteristics he'd never been able to walk away from in a person.

Well, it was at least good to know that someone in charge had her head on her shoulders. Of course, in a way they were both still wearing their uniforms.

"Unless its been a bad day of course. Had plenty of those myself."

[fieldpromoted]

"We keep the free drinks so we don't have mutiny," Trudy said. "Be right back."

She was well-known enough around here, and Kang trusted her enough, that in busy hours she just slipped behind the bar so she wouldn't bother Kaylee or whoever else was working. She returned to the table Mal had claimed with two mugs of ale, a medium-strength brew that would nevertheless get you drunk enough to go cross-eyed if you had too many.

"So you've made it to Weapons and Possessions," Trudy indicated the pistol in its holster with her mug, "and found your way to the tavern. As far as adjusting is concerned, I'd say you're doing nicely. We get one or two every podpop that decide this shit's just too freaky. They usually get repodded not long afterward."

[indeliblepast]

If Sumeragi was being honest with herself, she was spending an awful lot of time in that bar. A port of call in a storm, she supposed - and while there seemed to no immediately impending doom about to rain down on them, this whole experience was rather like a storm. So it was a place to come back to, that was growing steadily familiar - along with the ale.

Tonight, though, she was eyeing the crowd for a familiar face in particular - and when she spotted it, she gave the man a wave. "Malcolm!"

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

Very few people on this ship had met Mal, and even fewer had been given permission to call him by his first name. Of those who had, only one seemed to have chosen to use his first name. Not that he had any problem with that, just that it gave a slight reminder of his mother.

Waving back to Sumeragi, he stood to greet the woman, giving her a friendly smile as she came closer. "Was afraid we wouldn't recognize each other with our clothes on. Here, have a seat, I'll see about getting us some drinks."

[indeliblepast]

She headed in his direction, and grinned. "You're still pretty handsome even with the clothes on - hard to miss."

She took a seat at the table he'd been at. "Just grab me an ale - it's a little old-fashioned here, but not bad."

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

"I'd have to say you're a sight dressed yourself. Ale, got it."

Apparently Kaylee had put in a good word for Mal, because he had no problem securing two mugs of ale for himself and Sumeragi. Returning to the table, he set one before her as he took his own seat. "I noticed the trend towards the ancient in the design here. I have to say, I'm interested in meeting the proprietor when he gets back."

[indeliblepast]

Sumeragi slid the mug over a little closer to her seat.

"I noticed - it's almost like a theme attraction, but less... gimmicky. Like it's the real deal." She took a sip of the ale, and grinned. "Though the menu is a little... narrow."

[aboutthatevac]

Sarah Kerrigan recognized that shouldn't be in here. Not only would there be people but alcohol and her was a bad idea. Losing control- that always ended in disaster. But then she had been in control as the Queen of Blades, she just hadn't been herself.

Still, the idea of numbing her thoughts and feelings was tempting. And that was what eventually drew her to the Drunken Dragon. She hadn't intended to talk to anyone. Get in, hopefully come to her senses, and get out. But someone caught her attention immediately. Her telepathy had been dampened significantly but still there was something about him, something that reminded her of someone she used to know.

Kerrigan nodded at Mal as she took a seat beside him.

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

He had to admit, Mal hadn't really expected to attract any attention toward himself while he waited. While he was more than capable of being friendly, and even approachable, he knew full well that when he got into the sort of mood he'd been in of late he tended not to come off as approachable.

Then again, something about the way the woman who approached his table moved told him she was not the sort to be easily intimidated. There was a conservation of movement in her stride, a professionalism that reminded him a little of his still missing first mate, though that was about where the resemblance to Zoe ended.

Realizing that the more people he knew on this ship, the better his position would be, Mal made the effort to offer the woman a smile, though his gaze remained curiously cautious. "'M glad to see I'm not the only folk looking for a moment of peace in here. Drink alone too much, it becomes a bad habit."

[aboutthatevac]

Kerrigan actually smiled back, although it was more because of how Mal spoke. He even sounded a little like Jim.

"Companionship doesn't necessarily prevent that. Not to mention you could potentially embarrassing yourself in front of others. Guess I'll have to be careful."

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

"Depends on your choice of companionship," he pointed out. "Know a few folks who'd discourage such behavior, and plenty I wouldn't want my senses dulled around."

Something in the conversation amused him evidently, as he sought to continue it. "Guess we'll have to see who embarrasses themselves first then."

[aboutthatevac]

"I understand that." One of the many reasons she'd never taken to drinking much. Aside from lack of exposure. Being a guinea pig for various organizations and species tended to limit that.

"Is that a challenge? You should know I'm a competitive woman."

[ternaui.livejournal.com]

The Chancellor, all not-quite-nine-feet of him, entered in search of fruit juice, sitting down at the bar next to the man in the brown coat.
"Good evening," he said politely, though his lips didn't move. Transmitters are handy for a species without vocal chords.

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

Hearing someone enter, Mal turned and looked up at the newcomer...and up...and up. Ai Ya Jwai Leh he was big. And green. Mal was pretty sure he was a he.

"Well, it certainly is an interesting one."

[ternaui.livejournal.com]

"I hope it soon proves a good one as well. The tavern is a pleasant enough place as one becomes accustomed to it."

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

"Been accustomed to taverns for a long while myself. Really about the only thing I'm accustomed to in this place."

[ternaui.livejournal.com]

"An excellent point. I take it ships of this size are not common in your facet of reality?"

[kungfu-sexnun.livejournal.com]

"Hi, what can I get you?"

There's a woman hanging from one of the rafters. How she got up there is hard to say, seeing as how there aren't any ladders in the room. When Mal arrives, she drops the rest of he way to the floor, right behind the bar. World's most acrobatic barmaid? Maybe.

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

Head snapping up with a rather warlike "Bwah?" Mal was given the sight of a nimble woman managing to sail down from the ceiling to land right before him, leaving the good captain utterly befuddled.

"Well, if your intention was to encourage me to get a drink, I have to say you've done a right shiny job of it."

[kungfu-sexnun.livejournal.com]

She laughs. "Don't tell the other Sisters. They'd frown at me for being a bad influence." She puts her hands together and bows. "I'm Nima, a sister of the Eastern Air Temple, and I haven't seen you in here before. What's your name, and what can I get you?"

[pantsaretight.livejournal.com]

"Well ma'am, I assure you that some of the best people I know are bad influences." Nodding back with a bemused smirk, Mal looked behind the bar for a moment.

"Name's Malcolm Reynolds. I'm captain of Serenity. As for what I'll have, I guess whatever you recommend."

[kungfu-sexnun.livejournal.com]

"Oh Captain, I don't think you'd like what I recommend very much." Nima leans on the bar with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. "I'm a nun, you see - I don't drink alcohol."

For a nun, she's showing an awful lot of cleavage, leaning on that bar.

"You just don't strike me as a fruit-juice drinking kind of man."