Ace: chats with Ray, meets Flash, is flailed at by Wash, is plotty with Tim, and flails at Virginia

[nitro_is_ace]

There's an Ace, in the bar. What a wonder.
She's claimed the comfy seat again, and is staring at the fire with an expression that, were he here, the Doctor would take one look at and promptly start causing his own brand of chaos, just to keep her busy.
Ace, in a word, is bored.
This is never good.
Distractions... would probably be a very good

Comments

[flybywash]

"Ace, can I talk to you for a minute?"

Wash, sans entrance post, leans against the back of her chair, arms folded. He's looking worn-out, uncharacteristically serious, and all in all very unWashlike.

[nitro_is_ace]

Ace blinks, and grins at Wash, sheer nervous energy making up for any energy lack from Wash's direction. The girl's ready to climb the walls.
"Hey Wash. Sure, have a seat."

[flybywash]

[ooc: ngk, sorry, got held up at work.]

He nods and takes a seat in the next chair over, scrubbing a hand over his face as he does. There's a moment of silence as he tries to choose his words carefully.

That idea goes sailing right out the window when he gives up and says, "The next time somebody comes in here and you think they're from my 'verse, can you please not tell them anything about Serenity? At all?"

[nitro_is_ace]

(ooc: S'okay, figured it was something like that. *grin*)

Expressions flicker past - bewilderment, concern, slight hurt, confusion - before settling on careful blankness. She's rather lost, since she blew off her very short conversation with the elder Tam since he had seemed rather unconcerned with her, and rather boring overall.
"I... alright, Wash. If that's what you want." She mentally extends her list of 'dangerous Chinese-speaking people' from just friendly-looking old men to just about everyone.

[flybywash]

"I mean, if you want to ask 'em if they know me, fine, and God knows I ain't exactly been careful about bringing it up around here either. It's easy to forget. But you know we're doing a lot of jobs that're on the not-so-legal side of the line."

Wash heaves an explosive sigh and looks away. "That guy who came in here a few nights back was Simon and River's dad. They're wanted fugitives, Ace. And now a guy who's as big an Alliance supporter as you're gonna find knows the name of the ship they're on and the nickname of the guy flying it, and with the number of times we've gotten tagged by the feds already...."

He shakes his head. "We don't think he's gonna try anything. But please. Just be careful."

[nitro_is_ace]

Since Wash is looking away, it's possible he misses the wide-eyed, stricken look on Ace's face. This isn't the first time this has happened. Very, very carefully she pulls the politely concerned look back. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone... she had just remembered that Wash had said his crewmates came here, and had wondered if the new guy had been one of them. She hadn't even thought about an official-type showing up.

"M'sorry."

[flybywash]

He flicks his eyes back to her, registering nothing but the mask of polite concern. "It's okay," he says quietly. "Hell, like I said, even I've been forgetting a lot of the time. Get a place like this that's so removed from everything...." A shrug. "You don't think about it. Sometimes.

"So you promise?"

[nitro_is_ace]

Ace is most definitely not thinking about Fenric cackling in triumph when she accidentally told him how to solve the last puzzle. Or the way everything went straight to hell right after that. Nope. Not at All.
"Yes." Ace is considering not telling anyone anything ever again, just to be safe.

[flybywash]

A slight smile, and Wash nods his head again. "Good. Thanks."

He stands up, absently rubbing one temple with the pads of his fingers, and adds, "I'm going to head back, but I'll see you around, okay?"

[nitro_is_ace]

"Yeah. Yeah, sure." Ace sounds a bit distant, but otherwise is doing a good job of masking the horror.
"Tell'm I'm sorry?"

[flybywash]

"I will."

He catches some of the distance in her voice, and his expression softens a little. "I'm not mad at you, xiăo mèimei," he says. "Really. It's just been a bad couple of days all around for everybody."

[nitro_is_ace]

'Do you think I didn't know she was a traitor?'
Ace stubbornly refuses to react to the memory, and instead grins reassuringly at Wash.
"No problem. Go, rest. You look all done in."

[flybywash]

That gets a laugh out of him. It's quite weaker than a typical Wash laugh, but at least it's something.

"That bad, huh?" he asks, wry. "All right. I'll see you later."

Exit one pilot, stage left.

[nitro_is_ace]

The mask falls and shatters the second Wash looks away. She stares after him, deeply disturbed.
She thought she was free of the damn curse.

Well, bother it all.