Jugs Of Thoughts

Posted on Wed Oct 14th, 2020 @ 6:07pm by Meghan Massachusetts (*) & Jinx Jorasco

Mission: Mission 12 - Railway
Location: Mess hall
Timeline: MD - 01 18:00
1144 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Jinx whistled as she walked into the mess hall with two jugs under her arms. Zambi scampered at her side, then started to sniff around the room for threats or prey as Jinx went to the bar. She put the two jugs onto the bar and set out some glasses. She’d been fermenting various things from the hydroponics garden in her still, trying out different combinations and flavors. She found the fruit worked best, but other things also worked, like potatoes and other tubers. She always put a couple jugs out for the crew. The rest she was storing away for their next time planetside. One never knew if it might come in handy for trade, or just to sell to a local drinking establishment.

Zambi paused in her hunt and stiffened, and Kini turned to see a new, dark-haired woman she hadn’t met before entering the mess hall. “Hello,” the tiny woman greeted.

Meghan looked at the woman, who unlike her she had noticed many times around the ship. It was surprising to see one of her species this far from home, but if any of these people knew her and what she was they would have said the same. "Hello," she answered, offering a smile to her. "Are you the creator of the contents of the jug then?"

Jinx smiled. “Yes,” she said. “Please make sure to fill out a comment card so I know which ones people like,” she told the other woman. “Some plants don’t make the best alcohol,” she admitted. “You’re Meghan, right? I think I got a notice about you. I’m Jinx.” She indicated the reptile sniffing about Meghan’s boots. “And that’s Zambi.”

"You would think after six months onboard I would have met everyone, but here we are. That is correct. And what kind of notice?" Meghan grinned, looking down at the being that was sniffing around her. What a nimble little thing! Where had she come from? She could only imagine what type of notice Gregnol might send around about her after the headache she had been giving him.

“Just a briefing when I came on board, who everyone was,” Jinx said, scratching Zambi’s eye ridges. She pulled out a bit of dried meat. “Want to feed her?” she offered. “She’ll be your friend for life.” The three foot tall woman giggled and held the meat out for Meghan. “It’s a big ship. Lots of places to sequester yourself if you don’t want to be noticed.”

Meghan looked at the beast that was looking between them, trying to work out who would be feeding her. "I am okay. I will leave that to you too," Meghan assured quietly. She did not want to disturb them really as she had just come there to escape Jax.

Jinx shrugged. “Okay,” she said. “Zambi!” The raptor perked up, and Jinx tossed her the jerky, which was gobbled up almost instantly. “Good girl!” Jinx gave the raptor scratches again.

“So where are you heading with us?” Jinx asked. She went behind the bar and poured herself a glass of one of the jugs of moonshine back there before clambering up on a stool to sit. The ship clearly wasn’t made for a woman that was only three feet tall.

This was the million credit question that everyone kept asking her. "I don't really know. I am enjoying the ship and company at the moment, so I will be going wherever you take me." She shrugged. It was odd, but no odder than the singer who was pretty much doing the same.

“Well, that has to get expensive,” Jinx said, sipping her moonshine. “Must have deep pockets. Hm. This is pretty good. I made this with strawberries.”

Meghan shrugged a little as she looked around. There was something odd about her, perhaps it's her humility or perhaps it was simply her fortunate past, but it was written all over her face. "You think this ship is expensive to travel on?" she wondered.

Jinx shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m crew, so I don’t pay passenger fare. That’s worked out with the captain.”

“You are a senior crew member, but do not seem to know that? How…” She paused to find a word that fit how she felt about it all, “quaint. I would have assumed everyone knew the basics of things like that, just in case.” Meghan had presumed that a venture like this would require everyone knowing the costs of things and working together to achieve it.

“I don’t usually deal with passengers,” Jinx admitted with a shrug. “It’s probably buried in all that paperwork they gave me when I joined up. I could look it up. How are you finding your trip? Need anything?” she asked.

Meghan shook away the question about needing anything. She did not need anything provided by her. "I am finding it interesting. It has been many years since I have been on a ship like this. Any reason you do not normally deal with passengers? There is a very unique group onboard at the moment."

“I get overlooked, I think,” Jinx said, “being small. It’s a tight knit group. Everyone knows their place, what they’re to do. I guess I kind of kept out of the way. I was stowed away for a while, so it was natural to keep hiding, I guess, even if I didn’t need to.”

"I see." Her onyx eyes softened and her lips curved into a smile as Meghan smiled at the former stowaway. It was an interesting idea that the woman was given a second chance despite being a stowaway at the start. It spoke to how the ship was run, even if the woman believed that they were too tight-knit to involve her. Maybe it went both ways? Maybe they needed to walk a mile in each other's shoes, so to speak.

“I suppose I should get back to work,” Jinx said. “Those star chart updates aren’t going to do themselves. And I need to do some sensor diagnostics, and want to start a new batch of the moonshine. Feel free to stop on by anytime,” the tiny woman said with a smile, tossing back her drink and putting it into the reclamation.

Meghan said nothing other than nod as the tiny woman walked away. She stood there transfixed for a long time before coming back to herself. The short conversation had given her so much food for thought it was unreal how her mind was whirling. She made to leave but turned back and looked at the hooch. Pouring a glass of it from the jug, she took a sip wincing at the strength of it. It would do nicely to settle her thoughts on.