Third Floor Common Room, Wednesday Evening

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara was on her way into the common room to see what was on television when she passed by a rat in a state of dishabillé, hiding behind the door frame, peeking in at a large group of rats in petticoats.

The one in the center was on a chair or stool of some kind, and singing,

Poor wandering one!
Though thou hast surely stra-ayed,
Take heart of grace,
Thy steps retrace,
Poor wandering one!

The singing rat hopped off the stool and gestured toward the door, almost as if she knew the rat in his knickers was standing there, sighing wistfully at her.

Poor wandering one!
If such poor love as mine
Can help thee find
True peace of mind
Why, take it, it is thine!
Take heart, fair days will shine;
Take any heart take mine!

Inara gave the rat a little nudge forward with her foot, then walked into the room and took a seat on the couches, wondering what else she would see.

[ooc: Open! We're in the first act of Pirates of Penzance, if anyone wants to play along!]

Comments

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

Dick walked into the common room followed by a scurvy rat eating a piece of pie.

Dick got the impression that this rat didn't read the memo. "Hello," he said.

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Hello," Inara greeted him with a wave. "That's a, er, lovely rat you have following you?"

She couldn't believe the things this place made her say sometimes, all in the name of civility.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"Thanks. He's not mine, though," Dick said. "And I really don't want to know where he got the pie."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Why--" and then she thought about it. "Never mind, I think I can figure that part out by myself. Do you know why it's here? Or why they are?" She pointed to the little musical drama playing itself out in the middle of the floor. "Really, it's quite strange."

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"They just wanted to hang out, too?" Dick suggested. "Or maybe it's just some weird cosplay thing. I don't know."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Cosplay? What's that?"

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"It's when people dress in costumes and pretend to be, like, pirates," Dick said. "Exactly what the rats are doing, basically."

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

"Why would they do that?" Inara wasn't sure about this planet sometimes.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"Fun. Insanity. They had the costumes anyway so why not?" Dick suggested. "Nobody's really sure."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella smiled at Dick. "I fear the rats may have shown us up before we even got to the karaoke bar," she teased.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"Just remember that if you don't compete with the rats, they can't show you up," Dick said. "Hopefully they're gone before tomorrow night."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"Maybe we could coerce them into being backup singers," Ella mused. "Yours seems fond of pie."

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"I think mine likes eating more than singing," Dick said. "Although that might actually work in our favor. I mean, we don't want the backup rats to be too good."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"It's a smart rat," Ella decided. "I'd rather have pie than sing, too. But no, we wouldn't want the back-up rats to demand solos."

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"But he's not even wearing a bib," Dick said. "He's going to get it all over his fancy clothes."

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella tilted her head. "And now you've made me wonder if he has a rat-maid to do the wash for him, or if he'll just go swimming to rinse it off."

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"I think it's more likely that he'll just leave it," Dick suggested. "I mean, he is a rat. They're not exactly the tidiest animals."

[solo_sword]

Jaina tilted her head at the rat, impressed at its ability to multitask, walking and eating pie.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"I'd be offended that everyone's more interested in the rat than they are in me, but I'm actually with everyone else this time," Dick commented.

[solo_sword]

"I've seen you before," Jaina reminded him, still watching the rat. "Maybe if you were eating pie."

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"Well, the only place I know where I can get pie right now is from that rat," Dick said. "And that's not going to happen. I'm just going to have to settle for second place."

[solo_sword]

"Are you sure? I'd pay you a couple credits to watch that fight," she offered.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"If I win, I get maybe diseased pie," Dick pointed out. "If I lose, I got beat by a rat. It's lose-lose."

[solo_sword]

"If you win I might throw in a couple extra credits..." she offered. No, she wasn't serious.

[laidanegg.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, I have enough money," Dick said. "I don't need to fight a rat for more."