With Arms Wide Open

Chapter 5

"That pompous, pecker headed wench!" Ryder bellowed, throwing back another shot. The foul tasting liquor burned the back of her throat as she stared at the empty glass, rolling it between her fingers before adding it the the growing pile at the center of the table. "I think I finally found someone I hate more than Addison and Tann put together!" She said, holding her hand up to the bar tender for a refill.

"Well it's very possible our good friend Sloane hasn't been laid in over six-hundred years." Peebee said, sitting beside her. "That's enough time to turn anyone into a raging asshat."

Ryder scoffed as the bartender placed two more shots before her. "Normally I'd say that she could easily fix that herself, but I'm sure her own fingers would refuse touching something so sour." 

Liam leaned against Jaal, laughing into a closed fist when Vetra piped in. "I'd say I agree, but I'm pretty sure her and Kaetus are an item."

Peebee's mouth fell open. "What? How do you know? Are you holding info from me again, V?"

"I figured it was easy to spot. Anyone that can hold a gun and has even the slightest amount of combat training usually has a trail of Turian males fighting to plug them." Vetra said, taking a swig of her drink. When she lowered her mug she saw Peebee and Ryder staring at her with confused looks on their faces and she sighed. "Listen, Kaetus follows her every command like a lap dog looking for a pat on the head and a good bone. I mean that metaphorically and physically. With how far his head is up her ass he can hardly call himself Turian, hence, plug. Get it?"

"Oooh." Ryder and Peebee said simultaneously.

Vetra shook her head. "Wow. You guys can be alarmingly dense sometimes. I mean Peebee I can understand. She never sticks around long enough to learn how a long term relationship even works, but you Ryder?"

"Hey!" Peebee said, smacking her hand on the table.

Ryder peeked across the table at Jaal who was looking between the three of them like a student in study. She knew she wasn't exactly a 'pro' at dating. She had fun in college, fooling around with a few men and women but nothing was ever serious. In all accounts Jaal was her first serious as well as longest relationship. "Y-Yea, well I guess I just never expected anyone in all of dark space would ever consider Sloane as dating material." She said, defending herself poorly.

"Uhuh, sure." Vetra smirked, eyeing her from behind her blue holographic lenses.

"Um?" Jaal interrupted, gaping between the three of them. "I-I don't understand what is happening. How is discussing who Sloane is sleeping with going to aid us in capturing the Charlatan?"

"It's not. This is what is called gossiping, or a hen huddle." Liam explained, wrapping an arm around Jaal's shoulder, pulling him closer. "Usually when a woman hates someone, her and her closest girlfriends get together to talk mad shit about them. It helps them feel better about themselves, or about a situation that is out of their control."

Jaal nodded, his expression twisting from confusion to realization. "Ah, so this is shit talking? As you have described before."

"Exactly! Just a female version." Liam said, patting him hard on the shoulder. "It's actually some of the most entertaining stuff to watch, honestly."

"Ahem!" Ryder cleared her throat, slamming her shot glass down on the table. Liam paused, looking across the table to see the three of them glaring back at him from under their brows. "I-I mean that with the highest respect, of course." He said, swallowing hard.

Peebee shook her head, bringing her attention back to Ryder. "Whether Kaetus is plugging Sloane or not, it doesn't matter. She's still a crotchety bitch and unfortunately she's a crotchety bitch we have to help in order to get the Initiative off our backs. So what's the plan?"