The Good, The Bad and the Heavily Drunk

Posted on 22 Sep 2014 @ 1:37am by Commander Luke Wyatt & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Crewman Corealina Vipsania

2,832 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 06 - Legend of Souls
Location: USS Galileo - Calypso Bar
Timeline: MD09 - 2000hrs

ON:

Looking out through the window Luke was thinking about everything that had happened over the past couple of weeks and how his life had been so devastated and so uncontrollable. Firstly there was the away mission where he had never felt fear as much as he had done before, the memories of the Cave, the Cardassian zombies and the underground city. All leaving a permanent scare in his mind. Then there was the rest of it, Abbey almost dyeing and how it had changed her, she would never be the same.

Luke had seen that look of nothingness in so many young eyes before, during the dominion war. A look of loss, of nightmare and torment. The look of someone who would never be able to fully regain themselves."I Wake in the morning and what do I see, a Lost little girl mourning to be" He said taking a drink from his glass. "Time will heal so they say, so I watch the clock as it fades away" Luke was reciting a poem he had once read but couldn't recall where from or who it was by.

There was also of course Scarlet. Perhaps a small sting of pain, a different sting of pain but pain none the less. Luke accepted that they would never be what he had hoped but in a sense of joy he was just glad they could still be friends he was maybe imprudent about the situation despite all the chances she had given him to decrease the suffering.

Finally there was Tuula, a woman of all accounts good and kind hearted with a troublesome past. Luke would have to be blind not to see how she must feel about him perhaps the same way he was to Scarlet but at least he could admit that there was some kind of connection however Luke didn't want that. A bitter sweet irony he guessed sipping down hard on his drink, the burn in the back of his throat making him feel slightly more aware of everything.

"Wow, you look depressed," Aria Rice said with a smile, her hair in bunches with green trough it. She wore tight trousers, her high boots that reached her knees and a corseted black top with leather straps. All completed with her fingerless striped gloves and the makeup. She clapped him on the shoulder before leaning over the bar. "Ooh...can I have a Moscow Mule to start? Cheers..." she smiled and turned, watching Luke's face. "Seriously, did someone kill your favourite tribble?"

Luke gave Aria a respectable smile, she was the younger him in many ways. "If someone killed all the tribbles in the world I might even be happy" He said looking to his empty glass. "I've had a rough few weeks" He admitted "And that's a lot coming from me"

Aria smiled at the words, nudging him with her boot. "Well, you need to have a drink. And you need to just relax and accept it. Can't change the past, it is all the stuff that you do this moment that matters. If you ask me anyway."

Luke was about to say that he had not asked for her opinion but bit his tongue "Well..." He held up his half empty glass "I'm drinking I'm just not relaxing or having fun." Luke finished his drink and placed it on the desktop,

"Oh, I can change that..." she said and smiled, moving to wrap an arm around him. "Another drink for my boss here and make it strong and sweet, just like he is!"

Luke broke into a smile "Do you have your way with all the lonely depressed me or just me?" He joked accepting the drink as it was placed in front of him. "What are you doing drinking in a working night anyway?" He asked picking up the glass and swirling the contense not wanting to ask what it was.

She watched him before sipping her drink. "Syntahol, I can shake that off within seconds and then go into work," she teased, shrugging. "I just fancy it. I wanted to just have fun because not that long ago I fell down a rabbit hole. We all did."

"I think that's something I could drink to" He smiled sipping his own drink. "I doubt you've come alone tonight?" He asked looking around and over his shoulders.

"Well, Ver said he'd come by...he's this guy I did shots with just before I was transferred off here," she said as she reached to touch his arm. "But he can find his own playmates if you need...if you want some company, bossman."

He laughed "Don't call me bossman again or you may find yourself being transferred of again" Pushing of from his seat he drank the last of his glass "Show, tell me how to relax your way" Luke smiled.

She rolled her eyes, sipping the drink. "Okay...we start with some music..." she grinned, motioning the bartender over. "Please, please, please can you play Queen's We are the Champions? Pretty please?" she winked, nodding when he pulled away to put the music on. "And shots...and we sing and we dance. Can you dance? Bet you can, bet you can sing too!"

"Shot I can do, singing and dancing maybe not so much but as the night goes on im sure I'm a pro... at least think I am" He smiled signalling for more drinks to be brought over as the music began to play loudly.

She smiled warmly, hitting his back. "And remember, it's all good and nice when we get into it..." she met his eyes, searching them. "And let tomorrow take care of itself for once."

Luke nodded "Fine, for once iI'm going to let my hair down" He met her eyes and moved towards the centre of the room where several crewman had already congregated and started dancing.

Aria grinned, watching him before getting up. "Wait for me!" she laughed, gripping his hand and pulling him close, dancing with him. "Let it down properly, show me your moves..." she teased, moving with the music...and not completely innocently either. She loved dancing. Thing was, she danced...well, the way people on Luna danced at clubs. Orion inspired had been the fashion a few years back. Her mother had always disapproved, said it looked like a bunch of strippers. Aria however loved that primal dancing.

Luke danced, observing the moves Aria used and those around them and incorporated it into his movement rather flawlessly. "You always seem to get me into trouble Aria, before you threw me in the brig and now..." He said dancing to the music as it changed to a new tune slightly faster the music making his hairs feel on end.

She laughed warmly, nodding as she watched him with dark eyes. "Someone has to get you into trouble, Wyatt. Why not me? I am good at it! I excel at it!" she turned, so her back was to him, looking over her shoulder at him. "You move well! I knew you would!"

He laughed catching the scent of hair and turned his face to dismiss it "You know so much" Luke continued to dance, as he drank more and danced more he found himself relaxing into the motion and danced with Aria. "You do as well Aria."

She smiled as she touched his shoulder, turning to face him. "You look better when you smile," she said, her eyes shining.

Luke couldn't hide his grin, he was enjoying himself being here with her. It was a chance for him to unwind as he spoke her caught her shining eyes in his gaze "I don't seem to be it enough lately so - thank you Aria"

"No worries!" she smiled, stopping dancing when the music stopped. "I like partying. I mean, it's nice and fun and just...nice!"

As they stopped dancing he laughed "Words of a true master in the use of words have you thought about becoming a poet or even a diplomat" he teased looking to the bar and thought about another drink before turning to face aria again.

Aria grinned, nodding as she moved beside him, motioning for a drink. "I'm a poet of the moon, babybear...all thoughts and dreams jumbled up! Hey, I was a poet and I never even know...knew...it..." she winked and playfully punched him in the arm.

Shaking his head and laughing, he punch doing nothing more than tickle him he ordered them both some drinks along with some shots. He didn't ask for specific drinks just whatever they had been drinking all night and Aria's usual. "And you do this how often?" He asked as the music this time was slower but the beat just as loud.

"As often as I can," she said and smiled as she took her new drink, sipping it. "It makes me happy. Dancing, music, fun..."

Luke wasn't sure if it was the drink they had consumed or if he had misheard but went on anyway "Fun? Isn't Dancing and music not... Fun?" He asked confused and caught the view of a strand of hair and put it back into place before snapping his hand back to his side "Sorry, bit of a bug bear of mine" He confessed.

She shrugged, her eyes shining. "You can drink and dance without having fun. Fun isn't guaranteed in life, you sorta have to make your own," she said with a shrug. "Be Peter Pan a bit."

"Be Peter Pan a bit?" He quoted sipping his drink that had been brought over by the waiter "I can't say I have ever heard him being used as an example to life" He admitted and perhaps thought that was why he could never really have true fun outside of fighting and killing. "Or is that just one of your fantasies?" He teased.

She chuckled, her eyes gentle as she shook her head. "Nah, I don't have fantasies," she admitted, shaking her head. Truth was, she was a realist. She didn't believe in true happiness, or life after death. She believed in right now, this second. So she would have fun. "Why mourn tomorrow when today hasn't finished yet?" She knocked her drink back, sighing softly.

"Once again you surprise me with your wisdom and other such a valuable lesson to life" He to knocked back his drink allowing the burn in his through to linger. "More... Fun?" He asked shrugging with an open expression to any suggestions.

She grinned as she nodded, watching him. "Dance again? We should also find you a pretty woman to dance with!"

He nodded with agreement and this time lead the back into the dance floor "Arnt I already dancing with a pretty woman?" He said over his shoulder as he passed a couple dancing together.

She rolled her eyes, moving to him and pushing him playfully. "I'm not that. Not for you anyway, Mr Charmer. No, you need something else."

He surveyed the room as they found themselves into a clearing "Oh and I imagine you're the best person to tell me just who is that for me?" He looked to her with a frown.

Aria laughed softly, reaching to touch his jaw. "Hell no!" she met his eyes, holding them. "Do I look like your fairy-bloody-godmother? Nah, you just...dance with people. Find people to talk with...you just go in there," she smiled and took his hand. "Because you can do it."

Luke looked to the group of gyrating body and shook his head as he looked back to Aria "I'm not sure Aria, I don't know if I should do it" He looked back to the group of people.

"Oh, how bad can it be?" Aria asked and looked around, stopping when she saw the pale, white haired woman sit alone at a table. "Oh! There, see? She looks like she needs company? Sure, she's...not sure what she is, doesn't look human, but she is pretty. Chat her up!"

Luke shrugged and looked to the woman, she did look pretty Luke couldn't deny that. Nodding finally he left Aria and moved slowly towards the woman she had picked from the crowed. "Hi" He said smiling, "I - " He glanced back to Aria. "I'm Luke, I don't believe we've met?"

Lina raised her eyes to look at Luke, a small smile curling her lips before it widened. "No...no, we haven't..." she said, motioning for him to sit. "I am Lina...I am somewhat new." It summed it up easily enough to her. She was new here.

Luke sat down across from the woman her hair was as white as snow and reflected the lighting from the dance floor brilliantly, she also had yellow eyes. She was certainly not human but she still did look 'pretty' as Aria had put it. "Well It's nice to meet you Lina who is new here" He smiled, "What department do you hail from?"

"Medical...I am a nurse," she said and offered her hand to him, the human way, her head tilted as she smiled. "And yourself? You certainly look like...a strong man."

"A very noble job" Luke met her hand with his, he was surprised just how soft someone's hands could be and warm to. Not the kind of warm you would find unpleasant but the warm you'd find soothing and kind. "I am from Security myself"

She smiled at that, nodding as she bowed her head at that. "Another noble job. Protecting everyone," she said and loosened her grip on his hand, but did not put her own away. Instead, Lina studied his face, as if she could read his life in it. "But you look like a man who enjoys keeping people safe."

Luke nodded slowly, "It's refreshing you see it like I do, some people would say we have to very different jobs but really we are both just trying to save lives and keep them safe whether its from each other or someone else"

"Prevent people from doing too stupid thing to themselves too," Lina said lightly and reached for her drink, to sip. "You are here to enjoy yourself? Or forget?"

"A little bit of both if I am completely honest with you?" He held her eyes for a moment and smiled "What about you?" He asked.

"My daughter told me I should go out. I think it means she wants to sit alone and read," Lina said openly with a small smile. "A young woman needs her space too at times and I have...been spending a lot of time with her."

"It would seem we share two different ends of the stick my daughter wishes I would spend more time with her but I'm so busy..." He trailed off "How old is our daughter?" He asked curiously.

"Around 10," she said and held his eyes, a small smile on her lips. A father. He looked like he could keep a child safe. "How old is she?"

"She's still young then" Luke noted before thinking to Abbey's age "My Abbey is 22 going on 30" He joked, "And the father? Does he serve on the Galileo?" He questioned.

"He is dead," she said and smiled gently, bowing her head out of respect. "Nia is not biologically my daughter, I found her some years ago..." she looked at him, holding his eyes. "An orphan now."

Luke was taken a foot back and considered what to say next. "That's a really commendable thing, Was she orphaned from the war or some other disaster?" He said sipping his drink.

"Her father's shuttle crashed on my planet...and as my planet had strong laws against his species, they were going to be executed. I...took her and ran away," she admitted and met his eyes, her own serious. "I could only save her. I am raising her as my own and she does not remember much from it."

He nodded along taking in her words "I imagine it wasn't an easy choice turning away from your people but sometimes rules are made to be broken, she had a great mum." Luke finished his drink and placed it down "Do you ever miss home?" He asked.

"No," she said and smiled, finishing her own drink. "This is a place of endless possibilities...I like endless possibilities..." she breathed, leaning closer to him as her fingers traced his hand. "It is exciting."

Luke couldn't help the feeling that swelled up inside of him, he was so used to chasing Blake and being turned down (partly his own doing) that he wasn't sure how to continue "It is isn't it" he finally said looking down to where her hand traced his and smiled.

OFF:

Ensign Aria Rice
Security
USS Galileo

Crewman Corealina Vipsania
Nurse
USS Galileo

&

Lt.JG Luke Wyatt
Chief Security Officer
USS Galileo

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