Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in Side Sim - A Much Needed Vacay

Posted by Lieutenant Cara Esmé O’Farrell (Counselor / Education Specialist) in Side Sim - A Much Needed Vacay

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in Side Sim - A Much Needed Vacay
Posted by… suppressed (14) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
Gravel didnt stop kissing Cara, but gave Tugm a one-fingered salute, and the cranky bartender chuckled. After a few more lingering moments, he pulled back and said “Damn, Tugm… and here I was gonna ask you to be my best man.” and he laughed.

As the hours passed and through crowd thinned, soon it was the core group of staff, regulars, and those privileged enough to be welcome in the bar past closing. Serchena had made her exit a bit before claiming an early meeting, and now less than a dozen people were leaned against the bar laughing and drinking.

Gravel

Cara was picking at a basket of loaded nachos after another burger, fries, and a giant pretzel with beer cheese. Tugm walked by wiping the bar down and cleaning up. “Make that last, the kitchen is closed.” He looked at Mardusk and grinned, “I told you earlier, feed her and she never leaves.” He snorted and lifted a tray of glasses and carried it into the back.

Suddenly there was laughter and the squashed nosed bartender came out, tears leaking out of his squinty eyes, carrying a large old fashioned white board. Cara recognized it immediately and almost spit out her beer. She choked on it instead. “You still have that?” Across the top of the board was “Who can out drink Cara?”

Cara

Gravel’s eyes narrowed as he looked at rhe board. “What is that?!” he asked loudly. “And why didn’t I ever k ow about this?!” he asked with a laugh.

Gravel

Pelthyz, the cook, looked up and slammed his hand on the bar and began to howl. He pointed at it, started to say something, looked at Cara and laughed harder.

One of the long time regulars snorted. “We all got bored just watchin’ her drink everyone under the table. It started as a joke, speculating on who and how we could manage to out drink her. Then it turned into a pool.” He waved at the board that was filled with names and amounts. Some were even two people vs Cara. Some were crossed out.

Tugm shrugged, “Probably because you haven’t been here since it started.”

Cara glanced at it, “All that money. What will ya do with it, Tugm, since there’s no winner?” The porcine bar tender began to laugh so hard he actually sat down. He waved at the board. “There’s a winner…”

Cara

Gravel looked at the board for a long moment, puzzling out the convoluted tracking system they had used to track who, when, how, conditions, and lovers. Finally he started chuckling and then laughing so hard gold tears formed in his eyes. “OH HOLY S#!T!!! HE IS GONNA LAUGH HIS A$$ OFF!!” and he bent over the bar and banged on it with his hand. Suddenly he sat up and looked at Tugm. “Dude. Call. Him. Right now. Tell him. EVERYBODY SHUT UP! Seriously… call him and tell him. We gotta hear this.” He looked at Cara and said “You are gonna piss your pants.”

Tugm stared at Gravel and then started laughing and nodding his head. “Oh HELLS yes. Quiet! Quiet everybody.” he said and he went to the office and came back with the portable comms. He punched in a series of digits and then said “He’s traveling, so it may not go through.” Gravel said “Where’s he headed?” Tugm said “On his way to Oed V.” “Huh? What’s out there?” Gravel asked. Tugm shrugged and then said “Ok ok!! Its connecting! Shut up!” He turned the screen so only he could see it and a voice said “Tugm? Whats happened? Is everything ok?”

The voice was familiar, but with the distance and minor distirtion it was hard to place for anyone not really familiar with the speaker. “Hey. No no, everything is fine. Nothing happened except… well… you won.” There was a long pause and the voice said “Won? What are you talking about? What did I win?” “The pool. Here at the bar. You won the pool.” “Tugm, are you drunk? There is no pool at the bar! Where the hell would we put a pool?!” the voice yelled. Tugmm started laughing and said “Not a pool… the pool. You won! Mardusk did it. He out drank her. And only slightly less surprising is they got engaged about three hours ago.” and he spun the screen so everyone- especially Cara and Gravel- could be seen in the screen…

By Michael ‘Big Mike’ McKenzie.

Gravel

Cara didn’t recognize the voice at all. Maybe if it was singing she would have, but she did recognize the face. Her eyes went wide and she blinked and looked at Tugm. She hissed out a whisper, “Mike McKenzie bet on my pool?” Tugm nodded. Cara laughed, “That’s epic…” but whatever else she might have said was cut off by the image of a copper blonde woman entering the screen, she was pulling her hair loose from the back of her dress. She laughed, “So if Mardusk out drank her, that means the woman can hold her liquor…and I know what it take to try and keep up with him.”

Cara’s hand gripped his forearm. “Oh my god…that’s Revna Edman.” Yes, one of the most famous punk rockers and owner of Cara’s favorite bar had won a pool about her…but Cara was more in awe of the woman standing just over his shoulder.

“Rev? Yeah… you know her?” Gravel asked.

“Know her? Everyone in Star Fleet medical knows her. She’s amazing! Never met her…” Gravel called her ‘Rev’…Cara told herself she was not going to be goofy over this.

Revna laughed, “McKenzie now. I’m glad to see the appointment to the Atlantis has worked out so well for you Cara.” Cara might have gripped Gravel’s arm tighter…the woman knew who she was. Revna grinned at Mardusk and then set a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “You now if the ship hasn’t left, we may have to send Runa to pay our congratulations.”

Revna McKenzie
and
Cara

Gravel smiled and said “Mike, I dunno if I should be flattered or insulted that you thought of me first in a drinking contest.” Mike laughed and said “Buddy, I think of you and only you first in three things: bass guitar, immovable objects, and drinking.” and he laughed loudly. Gravel shook his head and said “Rev… How the hell do you put up with that guy? And you married that schmuck, too. What were you thinking?” and he laughed. “You guys okay? Doin’ alright? How’s Runa? Heard she got married?! That can’t be real.”

Gravel

Revna laughed, “Oh there was no thinking involved in that decision. And I am sure you know exactly how that feels.” She kissed Mike as she sat down. “Runa? Oh she’s great. Yeah she got married. Less than 12 hours after she met him. It’s Runa what do you expect. A bar however was not involved…apparently it was coffee.” Revna said it like it was some sordid secret and laughed.

Revna and Cara

Gravel looked at Tugm who was tapping his wrist. “Ok, you gotta tell me about that. But I’m getting glared at here, so can you guys call tomorrow and we can catch up? Cara and I are in town all day tomorrow but leave for Ireland day after.” Mike opened his mouth to say something and Gravel held up a finger. “One fu<%ing leprechaun comment from you, McKenzie, and I will drink your special bottle.” Mike grinned but his mouth snapped shut. “Ok. I’ll just tell Revna when we hang up.” and he laughed.

“Ya know leprechauns are no actually green, and their little people. A more apt comparison would be The Dagda.” There was a pause and then Revna’s mouth dropped open. “By the gods! I love her!” She laughed so hard she cried.

“Hey. Seriously though… much love, brother. Congrats. Cara, hope we get an invite to the riot-” and Revna’s hand went loudly against the back of his head “- er, wedding.” and he looked back at her. “I owe you one now.” and he grinned before turning back. “We’ll call tomorrow. Talk then. Tugm! Carte blanche for Cara. She’s family now!” and the comms went dark. Tugm looked at Cara with an odd smile. “He says that like its something new.” and he smiled at her and said “Congratulations, Cara. Be happy.”

Gravel

Cara shook her head and popped the last nacho. “Okay, I have…”

The comms on the screen chirpped. For Tugm and Gravel Only from Revna McKenzie. It was a typed message. “If he is going to owe me anyway, I’m gonna earn it.”

Attached was a video file…of a VERY drunk Mike, on a horse, screaming about saving his ‘princess’ and a wooden tannery sign knocking him backwards off the horse and landing passed out on the ground....

Revna McKenzie

Gravel and Tugm watched. Replayed. Watched. Replayed. And then Gravel burst out laughing so hard he fell on the floor. Tugm had the good sense to lock the terminal before following suit on the other side of the bar. The laughter was loud, long, and so deep both of them started coughing. Tugm finally poured two shots and slid one to Gravel who was barely able to get off the floor. They tapped the glasses once to the bar and tossed them.back, and Gravel looked at Tugm. “Oh she is a dead woman.” Tugm grinned and said “It ain’t that he’s gonna kill her, its the how I’m bettin’ she’s lookin’ forward to.” and both of them fell out laughing again.

Gravel

Cara and Pelthyz watched as the two tried to suffocate themselves with laughter. The bouncers outside had seen the last of the regulars into cabs and come in and locked the door. Burke looked at them in the floor. Looked at Cara sitting there with a bemused expression. “Cara what did you do now?!”

She turned in her seat and held her hands up, “I did NO do that. I have no idea what they are laughing about. No me this time.” Burke eyed her, “Why do I not believe that?”

Cara walked behind the bar like she belinged there, grabbed a couple of towels and tossed them at Burke and the other bouncer. Pelthyz chuckled, “Because it’s Cara. She had Tugm here all sentimental a few moments ago.”

Cara rolled her eyes with a grin, knelt next to Tugm and shook her head. She grabbed his hands, “Come on, up off the floor. And don’t ya dare fall back down. If I go down, I’ll never get up. I have never no walked outta here on my own two feet. I’m no startin’ tanight.”

Cara

Tugm stood and dried his eyes while Gravel did the same. “Oh… oh gods above..” and he chuckled. He looked at Cara and smiled and said “Come on, Red. Let’s get you to bed. We can celebrate more tomorrow.” Tugm said “Yes, please, go. I have to go try to sleep sometime, too.” Gravel took Cara’s hand and led her to the door. As it started to close, Gravel said ” G’nite Princess!” and a howl of laughter echoed from inside as the door closed all the way.

Gravel leaned Cara against his side and said “Walk? Or cab?”

Gravel

Cara rested against his side, her hand slipping along his back. “Hmmm…I wouldna complain about walkin’ back with ya. Lead on.” She waved toward the road, slipping her hand into his back pocket. After a minute she chuckled. “They need ta add pockets to our uniforms.”

Cara

He chuckled and said “Oh no… that’s all I need. Everyone on the ship talking about how my fiance cannot only get lost in an empty room with one door, but how she also can’t keep hands out of MY pockets.” and he looked down and smiled. “Although I’m not complainin’ right now, that’s for sure.”

Gravel

“Well at least with my hands in yer pockets, I’m no gettin’ lost.” Cara looked up at him and grinned. “Works much better than a bell.” The streets around the warehouses were mostly empty with shifts having switched a few hours before. It quiet except for the occasional sound of utility vehicles and chatter of drivers waiting on shipments and such. “I can only imagine the speculation goin’ on, on the ship about our vacation, or the amount of spyin’ that will happen when we get back.”

Cara

He chuckled. “Most probably think we are getting married. Some probably think you are pregnant. And a few probably think we just needed a fu<%ing break.” He looked down at her and said “But people are gonna freak out when they find out. I dunno about the folks in your department, but mine are gonna crap themselves.”

Gravel

“I’ll need ear plugs for all the shreakin’ and gossipin’. Your department is gonna think someone has them at phaser point. Royo is gonna trip over his own feet tryin’ ta help them…Oh maybe I can put ‘em in the arboretum ta catch flies when their chins hit the floor instead.” Cara giggled over the image and then stopped herself with a hand over her mouth. “I drank too much.” Which made her smirk. “So worth it.”

Cara

“That was the plan all along, ya know.” Gravel said with a grin. “Get you so drunk you just couldn’t say no.” He looked at her and tapped the side of his head with a finger. “Tactical. Genius. Thats who yer marryin’, right here.” and he laughed and then he went “Crap. I gotta call Q’onoS. Lord Noggra and T’Kor are gonna crap themselves when I tell ‘em I’m gettin’ married.” and he chuckled.

Gravel

Cara stopped dead in her tracks and looked up at him. “Gravel....please tell me I’m not goin’ ta have ta go to Q’onoS and hunt down, kill, and make candles of targs. I have no doubt I’ll get the candles made, but I’ll die a’fore I find my way back.”

Cara