Posted by Lieutenant Kadence Argona (Counselor) in Perhaps just once… (Reilly)

Posted by Commander Jason Reilly (XO) in Perhaps just once… (Reilly)

Posted by Lieutenant Kadence Argona (Counselor) in Perhaps just once… (Reilly)

She had done it.

Kady had gone down to Risa on her own. She hated Risa. It was an overused, overspent, redundant ‘port in every storm’. So why was she here? Because the tiramisu was amazing and so was the real coffee. And she had Reilly to blame. She had asked for authentic Italian food and he had shown her. Now she was hooked.

As the sun crested down around dinner time, she sat, sketchbook in hand, bare feet on a nearby chair and was drawing those wandering around below. The wind was blowing her ponytail and she was humming softly to herself.

Kadence Argona
CNS

The people in the little plaza moved with a fluidity that was predictable… moving slowly from bar and shop, holding hands, talking softly… it was a slow rhythm that seemed like water flowing. As she looked up from her sketch, however, the water now had an island in it. One figure, not moving, standing in the exact center of her vision.

Reilly.

A light gray jacket was thrown over his shoulder, held in place by one finger hooked in the back of the collar and the weight hanging it down his back. Blue shirt with a slight v-neck and gray trousers that matched the jacket. He was standing absolutely still in the middle of the square looking up at her, as if he had been there the whole time. The people around him seemed to simply flow by him, paying him no attention. He looked at her… and smiled. He then made a gesturing, asking if he could join her.

Reilly, XO

Look up… look down… sketch
Look up… look down… sketch

The rhythm was like breathing to Kady. Sometimes her head tilting one way or the other as she drew this face or that flower.

Look up… look down… sketch
Look up…

He was standing there and she hadn’t seen him enter the plaza. Her head cocked sideways a moment wondering if her mind had put him there. Seeing him gesture, a soft smile touched her lips and she nodded, her feet moving to the tiled floor as she sat up. She started to put the colored pencils in the box and clean up the scattering of balled up unsatisfying papers into a small pile on the chair her feet had been propped on.

Kady
CNS

At her smile and nod, the man positively sprinted to the door and out of sight. Less than five seconds later he came onto the balcony, exaggerating his calmness and sauntering to her table. “Well hello, there. I would quote a very old movie line about gin joints, but I don’t think we’ve reached the ‘Casablanca’ stage of our relationship just yet.” and he smiled at her and laughed. “May I join you, my dear Kadence?” he asked.

Reilly, XO

She laughed as he suddenly appeared and tried to look like he had just happened upon her. “Of course. I do believe it’s your table I have commandeered after all.” She had closed the pad and it was on the far side of the table with the pencil case on top of it. “I hope you gave them your drink order. I told them they didn’t have to keep checking on me.” She leaned back and pulled one heel up to perch on the edge of her seat as she sipped her drink. “So what brings you to your gin joint?” She smiled and nodded to the building.

Kadence
CNS

“I was just in the neighborhood.” he replied as he sat down. He left off the fact that he owed the Captain a bottle bourbon for letting him planet-side to attend to a personal matter related to a previous case… which reminded him that he would owe the Captain another bottle for forgetting to mention that the ‘case’ in question was seated in front of him. Oh, and probably another bottle for implying something about twins…

The waiter came and set an double espresso in front of Reilly, who nodded in thanks. “So is it just a dessert trip? Or did I miss dinner?”

Reilly, XO