STF

Side Sim - A Much Needed Vacay

Posted March 14, 2023, 1:24 p.m. by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) (James Sinclair)

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 Lieutenant Cara Esmé O’Farrell (Counselor / Education Specialist) in Side Sim - A Much Needed Vacay
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
=/\= Five minutes. If you see a distinguished looking man with salt and pepper hair and bright blue eyes, he will be meeting us. =/\= came the reply. Not two minutes later the door opened and the man came in and looked around. Not seeing what he was looking for, he took a seat at the bar.

Cara knew the face, oh yes she did. From her table she waved down the waitress so she could pay and get out of there. No, she wasn’t playing this game with Serchena. For good or ill she was not. She didn’t owe the woman a thing. Unfortunately, the waitress was busy and the bistro packed and she didn’t arrive with the bill in enough time for Cara to leave. Cara was fuming.

Five minutes almost to the second rhe door opened and Serchena came gliding in. Eyes everywhere locked on her and she graced rhe room with a dazzling smile before her emerald eyes fell on rhe man at the bar. She walked up to him and gave him a kiss on rhe cheek and then she looked at Cara and pointed and began walking towards her. “Hello, Cara. Lieutenant Cara O’Farrell, this is Fleet Captain (Retired) Micah Crowell. Micah, may I introduce one of Star Fleet’s best and brightest. Sit Micah, sit.” He nodded and said “Lieutenant. A pleasure.” and he took a seat. “So to what do I owe the pleasure? I was actually looking forward to a round of drinks at the Ambassador when you called.” Serchena slid in next to Cara and put her hand on her knee and gripped it firmly. “Well… as you have said, darling, some things just need to be said. I believe thst is what you prefaced you saying ‘I love you’ to me for the first time with. So I have had a very interesting conversation with Cara here. Especially right after I told her and Gravel- she’s dating him, by the way. Isn’t that lovely?- told her and Gravel you had proposed and I had said yes. So… here you sit… across the table from a woman who loves Gravel for the man he is and another who loves him for the journey that led him to become the man she loves… and we would both be very interested in why you called this singular individual whom we both love and admire a… a… oh, Cara. What was the word dear Micah used to describe Gravel again?” Her grip on Cara’s knee tightened in a way that said Stick with it. I mean business.

Serchena Mardusk

Cara’s smiled was polite and friendly. Her sister and Gravel would know that look meant get out while you were alive. Cara didn’t bother to greet the man at all. She had nothing to say to him, and curse her mother for raising her with manners. Cara could not match the Orion strength for strength, but Cara had been well trained. Still with a smile, she forcibly pried the woman’s hand off her knee in a way that said, You will pay for this. Then she sat back and folded her hands loosely in her lap. “Beast.” However this turned out, Cara and Serchena were not going to get along. Cara didn’t appreciate being made someone’s puppet and maneuvered into breaking Gravel’s trust. Oh no, they were not going to get along at all. Serchena could shove that down her pretty little throat and maybe cut her tongue on those disgustingly brothel red finger nails.

Cara

Serchena’s smile nevewavered. “Oh riiiiight… that was the term, wasn’t it? Beast. ‘With a broad back’, I believe your qualifier was. Yes…” Slowly, she moved away from Cara, sliding to get out of the booth… inexorably… like tectonic plates on a collision path. “You called my son a beast. You referred to him as an animal. Oh, I’m sure you breathed a sigh if relief when I told you I had never read his file.” Micah started doing speak but a finger silenced him. “No no… you have e said enough. Now… I know how much decorum means to you. Another reason you and my son didn’t get along. You are about ‘appearances’… and he is about substance. Nonwonder he hated you. And had I known the depths of your demeaning of him I would have never allowed you near me.” Her voice was strong… steady… loud. “Had I known what had transpired, I never would have been in a position to have to hurt him so deeply yet unintentionally. And I never would have compromised my chance at knowing this wonderful young woman who loves my son so. You have cost me dearly…” By now she was on her feet, looming over the pale and shaking former officer. She slowly reached forward and grabbed his shirt and slowly lifted him out out of his seat, holding him aloft with his feet dangling off the ground. “I had to break a promise to my son tonight, you miserable piece of shit. And I hate I had to do that just because of you.” Her empty fist balled into a fist.

Cara was out of her seat and put a hand over Serchena’s fist. Oh the woman would swing and hit anyway, but sometimes a hand could be an anchor, “Ser…”

“MA!” a booming voice shouted, filling the silent bistro. “What rhe hell are ya doin’?! Put him down!” Gravel barked. He looked past her to Cara with WTF, hun?! look on his face.

The booming mountainous voice had never been so welcome and never had Cara wished he was somewhere else. All she could do was look at him and shrug. This was not her fault. His mother had orchestrated this little drama.

Serchena looked at him and a gold tear trickled down her cheek. “Grav… I didn’t know… I swear to you I didn’t know… I-” and Gravel stepped forward and grabbed Crowell around the waist. “It’s okay, Ma… just… just let him down.” She slowly released him and Gravel lowered him to the floor. “Hey, Crowell. Nice ta see ya.” he said sarcastically. Crowell’s face was ted from fear and rage (mostly fear), but he sputtered out “I-I-I-I-” and Gravel cut him off saying “Aren’t gonna do jack and you know it. Get the f#<l outta here…” and rhe Retired Fkeet Caotain practically scampered out. Gravel looked at rhe open mouth crowd and said “Hey… sorry. Famiky drama, amiright?” and a few people chuckled and slowly things went back to normal. He moved Serchena into the booth across from Cara and then sat down. “Damn… leave you two alone for a bit and you start picking up strange men… literally.” and he chuckled.

Mardusk(s)

Cara shook her head and stood up. “I think you two need ta talk.” She leaned over looking in his stunning green eyes and kissed him gently. “I love ya, Gravel,” she whispered. “I’ll see ya at the hotel.”

Cara

Gravel put a hand gently on her arm. “Stay… please. I know ya don’t wanna. But I’d like ya to be here.”

Serchena looked up at Cara and said “I am so sorry. I just knew ew if I saw him alone I’d have probably put my fist through his face.” Her anger was a mask for shame and guilt, and that was more than apparent to the trained psychologist and the interrogator. Gravel looked at Cara and said “See? And you thought it was your family that was gonna be the crazy ones.”

Gravel

Cara couldn’t tell him no, not about anything, but certainly not this. She slid back into her seat. “This? This is nothin’. And more than justified.” She looked at Serchena. Yeah she felt guilty and it was all over her face, but Cara was Cara after all. “Next time, ask. Ya may not like what I have ta say, but if yer scared of what ya might do or the other person, I won’t leave ya alone.” Left unsaid for the sake of more pressing conversations was she didn’t appreciate being backed into the decision, especially after she’d made it clear she didn’t want ta be involved. Cara called the waitress over for menus and drinks. “It certainly isn’t as fancy, but Lacy is an amazin’ cook, and the food here should be served somewhere more fancy. Order, talk, then eat.”

Cara

Serchena looked at Cara and said “Thank you. And I promise I won’t put you in a position like that again. I just… I panicked.” Gravel looked at his mother and then at Cara. “Listen.. both of you. I have had a hell of a few weeks. Can we just wipe the slate clean? I really just wanna relax.” Serchena looked at him and said “Well, I should say I looked at your record tonight. I know I promised I wouldn’t-” and Gravel held up a hand. “I get it, Ma. You did what you had to do.” She smiled and said “What I was going to say is I read the After-Action Report of what just transpired on the Atlantis.” She reached over and took his hand. “You did a great job, son. I’m really proud of you.” she said with a sincere and motherly smile.

Mardusks


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