| Hair of the Dogs |
| Summary: | Ciro and Vandenberg run into each other at Pete's. Their social relationship is established. |
| Date: | 8 May 2042 AE |
| Related Logs: | None |
| Players: |
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| Colonial Pete's |
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| Colonial Pete's is the long-awaited successor to Kythera's Aquarian Pete's, though this version is more bar than strip club. Not that there aren't any strippers here, in fact there's even a raised platform complete with pole built just for them. The majority of the room, however, is dominated by mis-matched tables and chairs and a long bar. Lighting is haphazard, the harsh fluorescents that came with the place usually left off in favor of lower lighting from scavenged lamps and even a bit of neon rustled up from somewhere and hung behind the bar. There's a pretty decent sound-system playing a wide variety of music, and a couple of low-tech bar games, like a mini pyramid arena.There are always a few burly-looking guys around to keep an eye on rowdy patrons, and especially to guard the doors to the back rooms, where the stills are kept along with (rumors say) a few private alcoves for those willing to pay extra for one-on-one time with the girls.A large black chalkboard that once adorned Cerberus' Ready Room hangs behind the bar. Scrawled on its surface beneath a crude picture of a steaming bowl are the words 'SOUP OF THE DAY: MOONSHINE.' |
| Post-Holocaust Day: #436 |
Nothing says excitement like a bar on a Sunday evening… </sarcasm> Regardless, there's a military presence on the Elpis. Roving patrols that don't end. Luckily, one of the Marine Officers managed to get away. She may not be immediately recognizable except for ther height and the scars across her face. It would take more makeup and skill with it than she has to cover those. Captain Natalie Vandenberg is leaned against the bar in a pair of designer jeans, a white halter top and white dress blouse left unbuttoned down the front. The only jewelry she's wearing is a very nice silver and gold necklace that falls low down into her top. Her hair is finally down and covering most of the healng burns on the back of her head, too. She's leaned herself up against the bar and is sipping on a beer, watching the few people around ..and the strippers. The latter less so much.
What walks next through the door could only be described best as an obvious off-duty marine. Wearing a pair of traded-for faded jeans with frays on the seams and a simple untucked, black tank top that shows off his collection of tattoos, the mohawked man fits in more with the bouncers near the door than most of the clientele. Dog tags and shark-tooth necklace swaying as he walks, he wades through the crowd and bellies up to the bar next to Natalie. Sliding out a voucher and signalling for a pen, he waves the bartender over and signs the drink vouchers. "Ambrosia. Ice. Two of them if you can."
Turning, he sets the center of his back against the bartop and rests his elbows beside him, lowering his head to gaze at a black haired girl with tanned skin dancing on a table. His eyes trace down her form. "There are times I can't tell whether or not I love or hate this frakkin' bar…"
Vandenberg glances to Ciro on his way in and sips at her beer and barely moves but for her head to turret around and look at the bar. She taps the boot on its high heel with the music playing. With his observation she chuckles, the beer hovering near her lips. "Ain't that a bit of true, yeah." Her accent is hanging out loud and proud tonight. "I love this place but I could care less about the tits. Just not as interesting. Wouldn't mind seein' a few blokes up there on the mighty flattop, yeah. See some of that action up there I might be more inclined to come on by, but the allure of booze is usually enough for me to overlook the mams."
"Speak for yourself." He sidelongs to her, turning to pick up one of the two tumblers of iced ambrosia. He brings the glass to his lips and takes a long pull, swallowing it down easily. A grin crosses his lips as he nods in the brunette's direction. "You really wanna ruin a pretty picture like that with some guy? Besides, there's only one place you can find muscular men in the fleet and I could give a frak about morale." He smirks, taking another pull from the glass.
Watching the girl's hips sway with the music in her very small, barely covering attire, the tall marine begins to tap his boot to the heavy bass beat that reverberates through the floor as well. Vandenberg is spared another glance. "So what's the good word, Van? Anything interesting going on over here tonight? Since I got assigned as Lady's SL I was going to see if she wanted to pound a few back. She's a ghost, so I came on over with the last security shift."
Natalie laughs a bit. Its a husky sound that comes with a glance to Ciro and then back to the brunette. "No, I guess you got a point. I mean, she isn't unattractive. Just not my type. I'm picky." The comment about the men gets another grin. "Oh yea. The Corps is such an awful place to have co-ed showers. Just awful. Things are tough on us ladies." She cuts him a wink before looking to the side to set down her beer. There's a snort at the mention of Lady. "Her. Trust me, good luck with her, Sarge. Next time I see her I'm going to put her face into a bulkhead for that lil stunt she pulled on the hangar deck with that Cylon. She's a digger, aye? Not some ragin bitch with a vengeance streak, right?" Right. There's a reason she isn't going to Gemenon.
Ciro tilts his head to watch Vandenberg out of the corner of his eye. At her mention of the co-ed showers, the rather confident man doesn't blush. Instead his eyes lid in a dopey manner and his shoulders lurch softly in an unheard huff. "Co-ed showers aren't so bad. It's the co-ed dorms that must drive you women up the frakkin' walls. Whatever you do, don't shine a black light around…" His head turns in time to see someone approach.
A small blonde girl in a bra and a small, pleated microskirt that is daringly cut to her hip places a soft hand on his shoulder and leans in to speak into his neck. "Hey soldier are you lookin' for a dance?" She asks, giving him a pair of pouty eyes.
"No thanks, miss, just drinkin' right now." He replies, giving her a friendly nod and a smirk at the side of his lips.
"Okay, baby, you want one you come find me, okay?" She asks, glancing down to his dogtags before she turns and leaves with a heartbreaking sway of her hips.
"Zeus wept…" Ciro mutters to himself, watching her walk away. Another sip is taken from the glass of ambrosia. "Anyway, how'd that shit happen anyway? Did you guys just figure I'm some mohawked, tattooed asshole so maybe by cooperation I'd tame her down? We had a talk about a week ago. I'm going in with the mutual respect, no bullshit angle. I think we'll get along."
Vandenberg chuckles, sipping at her beer afterwards. "Dorms? Took me a bit when I first got rescued. This is my first cruise. I was with the seventy-third Mountain for around ten years. Lots of sleeping outdoors, cuddling up next to other people to get warm up on peaks in an OP? I get a mattress and a curtain here. I'm happy." She drifts off while the woman approaches and whispers. Natalie listens and then follows the sway of her hips with her eyes. "Good Lords. You pass that up, dag? You're nuttier than squirrel shit." She smirks and then shakes her head with the last. "Aye, I thought so too. But that woman? Easier to take as another woman. She makes me blush and I ain't shy with mah words. Its one thing to be comfortable talkin' about your lady parts but.. Well. You'll see. She was assigned to you as pre-emptive punishment for some way that you will piss me off in the future. You understand." There's a reassuring nod there.
"I didn't pass it up altogether. I just passed her up for now. Besides, we're talkin' right now, less you wanna take the conversation to a table." Ciro clarifies, saluting her with his glass. He turns his head once more to see her walking around, peddling her trade, at least the dancing trade she offers publically. There are rumors about the women at Pete's, and military staff tend to get extra attention as they come in with fresh vouchers. "I'm not shy either. It was hard talking to her while she was prepping for the showers, I'm not so forged by the corps that I can't tell when someone's naked, but the conversation had to happen one way or another." He pauses, turning his attention back to Natalie. "You got some opinion I'm gonna piss you off, Van?" He chuckles. "I'm the least of your problems."
Natalie shrugs, reaching into the rear pocket of her jeans for a pack of smokes and a lighter. She plucks one out and lights it. "Doesn't matter to me. I'm just people watching for right now. I can do that from a table if you wanna grab one?" The cigarette bounces between her lips as she speaks, fingers tucking her returning hair around an ear and away fro mteh glowing cherry on the ciggie. "Woof. You had that convo with her preppin for showers? Yeesh, Ciro. Ain't that a bugger. But yeah, you stop appreciatin showers, there's somethin wrong. Unless I had to shower with Pewter. Good Lords. Tha's a frightenin' prospect." To the last she gives another laugh and looks him up and down. The smoke is plucked away and the smoke exhales to the floor bullishly from her nose. "I'm from northern Canceron. My favorite passtimes are getting drunk, climbing mountains, and getting into fistfights. We make friends by winnin fights an buyin beers for the loser. Ya damned right you're gonna piss me off. Elf's m'mate, yeah? Man's dug a fightin position under m'skin before. Wouldn't trade him for a tank, though. He's a brother."
"I'm from the west. Lomadia Beach to be specific. My…" He pauses, lowering his brows to choose the right word for the occasion. "…ex girlfriend and I used to head up your way to climb, that was her thing. So good rock up that way." Ciro motions in the direction of an empty table. Taking up his untouched drink, he motions for her to follow him as he walks. "If you're half as fearless in the field as you are talking shit about seeing Pewter's crank then I'm sure you, me, and Elf are going to get along just fine. Don't give me any bullshit and I won't spread the word you cockwatch in the shower. It'll be our little secret just don't bring any cameras into the equation." Setting the glasses down, he pushes one of the low-resting lounge chairs aside and reaches into his pocket. Out come months worth of vouchers. He dumps himself into the seat and takes another drink.
"Parents used to Winter down in that area. Got too cold up in Kirtland for their Virgan bones. I only went once when I was like four or five. Never again. Got the run of the house with m'nanny for three and a half months? Best believe I stayed home." She grins at the memory, taking her beer with her as they head for a table. "Aye. I used to free climb on the smaller stuff. Got into mountaineering when I was fourteen, actually. Seventy-third was pleased as pigs in shite when they saw that on m'app for Mountain Warfare." Natalie spits that out with a laugh, setting into the chair. "Oh please. You think I won't fess to peerin at dangly bits? Everyone looks. You ain't innocent, neither. Tellin me you never spied a chest or lady parts in your career? Lie doesn't become ya, Mister Ciro. They get ya in bets an the next thing ya know you're into debt deep witha sister from the old world. Frakkered yourself into a corner there, yeah." She flashes her eyes, still grinning.
"Yeah, maybe a little bit of a corner. Frakkin' 'berg. I notice but I don't linger, you know? Last thing I need is someone else in the bunks thinking I'm watching them. It's bad enough that I heard shit about me always being in my bunk so I've been jogging the hallways a bit more. I'm not crazy enough to want to date some girl on the Cerb. Ain't a one of you can be trusted."
Another pair of soft hands place themselves on Ciro's shoulder, and a slender girl with an athletic body and a shoulder-length brown hair peers down Ciro's mohawk. She flashes him a sharp grin, playing the role of the fun, laughing girl with large doe eyes. She's wearing dark blue, and like the first girl, even less of it. "You guys are gonna let me dance for you and drink all your beer right?"
Ciro looks up, gazing from beneath the girl's chest to her blue eyes, and then looks to Vandenberg. He shrugs his shoulder, seeing what she thinks. The blonde is making her way over again. "I could pay it forward, got more than enough vouchers, Van."
"Well, course. Lingerin? I 'member my boyfriend tellin' me once that you shake it more than twice, you're playin' with it. You take more than a two-count givin a look over and its just awkward. You're window shoppin at that point, mate." Natalie grins once more before taking a long pull of the beer. Her eyes drift to the new arrival while she takes a drag of the smoke. "This is all you, Sarge. I'm not payin for company. She's perfectly welcome to join us for drinks, though." The Marine is keeping her eyes off the stripper as much as she can but finds herself looking back into the eyes of the woman for just a hair longer than a two count. Moving along. "Look Mister C, we ain't allll bad. Few of us're downright civil and worth knowin. Problem is that the hot ones are taken. As are the really adorable ones. Most of us left on the single end usually aren't people interest, they crazy, they still mourning, or.. name a reason guys don't like a woman in general. Just how it goes. Hell, ya'll ain't stupid. Y'know if we survive off this galactic clusterfrak we're gonna have to be havin' babies. We ain't blind to that. We look in our own ways. I'd suggest gettin out and findin' while the findin' is still possible."
The thought occurs to Ciro that if he isn't paying for a few dancers for them, he's either having a conversation with two girls at the same time or talking to the S3 about life on the Cerberus with a pair of tits in his face. His mind's made up. "Looks like not right now." He offers to the girl, who gives them both a bright smile and moves off to find other blood in the water. Strip clubs are predictable…if you're not being danced for, you're being interrupted.
"No, you're all bad." Ciro laughs, finishing the last of his first tumbler of ambrosia. He's going to be well along his way to tipsy by the end of the next glass, which he sets aside. In fact, his folder states he came straight from Sagittaron and socially he hasn't been seen on deck spending any quiet time with any of the women. Then again, there's no reports with him being with men either. "I'm not even getting into names, but the truth of it all is that I'm not exactly the available type for dating, I guess. What's the frakkin' point? I'll worry about having kids when I've got the time to raise them, and what…" He makes airquotes. "HOT ones aren't taken leaves me in a position to either break free of my self-imposed exile from women or actually risk some bullshit." He nods in the direction of the blonde who's coming over again. "Then again, sometimes my will isn't as strong as normal. Frakkin hell what did that girl's parent's feed her?"
Natalie just keeps her grinning expression. "Fine. We're all bad. Tainted by improper chromosomes. 'Less you'd rather mate with a man?" She can't help needling just a bit. She rolls her eyes at him not being 'the dating type'. "Zeus on a stick, boy. What? You ain't available? Why? Don't gimme some line about your ex. That was more than a year ago." Probably a rough mixture of Canceran and Marine bravado there. "What's the point? Claimin' mates now seems like a good idea to me. If I were a younger woman without a blasted face?" And not very very quietly seeing Khloe. "I'd be out there doin' just that. Fact is I just don't have time for a guy anymore. Most of them are too wrapped in themselves or think their little precious porceilin doll will break in combat." Cuz its hard to miss most of her body being covered in burn, frag, and bullet scars. "Oh saaaaave me from the big bad Cylons, my love!! Helpless 'ole me cain't do a thing without ya!" She snorts a laugh and finishes off the beer and looks to the reapproaching blonde. "Probably not much. Don't think 'parents' are a word she understands well except for maybe a baby back in her berths."
There's a darkness that appears behind Ciro's eyes at the mention of his ex's death being well over a year ago. A few heartbeats later it fades as he offers her a quiet smirk while taking another drink from the iced glass of ambrosia. "Your frakkin' problem is you can't find a marine that's on your level, because gods know the navy staff's going to have a hard time telling the difference between a woman and a woman that happens to be a marine. Not too many know the difference. All the frakkin' lot of you are all nails and rocks until the uniform comes off or the door closes." He grins to the blonde, waving her over. Again, that darkness returns for half of a second, enough to force himself forward. She wastes no time climbing into his lap, forcing him to lean back and gaze up her body to watch her dance as he and Vandenberg continue to talk. He tilts his head back as the thin, spaghetti-like strap of the girl's g'string over her hip dances in front of his face. "So are the guys in the fleet really that moody? Maybe my future isn't shot to shit just yet." He glances over to her, and then turns his eyes back to the girl atop him. "How long you been in the corps, Van? Too long or not long enough?"
Natalie watches the darkness in his eyes past the inhale on her cigarette, almost as if she were daring him to say more. If she is anything, its not shy. The Captain might even deck him. To the point about being a woman and a Marine she shrugs. "Well being both? Marine always comes first. That's the difference between Navy and Marines. I meet most women in the Navy and their identity starts with their gender. Hell, in the Corps, how many times do you hear a woman describe herself first by feminine traits? Frakkall never. But yeah, that's fair sight true. Closed doors? Hair comes down and we are who we are. We gotta be guys at the office. Who wants to come home and still be a guy? Bugger that shite." She smirks. "Well, it works for you all with your cods. Women? No thanks." She drags on the smoke and ashes it into the empty bottle. She watches the dance with some scrutiny as if she were taking notes or judging it based on some academic scale rather than moral values of it. "Guys ain't so bad. Some are real goony birds, but most're okay. Not so much my types but again, I'm picky. I like a man with big shoulders, dark eyes. Tall, too. I can deal with most other features after that. Most of it comes down to what's beatin their chest, aye? Need me a confident man who ain't afraid of shite. Especially me." She grins, finally looking back to Ciro. "Me? Took my oath comin up sixteen years ago. Did around ten years in tunnel rats. Another four or so in the military police. Then some dirtbag boiled the air on a few planets and I'm here."
As Vandenberg describes her ideal man, Ciro slowly turns his head in her direction and raises an eyebrow. It's a mock accusatory look, one meant to tease her. "Frak if I didn't know any better Van I'd think something in your drink's makin' me put all this together. You been watching me shower? What the hades you thinkin'? I'm only slightly more evolved than an ape." He turns his gaze back to the blonde that's gyrating on his lap. Like a good marine on leave, he downs some more of his alcohol as his eyes trace over the small hollow her ribcage produces over her hourglass-shaped abdomen. He can't help but nod his head in time with her dancing and the beat of the music. His eyes are starting to glass over as the alcohol in the ambrosia starts to take hold. "Now I'm not sayin' I'm picky like you, though…it's just that I had a girl that set a pretty high bar once." Yeah, right, self imposed exile? Everyone knows he's pining, he hasn't actually chased tail since he got processed. "You're right on about the confidence thing, though, nothing beats a girl that goes after what she wants."
The female marine chuckles a few times. "Its that squirrels tail you stapled to your head. Just can't bring myself to get past that. Besides, who says I ain't taken a ganer in the shower. Sure you've looked me over. Hell if I care. 'Oh noes! Not a nekkid body!'" she faux-crows. But her eyes lift back to the dancer in Ciro's lap and she smirks. "Besides, picky means I got standards. That excludes you, shingleshites." Yep, she's in the mood to give a good ribbing. "Bah, same problem. Had two guys who set the bar about unattainable levels. One was a local cop on Libran. Other guy I met on Areilon after the bombs fell. I'll see 'em again when I'm done here. I'm not worried." Must be religious.
"Squirrel's tail my ass, V-berg. I'd look like a gas-station worker if not for this thing and that regulation trim would give people like you the impression that I like working for a living. Besides, I've gotten some compliments on it." His words slightly muffle near the end as the blonde arches her body forwards, sliding the contents of her push-up bra up his chest and over his face.
The blonde lowers her hair, framing his face with her flat-ironed bangs as she writhes against him. For just the slightest moment, she gives Natalie a coy look that's all eye-contact. She's enjoying her time with Ciro, and she's checking to make sure that there's no actual claims being made.
His voice returns to normal as the dancer playfully runs her hand through his mohawk as he watches her. Another drink from his glass of the hard liquor is taken, and the near-empty drink is set on the table between Natalie and him. The blonde wastes no time in putting Ciro's hands on her hips. "Shingleshites? Never heard that one before. Funny thing about nicknames, though. I forgot to remind you that you owe me a beer for not spreading around that I know a guy that called you Vandypants. I about lost my lunch when I heard him say it."
"You don't have to enjoy workin, bud. But you have to enjoy a regulation cut. That thing gets one millimeter too long and I'll taze your ass and shave the whole thing with a razor. Or I'll just strip you to skivvies and nair your whole damned body. That'll teach you." The Captain grins. Torment deluxe? She's been in too long to have missed some of the most epic pranks. She probably has a book of them in her head. When the blonde gets a little more touchy, Natalie falls quiet for a moment and watches. She almost looks surprised when the blonde turns back to look at her. She blinks at the women before shaking her head, motioning for her to continue with Ciro. The female Marine will not be the reason she stops. "Owe you a beer because Evan called me that? Nah. Think I'll keep my beer. But try usin that on duty or in the SecHub. I dare ya. We've threatened to make people repeat basic training. Its not an idle threat. We'll do it." She waggles her brow before taking anotehr drag. "He's the only one. Evan and I have been close but his reaction to certain things has rather disappointed me." Understatement much? "Sharing a bunk with him is not in my best interest anymore."
"Well…I guess that answers a few questions. I caught him on ihs way out of marine country and judging by the bunkhouse he was coming out of he was either visiting you or one of the others. I wasn't about to throw questions around."
The blonde on Ciro's lap leans in close, whispering something into his ear. The private conversation only takes a few seconds, and there's a level of lingering eye contact as she slides off of his body and walks away with the voucher. The dance is over. She does, however, spare a glance back to him as she walks away. Seems someone's interested.
Ciro offers the girl a smile before taking up his drink again, turning his gaze back to Natalie. "Sharing a bunk with him, eh? He seemed a nice enough guy, but he freaked out when I joked about coming up with some nickname for me, because you and I both know that thing about me not calling you Vandypants is a one-way frakkin' street." He points to her, cracking a grin. "I get some pet name from a pilot and that shit's gonna be burned into my service jacket and stenciled onto my locker."
Van nods. "Yeah, probably me. I think he was only shackin out at my place in there." The Marine Officer Berths are the smallest berthings on the ship. Not many options in there. When the blonde rises, Van does as well, dropping the spent butt of her smoke into the bottle. "Ain't like that. I wasn't sleeping with him. Bunny is.. a unique guy. I like him plenty but its not like that. And yeah, he calls me that? I don't imagine you're going to get anything as flattering." She smirks. "I'm out. I got watch in the morning. Enjoy the women, Sergeant. See ya later." She glances towards the departing blonde and gives him a nod of approval before heading for the door.