| Press Start to Begin |
| Summary: | The beginning of an adventure for Damon and Temperance. |
| Date: | 2 Mar 2041 AE |
| Related Logs: | None |
| Players: |
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| Recreation Room | Deck 9 - Battlestar Cerberus |
This huge room spans quite a lot of floor space, the support beams crisscrossing at even points throughout the room. The two sides are divided fairly between the Enlisted and Officers with an unseen line more or less running down the center of the room. A couple pool and card tables sit in no-man's land with a series of regular mess tables at the rear of the room, nearest a counter full of minor refreshments like coffee and bags of chips. Magazines and reading material are spread out over the couched seating areas and a few televisions are set-up with a couple of video game systems made available.
Temperance is laying on one of the couches, everything but her head completely covered by a thin blanket. The TV nearest to her is on, flashing a GAME OVER screen, and there's a video game controller laying on the floor, next to her drooping hand. Judging by her heavy, even breathing, she's been asleep for a while.
Damon walks in, stripping off his overshirt as soon as he's past the hatch. He snags a bag of chips and tosses his shirt on the back of a couch - which is when he catches sight of the sleeping Temperance. A quick glance around to ensure that nobody's looking, then he moves in for the kill. Positioning himself carefully, he leans over the back of the couch with the bag of chips hovering by her ear and sloooooowly squeezes until it opens with a loud pop.
Temperance lets out a cry and flies off the couch, falling down to the floor and getting tangled up with the controller cord as she tries to stand up. She stops struggling, takes a few breaths to calm down, and takes stock of her surroundings. Including Damon standing there with his chips. "Wha' th' /frak/!?" she yells at him, pushing her hair back away from her face. Ripping the cord off her foot at last, she stands up and stares at him, unable to say any more.
Damon doesn't even bother trying to hide his laughter, though he does cover his mouth. Ah, juvenile pranks. They never get old. "Game over, Ensign," he says, a smirk lingering on his face as the hand falls away. "Sorry. I couldn't resist." Sliding across the back of the couch, he seats himself on the armrest of the couch and pops a chip into his mouth. "Bunks aren't cushioned enough for you?" he asks.
Temperance glares at him, and snatches her blanket back to wrap around her and get snuggly on the couch again. "Couldn't sleep in there," she grumbles to him, tucking her feet under the blanket. "Too many lit'le sobs'n'sniffles an' frakkin' goin' on. Sobbin' makes me want ta lose m'mind, an' frakkin'…well. Ain't 'bout ta sleep through all tha'. Jus' came out 'ere ta relax, must 'ave fallen asleep." She eyes his chips for a moment and asks, "Wha' time's it?"
"Not a frakkin' clue," Damon replies with a shrug, leaning back into the couch. It doesn't look comfortable for him to be sitting on the edge like that, but he doesn't shift or readjust himself. "Music helps," he suggests. "Put on the headphones, and just… check out. Drown out the world." Another chip, then he shakes the bag and holds it out to her. "Not that I've heard a lot of cryin' in the enlisted bunks, mind you. I think most everyone's too tired for it."
"They're very commi'ted frakkers," Temperance replies, shaking her head. "No 'mount of 'eadphones gonna drown ou' those sounds." She reaches into his bag and gropes around before coming out wth a handfull of chips. "Gotta report ta th' Deck later, 'pparently they're interviewin' those wha' were flyin' when…" She trails off. It's probably obvious, the 'when' she means.
Damon takes in a deep breath and nods - Picon's still a raw memory, and it has the power to steal his mirth away. "Yeah, it's just a quick interview. We're tryin' to figure out what happened and how to prevent it from ever happening again. Whenever you've got the time - I'll be in a little later, too." Another chip is halfway to his mouth when he adds, "Sir," as though he just realized he's talking to an officer. "You, uh… you holdin' up okay?" he asks, giving her a sidelong glance. "I mean, last I saw you was in the - er, in the head, and…" His turn to trail off and avert his gaze into the chip bag.
Temperance makes a face and waves the sir away. She pats the place on the couch next to her, and lifts up the blanket for him to share, if he wants. With the thumb on her other hand, she hits the button to restart her game, and sideglances his way. "Yeah, I was…yeah. Weren't really thinkin' 'bout wha' I was doin'. Ended up sittin' under th' shower fer a long time. Didn't realize tha' you an' Sitka…" She's turning more and more pink, the more she talks about it.
"It's, uh - yeah, I mean." Good sentence, Damon! Unfurling himself from his perch on the armrest, he slides over to the offered spot next to her. "I mean, it's the head. People just, I guess it's, you know, it, there's nothing wrong with that." He stubbornly keeps his eyes on the screen as she restarts the game, missing the blush altogether. Though color's creeping up on his face as well. "As long as you're doin' alright now," he says, finally managing a proper sentence.
"Well, I don't," Temperance murmurs, leaning forward to snag another controller and hand it to him. "I ain't never jus' go' stripped down'n front of…" She cuts herself off, noticing the color on /his/ face when she hands him the controller. Eyeing him for a moment, she reaches over and pokes him hard in the side. "You liked seein' me nekkid!" she half laughs, half chokes out. "Yer thinkin' 'bout it righ' now!"
With his eyes on the screen, Damon doesn't even see the poke coming. His turn to yelp and jump, toppling over sideways with his arms flailing. Somehow, he manages to save the chips from spilling over everywhere. "I didn't even - I never - I said nothin'," he protests, half-muffled as he tries to get back up amidst the tangle of blankets he just created. At least they serve to partially hide the deepening color on his face for the moment. "Though if that ain't part of your daily routine, I might as well stop lingerin' in the head now!"
"Ya didn't hafta!" Temperance laughs, pulling down the conveniently placed blankets and pointing to his flushed face. "S'righ' there!" She shakes her head at him and turns her attention back to the loading game, which seems to be some form of RPG based on the Lords of Kobol. "Yer jus' hangin' 'round in there 'cause yer wantin' ta see me nekkid somemores. You jus' wanna make ou' wi' me, admit it."
"I invoke Article 23 of the Articles of Colonization," Damon mutters, finally getting back up and sorting out the blanket, still not looking at Temperance. There is a hint of a grin playing at the corners of his lips, though. "Maybe I was just waitin' to catch you so I could give you my dirty laundry bag, hey?" he asks, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "It's only been gettin' bigger and bigger, and you still haven't come by to pick it up."
Temperance grins at him and sticks out her tongue. "An' maybe yer laundry bag, gettin' bigger an' bigger, were jus' an excuse ta catch me nekkid," she shoots back. When the character selection page pops up, she flips through the different avatars and finally settles on Demeter. "It's alrigh', Damon. Ya don't hafta say i' ou' loud, I already know."
Damon grabs the controller she was handing him a moment ago off the floor and starts flipping through characters. "Dunno whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Ensign," he chuckles. That blush lasted a good long time, just now fading away from his cheeks and ears. One hand taps rhythmically on the controller (he's gone through all the characters twice already) and the other maintains a steady supply of chips to his mouth. "Ahh… frak it," he says, and chooses Hermes. "Not like it's gonna make a difference either way. I'm terrible at these games." He's talking about the RPG, right?
"Oh, but i' actually makes quite a bi' o' difference," Temperance murmurs at him. She hits a few buttons and switches into the stats screen. "Th' two ya pick hafta work well tagether…fit well. See? Iffn' he's big an' strong 'ere, an' she's not? They hafta be…compatible." She looks over at him and watches him closely as she adds, "These games ain't so hard, once ya decide ya wanna play."
Damon squints at the stats screen, trying to follow what she's saying. "But don't that make it more boring, when they just cover off for one another like that?" he asks, tilting his head a bit. "I mean, sure, that's the safest way, but… whoever said safe is fun, hey?" He glances over to her and blinks in surprise to see that she's watching him. "It's not that I don't wanna play - more like I never get to," he replies. "I just never find the time to really start, y'know?"
Temperance laughs. "'Pends on wha' ya want," she replies, ignoring the game now. "Iffn' yer no' lookin' ta play fer long, jus' wanna 'ave some fun an' leave, then yeah. Pickin' one that'll only work out fer so long's yer way ta go. But," she adds, shifting towards him - either to get a better look at him, or to lean over and steal more chips, which she does quickly. "Iffn' yer wantin' ta play fer a while, ta know that the other one's gonna be by yer side an' suppor' ya an' see ya through? Tha's a very differen' thing." She pops the stolen chips in her mouth and munches before pointing out, "Ya go' th' time now."
"Yeah, if you can play casually," Damon chuckles, adjusting the blanket a bit since he's getting overheated. Or so one would assume, since he's perspiring a little. "I always get obsessive when I get into games, that's why I stopped. I can't ever just play an' let go for the fun of it." He reaches for another chip, crunching about the bag loudly, and comes up empty. So of course he does the logical thing, which is to try and snatch a chip from Temperance's stash. "Yeah… yeah, I guess I do," he says hesitantly. "I should be down on the deck right now, helpin' out. Well, actually, I should be asleep since I don't hafta be down there for another three hours. But I just wanted to catch a break, y'know?" His face breaks out into a wide grin again. "Or maybe I should just start nappin' up here like you now."
Huh. The look on Temperance's face is clear: they aren't talking about the same thing, and she's just realized it. Opening her mouth to say something, she stares at him for a moment and shakes her head, giving up. "Well," she says in an odd voice, "You can feel free ta nap up 'ere wi' me, iffn ya want." She scoots down the couch, leaving more room for him to stretch out. "I can jus' play th' game while ya sleep. Go' a bit o' time 'fore I need ta report fer CAP, anyway."
The look on Temperance's face receives one of confusion in response - and then you can see a dim bulb start to go off in Damon's head as he replays the conversation back in his mind. "I, uh… nah, I'm not tired," he says, clearing his throat. "I'll stay an' play, hey? If you don't mind showin' me the specifics." He turns his attention back to the screen, squinting at it once again. "Compatible, huh…?" he murmurs, glancing across at her. "So, uh, I guess you play pretty often, then?"
Temperance tries to hide her smile, but her relief is likely obvious. "Go' a 'ard time findin' compatible," she says with a quirky grin. "An' I'm of th' opinion tha' it ain't worth playin' iffn yer jus' wastin' yer time." Turning back to the game, she gets them through the setup and to the start screen. "Bu' maybe no' everybody feels th' way I do." She pauses, and asks the question again - only now that they're on the same page, hopefully she'll get a different answer. "Ain't go' time ta play much, ya said?"
"Ah… well, y'know," Damon says unhelpfully, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. "Like you said, I've got the time now, right?" He flashes her a lopsided grin. "It's just been awhile, is all." Hell, he can be as shy as a schoolboy sometimes. Another momentary glance toward her, and then the screen reclaims his attention as she moves past the setup phase. Press Start to Begin. "Ready?" he asks her, finger poised over the button. Let the games begin.
"Ready," Temperance replies, with a funny smile sent his way. She waits for him to hit the start button, and then watches the opening scene. The thirteenth colony leaves, Athena commits suicide at the Gates of Hera, and hundreds of years later, the Gods Demeter and Hermes are reborn in human form to try and find Athena's soul to lay her to rest. "It's 'portant ta understand th' game," Temperance says meaningfully, though she's watching the screen rather than looking at him. "Iffn ya go too fast, wantin' ta get ta get started faster, ya miss key things. Things tha' ya might need ta know later on." The screen on the TV is telling them that Demeter has the power to call earth golems and use wind force, and Hermes has the powers of speed, and protecting those in his party.
Damon returns Temperance's smile and settles in to watch the opening sequence, shifting a little closer toward her since she moved away earlier. As casual as he tries to make it, it's anything but. "Aye," he says simply in response to her. "Look, listen, an' learn, hey?" He turns his head just a bit so that his ear's toward the television, but the movement also faces him toward Temperance just a bit more. "Rushin' things means you overlook crucial details and make mistakes," he says. "Any mechanic worth his training knows that."
Temperance watches him scoot awkwardly closer to her out of the corner of her eyes, and bites the insides of her cheeks to stop from smiling. And when he turns his ear to the TV, she misreads it as turning his head to her, and does the same. "'Zactly," she murmurs softly, only half paying attention to the game now. "Details'n all tha', s'half th' fun. Plus, ya hafta make sure you're doin' th' right thing. Not seein' somethin' tha' isn't there?" She realizes that she's starting to stray off the metaphor path, and laughs nervously. "I mean, y'know. Like a enemy er somethin'. Could be there…an' ya…might no' see it?"
Temperance's nervous laugh is matched with a chuckle from Damon, which slowly rolls into a full-on laugh. Nothing like it to relieve a bit of tension. "I'll, uh, I'll have to keep an eye out for those sneaky enemies," he says, trying to calm down. That goofy grin is just plastered right onto his face, wide as can be. "Wouldn't want to be ambushed when I'm trying to - trying to drink a potion or something," he adds, trying to stifle his laugh. "Okay, okay, I'm done." Calm. Slow breaths. His face looks like he's trying really hard not to burst into laughter again.
Well, if he can't manage to keep it under control, neither can she. She snorts a few times, snickers some others, and then she sees him trying to hold his laughter back, and she reaches over with one finger to poke. And then tickle. And then she launches herself at him, the game controller dropping to the floor again, in a full scale tickle attack. "For Athena!" she cries, lost in a sea of giggles.
"Oh Gods!" Damon howls as he's attacked, falling onto his back on the couch. He's surprisingly ticklish for a man his size - not that size has anything to do with it, mind you, but it's rather amusing for him to jerk from side to side under her fingers. "I want my harassment advisor!" he jokingly wails, now somewhere between trying to curl up into a ball and trying to use his elbows to protect his ribs. And, of course, laughing uncontrollably. He tries to grab the blanket and wrap it around himself as an extra layer of protection, but he's not doing very well at that so far.
"I'ma officer, there's no 'ope fer you!" Temperance cries with a huge grin, trying to pin down the blanket with her legs. But when he grabs at it, successful or not, it throws her off balance and she tumbles off the couch onto the floor with a squeal. She doesn't even try to move, she just lays there pushing her hair out of her face and giggling.
Damon takes the opportunity to catch his breath, hand on his stomach, still chuckling quietly. "Truce," he says, holding a hand down to her to help her back up. He doesn't bother sitting back up again yet. "Also, if that's what you meant by 'enemies', then I don't want to hear the rest of your game metaphors." There's a crunching noise as he shifts - reaching underneath him, he fishes out the empty bag of chips and tosses it over the back of the couch. They're probably well past the point of drawing the attention of whoever's in the room by now.
Temperance grins at him and reaches up for his hand, letting him help her back onto the couch. She ends up settled directly next to him, far closer than she was previously. Bending down to pick up her controller again, she sits back up and reaches out to snag some of the blankets that are all on him now. Snuggled under the blankets, she looks up at him with an odd look and asks him this time, "Ready?"
Damon grunts and sits back up after helping Temperance back onto the couch. "Aye, aye, sir," he answers with a crooked smile. The two of them are sitting next to each other on the couch in front of one of the TVs, playing some kind of video game. Or they were, anyway, since Damon's just picking up his controller again now and squinting at the screen again, trying to figure out what he just missed.
Temperance makes an amused face at him and looks back to the game, where Demeter is vowing justice for Athena's death, and Hermes is standing off to the side flexing his muscles and mumbling something about helpful and protection. "Soooo…" she says idly as she mindlessly hits the buttons to get them to the beginning of the adventure. "Tauron, huh?"
((Fade scene.))