[BACK POST] Minding the Romulan Ale

Posted on 30 May 2021 @ 1:42am by Lieutenant Leland Hawksley & Lieutenant JG Tosrol Ze
Edited on on 01 Jun 2021 @ 10:54am

2,210 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: S02 Episode 2: Once More Unto the Breach (Incidental Posts)
Location: Deck 05, Crew Mess
Timeline: Current

[ON]

- Deck 05, Crew Mess -

Leland was looking for a good drink or two. He had just finished doing some work down in the Main Shuttle bay regarding logistics and piloting simulations. He had bested what he knew for the Tomcat flight systems. So far, he had learned a lot from Donovan. She was a great friend and taught him well. Above and beyond, Leland had set out his learning parameters for flying the Tomcat.

He was more than satisfied, having had aced the simulations now. He had piloted some of the most notable class vessels within Starfleet, and the Tomcat was now secured under his belt for navigating confidence and mastering. As was, the simulation showed he had scored quite well with all dynamics involved and situations presenting. He no longer felt like a newbie, as he was a quick learner.

Spotting an officer he had not met before, he felt now was a good time to say ‘Hello.’ The Officer was a Lt. Jg. In orange Operations colour. Hawksley had sat his large hand on the bar top beside him at the bar and turned to greet him.

“That Romulan Ale?” Hawksley inquired, breaking in the conversation.

Tosrol had been on board a near few hours, but the first thing he always did was have a drink before anything else! it stemmed the nerves and anxiety "one Romulan ale please" he asked the bartender, first new assignment in a while and he was really nervous, new chief position and rank to go with it. It was a lot to uphold.

"One Romulan ale" the bartender spoke as she handed Tosrol his drink "Thank you" he returned with a warm smile as he took a few opening sips savouring the taste. Tosrol's keen hearing meant most couldn't sneak upon him.

He heard someone step up next to him, Tosrol smiled "Only the finest" he said with a brief wink "Lieutenant Junior Grade Tosrol Ze Cheif Operations and basically the newbie at your service" he said taking a mock bow and extending his hand for the other to take.

Leland grinned. At the first moment, he had liked Ze. The man had seemed humoured and didn't take himself too seriously. There were a lot of serious officers on the Tomcat, and for good reason. Yet, this introduction was a fresh breath of air.

"Hi, Chief. Lieutenant Jg. Leland Hawksley, Chief Helm Officer." He likewise placated with a mocking bow in good jest.

"May I take a seat, share a drink Comrad?" Leland didn't wait and slipped himself up to the seated bar.

Torsol smiled at the man in question "Ahh always nice to see a man with the same jest as me, you'll be in good company with me Lieutenant Hawksley and what an honour it is to meet you" he said taking a swig from his ale as he did "By all means, cant have a drink together if your standing now can we?" he said with a hitch of his eyebrow and a slight smirk.

"Bartender," Leland asked when the Tender came around once more. "Please, one more of what the Chief here is having."

"Am I to assume you are a relative newbie to the Tomcat as well? This is my first mission onboard." Hawk had introduced.

Torsol Laughed "That Obvious Huh?" he said with a wide grin "Got in a few hours ago, so I'm a very fresh greenhorn," he said taking a swig from his ale "SO the life of a helmsman that must be fun?" he said with a smile as he placed his glass down.

Leland had laughed. "Well. It has its advantages." He then attended his first glass of Romulan Ale. He didn't normally drink the stuff, often enjoying rye and coke on rocks.

"Nice... Wow.." He took a drink of the glass, and then looked at the stuff. "This is like jet fuel!" He shook his head enjoying it though.

"Being on the Tomcat, she had some specialized dynamics... I've just got to flattening them down now." He knocked on the bar table. "What led you to operations?" Hawk had replied curiously with a grin.

Ze took a sip of his own and smiled, cracking a little laugh "Shows you have good taste, most men who try Romulan ale for the first time spit out and never try it again" He said the smile on his face warm and friendly "Dynamics I can deal with emotions are a bit of a different story" he said with a little laugh, being betazoid was hard at times, feeling the emotions of others at such high frequency all torsol wanted some days was a break from the constant barrage of them.

"Well originally when I joined Starfleet academy I wanted to do communications, But Operations just swallowed me whole and I found it fun and interesting of course on most ships the operations officer tends to flit between communications and operations but it entirely depends on the captain," he said with a brief smile.

“Tosrol. Communications and organizational management, not my calling. You have to direct communication channels and determine the various modalities of a starships departmental operations.” Leland shook his head, taking a drink and smiling friendly at Tosrol. Feeling the effect of the Romulan Ale washing over him more now…

“So, suffice to say you get science labs barking up your chain, and shuttle bay operations, engineering, security all competing for various sensor clusters, functional pathways. I could /not/ do all that.” Hawksley’s eyes bugged as he looked at the bottom of the glass he had just finished. “Is your throat supposed to feel like fire?” Leland laughed at the Betazoid. “Emotions.. your Betazoid, telepathic? Not that I could tell. Does it have its advantages?”

Torsol laughed "Believe you me I've had it all on other ships," he said taking a little sip from the ale "it's a fine art between management and organisation," he said matter of factly"The job goes smoothly if all your ducks line up," He said with a laugh "still getting used to earth terms," he said taking another sip from drink "It is supposed to burn like a mother but I don't feel it anymore," he said bowing his head, if you knew him you knew that what he just said was deeper than just a drink "Its a funny thing Betazoids can either be telepathic or Empathic its easier than reading minds if that helps," he said with eye quick "Makes you numb at points," he said eyes turning away and downing his drink "Same again make it double and the same for my friend over here," He said with a brief smile.

“Cheers,” Hawksley said… “To my new friend Tosrol!! May he forever keep things organized…. And the drinks flowing!” Leland had laughed as he clinked his now second glass empty to Tosrol.

“Wow. Yeah. I never could understand the whole Betazoid concept. Your species is remarkable. But shrouded in mystery. As is most Federation cultures.” He narrowed his eyes as the second glass of double Romulan blue ale was set down next to them both. Leland let go of a burp as he flushed his backhand at his mouth. “Erm… Sorry.” He then helped himself to another good swig. And setting the glass down with an uneven thunk…. As he kicked his leg at the bar stool rail below. “Shit, that is some hot sauce!”

After a moment, his eyes fazed into the ever colour changing picture in front of them, a dense mural of interchanging colours. “So. You’re born a Betazoid. You grow up with the ability to sense and to be empathic… What happens if you want to focus on yourself, your self-being?” Leland gestured with his hand at his chest.

Torsol laughed a hearty laugh "If you actually saw how much effort it takes to not fold into everyone else's emotions you'd think it was pretty bad" he said smiling "Betazoids are very private sometimes but I tend to have a more open approach to how I live my life, be it for how long I've lived amongst piles of earth people or the way I raised but I find the people of earth fascinating" he said taking another sip.

He looked to Hawksley again with a smile "Empathy is kind of like being a helmsman you have to direct the ship out it all falls to pieces, my empathy is what guides me you see so without it I couldn't even focus on myself and I prefer to look after others over my self anyways" He said setting the drink down "Bartender can I have 2 fire whiskey's please?" he asked looking to Leland, he was enjoying the others company and maybe just a little he hoped he'd found a life long friend.

“Mann. Fireball Whiskey? You read my mind.” Hawk deadpanned at Torzol before he burst into laughter. “Get it… Read my mind.” He then chuckled, relaxing as the bartender when to get them their drinks, and then had come back with two other shot glasses.

“I used to drink this stuff by the flask in the Academy days. We’re talking some real wild campus parties.” He shook his head as Leland held in his large-handed grasp the glass, his eyes fixated on the red liquid whiskey. “But that was a while ago now.” He grinned to himself.

“Torsol. You /are/ my kind of guy! You can tolerate your alcohol. And you can read into the BS that many of us humans are so accustomed to. Tell me. Liberate me to your thoughts on Human culture?” Hawksley would find this amusing. “As humans, we can be idealistic, yet war-torn, yet humanitarian all within the same mission frame. It is a dichotomy wrapped up inside of an enigma!”

Tosrol laughed "Thank you Hawksly may this friendship bring nothing but joy happiness and maybe just a little mischief to our lives," He said with a wink "Humans are the enigma full of love, hate, adore, ideals and religion drives them to near knifepoint but the one thing I love about humans is that absolute need to survive by any means it is your cultures most defining quality in my eyes," he said with a smile at the other as he clapped Hawksley on the shoulder "So Hawksley tell me a little about your self?"

"I think that sums up Humans pretty well." Leland had agreed with Tosrol's assessment. "Well. I'm an open book, pretty much. They a bit of a fly by my seat sort of guy. I like my women, I like my drink. My fingers are sticky on the controls, so don't get in my way." He grunted. "Nah, but serious. My Folks live back on Earth. I don't get to see them much as I'd like. I think they're confused as to why I haven't brought them back grandchildren yet." Hawk flatly stated with the alcohol starting to smooth his tone.

"Tell me. Tosrol." Leland placed his large hand on Man's shoulder back again, appreciating the friendly camaraderie. "Are Betazoid folks as paternalistic about family and having kids?" He wondered if his own parents were just hard-assed as all Hawksley's could be stubborn.

Tosrol pondered the helms man's question "I suppose we don't differ from humans in that respect family is quite important to us, marriages, however, are a weird affair most have arranged marriages and the ceremony is done naked not that I've attended many in my lifetime but I've heard from others there a frivolous event" he said clasping Hawksley on the shoulder too.

"That about sounds... Interesting." Hawksley had shaken his head. "Well... I should probably hit the hay dude... It's been real." He grinned. Raising an index at Torzol, "You Sir. Keep it Real... Keep... Keep on Truckin!" Leland then held on to the side of the bar for support. "Oh man, that Romulan Ale did it."

Tosrol looked on a little concerned "Hawksley ill drink this last drink and ill help you back to your quarters Romulan ale is nasty "But I will keep on trucking I trust I'll see you on the bridge tomorrow for duty" he said with a brief smile, draining the rest of his Romulan ale "Hold on to me and ill help you" he said standing next to Leland.

Leland appreciated the help, if not, feeling a bit embarrassed that he couldn't handle his own weight back to his quarters. "I'm the Tomcat FCOo... I... I'm ok dude, I don't need... Need help." He paused, looking around and then at Torzol. "That Ale. Wow. Blue. Blue Romulan Ale."

Tosrol laughed a little "I am not taking no for answer Mr Hawksley id feel awful if something happened to you on the way back to your quarters so I will walk with you regardless" he said smiling at the other "Ahh so you the guy that keeps us flying in a straight line good to know" he said with a slight laugh "All the more reason for me to make sure you get back to your room safe and sound"

[OFF]

Lt. Jg. Leland Hawksley
Chief Helm Officer


Lt. Jg Tosrol Ze
Chief Operations Officer

 

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