Editing In Vino Patefacio
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| − | I made no comment or answer but got those shoes off and got his trousered legs under the blankets. Handling drunks wasn’t something I did often and in truth wasn’t something I’d personally done in years. My roots, however, were Russian and my family tree was well-watered by alcohol. Recognizing and dealing with the consequences of overindulgence was something we all learned early. I’d lost count of the aunts and uncles and cousins I’d helped lead away to sleep it off, or the number of scenes like this one played out while I watched from their bedroom doors. Joshua, I judged, was a lightweight. Moreover, if I’d read the signs right, he was a genial enough drunk, tipping toward the morose depending on the company he kept. His mood lightened quickly enough once I got him out of sight of the Shepherd. | + | I made no comment or answer but got those shoes off and got his trousered legs under the blankets. Handling drunks wasn’t something I did often and in truth wasn’t something I’d personally done in years. My roots, however, were Russian and my family tree was well-watered by alcohol. Recognizing and dealing with the consequences of overindulgence was something we all learned early. I’d lost count of the aunts and uncles and cousins I’d helped lead away to sleep it off, or the number of scenes like this one played out while I watched from their bedroom doors. Joshua, I judged, was a lightweight. Moreover, if I’d read the signs right, he was a genial enough drunk, tipping toward the morose depending on the company he kept. His mood lightened quickly enough once I got him out of sight of the Shepherd.<br /> |
| − | + | ''Or maybe it’s because he’s alone with you'', the cynical side of me whispered. I pulled off the last shoe and sock and chucked them with their mates under his desk.<br /> | |
| − | ''Or maybe it’s because he’s alone with you'', the cynical side of me whispered. I pulled off the last shoe and sock and chucked them with their mates under his desk. | + | “Stay down. I’ll be right back with that water.” <br /> |
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| − | “Stay down. I’ll be right back with that water.” | ||
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I ignored his protest and ducked down to the galley. If I reckoned correctly, he’d need a fair amount of water to dilute the booze in his system.<br> | I ignored his protest and ducked down to the galley. If I reckoned correctly, he’d need a fair amount of water to dilute the booze in his system.<br> | ||
*** | *** | ||
| − | "Ok, I'm not going anywhere," he shouted down the hall after her as she left. Joshua lay there on his bunk, his eyes fluttering between open and closed. She said to stay put, he'd stay put. He followed orders well. But she didn't say whether he needed to be awake when she got back. | + | "Ok, I'm not going anywhere," he shouted down the hall after her as she left. Joshua lay there on his bunk, his eyes fluttering between open and closed. She said to stay put, he'd stay put. He followed orders well. But she didn't say whether he needed to be awake when she got back. |
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Maybe he'd take a quick ten minute nap while she was gone. He could recover and they could make out some when she got back. ''Kissing Rina was awesome''. | Maybe he'd take a quick ten minute nap while she was gone. He could recover and they could make out some when she got back. ''Kissing Rina was awesome''. | ||
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| − | I returned to find him dead to the world, with an arm over his eyes to block the light. He’d need the water if he wanted to avoid the pain later and I’d get to that in a minute, but I wanted to do a little discreet snooping before getting the water down him. The desk made a convenient landing pad for the pitcher and the mug, and the locker was the first thing I opened. A few toiletry items sat on the shelf: the standard soap, razor, toothbrush, and comb. Nothing else. I closed the locker up and examined the desk.<br> | + | I returned to find him dead to the world, with an arm over his eyes to block the light. He’d need the water if he wanted to avoid the pain later and I’d get to that in a minute, but I wanted to do a little discreet snooping before getting the water down him. The desk made a convenient landing pad for the pitcher and the mug, and the locker was the first thing I opened. A few toiletry items sat on the shelf: the standard soap, razor, toothbrush, and comb. Nothing else. I closed the locker up and examined the desk. <br /> |
| − | + | Joshua kept his meds in plain sight and within easy reach but there was nothing else besides a note pad and a couple of pens. Angling the pad to the light, I could make out some impressions from past notes on the surface. Letters and symbols, spelling nothing. Not a code, per se, but more akin to a personal variation of shorthand. The desk drawer was empty, a disappointment, but the one beneath his bunk held the most in the way of interest: couple of magazines from the passenger lounge, a change of clothes borrowed from Rick, a small contact card, a piece of paper folded into quarters, and hidden underneath that was the odd tool from ''Trafalgar'', along with the tag labeled ''Rubicon''. The contact card bore the name Gareth Lin and sported a handwritten note on the back:'' I.O.U., G—.'' The name meant nothing to me. I unfolded the paper next, uncovering a colored pencil sketch of a pretty redhead smiling at the artist and giving him the finger. Adriana? Likely. The finger with a smile struck me as befitting a woman who’d pretend to love a man for money. <br /> | |
| − | Joshua kept his meds in plain sight and within easy reach but there was nothing else besides a note pad and a couple of pens. Angling the pad to the light, I could make out some impressions from past notes on the surface. Letters and symbols, spelling nothing. Not a code, per se, but more akin to a personal variation of shorthand. The desk drawer was empty, a disappointment, but the one beneath his bunk held the most in the way of interest: couple of magazines from the passenger lounge, a change of clothes borrowed from Rick, a small contact card, a | + | ''My, aren’t we catty? Jealous much?'' <br /> |
| − | + | ''Oh, shut up.''<br /> | |
| − | + | I very carefully folded the bitch back into quarters and returned her as I’d found her. The tag scratched my hand while smoothing the clothing down and I’d picked it up to examine it when Joshua stirred.<br> | |
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| − | ''My, aren’t we catty? Jealous much?'' | ||
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| − | ''Oh, shut up.'' | ||
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| − | I very carefully | ||
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He felt like he had been asleep a while, but it couldn't have been that long when he heard Rina coming back in. It took him a minute to crack an eye open and when he’d managed it, he saw Rina looking through his bunk drawer. The logical portion of his brain was telling him that he should be offended that she was peeking around in his stuff while he was asleep, but he couldn't really make himself get upset about it. He had said he hadn't wanted any secrets, after all. Although it looked like the make-out session might be toast. Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to keep his eyes cracked open just a little and see what she did. | He felt like he had been asleep a while, but it couldn't have been that long when he heard Rina coming back in. It took him a minute to crack an eye open and when he’d managed it, he saw Rina looking through his bunk drawer. The logical portion of his brain was telling him that he should be offended that she was peeking around in his stuff while he was asleep, but he couldn't really make himself get upset about it. He had said he hadn't wanted any secrets, after all. Although it looked like the make-out session might be toast. Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to keep his eyes cracked open just a little and see what she did. | ||
| − | He watched Rina | + | He watched Rina unfold his sketch of Adriana and stare it for a minute, before carefully putting it back. Laying here, half drunk, Adriana seemed like a lifetime ago, distant and unreachable, like a movie of someone else's life. Funny how quickly things changed. |
He shifted a little and tried to sit up. "I don't even know why I keep that. Maybe because I like the moment. Moments are sometimes bigger than the people involved, right?"<br> | He shifted a little and tried to sit up. "I don't even know why I keep that. Maybe because I like the moment. Moments are sometimes bigger than the people involved, right?"<br> | ||
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| − | Caught in the act with no chance of passing it off as something innocent, I deliberately examined the tag a few seconds more. | + | Caught in the act with no chance of passing it off as something innocent, I deliberately examined the tag a few seconds more.<br /> |
| − | + | ''Rubicon. How apropos.''<br /> | |
| − | ''Rubicon. How apropos.'' | + | I put it back, closed the drawer and rose.<br /> |
| − | + | “She apparently didn’t think much of it,” I said as I poured him some water and glared at him until he took it. “Or the artist apparently. Was it you?” I thought back on the quality of the pencil strokes, confident and quick, and the attention to detail that bespoke the artist’s regard for the subject despite the pose.<br /> | |
| − | I put it back, closed the drawer and rose. | ||
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| − | “She apparently didn’t think much of it,” I said as I poured him some water and glared at him until he took it. “Or the artist apparently. Was it you?” I thought back on the quality of the pencil strokes, confident and quick, and the attention to detail that bespoke the artist’s regard for the subject despite the pose. | ||
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''Suka''.<br> | ''Suka''.<br> | ||
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| − | I drew breath to tell him what I thought of the execution of it when something in his tone stayed my tongue. Being Lem's mother had sharpened my ear to certain nuances and I realized that Joshua very much wanted me to like that drawing. I hated the subject but genuinely cared for the artist, and answered him truthfully. | + | I drew breath to tell him what I thought of the execution of it when something in his tone stayed my tongue. Being Lem's mother had sharpened my ear to certain nuances and I realized that Joshua very much wanted me to like that drawing. I hated the subject but genuinely cared for the artist, and answered him truthfully.<br /> |
| − | + | "I like it well enough, but I'd like to see you draw someone else, preferably someone who wouldn't insult you for your trouble." I refilled his cup and sat down with him as I thought aloud. "You could ask Nika to sit for you. Christian did that portrait of her you see hanging up here." I gestured vaguely at the surrounding walls, sure he'd already seen it and needed nothing more accurate than a wave.<br /> | |
| − | "I like it well enough, but I'd like to see you draw someone else, preferably someone who wouldn't insult you for your trouble." I refilled his cup and sat down with him as I thought aloud. "You could ask Nika to sit for you. Christian did that portrait of her you see hanging up here." I gestured vaguely at the surrounding walls, sure he'd already seen it and needed nothing more accurate than a wave. | ||
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"It took him over a month, but that's oil for you. Pencil's a drier medium and made for speed. I'll bet you could just catch her on the bridge and do her there. She's spending tons more time in the Chair now that the Cortex is down and getting her to park herself shouldn't be problem."<br> | "It took him over a month, but that's oil for you. Pencil's a drier medium and made for speed. I'll bet you could just catch her on the bridge and do her there. She's spending tons more time in the Chair now that the Cortex is down and getting her to park herself shouldn't be problem."<br> | ||
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| − | I shot off the bunk as if it burned me. The friendly conversation about art had turned deadly serious. | + | I shot off the bunk as if it burned me. The friendly conversation about art had turned deadly serious.<br /> |
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"Don't call me that," I said flatly, retreating as far as the door. I put my back to it and faced him, not wanting to hurt him and hating that I had to. "I'm not... not that. I can't be that. Not for you. I'm sorry, Joshua, but I thought I'd made that perfectly clear from the beginning."<br> | "Don't call me that," I said flatly, retreating as far as the door. I put my back to it and faced him, not wanting to hurt him and hating that I had to. "I'm not... not that. I can't be that. Not for you. I'm sorry, Joshua, but I thought I'd made that perfectly clear from the beginning."<br> | ||
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| − | ''Dammit. Too twitchy. Too twitchy by half.'' | + | ''Dammit. Too twitchy. Too twitchy by half.''<br /> |
| − | + | "No hard feelings," I sighed. I retrieved the mug and put it in his hands. "You're drunk. I should have taken that into account. Drink at least two more of those before turning in, you got that? I'll come by and check on you a little later."<br /> | |
| − | "No hard feelings," I sighed. I retrieved the mug and put it in his hands. "You're drunk. I should have taken that into account. Drink at least two more of those before turning in, you got that? I'll come by and check on you a little later." | ||
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I gave him a nod and patted his knee and rose to go.<br> | I gave him a nod and patted his knee and rose to go.<br> | ||
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The only thing to do, really, was just to keep his mouth shut and step carefully. She'd bolt if he wasn't careful, and in love or not, he didn't want that. Whatever he was feeling for her, he wanted to hang on to it as long as possible. | The only thing to do, really, was just to keep his mouth shut and step carefully. She'd bolt if he wasn't careful, and in love or not, he didn't want that. Whatever he was feeling for her, he wanted to hang on to it as long as possible. | ||
| − | One last thing, he thought, before sleeping time. He leaned over the side of his bunk. The blood rushing to his head made him dizzy. He shook his head a little and opened up the bunk drawer, reaching under the clothes to pull out the | + | One last thing, he thought, before sleeping time. He leaned over the side of his bunk. The blood rushing to his head made him dizzy. He shook his head a little and opened up the bunk drawer, reaching under the clothes to pull out the quad folded sketch. Without bothering to unfold it, he tore it in half, and then in half again, leaving small shreds of brightly colored paper fluttering to the floor. Then he closed the drawer, and laid his head back on his pillow. |
''There. It had been stupid to keep it in the first place.'' And he'd rather not remember tonight's events every time he got his clothes out. Then he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would do its job and let the memories, both fake and real, be washed away.<br> | ''There. It had been stupid to keep it in the first place.'' And he'd rather not remember tonight's events every time he got his clothes out. Then he closed his eyes, hoping sleep would do its job and let the memories, both fake and real, be washed away.<br> | ||
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***'''(Extended ending)'''*** | ***'''(Extended ending)'''*** | ||
| − | I saw the paper on the floor the second I came back to check on him. And as the bitch would have it, he'd missed tearing her upraised finger in two. I stepped carefully around the trash and refreshed his water pitcher before looking him over. | + | I saw the paper on the floor the second I came back to check on him. And as the bitch would have it, he'd missed tearing her upraised finger in two. I stepped carefully around the trash on the floor and refreshed his water pitcher before looking him over.<br /> |
| + | He'd managed to get tangled in the blankets and straightening them was a matter of a minute. He murmured in his sleep and I was struck again by how much he resembled a little boy...but this was a grown man I was dealing with, not a child, with a man's needs. And heart.<br /> | ||
| + | I made sure the blankets didn't bind him but resisted covering him to the chin as I would have done for Lem and automatically reached for the paper on the floor....and stopped.<br /> | ||
| + | ''He tore it up for a reason. It's his business, not yours. Let him deal with it. Don't embarrass him.''<br /> | ||
| + | Still, I had to wonder. He'd carried that drawing with him for however long he had, possibly through multiple missions, for a reason. Likely a strong one. And to tear it up now?<br /> | ||
| + | It was a declaration, one I wasn't willing or ready to speculate on yet. Instead I left him sleeping, dreaming whatever dreams he dreamt, and left.<br /> | ||
| + | And tried not to think of that upraised finger lying on the floor. | ||
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| − | + | Go back to [[Backstop|'''''Backstop''''']] | Go to '''''Next Entry'''''<br> | |
| − | '''Go to ''[[Peripatetica - | + | '''Go to ''[[Peripatetica - Season One]]'''''<br> |
| − | '''Go to ''[[Rina's | + | '''Go to ''[[Peripatetica - Season Two]]'''''<br> |
| + | '''Go to ''[[Peripatetica - Season Three]]'''''<br> | ||
| + | '''Go to ''[[Miscellanea - Rina's RP entries]]'''''<br> | ||
'''Go to''' [[Marina Kseniya Sebastien | '''Rina's Crew Page''']] <br> | '''Go to''' [[Marina Kseniya Sebastien | '''Rina's Crew Page''']] <br> | ||
'''Go to [[EPISODES]]''' or '''[[MTimeline#2511-2518|TIMELINE]]''' | '''Go to [[EPISODES]]''' or '''[[MTimeline#2511-2518|TIMELINE]]''' | ||
