Beautiful Creatures
Beautiful Creatures
Summary: The contents of Nine's drafting book are more disturbing than one would think.
Date: 4-18-09
Related Logs: None

Nine is perched on the back of a sofa, curled almost into a ball with a sketchbook on her thighs as she drags a pencil over paper, keeping her face about six inches from the surface as she scrawls.

Yuuri walks in with a brown bag in one hand, a shot glass in the other, and a big grin on his face. He looks over his shoulder at Cygnus, "So drinking and some pool, how bout it?" His eyes catch the woman on the couch, lifting a hand in greeting as he passes. "This stuff wasn't cheap. Hope you got a little something when we get on Leave."

Something is definitely different today. Sure, Cygnus looks just as exhausted, but there's a spring in his step that wasn't there yesterday, as he follows Yuuri into the game room. "Don't worry, Ty. I don't think it'll be a problem." Nodding over in the direction of the woman on the couch, he heads over in the direction of the pool table and beings to appraise the cues.

Nine looks up as someone waves at her, and she gives Yuuri a mildly frightened glance, like a startled mouse with its ears perked up, immobilized in fright. Then, she seems to realize it was just a hello, and she inclines her head somewhat hesitantly toward him in reciprication.

"You don't mind a little fumarella smoke do you." He offers the question towards Nine before setting the brown bag and glass down onto the pool table. He lifts the triangle out, setting it on the table. Typhys pulls the balls out - three to a hand until they are all racked. "You break or me Mac?" He asks, lifting a bottle of Ambrosia from the bag.

Castaine strides into the game room, humming under her breath. Just within the room, the red head pauses to sweep a hazel gaze around, taking it all in. The locker of board games seems to pull her attention so it's that direction in which she heads.

Eilleithyia steps into the game room, though noticing the gathering of people there, she smiles, trying to look more and more relaxed. The gather of relaxed people seems to do something for her mood, and she heads towards the pool table. "Hmm… space for one more?"

Nine gives Yuuri a silent shake of her head at the question. Even if she minded, he's an officer, and she'd be loathe to say so. She hunches further over her drafting book, continuing to trace lines with her pencil and gaze in unison until her dark eyes flicker upward, catching sight of Castaine and just watching her quietly for a while.

"Sure you can join." His hand waving over Eileithyia. He notices the fiery red head walk in as well. Yuuri's eyes roll and he pours himself a shot, taking it quickly and removing the bottle from the table. "Just cause I flew the Mark II and got shot to hell lastnight in the sim, doesn't mean I got a rep." He snerks towards Cygnus and nods at Nine acknowledging her shake.

Eileithyia nods to Yuuri. "Thank you." she says grabbing a stick and twirling it in a bit of a display she smiles. "Hmm." she grins and places the stick to the balls. She glances about and nods to others. "You all know each other?"

Opening the locker, Castaine takes a long few moments looking over the items held within. Reaching out, a finger touches the edge of one and slowly begins to trail her finger down over each item in turn. Finally she pauses on an old deck of cards and pulls them free. Closing the locker, Mia makes her way to a small table and seats herself before beginning to shuffle the worn cards easily.

Nine follows the curl of the tendril of hair by Castaine's face with her eyes, trying to map each vector
mathematically onto the drafting paper as she slowly shifts her head to watch her heading across the room.

Cygnus takes one last stroll around the table then pulls the cue ball towards him and sets it in place. Leaning over the table his eyes narrow slightly as he sights along the cue, then takes his shot. The cue ball zips across the table and impacts with a loud crack, as the 2 and 15 head for separate pockets and drop their way in. "Well, just think of it this way, you had me around to make sure you didn't get your tail shot off," He teases with a smirk.

Waving a hand dismissively, "Whatever Mac, that laundry of yours must have really smelt bad. You rarely had any on your six." Out of the corner of his eyes, he watches Castaine seat herself on a table. He turns to her, "Any cold wake-ups this morning Sarge?"

Castaine completes two full shuffles before she bothers to turn her gaze up on Yuuri. "My morning? Oh, it was all hot and bothered, thanks for asking, lieutenant." She perks up a brow shooting a sassy look his way before returning to her cards.

Eileithyia listens to the two other talk. She watches the two balls spin and enter into the holes. "Impresive, I don't think I can do that well." she takes her stick and attempts it carefully..

Nine looks down again as Castaine looks up, flipping her pencil to erase, adjust, erase, adjust a line some more, the writing implement turning somersaults in her hand. Then she gets back to that lock of hair.

Cygnus steps back from the table a moment, eyes hunting along all the different angles for the best possible shot. Spotting it, he leans over and sends the cue ball hurtling towards the 7. The collision is hard, and the 7 goes spinning towards the side pocket, but just a hair to one side. "Tell you what, I'll fly one of the two's next time. Deal?"

Eileithyia watches. She simple leans on her stick a little curiously watching the other two people talk, perhaps wanting to jump in but doesn't. She taps her foot though as the 7 spins she seems more anxious.
"I…see" he says to Castaine. "Well I'm sure it was enjoyable." His voice really not as full of excitement as before until he hears Cygnus chime in. Yuuri turns back to the pool game and settles in at a small table near it. "It ain't gunna matter. Besides, we had a driver flying with us lastnight."

Castaine smirks a bit at the lack of excitement in Yuuri's tone at her words. Cards are laid out before her in an odd array that seems to make little sense to anyone save the combat medic.

Nine is distracted from her musing over the red-haired woman's red hair by the cards on the table in front of her, and she slowly unfurls herself, sliding off of the back of the couch and taking a route to bring her 'nonchalantly' past the table to see if she can make head or tail of the game.

Eileithyia sighs. She places her stick against one of the balls, number 4 to be exact and takes a stab at it… her stick slides across the table, barely tapping the ball. "Oh.."

Flopping down at the table across from Yuuri, Mac reaches over to snag the bottle and glass and pours himself a shot. It's knocked back quickly, and a small look of surprise crosses his face. The shotglass gets turned in his fingers as he glances at it admiringly, "That's good stuff." He looks up just in time to see Eileithyia scratch and winces a little, "Don't worry, it takes a while to get the hang of it."

Yuuri pulls out a pack of fumarella sticks, flipping an end out and pulling it the rest of the way with his lips. "You godsdamn right it is." He chuckles and lights the end of the cigarette. He glances briefly at Nine approaching Castaine then back to the table at Eileithyia. "Next shot I'll give you a hand alright?"

If Castaine notes the approach of Nine, the Marine doesn't let on. The cards that remain in her hands are shuffled again and she deals herself a set of five which she picks up and arranges in some order to her liking. Mia begins to hum softly under her breath again.

Eileithyia nods. She stands up a bit. "Yes. I guess so, it's just so frustrating you do with such ease…" she sighs deeply.

Cygnus glances at Yuuri's cigarette then shoots him an expectant look as a grin spreads across his face. Standing up, he paces back over to the table, determined to try to sink that 7 again. With no joy, which causes him to grumble under his breath. "See, it's not that easy, even for me."

Nine hesitates for a moment as the cards are put in order, staring at them in bafflement. Finally, her rather quiet voice pipes up. "What are you playing?" she wonders.

Yuuri stands up, setting the cigarette on the table, cherry burning off it. His strides take him behind Eileithyia, both arms wrapping around her lithe frame. One holds just behind her right elbow while the other is at her left wrist. "Alright. Here's a good shot on the one ball." He lifts her left hand, aiming at the cue ball. "Just a touch shot," he whispers close to her head.

Eileithyia raises her eyebrow and nods. She aims raising her fingers, she fires the number one ball, rolls just toppling into the corner pocket. "YES!" the softly and yet triumphant shout heard from her.

Castaine shrugs a bit, "Doesn't really have a name.. just something my brothers and I thought up when we were kids. I think you need to share our genetic code to get it, really." She tosses her cards down on the table, face up, and shrugs again. "I lost that hand - see if you can figure it out, if you like." And with that, Mia rises to her feet, tucks her chair in, and heads for the door, "Catch me later and we'll see if you go it. I have duty…" and then she's out the door.

With a grin, Cygnus wanders back over towards the table and snags the smoking cigarette, furtively taking a drag before setting back where he found it. "See, just like that," He nods over in Eileithya's direction. "Pretty soon you'll be an expert."

Eileithyia smiles. She turns around, her eyes wildly gleaming. "Thanks for helping me. I'm Private Eileithyia Xylander."

Yuuri smiles at Eileithyia and steps back letting her do it by herself now. He notices Castaine leaving and looks at Cygnus, "I'll be back, cigs yours bro." He quickly heads out after Castaine.

Eileithyia grins. She leans into the next shot, she's trying to be careful, fingering the pool stick carefully and she picks her targets. "Richoeting balls if probably hard but.." he shakes her head and aims for the fourth solid colored ball sinking it. "Yesh!"

Cygnus shakes his head when Yuuri's heads out, chuckling to himself as he settles back into a chair, picking up the cigarette and settling it between his fingers to take a lazy drag. Smoke streams out of his nostrils as he watches Eileithyia make her next shot. "Not bad," He comments as he stretches a foot upwards and out to rest on the now vacant chair across from him.

Nine looks back down at the cards, rearranges them a few times, but can't figure out one card from another after a while, before she turns toward the pool table to watch the proceedings there.

Yuuri wonders back through the hatch looking like a disgruntled bulldog. He's got another fumarella stick between his lips, the burning leaf smoking quiet well. His steps bring him back towards Nine before approaching the pool game. "Figure out what she was playing yet?" He asks the woman.

Nine shakes her head quietly, almost embarrassed to admit it, her cheeks tinting faintly pink. She holds her sketchbook to her chest and looks back toward Yuuri. "I didn't. I think I'd need to see at least a few hands played."

Cygnus rolls his eyes slightly and chuckles when Yuuri reappears, though he sits up straight in his chair, and pulls his foot off of the other one, where it had been stretched out. Another stream of smoke pours of his nostrils and he reaches over to pour a shot. Considering the expression his friend was wearing when he returned, Mac is betting that Yuuri might need it.

"Care to join us Ms…?" Yuuri offers the woman, "Ambrosia, Fumarella, some pool, and conversation." He's realy trying to hide something. "Lt. Typhys Yuuri." The jock points to Cygnus, "And that's Lt. Mac Cygnus."

"Oh… um, I don't know how to play pool," Nine protests, though she takes a few steps toward the table, "I'm Nine," she introduces herself by the shortened form of her mouthful of a name. "I… sure, if you're offering. What are we talking about?" Speaking of hiding things. That sketchbook stays glued to her chest. "It's nice to meet you both."

"Nice to meet you, Nine." Cygnus lifts a brow at the interesting name, but leaves it at that. Something's not quite right but he can't exacly put his finger on, and he steeples his hands together, tapping his index fingers against his lips thoughtfully as he watching Yuuri for a moment from beneath his eyelids. The blue of his eyes shifts back to Nine and he smiles, "I don't think we've set a topic of conversation yet.

Eileithyia leans in again and begins to ponder her second shot, as a few moment pass she balances the stick and then aim for another solid colored ball.

"I'm not really that great at it either." He admits to Nine, smoke rolling out as he speaks. "So civilians on a CEC?" Yuuri questions her, attempting to start a conversation as they reach the table. "Shot is yours if Ambrosia is a vice." Yuuri grins broadly and claps as the three ball is sunk in a side pocket.

Yuuri's attempt to start conversation with her just draws a dumb, blank, petrified stare from Nine, as he says words that don't make any sense to her. Well.. Each one does, but the syntax and intonation just… confuses her. "Wh… what?" she wonders.

Eileithyia raises her eyebrow as well, lokoing at Yuuri, and then attemping to sink another ball, a the sixth ball with a tap. "What?

Cygnus shoots a glance towards Eiliethyia and chuckles, "You keep that up, and I'm going to get the impression you're up to something." The fact that the words are said with amusement underscore the fact that he's teasing. "I think this is going to be over, before I ever get started."

"Well uh, what I mean is.." Yuuri stammers to Nine, "You didn't give a rank." He takes the shot glass from the table and offers it to Nine.

Nine takes the shot glass as light dawns over the landscape of her brain. "Oh. Petty Officer, Sir. Third class," she replies, something military creeping into her voice. In her moment of confusion she lowers her sketchbook, taking the liquor and giving it a sip. Yes, sipping from a shot glass.

Eileithyia smiles. She looks up from her attempt to take down another ball. "Hmm."

Yuuri notices the sketch, but makes no comment. "Brosia is better all at once, less after taste." He grabs a chair from a neighboring table and slides it up for the woman before sitting across from Cygnus, "Mac you gettin' owned bad."

Eileithyia grins. "I am not 'owning him." she says cheerfully. "I just am lucky. I haven't played in such a long time."

Cygnus grunts a bit at Yuuri's words and nods, taking another deep drag off what little remains of his cigarette, "I haven't really gotten a chance to shoot." One eyebrow acrches, "You've definitely got the luck on your side, that's for sure." A wide grin breaks out across his face, "Doesn't matter. As long as I'm lucky when I'm in the cockpit, I don't care."

Nine draws her book up to her again and gives Yuuri a shy sort of smile. "Some people like to draw out the agony. Lets them know they're really alive," she points out, continuing to sipple at the ambrosia and let it burn her tongue and throat at length.

Eileithyia hmms. She licks her lips again and then looks ay Mac. "Go on, your turn, I shouldn't be taking all these shots."

"Joined the Military for education to become an artist then?" Yuuri tilts his head curious at the woman, patting the chair. "Look Mac, she's showing sympathy for you." His eyes on Cygnus and Eileithyia, but mind on the picture.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't quite work that way. You shoot until you miss." The words are grumbled in a good natured way. One long leg extends itself under the table to kick the side of Ty's foot. Fortunately, not very hard, "Hey! Who says I need sympathy," Cygnus laughed.

Nine, again, baffled. "… No. I'm not an artist. I just… I finished school and… I didn't know what else to do with myself. There was a recruiter and he was nice… so…" she shrugs. "I like the flying. The work's really easy," she crouches into the chair, curling up almost into a ball.

Eileithyia listens. "Sounds like me. I didn't know what to do with myself either." she says calling to Nine. "I mean, my life as a college student wasn't too.. affective. I wanted to be come a doctor but I felt out of place." she smiles and takes another stab at the balls- just attemptingto shoot and win.

The pack of fumarella sticks is brought out again, Yuuri pulling one from within, "Care for a smoke Nine?" He lifts the small rolled stick towards her. "Hey Mac, you should take lessions from the Private over there." His head nods in the direction of Eileithyia.

It seems like a pretty good day so far. Smokes. Booze. Even women nearbye. Too bad Cygnus is soundly getting his ass kicked at pool. "I thought you were supposed to have my back, man," He grunts as he stubs the remains of his cigarette to death. "So tell me private, just how is it you manage to be so lucky," He asks with a grin.

Nine carefully tucks the shot glass into her other hand, pulling the cover of her drafting book closed and settling the book at her feet. "Alright, that sounds nice, thank you, Sir." Propriety, after all. These are officers. She looks to Eileithyia, "Yeah. I miss school. I kind of almost knew what I was doing there."

Eileithyia shrugs. "I don't know. I just do. I guess its in the blood." She stands up and watches a ball sink into a pocket. "I think… it's a good plan, going into the military, if your college life isn't going as plan."

Yuuri sets the lighter on the table and nudges it towards Nine. "It's pool and you are getting beat by a woman." He chuckles at Cygnus, "Didn't think you needed help with one." Turning back to the dark haired woman beside him, "What do you do onboard the Kharon anyways?"

"Oh you just did not," Mac snorts across the table at Yuuri, shooting a look across the table that seems to say he'll remember this, although everything about his demeanor is good natured and amused. He waits to hear Nine's answer, curious as to the reply.

"I'm just a technician in Engineering. I change lightbulbs, do maintainence," Nine lifts her frail-looking shoulders in a shrug as she finishes the shot, setting down the glass on her knee and taking the smoke and lighter instead, lighting up inexpertly. It's not something she does often, but she seems to enjoy it enough. She passes the lighter back. "Like I said, it's not that hard. My supervisors take care of all the hard stuff."

Eileithyia chuckles. She looks at nine. "Interesting." she says. She sets her pool stick aside and walks towards the table curiously where Yuuri and Nine are sitting. "So.. umm, its nice to meet you."

Yuuri nudges Cygnus under the table with his foot and head nods towards a chair for their other guest. He reaches for the bottle and pours another, "You know Ms Nine, I heard Mac over there has a lighting problem in his bunk." The glass being full he slides it across towards Eil, "Ambrosia, not sure if you are old enough….but hell you sittin' with us." He takes a long drag from his fumarella stick, exhaling and grabbing the lighter.

Eileithyia grins. "No thanks, and you're right I am probably not old enough, and I rather … enjoy living you know." she says waving off the Ambrosia idea with a hand.

Cygnus reaches up and rubs at his eyes, shaking himself a bit as if trying to remain alert. If the dark circles under his eyes are any indication, it doesn't look as if he's slept at all recently. Knitting his brows together he says to Yuuri, "You're a bad influence you know," as he goes rummaging around through his pants pockets, finally coming up with a crinkled and rather worn looking pack of fumarella sticks. They look as if they've been laying around for awhile and have been slowly whittled away at until only a few remain. "I was trying to quit," He admits ruefully as he holds out a hand for the lighter, not having one of his own on him. When Eiliethyia wanders away he shrugs a bit, "I didn't quite expect her to run off so soon. But I guess this means that no one wins, so my honor remains intact!"

Nine looks to Yuuri, then Cygnus, then back again, "Like… for real a lighting problem? Or is this just a way you get women into your bunk?" She sounds skeptical… wary. She's -heard- about pilots. "If there's a problem you should send in a job request and someone will be sent out to fix it."

Yuuri reaches over and elbows Cygnus, "Send in a request and looks like you got bunk company." He snickers, slamming the lighter onto the table and skidding it over to Prophet.

"I might have to do that," Mac winks, reaching forward to scoop up the lighter as he pries one of the sticks loose from the pack and pops it in his mouth. A moment later, he's got it lit, and purrs with contentment. "Might help me get the first good night's sleep I've had in months." He pauses to consider, "So, if I sent in this job order, do you think you'd be assigned to the job, Ms Nine?" He readily adopts the moniker that his friend has given the petty officer.

"We're an Engineering team, not a brothel," Nine points out. "And even if we were, there are much nicer-looking techs on the team than me. Or we'll send Phineas. He smells of slightly past-ripe figs."

Yuuri laughs and slaps his knee. "Mac I like this tech." His hand grabs the glass and pushes it infront of Nine. "Cheers to a tech that can keep up. Besides, poor Mac ain't nothing but a Chaplin."

Cygnus can roll with the punches pretty well, and he wrinkles his nose a bit, "I don't know, the fig smell part might be a deal breaker." He simply shrugs, then bursts into laughter, taking a long drag off of his cigarette and holding it in for a moment before exhaling it in a long stream. He feels the need to point out, "I'm a pilot. You know that, and I know that. I've just been… reassigned to a desk temporarily until… stuff gets sorted out." That's Mac's story, and clearly he's sticking to it. Still, he shoots an appreciative glance at Nine, an unspoken kudo for being able to keep up with the pair of them.

"You priestify in your off-hours?" Nine wonders of Cygnus. "Talk about a sky pilot." She smokes about as slowly as she drinks. "Is it Dionysus?" she wonders, feeling maybe a trifle more comfortable for having held her own somewhat.

Yuuri stays out of this conversation, he'd prefer not to speak of the Gods. Instead he continues to smoke and listen.

Cygnus shakes his head and glances over at Yuuri who's gone oddly silent. That fact makes him feel a bit uncomfortable with the topic, and he explains as quickly as he can, "I'm no priest, but my father was. I had to make an agreement with him when I was younger that I'd go through the training before I decided if the Military was really what I wanted." Another drag from his cigarette, "You can see what I chose." As far as Mac is concerned, that's the end of the topic.

Nine looks to Yuuri, as well. "Oh. Neither of my parents were clergy. But I went to witness Dionysus, once. My parents both worked in the theatre," she explains. Dionysus being the Lord of Comedy and Tragedy. And that's all she's really got, as far as religion goes, so. There she stops.

"Not much religion in my family, mostly Military life." Yuuri chuckles and blows a smoke ring.
Cygnus pushes the lighter back across the table towards its owner, "Sometimes I think there just a little too much in mine." His gaze slides over to Nine, and he gestures vaguely towards the shot glass, teasing, "You ever going to finish drinking that, so the rest of can have another round?"

Eileithyia sits down carefully cand looks up. "Religiob?" she asks leaning on the table a bit ."I think there isn't enough it sometimes."

"Oh… Oh! Is this a contest? I'll lose, I don't drink an awful lot," Nine protests, but she takes the second shot, no less, now that she knows she's holding everyone up.

Yuuri grins and pours another shot, the green liquid filling the glass. He butts the cigarette and brushes his hand off before talking the shot it one swollow. "Ahhh." He licks his lips and pours the Ambrosia into the glass again. "Who's next?"

Eileithyia watches she doesn't jump into the the drinking the contest. She only watches.

Cygnus reaches across the table and drags the shot glass closer to him before picking it up and downing it. "I don't think it's so much of a contest," He chuckles, "As wanting to appreciate some damned fine ambrosia." Once he scoots the now empty glass back across the table he takes another long drag on his ciggarette.

Nine holds out her shot glass so that it can get refilled first, since she'll be the slowest at drinking it. "It's quite good," she admits in a squeak.

Yuuri pours the glass full again and winks at the black haired beauty, "Bottoms up Ms. Nine." He grabs the neck of the bottle and brings it to his lips, taking a straight pull from it. He sets it down and brushes the back of his forearm along his lips, "Glad my status has been revoked." He starts laughing and pushes the bottle towards Cygnus.

Nine is looking a little flushed even after two, her pale face getting a little blotchy when she flushes, not having a lush skin tone to even out the blushing. She stares down the third shot and braces herself before taking it. "Bottoms up… Status?" she wonders aimlessly into the conversation.

Cygnus cocks a brow at Nine, chuckling as her cheeks pink up a bit from the liquor. "I'm off duty tomorrow, so I don't really have to worry about it," he remarks with a chuckle. Gratefully, he takes the offered bottle, lifts it to his lips and downs a good sized gulp before setting it back on the table to push it back in Typhus' direction.

The small group is gathered at a corner table behind the pool table. A glass bottle, now only about a third filled is being passed back and forth with one shot glass. "Yup, grounded." Yuuri starts, but stops when two others enter the room. He leans on an elbow and whispers something to Cygnus, a smirk forming along his lips. Two fingers and a thumb inch out a couple fumarella sticks, his lips taking both. "You want another stick?" He offers Nine, lighting both of them - pulling one away and lifting it towards the woman.

Nine looks about to be sick as she assumes Yuuri's about to offer her another shot, but she swallows and then nods her head as he turns out to be offering her another smoke, instead, and she takes it gratefully, a hand over her heart as she coughs. "I think that's going to be it, though, with the other stuff. I'm sorry, I'm lame, I know. You can keep playing without me."

Roubani is alone as he drifts into the game room, a pencil slid behind his ear. The smells in the room make him pause in the hatchway before he goes any further, steps taking him towards some of the shelving.
The games room seems to be drawing quite the crowd this evening, though by the looks of it, most aren't here for the video games. Neither is the dark-haired Captain who enters, dressed in a set of clean tank tops and his flight suit stripped down to his waist. Killing time before a CAP, most likely; the group by the pool table catches his eye as he wanders toward the board games closet.

Cygnus smirks at Yuuri and leans up a bit to whisper something in response, before turning his attention back to Nine, who's starting to look a little worse for the wear. "Probably a wise descision, you doing okay over there?" When Roubani enters, he waves out a small greeting to the ensign. Once he spots the Captain, however, Mac straightens up in his seat and gives a nod, "Evening, Captain."

Yuuri slaps the table and laughs. "You're on Mac and add another twenty-five for the pool game I'mma bout to you whoop you in." He nods firmly before offering a childish, innocent smile to Nine, "We got a few months before we get back to the colonies. We'll have you keeping up in no time and hit the clubs together." He takes a short puff of the cigarette, "And I'll be wagering cubits on you drinking them boys under the table." He finishes with a playful nudge of his elbow against Nine's shoulder. "Captain!" Yuuri shouts, "We got some good stuff for that coffee of yours."

Roubani nods back to Cygnus, with a very brief smile. He turns to the shelves, running his fingers along the stacks of things shoved up there until he finds what he wanted - paper. A few pieces of torn scrap, nothing more. His somber eyes glance at the pool table with some reserved curiosity and he sits down, some distance away.

Nine does look a little red-cheeked. "Just drank it too fast, I think," she whispers, forehead getting a little sweaty. She squeaks when nudged, "Eee!", then turns to look, reddening further down her neck as she spots Roubani and Kai. Murmuring something almost silently to herself, she leans down to the couch and tries her best to scoop up her new drafting notebook which she'd deposited there.

"Evening, Lieutenant. I hope you're not trying to drown our engine snipe." In liquor. Kai's somewhat bemused, not that it particularly shows on his face. A deck of cards is chosen from the small selection of games crammed into the cupboard, with a glance at Yuuri when the pilot addresses him. "I don't drink, Lieutenant, and I'm on rotation in an hour. Thank you, nonetheless."

"You mean the pool game you think you're going to whoop me in," Cygnus snarks back with amusement, scooting out of his chair to help Nine. Once he has a good grip on the notebook, he hands it off to her, making no attempt to be overly curious. After all, he's seen how closely she tends to guard it. Once that's accomplished, he stalks back over to the wall where he'd rested his chosen cue earlier and snatches back up, choosing a small square of blue that he proceeds to chalk the end with.

Yuuri glances at the woman beside him, "Engine snipe. That's news to me." His icey jades study her once more as she reaches for the drawing. Leaning he whispers something to her, drawing back and pouring another shot. "You want the break Mac?" He takes the shot and stands up, still holding the lit cigarette.

Roubani remains in his spot, watching the pool game begin the way someone might watch a vid screen with half their attention. He pulls the pencil from behind his ear, his thumb pausing along the way to scratch the scar on his throat.

Kai ends up at the same grouping of chairs as the introverted Poet, though not near enough to be stifling his personal space. Easing his frame into a chair roughly opposite, he begins sliding the cards out of their box, with the odd glance toward the pool game in process. "How's it healing?" he murmurs, voice pitched low to the Ensign.

Breaking is how he ran into trouble last time, but none the less, Mac steps up to the table and sets it, then sets up the cue ball and takes his shot. A nice hard break that sends the seven - which had been his bane the game before - hurtling into one of the corner pockets, causing him to shoot a smirk at Yuuri. "Still sure you want that bet," He asks with a lift of one eyebrow.

Eileithyia listens carefully to the others. "Healing?" she asks at the sound of someone mentioning her profession.

"Itches, sir." Roubani answers Kai quietly, resting his pencil against the little pile of scrap paper. His tone becomes a little more dry. "But as Captain Legacy kindly pointed out, I'm fortunate in that I can at least scratch mine in a politically correct manner." His dark eyes flicker to the unfamiliar Eileithiya. "Charybdis incident. It's fine."

Cygnus points the tip of his cue across the table at Yuuri, "We'll just see about that, won't we?" Grinning, he steps over the table and digs around in his pockets, tossing a few more cubits onto the pile, while plucking a cigarette from out of the pack, which he tucks behind his ear for the moment. The nine ball looks like a good target, and he carefully narrows his eyes down the length of the cue before taking a finesse shot that sends the nine ball spinning into the side pocket. "You were saying," He chuckles, then pulls the cigarette out from behind his ear to pop it in his mouth, holding out a hand for the lighter.

Nine mmghs faintly at Yuuri in reply to what he whispered, looking not to think too much of it, but she takes her notebook to herself and pulls herself to a standing position, looking steadier on her feet than she had been sitting down.

Kai tosses aside the empty box, and begins shuffling cards while Roubani speaks. The Private's enquiry draws his attention, and a quick perusal with his eyes, before they're lowered again to the cards. "I take it you're CMC. Do you play basra, Private?" A common card game played in some regions of Sagittaron, which really bears no resemblance to triad. "Can't they give you some sort of topical analgesic down in sickbay?" he asks the other pilot.

"I have something already," Roubani replies to Kai, mildly enough that it's impossible to tell if he's being truthful or not. The sound of the pool balls striking one another draws his attention briefly, as he watches the trajectory. There's a look to Nine, recognition with a vague smile which fades as quickly as it showed up, then the mention of basra brings his eyes to the cards.

Eileithyia smiles. "Yes… I am a combat medic and no I don't…" she says softly about the card game.

Yuuri chuckles, looking over his shoulder at Nine, "You ok to make it back to the berthings?" His hands twist along the shaft of the cue out of instinct, "We can walk you back if you want and finish the game after you're alright." His voice is actually sincere, not flirty or hinting at something.

Cygnus had been considering the table, looking for his next shot, but Yuuri's words bring him up short, and he sets the cue against the wall. His tone is equally as sincere, after all, while they had been giving Nine the ambrosia, there had never been any ulterior motive to it. "Sort of our duty to make sure you get back okay, you know?"

Kai nods slightly to Roubani, and resumes shuffling the cards. Maybe there's some kind of understanding there; the Captain, either way, doesn't press. "Like to learn?" he posits to the medic lurking nearby, without glancing up at her. He's dexterous enough with his hands, though hardly has the fingers of a musician or artist.

Nine gives Roubani a shy wave of her fingers as he recognizes her, and then she nods to Yuuri, "Just as soon as I can persuade my legs to begin to move, I'll be okay. Thank you, though, sirs," she tells them, tacking on that 'sirs' to maintain the appropriate distance.

Eileithyia thinks. "Well what kind of game is it? I am afraid cards aren't my specialty." she explains. looking abit embaressed. "I'm Private Eileithyia Xylander." she tells Kai warmly, trying to make sure she's covered herself.

Roubani glances back at the trio of Lieutenants and Petty Officer. As they seem alright he rests his head back against the chair, looking over at Eil as she introduces herself to the nearby Captain.

Yuuri walks back to the table and gathers his cubits, capping the bottle and sliding it back into the brown bag. Next he slides his pack of fumarella sticks into his pocket. "We could go nab a wheelchair from sickbay and wheel you around like we did…" He stops remembering the Captain, "I mean..yeah, take your time. Don't think the pool table is gunna move at all."

"A tricky one," the viper Captain replies with a twitch of a smile. Finished shuffling the cards, he holds the deck between his index and middle finger, thumb resting on the top, facedown card, poised to start dealing. "Or you can watch the Ensign and I play, first round, and join in the next." He seems to assume Roubani knows how to play. The trio's antics at the billiards table nearby, don't seem to be warranting any attention from him. Yet.

Cygnus grins and scoops up the remaining cubits and pockets them, then picks up his cue and returns it to the rack. A soft snort echoes out of him, "That would work for the hallways, bro, but what about the stairs? I think that's a potential whole in the plan right there."

Nine's cheeks blotch a further red, "I don't require -wheeling-, I don't think. I'll be alright," and, as if to prove it, she drifts into motion and doesn't fall flat on her face. "I think I just need to… lie down a little while," she trails her fingers over the back cover of her drafting notebook. "Good night, sirs," she tells the Pilots, then, as she passes, "Good night, sirs," to the Captain and the Ensign as well, giving the private a smile and a wave.

"Good night, petty officer," Roubani answers Nine in his soft voice. Kai's words then make his brow raise, and there's a subtle hesitation that seems about to protest. Or maybe deny he can play at all. Whatever it is, a second thought keeps him from doing so, and he gently rubs the end of his nose with his thumb. "I suppose I should warn I'd be a terrible demonstrator. It's been a while."

Waving as Nine leaves, Eileithyia smiles. "Well it seems I am surrounded." she says softly. She settles back.

[ Enlisted Quarters - Deck 1 ]------[ CEC Kharon ]
IC Time: Mission Day #56 OOC Time: Sat Apr 18 22:17:25 2009

Easily the largest berthing area on the ship, rows and rows of bunks span Fore to Aft, with even the walls containing bunks. The quarters here are cramped but not horribly-so. Each bunk contains a thick, dark blue curtain to provide privacy for its single occupant. Between each row of bunks is a standard, squared metal table provided by the Navy for the crews aboard ships. People are coming and going through here at most hours of the day and night, giving little privacy outside an individual bunk.
Enlisted Bunks
[H] Hallway

Nine is up in her bunk, being drunk all over her pillow, mostly hidden in the drawn shade of her curtain, but it's open just enough to let a beam of light through by which she looks over some of the pictures she's been drawing, one hand firmly down in her pants, though she's quite quiet about it.

There is a brief knock on the hatch before it is opened and Yuuri slips in head first. "Ms. Nine?" His voice is even softer than a whisper. He notices the dark hair of the woman as the light cascades down onto it. He turns and places a finger to his lips at Cygnus, whispering something to him and turning towards the woman's bunk.

Cygnus does a good job of being just as quiet as Yuuri. his own head poking through the hatchway just behind his companion's. Once he catches the softly murmured words he nods a bit in agreement, then ducks closer to whisper right back.

"… Uh?" Nine briefly utters as she thought she heard her name. But then it's all subsumed in whispers, and she herself quiets down again, tending to herself until she gives a faint-sounding but sharp intake of breath, then lets it out slowly.

Yuuri carefully steps across the room making as little noise as possible. His ears hear something, but it doesn't register as he steps up on the bottom bunk. He peeks in through the curtain, hands steadying himself.

Cygnus follows Yuuri into the bunk area, but stops short of actually climbing up on the berth. He'll leave that to Ty. Hearing the soft noise, one of his eyebrows cock as he tries to decipher exactly what's going on.

Nine is there, resting easefully in the afterglow of her little adventure in self-pleasure. "Oh. Hi, sir…" she tells Yuuri. "Did… um… did you need something?" she wonders. It doesn't quite sound awkward. She's a little too smashed for that. And a little too smashed to bother covering up her rather explicit blueprints.

"Hey buddy, how you feeling?" Yuuri speaks to Nine calmly, his icey jades looking down at her, "Just came to uh, check on you." He notices all the pictures, but doesn't anything right away.

Cygnus lets out the breath he's been holding for awhile, now that there's no reason to be quiet any longer. That pretty much leaves him free to stroll closer, and climbs up to stand on the other end of the bottom berth, a grin plastered across his features. He cocks his head sidewise in a nod towards Typhus, "What he said."

"I'm good, I'm… fine," Nine answers, sitting up and subtly re-arranging her pants in a more suitable fashion before she looks to the book and closes it. "I… I was just… napping." Yes, napping. That's what they're calling it these days.

Yuuri coughs and chuckles quietly, his eyes going from the book to Nine. "You know my bunk mate Fingers, she likes to nap as well. Normally I have to kick the ceiling of my bunk to.." He uses one hand to make air quotes, "'wake' her up."

Cygnus's eyes widen just a bit in understanding, and he attempts to hide his chuckle by clearing his throat. Which sort of fails. He starts to laugh outright when he hears about one of the other pilots. "Is that what I have to look forward to when I get my flight status back, then?" A smirk crosses his features and he reaches up to prod at Nine's side, ticking lightly for a fraction of a second before snatching his hand away while adopting an innocent expression.

Nine looks more than a little embarrassed and she slips her hand behind her back, withdrawing toward the back wall of her bunk. "I guess sometimes it gets lonely out here. I… my boyfriend and I have been on long-distance terms for a while now."

Yuuri offers a genuine smile, reaching down to withdraw his pack and pull out a cig. "For the morning when you wake up..if you wake up, with a hangover and feel like a smoke." His icey jades still hold a curious tint to them, "Can I ask you about those pictures you draw?"

Cygnus grins at Nine, amusment sparkling in his eyes, "Hey, not like we all haven't done it. No need to explain. Gods knows I've been busted more than once." He shrugs and folds his arms along the edge of the birth and rests his chin on them. When Ty asks about the pictures, he cocks his head to the side, curious.

Nine leans forward to take her book from the edge of her bunk, drawing it back toward her, looking to Cygnus, then to Yuuri, with a look like a puppy that's been found near a puddle of pee. "… w… what about them?" she asks, not committing to anything, since she's not sure what he saw.

Yuuri - still holding the offered the cigarette, looks puzzled at her reaction. "I uh, saw one when we were in the game room today..and then you have the book up while you were napping." He's really trying to sound caring, but he has had a little to drink.

Cygnus isn't quite certain what's going on, since the one time he had the book in his possession he didn't attempt to look. He gets the impression that he's missing something. "Look… I didn't see them, but I'm sure whatever they are, it's safe with the two of us." Mac nods, and shoots a glance at Yuuri to make certain they're on the same page. "We know how to keep our mouths shut."

Nine is looking a little cornered, but she offers, gamely enough, with only a little bit of an intoxicated slur, "… what did you want to ask me about them?" she asks Yuuri, looking worried that he's going to say something like 'what sort of a freak are you?'

Yuuri's hand eases towards Nine and tries to slide the cig behind her ear, his hand brushing against her cheek. "Why aren't those pics of your boy friend?" His hand withdraws, icey jades looking into her own.
Cygnus starts to put one and one together, at least vaguely. Now doesn't seem like the time to cut in with words, however. Or in any other sort of fashion. The last thing he wants to do is suddenly make Nine feel crowded. What he does do, however, is offer her a warm, encouraging smile. No harm from this quarter.

Nine freezes in place as the question cuts her, somewhat. "I… they… I don't know," she lies, "I just… they're pretty. That's all. Beautiful creatures. Not as though I'll ever get to see one myself."

This time Yuuri quirks a brow and tilts his head. "They aren't creatures.." He really doesn't want to keep Mac in the dark, but he doesn't want make a big deal of Nine's sketches either.

The creatures reference had Mac confused. He'd thought he'd figured it out, at least in part, but the creatures reference tossed a monkey wrench in that. What are the drawings of, unicorns? When Yuuri speaks again, however, he's back to the impression that he was first left with. Truth be told, he's dying of curiousity to know what the sketches are of, but he doesn't dare ask outright, or try to snatch the book to get a look for himself.

"A creature is anything that's been created," Nine points out quite reasonably, finally, maybe sensing Mac's confusion, simply opening up her book in her lap, flipping through a few pages, showing a series of sleekly modelled blueprints of centurions — none of any actual make known to man, but of her own imaginitive design — in postures designed to show the fluidity of movement inherent in the designs, some even mingling in intercourse with human women.

Yuuri sighs, "Creature are living - breathing - beings, not walking toasters." He wears a worried look on his face and his icey jades continue to stare at her eyes.

The subject matter of the drawings was most unexpected, and Mac's eyes widened slightly. Images shifted through his waking mind. Flashes of the terrible death and destruction he'd been tortured by every time he managed to get to sleep. For a moment all he could really do was just… breathe. The one thing about his family's devotion to Ares has taught him is stoicism, and he schools his features carefully, barely allowing any reaction to the unbidden images rolling through his head to show. When he can focus again, he tries to make sense of things, "She's an engineer, Ty. They see beauty and perfection in machines, when to people like us, they're just gizmos and circuits." That's about the best explaination his mind can supply at the moment.

Nine feels mildly injured by Yuuri's denial of her drawings' life, and it shows… but she gives Cygnus a grateful smile. "Besides, if they weren't alive… they never would have rebelled against us. If that's not a sign of life… I don't know what is. We treated them poorly. Something that isn't alive doesn't care whether you treat it poorly or not. Just give it the mechanical requirements for it to keep working, and it will."

"They are machines that were made by us. They aren't alive, just a glitch in the programming." Yuuri can't believe what he hears from either of them. "They nearly wiped us out in the first war." He shakes his head, "It's just wrong to think of these as anything but enemies; walking toasters."

"They are enemies," Cygnus nods his agreement to Yuuri, but he'll be damned if he doesn't try to difuse the situation and take it down a notch. He has the distinct feeling that driving Nine away, or frightening her would be a bad idea. Better to Mac's mind if she had friends watching out for her. He keeps his voice pitched calmly, "Look I hate to get all metaphysical here, but I don't think they really can be 'alive'. Comprehension on some level of their situation is a lot different than actually having a soul." He offers another smile in her direction. "And machines don't, and can't have souls. Only the Gods can grant that. We created the Cylons, not the Gods. So while I will agree that they have some form of intellegence, the actual state of being alive is pretty out of the question."

"You can't have an enemy that isn't a person. That's not an enemy, that's a problem. The sea isn't your enemy because it washes your town away. It's just doing what the sea does," Nine argues. "The cylons weren't doing just what they were supposed to do. They chose not to do what their nature told them to do. Isn't that the very thing that makes us distinct from the other animals? Isn't that what the Gods gave us? Who's to say they didn't give it to the Cylons, too? Pygmaleon created Galatea… but Aphrodite gave her a soul."

Yuuri grabs for Nine's wrist and wraps his fingers around it, "The Cylons attacked us, remember?" He shakes the wrist rather firmly, trying to get her to snap out of this world she is in. "Machines don't have souls, man created them, not one of the deity." His icey jades are sharp and they look into the blackness of her eyes. "It's pointless to argue against it, the Cylons are the enemy. Their programming turned them against us. The waves of the ocean were created by the Gods, the Cylons were our responcibility."

Cygnus frowns a bit and his eyes track over to Yuuri, before traveling back to Nine again. Most of what he wanted to say had already come out of his friend's mouth. "I have to agree, with Ty. Especially out here. This ship spends a lot of time along the ARM line, if the Cylons ever do decide to act up again, we're on the front lines out here."

"I'm not saying they're -not- the enemy. I'm just saying that if they're the enemy that indicates that they have the capacity to be inimical," Nine points out. "If they don't have souls, they're not the enemy, they're just… a mistake. Let loose to run rampant in the universe like a top spinning out of control."

Yuuri releases Nine's wrist and shakes his head, "They were a mistake, a mistake that has tried to kill us." Typhys looks rather worried now, his brows furrowed, "You discuss this with anyone else?"

"Discuss… what? Whether Cylons have souls?" Nine asks, holding her wrist to her and rubbing it sorely.
Mac's eyes float back to Ty, though they remain pretty unreadable, looking equally concerned himself. The entire conversation is leaving him with far too many questions about the nightmares that are plagueing him. For now though, he's back to letting Yuuri do the talking, hoping that Nine's answer will be an affirmative.

"Pretty much the whole deal we've spoken of." Yuuri's confusion and angry turns into a brief moment of pity as a hand reaches towards Nine's shoulder. "Has anyone else seen the drawings?"

Cygnus nods in Yuuri's direction, expression gentling a bit as he looks back to Nine, "He's bringing up a good point. It's probably best if this stays between us. I'm not certain how understanding some people would be…"

Nine shrugs a shoulder, "Sometimes we talk about whether they do or not in Engineering. I don't guess it really matters, in the end, I mean. I believe they have souls. Some people don't. It doesn't change the fact that we're in a tense military dentente with them." Nine looks to Cygnus, then, "You mean people would think I'm some kind of pervert."

"Not really a pervert, hell what are dildo's? They just lack the artificial intellegence that the Cylons have." Yuuri brings his hand back from his attempt, "I.." Typhys just looks at the woman for another moment, "I think people would look at you different if you believed that."

Cygnus shakes his head, frowning. "No, what I meant was that some people have short fuses about anything that has to do with the cyclons." There's no judgement in his voice, merely fact. "Ty is right, in that aspect. Not everyone would stop and listen to what you're thinking before they made snap judgements about those drawings."

"Some people in Engineering agree with me," Nine points out. Well, of course, some do. Engineers will discuss these things at length with one another from a purely theoretical point of view. "And anyhow, these are just supposed to be… for me. So, don't worry, I won't go showing them arund."

The viper jock leans forward and pushes himself near Nine, whispering something to her. After he finishes, Yuuri hops down from the bunk, "No more sketchs and don't show anyone them ok?" Yuuri doesn't know why he isn't going to bring this up with his superiors, but there's something about her. "I'm just gunna pretend it was the Brosia talking, alright?" He turns to Mac, "We should let her rest."

Cygnus nods his agreement, then reaches forward to pat Nine on the leg nearest him. A simple friendly gesture of support, nothing more to it. "Don't worry, Nine. We're not going to say anything." Because honestly? Mac has the exact same point of view on the matter. His gut tells him this is better kept quiet than anything else.

Nine looks less than thrilled about having the contents of her personal sketchbooks dictated to her, but she walls over whatever might be there with a shake of her head. "Good night, sirs," she tells them, and closes her curtain. All the way, this time. And she closes her eyes, dreaming of that boyfriend of hers… the one she's never met, somewhere out there on a Base Star, and knowing, somehow, he's dreaming about her, too.
