Away Mission Pre-Game

Tal'Ara shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess one cant hurt."

She smiled at Falten. Any excuse to stay around her longer.

"I won't let me get messy," T'Pren corrected. She punctuated this by finishing off her bloodwine and tapping the glass back down on down on the counter. "But I will let myself toast."

Falten waved her hand, and HJ went off to retrieve a Romulan Ale for Tal. Her eyes smiled, shadowed with something like unsurety.

"Something lighter for you, Inabnet?" She asked, coughing just slightly into her scarf.

Tal'Ara's face shifted to empathetic concern as Falten coughed.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

This was someone she cares about, and she was genuinely worried about her.

The look Falten got from Inabnet would have been scathing from anyone else. But because it was T'Pren, it was mostly just irritated. "I'll have whatever you're both having."

Falten's eyes glistened at the sudden show of compassion, and she looked away quickly as HJ slid the dark Romulan ale to Tal.

"I'll be fine," She said quietly, though she wasn't entirely sure of that. It had been a long time since she'd gotten sick, and this one was ravaging her. "A few more days of rest and hydration and I'll be back to kick these ensigns asses." She didn't have a few more days with Tal, regardless of whether she recovered soon or not (or at all - she had seen Andorians in space sick for months on end).

She let her scarf fall from her face and went slowly about getting herself a mug of tea. She didn't think liquor or ale would sit well, or treat her weakened system too kindly.

"Another for Inabnet, HJ. Romulan ale, the older one." She looked up at T'Pren as her looseleaf steeped. "You don't seem thrilled about tomorrow, Inabnet." Her antennae shifted.

"I'm sure you excel at that..." she trailed off. "Kicking asses, that is."

She laughed awkwardly, and then looked down at her drink, with a slight twinge of shame.

T'Pren studied Falten almost warily for a moment before turning a similarly uncertain but thoughtful look at Tal'Ara. In the end, her attention went back to her cup. "There's nothing particularly to be thrilled about. It's just a mission."

She might as well have been telling herself that.

"not qoHpu''e' neH ghIjlu'." It came out of her mouth before she realized it, and she looked at Inabnet quickly. Her eyes were unreadable, and her antennae moved slowly.

She looked to Tal, a bit confused at the sudden, strange remark, but completely enamored with her blushing, awkward backpedaling. "I can smash a bottle with the best of them," She said playfully, smiling at the suddenly awkward Commander.

"I can imagine," she said with a smile.

While Tal'Ara was excited for this mission, she really didn't want to leave Falten at the bar.

T'Pren glanced up at Falten uncomfortably and then let her attention wander between the two other women. "Let's toast so I can go to bed and leave you two to...whatever you're doing." Prickly? Yeah, that about describes it.

Tal'Ara side-eyed T'Pren and asked politely, "What would you like to toast to, Lieutenant?"

Falten looked at Inabnet, her eyes hardening. She knew the young half-breed to be emotionally volatile, but her sharpness was uncalled for and Falten had no patience for it, today. She wasn't used to not being able to read people, she felt like the underside of a Regulan bloodworm, and now Inabnet was practically spitting razors with her standoffishness. She truly liked the Vulcan-Human, and always enjoyed seeing her at the Eel, even when things did get strange and emotional, but this was a little odd.

"I'm sorry for the Klingon, Inabnet," Falten said, frowning. "You lead the toast. I read a brief announcement report that you're heading the Hippolyta - you deserve to toast to whatever you damn well please." HJ slid another deep blue Romulan ale in front of Inabnet.

Falten lifted her antennae and took as deep a breath as she could muster, trying to clear her head. Fear. Calm coolness, eddies of fear. Deep, deep mistrust. Discomfort. Violence. Family. Fear. Falten couldn't tell which feelings were coming from which person, but she had an idea. She closed her eyes, listening to the currents between them. There were deep blue shadows under her eyes. She sipped her tea and then coughed lightly.

T'Pren didn't seem particularly bothered, for once, by what those around her might be thinking about her. She was rarely rude and almost never on purpose, but she had too much going on, was too much on edge to care. She could always apologize when she returned.

The half-Vulcan thought long and hard about the best way to toast what she wanted without tipping her hand to either the bartender nor the Romulan. It was important too to make sure she didn't let Tal'Ara toast to sabotage, if that was something she was planning. Finally, she held up her glass.

"To reclaiming what we thought we'd lost forever." And then she drank.

Falten lifted her cup, her eyes and antennae focused on Inabnet.

"To finding the lost," She said softly, the ink on the back of her hand stark against her skin. She sipped the tea again. "I hope you find whatever it is, Lieutenant Inabnet. And come back safe." Her voice was soft and she suddenly seemed much older.

"Tal, take care of her, will you?" She looked to the Romulan, a bright, hopeful sadness in her eyes. "Take care of all of them. I want you all back in one piece." It was an unusual amount of emotional exposure for her, and she couldn't maintain eye contact for very long.

Tal'Ara expressionlessly toasted and took a sip of her ale.

"I have every intention of coming back in one piece," she said.

She did. Even if only to spend more time with Falten.

Tal'Ara wished Pren would go away, so that she could have a proper goodbye with the Andorian bartender. And perhaps set a time for their date.

"I intend to come back in three pieces at least," T'Pren replied vaguely, and only a few moments later did she realize how close that sounded in her head to hope. She sucked in a deep breath, knocked back the rest of her Romulan ale, and pushed to her feet. "And a toast for when I leave: may your love lives be infinitely more successful than mine." And with that, she was gone.

Tal'Ara rolled her eyes when T'Pren left.

But then she smiled and looked at Falten.

"I'm glad we can be alone for a moment before I leave."

"What is her deal today?" She coughed, a little stung by Inabnet's brusque departure.

She shook her head and cleared the empty glass, sighing. She leaned against the bar, her face turned down and away from Tal's.

"I'm glad too," She said quietly. This was EXACTLY why she didn't get attached.

Tal'Ara frowned sweetly at Falten.

"Falten. Don't worry about me. I have been in situations immeasurably more dangerous than this mission. I am a survivor..." she paused. "And now I have something to come back for."

She put her hand on Falten's and smiled.

Falten looked at Tal's hand, the color of her skin so very different from her own. She turned her hand over underneath the Romulan's hand, lacing her blue fingers into Tal's gently.

"I just..." She looked up at Tal, her eyes conflicted. "I just get this feeling. I don't know why. I don't doubt your ability to survive," She smiled, arching one brow. "I didn't start flirting with a Tal Shiar expecting her to wind up dead within the month." Her expression fell again. "But I feel..." She shook her head, unable to find words.

Goose bumps flared on Tal'Ara's arm at the touch of Falten's fingers.

"I understand." She smiled. "But it is nice to know you are worried about me."

She winked, playfully.

Falten stifled a cough, then pulled her scarf up with her free hand.

"Of course I am, jeez, I'm not heartless..." She smiled with her eyes, running her fingers lightly over Tal's hand. "Do you think you'll see combat? Will there be any scars ruining that sharp tattoo?" She pulled her hand from Tal's, and, with only a slight, brief hesitation, touched her fingertips to the dark ink on Tal's cheek. "Where are you going?"

The hairs on Tal'Ara's neck stood at attention.

"Hostage rescue in the Badlands. But if we do see combat, the Hypolita is more than well equipped to handle it."

The ship was, but all of the young rookies were another story...

"Anyway, I'm not worried."

She nuzzled her face into Falten's hand.

"So what do you intend to do with me when I get back?"

Falten tilted her head gently, running her thumb along Tal's skin.

"Do with you?" She said, curiously, letting the lightest edge of her nail run along Tal's skin. "I need to get back to breathing without pain, first..." She closed her eyes with a soft sigh. "We should finally get dinner, I think, at the very least."