Boys Will Be Boys

Posted on Wed May 8th, 2013 @ 10:44pm by Ensign David Brody & Crumm Widdy & Lieutenant JG Aidan Murphy

2,025 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 82 - The Aggressor
Location: Skyline Lounge
Timeline: Concurrent with Mission

ON:

Ensign Brody came upon the Skyline Lounge as he had been doing with increasing frequency. His friendship with the owner, Crumm, and his fondness for cheese pizza kept him coming back. He waltzed in, flashing a smile and his customary wink at Sheela. As usual, she playfully rolled her eyes and smiled back.

Brody maneuvered through the bustling dining area and made his way to bar. He caught a glimpse of what he thought was a familiar face. A few steps closer and he recognized his close friend, Aiden Murphy. They had served together on two separate occasions and were known for all sorts of shenanigans when they pooled their resources. Brody initially thought of putting Aiden in a headlock, but remembered his right cross was surgical. Brody opted instead for a more subtle approach.

Standing directly behind Aiden, who was hunched over what looked to be a glass of Andorian brandy, Brody pretended to activate his comm badge. "Security to the Admiral. Please order all female ensigns confined to quarters. We have a ladykiller aboard."

Aidan sat swirling his brandy, scrutinizing it as he toyed with the notion of having the bartender lay out a spread of different brandy's for him to try and compare next to this Andorian brew, which was enjoyably strong but left much to be desired in the flavor department. Lost in his thoughts for a moment, he hadn't heard the man approach, but that unmistakably familiar voice broke Aidan's train of thought, and his posture straightened as he asked himself if it really could be (of course it could) - he looked over his shoulder, then practically leapt from his seat when his suspicions were correct. "Well I'll be damned!!" he cried out, giving Brody a proper slap on the shoulder before taking his hand in a friendly shake-slash-hug as he pulled Brody in and patted him on the back. "If it ain't Broodin' Brody, how the hell are you, man?!" He took a step back, looking at his counterpart, trying to recall where and when they last saw each other...but his brain was a little fuzzy at the moment, and the finer details didn't matter as long as the two of them were able to catch up face-to-face.

Brody clasped Aiden's hand following a motion similar to the ancient 'high five'. Their arm embrace quickly turned into an airborne arm wrestle. As always, they were dueling to a draw, neither letting their face show a sign of strain. They simultaneously released and let out a mutual laugh. "I'm great. I'm the Assistant Chief of Sec/Tac here. Can you believe it? Someone finally put me in charge of something!" It just dawned on Brody how odd it was to come across his friend in such a random setting. "What are you doing here? Is your ship docked?"

"Weeell.." he drawled, impressed with Brody's new position. "Good for you, mate, ya always made a fine sec/tac if you ask me." He patted Brody on the shoulder, reaching for his drink afterward. "I am actually stationed here..'cept nobody's been fool enough to put me in charge of anything yet." he said with a manner of pride. "Say hello to er..a new Flight Control Officer, LT JG Aidan Murphy," he said, puffing out his chest, "At your service." Then he raised his glass as if he were making a toast, and drank from it until it's contents were gone. "C'mon!" he said, setting the empty glass on the bar and gesturing for Brody to belly up with him. "OI CRUMM!" he shouted to the presently absent bartender, whom he had just recently made acquaintance with, then turned to Brody and watched unscrupulously as one of the Orion girls walked by. "A guy could get used to a place like this, eh?" he said, giving Brody a nudge with his elbow.

Brody smirked and fired a shot of his own back at AidAn. "If past is prologue, you and I will be infamous within these walls." Brody caught the attention of Crumm who was on the other end of the bar. "Plus, I happen to have an in with the owner of this place."

Crumm arrived at the bar, eyeballing the two Starfleet Officers sitting together. His smile flattened for a moment. "You two know each other?" Brody and Aiden exchanged guilty grins. "I should have known." He leaned in closer to the pair whispered in a serious tone. "Please, be respectful of my place."

Brody put a calming hand on Crumm's shoulder. "Relax, my friend. You have nothing to fear. The Lieutenant and I are thrill seekers and can be raucous from time to time, but we know to keep our host happy."

Crumm stood back, the smile returning to his face. "Of course, of course. I was merely jesting." He brought out two fresh glasses and filled them with a viscous green liquid. It slowly churned of its own accord within the glass. "For your sampling, gentlemen. This is a new arrival to my establishment. The Pakleds call it Blood of the Borg."

Brody took a swig. He tastebuds had a difficult time processing the sensations. It was an overwhelming flavor, though not at all unappealing. It coated his mouth and throat and burned ever so slightly. Brody was about to let Crumm know that his drink was mild when his head began to spin and he felt as if he were lifting off of his chair. The feeling was temporary and he immediately regained his wits. "My Gods, Crumm. Add this to my database!"

"Blood of the Borg - I like that, it's got a nice ring to it." Aidan noted, bringing the glass to his lips for a gulp - LT Murphy was not a man who 'sipped' his liquor. He experienced a similar sensation as Brody, but with a hint of nausea to top it off, courtesy of the Andorian Brandy sitting in his stomach. "HOO!" he exclaimed, exhaling with the after burn. "Bloody hell, that'll put the wind in yer sails for sure!" he coughed, clearing his throat and looking incredulously at the green liquid as it churned ominously in his glass. He took another pull from the glass before setting it down, and slapping Crumm on the arm. "You outdone yerself, Crumm. I'm impressed." he said, leaning on the bar as that light-headed sensation wore off again. "Now, enlighten me, fellas," he said, glancing sideways at Brody and then Crumm as he finished his thought with a smirk. "How does a brooding knucklehead such as this guy-" he jabbed a thumb in Brody's direction. "Make acquaintance with such an upstanding and debonair Bolian entrepreneur?" he said, making a sweeping hand motion at Crumm as if the Bolian were a fine trinket, and Aidan was his peddler. While his tone may have been a bit sardonic, Aidan was thrilled to have run into that 'brooding knucklehead', and a bit more so to find that the owner of this establishment was not only a fine host, but a friend by association as well.

Brody looked over at Crumm and laughed. Crumm returned his gesture with a knowing smile. "A few years back, the Alameda took heavy damage in an ion storm. We lost our defelector shield and took the full brunt. We survived, repaired what we could and made our way to Deep Space Six for repairs." Brody took another swig of his Blood of the Borg, grimacing as he swallowed. "We were dry docked for months. The crew assisted in repairs and were rotated to the station for duties there. I spent most of my off time in Crumm's tavern. He kept me lubricated and I kept the peace in his establishment. In my own special way, of course."

Crumm quickly interjected. "Very special indeed! It was like having my very own bouncer at the door." Crumm poured the two a glass of water knowing it'd help clear their throats. "There were quite a few sordid types and Brody's presence was always an excellent deterrent."

"Ohh boy." Aidan arched a brow at the duo as he brought his glass up to his lips, eager to hear the story of their origins. Though he did not know Crumm well, he knew Brody well enough and he could just imagine the shenanigans they might have gotten into. Aidan had a chuckle along with their story, and eyeballed the glass of water as if it were diseased - the only time he ever drank water was when he was hung over or working out. "Ya hear that buddy? You're an excellent deterrent." he smirked, slapping Brody on the shoulder. "Ey Crumm," he said, looking left and right before leaning in close for what he was about to say. "If it turns out ya ever need anyone roughed up 'round here, you can count on us." he gestured with a thumb between himself and Brody, his tone suggestive of what an offer it was to be had. Aidan found himself to be a fairly good deterrent as well, though it was usually his personality flaws that pushed people away, not his brawn.

Brody threw his arm around Aidan and drew him close. "Remember that time on Antarus VI when we came across those Klingon traders?" Brody turned to Crumm with wide eyes while pointing at Aidan. "This guy decided to take a stab at speaking Klingon. He was terrible to say the least. I think he was trying to invite the three of them over for a drink, but it all went to hell!" Brody let out a laugh and had to compose himself. "You ever heard Klingon spoken with a thick Irish brogue? I'm pretty sure you ended up insulting their mothers. Either way, we ended up scrapping with three Klingons." He patted Aidan on the back strongly. "We took our lumps, but fought them to a draw. When all was said and done, Aidan here was able to pronounce the phrase correctly and the Klingons were buying US drinks."

Aidan laughed along with Brody, wiping a tear from his eye as he composed himself and listened with a wistful grin to the rest of the story. The memory alone made him giddy...or perhaps that was the Blood of the Borg. At any rate, Aidan's grin was huge as he slapped a hand over his forehead, laughing as he recalled the incident. "We both had massive black eyes, our noses and lips bloodied - we looked like we'd come out on the losing end of a battle and of course the Klingons, though they took their share of the beating as well, they hardly had any scratches on them!" Aidan clung to Brody as if he were the composure he were fighting to keep. "The looks we got at the bar! Ohh man." Aidan took a deep breath, exhaling heavily and shaking his head. He brought his drink up, pausing as he had another thought. "And ya know, to this day, that is the only Klingon I've managed to master." he said, straightening his posture and puffing out his chest as he pronounced the following in perfect Klingon. "Join me in a drink!" He raised his glass to the others and took a long pull of it's churning green contents, setting the glass down with fervor as they shared a laugh. "Ya know, I can't tell you how happy I am to find ya here, Brody." he said, dropping just a hint of levity as he patted his friend on the back. "Things just haven't been nearly as entertaining without you."

"Well, it seems we're together again. This assignment just got a lot more interesting." Brody sipped his water and was thankful it broke up the residue which had formed in his mouth. "What do you think, Crumm? Can your business handle the likes of us?"

Crumm chuckled slightly. He could not quite tell if Brody was being overtly sarcastic or was giving him a genuine warning as to the antics thay might ensue. "What can I say? Boys will be boys."

OFF.

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