When sparks fly

Posted on Tue Sep 12th, 2023 @ 9:34pm by Commander Raiden Kosugi & Lieutenant JG Spencer Griffith-Bailey

Mission: Just Another Day on Gladiator
Location: Deck 15
Timeline: Before arriving at SB7
2932 words - 5.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Spencer had been laying on his bed, staring up at the ceiling and throwing a little yellow squishy stress ball up in the air while overthinking everything going on in his life: was his performance on the away mission good enough? Was he ever going to be eligible to get his Lieutenant status back? Was he good enough for...

Before he could finish the thought, he realized he'd thrown the ball a bit too hard and it hit the ceiling with some force before gravity kicked in and it smacked him in the face just above the nose in between the eyes. "Ow!" He was frustrated so he decided to go and see Opal, hoping she was in her quarters. He owed her a drink and right now he could use one.

Same deck, two quarters front doors down, and Spencer stood out the front waiting for her to come to the door he'd just pressed the chime for. He was rubbing his nose still.

The door slid open and Opal's eyes widened, seeing Spencer. She had a dark blue bathrobe on and a dark grey towel around her head turban style. "Oh hey, Spencer. How's it going? Wanna come in?" The quarters she had, were shared by three others. Currently, the roommates were out. "Have a seat." motioning towards a chair. "You definitely are a sight for sore eyes. I'd been thinking of you and voila here you are! Do you want a drink or something?"

Spencer rubbed the bridge of his nose and then ran a hand through his hair to flick it back. She'd been thinking about him too? Now he was slightly nervous as he walked in and flopped into a seat, "Funny that, that's exactly why I came here. I owed you a drink and thought it was a good time to cash in on it if you were keen on it. Otherwise, Im just keen to chill out."

"Hey, it sounds like a great idea. Let me get dressed and then we can go out and grab a drink and even get something to eat, I am starving." Opal laughed. "What would sound good to you, pizza and beer? Chicken wings? or something else? All of the above?" Opal laughed slightly, as she took off the towel that was covering her hair. Her hair was still damp, and lay slightly flat upon her head, Opal getting a brush to brush her hair out.

"If you're keen, we can get all of that and see how far through it we get before we give up?" Spencer grinned mischievously as he was a fan of these kinds of challenges and anyone who could go head-to-head with him on one. He also hoped that it wasn't too obvious he was admiring her from the distance between them.

"Oh, now that sounds like a great idea." Opal turned to lean over to brush her hair, the red locks draping over her face. Her backside was towards Spencer as she did so. Her voice was slightly muffled as she brushed her hair out. "All of the above eh? Okay, that sounds great as I am starving." feeling that the hair was sufficiently dry she flipped her hair back as she stood up straight. "Let me get some clothing on and we'll get going." Opal looking back towards Spencer over her shoulder and winked. Then she grabbed some clothing and ducked into the bathroom to get changed.

"Oh, you're going to do my head in, woman." Spencer muttered to himself as he slid down in the chair with a sigh before shaking the feeling off and uprighting himself and standing up. His stomach started to growl at the thought of food. "So I'm guessing you're more of a beer and bar kinda girl than a cocktails and fancy venue fan?"

Opal came out dressed in a light blue denim shirt unbuttoned, beneath it was a white blouse with a v-neck. Clasped around her neck was a simple necklace with a heart-shaped charm upon it. She was wearing a pair of jeans and a pair of slip-on black shoes. "Oh, I've been to both sorts of venues. I do clean up nice with the little red dress." giving a teasing smile. "but I do like to be able to relax as well. Just go out and have a good time and unwind. Which sort of venues do you like to eat at? I can picture you in both attires, but you seem to be the type of man who likes to enjoy the food and don't mind eating food with your fingers."

He looked at her outfit and thought about a compliment, "You look good." Not what he wanted to say, but still complementary nonetheless. Then he let out his slight drawl and responded to her comment, "There have only been two major occasions on which I've had to dress in fancy attire: when my father had his long service and retirement celebration from the hospital, and when I got married to Sarah. Other than that, I'm a simple guy who's more at home in a pair of jeans, boots, and a good shirt." He nodded and added, "So it's either a bar or a backyard barbeque for me." With that, he added a wide smile.

"Well then let's go have some good eating fun as well as get some drinking. The real stuff, not the synthetic. Can't get a buzz from it." Opal giving a chuckle. "Lead the way handsome." grinning from ear to ear.

Spencer nodded in agreement, "Real is always going to be better." He allowed her to exit the quarters first and then followed her out, "I didn't even realize that there was somewhere on this ship that served real alcohol, let alone decent food." He thought back to one of the last times he got blackout drunk: it hadn't ended well and he had it in his mind to not get too drunk in Opal's presence in case he made a fool of himself or did/said something he'd regret later.

"It's the Canteen on the ship, I stumbled upon it while exploring." Opal responded, "They have good food, and the drinks are great." leading the way to the turbolift. Stepping in she leaned against the back of the lift taking a look at Spencer. "So what's got you all worked up? Something seems to be on your mind? Is it the last mission we had been involved in?"

Spencer waved his hand in dismissal, "Nah, nothing major. I was laying on my bed and throwing a ball up in the air and missed catching it, so it smacked me in the nose and it still hurts." He pouted in a hurt way. "It's got nothing to do with the mission, I'm just grateful we made it out in one piece. But I guess it's situations like that that make me realize how lucky I am: to have the career I've got, the family I grew up with and have. Do you get what I mean?"

Opal gave a nod, "I get it, I really do." The turbo lift stopped at the floor where the Canteen was at, and Opal stepped out, "My mom and dad I actually messaged them to let them know I was alright. Then there is my sister and brother. They wanted to know the details but I just let them know that I couldn't talk about it." Opal responded.

The pair walked into the Canteen and took a seat at the bar, Spencer swinging around to face Opal and lean one arm on the bar. He wasn't going to bring up the main reason he kept himself alive was because of his daughter; it was too early in the friendship for that kind of talk. It also wasn't because he didn't want Opal talking about herself, in fact, she could talk all she wanted and he'd listen to every word, "So, beer and wings?"

"Beer and wings definitely." her stomach growled, "And add a pizza as well." Opal laughed. "I am starving." she remarked to Spencer. She reached out and grabbed a few pretzels from a bowl and popped a couple in her mouth to munch on them. "A pizza with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, bell peppers and onions."

Spencer shook his head and laughed, "Mushrooms are a no go for me, sorry! I don't think we can be friends! Bell peppers and onions I can live with, but mushrooms? They're just as bad as anchovies and olives." It was a playful dig and he hoped it didn't come out as mean.

Opal put out a playful pout, "Aww and here I was going to be the type of friend to save you from any evil mushroom and eat them instead. It means all the more for me!" she chuckles. "Anchovies I can take them or leave them, they are best in worcestershire sauce with tasty meat." she giving a bright laugh. "So can we be friends then? I eat your share of mushrooms and just smile away." giving a teasing wink.

"Ma'am, respectfully," Spencer put up his hands to stop her talking for a moment before he replied with a slight drawl, "If you keep this up, you're gonna do my head in and there won't be any saving me." He returned her wink with a wicked lopsided smile that showed his chipped tooth.

Opal had gone to toss another pretzel into her mouth, it not hitting mark. Instead the pretzel missed the open mouth having hit the lower lip then dropped to the floor. She blinked once or twice not fully comprehending what he was saying. "Okay, just how am I doing your head in?" she was clueless.

Ah, what he'd just said was too straight forward. Recover, recover! He coughed, "It's the fact you're willing to eat the things I won't, you've got my back in flying like I've got yours.. it's a perfect match really." Him? Fall fast for someone? Never... "Shall we order?" He waved over someone to take their order, he was keen for a drink.

"Yes that sounds great, and we can go sit over there." Opal spying an empty table off in the corner. " A pitcher of beer please, two pizzas, one with mushrooms, onions, pepperoni and sausage. Also a small platter of chicken wings medium in heat. I like to taste the food with a little bit of zest." Opal said. "and-" she looked over towards Spencer "Well he can give you his order." she said with a sunny smile.

"I'll have the same as her but make the wings hot in heat and make sure beer is ice cold, thanks." Spencer nodded to the server, feeling a bit more redneck than usual, before moving over to the corner and sitting at empty table. "I, I'm sorry. For what I said just before... I have a terrible habit of putting my foot in it and making things awkward. I didn't mean for that."

Opal, after grabbing a handful of pretzels, followed Spencer to the table and plopped into a seat. A puzzled expression drifted over her face. then it cleared. "Oh! You mean about doing your head in. Sorry, I had to think on that for a moment. You weren't refering to me playing mind games with you, were you. It was more on flirting and saying that I'm hitting certain check marks you've got in your mind. Things that are clicking." she leaned forward, a lock of her red hair moving forward in her eye. She puffed out a small breath of air to move it from her eye, it not moving. With a huff she tucked it behind her ear.

"You, are clicking on some points in my mind too." Opal remarked with a grin, the popped a pretzel in her mouth and crunched on it.

Spencer narrowed his eyes playfully as though the cogs in his mind were turning rapidly but he couldn't figure out what to say next, so he opted for the simply reply with a raised eyebrow and let out a slight drawl: "Oh yeah?"

"Oh yes, you like to have fun, you like pizza and the simple things in life, however I've got to ask you this. You're not married are you? I don't want to fall into a trap that will be messy in getting out of." her eyes were dead serious as to this a question.

Spencer felt his throaten tighten at the mention of being married. It clearly still hurt him even though everything was done and dusted years ago. "The only trap that would be a mess to get out of is if you met Rubi, she fell in love with you and then you left her." He chuckled and offered the lopsided grin, thinking about her.

Opal's eyebrows raised at what he said, realizing that somehow she had struck a nerve. "Oh... sorry I didn't mean to bring up something painful. You see, I had gotten mixed up with a married man, I didn't realize he was married and well, then I met the missus. That wasn't a fun experience." giving wry grimace. She quickly stuffed a pretzel in her mouth munching on it.

"Well, in this case, it's not that kind of situation..." He sympathized with her past experience because he'd be in the same boat with someone else after Sarah. "I'm not married, so you're safe with that one. Rubi, however, is the little spitfire I call my daughter." He'd been wanting to keep this to himself as long as possible, but as they would say it, the cat was out of the bag. "I'm sorry that that situation happened to you, for all it's worth."

"Aww you've got a kid? Is she a red head?" Opal actually getting an interested expression in her eyes. "And its okay on the other thing, I'm glad I found out before he got the ring on my finger. He was a bastard." she remarked. "So do you have a picture of your daughter?"

Spencer nodded and grinned as he pulled out the photo he always carried in his little card case. The photo was of her standing in front of him as he leaned over and had his arms around her while looking down at her with a large smile, she only came to just below his chest but was a spitting image of him. Rubi had just below the shoulder length rust coloured hair, bright blue eyes and a missing front tooth in the same place where his was chipped. There were dimples on her cheeks and a spattering of freckles on her nose, just like he had. "This is Rubi Wren." Spencer was so proud of her yet he missed her so much.

"She is adorable, and she certainly looks like you. A mini me" giving a grin towards Spencer.

Opal got interrupted by the delivery of their food as well as their drinks. "How old is she?"

Spencer took his eyes off the photo for a moment as he reached for his drink and took a sip to quench the thirst he didn't realise he had. "Yeah, me to a T except for her eyes: she got them from her mother. And she's currently seven, turning eight in a few months."

He folded the photo back into his little card case and got himself some food. The wings tasted amazing. Halfway through a mouthful of food he asked, "It would've been easier and more surprising if I'd showed you a picture of a dog, aye?" He chuckled again.

"Don't know about that, I am just glad, and sorry to sound crass, that you are not married and stringing me along. Otherwise I'd have punched your lights out like I did the other one. knocked him out cold." Opal picking up a slice of her pizza and took a bite, wrapping the string of cheese around her finger to not waste it.

He followed suit and picked up a piece of pizza too but gave her a quirked eyebrow at the thought of her knocking someone out. "I promise I've got paperwork to back me up on that, and I'm not really a fan of getting knocked out, it hurts too much." His tone was cheeky as he savoured the amazing taste.

"He didn't think i was capable of doing so, and I was mad enough to punch him. Anyway, to another subject. How drunk do you want to get or just be drunk enough for a buzz?" Opal having a bit of a cheeky grin.

That question waded into dangerous territory for Spencer due to the reason he was currently an Ensign. Again. So he just gave her a wicked grin instead, "I'm game for whatever you want to do. Drunk enough to make bad decisions sounds dangerously fun to me though." He liked Opal: she was fun and so much like him

Opal took a drink, then she leaned in very closely and whispered in Spencer's ear, "Then let's drink and see where it takes us." she pulled back with a grin and set to work on her slice of pizza.

"Hot damn, girl." Spencer said in a low voice, loud enough for her to hear before pulling back to raise his glass in salute. "Here's to the night ahead."

Opal gave a chuckle and had a grin which reached ear to ear. It may end up being a hot night. And she was looking forward to it, with Spencer.