[BACKSIM] Lt. Robin Hopper: A Little Bit Closer
Robin Hopper
((OOC – Responding to close off this scene for Robin, as per the 48/72 hr rule. There are older tags for Wong in this scene, but for the sake of not having a monstrously-long one, I’m just moving ahead to the most recent Hopper tags))
((Amity Outpost, Habitat Ring, Merchant District, The Terrible Targ))
Robin picked up the small cup of… whatever it was… from the bar and carried it haphazardly back towards the others were sitting. Bec had evidently just brought a bottle of Bloodwine to the table – a terrifying prospect in and of itself.
The young half-Klingon security officer was easily drinking most of them under the table… and Robin was beginning to think she should have followed Nathan’s example and stopped playing the ‘challenge’ a while ago. It was clearly a ‘set up’... But she was also so close to completing it – and giving up now would be so disappointing.
As she reached them, she walked up behind Nathan and set her drink on the table in front of him. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, and resting her head on his. Not only did she enjoy hanging off the tall handsome fun-loving engineer – but she wasn’t entirely sure that without his sturdy shoulders to prop her up that she would stay up.
Hopper: You guys are the best…
Nathan reached up and gently patted her arm.
Richards: You’re drunk!
oO Yeeeaahhhh… Oo She could hear the distant warning bells behind the playful reprimand.
Iko: ::half to Richards, half to no-on in particular:: Make sure she gets home won’t ya?
S’Raga: From the looks of things, I'll have to walk Nathan home, too.
Wong: Response
At last, she pried herself off Nathan and tried to make it clear each and every one of them deserved a similar hug – but she lacked the motor skills to do so. As she patted them gently on the shoulders, like the world’s slowest game of duck-duck-goose, the warning bells grew louder.
oO Ohhhh… It’s happening… And this is only drink number two… Oo
Her eyes met those of the sober Caitian sitting across the table. She knew what she had to do.
Hopper: Hey, S’Raga, do you think I could, um, talk to you… Just for a second. I think I might have dropped something, ummm… maybe back at the pool? And I just wanted to sort of, re-trace my steps… ::squinting:: …in my mind. With someone who’s sober. It’d really help.
S’Raga: Yeah, for sure!
S'Raga got up and started following Robin out of the Terrible Targ.
Iko: Haha! Go brave the unknown! That we already knew… ::shrug:: In the meantime, ::To the others:: Another round?
((OOC – This conversation happens aside; We can assume the others continue chatting, meanwhile))
They stepped away from the table, making it only so far as around the corner, before Robin stopped in her tracks, putting both of her hands on her hips to steady herself. She spoke softly, enough that the music in the bar would hopefully drown out their conversation and the others wouldn’t hear.
Hopper: Heeyyyy… S’Raga… ::Patting S’Raga’s arm:: We’re pals, right?
The Caitan gave her a suspicious look which went completely over her head.
S’Raga: Umm.. Yeah, I'd say so!
Hopper: I, umm, need to tell you something. ::Glancing back at the table:: It’s a secret. ::Eyebrows raised:: A big secret. Like. You can’t tell anybody. Not anyone.
S’Raga: Okay...
Hopper: Nathan and I… Umm… We sort of… Went on a date…
S’Raga: Oh! Yeah! I knew that.
Robin’s head dipped forward as she blinked slowly. As she reopened her eyes, she looked up at S’Raga from under arched eyebrows, her jaw slack with surprise.
Hopper: Wait… What? ::Closing her mouth, shaking her head slightly in disbelief:: He didn’t… Did he tell you that? Because it’s not true… oO Wait. You just told him it was true. Oo ::sigh:: …I mean, yes, it is true. But I’m surprised he would say anything… oO You just blabbed. Great, now I’m talking to myself in my head. This only happens when you drink too much. Shut up brain. Oo
She shook her head once more, accepting the reality that S’Raga knew their little secret.
Hopper: So… You knew all along?
S'Raga: Yeah! Well, Nathan didn't exactly tell tell me, but he kinda just let it slip. I'm pretty sure nobody else knows. And I'm assuming it didn't go any further after that date, since Nathan hasn't mentioned anything since then.
oO Nothing? Oo Her lips pouted ever so slightly. oO Of course not! Oo
Hopper: I guess I’ll let him live, then… ::Glancing back over her shoulder, then back to S’Raga:: I’ve clearly had too much to drink tonight, S’Raga and I don’t think I’m in the best shape for, umm, decision-making right now. ::Placing a hand on her forehead, embarrassed:: Could you just help me avoid doing anything stupid?
S'Raga: Ok, so in other words, you want me to make sure Drunk-Robin doesn't do anything Sober-Robin's going to regret.
Hopper: ::Sigh:: It’s not a great look for me, I know. And I’m– ::eyes wide:: definitely – going to cut myself off now. But if you could just… give me a kick or something if I’m getting too…
She couldn’t think of the right words.
Hopper: Friendly?
S'Raga: ::Nodding confidently:: Alright, you can count on me!
Hopper: Thank’s, S’Raga. ::Smirking:: Consider your debt paid, then. ::Softening into a genuine smile:: But, really. I’m glad we’re friends.
S'Raga: Of course! I've got your back! Now, let's get back in there, shall we?
Hopper: ::Nodding gratefully:: Thank you.
S'Raga held out his arm, inviting Robin to link her own arm with his – a gesture for which she was very grateful. As they walked back towards the table, Robin gave his arm a little squeeze. Since her arrival on Amity, she had been trying to ‘dive in’ to all the ways in which life on an Outpost could be different from life aboard the Wall Street… Perhaps she had gotten a little overzealous. In that moment she felt very grateful to have someone like S’Raga in her corner.
As they rejoined the table, Robin took her seat quietly and reached for the jug of water at the center of the table, pouring herself a glass. She leaned back, sipping it reservedly while she watched the other chatting over the rim.
Richards: I think I’m going to call it quits. I’ll still hang out for a bit, but no more drinks.
Wong: Response
((Shortly Thereafter))
With the Bloodwine in her, Bec had finally seemed to have met her match – and the challenge was generally agreed to have finished, with Bec the de facto winner – seeing as more than half the contestants had failed to even complete said challenge. Robin had lost track of whether Bec’s theft of Nathan’s combadge had been in celebration of her ‘victory’, or in frustration over the lack of solid competition, or if it had nothing to do with it at all.
Since she’d returned to her seat, she’d been getting progressively sleepier and, were it not for the commotion around the table (and the Klingon Acid Punk blasting over the bar’s sound system), she might have simply laid her head down there and drifted off.
Richards: Come on, I need that.
S'Raga: Looks like we all might be getting a little tired now.
Robin leaned on her hand, her elbow propped up on the table like the leaning tower of pisa – only with a massive head resting on top of it that seemed to weigh a thousand tons.
Hopper: ::Barely awake:: Huhh?? Mmm… Yeah. Just a little. ::Looking across at Ikaia:: Did you have fun though, Ikaia?
Wong: Response
Bec slid under the table without a response to Nathan’s request. He hung his head.
Richards: You’re not being sneaky, you know?
Hopper: ::Looking around confused:: Hmm? Where did Bec go?
Wong: Response
Bec’s hand appeared from under the table, waving the combadge around.
Iko: Mine!
Hopper: ::Groggy, eyes barely open:: Has anyone seen Bec?
Wong: Response
Richards: Don’t make me come down there. I will!
There was a deep growl form under the table before Bec slid back up and handed over the combadge.
Iko: You got me…
Richards: ::Taking the badge:: Thank you. ::placing the badge back on his chest:: I think I'm about to head out.
Robin nodded her thousand-ton head in agreement. S’Raga stood beside her as she slowly pushed herself up onto her feet.
S'Raga: I think that might be a good idea for all of us.
Hopper: ::Slowly rising:: Yep. Yep, I’m coming too.
Iko/Wong: Response
Richards: It’s getting late, I’ve had enough to drink. ::Chuckling:: I think it's time.
Hopper: ::Yawning:: I think it’s well past time…
Iko/Wong: Response
S'Raga: ::To Bec and Ikaia:: I'm gonna make sure these two ::Gesturing towards Nathan and Robin:: get home okay. I'll see you both tomorrow!
Iko/Wong: Response
Robin looked around for a while, searching the back of her chair, before remembering that she hadn’t worn a sweater. oO That was S’Raga who wore a cardigan… Oo She felt the Caitian’s arm around her shoulder, drawing her into his side. A glance across told her Nathan was also enwrapped in the watchful embrace of their sober guardian. oO Aww. What a good guy. Oo
S'Raga: Alright, let's get going!
Hopper: ::To Bec and Ikaia, with a little wave:: Good night you two! Get some rest!
Richards: Response
((Fifteen Minutes Later, Habitat Ring, Beijing District))
True to his word – Nathan had gotten Robin home. And true to his word, S’Raga had been there to keep a mindful eye on the proceedings. She was grateful to have the chaperone – even though, admittedly, she was probably way too sleepy to even make it to her bedroom once inside, let alone do anything other than curl up into a ball and sleep.
But there was something about being alone with Nathan that she still found rather intoxicating. Combined with actual intoxication… Who knew? While they had agreed to keep things platonic between them, it was only out of uncertainty about the future. And synthehol had a way of making one consider future consequences with less and less vigor…
As they made it to her front door, which slid open as she neared, she leaned against the open door frame, her arms crossed. S’Raga took a few steps back, and Robin fixed her attention on Nathan.
Hopper: ::Eyebrow cocked:: You’re terrible at keeping secrets.
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::Cutting him off:: But so am I. Apparently. ::Chuckling, with a hint of self-deprecation:: I’m going to go lie down and think of a nice way to say ‘no’ to any of Bec’s future ‘challenges’... ::Looking back up at both Nathan and S’Raga:: Thank you both for being really… really great.
Richards: Response
Hopper: Good night. ::Giving him an exaggeratedly platonic punch on the shoulder:: Buddy.
Her warm and playful smile was undercut only by how exhausted she looked.
S'Raga: ::Swinging his arm over Nathan's shoulder:: So, shall start heading back to our place?
Richards: Response
S'Raga: Goodnight, Robin!
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::Smiling:: Don’t be strangers!
With that, she slipped into her apartment, laughing to herself. Nobody was perfect. She certainly wasn’t. But with the right people surrounding her, she felt a little bit closer.
END
