The Moonlit Lake

Posted on Sun May 14th, 2023 @ 6:10pm by Captain Aloysius Grayson & Lieutenant Marie LaFramboise

1,897 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: The Kriresian Gambit
Location: Starbase 234: Admiral Shanthi Memorial Park
Timeline: MD -1 2000

[ Starbase 234 ]
[ Admiral Shanthi Memorial Park ]
[ MD -1 2000 ]

If there was one thing that Aloysius hated more than chit-chat was a prolonged silence. He downed the glass of wine in a single sip and placed it down on the grass beside him. Then he took another few bites of the pastry. He didn't know the Frenchwoman that well. Perhaps she was processing the information he had provided her.

The sun was setting. He hadn't seen a sunset in quite some time. He remembered laying on the grass in the yard of his mother's childhood farm in Durham laying on a blanket with his head snuggled up against his mothers watching the clouds. He hadn't recalled that childhood memory for quite a long time. He closed his eyes listening to his mother's stories.

He reopened his eyes while he looked up at the canopy of the willow tree. It was in full bloom. If the wind picked up the willow would flow across the sky as if it were snowing. There was only a light breeze, the branches crackling against one another.

"Well," Aloysius continued to break the silence, "there's a backup plan if you have second thoughts about being in Starfleet, you can become a fancy pastry chef."

"I'm nowhere near as good to be a pastry chef" Marie replied. She laid back on the blanket, placing both hands behind her head like a cushion. Her shorter-than-standard uniform tunic rode up to reveal Marie's lower midriff, stopping halfway over her navel, so that only the lower part was visible. "Plus, if I become a pastry chef, I won't be able to see what's out there. And I'll eat far too many sweet things and my belly will get really fat" she told him as she stared up into the willow branches.

"Not with that no-can-do attitude," he replied. He remained seated on the blanket. He didn't look over when Marie lay down on her back.

Raffles took it upon herself when she saw that her new best friend had laid down on her back. Perfection. She quickly pounced on top of her laying down with both paws on her shoulder pinning her to the blanket licking the corners of her lips, anywhere the dog could take a chance to try the forbidden treat.

Marie giggled as the dog licked her, she struggled to push her off of her. "Come on now!" she exclaimed. "That tickles!"

"You deserve it," Aloysius quipped absolutely unapologetic way. The dog continued to wedge her tongue around. Satisfied with herself she licked her chomps and then licked the Frenchwoman on the cheek. She then moved over to him. He had finished his dessert. He held up his hands and she started to take her time licking the crumbs and remnants of the pastry off her human's hands.

Marie sat up and simply smiled. She picked up the bottle of wine and examined the contents. "One more glass? Between the two of us, that should finish this bottle." She asked him, giving him a friendly smile. "Plus, since I'm now under your command, isn't this a good way to get to know one another right?"

The Merlot started to hit him as he looked over at her when she sat up off the blanket. He nodded his head in agreement. He picked up the bottle himself then he barked an order at her firmly as if they were on the Haida, "Glass. Now."

Marie simply smirked. "Aye Capitaine!" she replied as she passed him her glass.

He poured her a glass almost to the brim giving her quite the liberal helping. Then he poured himself the rest which was just a finger short of what was in her glass.

"À votre santé" she said as she held up her glass.

"Oh bugger off with your Frenchness," he shot her a dry half-smile. He rose his glass, "Yeah. Whatever you said. But I'd repeat it, but being an Englishman-half-Spaceman I'm too proud to say such a thing... whatever it means."

Raffles had settled across, giving the two of them some space. She looked over at him as if a question mark formed above her head. She wagged her tail.

Marie couldn't help but laugh. "My Frenchness Mon Capitaine, makes me who I am. I believe the English would be 'Cheers' or, something like that," she smiled.

"And we're all from somewhere, we just work in outer space no?"

"I'm actually half-Spaceman," Aloysius responded quite abrasively, "My father is a spaceman. His mother, my grandmother was a spacewoman. Then many before her were spacewomen and spacemen. Hence, I'm a spaceman."

"Oh cheers," Aloysius replied mockingly shocked making a short gasping sound while he brought the wine glass to his lips taking another long sip.

"You don't handle the wine well do you?" Marie teased. "I forgot to tell you, this is no synthehol."

He wagged his finger at her, "No. I would be telling you the same thing that I'm a spaceman." He looked down at the glass at the revelation and then back to her, "You don't say?"

He took a swig of the last of the wine, "Hoy! So you literally brought out the good stuff and you shared it with this miserable sod?" With his hand with his wine glass did a gesture to himself. There was not much in the glass and it spilled onto his collared dress shirt he wore underneath his leather jacket.

"Oi oi, Capitaine. Don't be spillin' it now!" Marie told him. She reached into the basket and pulled out a cloth napkin. "That'll stain you know... Plus. Sharing this fine vintage with the Capitaine who asked me to be their Chief Science Officer, that's honor enough isn't it?"

He looked over at her, then down at his shirt, then back to her, "You can... dress me up... but you... can't take... me out..." and he started to roar out laughing until it hurt. He couldn't stop laughing and collapsed onto his back looking up at the stars starting to form.

Raffles was concerned and came over. She looked down at his shirt. He looked down at her, "Don't even think about licking my shirt, Dog."

He looked over at her. This is the most fun he had in a very long time.

Marine giggled. "Capitaine, I believe your shields are down!" she laughed. "And all it took was a little wine and the company of a beautiful science officer" she teased him.

"Someone try to reach Ops or Engineering over the commlink."

Smiling the Science Officer rose to her feet and stood next to the Captain. She offered him a hand. "Maybe a walk would help?" she asked.

"I was just about to recommend that myself," Aloysius shifted himself to a sitting position. He shook off her hand. Then he attempted to push himself off the blanket in one fluid motion to jump onto his feet but fell back onto his back, "Fuck."

"Attempt deux," he shot her a mocking wink. That was the limit of his French abilities. He got back into the sitting position and then went onto his knees pushing himself from the ground. Naturally, he brushed his knees off even though it was unnecessary, "did you see that? Don't tell anyone that the Captain fell flat on his ass or you're temporarily reassigned to Special Services as a pastry chef." He pointed at her.

"Don't make the threat so appealing..." Marie teased. "We'll come back for the basket. Its not like theres anyone around to steal it" she told him.

He rolled his eyes at Marie, "Touch, Raffles." She hopped up excitedly and approached him. He picked up her lead and then threw one of her treats in the air and she caught it.

"You have her well-trained," Marie commented.

"When she's not being such a brat," he smiled. The two of them walked towards the path, "She's definitely got a mind of her own."

The Science Officer smirked. "Well, so she should. She's a good girl," she commented. "So, shall we walk?"

He began walking down the field to the path, "The lake route? When no one's looking, I'm gonna let Waterdog here take a dip."

Marie nodded. "Well, lead the way Capitaine"

The two of them finally made it down to the footpath, "What do you think, girl?"

"You talkin' to me or the dog?" Marie asked.

"Definitely the dog. There's only one girl in my life."

Raffles barked twice, then three more.

"The life of a Starfleet Capitaine huh..." Marie smirked. "Speaking of which, where is this ship of yours?"

"In drydock getting repaired," the captain replied.

Marie couldn't help but smirk. "You're a straight-to-the-point guy huh? So then Capitaine. When should your new beautiful Chief Science Officer report aboard?" she asked curiously.

"Very much so," Aloysius replied. "We leave in two days hopefully. So plan on reporting in the day before departure."

"Two days huh," Marie said with a smile. "So, have you sobered up yet?" she asked curiously. "What's your next appointment?" she asked. She was wondering where the Captain would be going to next.

"Not quite," Aloysius continued, "it's been quite a while since I've been drunk."

They were halfway around the lake at this point. He looked around and they were the only three nearby. He looked to Raffles, "Don't make me regret this."

She woofed.

He unfastened her leash and she ran into the water and started to swim, "Ah, yes." He pointed at her, "Waterdog."

Marie giggled. "Yes so I see." She couldn't help but smile. "Why not take a dip yourself? Might help with being the lightweight Capitaine."

"There's absolutely no fucking way I'm going into that lake."

Marie laughed. "Suit yourself," she said with a smile. She unzipped her tunic and pulled it off, then pulled off her skirt. She was wearing a simple cropped undershirt and shorts underneath. "The water will be refreshing," she told him as she began to wade into the water.

Aloysius watched the woman remove her uniform and skirt in front of him. His eyes quickly darted away, he was uncomfortable with the chief science officer's nonconformal approach while she stepped into the water. Once she had finished the clothes he watched her walk into the water, "Definitely no way I'm hopping in that water."

While her human watched on with disapproval, Raffles was pleased that the woman had joined her in the water. She splashed all around her barking excitedly while she hopped on all fours. Water splashed up drenching the chief science officer with more water than she probably had unintended.

"Raffles, I understand but you're both fucking nuts."

Marie laughed as she stopped while the water was shallow, coming no higher than lower waist. "Oh don't be like that capitaine, the water is cooling and refreshing." She teased him placing both hands on her waist and smirking. "Come on an' play!"

"Fucking nuts," He added emphasis on both words while he turned around and spotted a park bench nearby. He walked over and sat down, crisscrossing his arms with disapproval.

OFF:

To be continued . . .

A Joint Post By:

Captain Aloysius Grayson
Commanding Officer, USS Haida NCC-42063,

Lieutenant Marie LaFramboise
Chief Science Officer, USS Haida NCC-42063,

and introducing Special Guest Star:

Raffles
Captain's Best Friend

 

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