The Secret Stash

Posted on Mon Apr 10th, 2023 @ 8:23pm by Lieutenant Tequila Dreik & Lieutenant Skot Ryder

The advantage of the delapidated state of the station meant that when one got into a gods awful mood, it was easy to find enough space for one to run enough to work through any frustrations. At least, that was the initial intention.

Tiki ran. Sweat beaded at her forehead, trickling down her bare back as the sound of each footfall echoed around the abandoned deck.

Tiki ran. Focusing on the music blasting through the sound pods in her ears, oblivious to anything and everything around her except the need to keep putting one foot in front of another.

Tiki ran. Pushing herself harder and faster, feeling the familiar punishing burn in her muscles as she forced herself to keep going, each breath making her lungs burn.

It was only as she rounded the deck for the upteenth time that she realised that it didn't seem to matter how much she ran, it wasn't easing her tensions.

It was time to resort to more desperate measures.

Alcohol.

Turning on her heel, Tiki started back in the general direction of sickbay. She knew exactly where her next stop was going to be.

Skot had just managed to get his favorite damaged mug repaired and was oh so excited to get the first cup of coffee in it. He decided to take a short cut to his favorite spot on the station, a quiet little nook where he could watch the stars and drink his brew in peace. This short cut just happened to cut through an abandoned section of the station.

As the door to the turbolift opened to the corridor Skot took in the gloomy sight of this particular part of the station. He turned and began to make his way to his secret hiding spot when all of a sudden the figure of someone slammed right into him as he came around a corner. On instinct he caught the person by the waist as they fell together, cushioning their fall. When he opened his eyes after the landing he say nothing but black hair and his hands on Tiki's waist

Tiki cursed as she hit the deck, her impact somewhat cushioned by the firm form that, on second glance belonged to Skot. "What the hell are you playing at?!" she demanded, pushing his hands away from her. "And keep your damned hands to yourself!"

She climbed awkwardly to her feet, rubbing at her shoulder that seemed to have taken the brunt of the collision. "Walk much?" she asked sarcastically as she looked at him, tucking her black hair back behind her ear and rolling her shoulder gently. "Here's a hint, it helps if you pay attention to where you're going!"

"Same can be said to you," Skot said as he pulled himself up and catching the new dent in his new mug. "You're welcome by the way. I didn't HAVE to catch you."

"If you had been paying attention you wouldn't have needed to catch me because you wouldn't have knocked me down!" Tiki shot back scathingly.

"You're so infuriating you know that?" Skot fumed as he brushed past her. He stopped and turned back to Tiki, "I'm sorry. I've been under a lot of pressure lately and getting nearly burned alive hasn't helped." He turned again and started to walk away.

Tiki was about to reply when she stopped and sighed with exasperation. "Well, are you coming or not?" she demanded impatiently, motioning toward the corridor with her head. "I don't have all night."

Skot turned back to her, "As long at it involves something stronger than the coffee that just got spilled everywhere."

Without speaking, Tiki started walking again, heading toward sickbay. Instead of entering sickbay she continued to the unused medical storage rooms, walking to the third door and keying in a medical override code. The lights were not functioning, that was a similar situation to most of the station, but there was a small lantern sitting on a crate that Tiki activated, allowing a small amount of light to fill the room. Walking across to one of the crates, Tiki pulled the lid off and selected a bottle, studying it for a moment before putting it back and reaching for another. Satisfied, she picked up a beaker and poured a healthy measure of the strange coloured liquid into it and handed it across to Skot before filling a second beaker for herself. "No idea what it is, but I'm sure it'll kick like a mule."

Skot threw the contents of the beaker back and swallowed in one go, "Oh god...," he coughed. He looked back to Tiki taking the bottle from her, "This is VILE!"

"Told you it'd kick," she said simply, leaning back against the wall and sliding down until she was sitting on the deck, taking a large swallow of the drink and grimacing before leaning her head back. "If you don't like it, grab something else," she added with a shrug.

Skot walked over to where the bottles were hidden and began to rummage through them finally deciding on one with a light blue, almost clear liquid. He popped the top and slid down next to Tiki, "Here's to surviving"

"Open that crate behind you and pass me the bottle with the purple stuff inside it?" Tiki asked, grimacing as she finished the last of the liquid in her beaker. "If I'm gonna toast I want it to be with something that doesn't taste so damned vile."

Skot reached back and handed her the bottle of the requested liquid, "What is all this stuff anyway?" he asked genuinely curious although he would not be surprised if Tiki said is was her secret stash of contraband, not that he would mind. He did have a contact that smuggled in Klingon coffee grounds for him.

Tiki shrugged. "It belongs to the Captain, I just drink it," she replied, pouring the deep purple liquid into her cracked beaker before taking a sip. "Much better," she sighed as she leaned back against the crates, closing her eyes for a moment.

Skot couldn't help but admire Tiki as she rested her head, 'What the hell are you doing?!?!' he thought to himself shaking his head violently back and forth. He took an overly long draw from the glass he held of the strange blue liquor, 'You hate each other! Remember what she did to your favorite mug!!' the voice in his head said. No matter how hard he fought it his gaze always came back to rest on her.

Tiki drew in a breath, holding it for a moment before exhaling slowly, opening her eyes and looking down into the beaker, swirling the purple liquid within, watching it for a moment before taking another mouthful and swallowing, her gaze shifting to Skot, one eyebrow arching slightly as she caught his eyes on her. "Do I have dirt on my face or something? Let me guess, more of that damned glitter?" she asked before taking another sip of her drink.

Skot decided to seize the chance and lifted his hand to rest on her cheek, "Actually yeah, right here. Let me get it for you."

There was a sharp intake of breath as his hand grazed her cheek, her eyes meeting his, hand tightening around the beaker she held. "What..." she swallowed hard. "What are you doing?"

Skot's nerves were on fire and he was quickly trying to come up with an answer, "Ummm, got it!" he accidentally almost yelled. He quickly moved his hand away from her cheek and hopped up onto his feet, "Um thanks for the drink, I got you next time? Right umm I'll see you around," he sputtered before quickly exiting the room.

Tiki watched as he rushed out of the room, confusion clear on her face as she stared at now closed door. "What the hell just happened?" she murmured to no one in particular before sighing and turning her attention back to her drink. "Trust him to make things awkward."