Private First Class Cecilia Rousseau
and
Private Aria Hexner
As Hexner replied with head motions to Cecilia, Cecilia gave Hexner the bottle of whiskey.
"Please sit. Otherwise, I'll start to feel uncomfortable." Aria said offering the bottle back with one hand, after taking a swig fom the bottle. Cecilia accepted the seat,
"Don't mind if I do.", sitting where Hexner had tapped on the floor. Taking back the bottle, she also took a swig after putting her equipment beside her.
"Normally, back before the war, I'd codemn taking others property, but it would be even worse to let this stuff go to waste." Cecilia said handing the bottle to Hexner again, seeing if she wanted more.
"So, what did you do before the war? Not sure if it was obvious, but I was part of the police, keeping the peace in town." Cecilia asked, as she reached into her pocket to grab a pack of smokes. However, the pack she grabbed was empty.
"Um... you wouldn't happen to have a spare smoke would you?"Watching Cecilia sit down next to her, Aria felt happy that her offer was taken. Giving Cecilia a tilt to the head as she said before the war she condemn taking others property. Although it would be bad to let the drink go to waste.
"Why would it matter? They are Imperials. Dead ones at that. They don't need what is on them." Aria asked taking the bottle and downing a swig.
Looking towards the wall when asked what she did before the war. Recalling her time at school, it made her feel down. Which she cured with a second swig. When asked if she had a spare smoke. Aria nodded setting the bottle in between them. Reaching into her top. Aria pulled out a half-empty pack of cigarette's. Taking a cigarette out. Offering them to Cecilia.
"I've got a pack a matches in the front of my pack if you need a light." she stated pointing towards her pack.
"Right so ... to answer your question I was an art student." "Well, technically I found this in one of the other buildings. Most of the other bottles and other things were destroyed in it. So, not sure if it was an Imperial's or whoever used to live there before the war." Cecilia replied.
Taking a cigarette from the pack, Cecilia pulled out a lighter.
"All good, something else I happened to find." Lighting her smoke, she offered Hexner the lighter to use.
"Ah, an arts student. I was never one for drawings or sculpting." Cecilia replied, letting out a plume of smoke after she had taken a drag.
Reaching for the bottle, she took another swig.
"It's nice having time to smoke and have a drink."When offered Aria took the lighter. Finishing her current cigarette she put on the floor and stomped on it. Putting the new one in her mouth lighting it as Cecilia mentioned she wasn't one for drawing or sculpting.
"I can't sculpt for shit. I've tried it but it boring anyway." she said reaching into a satchel at her waist pulling out her notebook.
"I was in drawing and painting class. You can have look at my work if you like. Most of it's destroyed towns, wrecked tanks. Bodies of the fallen. My old comrades. I plan drawing this squad. I want to capture the essence of the war." Aria continued carefully setting the notebook between them.
At Cecilia's comment it being nice to have time to drink and smoke Aria nodded. Taking a long drag of her cigarette
"Yeah, it seems these days it harder to find the time and have both smokes and drink on hand. In those few moments, the time comes. This ... this is nice. Thanks for sharing the whisky." Aria said sounding almost sad for a moment as she recalled the last she had a moment like this. With her old comrades.
"So ... a policewoman. I'd of never guessed. Must have been a fun job. Must have some good stories. Care to share one"Picking up the notebook Cecilia flicked through it.
"Wow, this is some nice art. Hm... I think I've been there before. Pretty sure it was before it got destroyed with another squad." Cecilia commented, going through the drawings.
"Well, these are captured moments of the war, but I am not sure it quite has the feeling of the essence."As Hexner mentioned gratitude for the drink, Cecilia smiled waving the bottle a bit,
"No need to thank me. It's nice to have someone to drink with anyway." she replied. Hexner's voice sunded a little depressed, it seemed like she had recalled something, but had decided to move on to asking stories about Cecilia's old job.
Cecilia paused, looking up and thinking. She was thinking about whether to touch upon the topic a bit, on what Hexner had recalled, but decided against it.
"Hm... well, most of the time it's just patrolling and making sure kids are safe and that no-one is doing anything wrong. I guess I do have a couple of stories ..." Cecilia spoke, in a voice that seemed to be filled with a little nostalgia.
"There was this one person with a porcavian winged pig." Cecilia started her story.
"You see, it was their pet. And they were trying to teach the pig to fly. It was bizzare. There were a few public disturbances, one was putting the poor porcavian winged pig into a tree. I've told them that the wings do not let the ping to fly. Still, this kid does some funny stuff. Got it to do a running jump off a roof for example. I had to catch it at the time. There was even a time when the pig was suppposed to learn to meditate." As Cecilia said her art was nice Aria felt a pang of pride. Although it faded when Cecilia said it didn't quite have the feeling of the essence. Replaced by slight unhappy feeling. Aria happy her face remind its normal self. She didn't want her new drinking buddy to think she was a downer.
"A fair comment. It's good to hear criticism. Helps me improve." she said taking another long drag of her cigarette, blowing the smoke out after holding it in for a moment.
The moment Cecilia mentioned it was nice to have someone to drink with, Aria forced a small smile. It was nice to hear and she felt the same. Someone, she liked to have a good drink and a smoke with was rare. To find someone and her squad no less was a rare treat. As Cecilia told a few stories about thing done to try and make a porcavian fly. Aria couldn't help but find it amusing. She couldn't help but laugh when it was mentioned the animal was meant to learn to meditate. The outburst surprising Aria.
"Whisky must be getting to me. I actually laughed." Aira said getting distracted by what just happened.
"Anyway sounds like you had quite a handful. Sounds like you of hated me before the war. I got arrested for drunk and disorderly more times than I'd care to admit. Some petty vandalism and even a fist fight. I really shouldn't drink ... was never good at holding my liquor. I get drunk far too quickly, but its the only way I can show what I'm feeling. But things always get blurry. Eh, in fact hand over the bottle."With Hexner's outburst of laughter, Cecilia joined in laughing. Hexner mentioned the whisky getting to her because she actually laughed.
"That's the usual response I get, but sometimes I get told I must be lying. Anyway, it's good to laugh when you have a drink. And you look much better laughing than before." Cecilia spoke cheerfully.
Hexner then spoke of how she was before the war. Being a drunk and vandal.
"Meh, I don't exactly hate other people. I do get annoyed, but things happen. I mean, I look at reasons, did you start the fist fight? Was it because you simply wanted to? Things like this. Anyway, in this situation, doesn't really matter. It's good to drink and rest the night away." Cecilia took another swig before passing the bottle. With her other hand, she started to take a drag, when PFC Nelson popped his head in and asked if they had food.
"At least knock. Anyway, I don't got anything. You?" Cecilia turned to Hexner asking if she had food.
Hearing Cecilia didn't exactly hate other people. Aria laughed again.
"Then you are officially a better woman than me!" Aria declared somewhat loudly. Before looking at Cecilia.
"Yes, it is good to drink the night away. Good for my muse too. I've done some of my best work while drunk. It's just a little more abstract." Aria said taking the bottle downing a rather large swig. Looking at the bottle, seeing it was nearly empty.
Aria's gaze went from the bottle to PFC Nelson when he stuck his head in the door and asked if either of them had anything to eat. Aria shaking her head.
"Yes we're drinking, gotta pass the time somehow and no I've got no food you bum. Go mooch off someone else." Aira said with a laugh. Which made her realize just how out of character she was being. Aria happy that she was expressing herself, even if it was only temporary.
"I think I've downed too much. I should stop before I get too drunk. Not that there is a lot left to get drunk off. Did we really down the whole bottle." Aria said holding the bottle up for Cecilia to see. Before offering it to Cecilia.
"Here, you have the last. It's your's and I'm too drunk to be bothered by some shitty memories now. So I'm happy."Hexner laughed once again, calling Cecilia a better woman than herself. Cecilia laughed with her,
"Ha, a better woman you say. Most guys don't consider me a woman at all. Considering how many of them I have personally kicked their butts." Hexner coninued to drink, nearly emptying the bottle, before having turned to answer PFC Nelson.
"Well, I did happen to grab more than one. But I think one is enough to share between two." Cecilia told Hexner, taking up the offer to have the last. Cecilia downed the last of the whiskey and let out a big breath.
"Probably better not to get too drunk at the moment anyway. And since you don't have any food, you should probably have something to eat, to help." Cecilia got up from her seat with the bottle.
"Do you want to stay here? I can bring food to you if you want. Or would you like to come with me?" Cecilia asked, offering her hand to pull Hexner up.
Hearing Cecilia laugh at her comment, made Aria punch the woman playfully in the arm.
"Who cares ... what guys think? If they don't like it means you more woman than they can handle. If I was a guy I'd be all over you in a heart beat ... er ... forget I said that." Aria said cheeks going red. Although it wasn't out of embarrassment. Aria had already had far too much then her system to handle. It was now only a matter of time.
Aria watched as Cecilia down the last of the whisky. Part of Aria wished she hadn't given the bottle back. As now there was nothing left to drink. Even if Cecilia did mention she had another bottle. She was right, it would be bad to get too drunk ... well both of them at least. Aria was sure right now she was too drunk. When Cecilia offered her hand Aria looked at it and shook her head.
"No ... I can tell, walking would be hard ... toooooooo drunk and sleeeepy. Just leave me in here ... wake me in the morning. I wanna rest my eyes." Aria said looking at her pack.
"Cecilia front pocket, my pack. Take a pack of smokes as thanks." Aria spoke falling into the space where Cecilia had been sat.
"Nice and warm ... good night world." With that Aria shut her eyes. Falling into a light sleep, seconds later.
Cecilia laughed as Aria lightly punched and said she would take Cecilia if she were a guy.
"I'm not going to forget that. I'll tell guys I have I can get a woman easier than they can." Cecilia laughed.
As Aria declined Cecilia's offer to get up and get food, she told Cecilia to wake her in the morning, and to take a pack of smokes as thanks from her before nodding to sleep. Cecilia took up her offer, taking a pack of smokes from the front pocket of her pack. She also looked for anything to help cover Aria as she slept. After covering Aria in some dusty cloth, which she had tried to clean without washing, Cecilia left in search of food.