NationStates Jolt Archive

Anna sighs openly, looking from Matt to Mari with a conciliatory expression. This is exactly the opportunity she's been waiting for, and she plays it with a skill that a paid actor would respect. "Please, don't be angry at each other. Miss Marisol, I didn't mean to offend you. I just wasn't that hungry."

She plants a solemn kiss on Matt's cheek. "Matthias, you're sweet for taking my side, but let's not make this evening unpleasant. I like you; I don't want to come between you and your friends. Maybe Miss Marisol doesn't always approve of you, and you don't always approve of her, but that's okay. You should do what makes you happy."

She looks across the table at Mari, her eyes stern, yet imploring. "You don't have to like me, but please don't be mean to Matt because of me."

Anna sighs openly, looking from Matt to Mari with a conciliatory expression. This is exactly the opportunity she's been waiting for, and she plays it with a skill that a paid actor would respect. "Please, don't be angry at each other. Miss Marisol, I didn't mean to offend you. I just wasn't that hungry."

She plants a solemn kiss on Matt's cheek. "Matthias, you're sweet for taking my side, but let's not make this evening unpleasant. I like you; I don't want to come between you and your friends. Maybe Miss Marisol doesn't always approve of you, and you don't always approve of her, but that's okay. You should do what makes you happy."

She looks across the table at Mari, her eyes stern, yet imploring. "You don't have to like me, but please don't be mean to Matt because of me."

Mari muttered, "Alright, alright," holding her hand up. It was clear Mari--at least openly--was tired of this game as well. Now she got the point, and returned to her meal. She could only think to herself how this chick was a helluva actor, and how she could do many things besides whore up Dornalian sailors and soldiers for cash.

Matt likewise, was tired of the game--if only because it made him choose between a really nice lady he met and one uncouth one that had a certain charm that he knew as a friend. He likewise, nodded, and said, smiles returning, "Ah, yes. But of course. I had forgotten myself in that regard." He then flags down a waitress and says, "Ma'am, a round of schnapps for all. To toast peace."

The waitress nodded, although when she looked at Mari she was nervous. Matt said to the waitress, "She is fine. She has held much more liquor than that. I mean that in a good way."

Nodding the waitress left, and returned with the round of schnapps. Mari took her shot glass, as did Matt, and then he raised his, saying, "To peace--and a better evening."

Mari nodded and said, "Hear, hear."

Anna had intended to avoid drinking any more tonight, but considering the circumstances it would be rude to decline. She joins in the toast with a diplomatic smile, just a glimmer of self-satisfaction showing through her well-crafted exterior. After all the liquor she'd consumed at the Casablanca, a little more can't hurt. Things have gone well so far tonight; this small celebration isn't out of order.

Anna had intended to avoid drinking any more tonight, but considering the circumstances it would be rude to decline. She joins in the toast with a diplomatic smile, just a glimmer of self-satisfaction showing through her well-crafted exterior. After all the liquor she'd consumed at the Casablanca, a little more can't hurt. Things have gone well so far tonight; this small celebration isn't out of order.

The glasses clank, and Anna is treated to a round of Mari and Matt downing their respective drinks. It is clearly a festive occasion, especially with Mari choosing to extol the virtues of German Elven alcohol.

"Jesus Matt...this stuff is the shiz, ya know!? I mean...it's good." It was obvious that the liquor was having some sort of effect, though nobody knew what.

Matt nodded and moved to finish up the rest of his food, saying to Anna, "There's still so much....I think we ordered too much."

Anna raises an eyebrow at Mari's behavior, then sets down her glass to survey the table. "That's alright; you can bring the leftovers back to the base with you. Maybe you could share it with some of your other friends there."

Anna raises an eyebrow at Mari's behavior, then sets down her glass to survey the table. "That's alright; you can bring the leftovers back to the base with you. Maybe you could share it with some of your other friends there."

"Perhaps...."

Matt then nibbled some more food and then warmly said, "Schatzie." It was clear he wasn't fazed at all by Marisol's behavior. She had an astounding tolerance for drink that was only now beginning to meet its limit, and he wondered why it ended now. He then shrugged and said, "Perhaps I should drive home my comrade tonight. I know somehting on the operations of a motorcycle."

To which Mari replied, "I'm just...buzzed. Don't worry about it. Tee hee." Mari was turning red from embarassment and thus put her head down on the table, looking exceedingly adorable as she did so.

She then asked, "Who's gonna pick up the check? I say we split this baby three ways. You know, 'cause we all ate so much, and I totally provided transport."

Matt then replied, "I would agree....after all, we did agree to get along, yes?"

Anna hesitates a moment, casting her eyes downward and to the side. She puts on a slightly confused face, but is careful not to make herself too obvious. That would be undignified. "Oh... okay."

She rifles around in her purse and pulls out her identification card, placing it face-up on the tabletop. She makes no verbal objection, though her manner indicates subtle resentment of the situation.

Anna hesitates a moment, casting her eyes downward and to the side. She puts on a slightly confused face, but is careful not to make herself too obvious. That would be undignified. "Oh... okay."

She rifles around in her purse and pulls out her identification card, placing it face-up on the tabletop. She makes no verbal objection, though her manner indicates subtle resentment of the situation.

Mari then frowned. She knew it; this woman was going to leave them with the bill! It was good she insisted on splitting the check in this manner. That way, she could make that woman pay up for her share. She smiled subtly to herself at that, and then began to pull out a wad of cash. Passing it to Matt, the elf then nodded as he pulled out his card and pocketed the cash.

Marisol then flagged down a waiter and asked, "Hey garcon....check please."

The man nodded and delivered the check. At that point, Matt takes the two cards, fills out the forms needed to charge both cards, and then added in a little extra for tip. Then, as the waiter carried the check away, Matt asked, "May I have a to-go bag? Or doggie bag?"

"A to-go bag is fine, sir. We speak Dornalian English well enough here, sir, no need to worry--we get ya." At that, the man left to pick up the goods and charge the expenses.

Having retrieved her card, Anna stands up and, with a final polite nod to Mari and Matt, leaves the restaurant without another word.

Having retrieved her card, Anna stands up and, with a final polite nod to Mari and Matt, leaves the restaurant without another word.

Matt then lept up to begin following Anna, only to hear Mari say, "Leave that skank be.....if she loved you, really, she'd still hitch a ride with us on the Royal Enfield. As it is, she's probably gonna take a cab, or the bus, where she can get into another soldier's pants."

Matt then picked up Mari and said, "We're leaving. This evening has been ruined." His tone said much, if his words said only a little. He was angry as hell, and didn't want to really deal with this obnoxious catgirl who had wrecked something good.

Dragging her outside, he plopped her into the sidecar and gunned the engine. He had a basic idea of how to operate a motorbike, and his driver's license did qualify him for operation of such a vehicle--if only due to his past job as a bike messenger. He then sped off into the night, hoping to get a glance of Anna.

Mari said, "Why the long face? I saved you from being shafted by that damn floozy."

"That was my first real hookup with someone who didn't tease me for my ears, or my looks, or my waiflike gait. Now you ruined it! I oughta detach the sidecar and let you careen into a lightpost!" Matt screamed with fury now, and didn't even bother to look at Mari. Not that he needed to.

Mari now shot back with a rather stilted reply, influenced by the alcohol in her system.

"Yeah, right. That woman was a professional golddigger. I've seen her type before, because I used to know those sorts of people back in Phoenix. as friends and compatriots. They was my friends, and I used to turn a blind eye. Then, I got into the military, and I keep seeing people lose their shirts and get STDs because of chicks like her. It ruins morale, it ruins people....and I didn't want you to get fucked over by them, all because they spun a magical web of lies that would win a Goddamn Oscar if it were a movie....will you just listen to me!?"

Matt said nothing as he stormed around the city, looking for Anna....

The sun has sunk below the horizon, leaving the city to its own artificial lights. A light, misty rain is falling, making the roads slick and anyone unprotected from the elements damp. Anaranë, travelling on foot, hadn't gone far before Matt found her. She heard the motorcycle coming before she saw it, and turned to look as they approached. She wasn't sure what had happened between the two friends, but neither looked very happy. Though she was concerned, she was also happy Matt had come after her. Despite what Mari might think, Anna did like Matt, in her own convoluted way.

"Matthias?" she said when the motorcycle had pulled up next to her, brushing the moisture off her forehead with the back of her hand. "What's wrong?"

The sun has sunk below the horizon, leaving the city to its own artificial lights. A light, misty rain is falling, making the roads slick and anyone unprotected from the elements damp. Anaranë, travelling on foot, hadn't gone far before Matt found her. She heard the motorcycle coming before she saw it, and turned to look as they approached. She wasn't sure what had happened between the two friends, but neither looked very happy. Though she was concerned, she was also happy Matt had come after her. Despite what Mari might think, Anna did like Matt, in her own convoluted way.

"Matthias?" she said when the motorcycle had pulled up next to her, brushing the moisture off her forehead with the back of her hand. "What's wrong?"

Pulling the motorcycle up near Anna, Matt said hurredly, "I'd like to apologize for tonight. Really." It was plain to see that Matt was clearly distressed about something, and whatever it was, Mari wasn't there to reply--she was fast asleep in the sidecar, taking a catnap. No pun intended, of course.

He then continued with a pained, frustrated, "My friend had no right to ruin our date like that. She was.....how you say....suspicious. Mistrusting. She had no right...." He then passionately hit the handlebars of the bike, and cursed in German, before saying, "I'm really, really sorry."

Anna nods, smiling with just a touch of bitterness. "Matt, it's okay. I just felt a little cheated when I had to pay after you invited me out. I'll get over it."

She moves in closer, taking Matt's head in her hands and bringing her mouth close to his. Her skin is cold from exposure to the rain. "I like you. Nothing Miss Marisol says will change that. I didn't choose her, I chose you. If you like me, I don't care what she thinks. Besides," she grins awkwardly, "I had a good time tonight."

Anna nods, smiling with just a touch of bitterness. "Matt, it's okay. I just felt a little cheated when I had to pay after you invited me out. I'll get over it."

She moves in closer, taking Matt's head in her hands and bringing her mouth close to his. Her skin is cold from exposure to the rain. "I like you. Nothing Miss Marisol says will change that. I didn't choose her, I chose you. If you like me, I don't care what she thinks. Besides," she grins awkwardly, "I had a good time tonight."

At that, Matt couldn't help but collapse and accept Anna's words. He returned her awkward, uneasy smile with one of his own, and said, "Thanks." He then chuckled a little and said, "It's okay, you can be harsher. She's asleep, you know."

Though Mari stirred for a minute, mumbling about catnip and "I want my binky back," she then fell back asleep, leading Matt to say, "Yeah, she's not going to wake up for a while."

He then gave Anna a quick polite kiss on the lips, led on by the emotions of the moment, followed by a comforting "I suppose you've a point. I guess her people are used to sharing the bill at meals, and she was just afraid of a youth like me from the hills of Southern Germany being swindled by a woman seeking soldiers' pay, and let that paranoia grow out of control. Personally, I see something more than that--for that, you can be glad."

Anna returned his chuckle. "Well, I'm not just in it for your money, though I don't think it's too much for a girl to ask for her guy to treat her once in a while."

She returned his kiss playfully. "Don't worry so much, Matt. Just do what feels good. We both have jobs that'll take us away from each other eventually, so let's enjoy the time we've got."

Anna returned his chuckle. "Well, I'm not just in it for your money, though I don't think it's too much for a girl to ask for her guy to treat her once in a while."

She returned his kiss playfully. "Don't worry so much, Matt. Just do what feels good. We both have jobs that'll take us away from each other eventually, so let's enjoy the time we've got."

"Yes, let's." With a final peck on the cheek, he then waved goodbye and bid her "Aufwiedersehn!" as he sped off into the night, back to the base. The highway at night made for an interesting drive, to say the least, but it was pleasant.

A few days later, Nozick found himself in a small office, sitting across from a proper-looking human man slightly older than himself, chewing on the butt end of his pen as he watched the Dornalian. He had introduced himself at the start of the session as George Samson, and asked to be called 'George.'

"Do you have a history of violence?" he asked in the flat, inquisitive, therapist-esque voice he'd been using since Nozick had arrived.

Nozick looked at the man, and sighed. Crossing his arms and rolling his eyes, he replied with some impaitence, "I'm a soldier, George. When the woman isn't around, I box and work out in my spare time. As a kid, I was on my highschool wrestling team. They're sports, but they ain't violent. Only thing remotely violent is where I yell at people for doing dumb shit they shouldn't be doing. I normally don't smack my lady around. My momma taught me never do that. And frankly, only officers get to slap people. So no, I would say besides those qualifiers, no."

"That's a lot of qualifiers, Leonid." He took the pen out of his mouth and set it on the desk beside him. "Would you consider yourself a violent person?"

"That's a lot of qualifiers, Leonid." He took the pen out of his mouth and set it on the desk beside him. "Would you consider yourself a violent person?"

"Only when I gotta be," Leonid replied. "That usually means in situations where I see myself under threat, I flip out. Though that night, I was intoxicated, and people don't control themselves well drunk."

"So you don't think you would have attacked that man if you weren't drunk?"

"So you don't think you would have attacked that man if you weren't drunk?"

"Hell no." Leonid's assertion is stern, and clear on this point. "The man was a jackass, but I woulda just called him out, not broken his fingers."

George began twirling his pen about the fingers on his right hand as he reclined in his chair. "If your violent behavior is tied to your drinking, I'm not going to be able to recommend to the court that your ban from alcohol be lifted. We can go through anger management techniques, but if you let drinking impair your judgement enough to physically hurt someone, it doesn't seem likely to me that you're going to be able to apply them. What do you think, Leonid?"

George began twirling his pen about the fingers on his right hand as he reclined in his chair. "If your violent behavior is tied to your drinking, I'm not going to be able to recommend to the court that your ban from alcohol be lifted. We can go through anger management techniques, but if you let drinking impair your judgement enough to physically hurt someone, it doesn't seem likely to me that you're going to be able to apply them. What do you think, Leonid?"

That last part caused him to utter a distinct "gulp" sound, as he winced. George had pronounced something that was anathema to any Dornalian--the thought of giving up their precious aqua vitae. Still, Dornalians being practical folk, the sergeant nodded and sighed, saying, "Well, when you put it that way, I suppose you got a point. Maybe I should ease off the liquor a little bit."

He then mused saying, "To be frank doc, a social drink isn't that bad, I can hold my liquor...but I guess, thinking self-critically, I might have been drinking a lot more recently. I guess its my job. I mean, the woman's okay, the town's not bad...but I just deal with so much bullshit, is all, I guess."

The counselor stopped twirling his pen and used a free finger to point unimposingly at Nozick. "Let's explore that. What sort of... er... 'bullshit' have you been dealing with?"

The counselor stopped twirling his pen and used a free finger to point unimposingly at Nozick. "Let's explore that. What sort of... er... 'bullshit' have you been dealing with?"

Nozick then began what could be described as a litany of woe. Sighing, he said, "Well to begin...I matenance computers. I help keep the base computers safe from viruses and hacker attacks, and I ensure that Gracie and the other systems work out fine. Problem is, half of my job is babysitting this new crop of assholes. They're either whiz kids fresh out of school who haven't any real experience, or old assholes who think they can tell me how to do a job which I've been doing for several months. Also, people don't seem to realize I don't work for free--yet sometimes, I'm asked to fix people's personal computers, which ain't in my job description. I'm no tech support guy, at least not for some poor newbie's shiny new personal laptop. Not my job!"

He then continued with, "Also, it's this damn base and town. I guess I've been getting bored recently. The town's okay, the on-base activities are okay, but motherfucker--sometimes, I have nothing to do. At all..

"Well, you can't control others, but you can be graceful in dealing with their transgressions. As for being bored, have you considered a hobby? Or if you're not a hobby sort of person, perhaps taking on more responsibilities at the base? Idle hands do the Devil's work."

"Well, you can't control others, but you can be graceful in dealing with their transgressions. As for being bored, have you considered a hobby? Or if you're not a hobby sort of person, perhaps taking on more responsibilities at the base? Idle hands do the Devil's work."

Nozick leaned back, and then said simply, "Well." The idea seemed to register barely with him, but he didn't seem in a position to remonstrate with his psychiatrist. He then said, "Well, I do have one hobby. See, the problem is, it's rather...embarassing....the woman barely tolerates it, so I don't do it as much as I used to."

He gulped and then said, "I collect girly figures." Throwing up his hands, he then said, "There, I said it. It's something I've kept hidden for a bit, but damnit, I've a rep to keep."