Shaken Not Stirred

[cherry1]

Raven woke up in a cold sweat. Her breathing heavy and a sharp pain radiating from her hip destroying any hope she had of getting back to sleep. It wasn’t what woke her though. At least not this time. She wiped the sleep from her face, also hoping to wipe away the flashes of the nightmare she’d endured. It was getting ridiculous. And the obvious toll it was taking on her body wasn’t helping either. The exhaustion was eating away at her slowly but surely, and Raven wasn’t sure how long she could take it. But no way was she asking for help. There had to be a way for her to fix this on her own. Hell she could fix anything. Why not herself?

Until such a time came, Raven knew of a temporary solution to her current predicament. She’d never had time before, with most of it being spent on fixing the cars. But now was as good a time as any to get herself a well-deserved drink. God knows she needed it. Going through the routine of tying her hair and putting on her brace, Raven made her way to the mess hall. It may have been foolish but she was still holding out hope that someone would be there to pour her a drink, even at this time of night. Raven had many skills, but she hadn’t quite mastered that. As she sat down in front of the makeshift bar, she sighed. There was no one there. No one she could immediately see anyway. “Hello?” She called, hoping this one time to be mistaken. “Anyone here?” Leaning over the bar she called out again. “Bar..keep?”


Tag: Gena Martin

[Gena Martin]

There was a supply run that day. People Gena had associated herself with were out there, making her anxious. She hated going out, which was why she opted to stay in, but at the same time it resulted in her not being able to even think about going to sleep. A now integral part of her routine was gone and in potential danger and really, she hated ever second of it. In the end she had given up on sleep entirely deciding to rather go back to the mess hall, which had been established in the hangar. Since most people were asleep, she sat down to start to peel food for the day, preparing what she could prepare for the first shift. That was until she heard a voice. Someone was here? And awake? Maybe someone else missing someone due to the supply run. 

Gena quickly washed her hands. “Just a moment!” She called out as she was drying her hands. She recognized the girl from around the hangar. She often hung with the kids, the delinquents, but she was also one of the remaining mechanics – or was she an engineer? She would have to ask about that one day. “What can I do for you?” Gena asked as she approached the bar. “Couldn’t sleep? Or are you just nocturnal? You’re lucky. The next shift of guards will only fall in here in around two to three hours, so you got the quiet end of the place right now.”

cherry1

[cherry1]

Raven thanked every god imaginable when she heard a voice respond to her. She wasn’t usually the lucky type but now she felt like the luckiest girl on the ground. Especially at this time of night. But Raven didn’t really recognise the girl on the other side of the bar, so naturally she hadn’t really had the chance to ever speak to her. But hearing her now, she seemed nice enough. A great first impression, that was probably helped by the fact that she just happened to be here when Raven needed her. But a great one nonetheless. “Couldn’t sleep,” she answered bluntly. Not in the mood to divulge anything further. She’d need a few drinks in her before that could happen.

“That’s good to hear.” Some peace and quiet and most importantly time alone, was what she really needed right now. Away from prying eyes. “Just give me whatever you got.” Something fast and strong. Raven wasn’t feeling picky about what it was. As long as it worked to dull the pain. Physical and mental. She didn’t feel up to being alone with her thoughts right now. Best to just drink them away. That meant she’d probably need a little more than one drink. “And don’t hold out on me,.…?” She paused, a question in her eyes, giving the other girl a chance to introduce herself. She wasn’t usually particularly friendly these days, but seeing as they would probably be spending the next few hours together it would probably be rude to completely ignore her existence.

[Gena Martin]

Couldn’t sleep was a bit of a common thing in here, it seemed. Especially among younger people, among those having witnessed the horrors of Mount Weather. Gena had held back in asking, but being a bar keeper and helping with the cooking and handing out the food on other days, she couldn’t avoid people talking, people rambling about it. Only a few kids actually managed to openly talk about what happened, some learned to deal, others were not there yet. However Gena was willing to listen and even more willing to learn about their behavior to anticipate what people might need. It made her job easier, her sensibility did the rest, usually. 

“That actually sounds like a Monty special.” The brunette replied. Not holding out on her, not being able to sleep, it sounded like she needed a good drink, a burning drink, something raw, taking her mind off of whatever was troubling her and to what she could focus on, which was a short-lived burn and pain that she might even welcome. Gena turned to get a glass for the girl. She filled it with the clear liquid that had been brewed only recently. It had gone over a bit, with the kid making it being distracted by something, making it very potent. She placed the glass before the girl. “It’s Gena by the way. And this is the strongest thing we currently have. To quote someone: It burns your insides, regrows them and burns them again.”

cherry1

[cherry1]

Monty special. Raven smiled at the comment. As far as she remembered his drinks tasted goddamn awful but they sure as hell worked. And something strong was exactly what she’d asked for. “Sounds perfect.” Just what she needed. Taste wasn’t much of a defining factor for her right now. Even the smell was beginning to burn her nostrils before she even touched the cup to her lips. Taking a gulp from the glass poured she felt the liquid burn hot straight down her throat. Safe to say…it wasn’t a cup of roses. But it got the job done. The pain of the drink already beginning to distract her from the pain of her hip. Letting out a short cough Raven smiled at the girl. Gena. Nice name, but not one she was familiar with.

Holding out a hand she introduced herself. “Nice to meet you, I’m Raven.” Finishing the drink, Raven let out another cough and laughed. “You sure didn’t hold out on me there Gena. This stuff’s strong.” Pushing the empty glass towards the other girl, Raven half smiled at her. “Keep it coming.” Sighing she put a hand at her hip, digging her knuckles in to subdue the pain unsuccessfully. She was going to need more of ‘Monty’s special’ if she hoped to do that. “So where are you from? I haven’t seen you around.” She obviously wasn’t from Mecha or Raven would have met her. So Gena must have been from one of the stations they’d found that crashed to the earth. Unless Raven was just extremely unobservant.

[Gena Martin]

“Nice to meet you, Raven. I heard about you.” A few people talked to her. The golden child of the mechanics. Even the engineers respected her, despite the open rivalry between mechanics and engineers. She must be super impressive. And on the way to drink herself senseless by the way it sounded. Gena knew it was usually a tactic to take someones mind off things or to numb some form of pain. Given what she knew about Raven, she would not be surprised if it was the latter, whether it was physical or emotional she couldn’t tell. And it didn’t really matter either.

“If you want to numb something, that is not the way to go about it.” She said, knowing that her advice might not be welcome. She still wanted to offer it. Gena had seen too many people trying to numb themselves and sinking into an addiction within record time. One of the kids seemed to be on the best way to do that, to the point where Gena refused to even serve him at all. The others didn’t, though, so he always got what he wanted. Genas conscience was clear, though. “Because that one will give you a bad hangover in the morning. So whatever you want to numb now will hit you in the face double tomorrow.” Not with just one drink, but more. She knew a better way to distract from pain and Raven was instinctively going about it, even though Gena doubted she realized it. 

“I’m from Farm, originally. I worked on Factory.” Gena smiled. She knew factory only had one survivor – something that still stung, but there was nothing she could do. “I came down with Mecha Station. In the chaos of things not everyone stuck to their original stations. In my case, I guess it saved my life.” Gena leaned forward to grin at her. “Sooo I heard you blew up a bridge.”

cherry1

[cherry1]

“All good things I assume.” Raven said with a slight sarcastic undertone. Wringing her hands she leaned on the bench trying to keep them busy while she waited for her next drink. Anticipating the burn, welcoming it. What she received instead however, still left a bitter taste in her mouth only without the benefit of dulling her senses. Who even was this girl, and what made her think she could lecture Raven? “Hey, Gena,” she began, stressing on the two syllables of her name. “I don’t remember asking for your advice, I do however remember asking for another drink.” Her tone was low but sharp. She didn’t have a lot of patience these days. And it would take a lot more than one drink for her to start forgetting things so easily. “So either make with the alcohol now, or find me someone who will.”

Farm huh, that was they’d never met before. Raven rarely strayed from her station on the ark, perfectly content with all the gadgets and toys on her own station. At the sound of Mecha her ears perked up. “I’m from Mecha,” she said aloud but more to herself than to Gena. She didn’t have an awful lot of friends on account of her being too arrogant for her own good, but she was still glad to hear her station made it down. Damn, she really didn’t pay more attention to the goings on of the camp. Her head buried in fixing up the Rover. Maybe she should change that. Bringing her attention back to Gena, Raven gave her a small but sly smile. “I blow up a lot of things, it’s kinda what I do.” It was obvious what the other girl doing, or at least trying to do. But Raven couldn’t be distracted that easily. “Nice try, curly. But I’d like my drink now.” Yes, maybe she was being a little harsh. The girl probably meant well. However with the constant dull pain in her leg, she couldn't really concentrate on anything but numbing it.

[Gena Martin]

Gena listened to her, first her words about how she didn’t ask for advice and then how she should give her her requested alcohol or find someone who would. Now that spoke volumes, not only about her personality, but also quite obviously about who she was, what she’s been through. Gena knew a lot about those kids already, no details, just the rough idea. She knew they were through a lot. She saw some drown themselves in alcohol instead of trying to find someone who cared about them like they probably should. It was the harder way, but ultimately the better way. Well, she couldn’t force them. 

Gena poured two more drinks. She sat both down in front of the young woman with a undoubtedly disappointed look, because really, she gave her an option, a choice, well meant there, and like the other kid, that regularily found himself under tables, she just wanted the drink over well meant advice. And so she conceded. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Because she had. But she also knew now not to expect much from people in the mood to drink their brain into a comatose state for the night. Maybe she couldn’t related, but at least she knew there were better ways. She knew at least three cases of better, though harder ways.

cherry1

[cherry1]

Raven watched as the other woman slowly poured two drinks and set them in front of her. The disappointment in her expression seemed actually genuine. It caught her off guard. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had cared enough about her to give her that look. Hell, her own mother never gave her that look. As she was about to take one of the drinks, she hesitated. Actually hesitated. Her hand floating just next to the glass but not quite touching it. This had never been a problem before. Could the girl have actually affected her judgement? Goddammit she hadn’t come her for an intervention. She really didn’t need some stranger forcing her to think.

Forcing her hand instead to hold the drink, she brought it to her lips. No one was going to change her mind. All she’d come here for was a night where maybe she wouldn’t have to feel pain. And in the past, this had been the way to do it. There was no way she was going to change that now…no way……Damn it. “Fine,” she grumbled, reminiscent of a petulant child. As she quickly put the drink back down on the table. Hard. Some of the alcohol splashing out of the glass. “You can stop looking at me like that now.” Sighing she looked from the drinks up to Gena’s face. “Well if you’re so full of great ideas, what would you have me do, instead of this,” she said, motioning to the glasses in front of her. “Because no offence but I doubt anything you can come up with could be any better.”

[Gena Martin]

Fine. Gena knew that one word or even just a gesture and smile could mean the world to someone. For her this was something huge. The girl was willing to drink so much and now she just said fine, apparently willing to try Genas approach. She would make it worth her while. At least she hoped she could. If she only could make the girl see that there were different ways that would be enough for her already. “I am pretty sure you’re wrong.” Gena replied with a wink. She was actually a bit crap at her job if she made people leave the alcohol, but she wanted her customers to be okay. Gena turned to rummage in the cooler. She pulled a cake out.

“Chocolate cake.” She announced. “The chocolate releases endorphins. It was a known way to lift ones spirits before the apocalypse.” And Mount Weather had it. On top of it they had the plants that would allow for more of that to be make and raised. It was well needed. “On top of that, I am a good listener and I know a few tricks against pain, for example a massage in certain areas. But I can assure you that sweets, talk and a distraction will do wonders, too. They won’t kick you away as hard as the drink does, but they don’t cause a hangover.”

cherry1

[cherry1]

“I am pretty sure you’re wrong.” Raven grimaced, not taking too kindly to those words being said...to her. Raven was hardly ever wrong, and the fact that this girl had the….the audacity to think so made Raven all the more determined to be right. It was almost brave really, Gena had guts to think she could prove her wrong. It almost made her admire Gena…almost. “I doubt that, but sure I’ll humour you,” her smile returned, but her eyebrows were raised in speculation. “Cause you’re cute,” she said with a little smirk, teasing the bar tender. She was though, almost too cute. This girl had to be hiding something. And Raven would find out what.

All those doubts were very nearly purged from her mind the moment Gena mentioned chocolate cake. “Cake?” Raven perked up. “I’m listening.” There was no way she was going to pull a cake out of….oh dear god. She wouldn’t have believed it if it wasn’t right before. Gena…had…cake. “It looks just like the pictures.” She whispered more to herself in disbelief. Hearing about cake in Mount Weather was nothing compared to actually seeing it. The smell…it was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before. Her hand raised, ready to just swipe a little bit of the cream...before she froze. “What’s the catch?” Massages? A shoulder to cry on? There was no way Gena was doing all of this to be helpful. People just weren’t that nice. At least not in Raven’s past experience. This girl wanted something from her. And if she was prepared to bribe her with cake…then it must be something big…and bad.

[Gena Martin]

“Right back at you.” Gena said. Raven was cute, no doubt about that. At least from what she could see. They didn’t know each other intimately, but aside from her drowning herself in substances, she seemed cute, intelligent and all around badass – the stories she heard helped along. With a grin, Gena heard Raven perk up at the mention of a treat that they so rarely had on the Ark. And even then, it was different down here. They could use other products down here, fresh eggs and the likes. Stuff like that was hard to come by. And then the chocolate. Thanks to Mount Weather all of that was part of Arkadias food resources now and it was a blessing. She still hated the mountain, though.

“Yep. Even better, I think. I mean this smells!” And it smelled so damn good. She had had a piece, too and it was just too good to be true, but it was true. And they could make more. There was seriously more where that came from. She couldn’t wait to try her it herself. She had seen so many recipes already and they looked great. And then there were the berries. She couldn’t wait to try berry cake either. Surprised Gena looked at her. “What makes you think there is a catch?” She asked Raven curiously. Did people regularly betray her? Well Gena was not one of them. “There is no catch. I just… I guess I just like to support people.” Maybe that’s why she became a cook and bartender. She wanted to help people. “I genuinely just want to make sure you’re okay. No catch, nothing.”

cherry1