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Lt. (jg) Colton Nathaniel West ([info]colton_west) wrote in [info]bsg93_avalon,
@ 2008-12-18 22:01:00

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Current location:BSG 93 - Avalon
Entry tags:colton west, jilleen simmons, rosemarie shayl

Port-Side Flight Deck of the Avalon, 2200 Hours
Cole whistled a soft, melancholy tune to himself as the dim lighting of the deck seemed to do little more than throw the shadows of stationary Vipers across the flight deck. He leaned lightly on the mop in his hands, absently waving it back and forth across the deck as he let his gaze drift from ship to ship. A small smile crept onto his face, marked by a touch of sadness and punctuated by a soft chuckle.

"Nice going, Hero." He muttered to himself. "From blazin' smugglers to swabbin' decks."

He let out a second sigh, this one with a touch of anger. He paused in his stroke and then grabbed the mop and tossed it across the deck where it landed next to a plastic bucket half-filled with gray water. He reached into his pants pocket and retrieved a cigarette with his teeth. He fumbled for his lighter and a few moments later, he blew a relaxing breath of smoke towards the ceiling high above. He let out a cynical laugh to himself, "Wonder if I'll ever see a jock smock again?"

He leaned against the bulkhead and crossed his arms. A moment later, his eyes closed and he let himself enjoy memories of his time behind the stick.

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-18 09:24 pm UTC (link)
The ceremony was all pomp and circumstance. It should have been. The graduates of Aerelon Fleet Academy were dizzy, elated. Rosemarie Shayl was no different. She still had a hard time believing that no one was going to be calling her "Cadet" anymore. The wings now pinned onto her dress blues seemed unnaturally shiny, and she kept glancing down at them.

She was a pilot, now. Weird.

Most of her class were in their racks or in various Rec Rooms around the Battlestar. It seemed strangely appropriate that they were all celebrating their commissions on board a Battlestar. Rosie wondered if she'd spend the rest of her life on one.

Still, the entire experience held such an allure of novelty, she had showed herself down to one of the flight decks. Just to get a look at the birds. She was moderately surprised to hear a voice as she stepped into the lowly lit hangar. A bit more surprised to discover he was apparently talking to himself.

It was too late to leave without seeming weird, so Rosie just gave a pathetic sort of half-wave. It didn't even occur to her to salute, the whole thing was just so unexpected. "Excuse me," she said. "Didn't mean to intrude, I just wanted a look at the birds." She made a gesture to indicate the row of Vipers.

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[info]colton_west
2008-12-18 09:30 pm UTC (link)
Cole opened one eye and his smile broadened. He uncrossed his arms and took a long drag from his cigarette before plucking it into the mop bucket with a soft hiss.

"You're not intruding on anything, sweetheart." He stood up straight with a soft groan and walked over to the rookie. He had to resist the urge to laugh at the kid. She was all spit and polish, dreams and dogma. She'd probably only seen sims, maybe a couple of drills. For frak's sake, her wings were still polished. Cole didn't even own his original wings, nor could he remember how he'd lost them. Still, he had to make nice if he didn't want to end up cleaning latrines with a toothbrush.

He held out a hand, "Th' name's Cole."

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-18 09:40 pm UTC (link)
Rosie couldn't help but crack a smile. Sweetheart? She nodded and shook the guy's hand.

"Rosie," she replied. Ensign Shayl would have sounded pretty stupid. Hell, the words alone sounded weird in her head. "And thanks. All this is probably pretty boring to you, but it's still pretty shiny to a rookie like me."

She laughed, just a touch nervous.

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[info]colton_west
2008-12-18 09:47 pm UTC (link)
He shook her hand with a surprising gentleness. He shook his head, his expression shifting from civil politeness to gentle admonishment.

"See, that's where you'd be wrong my briar rose." He offered her a smirk and a wink, "That's what makes the Viper so damned special: she never gets boring. And like the lady that she is, she's always full of surprises."

He leaned against the bulkhead and reached into his pocket and retrieved his cigarettes once more, "Smoke?"

He held the pack out, giving her a moment to take one. "So, what's your story," he paused to glance at her uniform, "Ensign Shayl?"

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-19 09:58 am UTC (link)
She eyed him with some suspicion. He sounded like one of her instructors at academy, but he looked like a deck hand. That was weird in itself.

She shook her head at his offer, and blinked back at him. "Huh? Oh, I don't know. Just another kid turned into a 'fine model officer' by Aerelon Fleet Academy. Are you a pilot?" There was no pause between the statement and the question. Not so much that she was trying to catch him off guard, as that she didn't want to talk about herself. Best not to let him get any more questions in. Besides, it would help to know if she was talking to a Specialist, or to a senior officer.

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[info]colton_west
2008-12-19 11:23 pm UTC (link)
He stuffed the already half-crumpled pack into his pocket and then paused for a moment to consider her question. "That's... complicated."

He chuckled to himself and then let out a small sigh, "Whether or not I'm a pilot depends on how desperate for fly boys the Colonial Fleet becomes. At the moment my flight status has been suspended, pending an investigation and review."

As he spoke his voice took on an odd mixture of bitterness and humor, marked by a touch of sadness. "To be honest, Rose - do you mind if I call you Rose? To be honest, I think unless we're suddenly invaded by Cylons or horrible beasts from a galaxy beyond our own I'll probably never see a Viper from the inside again. At least if the brass has it there way."

His eyes were cast downward by the time he finished speaking and is was evident that despite his casual demeanor that life on the ground was going to kill him. He recovered from slumped shoulders and a downward gaze after a moment and his smile returned. He stuck a hand out, "Cole West, Lieutenant Junior Grade."

His voice dropped ever so slightly as he spoke, "They used to call me 'Hero'."

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-20 07:40 pm UTC (link)
Oh Gods, now this was a whole can of worms she hadn't been ready to open. She shifted her weight between her feet.

"Uh, yeah, Rose is fine," she lied. The only person who called her Rose was her brother, and she didn't get to talk to him to him nearly often enough to even count it. Still, at least he'd been at her graduation, even if he'd had to run off immediately afterward. Her parents hadn't even bothered.

"And um, well I'm sorry you aren't flying now. But whether you're a pilot doesn't have a whole lot to do with that, I think." She shrugged, something about the gesture seeming ridiculous in her fancy-pants uniform. "I mean, it's who you are, not what you do, right?"

Now she was the one who sounded like one of her flight instructors, but that at least was something she believed. She could have washed out of Academy, and almost did a few times, but flying was something that was in the blood.

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[info]colton_west
2008-12-21 12:16 am UTC (link)
Seeing he'd made her uncomfortable, he quickly pasted on a jovial smile, "Eh, but enough of my old scars. I didn't mean to put you off, Rose. Being behind the stick is as close to the Lords of Kobol as any mortal can ever get, so appreciate it."

He reached up and touched the wing of one of the Vipers. It was the kind of gentle, loving touch that a parent might offer to a sleeping child. After a moment his hand slipped reluctantly away. He never took his eyes off the mercurial gray hull of the Mark VII.

"So, you got a call sign yet, kid?"

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-26 10:43 pm UTC (link)
"Cupcake," she answered, almost hesitantly. "But don't call me that unless you're in the cockpit, or I'll punch you in the face."

Once the words had left her mouth she began laughing, unguardedly and very much out loud. "And you don't have to lecture me about flyin'. I just came off four years of academy, I've heard everything imaginable. If I didn't like the bird, I wouldn't be here by now."

She shrugged, as if that simple, noncommittal gesture could dismiss her words as nothing. As if that would somehow make it seem less insubordinate.

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[info]colton_west
2008-12-26 11:12 pm UTC (link)
Cole's smile twisted into a smirk and his eyes twinkled, "That's right. Let that rookie gloss just shine. You've flown all the sims, run all the drills, pulled all the Gs. A thousand hours behind the stick with an instructor on your wing, so you've seen it all?"

He turned on his heel, his back to her and begin to walk a slow, measured step. "Well, Cupcake, you seem to be an arrogant braggart who's ego is a bit too big to fit into her own flight suit."

He held a single hand up, finger pointed upward, "Reminds me of me. "

He turned on his heel once more, this time to face her. "But enough talking shop." He leaned against a nearby Viper with a casual kind of comfort, "People are made up of more than just their jobs. So, how about you and I skip the scuttlebutt and you tell me the truth Rose - about why you're so evasive about your past and what would make you grow the brass pair necessary to fly this bird?"

He reached up, knocking on the Mark VII with a hollow metallic sound that echoed through the hanger.

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-26 11:28 pm UTC (link)
Her lip had curled up and she'd gotten ready to stride away, but for whatever reason, she stayed.

"An' what in the hell makes you think you've got the right to know my story?" Her words, although rebellious, were more than he might have gotten were she feeling snotty.

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[info]colton_west
2008-12-26 11:34 pm UTC (link)
Cole stormed across the room, staring her straight in the face as he suddenly and quickly became very up close and personal with her. Nearly nose to nose he looked her directly in the eye with a kind of defiant rage.

His voice was harsh whisper, but as he spoke each word his voice almost trembled - as if he were struggling to contain them.

"Because there's gonna come a day, Shayl, that I'm going to be forced to climb into the cockpit with you on my wing, or vice versa. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow - but some day. And if you ain't got the guts, the reflexes or the balls to handle the ol' Serpent Seven, then I want to know before I find myself in the crossfire between the Colonial Fleet's supposed-best and some crazed frak-head looking to make a name for himself on the underside."

He took a breath, but he seemed almost to shake, "It's called getting to know your squad mates. Idle chit chat. Shooting the breeze. It's supposed to help build some trust - or didn't they teach you that in the sims, Ensign?"

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-27 12:11 am UTC (link)
"If I didn't think you were mocking me, I'd probably appreciate your frankness."

She shrugged again, a gesture that seemed most natural for her. "Still, I guess I can almost sort of appreciate what I think you might be almost trying to do.

"But I think you know damn well that what they teach you in the sims isn't reality, an' I think you're tryin' to make fun of me. Not that I wouldn't be doing the same thing." She grinned. "I think I did that lots to the kids back home."

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[info]colton_west
2008-12-27 12:15 am UTC (link)
His taciturn, military demeanor vanished instantly. His shoulders relaxed and a smug grin appeared on his face. He leaned against the wall and gave her a once over with his eyes.

"Now that we're on the same page and we've gotten all the formalities out of the way - how about a drink?"

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[info]viper_cupcake
2008-12-27 05:15 pm UTC (link)
Rosie actually laughed then. "You're a strange guy, you know that?"

Still, she didn't say no, though she knew she probably should. The last thing she needed was to fall in with someone who was trouble on her first day aboard a battlestar. Still, it wasn't like she was going to be spending a whole lot of time on Avalon anyway. The chances that her deployment would put her on board the very ship where she spent her commencement were slim.

She crossed her arms in front of her and smiled back, not failing to notice the appraising glance the lieutenant had given her. "Aren't you on duty?"

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[info]absolutelysheba
2009-01-02 04:32 am UTC (link)
The young Captain in her dress gray uniform entered into this part of the hanger deck a little disorientated and lost her way around the hanger deck. She was supposed to meet a special raptor pilot. She thought after serving two years on one of Avalon’s sister ships, that she would know her way around a hanger deck.
She heard some voices and paused, and then continued to find the source. After she turned a corner around a parked viper, she saw two crew members speaking. Jilleen had no idea what they were speaking about when she approached them.

On her shoulder of her uniform, she still wore the unit patch of Aerilon Fleet Headquarters. She had not officially been transferred to the Avalon, but the she had orders to report to the commander in a couple of weeks as the new civilian-military affairs officer.

“Excuse me,” she waited till she had their attention. “Can one you direct to me to Rook Squadron’s ready room?” Rooks were one of Avalon’s raptor squadrons.

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[info]viper_cupcake
2009-01-02 02:38 pm UTC (link)
Rosie spun, caught a bit off guard, and saluted.

"Good evening, sir," she said, then blushed. "Sorry, I'm a new ensign, I still don't really know my way around."

She glanced over at the other pilot. Maybe--probably--he knew where to direct the captain.

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[info]colton_west
2009-01-02 11:24 pm UTC (link)
"Yeah, no problem, Cap'n."

His casual demeanor was surprising, and could even be seen as disrespectful to some of the stricter officers of the Avalon - but Cole didn't recognize the new brass and wanted to test the waters.

He jerked a thumb towards a door across the hanger. "Go down the hall there. Make the second left and after about thirty feet or so you should see the hatch."

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[info]absolutelysheba
2009-01-03 01:25 am UTC (link)
Her eyes followed both of the officers as they spoke in turn. The one that told her the directions was very causal the way he spoke to her. “Thank you,” she said looking straight at him, and waited a moment to see if he had anything else to add, because she thought he was showing her a little bit of disrespect, especially in front of the newly minted ensign.

“The next time you speak with a higher ranking officer, you will ,” her eyes narrowed, “show them due respect and address them by using ‘sir’. Is that clear?” Her aristocratic accent was clearly of someone from the landowners – class on Aerilon.

She glanced over to the Ensign, and her eyes soften. “Ensign, congratulation and be mindful of your responsibilities,” she nodded.

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[info]colton_west
2009-01-03 01:28 am UTC (link)
A smirk appeared on his face and he offered her a crisp salute and immediately shot to an attention stance.

"Oh, clear as a bell, sir. Yes sir, Captain, sir." he said, a merry twinkle in his eye and a touch of impish humor in his voice.

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[info]absolutelysheba
2009-01-03 01:58 am UTC (link)
Her eyes quickly returned to the person who she just reminded of the proper protocol. She obviously knew he had not taken her seriously. “Do you think that’s charming?” She turned to face him fully, and looked up to the slightly taller man, unafraid, “Because I am not amused.”
The captain glared at him for a beat while he stood at attention and held his salute. Jilleen did not appreciate being mocked in front of the new Ensign, and was not going to return his salute, just yet. “What’s your name soldier?”

She really did not want to have to deal with this, but she could not let it slide either. Her secret lover was waiting for her in the Rook’s ready room, and he was only going to be aboard the Battlestar for a few more hours. Jilleen was not even part of the crew just yet, and she already had to deal with this misfit.

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[info]colton_west
2009-01-03 02:03 am UTC (link)
Cole stared right into her eyes, the child-like twinkle never quite disappearing.

He had to nearly stifle a laugh, "My apologies for trying to charm or amuse you, sir - clearly those things would be impossible, sir. I am Colton Nathaniel West, Lieutenant Junior Grade, Callsign Hero, 93rd Airgroup."

Sure, he might be digging himself an early grave here, but they'd already suspended his wings, what else did he have to lose? If this girl was going to bust his chops, she was frakking with the wrong guy.

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[info]absolutelysheba
2009-01-03 02:45 am UTC (link)
“Lieutenant West, I suggest you keep your smart ass comments to yourself in the future.” She had no idea who was commanding the 93rd Air Group or was his immediate commander, but that did not concern her. She imagined he would be thrown out of the service before she officially reported for duty aboard Avalon. “Don’t worry Lieutenant. I’m not going to put you on report.” A devious thin smiled form on her lips, because she had another more convenient option.

Jilleen quickly turned her head to look at the new officer without the smile. “Ensign, I’m Captain Jilleen Simmons, Aerilon Fleet Headquarters, you’re a witness. It’s your duty and obligation to put Lieutenant Colton Nathaniel West on report for disrespecting a visiting senior officer.”

She was very good in remembering names and faces, part of a natural ability she acquired as a daughter of a politician. Jilleen would not forget his name or face.

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[info]colton_west
2009-01-03 10:24 am UTC (link)
Cole rolled his eyes, "Since we're all being chums here and using language so freely. Let me say that I'm not really concerned by you or this little mind game you're trying to play."

He paused, shifting his posture. "Oh, the Ensign has put an El-Tee on report. Big damn frak."

He turned, staring right into Jill's eyes. The mirth and sense of humor had vanished, "So after what this fleet has done to me, go ahead and put me on report - see if I give a frak."

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[info]viper_cupcake
2009-01-06 11:54 am UTC (link)
Meanwhile, Rosie watched all of this with open-mouthed incredulity. Anywhere else in the world, she would have expected this sort of thing to happen, but here? On the deck of a battlestar? She wanted nothing more than to slink away and hide.

Her graduation night had been weird before, but now it was just starting to suck.

Still, she said nothing, and in fact her mouth snapped shut as she remembered exactly how she was supposed to comport herself in these situations. She stared straight ahead, not even blinking.

She'd been planed enough times in academy to know how to take it, even if she wasn't necessarily the one on the receiving end.

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[info]absolutelysheba
2009-01-08 12:03 pm UTC (link)
Dear gods, she thought to herself after he finished.

“Lieutenant West, you obviously don’t,” her eyes locked on his gaze. “Belay that order Ensign. He’s right. This fleet has it out of him.” He disgusted her. It was one thing to be obnoxious, but to play the victim card was disgraceful in her opinion.

“Poor, poor, Mister West, I’m disappointed. What a shame? Here you are, standing before me, with both your arms and legs, and with no obvious malformations of any kind. There you are with no bruising, or disfiguring scars, that I can see,” she inspected him. “You look well fed. You’re not shackled or chained to a wall. Yeah, it must be terrible,” she nodded her head. “You’re a victim of an abusive Fleet.

“Right, you think you’re unique because you’re … What the rebel? Wait, rebels don’t whine. So that just makes you pathetic.” She kept her eyes on his. “I suppose this is where I am to say something to motivate you. Let’s see,” She considered it for beat. “Stop being a victim.” It was the best she could offer at the moment, but it was simple and clear.

Jilleen kept her eyes on the Lieutenant, in case he became physical, while she addressed the new officer. “Ensign, I apologize that you had to see this on your first day.” She then stepped back from the Lieutenant, and faced the other officer for a second. “Good luck, Ensign.”

Satisfied that she had might have the last word, she turned and walked away on her way to visit with the Rook pilot. She was not going to waste her time filing a report of the incident, because she figured with Lt. West’s attitude he must find himself in more than enough trouble.

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[info]viper_cupcake
2009-01-08 01:24 pm UTC (link)
"Thank you, Captain," said Rosie, and saluted, more out of not knowing what to do with herself than out of protocol. She wasn't really sure that it was even within protocol. Oh well, when in doubt, best to be disrespectful.

Not to mention that she couldn't help but be a little relieved that she was no longer ordered to go and file a report on the lieutenant. All she really needed was a direct order to snitch someone out. That could complicate her life in the fleet, for sure.

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[info]colton_west
2009-01-08 03:43 pm UTC (link)
Cole just shook his head as he watched the Captain walk away. A loose, honest laugh bubbled forth and he seemed to relax.

He leaned against the bulkhead, still shaking his head. "I like her. She's got stones."

He turned back to Rosie as if what they'd both just shared was a momentary interruption of no concern. "Anyway, where were we, Rose?"

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[info]viper_cupcake
2009-01-09 10:56 am UTC (link)
Once the captain was safely out of view, Rosie couldn't help but burst into giggles. Somehow, she had managed to stay out of trouble. She was elated.

"You're insane," she pointed out, her eyes wide. "You're lucky she didn't toss you in the brig."

Or maybe that was just the way things went on battlestars. In academy, if any of them had mouthed off like that, they'd have found themselves on the next craft home faster than the blink of an eye. Or at the very least peeling potatoes for the next month.

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[info]colton_west
2009-01-09 11:16 pm UTC (link)
Cole shrugged calmly. "Eh, maybe." He couldn't help but chuckle right along side her, "Who knows, maybe one day they'll find out how useful I can be on this bucket. Until then it's Lt. West, Deck Swab."

He gave her a lopsided grin, "And as far as my sanity, or lack there of, is concerned - I was always under the impression that a failed psych evaluation was required to pass flight school."

He flashed a crazy-eyed face and let himself sway as if in a drunken or crazed state for a moment before bursting into a second bout of laughter.

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[info]viper_cupcake
2009-01-16 01:02 pm UTC (link)
Rosie grinned. "You're probably right on that," she replied with a shrug. "At least, I don't think you can be any good at flying if you're not a little crazy."

A beat passed, and she eyed the lieutenant calmly, until finally she crossed her arms over her chest and said, "I should probably get off the deck, though. Before I break something, or whatever. 'Rookie gloss' and all that." The corner of her mouth twitched up in what might have been a fraction of a smile, and Rosie turned her back on Lt. West.

"I'll see you around, Hero," she called back over her shoulder with a sly smile. As she headed away, she might have let her hips sway just a little more than was technically proper in uniform, but what did that matter? It wasn't like she really was ever going to see this guy again, and a little harmless flirting never hurt anyone.

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