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Philo Zoticus, Jr. (dr_philo) wrote in kobols_legacies,
@ 2008-05-07 21:59:00

Entry tags:

Evening on SL
Philo's eyes were on the ceiling and on his journal, alternately.

The journal was a silly habit. One he'd adopted in med school, mainly to make himself seem more attractive to Mary-Claire, who now in all likelihood lay dead at the bottom of a lake or some such. It didn't matter. His quips and insights hadn't faded with her, but they had faded. He thought often that they had faded with Colette. It was an easy answer, and one to which he clung like driftwood in a storm. It simplified things. Made it all cleaner.

Still, there was a time to reflect, and a time to act. This was neither, but Philo felt it would be in his best interest to leave. Get out. He lived on the most varied ship in the fleet (or so the rumor was. He hadn't been on another) and it was only right he should see it. He stood, tucked the journal into his desk drawer, and stepped into the corridor.

All corridors led to the biodomes, and he could be certain that if he walked along them that was where he would come to. He had no intention of coming out at the biodome though. He veered off, looking for solace in a bottle and in conversation. He made his way through beautifully appointed corridors (Bethany's doing, no doubt) and past lovingly arranged bits of flora (Bethany's doing, no doubt). When Philo finally made his way into his favorite haunt--the lights low, the ambrosia plentiful--he was glad to see his friend manning the bar.

"Hello, Bethany," he said with a smile, not as forced as it could have been, and sidled up to take a seat. "You're looking lovely as always. Where's your staff? You are entirely too beautiful to have to deal with these ruffians."

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Re: Evening on SL

dr_philo
2008-05-08 01:24 am UTC (link)

"Tomorrow," Philo supplied with a grin. "You've taken right good care of her. I have to say thank you." He adjusted his weight on his seat. "People like you make my job easier, Bethany. Thank you for everything you've done."

"Oh it's no bother!" she told him, waving a hand lightly. "I'll make sure she there on time. And in the meanwhile, what can I get you to drink?"

"Something sweet, dark, and highly alcoholic," Philo replied with a wide smile. Though he was by all appearances joking, there was something all too serious in the answer. "Thank you." With a glass in front of him he was far more sociable, even with a woman as pretty and as kind as Bethany.

"In that sort of a mood are we?" Bethany reached for a couple of different spirit bottles and soon had a glass in front of him, a mixture she thought would probably suit him in that sort of a mood. It would vary, and she enjoyed serving him on the rare times she was behind the bar, as she liked to try and match the drink with his mood.

"That sort of mood indeed," he replied lightly, and took a deep draught from the glass. "This is good, Bethany. Very good. If we were back on world I'd say you should market it, but here I believe you have quite a clinch on the market." Philo winked over the glass before setting it back down. "So. I hear your sister was detained onboard the Avalon." It was almost conversational.

She managed to keep her expression the same, despite the small wave of anger that skimmed through her. Anika had told her what had happened of course, but she felt there was something more than just that event that was causing her twin to be so angry, and she felt evasive, about what had happened.

"Yes, for what it seems was a total waste of time," she said, her twin's insistence on Bethany not taking it any further still grating a little on her but her word had been given, and it would not be broken. "I really don't understand what comes over some officers, and from what I know they seem to be rather dropping their standards with regard to their attitude to civilian personnel."

"Not surprising," Philo answered, and downed the remainder of his drink. "The wasting of time that is. It seems that our military can't seem to get its head on straight when dealing with anything. Her detainment was a travesty. It was absurd, and it was--as you say--a waste of time. Who's to say something like this won't happen again?"

"Precisely," she agreed, allowing her curtain of diplomatic elegance to be lifted for just a moment as she spoke to her friend. "One woud be forgiven for believing some of them carry an 'us and them' attitude and that anyone not a part of the military is automtically a 'them' and seemingly the enemy." She sighed, shaking her head for a moment before gathering herself again. "Still, they have a lot of responsibility on their shoulders, and I'm forever grateful they take their role as our guardians as well as they do."

"Still," said Philo, glaring not maliciously, but with an intensity not seen in his eyes since the fall of the colonies. "It is a responsibility. Not an entitlement. A responsibility they have irresponsibly shouldered. It would be good to see something come of the faith we've placed in them."

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Re: Evening on SL

dr_philo
2008-05-08 01:24 am UTC (link)

Seeing the expression in Philo's face surprised Bethany a little, the intensity mystifying her a little and sparking her concern for him. For all the years they'd known each other she'd never heard him speak much of his life before the exodus, his door to the past seeming to be tightly closed. In her years since that time she had met with, talked to, consoled and comforted countless numbers of individuals, and couples, offering an ear, and shoulder, or pair of arms to those who sought it. In some instances it had been a bed, where it had struck her deeply and the solace needed was for the individual to be reminded that indeed loving people still existed, even if loved ones no longer did.

"Indeed, darling, it is," she replied, her hand reaching over and gently patting his forearm. "And it's a heavy burden we all carry, not lessened by the simple lack of a military badge of responsibility."

"Yes," he responded, the muscles in his jaw tight. "We all do carry a burden. I only seek to see those in charge answer to someone else. Don't you, Bethany?" His eyebrow was an angular arch over liquid brown eyes.

She nodded slowly, trying to read the message in his words and eyes as she studied his face. "We all answer to someone, Philo, whether or not they're corporeal," she replied quietly. "Who do you answer to, darling?" she ventured?

"I answer to myself," he answered bitterly, then softened. "And to the memory of my beautiful daughter. I wish you could have known her." For a moment, his eyes misted up, then he shrugged off the emotion. Whether he believed in such fallacies as the Gods notwithstanding, he met her eyes with a cool nonchalance. "Who is going to stand for people like us? It's not right."

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Re: Evening on SL

bar_lady
2008-05-08 01:31 am UTC (link)

She didn't miss the look he had when he spoke of his daughter, albeit briefly. The quick shift away again, back to his regular nonchalance convinced her to let it lie for the moment. "Well being a democratic society we have the peoples' forum, our parliament, and its elected representatives," she stated simply, knowing it wasn't quite as simple as all that. The establishment of the government had given rise to a bit of unrest among some segments of the fleet, the concept one that many were unfamiliar with, and like most people when faced with change there was a lot of resistance. The use of the Marines had been a strongly debated issue when unrest had threatened to swamp some ships to the point of civil disturbances that threatened people's safety.

She tilted her head to the side and studied him for a long moment. "Have you ever considered running for one of the positions of representatve of Shangri-La?"

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	Re: Evening on SL dr_philo 2008-05-08 05:48 pm UTC (link)
	He laughed, and looked down at the robust styling of the bar. "Me? You've got to be kidding. There's plenty out there would do this fleet a better service than I." He looked up to meet her eye. "Though I appreciate your vote of confidence." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	Re: Evening on SL bar_lady 2008-05-08 06:26 pm UTC (link)
	"Don't be so sure about that," she told him, leaning one elbow elegantly on the bar and resting her chin on her softly curled fingers. "People need someone who is passionate about their plight, and not in it for what attention it will get them. And that, Philo, is something I can't ever see you doing!" (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

Re: Evening on SL

dr_philo
2008-05-08 09:29 pm UTC (link)

"Getting attention, you mean?" He returned her look with a smile of his own, perhaps a bit more pensive than before. "Please, don't be so effusive in your flattery, Miss Jereldsen. It will go to my head, and there'll be no living with me."

A pause, and briefly he considered asking her for another drink. Something in him, however, said no, and he abandoned the idea. "No," he replied. "I can't see myself as a politician. But there is a shifting in the tides. A change is coming, mark my words..." He trailed off, and gave a halfhearted laugh. "Listen to me, spouting poetical nonsense. I suppose that I am seized by the sentimental."

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Re: Evening on SL

bar_lady
2008-05-08 09:40 pm UTC (link)

"And what, dear Philo, is so wrong with being sentimental, or even waxing poetic?" she asked, taking a mental note of his brush-off for the moment. "If not for someone waxing poetical we would be devoid of poetry, would we not? And it would be a sad existance indeed if we were't to permit ourselves the luxury of sentiment." She shivered slightly, her voice lowering a little. "That would make us like machines, wouldn't it? And that isn't a good thing..."

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Re: Evening on SL

dr_philo
2008-05-08 09:54 pm UTC (link)

"You're right, as I'm sure you know." His smile was open, and he leaned onto his elbows on the bar. "Sometimes I wish we were like machines. Sometimes," his voice dropped in volume considerably.

"Do you think they can shut it off?" he asked quietly. "The Cylons--do you think they feel pain? Sorrow?"

Not long ago he'd never have asked such a question. Even speculating about Cylons was something that garnered unwanted attention, but as a man who studied the brain he was afforded eccentricities when it came to his topic of specialization.

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