The Most Awesome GIRLs' Night of Jan 2019

"I've got it!" calls Juliet, skidding across the Rec to the door and cracking it open.
Andrea peeps in.
"You made it!"
"'course we did," says Lachlan, "aaand we brought cookies~!"
"Sorry, boys," says Juliet, ushering Andrea through the door. "Gorgeous, intelligent, radiant, and lovely people only."
Jason squawks. 
"And you don't think we fit that description?" asks Lachlan, eyebrow raised. 
"You guys trying out as comedians?" laughs Tsuki, ruffling Jason's hair as zhi squeezes through. 
"You two are cute," Juliet grins. "But not that cute." Plucks the tray from Jason's hands. "Thanks for the cookies!" Closes the door in their faces.
"Sorry about them. We go through this /every time—"
"Aww, don't worry." Juliet bumps their hips. "It's actually really adorable the way they follow you around like ducklings."
Nate says, "I wish I had that sort of appeal, Ranger Hill."
"'ey, Nate!" Juliet leans in, kisses her cheek. 
"Officer Tam," Nate kisses her back.
Juliet rocks away, asks, "You heard the broken record impression, then?" 
"I hear /everything, Officer Tam." 
"I really shouldn't be surprised." 
"You shouldn't." Then, Nate smiles at Andrea. "Don't downplay your charms, Ranger: those are two exceptional young people you have wrapped around your little finger. I've certainly never managed the like."
Andrea flushes scarlet.
"C'mon, Nate. You expect us to believe the Queen of Sydney's Jaeger Flies has never had two datemates on the hook at once?"
"Not as thoroughly as our Ranger does."
Andrea studies her Curly Cumulus slippers.
"Are you giving Ray a hard time, Ms Barclay-Harvey?" teases Chantell.
"Officer Nguyen!" greets Nate. "I haven't seen you since New Year's!" Pecks Chantell on both cheeks.
Chantell grins. "That was /some party. Where'd you end up?" 
"Where d'you think?" 
"Someone's bed, where else?" 
"The question is—" Nate smirks. "—whose?" 
Chantell ponders. "I need a hint. 
"Well, he has a bit of a temper, a thing for lace ...."
"Him /again?"
Nate laughs. "He does have certain ... charms."
"Though I can't ima—" Chantell shakes her head. "Never mind. I don't have time to bleach my brain tonight."
"Well, perhaps you can tell me more about the sweetheart blond I met on my way out instead. Tier Two quarters?"
"Pietr? Isn't he the /cutest?"
"He's absolutely adorable," agrees Nate, "and he'll make a /gorgeous Ranger."
"How did y—" Chantell narrows her eyes. "It was Jamie, wasn't it?"
"I'll never tell."
"He and I are gonna have to have yet /another little chat."
"Walker, bless his little mercenary soul, is not my only source, you know."
Chantell sighs.
Nate takes a thoughtful sip of her punch.
"I think I know what you're thinking, Nate, and I don't approve."
An eyebrow quirks.
"He's /married—"
A bland look.
"—/very married—"
"Threesomes /are a thing, Chantell."
"—in /South /Africa—"
Shrugs, 'so?'.
"—with /two adorable curly-haired babies—"
Frowns.
"—that he talks to /every /day."
"Enough already," sighs Nate. "Consider my conscience tweaked."
"Tweaked enough that you'll leave him alone?"
"You know me better than that, Nguyen."
Chantell rolls her eyes.
Tsuki asks, "Did I hear someone talking about Pietr?"
"Yup." Chantell raises her glass. "Just trying to protect him from Nate, here." Sips. 
Nate flicks her hair.
"Pretty sure he can take care of himself. I heard he made /Liz tap out. When was the last time a 'him' got the better of her?"
"Really," purrs Nate.
"Naaaate," warns Chantell.
[Nate waves it off. "I believe I'll check on the status of Ranger Davies' drink." She inclines her head, "Chantell, Tsuki." and glides away.
Tsuki shakes zhir head. "I'm never sure if I should be impressed or terrified by her."
"They're not mutually exclusive," says Chantell dryly.
Tsuki laughs.
"I've been meaning to ask you where you learned to sign."
"I grew up signing. Mason—my brother—'s deaf." Admits, "Never thought it would come in handy at work, though."
"Well, we're lucky you can. It never occurred to me to check if we have an interpreter on staff." Huffs. "Surprise, surprise: we don't."
"Really? Place this big?"
Chantell grimaces. "I'm learning the Corps makes only the most minimal accommodations for folks with disabilities."
"I've got some ideas that might help. Little things for hangar safety, 'specially."
"That's awesome!" Hugs Tsuki. "Thank you /so much!" 
Tsuki giggles. 
Chantell steps back. "I'll have to schedule us some time to talk about them."
"You're welcome." Lasers in on something over Chantell's shoulder and waves a hand. "Emere!" Separates. "Is it al—"
Chantell grins. "Get going."
"Aye aye, mon capitane!" Tsuki flicks a salute—
Chantell laughs.
—bounces across the room, squishes Emere to zhir chest, chirps, "Hey there, sweetie!"
"It's been too long!" Emere wiggles loose, straightens her hair. "What've you been up to?"
"Oh, the usual: up to my armpits in engine grease and hair dye."
"The garden gnomes again?"
"Who else?" Tsuki giggles. "You can see some of my handiwork over there." Zhi points.
"Ooo. That's a great colour! And pronouns—?"
"She."
"—she is one /adorable gnome."
"Yea. On the subject," Tsuki lowers her voice. "Did Noel find you?"
"Mhmm." Emere swallows. "I gave him the name of my specialist and my mobile number in case he wants to talk."
"I wish I knew someone who was already trans—"
Emere tugs an ear. 
"—ferred to Vladivostok last week?"
"Poor Kaleski, huh?" Juliet wrinkles her nose. "Hope she likes beets."
Tsuki chuckles. "And has an awesome coat."
"A promotion's a promotion, though, ay?" offers Emere.
"Crew leader on a Mark IV? Pret-ty cool," says Tsuki. "I'm just not sure I'm that keen on that much responsibility."
"Tell me about it," says Juliet. "It'd /seriously cut into my headcanon time."
"Who're you shipping this week?"
"Oh, the usual, but," Juliet leans close. "Looks like I have a chance to do some research on a new pairing." She] tilts her head. "See you!"
"Later, Jules!"
Juliet waves, saunters over next to Nate. "How goes the seduction?"
Nate sighs. "Thank you for ruining any pretext of subtlety, Juliet."
Liz snorts into her punch. "A pretext's all it was."
"I thought you found my directness refreshing, Ranger," pouts Nate.
"Of course I do. Doesn't change the nature of your approach, though."
"Ah well," Nate replies airily. "I'll take this as my cue—" Plucks the glass from Liz's fingers. "—to refill your [drink." Nods to each of them, "Ranger, Officer." 
They raise their glasses, and she sashays away.
Juliet watches her go. "How does she make everything sound like a come on?"
"Everything she says /is a come on."
Juliet grins. "It's a hell of a gift."
Liz smiles faintly. "It'll serve her well when she takes over the family business."
"Thought her brother would get it?"
Liz scoffs. "Not if she wants it."
"Good point."
A high-pitched squeal and Juliet staggers sideways.
"Jules!"
"'ey, Ruby!" she wheezes.
Ruby tugs her arm.
"'scuse me, Ranger, I'm apparently needed elsewhere."
"Have fun, Officer!"
"She will!" pipes Ruby, dragging Juliet away.
"What's the hurry, short stuff?" laughs Juliet.
"We need you!"
"For what!"
"/Sunshiney Rainbow Friends!"
Juliet rolls her eyes. "You guys and your cartoons."
"It's the best thing on TV," huffs Ruby.
"Well, you're looking very Perky Persimmon—"
"That's not a character!"
"It should be," Juliet giggles. "Whatever, Tsuki did a /great job with your hair."
"Thanks! Even my /uncle likes it."
"Whoa. Impressed the tough crowd."
"Yea, Tsuki's so /cooool."
They roll up next to Andrea, Ata, and Alice.
"They actually tow you around on a skateboard?"
"It's better than waiting for me to catch up," explains Andrea.
"Huh." Ata scratches her head. "How's it working out for you?"
Andrea shrugs. "Jackson's better about it, but he still nearly crashes me every corner."
"Ooo, not good." Ata frowns. "Not sure Rama's strong enough to give me a tow."
"A skateboard would just get bogged down in the mud," points out Alice.
"Well, that would depend on the qualities of the mud and the construction of th—"
"EEEEE!" squees Ruby, pointing. "Are those Curly Cumulus slippers?!"
Andrea nods.
Juliet and Ata roll their eyes.
"I've been looking all over for a pair! Where did you get them?!"
"Jason ordered them online for me."
Ruby deflates.
"Aww ... what's the problem?"
"I'm not allowed to shop online," sulks Ruby. "My uncle would /kill me."
"Seriously? What century does he think we're living in?"
"Probably the twentieth: back when we had to walk twenty kilometers uphill and against the wind—/both /ways—to buy our cartoon merchandise," drawls D'arcy.
"'ey," greets Juliet. "Just gotta rain on the pity parade?" 
Ruby huffs.
"Gotta represent my generation. Us life veterans need to remind you whippersnappers how hard we had it." Her eyes twinkle. "So, Ray, where /exactly did Jason find those slippers?"
"I don't remember. I'll ask him, though."
"Cool, cool."
"Why do /you, of all folks, need fluffy cloud slippers?"
"They're my present to myself for my impending promotion."
"You got it? The SE job?"
"Yup!" D'arcy rocks on her heels. "You're looking at Drivesuit /Chief Antonia D'arcy."
"Congratulations!"
"You go, Chief!"
"Congrats!"
"So it's true?" asks Ruby, eyes wide. "They found a copilot for Chu—Cadet Hansen?"
D'arcy and Ata shrug; Juliet and Andrea exchange a look.
"That's what we've heard," concedes Juliet.
"What're they like? The copilot, I mean?"
"Pietr's somewhere between a sugar cookie and a Snorlax, but blond."
Ruby ponders. "Curly hair?"
Andrea nods.
"I've seen him! He likes to hang out by the greenhouse!"
"Sounds like something he would do."
Ruby sighs wistfully.
"Don't tell me /you have a crush on Pietr, too," snickers Juliet.
Ruby flushes red as her name, stammers, "/No! He's not—I'm—"
"Ooo, someone's crushing on the Cadet~!"
"No-o!" squeaks Ruby.
""Movie time!"" hollers Sarah.
"Saved by the bell," smirks Juliet.
"Let's go, shrimps," says D'arcy, steering Ata and the relieved Ruby toward the big screen at the far end of the Rec.
"We'll be right there," excuses Andrea.
Juliet raises an eyebrow.
"Did you get a chance to see, um—" Andrea lowers her voice. "—Other Chuck?"
"Got a better look at the black eye she gave our esteemed pilot. You?"
"Ran into her in the hall. She was /glowing."
"Chuck normally glows."
"No—okay, yes, she does—I mean, she was radiating sunbeams and smiling at everything and fairly floating along."
"Chuck can /float?"
"I have /never seen her that—" Andrea gestures. "—happy? at peace?" Examines her punch. "Even ... /before, she was kinda ...."
"Unhinged?"
"That's not fair. She was really stressed."
"She snuck herself and Chuckles out after curfew and were off grid for three hours."
"So maybe she was a little unhinged back then, but now she's not. She's just ... optimistic. It's nice." 
"Was it a boy? A girl? A person? But please tell me it was a /certain boy so all my RPF can become canon."
Andrea face-palms.
Category:Ficlet
Category:Skeleton Key
Category:Sydney Shatterdome (setting)
Category:Juliet
Category:Juliet (ficlet)
Category:Andrea
Category:Andrea (ficlet)
Category:Lachlan
Category:Lachlan (ficlet)
Category:Jason
Category:Jason (ficlet)
Category:Tsuki
Category:Tsuki (ficlet)
Category:Sunshiney Rainbow Friends (reference)
Category:Nate
Category:Nate (ficlet)
Category:Chantell
Category:Chantell (ficlet)
Category:Jackson (mention)
Category:Pietr (mention)
Category:Jamie (mention)
Category:Griet (mention)
Category:Elize (mention)
Category:Izzy (mention)
Category:Elizabeth
Category:Elizabeth (ficlet)
Category:Mason (mention)
Category:Emere
Category:Emere (ficlet)
Category:MOGAI issues
Category:Garden Gnomes (mention)
Category:Ruby
Category:Ruby (ficlet)
Category:Noel (mention)
Category:Mikayla (mention)
Category:Ethan (mention)
Category:Jimmy (mention)
Category:Ata
Category:Ata (ficlet)
Category:Andrea's skateboard
Category:Andrea's Driftmates
Category:Andrea has short people problems
Category:Ata and mud are buddies
Category:D'Arcy
Category:D'arcy (ficlet)
Category:Chuck H (mention)
Category:Pokemon (reference)
Category:Pietr (description)
Category:Chuck D (mention)
Category:Alice
Category:Alice (ficlet)
Category:Sarah
Category:Sarah (ficlet)
Category:Ficlets with images
Category:Most Awesome GIRLs' meet ups