Three word challenge – use the words – hope; fortune; novel in any order
PG13 Language
Humour, I hope.
"A Very Harper Shore Leave"
Hope drift where did they get that name? Harper had been in some dives in his short life but the bar he found himself in had got to be a low point even for him. He tried very hard to remember how he'd ended up here. He took a long drink from the smeary glass in front of him. Aargh whatever the greasy looking liquid was it tasted foul. His head throbbed, his shoulder was very sore and painful and he felt the first tendrils of some sort of infection invading his body.
Great he'd obviously spent a small fortune getting into this state and he couldn't remember where he'd been or what he'd done. He vaguely remembered having sex but he couldn't remember who or what he'd had sex with. He hoped he hadn't picked up any interesting diseases. He would have to sneak past Trance and give himself a medical check once he got back on board the Maru.
Every shore leave was the same, he started off with high hopes that this time it would be different but it always ended the same way. Seamus Z Harper he admonished himself you may be a freakin genius but you can be such a bloody fool too. He looked round the sleazy bar, trying not to make eye contact with any of the other drinkers. He knew instinctively that would not be a good idea. No he would finish his drink and then he was out of there. He took another mouthful of the disgusting fluid then decided perhaps he wouldn't bother. He got up to leave and was aware of a presence in front of him. He looked up; there was a large hairy stomach just at his eye level. The sight did not improve the way he was feeling. His eyes travelled up the body of the huge male in front of him. At least he hoped it was a male, it was sometimes hard to tell. The view got worse the more he saw. The creatures face looked as if someone had been practising needlework on it. It opened its cavernous mouth and spoke.
"You going to finish that drink?"
Harper couldn't stifle a giggle; the things voice was as high and squeaky as its body was large and intimidating. The next thing he knew was a massive hand grabbing his sore shoulder.
"Ow, ow, man that hurts," Harper wondered for a moment what he'd managed to do to himself this time. He'd been injured somehow. He hoped he would live long enough to find out. The giant let go of him.
"Sorry man," it said apologetically. "Don't know my own strength, but if you don't want that drink can I have it?"
Harper breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah be my guest," he babbled. "In fact I'll buy you another, you look thirsty." He threw the last few coins in his pocket on to the bar. "Give my friend another one of those, whatever they weres."
"I'll be leaving now," he said to no one in particular. He casually sauntered out of the bar; breaking into a run once he was clear. At least he could recognise the area and luckily he wasn't far from where the Maru was docked. He ran all the way back, threw himself through the hatch and collapsed on the deck. He lay there panting for breath.
"Harper?"
Uh oh he knew that voice. "Yes my purpleness what can the Harper do for you?" He wheezed. His lungs felt as if they were on fire.
"Harper you look dreadful, where have you been? Beka was about to send Rev out to look for you."
Harper struggled to his feet. He felt most unwell; he could feel himself sweating but cold at the same time. There was no way he was going to make it to the crew quarters without Trance's assistance.
He spent the next two days being very unwell indeed. Bouts of burning fever and icy cold sweats. Hallucinations alternating with periods of deep sleep. He finally woke up feeling almost back to normal. Trance was bustling about and came to sit next to him. "Harper, that was stupid even for you, and that filthy bandage on your shoulder, what were you thinking of."
"If you were thinking at all," Beka's voice broke in. She was standing in the doorway looking at Harper. She had a strange expression on her face. Harper thought it looked as if she was trying not to laugh. He put a hand up to touch his shoulder; it was still uncomfortable but not as painful as it had been.
"Trance, what happened to my shoulder? I really can't remember had I been in a fight or something." Trance didn't answer. She unwrapped the bandage and gave Harper a mirror. She stood behind him and held a second mirror in her hand so that Harper could see his back. "Here you are Harper, take a look and you'll see what gave you an infection and nearly killed you."
Harper looked and immediately shut his eyes tightly. He couldn't believe what he'd seen. Beka grinned at him. "Novel isn't it kiddo, I can't say I've ever seen anything like it before."
Harper looked again, and smiled a little uneasily. "Hey Beka, haven't you ever seen a tattoo before?"
Beka laughed. "Oh yes Harper I've seen plenty of tattoos before, but never one of a naked Perseid."
PG13 Language
Humour, I hope.
"A Very Harper Shore Leave"
Hope drift where did they get that name? Harper had been in some dives in his short life but the bar he found himself in had got to be a low point even for him. He tried very hard to remember how he'd ended up here. He took a long drink from the smeary glass in front of him. Aargh whatever the greasy looking liquid was it tasted foul. His head throbbed, his shoulder was very sore and painful and he felt the first tendrils of some sort of infection invading his body.
Great he'd obviously spent a small fortune getting into this state and he couldn't remember where he'd been or what he'd done. He vaguely remembered having sex but he couldn't remember who or what he'd had sex with. He hoped he hadn't picked up any interesting diseases. He would have to sneak past Trance and give himself a medical check once he got back on board the Maru.
Every shore leave was the same, he started off with high hopes that this time it would be different but it always ended the same way. Seamus Z Harper he admonished himself you may be a freakin genius but you can be such a bloody fool too. He looked round the sleazy bar, trying not to make eye contact with any of the other drinkers. He knew instinctively that would not be a good idea. No he would finish his drink and then he was out of there. He took another mouthful of the disgusting fluid then decided perhaps he wouldn't bother. He got up to leave and was aware of a presence in front of him. He looked up; there was a large hairy stomach just at his eye level. The sight did not improve the way he was feeling. His eyes travelled up the body of the huge male in front of him. At least he hoped it was a male, it was sometimes hard to tell. The view got worse the more he saw. The creatures face looked as if someone had been practising needlework on it. It opened its cavernous mouth and spoke.
"You going to finish that drink?"
Harper couldn't stifle a giggle; the things voice was as high and squeaky as its body was large and intimidating. The next thing he knew was a massive hand grabbing his sore shoulder.
"Ow, ow, man that hurts," Harper wondered for a moment what he'd managed to do to himself this time. He'd been injured somehow. He hoped he would live long enough to find out. The giant let go of him.
"Sorry man," it said apologetically. "Don't know my own strength, but if you don't want that drink can I have it?"
Harper breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah be my guest," he babbled. "In fact I'll buy you another, you look thirsty." He threw the last few coins in his pocket on to the bar. "Give my friend another one of those, whatever they weres."
"I'll be leaving now," he said to no one in particular. He casually sauntered out of the bar; breaking into a run once he was clear. At least he could recognise the area and luckily he wasn't far from where the Maru was docked. He ran all the way back, threw himself through the hatch and collapsed on the deck. He lay there panting for breath.
"Harper?"
Uh oh he knew that voice. "Yes my purpleness what can the Harper do for you?" He wheezed. His lungs felt as if they were on fire.
"Harper you look dreadful, where have you been? Beka was about to send Rev out to look for you."
Harper struggled to his feet. He felt most unwell; he could feel himself sweating but cold at the same time. There was no way he was going to make it to the crew quarters without Trance's assistance.
He spent the next two days being very unwell indeed. Bouts of burning fever and icy cold sweats. Hallucinations alternating with periods of deep sleep. He finally woke up feeling almost back to normal. Trance was bustling about and came to sit next to him. "Harper, that was stupid even for you, and that filthy bandage on your shoulder, what were you thinking of."
"If you were thinking at all," Beka's voice broke in. She was standing in the doorway looking at Harper. She had a strange expression on her face. Harper thought it looked as if she was trying not to laugh. He put a hand up to touch his shoulder; it was still uncomfortable but not as painful as it had been.
"Trance, what happened to my shoulder? I really can't remember had I been in a fight or something." Trance didn't answer. She unwrapped the bandage and gave Harper a mirror. She stood behind him and held a second mirror in her hand so that Harper could see his back. "Here you are Harper, take a look and you'll see what gave you an infection and nearly killed you."
Harper looked and immediately shut his eyes tightly. He couldn't believe what he'd seen. Beka grinned at him. "Novel isn't it kiddo, I can't say I've ever seen anything like it before."
Harper looked again, and smiled a little uneasily. "Hey Beka, haven't you ever seen a tattoo before?"
Beka laughed. "Oh yes Harper I've seen plenty of tattoos before, but never one of a naked Perseid."
