Isaac was good, Isaac was fine, Isaac was aaalright...

Some of you might be saying 'Yeah, we'd [i]expect[/i] Isaac to go drinking because he seems the type, but WHY did he, though?  And why did Britta?', and these might be fair questions to ask, but the answers are very simple.  The first is that the two of them are [i]farmers[/i], and even with a drinking law in place, farmers tend to figure 'Ah, one or two isn't bad', and they're usually right.  Occasionally, they're not, and Isaac's father mostly did that to him at an early age as a sort of joke than anything else.  Even still, the two of them would not be unfamiliar with alcohol, just not given reason to indulge on a regular basis.  That said, the second reason is that the White Heart just isn't picky about selling to teenagers.  If Lucia can get a drink, [i]anyone[/i] can get a drink.  Finally, there was the most obvious reason: The war.  It was hell, it was fury, and it was terrifying.  Britta had nightmares and the sheer death toll Isaac was inflicting was starting to bother him.  Neither of them were as bad as Jean was, and a familiar face in the act of unwinding is always welcome.  So, Isaac would take a beer, loosen up, and start talking up a storm.  Britta took the post of the observing social-drinker.  And then, there was the scotch.  That was just out of an appreciation for different tastes.  It wasn't the sole-contributor to the things that happened later.  It was just a polite nudge.

Their talk had been an opening to one another, settling what hadn't been in the field, addressing what didn't want to be said out loud.  It was liberating, it was hopeful, and it was something to be thankful for.  His promise reverberated in her mind as they'd kissed and even hung in there as they followed through.  Britta hadn't made plans in that direction, Isaac hadn't done anything more than endearing conversation prior to that moment.  It just seemed that they had bonded well, that they had things in common, and that Britta knew that Isaac's word was iron-clad.  Neither one of them would have anything against it, and with that promise in their hearts and a polite nudge from the Scotch, they decided to say yes.  It was a strange thing, being drunk in the arms of someone you love.  Whether it just happened or that it had been mounting beforehand, the effect is the same.  The world is all wobbly and you feel like you're holdiing onto one another for some kind of stability, even as you go at it.  We're not gonna go into details, but let's just say that it wasn't just a [i]drunken[/i] euphoria that followed.

Time passed, and...Isaac honestly wasn't sure when or how they got under the sheets.  He wasn't even sure if he was properly awake, or if Britta was, either.  He [i]also[/i] wasn't sure if he ever looked at her the way he was now, with so much affection, or if he'd been just too caught up in Jean stealing up the attention of all the girls, somehow.  What Britta Hagen was...was caring, reliable, and quickly becoming one of his main confidents, since they were working together.  Her willingness to bring to head the thing that worried her most not only took courage, but indicated real trust in him to say thus and ask for his help.  She didn't want to worry the squad.  She wanted him to do it, to help her without risking them all, because while she wanted rescue...she also had no desire to endanger everyone else's lives.  Britta needed someone who would be willing to go, and no more, and that was him.  And with him promising to run into the field of fire for her, it just seemed natural for them to push the relationship they had further.  He moved his hand to push a few errant silver hairs on her face aside and she unexpectedly grabbed his hand.

[color=f7941d]"Agh!"[/color]

[b][color=ed1c24]"You're up, I see."[/color][/b]

Britta's eyes opened as a warm smile filled her expression.

[color=f7941d]"So were you, it seems.  How long?"[/color]

[b][color=ed1c24]"Not sure.  It was hard to tell for a while that I was, so I just lay here, listening to the sounds of a good time, outside.  At least, I [i]hope[/i] it's a good time."[/color][/b]

[color=f7941d]"Want me to find out?"[/color]

[b][color=ed1c24]"Reconnaissance?  All alone?  Isaac, you [i]shouldn't[/i]."[/color][/b]

They weren't exactly as inebriated as before, but the two of them started to laugh, anyway.

[color=f7941d]"So, what do you want to do?"[/color]

[b][color=ed1c24]"I suggest a two-pronged maneuver where you scout the perimeter and I get us something to eat.  They'll never stop us, there."[/color][/b]

[color=f7941d]"You did [i]well[/i] in basic training, didn't you?"[/color]

[b][color=ed1c24]"Well enough.  Go on.  I'll be right behind you."[/color][/b]

Since getting upright was less of a problem now, finding and getting back on his [i]clothes[/i] wasn't much of a difficulty either, thankfully.  Isaac casually eyed the unfinished bottle of Scotch and decided to give it a miss.  Food was more important now, also satisfying his curiosity.  He heard Britta getting up as well, then stopped as she just said [b][color=ed1c24]"Isaac."[/color][/b], and turned around.

[b][color=ed1c24]"I don't know if this was love or just a good time, but...I won't regret it."[/color][/b]

[color=f7941d]"Neither will I."[/color]

With that, he left the room and...what the hell was going on out [i]here?[/i]  Isaac arrived in the White Heart bar proper in time to hear the stakes for a no-holds-barred-with-lots-of-consequences drinking contest!  Now, it's a fair statement that our Lance-Corporal has never really been to a bar.  He was just sort of a decent guy who'd managed to mesh well with the territory.  Thus, he was also not really ever a host to the events, such as a drinking contest...and [i]certainly[/i] not one that was seemingly organized by Diana, which Luke was whole-heartedly diving into.  Let's see...  He noticed that the two Oceanics - Freya and [i]Marathon[/i] - talking with each other.  That made sense.  There was a new girl in the bar that he hadn't seen before, but then a neutral place such as this could bring in just about anybody.  Looked at least Federation, though, so there was that.  The main focus was on the drinking contest, so Isaac moved in to see if Luke was gonna get smashed-drunk or smashed-defeated.  Either way, it was worth a watch.  Good god, if any Darcsens were playing...  Well, the result of Diana winning would certainly be interesting.  Speaking of Darcsens, where was Jean?  He should either be a part of this or unwinding, somehow.