Afraid of the Dark

Chapter 21: Let Loose

Warning: This chapter contains themes of sexual assault.

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"Come on, Re! Just—"

"Nope," Reela downs another shot of something. No way in hell is she asking the barkeep what the fuck she's drinking after kinda threatening him just a little bit. She'd gladly scare him away again, if given enough reason. But she thinks he's avoiding her.

Corb eagerly taps her arm. "Just think about—"

"Nope!" Another shot down. She honestly kinda likes this stuff. Makes the Corb less annoying.

He grumbles and places his hand on her shoulder. "Reela, come on. I'm serious! This could—"

Reela slams back another shot and turns to face him. "What part of 'no' do you not understand?" she slurs irritably.

"But—"

Reela claps in his face. "No means no!" she whips back around to flag the Adaliaen woman down for another round. Corb sighs and leans against the counter next to her with his hand rested on her forearm.

"But don't you want to get Todo off your ass about Avinalyn?" he asks as the barkeep brings over more shots for Reela that she instantly starts drinking. She can see why Data likes clubs so much. She has got to visit Yastra more often when she gets home.

If she gets home.

More shots down.

Reela bitterly laughs and shakes her head. "Yes, but I don't think this is the way to do it," she scoffs and takes another shot. "I've kept my dignity for the last ten years of my life and I'm not about to break my clean streak now."

Corb groans and tries to take one of her shot glasses, but she snatches it and downs it in seconds. "Just listen to reason, here! I'm just trying to—"

Reela pauses for a moment to face him, place her hands on his shoulders and look him dead in the eyes. "Corb. You are not, will not, and have never been a voice of 'reason.' I know you're trying to help, but I think I'll manage," she rolls her eyes and turns away to resume her drinking. It feels good to brood at a bar. Now she sees what her dad was talking about. Not for the attention of thirsty hookers, but for a good excuse to tell people to fuck off while she gets drunk.

But Corb apparently hit his head too many times to take a fucking hint.

She glances over when he's quiet for a moment, only to see that he's gone. She looks around until she sees him running back over from wherever the hell he just hurried off to with Jules in his arms, laughing and throwing her arms up in the air.

"Hell yeah! Where's the party goin'?" Jules laughs and Corb sets her down on the counter next to Reela's collection of shot glasses. The woman chuckles and crosses her legs.

Reela looks deadpan up at Corb. "What are you doing?"

Corb motions to Jules. "Bringing in a voice of reason!" he declares and Reela's shoulders slump with her glare. Both she and Corb look at Jules to see that she's grabbing the empty shot glasses to try stacking them into a tower.

Reela shakes her head and just goes back to drinking.

Corb huffs and nudges Jules' arm. The woman whips around to look at him, only for him to point at Reela. "A little help here?" he asks.

"What's going on? What're we doing?" Jules asks in a drunken slur. How this woman is related to Regan, Reela will never understand. Regan gets sad when he's drunk. Jules becomes a wild fucking animal that's rampaging through kindergarten to hide from animal control.