Drunken Counseling?
Posted on Thu Jan 29th, 2026 @ 4:59pm by 1st Lieutenant Maria Zamorano & 1st Lieutenant Mazal Falk & Lieutenant Bela Swain
1,551 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Lost Horizons
Location: Bela's quarters
Away from Cam's office the trio went, making their way to Bela's Quarters. The two marines were carefully guiding Bela, not wanting her to stumble and fall. When they arrived, Mazal and Maria looked at each other then towards Bela.
"Would it be okay if we come inside? We'd like to make certain you are okay, and well--" Maria looked at Mazal, then back to Bela, "I do know I'd like to have one of your famous hugs." She motioned towards Mazal, "And I am certain she could use one as well."
Mazal gave a nod in answer.
Bela told Maria exuberently, "I'm more than fine! That is so sweet of you to be worried about me! And if you want a hug, well, that's never a problem!" With that, Bela draped herself around Maria and pressed tightly against her as they entered her quarters.
Maria gave a soft chuckle, "You definitely are the queen of hugs, you remind me of my sister Rosa, she gives great hugs. You'd like her. I have missed her hugs," giving Bela a return embrace.
Mazal watched giving a bit of a smile as she watched Maria enjoy the embrace from Bela. She thought of her own two sisters.
"Okay my turn?" Mazal having a watery smile.
"Of course!" Bela replied enthused. The Counselor peeled herself off of Maria and awkwardly turned into Mazal. Once again, she took her arms and draped them around Mazal and pressed tightly against Mazal with her entire body, Bela's weight falling slightly forward onto Mazal.
Mazal wrapped her arms around Bela, the petite woman did give amazing hugs, the marine giving a smile. "Let's have a seat okay?" going to a nearby chair. "Tell me what did you think of what Cam had done?"
Maria took a seat as well.
"What do you mean, what do I think of what Cam did?" Bela asked, as she nearly lost her balance as tried to sit on a bean bag chair on the floor. She laughed as she gathered herself togethe. "Woopsie!"
"The ceremony for his fallen comrades, I like the fact that he included us in the ceremony. I hadn't been able to give honor to my fallen comrades for some time. And being included in that, did give me comfort." Mazal explained. Her voice a bit gruff with her emotions.
Maria had reached out to see if she needed to give Bela a balancing hand, she was relieved that Bela didn't fall onto the floor.
Bela started to move towards Mazal, as she felt Mazal needed a hug. "I'm so sorry to hear that you lost people." Bela's eyes became wide and her eyes became glassy. "That's so sad. What happened? Who did you lose?"
"He was the scout for the team I commanded, we were pinned down, he was very agile and seemed to be rather lucky. The only way we could get out of the situation was for him to distract. I was going to do so, yet he insisted and told me told us it was his job. And it was. He managed to provide the needed distraction, we were able to get out, and we thought he did as well. He was so close...." A tear trickled down her cheek. "He died in my arms" then she gave a choking laugh. "He requested a kiss, as he had been longing for one. And I gave it to him, then he said he could now die a happy man." Mazal hid her face in one hand trying to stem the flow of tears.
Maria was looking at Mazal, with worry, she'd not seen her like this before.
Bela practically smothered Mazal with a hug. "That's so sad." She pulled away slightly from Mazal and gently started stroking her cheeks and wiping her tears.
Maria looked around and spotted a box of tissues, she reached over and took out a couple of tissues to hand to Mazal.
Even though she was all teary eyed, the tender comfort that Bela was giving her, brought out a rather sunny smile from Mazal, the tears fading away.
"Bela you are so sweet, you are a wonderful counselor." Mazal took the offered tissue from Maria. "You certainly have made me feel better." The Marine gave Bela a return embrace.
"I'm so glad," Bela enthused, as she held Mazal tightly. "It is my job to make everyone feel better. After all, all that is mine is yours."
Mazal gave a warm chuckle. "You remind me of my younger sister, Alia, she loves to give out hugs. Can I adopt you as a sister?"
Maria raised an eyebrow at this, she was seeing another side of Mazal that she never knew existed. Bela seemed to have a magical effect where the tall amazonian marine was concerned.
"Of course you can!" Bela replied enthused at the prospect. "And with you as a sister, you would make the family even with 3 boys and 3 girls," Bela concluded before hugging Mazal tightly again. The counselor did not notice Maria looking at them both.
Mazal chuckled warmly, "That makes me even happier. I'm not above adopting others." She looked over towards Maria seeing her curious gaze. She realized that Maria had been watching the hugfest that was happening.
"You know you could come closer for a group hug." She gave a genuine smile and motioning for the woman to come over.
"You are my superior officer and well, would that be proper?" Maria uttered, not certain how to take all of this.
"Hang propriety, right now we're just three ladies, having come from a rememberance ceremony. Bela's drunk, I'm not so much. And you are not going to get away from getting an embrace from me."
"Does this mean that sometime we're going to be having a slumber party and paint our toenails, applying makeup and doing each other's hair?"
"Sure why not?" Mazal turned to Bela, "What do you think?"
Maria's mouth gaped open when Mazal asked that, she quickly closed her mouth.
"I'm not drunk," Bela protested. "Maybe a little tipsy.... Alcohol never used to affect me like this...." She leaned more heavily on Mazal. "My parents own a resort, you know.... And, if you want to have slumber parties and do hair, I'm good with that. It would be fun."
"Well that wouldn't be too bad." Maria finally responded. "I do miss my sisters, and they used to do that before I joined the Marines, and still insist doing something like that when I do go home for shore leave. I was told by my sisters that I needed to make certain I don't forget I am a woman, and do need to do self care, despite being a marine."
Maria paused, "I wonder if Kara would like to join in on a self care meet up on the holodeck, sometime."
"Oh, if you want to feel like a woman, I will happily assist with that too," Bela answered happily. "Are we just talking about self care or something more? Sometimes these things are not always clear to me and in my current state..." Bela's voice trailed off, as she shook her head, trying to free herself of cobwebs. "Also, Kara, or whoever is welcome. All that is mine is yours."
Maria chuckled, "I was meaning self-care. The other I will let someone else help me out there. Though I have heard a rumor that there is someone who is interested in you, Bela." There had been some talk about that.
Mazal noticed Bela seeming to be a bit off kilter. "So sis, let's get you ready for sleep. That drink that Cameron gave out it is a bit strong, but it is good stuff. My folks they have a winery, I may need to have them send some wine."
Bela protested, "I've had Romulan Ale before.... I used to be able to do so much better than this." She slumped further into Mazal. "Must be all the synthahol here."
"I think that is the trouble. I can't drink synthehol I am allergic to it, so I end up not drinking it at all." Mazal tenderly moving Bela into her arms. "C'mon sis lets get you comfortably situated in bed and you get some sleep."
"But this was real Romulan ale.... I must have lost my tolerance being in Starfleet," she informed Mazal with a puppy dog pout. "I didn't make a fool of myself, did I? Maybe you should tell me in the morning...."
"I will do so." Mazal answered, efficiently getting Bela ready for bed much like she'd done with her sister on several occasions.
Once was all was done with Mazal tucking the blanket around Bela, Mazal leaned in and gave her a kiss on the forehead.
"Goodnight little sis, sweet dreams." Mazal whispered quietly,.
Maria had a soft smile, Bela was really cute, and she felt that Bela was one of the better counselors she'd ever seen. "Goodnight Bela."
"Nighty night!" Bela replied, reaching a hand over her blankets and waving in no direction in particular. Within a moment, her hand fell back down and she was sound asleep.
1st Lieutenant Mazal Falk
Marine
USS Calypso
1st Lieutenant Maria Zamorano
Marine
USS Calypso
Lieutenant Bela Swain
Chief Counselor
USS Calypso
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