It's not something you hear every day, so Karl turns his head to look at the small blond girl next to him. She's not a girl, really, but not a woman either. Somewhere between butch and bitch, he thinks, though she's not drunk enough to have made the statement he's pretty sure he just heard. "Oh yeah?"

"Nope." She downs what's left in her glass in a single shot and then turns a wide smile on him.

"Well. Good to know."

She turns her head and looks up at him, frowning slightly. "I don't know you."

"Karl Agathon."

"Kara Thrace."

Everything makes sense in those two words. Everybody's heard of Kara Thrace, she's as much a legend at the academy as the Adamas or Cain. Only you don't frak with the Adamas or Cain, and, if he's got his stories straight, you're pretty much assured a frak with Starbuck.

She pours another shot into her glass, glaring at the bartender as she tops off Karl's glass as well. "You come here often?"

"Wow. That line's as old as the Scriptures." Karl takes his drink and downs it, figuring he can put away twice the booze she can, given as he probably doubles her mass.

"C'mon, you don't think Apollo and Athena were frakking like rabbits when old Zeus's back was turned?" She matches him drink for drink. "Incest on Mount Olympus, my friend. It was all the rage."

He laughs and takes the bottle from her, pouring them each another shot. "I'm sure Apollo would be glad to hear that. Pity he's only got a little brother, huh?" There's conjecture in the air at the Academy as to what Zak's name's going to be, what you call the other one, the one who's not a golden god. "Or is there more than I want to know about the Adama family?"

"Frak the Adamas." She slams back her drink and grins at him, half-leering and half-impish. He's not sure which he likes more. "I am Kara Frakking Thrace. Meant for greater things than this dive bar and relationships." She leans into him, and he can see the light in her eyes, see exactly how drunk she is. He's pretty sure the word legendary might come into play at some point.

"What are you destined for?"

"Dunno." She sighs, and the air doesn't quite go out of her, but she frowns at her drink. "There's a place down the street."

Karl laughs and picks the bottle off the counter, wrapping his arm around her. "Tell you what, Kara Frakking Thrace, I know just the place we should go."

"Gods, this place is a dump." She stretches out on the dilapidated couch and grins up at him. "Feels just like home."

Karl smirks at her and tosses the bottle her way. "Beggars can't be choosers." He nudges her legs over with his foot then sits next to her knees. "Until the Academy opens its vaunted doors to the riff-raff this fall, yours truly is sitting on his ass right here."

She nudges him with her knee. "It's a nice ass at least."

"Pride of Tauron," he assures her with a laugh, blushing slightly as she sits up to take a closer look.

"Yeah? Stand up. Let me see that." She knees him hard, sending him nearly sprawling off the couch. He glares at her and stands, watching as she shifts onto her back, open and inviting. "Go on. Turn around. Tauron's standing is at stake here."

"You're frakking insane, aren't you?" He shakes his head, not surprised to find himself turning in a slow circle, grinning slightly at her scrutiny.

She toes her shoes off and presses her foot to his thigh, stopping him mid-turn. Her smile widens and she bites her lower lip then licks it, intent clear in her eyes. "I'm nobody's pride, Agathon," her voice is pitched low and husky, whiskey rough and ambrosia smooth. "Feel like slumming?"

He leans down, bracing himself with one hand on the back of the couch and the other on the cushion beside her head. Her lips are parted on a half-smile, wet and inviting. He can't help but smile as he moves closer, eyes on the bright shine of hers. "Rumor is the great Kara Thrace has a boyfriend."

She licks her lips again, running her tongue along the bottom of her teeth. "Yeah, and if you're lucky, tonight his name'll be Karl Agathon."

"I think that'd be if you're lucky," he assures her, finding her mouth with his own. It's as hot as her skin as he lets his hand slide over, curve against her neck. She bites his lower lip then sucks on it, hands snaking around his neck. He pulls back to breathe, lips wet and swollen. "Sadly, you're not gonna be."

She tugs him closer then stops as his words sink in. "What?"

"Now shift over and share the bottle." He gets to his feet then reaches for her legs, shoving them off the couch so she has no choice but to sit up. Kara stares at him with something like incomprehension for the longest time before fire lights up her eyes.

"You son of a…"

"Ah-ah." He shakes his head and steals the bottle from her. "Not in front of the children."

"What ch…you…"

Karl takes a drink and passes the bottle back. "Drink up, Thrace."

"You…I…" She punches him hard, her bare knuckles digging into his arm. "Frakker."

"You love me, and you know it." He wags the bottle in front of her. "Drink up."

"I hate you."

He nods and waits her out, carefully schooling his expression as she grabs the bottle from his hand and relents, taking a long swallow. When she's quiet, he risks a look at her, a smile. "So tell me, doesn't it, you know, chafe?"

"What?"

"Not wearing underwear."

Her laugh takes him by surprise, though he's not completely sure why. It fits her, hard and braying and loud like her wide grin. "Karl Agathon, I think we just might be friends."