Initially perplexed as to why their fearless leader would be gathering them so informally, Elijah suddenly understood the grave danger their privacy was in when he saw the box Laura had been standing on.
Oh man. It was Lewis Pasco day, and nobody had any guns to exchange that weren't safely esconced in armories or lockers. So what did that leave? The great maritime tradition of getting completely schwacked on firewater, of course! The announcement that not only would they be drinking, but playing 'Never Have I Ever' also disheartened the humble marine, who had initially planned to nurse his bottle until everyone was too drunk to stop him from leaving.
The game, as they say, was afoot. The box was prised open, a letter from Admiral Valken (that Admiral Valken?) read, and everyone had a good-sized bottle pressed into their hands.
It seemed none of them would be respecting the good admiral's wishes tonight.
Eli expertly opened his bottle with a deft twist of his hands, smelling the whisky experimentally. It was good stuff, better than the rotgut alcohol he'd made most of his life (and was currently making in the engineering decks - he hoped he didn't stink too much from the process at the moment, having been called away from the first batch of 'Jah Love' produced on the Ulfbert) but it was undeniably strong. It was a drink that admirals apparently indulged in when they wanted to get shitfaced - why expect anything less than the best?
He grumbled at Laura's opening shot, taking a large swig from the neck of the bottle.
"Dat ain't 'ardly fair, Corporal." Eli said, showing no noticeable reaction from the slug of whisky, "Ev'ryone knows yeh came of de assembly line at NSMC boot camp, seh yea. 'Sembled you on de spot from spare parts stitched together, den taught ye deh right and left face, mon."
An expectant silence followed his words. "What?"
Gears clicked in his brain - squeeks could be heard as his mental hamster completed rotations on his neurological wheel. "Oh, shit, dat means I an' I is next, don't it?"
Laura had established the precendent. This was a no-holds-barred game of Never Have I Ever, with no quarter given or expected. Quite possibly, this could be the greatest test of Elijah's ability to hold his drink in his adult life - he had no intention of losing before he dragged half his squad to a hangover alongside him.
Normally, Marines were loathe to admite inexperience, but Elijah saw a way of equalizing the opening shot. No dignity was to be spared if victory was to be assured.
"Never 'ave I evah..." Eli said, with a pause that seemed to hold great gravity, "...worn a suit of power armor in combat.