Joint Duty Log - Capt Ivanova & Cn duPont - "Like A Tea Tray In The Sky"

Posted on Sun Aug 24th, 2014 @ 6:28am by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova

1,520 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: In the Dark

"duPont?" Rochelle's voice rang across the main room of her quarters late into the evening. She'd chosen to finish up her work there, wrapped in a blanket with her feet up on the couch after running herself ragged to the verge of what had felt like another impending collapse. Food was still a rarity, something she partook in only when the mood struck, and it rarely did — more so out of being forgotten than out of spite or malice. The little Captain had chosen to employ her yeoman that night, asking him to source information and cross check department reports for conflicting news regarding the status of the ship and her readiness for her impending departure. Setting him free in her stateroom, however, was beginning to feel like a mistake.

"Yes ma'am?" He looked up from the piles of PADDs he had. Realistically, he could be working with one, and perhaps a computer terminal, but he just liked being able to compare things side by side without having to scroll and flip between files in the same PADD. He'd taken over her dining table with his collection of PADDs.

"I'm starting to get tired." Her voice rung again, this time so much smaller as she sat the PADD she held down on the coffee table and rubbed her burning eyes, "Have you found anything that seems out of sorts? Anything worth bringing up to Commander Dahe'el when I ask about heading back out into the black?" She asked, as she let her hands drop into her lap.

"The only thing I've noticed is how many reports that Ferengi down in engineering submits. It's as if when the ship so much as sneezes, she'll submit a report. Does she go off duty?" Cecil shook his head slowly, looking at his pile of PADDs again. He'd started a quadrant for Zola's reporting excess.

"I can ask Commander Dahe'el to curb her into one report a day unless specified otherwise." Rochelle responded, shaking her head slightly and leaning it back against the cushion of her couch, throat exposed as she studied the ceiling.

"Very good, ma'am," he replied. He looked at his piles of PADDs. "I can continue this in my quarters, if you need to rest."

Repositioning herself, the young Captain looked to her Yeoman and sighed ever so softly, "Unfortunately a lot of that will require my attention and my go ahead." she replied wryly, "I'm done with sitting at this station, the sooner we get through that the sooner we can take to the stars again." It had become her mantra as she siphoned through the endless reports from each and every station. Requests granted, some denied -- The things that mattered most were filtered down to one neat pile, all of which were notes of completed repairs and additions to the ship's weapon banks.

"Would like something to drink, tea perhaps?" Cecil wanted to stand a moment and stretch at the very least. He'd been hoping for the walk back to his quarters even if it meant listening to Jenks grumble about him taking over their shared desk again.

She considered the offer for a moment before nodding, "Tea would be lovely. You should feel free to help yourself to whatever you'd like." A small smile tugged at her lips, in realization that they were both in the same proverbial boat — and they were sinking beneath the weight of the work load. There had to be an easier way to organize and categorize the reports rather than a single PADD at a time. Had to be.

"Is there a particular tea pattern you like in the replicator?" Cecil asked, standing up with a roll of his shoulders. Jenks was always complaining about the the tea the replicator spit out, but Cecil knew the Captain and First Officer drank tea regularly. There had to be a good pattern in the database somewhere, he figured.

Swinging her legs off the couch, Rochelle uncovered herself from her blanket and got to her feet, "forget what's in there. Just get two hot waters." She said, waving off the man's question with a flick of her wrist as she crossed her sitting area and pulled open a drawer to retrieve a tin. From within she pulled two triangular shaped tea bags, the scent delicate and floral reaching to abscond with her senses.

He arched an eyebrow as he walked to the replicator, scrolling through the patterns looking for one for hot water in mugs. The pattern he found was actually in tea cups set upon saucers, so when they materialized he picked them up by the saucers. He crossed to the Captain, not giving her a chance to come to him. Dutifully, he held out the blue and white replicated porcelain and watched the steam rise.

One after the other, the tea bags submerged in the hot water and began to steep. Rochelle's spirits began to creep back up, relishing in the thought of good tea and rest as she reached and took one of the cups and saucers for herself. "Have a seat." She said, gesturing to the empty seats in her living room as she turned to take back her prewarmed roost.

Cecil looked at the offered seating selection, holding the tea cup under his nose. He selected the nearest chair, and perched himself on the edge of it. Holding a teacup made him think of being forced to play tea party with his kid sister, and his pinkie finger instinctively stuck out as he clasped at the handle, a habit verbally beaten into him by the whining of Dana during these pretend tea parties. He hadn't actually had tea before, neither replicated or real, so he marveled at the smell of it and watched the Captain carefully to see when it was ready to drink.

"There's honey and sugar on the coffee table. I suggest honey." She grinned, bending to stir some into her own tea, careful not to make a racket against with the spoon against the glazed china cup after she fished her tea bag out and laid it to the side of her saucer. It was obvious that the culture of tea had been lost on the yeoman, something she would endeavor to fix if he was going to last in her service.

Cecil watched with curiosity, cradling his cup for a minute. He let the steam waft up into his nose, and couldn't help a smile. "What type of tea is this, ma'am?" he finally asked, pulled the tea bag out of his cup, setting it on the saucer just like she had. His eyes fell on the sugar and the honey as he lifted the cup to his lip to sample it before putting anything in.

"Lavender and chamomile." she replied, drawing her knees back up onto the couch. "Commander Waterhouse left me a few of them, they're quite soothing."

"Nothing Jenks ever replicates smells this good," Cecil mused, taking another sip. It didn't need the sweetener, it was delicious on its own. It occurred to him that the Captain would have no reason to know who he was talking about. "My roommate, crewman Henry Jenks, is always telling me how poorly the replicator does with tea," he explained.

She nodded, setting her cup down after a sip. "I would have to agree with him. It's always missing something. Tea has to come from the heart."

He almost laughed, it was such a silly thing to say... but he had to admit the evidence in front of him didn't disagree. Coincidence perhaps? Might be worth cozying up to Waterhouse to get some to bribe Jenks with. "Thank you for sharing this with me, ma'am," Cecil said simply. His eyes drifted back to the snow bank of PADDs on the table as he took another sip.

The little Captain's fingers curled around her cup, drawing warmth from the delicate china as they did. "My pleasure, Cecil." There was no sense in being distant or cold. He hadn't earned her ire, if anything he'd proven helpful and precise — traits she truly appreciated for everything they were worth. Without them, she'd have been left to the task herself or bound to bribe Amelia into completing the menial task with her. A sigh parted her lips as she followed his gaze, "well... Back to the grind."

"Yes, ma'am," he was up out of the seat like a jack rabbit, stopping suddenly when the tea slopped out of the cup just a little, the hot tea splashing his fingers. He stopped, biting back a word that he felt should never be said in the presence of his captain, then smiled apologetically before moving back to the table with his PADDs.

She blinked as she watched him trundle off, the tea sloshing in his inexperienced hands. She nearly cringed but offered a polite smile instead. So much was better left unsaid, and so much more was better left for proper education — he'd make a decent yeoman yet.

=/\= END LOG =/\=

Captain Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR

Crewman Cecil duPont
Yeoman
USS Vindicator

 

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