Joint Log | Capt Ivanova, LtCmdr Waterhouse, LtCmdr Neyes - "Got my elbows down pinkies up"

Posted on Fri Sep 12th, 2014 @ 11:41pm by Admiral Rochelle Ivanova & Commander Amelia Waterhouse & Commander Tristan Neyes PhD.

3,429 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Are You Touched?

Somehow Amelia had convinced her to play nice, it had been the promise of Zed that had eventually made her come around and agree to attend this particular tea party. Zed had requested that it be a 'real' party, something similar to Alice in Wonderland and all Rochelle could do was follow the boy's wishes after his father had set the ordeal in motion. Zed would be a grand host, this she was certain of, and in not wanting to break his heart the Captain strolled the resort's halls beside her much taller XO counter part in a simple sweetheart necked coral tea dress. A tray of cupcakes went along for the trip held carefully in her hands, marking her as a polite guest. "You knock." She said, eyeing Pond.

Qo'noS held many secrets, many dangers — but nothing seemed quite as dangerous as the prospect of breaking a young boy's heart.

Amelia was striding down the hall on top of tall cork sole wedges, wearing a simple black and white checked gingham sun dress. In her left hand, a peace lily, in her right, a comic book. She half laughed, shaking her head at Rochelle as she shuffled the comic book so that it was tucked under her left arm. Rochelle seemed twitchy, even if it was a simple tea they were going for, so Amelia heldback on her normal whimsey. A quick, simple, short knock.

The doors opened to reveal the young master Irelle. Standing under even Rochelle's modest height, Zed was adorned with a handsome navy blue blazer and a powder blue bow-tie. He'd chosen the outfit not only for himself, but also for his father. Tristan stood behind him inside, wearing almost an identical suit, but with no tie. His eyes were firmly on Zed, who stood beaming at the Captain and Amelia, "Hello! How are you this evening ladies?"

Tristan stifled a laugh. Zed had also prepared a series of timeless niceties to kick-off the tea party. At first it was just tea, but when Zed got his hooks into it, it had to be a tea party.

"May I take your coats?" The boy asked even though neither woman had one. He half bowed and threw out an arm. "Come, come in out of the cold!"

"Aren't you dapper?" Amelia insisted with a grin. She offered up the comic book. "A gift for our stylish host." She then held the peace lily out to Tristan. "And for our host's silent macro-me," she added with a teasing wink.

Rochelle all but rolled her eyes at Amelia's offering to the counselor, instead stooping to Zed's level and presenting the cupcakes for his inspection. "No, but you can tell me where you want these?" She offered with a smile, admiring the boy's sense of style. It was hard not to notice his father's matching attire, her eyes slowly drifted to his. After their last encounter she hadn't wanted to see him, hadn't wanted to give him another chance -- but Zed won out like a dove holding an olive branch.

For a boy of only six, he had impressive lung capacity. The immense gasp of astonishment filled his chest, and he held his breath for a moment with puffed-out cheeks. Zed's eyes widened and scanned over the decadent cupcakes, and they lit up even more. There seemed no end to the magic of the Captain. He zipped over to the table ahead of Rochelle, his little dress shoes patting against the floor.

"I have a spot! Put them here." He squealed, reaching over his head to the tabletop and pointing next to the tea paraphernalia.

Tristan looked all too at home in the fitted suit. A collared button down rested over a black crew-necked undershirt on the young Counselor. While in uniform his stature kept him relaxed but withdrawn, but here in his quarters and wearing civilian garb, he felt open and comfortable. He accepted the flower from Amelia and mouthed 'thank you' as he placed in an open vase at the center of the table.

"Let's have a seat?" Neyes suggested, pulling out a chair for Amelia. Zed rushed an groaned as he pulled out a heavy wooden chair for the Captain.

"Perfect." Rochelle replied with a little laugh. She followed along loyally, setting the cupcakes where the boy pointed and slid them gently away from the edge of the table. He made the entire situation more than livable, he made it wonderful. She was reminded of Anne every time she saw him, and while her heart begged for the safety of Andrea and her vivacious little daughter, she found herself living in the moment with Zed leading the way and her shadowing him like some sort of terrier.

With care she helped him with her seat, quietly putting a hand on the wooden back and guiding it out without letting him see as he struggled with it. Taking her seat, she nodded to him. "Why thank you, sir." she grinned and folded her hands in her lap. Tristan once again caught her eye and she couldn't help but nod to him with her approval alight in her shining eyes. After all, he was responsible for the child's upbringing and had done something right.

Amelia nodded to Tristan as he slid her chair in for her as she sat. Only two other people had ever done that for her before, and she still found it a weird thing to do. She watched Rochelle interact with Zed, and couldn't help smiling. The boy brought out a side of Rochelle that didn't get to see light of day often, but it was nice to see.

Zed hopped up onto his chair and smiled, looking back and forth between the three of them. "Thank you for the book, Madam First Officer." He thumbed at the comic. "How come there are pictures?"

Rochelle looked to Amelia with an almost wicked little grin, "Because Madam First Officer is still in the stage where she needs picture books." She teased, "There's words to go along with the pictures, but they're in a special order she'll have to teach you."

"It's a comic book, they were popular in the 20th and 21st century on earth," Amelia explained to Zed with a smile. She then shot a look at Rochelle. "Pay no mind to her Royal Pain in the Highness here, she's getting Manga and western comics confused."

Neyes glanced to both women, taking note of the telling way Amelia said the royal address to the Captain. Anything less wouldn't have set off his attention, but how the XO said it... it just rang with pretense. He poured tea for the three others and then himself, offering up the sugar and cream. Zed sipped his tea with a noisy slurp, and dipped a teacake into his cup. "Caranberry is my favorite."

"I have a Djoxal tea as well, if you'd like Commander. It's a floral tea, more like a jasmine." His eyes popped up to the Captain, and he caught his words before addressing her, "How's your eye?"

The little fire bird had lifted her glass, choosing to ignore Amelia's comment and snatching of the bait intended to have her explain herself when Tristan's words caught her off guard. She blinked twice, looking between him and her most trusted before taking her intended sip. The dermal regenerator had done a decent enough job, solved the bulk of the problem, but hadn't been strong enough to whisk away the deepest of her bruising. Mikkal had nearly broken her orbital bone. Make up had become her new friend, something she rarely wore outside of extremely special occasions. Covering the injury had become the most special of all. "I beg your pardon?" She asked, choosing to brush it off with plausible disdain.

He was certain she'd carefully attempted to cover the injury, and in many respects he had to applaud the effort. There was minimal discoloration, and it had obviously been healed over somehow. The biggest giveaway was the slightest change in her blink, and how she hesitated occasionally with the motion. He was sure it was painful, even now, and worst of all it was fresh. Amelia no doubt knew about it, and the churning feeling in his gut rose again as he pondered why she would hide something so minor. A quick trip to sickbay would make her right as rain, so why didn't she go?

Tristan hid a smirk and turned to look at Zed, "Will you find out all about this comic book? I want to know everything, and if you like it maybe Commander Waterhouse can help us find some more for you to read." Zed nearly dropped his teacup and looked to Amelia. Neyes stood up and gently picked up an empty teapot, "Captain, will you help me in the kitchen? I'd like to get that other tea." He started up and away without her, indicating for her to follow.

"My friends call me Pond," Amelia insisted as she leaned forward, shrinking the space between her and the little spotted blond boy despite the efforts of the table to keep them apart. "You can too, if you like," she added in a bit of a stage whisper, almost as if it were a conspiracy. "The comic is Buck Rogers, an old space adventure from the early 20th century on Earth, then Humans didn't know other races and cultures existed yet."

Rochelle's jaw flexed imperceptibly and she nodded, "It would be my pleasure, Commander." She added with a pretty stage smile and excused herself, ruffling Zed's hair as she passed by him and walked to the kitchen knowing Tristan would be hot on her heels. Once in the relatively privacy the room offered, she spun to face him and rested her back and hands against the counter top closest to the sink. "This isn't about tea, isn't it?" She asked, her head tilting to one side.

"What happened." He set down the pot and looked at her eye, leaning in to observe it closer.

Her lips pursed as he leaned in for a better view, but she held firm and refused to move or skitter from him. The precious blue of her eyes followed his every move right down to the careful flash of his throat as he drew breath as if waiting for him to lunge for her at any moment. "I was hit." She answered honestly, banishing any and all thoughts of his potential betrayal or danger. For everything that Tristan Neyes was, dangerous and dark weren't traits he possessed. The man was soft, gentle and wise beyond his years -- a thought that made Rochelle wonder what he was like before he was joined with the Neyes symbiont.

Neyes smiled, "My 5 year old is in the other room, Captain. I'm not talking to him." She had been struck, slapped, or beaten. He digested the information for a moment. A woman like Rochelle didn't let just anyone hit her, and it obviously wasn't someone she had any real command over. The crew was almost definitely out.

"Who hit you?" He continued making tea, waiting for the water to boil.

"Don't get smart with me, Commander." She was quick to bite back, warning him to stay in the comfort zone she'd tediously allowed him to have. When he moved away, she allowed herself to watch him, studying his movements and the way he held himself. She knew what it was she was looking for, hints of Landon working and moving within him. Sometimes she swore she could see glimmers of something there and others, like now, he was completely foreign.

"An envoy from Atlantis." She responded with a shake of her head. Lying to him would only cause a fight, one she knew they couldn't risk with Zed chirping happily over comics in the other room. "It would seem that I've been crowned Queen, the blow should have only been a light slap. It seems that human holding such esteem is pretty taboo and this wonderful porter has taken it upon himself to make it known." Rochelle shrugged slightly, waiting to see how he'd respond.

Tristan pulled off the water and starting steeping the tea. He didn't let his movements betray him as the feeling of protectiveness rose once again. "Captain. I'm sorry, you're my guest and I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable. But I mean... come on." He sighed, disbelief ringing true.

"An Envoy... hit you." He repeated, more for himself than anything, and a little more than surprised.

Rochelle stiffened visibly as he questioned her, "Do you really think I'd lie to you about that?" She asked, a scarlet brow lifting in it's usual incredulous fashion when something didn't quite sit right with the woman. Her arms rose to cross defensively over her breast, shielding herself from him. "Computer, locate Mikkal of Atlantis Prime." The computer beeped softly in response.

"Envoy Mikkal of Atlantis is currently in civilian quarters." It responded in kind, and the little Captain afforded Tristan with a little I told you so smile.

Pushing away from the counter top, she moved closer to him, watching the tea steep. "Commander PontBrillant showed him his room. He and Waterhouse were witness to the entire thing, not that I should have to explain myself to you."

Neyes shook his head, "I would never think you'd lie about that. On the contrary," he glossed over her unwitting mistake at his meaning, "My disbelief is why this... man? Woman? Is not in the brig. Why is that?" He rested against the counter, his blazer pulling on his lean frame. He could hear the faint sounds of Amelia and Zed giggling cheerfully in the other room. A flash thought crossed his mind, how would Zed help her? How would someone with almost limitless compassion help a woman who refused to let anyone help her?

Rochelle's bottomless blue eyes raked across him like a storm of knives. He never knew when she was angry, sad, or defensive. Maybe she was all of them at once, but only with him.

He waved a hand pulling his eyes from the deadlock of hers, "No," stopping the train of thought, "you don't need to tell me. You are the Captain, and your business is your business. I was merely expressing concern, and now that I have I'm not entirely sure what I expected from you. This is clearly something you are handling," he looked at her knowingly, remembering something about this race and Rochelle from a conversation she'd had with Landon. His confidence in her ability to safely manage something like that was less than he let on, but she had support. There was nothing the counselor would drag from her without tearing her open in the process, and he feared it would always be that way.

Tristan opened a drawer nearby and pulled out a small leather band. Playing with it for a moment, he held it our for her to take. "This belongs to you, I believe."

She'd been about to respond to him, to say something cold and caustic when a single motion stopped her dead in her tracks. There in his outstretched hand lay the blood darkened leather band she'd given Landon in the minutes before they'd taken that final leap of faith. All at once it came back to her, the violence of the storm and the brutality that waited for them in the tree line. Rochelle gasped, nearly choking on that jagged breath as she reached for it, gently taking it from his hand with fingers that had begun to chill with surprise and anxiety.

"I... I left it in his bed on accident." She said as her fingers closed over the leather and drew it away from him ever so gingerly. "We were talking the night that I was taken, about life and love. I took it off to show him the bonding mark. He never asked, let it slide." She smiled softly, "but that was Landon." Her voice was soft, slow and low as she spoke and studied the worn piece of leather, clearly forgetting that he held Landon's memories and had been reduced to playing the role of her sworn enemy. In that moment they were on even ground. "I gave it to him when we knew we were going to die."

Neyes remembered. For a split second he felt like his brother, like Landon, and all the emotion surrounding Rochelle and their misadventure flooded over him. Happiness for her relief at having found the bracelet, and hope for her future. She was an astounding woman in his eyes, and always would be. She made him feel both powerful, and insufficient all at once.

Nothing would come of it though, and he quelled the memories of another man's life with simple things. Rochelle would be ok, and that meant more to him than he thought possible.

"Tea is ready. Come on, Zed has more questions to bombard you with." Tristan reached over her hand, closing it on the bracelet. A gentle smile, a nod to the other room, and he walked back out toward Zed and Waterhouse.

It took her a couple seconds to tuck away those memories, all of them safely bound into the ruined leather band he closed in her fist. It would be the only closure she'd ever have, the only tangible proof that Landon Neyes had ever existed, had ever been hers if even for those harrowing few moments. Rochelle nodded to him and set her shoulders, the young Captain suddenly knowing that while they may stand at odds with him holding the rope of healing, and her bracing almost violently against it as she fought against the past, they were two intricate pieces to the very same puzzle.

She followed him out, collected as always and beamed when Zed turned his head towards her, "Having fun?" She asked, touching Tristan's elbow as she passed him. It was her symbol of gratitude and budding acceptance. Tea had been a good thought after all.

"Commander Waterhouse knows so much about old human stuff!" Zed exclaimed. During their absence, the boy had taken to the comic she'd given him and was rapidly looking through the pages with renewed interest. "Humans have the best stuff, because Trill is so boring."

Neyes laughed. "We weren't really... free to pursue fun things a toddler would like back home." He explained.

Rochelle smiled at the boy and nodded big, "She really does, like a walking computer really." She chuckled lightly, her eyes passing back to Tristan as he spoke. "Well, that all changes here," The woman replied, the stiff band of leather linked between her fingers at her side, "Open learning environment filled with all kinds of strange things. Most of them easily found in the Commander's quarters."

"Can I see it?" Zed was almost awestruck with the prospect of such a wonderfully new and fantastic place.

Amelia was surprised by the request. She wasn't sure how her quarters had ended up described as a curiosities shop, but that's what it sure had sounded like. "Well, it's only proper after you had me for tea, that I return the favor. Though I'm going to give you a little homework," she added with a wink. "I want you to come with a calling card."

Zed stared at her for a moment, as if she wasn't yet finished with her sentence. "What's that?"

"It's a card you leave when you call on someone, to tell them you've arrived or visited," she explained with a grin. "I'll leave you an example tomorrow," she added with a wink.

Zed beamed, "Daddy how long until tomorrow?"

Neyes looked to Amelia and then back at his son, a smile on his face, "Not too long. Longer than you'd like, I think."

Rochelle couldn't help but chuckle in response to the child's eagerness and innocence. Her head shook gently as the four of them took to the table once more and the conversation continued. Comic books, ninja turtles, the Marvel universe -- it all came tumbling out over the sweetness of cupcakes and the succulence of tea. For the first time in forever, the Captain began to feel an overwhelming sense of calm begin to slowly trickle over her wild soul.

Life was going to be ok.

=/\= END LOG =/\=

Captain Rochelle Ivanova
Commanding Officer
USS VINDICATOR

Lt Commander Amelia Waterhouse
Executive Officer
USS Vindicator

Lt Commander Tristan Neyes
Chief Counselor
USS VINDICATOR

 

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