Chance Meeting

Posted on Mon 16th Jul, 2012 @ 10:07am by 1st Lieutenant Aryll LeStrat & Commander Brian Windsong

2,685 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/2
Location: Promonade
Timeline: Current

Brian had been unable to sleep, perhaps adjusting to the time difference between Kittyhawk and Protector or maybe for some other reason he wasn't sure. He reached over to the night stand, finding the small clock and carefully feeling for the numbers. It was 0115. He rolled to his feet, made his way to the bathroom, then after relieving himself and splashing some water on his fact walked out into the main area of the cabin.

Wicker sensing that something was up with her master nudged him on the knee. Just give me a minute girl, I have to get dressed. Go wait by the door and I'll be there in a minute. He found his way to the dresser and pulled on some jeans and black crew neck tee-shirt that hugged his wiry frame. He slipped on a pair of sandles and easily found the door whiere Wicker was waiting by the door as he had instructed her.

He grabbed her harness and headed to the Promenade.

Aryll was walking down the promenade, trying to get the stiffness out of her leg. She tapped her titanium rod, against the ground, using it to keep her forward motion going, despite the complaints of her leg. She took a moment, briefly, to rest against a conveniently placed support pillar, and pondered those around her. She wasn't particularly paying attention to anyone in specific. She looked almost... out of place, in her Ops Gold/Marine Rank pips outfit.

As the woman wearing the golden uniform stopped to rest, Wicker adroitly moved around both her and the collum she was resting against. Her master wasn't quite so lucky. He hadn't really been paying attention and though fast on his feet wasn't quite fast enough to avoid colliding with the woman.

He could tell it was a woman because of the curves of her body and the perfume she was wearing.

"I'm sorry he quickly apologized, the blood rushing to his face turning it a deep shade of green.

Aryll managed to bang into the support pillar, twice, on the way down. She grimaced, slightly. "Oof." Was the best thing she could find to stay, briefly pondering the silver-ish rod, just out of reach. "Ouch." She added, for clarification.

Wicker moved over to the prone woman licking her face and pulling Brian over with him. He heard the sound of metal hitting metal and then something rolling away. He let go of Wicker's harness and began to grope for the objext he had heard rolling away.

"I'm sorry," he repeated, "Wicker doesn't usually do that, but its all my fault." He finally found the object which he thought from the feel must be a cane. He picked it up then held hand out for her where he heard the labored breathing.

"Here let me help you up and let me buy you dinner."

Grabbing for the stick, she then shoved him away, getting to her own two feet. "You know how rude it is, to just be running down the promenade like you own the place?" She asked. "And that thing? People have allergies, you know!" She exclaimed. "If this Promenade actually had enough open shops to be busy, you could've really hurt someone, barreling through the corridors at warp speeds." She rubbed the right side of her ribs, and scowled. "And right about now, this feels like a trip to sickbay, rather than a dining hall." She added.

Brian's own temper began to flare, "Look I've already apoloigized to you twice, and I'm not going to do so again. Wicker is a guide dog you dumb bit.. Wicker is a guide dog, I'm blind it wasn't that I didn't see you, I can't see you!"

"Well, then you shouldn't be going down the damn promenade, at Warp 3." Aryll said, with a glare, not caring, if he couldn't see it. "The Promenade is usually one of the busiest places on the Starbase, and you are lucky there aren't more people here." She added. "And really, in this day and age, how are people supposed to pick out blind people? Just because they have a dog? My last Captain had a dog he brought everywhere. You should consider getting one of these." She added, tapping the floor twice, with her stick. "You can get them with GPS and sensor assist. Hell, you can get a tricorder to do the same thing, really."

"I really wasn't going at Warp 3," he responded in a tight voice. And if I'm not mistaken you stopped dead in your tracks, that makes you at least equally at fault. You know a simple rule of physics is that two objects can't occuply the same place at the same time.

And if I wanted a damn cane than I would have gotten one by now. So why don't you just quit your bitching?"

"To the contrary, I've been at full rest, against this pillar, for nearly 3 minutes now, and believe me, stopping dead in my tracks isn't that much slower than my full moving speed." Aryll said, with a scowl. "And I'm a woman. I'll bitch until I'm done bitching. I was under the impression that that was a common enough rule of the universe, to outdo, even Physics."

On hearing her words his anger cooled slightly and he began to laugh. " I think you have me there," he said, "Look, I really am sorry. If you're done bitching, then let me make it up to you. I am pretty good with my hands, if you're in pain I can give you a massage."

"I'll pass, but thanks." Aryll said, chuckling. "My last invitation to a massage was not what I signed up for, and there were assault charges involved. I avoid them, on principle."

"I understand, but when I say massage I meant massage, you sound too tough to try something else with and besides while I sometimes switch hit as humans like to say, generally speaking we don't play on the same team if you know what I mean."

Aryll chuckled, slightly, then nodded. "Probably, more so than you might figure." She said, with a giggle.

"Ok well why don't we start over. Like this hadn't happened. My name is Brian Windsong, I'm the new Chief Diplomatic Officer. It sounds like we might be more alike than we are different. I'd enjoy the company I haven't gotten used to the time change here and I was probably a little moody and feeling sorry for myself.

Let me buy you dinner."

"Glad I'm not the only one putting up with a time change. I'm not used to being up this late, and it's only about nine AM, local time. I still have to track down the Commanding Officer of this place, and report in, too, come to think of it." Aryll said, trailing off into thought. "Dinner at breakfast time." She added. "Odd, but I suppose I'll get used to it."

Brian was still sorry for bumping into the woman, but in a sense he was glad that he had, despite their rather inasuspcious beginings, he thought she sounded like someone he could become friends with. "I am sure we can come across some place that serves breakfast, its one of my favorite meals of the day. Besides I've pissed you off enough already today, I wouldn't want to upset your schedule anymore on top of it."

"Quite." Aryll said, with a chuckle. "I get a bit moody, when my schedule is thrown off. A 13 hour shuttle ride didn't help. Especially not with snotty privates who can't play poker, or fight worth a damn."

"That does sound like an intersting story, you'll have to tell me about it. My nose tells me there is a place fairly close by that is open and serving hot cakes. Should be easy for you to spot. If you want to point me in the right direction we can both get off our feet."

"'Rick's all-day breakfast, featuring all you can eat hot-cakes'?" Aryll asked. "Sounds like a likely suspect." She added, chuckling. "It's about 45 degrees to your left. Twenty to thirty feet."

Brian nodded his head and moved in the direction she had indicated. It was only a short walk, but he did manage to say, "All you can eat pancakes? Well there you go, Kind of makes up for nearly sending you to Sick Bay wouldn't you say? And I'm sorry I am Brian Windsong. I don't believe you've told me your name."

"Aryll." She said, with a nod. "First Lieutenant Aryll Va-" She stopped short. She hadn't used her birth name, unintentionally, in some time. "Lestrat." She corrected herself. "Chief of Operations."

Brian noticed the descrepency but didn't push it, nor did he feel he had to give her his rank. I am the Chief Diplomatic Officer. I guess we are both part of the Senior Staff. Have you met Colone Drake yet?"

"I was on my way, actually. Just had to stop, to catch my wind. It's a bloody big starbase, you know." Aryll said, with a chuckle.

"Well I met him about a year ago, a a su, at a meeting. You'll find him to be an interesting man."

"I suspect so. He sounds like a rather interesting man, from what little I've found of him available to my records. A great deal of them aren't, and specific people in Command frown on breaking into encrypted databases, so I don't make a habit of it." Aryll said, with a chuckle.

Brian's face invoulntarily turned into a smirk, "You know I've heard Star Fleet can be a bit anal about such things. Seriously I can't give you the details of how the two of us met, but well let's just say he's not the warm fuzzy type."

"Neither am I, most of the time." Aryll said, chuckling.

Brian was about to say something more, but he realized if he did he would be spelling out why Ashton was not warm and fuzzy and he couldn't do that to the man. After all for all he knew, Ashton might have changed.

Aryll shrugged. She watched Brian's dog, briefly, then nodded to the head waiter at the pancake house. "Table for two." She said, with a nod.

"This way, ma'am, sir." The waiter said, nodding.

When Wicker saw Aryll move he began leading Brian forward. He was able to avoid any further mishaps and found an empty chair with realtive ease. He sat down and Wicker stretched out, with her head on her paws, under the table.

"My aplolgies Aryll, you'll have to describe the menu for me."

"Well, they've got pancakes, with strawberry, maple, blueberry, pecan, and chocolate toppings, whipped cream, peanut butter, various forms of fruit jellies, sausages, eggs of various kinds, crepes, and something in Andorian script, which I'm going to tell you, that if it's in Andorian script, without a translation, it's not suitable for human consumption." Aryll said. "They've also got several sandwiches, including club house, BLT, and tuna salad. Last, but not least, coffee, tea, fruit juices, and Raktajino."

The waiter walked past, and overheard. "Also, we're featuring a Bajoran special, including barteret seasoned sausages, and a type of Bajoran jelly, and tea."

Brian had been about to order the choclate topped pancakes and sausage until he heard the waiter annouce the special. "I'll take the specialm" he said, "And I've got the check, just so you know."

"Coffee, blacker than space, and thicker than mud, and pancakes, with blueberry, and chocolate toppings." Aryll said, nodding.

Brian smirked at Aryll's words, "Coffee? Oh my goodness, how can you stand such swill? It taste so, I dont know bitter?"

"That's the point." Aryll said. "It's also delicious."

"If you say so," he replied, "But I think I'll just stick with tea. Tell me do you like rock climbing? I know that may be a weird question, but something I enjoy doing and while I like free climbing, I could always use a partner."

"Hah. That's funny." Aryll said. "I don't have the balance, anymore, and I'm not big on heights."

"I'm sorry I didn't know about the balance. I wasn't real fond of heights myself, but I learned to face that particular fear and now I love climbing. But then I just never look down. It helps."

Aryll shrugged. "I don't tend to get much in the way of 'free time', either." She said. "And there are times, especially specific calendar dates, that I appreciate that."

"And why is that?" Brian said his curiosity aroused.

"Come now, mister Diplomat." Aryll said, "I'm not about to reveal such inner secrets to a complete stranger."

"Well I guess that means that we are going to have to get to know each a little better. doesn't it Lieutenant?"

"You know, they used to tell me Diplomats didn't have any common sense." Aryll said, with a chuckle.

"Yes, but we do know how to turn BS into fertilizer," he returned.

Aryll nodded. "I have, however, noticed a great skill, at Bovine Scatology based agriculture." She said. She nodded tot he waiter, as he deposited their food. "Food's here."

Brian gave her a smirk as he felt for and found his fork and began to dig in assuming that Aryll had either already started or would soon follow suit, "Ha, you laugh now but when you want to avoid an inter-stellar incident I bet I find you knocking on my door."

"Hardly." Aryll said, with a chuckle. "I'm a marine. I cause inter-stellar incidents."

"All the more reason for me to be here." Brian replied with a smile.

"Actually, it seems like that's likely to be a lost cause." Aryll said. "There's a lot of marines on the manifest, you know."

"Yeah I know, I'm likely to be kept quite busy, but that's okay, I love a challenge."

"I said that, when I heard the station had been largely abandoned." Aryll said. She winced. "Then I discovered that it was largely abandoned, apparently, because they hadn't done any upgrades. In a while. A long while. I hope they sent me decent help."

"Yeah, I think that is one thing that we can all agree on Star Fleet had their heads up their collective asses."

Aryll chuckled. "I've heard that said many times. Never from a Fleetie."

"I'm not your typical Fleeter."

"I've heard that from a lot of Fleeties. I general discard it when it comes out of their mouths. I'll hold you as an exception to the rule." Aryll said. "I suppose I'll have to learn to put up with you lot, too."

"I suppose you're tight Lieutenant. I tend to call them like I see them, I've just learned to tell people go to Hell in such a way that they thank me for the information. That is the essence of a good diplomat. Well that and pissing off both sides of an argument equally."

"I just tend to tell people to go to hell." Aryll said, with a shrug. "There's a reason I'm not a diplomat."

She looked down at the food, and began picking at it, before it went cold.

Brian finished what was left of his food, "It is a a pity we don't play for the same team, I do like your style."

"I'm not fond of yours, but I've come across worse pacifists in my time, so I suppose I'd be able to put up with you." Aryll replied.

"Pacifist?" Brian asked, a touch of green touching his cheeks, "Now if you start hurling insults I might be hurt. I'm no pacifist, otherwise I wouldn't carry my sword around."

"Anyone who isn't in the marine corps is a pacifist. That's how Marines think. Get used to it." Aryll said, sharply.

"Well there you go, that explains a lot."

Aryll shrugged, and continued eating her food. This time, with significantly more gusto.

Brian began to eat his food as well.

OFF
Lt. Commander Brian Windsong
Chief Diplomatic Officer

First Lieutenant Aryll LeStrat
Definitely not a diplomat? (Chief Operations Officer)

 

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