<USS Lovisa> "Infringement of Solitude"
- From: Mara Ryell <mara.ryell@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: usslovisa@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:41:45 -0600
*"Infringement of Solitude"*
Starring Ethan Chastain & Mara Ryell
Exhausted but unable to sleep, Mara had quickly grown sick of her
quarters. So she found herself sitting in the lounge instead, sipping a
mug of hot chocolate. At least this way she could pretend to be social.
Ethan walked into the lounge, his nylon black wind pants rustling
against each other as he walked. A game of Velocity with the Galactic
Champion of 2341 - holographic representation of course - had tired him
significantly, but it wasn't enough to force him to retire. He was more
hungry than anything. Walking through the door he saw the lounge
virtually empty with the exception of Lieutenant JG Mara Ryell at a
table near the corner. Perhaps, after all, he wasn't the only night owl
aboard. Ethan stopped briefly at the counter, getting a cup of coffee,
and headed over to her table. "Excuse me, Miss, is this seat taken?"
His words dripped with insincerity, but were lined with good
intentions. "This place is too crowded at almost one in the morning."
"Actually, I ..." Mara searched frantically for an excuse. Any
excuse. "... actually it's not," she finished lamely. An hour by
herself and he was the first one to approach. "Is there something you
need, Doctor?"
"Company. Late night, can't sleep, was hoping for a little chit chat
about things." Ethan took a sip of his coffee gingerly, his eyes going
to the stars as was his usual custom. "It's so peaceful at night. You
know, just looking at the stars in silence with the gentle hum of the
warp core pulsating throughout the ship."
Mara followed his gaze, looking out at the stars for a moment before she
snapped back to reality. This was the man that had been irritating her
all day. "I suppose. Of course I'd rather be sleeping than staring out
some window."
"And, yet, here you are." He smiled through the steam emanating from
his cup.
"Here I am," she said grudgingly. "So just what was it you were looking
to talk about?"
"I don't know. I was thinking relatively neutral topics where there is
little chance of conflict. Politics, holographic rights, cross-world
religions... you know, things like that." He chuckled a bit and sat the
cup down delicately on the table. "Unless you had something better in
mind as far as conversation goes?"
"We gripe at each other all day over the comm, and now you come in here
wanting to talk about holographic rights? Charming." She took a sip of
her cocoa.
His eyes widened slightly, but mainly out of amusement. "Griping? Oh,
Lieutenant, you haven't heard me gripe. That was mere harmless banter
with a hint of sarcasm, chilled to perfection and served with a garnish
of distaste." Chuckling slightly at his own creativity, Ethan took a
last gulping mouthful of coffee.
"I'm sorry I don't find it quite so entertaining, Doctor." Mara glared
at him from across the table..
There was still a smirk in the corner of his mouth as he tried to
regain a serious composure, "Please, just call me Ethan. Do you have a
problem with me, Lieutenant?"
"Not professionally, /Ethan/. No need to worry about that." She wasn't
smiling.
"Well, Mara... can I call you Mara?"
"No."
It stopped him, as if he had just been hit by a shuttlecraft. "If I
have said something to offend you, please let me know so I can apologize
or explain my actions. Well, mostly explain why I am the way I am."
If you have said something to offend me? Doctor--/Ethan/," she said,
noting his near protest, "You were nothing but arrogant and
condescending the whole day."
"In response to orders and statements that were in contradiction to each
other and downright stupid. How would you react if someone told you
that they were powering down the weapons array and then telling you
we're going into battle?" Ethan ran a hand through his hair, "I
apologize if I was a little standoffish."
"That wasn't the case! We were losing power all over the ship and had
to conserve what we could. And it's not like there was an epidemic on
board." Mara watched him, calming down slightly. "I can see where you
would be irritated. It wasn't really an ideal situation for any of us."
Ethan looked at her, "So you can see how I would become upset? Protect
us against the radiation, Doctor, but please make sure you do so with
some stones and a few sticks. I can't work like that."
"I was doing my best on the bridge," she said defensively. "Next time
make sure you're taking it out on the appropriate people. Or solar
flares, considering that's where the real blame lies."
He nodded, "You're absolutely right, Lieutenant. I apologize for my
actions earlier."
Surprised, she searched his face for any hint of sarcasm but came up
empty. "Apology accepted. And you can call me Mara," she added.
"I don't know," he said with a smile, "I'm getting comfortable calling
you Lieutenant."
"Fine, call me whatever you want," Mara replied, slightly irritated
again. She moved to stand up. "If I'm not going to sleep, I should at
least get some work done before my next shift."
Do you play chess?"
"Chess?" She made a face. "No, it's always looked boring. I prefer my
games to be a bit more active."
"Like?"
"Hoverball, Velocity ... " she paused, looking him over. "I don't
suppose you play Anbo-jytsu?" she asked, smiling.
Ethan shook his head, "No, but I'm a whiz at Velocity. I just came from
there actually. I was playing the 2341 Champion. Do you know Vlondilev
Trevelyen?"
"Of course I know him. Are you telling me you've got a program to play
him?"
Ethan nodded, laughing, "Yeah, programmed it myself. Get this,
Vlondilev was a family friend of one of the people I went to the Academy
with. Met him, studied the sport with him, and then he said that I
could program a holodeck simulation with him as an opponent to keep up
my skills."
"You studied with him? That's incredible!" Mara grinned. "Why do I
suddenly have the feeling I shouldn't be so eager to go up against you?"
"Yeah, you'd probably lose." He paused, "Badly."
She leaned across the table, looking at him evenly. "Was that a challenge?"
"Maybe."
"Don't tell me you're backing down now. I'd give you a good run."
Ethan smirked again, it was becoming his favorite pastime, "So, what do
I get if I win?"
Mara laughed. "I'm not coming in to restock the med lab for you, if
that's what you're looking for."
"Dinner."
She pulled back immediately, her smile fading. "I'm sorry Doctor, but
I'm not interested."
He tilted his head, knowing he struck a nerve for some unapparent
reason. "Are you afraid you're going to lose, Lieutenant? I completely
understand if you are... but it seems like such a small price to pay for
saving face."
Mara stood up. "I'm not afraid of losing to you. I just want to play
for different terms."
"Name 'em."
She shook her head, at a loss. "There's got to be something else you want."
Gutter... meet Ethan's mind... Ethan's mind... meet gutter. He laughed
out loud, "Uh, nothing actually. No need to bet at all, but it would be
nice to have dinner with you. Public place with real people. That's
it. One evening."
Glancing at the door and then back to him, she hesitated again. "Just
dinner. One evening. And don't be so cocky; I'm going to beat you."
"I don't think that that would be such a bad thing," he said, getting up
out of the booth and walking towards the door. "Just promise that if
you beat me you don't spread it around. It'll tarnish my reputation as
a woman beater." Ethan laughed as he doors parted.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure the whole ship knows by the next day."
His ego needed to be knocked down anyway. She liked the idea of having
a go at it.
Ethan nodded to her as he approached the lift, "Tomorrow after we get
off shift? I believe you're on Alpha Shift as am I. Meet you in the
holodeck say eighteen hundred hours?"
Last chance to back out. Another night reviewing tactical data in her
quarters? "Eighteen hundred, it's a deal."
"I look forward to dinner," Ethan winked and the turbolift doors closed
with a hiss.
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