Working off Steam

Posted on Thu May 6th, 2021 @ 12:50am by Liha t'Ehhelih & Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*)

Mission: Mission 13: Stowaway
Location: Gym
2151 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Liha had her own reasons for wanting to beat the stuffing out of a heavy bag, but both Burnie and Gragnol had hinted that Cassie could do with the same. Someone equally interested in hitting something was at least a little close to sparring (sadly on this ship their weren't really many people up to sparring with her full out), so she began with simple warm ups - punches, front kicks, a few waist level roundhouses - until she noticed Cassie enter the gym. Yep, whatever Vulcan demeanor she had did nothing to conceal simmering anger.

"Hey," she called. "Want to share the bag? You look like you could stand to pound something."

Cassie didn’t know what she was searching for in the gym but it seemed to be the only space where she might be able to let off some steam. She paused when she heard the voice call out to her and realised who it was. They had not overly spoken much recently but the offer was definitely tempting and she found yourself moving over to the woman. “You might be the only person on this ship that could stand the kind of pounding I want to give something right now.” She said between gritted teeth.

Liha nearly laughed - she was full-blooded Romulan, so not too worried about a half-Vulcan's strength. But she totally understood the sentiment. "I'm not sure anyone is up the pounding I'd like to deal out, but that's why I'm hitting the bag." She smiled what most people would think of as a wicked smile. "I'm picturing Jake bound and gagged inside the bag. With enough violent visualization I might even refrain from actually hitting him."

"I really hope you do. Gregnol would be really quite unhappy to have to find a new executive officer." Cassie commented with a rueful look. She would be upset herself as the man seemed fair and stable. He had brought that back to the ship after so many changes it had felt after the alternative universe. "Maybe use a holodeck or something." She offered as she moved to touch the bag and hold it. "Beat away." She instructed thinking this might have been the first time since 2246 that she would have someone to spar with that could match and excel her strength.

"If only we had a holodeck that worked..." Liha didn't finish the thought so much as punctuate the frustration at that lack with a solid punch. Then another, and another, series of front, side, and roundhouse kicks, which she ran through several times. It felt good, though she was still holding back a bit, unsure how much a hybrid like Cassie could really take. With most people she might not have cared, but Cassie was Burnie's friend and he didn't exactly have a surplus of those. "Let me know if you need a break, or want to rotate in for your turn."

Cassie smoked ever so slightly at the mention of a holodeck. “We never had them back in my time.” She added. “They were very very very new technology then but surely can grab one in the tourism zones and Freecloud?” Cassie Have not been considering taking a break or changing over so she was the one hitting the bag. It was nice to feel something solid in her hands and her not bending or breaking against it she felt stronger than she had in a while. “I appreciate the concern but I am fine. This is something I feel I need.” She admitted trying to not blush at how feeble it sounded.

Liha nodded, deciding that was permission to use full force, and let loose with a barrage of hard fast punches. "Better..." Thwack, thwack, bam! "...if I don't..." Wham-wham! she switched to double elbow strikes, "...Wait for Freecloud," she finished with hammer fist blows.

Cassie did not move or react to the flurry of violence that was being misdirected at the bag instead of the executive officer . She held it tighter and kept it steady until the woman was finished beating it into submission. “Seems like I am not the only one who’s got pent-up emotions. But hay positive you are not married to Jake. Okay my turn.”

"Married to Jake?" Liha made a face. "I think that might set a record for becoming a widow," she laughed, changing position to hold the bag for Cassie. "Ready. Go ahead and take out those emotions you've been suppressing."

Cassie looked at the bag and started to punch it hard. She kept punching and punching and punching until she could feel her knuckles starting to hurt signifying that she was doing some damage. Not wanting to have to explain to medical and Vinny why she had brushed and battered fists she moved to kicking it. She just kept imagining that it was her husband and then it was Robertson and then it was her Vulcan mate and then her father and every of a male that ever pissed her off.

Liha readjusted her stance when Cassie switched from punching to kicking, bracing to counter a different angle of impacts. She was impressed actually; she hadn't expected a hybrid to be able to hit so hard.

Cassie finally stopped and backed up a few steps feeling hot tears on her cheeks. She had never experienced a breakdown of her emotions so extremely outside of Pon Farr or childhood before and it was leaving her shattered mentally and physically. “I am sorry you are seeing me like this.” She whispered

"Like what?" Liha asked, ignoring the tears since it would be horribly rude (at least from a Romulan point of view) to note them. "I know Vulcans think the way to go is holding everything in, but taking your emotions out through physical exercise and discipline is how we Romulans handle them." She grinned. "Now that I know you aren't so controlled, I'll let myself scream instead of just ki-i next time."

"A mess... I am a mess." Cassie said softly. What she said did make her paused and think more about her emotions and how to handle them. Maybe she had been approaching life different than she should have been. "I am not just Vulcan though I am Human. Maybe I need to take a more human approach to it."

Liha just lifted her brows slightly. What after all did you say to something like that? 'Yes, you are a mess, but Vulcans and humans are both pretty messed up so don't feel bad'? Somehow that didn't seem helpful. "I don't know about human or Vulcan approaches, but the Romulan way of dealing with it is military discipline and physical outlet." She smiled. "And when that isn't enough, we get really drunk."

"I tried that approach. It is how I met Burnie." Cassie muttered shaking her head. "Has a man ever messed you up that badly that you require that type of physical outlet and booze?" It could not just be her she was sure of that.

"Oh, sure. There was Ireqh - two broken legs and a busted nose; Giellon - broken jaw, plus some internal bleeding; and Firh, my first boyfriend, my sister had to talk me out of slitting his throat when he cheated on me - went drinking to get over that one." Liha puffed a short laugh at the memory. "Though I still put him in the hospital."

"I wish I knew you 150 years ago." Cassie actually laughed a little as she looked at her raw knuckles almost sadly. She missed 150 years when things were a lot simpler, she found herself missing her Vulcan Husband and the simple life she had as a genetic scientist, it was nowhere near as complicated as now being alone.

Liha laughed. "Pretty sure that 150 years ago the Federation would have killed me just for being Romulan. But I wish you'd had a chance to learn about us - maybe seeing that all vulcanoids don't have to think like Vulcans might have helped."

Cassie sighed. “You would not have been killed by Starfleet,” Cassie murmured softly looking away. “I knew a Romulan from my time from a… mission.” She shrugged it was a long story and not something she should really be sharing. The man could still be a live. “Anyway… My mum tried she ran off from Vulcan and took me back to Earth. I grew up for my teenage years there.” That was an either longer story.

"Maybe not killed on sight," Liha allowed, but she'd enough stories form her grandparents to know how the Federation had regarded Romulans back then. And she knew well enough how much of it still did. But it wasn't worth arguing at the moment. "In any case, Earth isn't the friendliest place for pointed ears, even if they think you're Vulcan." She stated it as a fact, but saw no reason reveal that she knew it for truth first hand. "There are expectations for how a Vulcan should be and behave that might have made it harder to explore being anything but a stereotypical Vulcan."

“Earth is changing. Has no choice but to adjust its viewpoint but you are right I have not thought on it in years.” Cassie admitted softly. “I do not even think anyone knows that my name is Ka’see not Cassie. Just made it easier.” She shrugged. Her mum had tried to her best in the middle of nowhere to bring her up as human

"Yeah. Humans are bad about pronouncing names. I'm lucky mine is easy. My sisters is Vriha and I don't think I've ever heard a human get it right. They always make the v sound like a b and most of them can't even thrill the r. I've never worked out if it's that their tongues just don't work as well, or they can't hear the distinctions, or both." Liha shook her head at the sad state on humanity.

"Probably cannot hear it. Some people way back were really good but listening ears have not go any better with how much reliant happens to technology." Cassie assured quietly before she shook her head. They were just few and far between. "Vriha is a pretty name." The woman mused looking at her hands as she finally decided to get to her feet again. "What would you do in my shoes?" She wondered finally to break the silence.

Liha's brows darted up and down in the Romulan version of a shrug. "I don't know the circumstances, other than that your husband left. If it was for another woman, then obviously kill him. It he just left without saying why or where..." her brows moved in the same sort of shrug, "...well, the Tal'Shiar are known to disappear people so Romulans tend to give some leeway there. I wouldn't try to hunt him down, and if he showed up again I'd give him a chance to explain. But if I didn't like the explanation..." She back fisted the bag. "Romulans rarely divorce; most marriages end by widowing."

“Makes so much sense. He left me for another man and the man has appeared but not him.” Cassie shrugged. It made no sense and she hated how it felt to be abandoned. It made perfect sense to why Romulan marriages mostly ended in widowhood and sometimes Cassie wondered why she had not found a priest to sort it all out and get the connection disconnected. It made no sense she had not done it yet apart from hoping that he’d come back. She needed to organise herself properly and sort things out. “You have given me lots to think about Liha. I thank you for that.” Cassie assured her. “Can we do this again?” She wondered hopefully.

Touching was not something Liha did often, but on hearing that Cassie's husband had left her for another man, she squeezed her shoulder in a gesture of support. "Certainly we can do this again. And if you need any help tracking him down to kill him for that adultery, I'll be glad to help."

The hybrid was surprised at the touch on her shoulder but did not react. She did not think Liha would want a point being made. Cassie wanted to comment it was not quite adultery but it might as well have been in her eyes. “Thank you. Same to you if someone does the same.” She replied with a shrug. Had they just formed a bond? We’re they friends?

A Vulcan willing to help kill for crewmate - that was unexpected, but refreshing. Of course, she doubted that she'd ever marry anyone stupid enough to risk cheating on her, but she hadn't had such a nearly Romulan conversation with another woman in a long time. It was ...nice. Liha nodded and gave her a half-smile. "I'll keep it in mind."