Moving Day and Fresh Start

Posted on Thu May 12th, 2022 @ 4:35pm by Chief Engineer Michael Burnstein & Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*) & Nollel Livaam (*)

Mission: Mission 15: Adrift
Timeline: MD -06 17:00
1356 words - 2.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Nollel looked down the corridor and saw chaos as items were being thrown out of a quarter further down from the one, she barely spent any time in. That was one way to clean it but not exactly how the woman expected the person to who she knew the quarters belonged, to do things that way. Cassie did everything with grace and decorum but there she was lobbing things in the corridor. She quickly sent a message to Michael'S PADD hoping he had it at hand and waited for her backup to come.

"What is it?" Burnie asked as he arrived.

As the man appeared Nollel pulled him inside her quarters and looked around as more items were chucked out into the corridor. “Look that is Cassie’s quarters. I need back up and you are her friend.” Nollel said quietly.

Peering back out around the door, he saw a bag chucked into the corridor. He knew the relationship with Jonathan was frought, and his death had to have complicated her intention to end the marriage. Anger cleaning was thing - he'd seen more than few break ups on starships that ended with one person standing in the hall trying to catch all the personal items thrown at them. But that wasn't like Cassie. At least when she was sober, he added mentally, recalling how they first gotten to know one another.

"Okay. I've tried talking to her, but she's kind of annoyed, honestly, at everyone asking after her," he replied. He hadn't pushed; it was a different situation but he recalled the feeling when he'd come home after being discharged. "But maybe if both of us go over and offer to help clean?"

Nollel nodded as he caught up with where her head was going. “Why I called you. I don’t want to go alone.” She admitted. Cassie was one of her closest friends now but this was definitely something that required them both doing it.

"Okay, let's go see if we can help," he said, taking her hand.

Nollel squeezed his hand and tugged him alone to where there was a pile of items on the floor. “Hi Cassie.” Nollel called barely avoiding getting hit by something flying out the door.

"Whoa!" Burnie actually dodged to the side to avoid getting hit.

“Oh… hi.” Cassie said hearing the voices too late for what she had thrown out into the corridor. She straightened up and looked around slightly embarrassed at the mess that had been created.

"Need some help with cleaning?" Burnie asked, looking about. "Or maybe some folks to carry stuff? I feel like I should be doing something about a safety hazard," he teased, giving a friendly smile.

Cassie looked even more embarrassed but nodded. “Do you think you can help carry some to the grotto and some to my new quarters ?” She wondered.

“Grotto?” Nollel asked raising an eyebrow. She had heard people using the term before but never really got a change to learn more about it other than it was secretive area of the ship.

“Yeah. Gregnol gave me permission to dump all of Johnathan’s stuff there and I have just got the courage to sort it all out.” Cassie explained as Nollel already moved to grab up the storage bags.

"Glad to." Burnie hefted a bag over his shoulder. Offering physical work was easy; whatever support she needed for courage was hard to gage. He remembered how hard it had been packing Erica's things up to send back to her family, but from the way Cassie was tossing stuff out here, this was a very different situation. "If you need any help sorting, I'll do what I can. I've probably got some idea what's yours after living in your body for a week."

Cassie offered a smile as Nollel rolled her eyes. “I am sure you can but I have sorted it mostly but there is a pile left.” She mused as Nollel stepped into the quarters properly seeing the barrenness of it all and saw the glass and bottle.

"We can help with that if you want," Burnie offered, following Nollel into the quarters. He also spotted the glass and bottle. "And if you want to blow some stuff up afterward to unwind, just let me know." He grinned. "You know I'm always glad to help with that."

“I am not that drunk I promise. I just…” Cassie was starting to look more and more embarrassed by the moment. Nollel said nothing but wrapped the woman up in her arms.

“You do not need to explain Cassie.” She whispered stroking her hair to offer some type of comfort.

Instantly regretting his remark, Burnie joined Nollel. He might not have offered a hug on his own, but one of the many wonderful things about being with her was that she could and would, and then he could follow. Putting an arm around Cassie as well, he added, "You've got nothing to explain. You're handling all this better than anyone could be expected to."

“I do. There is so much to explain.” Cassie murmured. “It is so complicated.” She did not want to explain really what had happened. It was so complicated and a mess. “I should have sorted this all out last year,” Cassie whispered as she pulled back from them rubbing at her eyes so she would not cry.

"Hey, there's nothing you need to explain to us," Burnie assured gently. "He was in a bad state and you were giving him time."

“I tried so much but it was … uncomfortable,” Cassie said as she watched Nollel move to the pile and start to separate clothes and items into small groups.

“And no one should make you feel uncomfortable,” Nollel said instantly looking up at the woman and noticing the woman looking uncomfortable for the first time. It was not something she had seen before in the woman.

Burnie nodded firmly. "He left you. If he hadn't come back so damaged, I doubt you'd have had no problem telling him it was over. And frankly, I think he used that. I may be wrong, but... let's just say that guilt is as set of emotional cards I have more than a little experience seeing in play."

“You are not wrong,” Cassie whispered as she knelt next to Nollel and folded the clothes. Nollel shared a look with Michael and frowned, it all was becoming very clear to her what was going on.

"You're a good person, Cassie. That makes it hard not to feel bad about making someone unhappy, or not being able to be who they want you to be," Burnie said quietly as he picked through the other side of the pile. "I wish I had better advice on dealing with guilt, but sometimes, all you can do is recognize it, name it for what it is, and eventually it will lose its hold on you."

Cassie nodded and looked at the pair and smiled sadly. She really did have some of the best friends in the universe even after throwing items out of her quarters nearly missing them they were there helping her sort through the mess of her life to try and work it out. "Thank you." Was all she said as Nollel leant over and touched her hand before squeezing.

Burnie put a hand on her shoulder giving a gentle squeeze. "No problem. You'd do the same for any of us." It wasn't empty words - she had after all literally picked him off the floor when he'd drunk his way through fear Nollel might be leaving him. "Any time you need anything, or just want someone around - no talking, just company - just say so."

“I will. Th…” she started to thank him again but stopped. They were the best and she would forever be thankful that she woke up in that time on that ship with those people.

“Come on. Let’s get you sorted and moved and then we can go for a beer to celebrate your fresh start.” Nollel announced.