Getting His Ducks In A Row

Posted on Mon Apr 2nd, 2018 @ 5:13pm by Lieutenant Selina Fenruse (*)

Mission: Mission 6 - Azzia
Location: Engineering
Timeline: MD 02 12:00
1952 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

After a few twists and turns, Deacon found his way to main engineering, it was everything he hoped. He couldn’t help but smile as he looked up at the drive plasma conduits as they disappeared up into the shadows. The warp core was in stand-by mode of course with ship only sending a static pulse up the stack to scour any deposits from its guts. Carefully he placed his hand on the frame and closed his eyes to feel the ship’s pulse. With a smile that matched Reessem's, he let the ship shake him to his core. “Hello Engine.” He said dreamily.

"Hello, Kane." A silly voice said from behind him pretending to be the engines. It was the blonde that Deacon had met earlier in the day.

Deacon turned towards the woman who was almost biting her lip. "Come on, Chief," He said with a knowing grin, "You're an Engineer just like me, you can't help but fall in love with them. They always come alive deep in our hearts."

A cyclic whoosh, repeating once every second or so, was so clear you would swear even the walls of the junction pulsed with the beat of it. "It's her pulse." Selina said with a massive smile, the sounded made her blissful "You can't tell me she's nothing but bolts, iron and conduit. She's just a little old lady."

"Ah, she's a lady all right." Deacon replied, "But looking at her ribs, I respectfully call her 'mature,'" he said thoughtfully, "But some sloppy dock workers have done our poor girl wrong." he added narrowing his eyes.

As Deacon related all he seen and learned to Selina, it was easy to see the amount of knowledge and passion the Rigellian brought with him. It was interesting to meet a vulcanoid whose primary focus wasn't the pursuit of logic, as with most Vulcans, or ambitions as with most Romulans. Deacon's focus was firmly rooted in his passion for life, and all the joys and sorrows of living it. It was hard for him to try to conceal, though heartwarming to see, the emotions he had for the one person he seemed determined to sound dispassionate about.

"It was good advice you gave me to walk around to get a good look at her." he added thoughtfully, "Mademoiselle Nubohn is incredible." Deacon furrowed his brow as a smile appeared on Selina's lips, then realizing what he said blurted out, "That is to say the ship is incredible,,,,,, The Mademoiselle is amazing too,,,breathtaking,,,,I mean wonderful...um,she thinks well on her feet," What is it about that woman? He thought as he tried to dig his way out of a hole, "If it wasn't for her that stupid hook spider would have skewed me for sure. So about those secondary systems..."

"So what about Reessem?" Selina countered as she sat back on the chair not even looking at him as she looking at the console in front of her. The woman stroked her bump softly, Human's would never understand what it was like to be as close to a child as it was for a Betazoid woman.

Deacon sunk into the chair next to Selina. He cradled his face in his hands and sighed, "Oh, there's nothing really special about her. Well, there are those three freckles,on her cheek, just under her right eye," Deacon said, "Mostly faded, must have gotten them when she was a little girl. Not that I've noticed or thought about it much. And she has this one lock of hair that keeps falling into face when she laughs, then she takes her hand and brushes it back like this. I mean, how annoying is that?" he said softly, dopey grin on his face.

"And let's not even talk about the way she acts." Deacon said dropping the smile, "I mean, there we were in a darkened room, a nightmare the likes of which would make any hardened Klingon warrior soil themselves and go take up needlepoint is poised to turn me into a kabob. What does she do? The last thing she wants to do, she stands her ground and fries it when any normal person would run and tell the guy she just met to go 'smell me latter'. And then, THEN she pushes me out of the way when I bring a load of piping down on myself."

Screwing his eyes shut he brought his knuckles to his temple before continuing his tirade, "What do I do? Give her not one, but two, TWO bear hugs, her feet dangling off the floor our noses almost touching." Opening eyes to Selina's amused face he then said, "And the only thought that I can pull together is 'Wow her breath don't even smell bad'" Deacon then stared at the ceiling avoiding the engineer's look the finally added, "Oh yeah, she speaks French too."

"Well, she is French..." Selina murmured softly biting her lip.

Deacon then heard Selina try and fail to stifle a laugh, "No, no, no, no, This is not funny, this is nuts," he cursed himself, "I've met this girl twice. And the second time she all but ran down the corridor away from me, proving that she is both intelligent and perceptive." he signed again bring his face back in his hands, "She said she rarely comes down to the engineering decks, I figure if I sleep on my ship and fix whatever I need to down here, I can avoid totally horrifying her, patch up the 'Hope' and get out of Dodge before the Captain blows me out an airlock for harassing his purser. What d you think?"

Selina let the laughter out and shook her head. "You are very much right it is completely nuts. You have it bad. So bad it is silly." She gasped trying to gather her laughter back together but it was hopeless. This man was a lost cause. "What started you thinking like this towards her?"

“Nothing, everything," Deacon said cryptically, "The short answer is that she has that special kind of magic. I don't know if you want the long one.”

"Try me better than talking Engineering," Selina commented as she turned in her chair curling up a little to watch him.

“Well, I don’t really know but then again I might.” he laughed, “Bear with me, this may take a while to explain.”

“Do you know we Rigelian’s always know where we’re going?” Deacon explained, “It’s true, never get lost, though sometimes we’re surprised where we end up. We find the most amazing things, that way.” He shrugged, “Some of us, very few of us actually, feel the need to go on a sort of rudderless journey, hoping to find those special things. What the Terrans would call ‘walk-about.’ We travel, live and experience.” He looked down, almost embarrassed, “It's what gives us reputations that makes the most ardent hedonist blush. Before you judge, I never taken advantage, I just enjoy and help others see the wonder of what’s right in front of them. It’s why everyone calls me ‘Monk’.”

“Now, if you’re real lucky along the way you’ll find ‘it’ and again before you ask I don’t know,” Deacon said as he shrugged helplessly, “Among my people this is no great philosophy, it’s barely a campfire story. I can only go on what my uncle told me and my own thoughts. ‘It’ is something that makes you stop in the whirlwind, the maelstrom of life. That’s what Reessem is to me. She makes me stop and stare becoming both my moth and flame. If I'm not careful I'll burn myself up, or worse, scare the hell out of her. While I'd gladly accept the first, I could never tolerate the second. The more I get to know her, the more of the 'real' person I get to see, the more beautiful she becomes. If this is just some sort of Rigellian cut rate Pon Farce,,,,,, Of course, I also described what some philosophers call ‘love’ which adds its own set of complications.”

"Betazoid's have the same concept Monk. We believe in love and someone singing to our soul. I don't just get pregnant for anyone." Selina knew in her heart that she had already met her Imazi and just hoped that she hadn't lost him thanks to this stupid Starfleet reassignment. She had never felt anything like that before, hope, love... pain... so much pain and she had caused it by being so stubborn on his behalf. His love for her was endless even when she had hurt him, he had been determined to convince her that he wanted her whether she was Trill, Bajoran, Betazoid or Caitian... he wanted the little spark in the universe that was her.

Deacon looked Selina and smiled, at so many things; at the serenity of the woman sitting next to him who seemed as wise as she was lovely, at being able to unpack his current load of emotional baggage, at finding sympathy and understanding in front of a collection of outdated monitors, next to the pulse of an ancient ship that was soon to become his new home. He breathed out releasing the tension and confusion he'd carried since the lovely Mademoiselle's retreat.

"So tell me, my new Zen Sensei, how was it when your soul was sung to?" he said with his new found calm, "Did you run towards or away from the music?"

"Ah..." Selina said with a smile and for a moment she was in a Mess hall well over two years ago. Sitting across from Tae like it was something they did every day.

"Doesn't matter about drinking that wasn't the point...I think I messed up here... Ignore what I asked. You are completely correct I guess." She murmured downing the rest of her drink quickly standing up. Tomorrow she would forget whatever she thought was going on and return to calling him, Crewman Holmgren.

"Wait, does that mean you're going to report me?" Tae asked. For once, he was the one looking up at her, as he remained seated. The edge of a plea in his voice betrayed just how much he had enjoyed being able to say Selina out loud, rather than sir or lieutenant. He still didn't call her by sir or lieutenant. Selina shook her head looking at the glass in her hand. If she was going to just walk away and let them go back to just calling each other by the rank she was going to at least tell him exactly why she had turned up the first time when he had messaged her and asked her if she wanted coffee.

“Why would I report someone I like Tae?” She wondered softly turning away. Tae didn't have an answer for that, nor for the faintest look of hurt on Selina's face as she walked away.

"I guess I ran towards and then got scared," Selina finally admitted with a small sad smile. "Sometimes you don't know what you need until it hits you in the face."

"Or retreat down a corridor," Decon reflected, "Well I've the scared part down pat. Now I need to decide what direction to run." He looked at the chief's sad smile knowing he'd need to ask her more about that one day. "Thanks Selina, you're one of the good ones." he sighed, "Now let's talk about this boring old engineering,,,,"

OFF::

Deacon Kane
Engineering Contractor
D & T Resupply

Selina Fenruse
Engineer
SS Mary Rose