Moving On

Posted on Tue Aug 24th, 2021 @ 9:25pm by Captain Abigail Laurens & Commander Ichiko Gail

Mission: Double Bind
Location: Captain's Ready Room

The Odyssey class starship offered a lot, comfort, luxury, space, yet despite all that, Abigail's favourite feature had become the window ledges. Especially in her ready room, the ledge around the windows was just wide enough that one could sit on the ledge and watch the stars as they passed.

That was the position Abigail currently occupied as she waited for her friend and first officer to join her. Seated in the window ledge, mug of hot chai latte in her hands as she stared at the stars beyond, a wistful expression on her face, a small smile playing on her lips. She was relaxed, more relaxed than she had been since their arrival in the Delta Quadrant, especially given everything that had happened in such a short amount of time. Perhaps it was because they were away from Dalacar and that particular unpleasantness was being put behind them. Perhaps it was because they were ultimately on their way to meet with the Pennsylvania, either way, the stress and tensions had finally given way to a serene calmness.

The reflection of Ichiko gave away her closeness before she came into peripheral view, a mug of tea in her hand. "Koku for your thoughts?" she inquired. "Thoughts of a certain someplace.... or someone?" she ribbed, but never in a hurtful manner. Truth be told, Ichiko was pleased that Abigail had found someone to grow close to.

The smile on Abigail's face widened as she shifted her position, turning so her back was against the window and her legs hung over the ledge, leaving her better able to see the Rabbitess. "Well, that is perhaps a small part of it," she said quietly. "Some good sleep has certainly helped, not to mention a long soak in a hot tub, a massage, a mani-pedi and just a general feeling of calm." She paused, taking a sip of her chai, watching her friend carefully for a moment.

"Thank you," she finally said quietly. "I have no doubt what happened on Dalacar must have been especially difficult for you, but your loyalty to this crew never wavered. Thank you."

"It was not easy, but I knew my place was here with the ship, the crew, and you. I knew if I compromised my integrity, if I sided with their investigation, their viewpoint, their considerations even once, I'd risk losing the respect and trust of the crew. I could not allow that to happen." she took a sip of her tea. "It wasn't easy, turning aside a friend to help a friend, but in the end, I know that years down the road my dreams of retiring to Dalacar are not lost." she giggled, and shook her head. "No no, not a fan of their open information policy. I don't like interacting with something that has the same, oh what's the word..." she thought, honestly thought for a moment.

"I don't like dealing with something else that never forgets." she stated, "It's eerie."

She let that linger for a moment, "So, and Mani Pedi... that's actually a new term for me. Must be something human, maybe an abbreviation or some slang term." she gave a soft smile.

Using one foot to pry the boot off the other foot, Abigail wiggled freshly pedicured toes painted with a bold red polish while simultaneously holding out a hand with nails painted the same colour. "Mani-pedi," she said with a smile. "Abbreviation for manicure and pedicure. It was just a couple of hours of pampering, but much needed, and I feel much better for it," she said as she pried the second boot off, leaving two bare feet dangling from the window ledge.

"We have a few days until we reach the Ticonderoga, are you planning some down time?" Abigail asked curiously, watching Ichiko.

"Well, I'm not a big fan of other people touching my paws, so I think the Pedi part is out." she paused, "Touch is, is very important in our culture. We don't hold hands, we don't hug, we barely bump into people... so who we allow to actually touch us is important." a simple wave away of a hand dismissed any previous infractions. "I might go to the holodeck and summon a bath house to simply just soak in for those few days. Ultrasonics for a massage parlor. I may just..." she paused, "I'm worried that I've no actual idea HOW to relax."

"I can't re-read a book. I can't truly watch cinema more than once." there was a frustration to her, that only someone who had talked with her at length would see. She took a breath, rather than lose her composure, "I am, of course, open to suggestions."

"I don't know but sometimes familiarity is comforting," Abigail replied quietly. "The ability to walk into a place and know exactly what to expect, to have it evoke memories that make you smile, make you feel centered." She sighed softly. "I have a couple of programs, I'm more than happy to share. They aren't really exciting or adventurous, but definitely relaxing."

Ichiko gave a nod, "You know what, I'll take you up on that." a pause, "And, thank you. You always seem to have a way to make things more pleasant, more comfortable. When you're involved, this burden I carry seems lighter. I'll remember this, forever, and you know what?" she paused, sipping her tea for a moment, "I don't mind at all."

"Tell me," Abigail asked with a grin. "How do you feel about murder mysteries?"

Ichiko's answer required that she put her tea cup down. "We don't have them in the Empire. I wasn't introduced to them until I met the Federation. Most of them rely on the reader forgetting key details or, sometimes, flat omission of details. The rare gem keep me thinking until the end. Those... those rare gems I cherish." she paused, "Tell me you have some suggestions?"

"You know, I just might," Abigail replied with an easy smile. "I have a few murder mystery holodeck novels that I got from an old friend before we left Earth, they're kind of a 'choose your own adventure' story so it has different outcomes every time you play depending on what you choose to do. I think they might at least bridge the gap?"

"I think I'd like to give them a try. Strictly as a cultural exchange, of course." she smirked. She couldn't hide the twinkle of excitement to actually, honestly, try something new. "You'd be more than welcome to come along. Even Judge Ooka traveled in good company."

Abigail laughed. "You book the holodeck and I'll be there," she replied with a nod. "You know, strictly to supervise the cultural exchange of course."