Crewman Annamae Barberra - Ornamental
Wil Ukinix
((Community Services Building, Cherry Blossoms Biome, Peace Park – 1957 hours))
The bingo PADDS were reset with new numbers, as Wil announced to everyone to get ready for the next game. He made sure the sleeves were pushed up to his elbows on his Starfleet uniform.
Ukinix: Okay, Everyone! Eyes down, best of luck, if you don’t win, I don’t give actually I can’t say that one ::clears throat::.
As Wil turned around and started rolling the cage, Annamae started a conversation with Bec while half looking down at her PADD.
Barberra: So. Commander Ukinix took me to see Captain Rahman today, which I wasn’t expecting.
Iko: Oooh! How'd it go?
Ukinix: ::Calling out:: Eighty-eight… shut the gate!
Barberra: We spoke about how… ::moving eyeballs a little to the left::… I was interested in going back to the Academy.
Iko: Uh huh… Are you?
Ukinix: ::Calling out:: Seventy-four… shut the door!
Barberra: ::Checking numbers:: Well, no actually. Captain Rahman offered me a temporary position on the Kitty Hawk.
Iko: Oh.
Annamae had a feeling that reaction was coming. Just as she felt she and Bec were getting into a groove in their relationship, the rug was slightly moved under their feet, causing them to falter a little off balance.
Ukinix: ::Calling out:: Forty-six… shut the… um… forty-six!
There was a silence between the pair as Annamae scanned her bingo PADD.
Iko: Uhm… what position?
Barberra: ::Checking numbers:: Science.
Iko: ::tight-lipped:: Okay.
Annamae looked out of the corner of her eye at Bec, before looking back at the bingo board. That rug under their feet seemed to have been pulled a little more than she had realised…
Ukinix: ::Calling out:: Number… twenty-one, keys to the… door that was shut, um- ::Shrug::
Barberra: ::Checking numbers:: I guess it means I won’t be around as much for a little while.
Under the table, making sure no-one could see, Annamae reach for Bec’s hand and gently squeezed it.
But to Annamae’s both surprise and not surprise, Bec pulled her hands away and put them both in her own lap.
Iko: Yeah.
Ukinix: ::Calling out:: Number… thirty-two, how… about you! ::smile::
Iko: So, uh… when do you head off?
Barberra: ::Slight sigh:: Tomorrow. I know it’s not much notice.
Iko: Mind if I come by before then?
Annamae, uncharacteristically, *smiled*. Not the wicked grin she was known for when something morbid or weird happened. Not the faux smile she would sometimes put on to either trick people or get them to offer up more information about something morbid or weird than they normally would have.
A deep genuine smile. She turned to look at Bec, still smiling, before she *pretended* to put on a deadpan expression. That’s right, *pretended*, that’s how genuinely happy she was.
Barberra: If you didn’t, I would have to hunt you down and wrap you up in gaffer tape, and then use the rest of the roll to permanently stick you into the top corner of the Chief of Mission’s office as an ornamental display.
Ukinix: ::Calling out:: Okay, twenty-six… um… oh! I know! *Pick up sticks*. ::Single proud clap:: How the bloody hell did I forget that one?
Barberra: ::Looking down at PADD: Remind me not to allow anyone named Wil Ukinix to run one of my bingo games ever again.
((Barberra’s Apartment - Level 2, “Backspace” Fortune Teller, Merchant District - The next morning))
Annamae was virtually packed, ready to go. She stood on front of the holomirror, admiring the blue uniform she was now wearing. She turned to ninety degrees, and unnecessarily straightened the uniform out while making sure it looked all neat.
When she heard footsteps on the stairs, she quickly flicked off the holomirror, then raced to her bed, to pack the last of her things – mainly a stack of novelty headbands, including the eye headband given to her the night before during bingo by Bec.
Iko: ::from the door:: Hey.
Barberra: Hey. Come In
Iko: You getting ready to go?
Barberra: ::looking at duffle bag on bed:: Yeah… yeah I guess I am.
She smiled as she gestured for Bec to come in further into her apartment.
Iko: Well, uhm, since your uniform's probably gonna be red anymore…
Bec pulled out another eye headband, but it was a different colour this time – blue.
Iko: I thought I'd get you the right colour.
Barberra: ::Gasp:: Aww, Bec! That’s so consistently weird, I love it!
With a pleased smile Annamae accepted the headband, and put it straight onto her head. She tapped the eyes a few times with her palms to make sure it felt like they were sitting straight.
Iko: I highly doubt Rahman will ever let you wear it on duty, and I recommend not trying too many times, but…
Barberra: ::Shrug:: I’ll just say I identify as a Pygorian. Besides, wearing headbands is my thing, they make me feel comfortable sometimes.
It was a discussion she would have to have with Lieutenant Kivik, hoping ne would allow her to wear them when she felt the need. Making her feel “comfortable” wasn’t the real reason – in truth, the correct reason was for making her feel confident. She would need all of the confidence she could get in her new posting.
But she’d never admit that.
(Never mind that she would now be reporting to a oO freaking J’naii how amazing is that it blows my mind! Oo)
Iko: You look good in blue.
Annamae looked at Bec again, with a blush.
Barberra: Not as good as you in gold.
She stepped closer to Bec, then put her hands inside of Bec’s.
Barberra: ::Hands in Bec’s, gentle tone:: Hey. I really care about you, you know that?
Iko: Response
Barberra: ::Interlocking fingers:: And I’m going to really, really miss you. ::Squinting eyes, looking up:: Unless I smuggle you on board using the cargo transporters, and hide you using a series of force fields and sensor echoes…
Iko: Response
Barberra: We’ll be in the same quadrant. The Kitty Hawk will be back regularly. And because we’ll be in the same quadrant, comms is a thing. Sometimes video comms, depending on our position relative to the Nebula.
Iko: Response
Barberra: Escort me to the Kitty Hawk?
Iko: Response
Barberra: In handcuffs? While I wear an eyepatch, and a fake scar? And repeatedly yell out, “Ha, you may have won the battle, Lieutenant Iko, but you’ll never win the war!” and then laugh wickedly as loud as I can?
Iko: Response
Barberra: I’m ready-
She was interrupted by a voice from downstairs.
Ninzo: SO YOU’RE REALLY GOING WITHOUT SAYING GOODBYE.
From downstairs came the loud voice of Annamae’s landlord and owner of the fortune teller shop, the elderly Ferengi woman named Ninzo.
Barberra: ::To Bec:: Ugh, she’s so mind numbingly annoying, she’s the best, ::turning to face downstairs:: IT’S HOW YOU WOULD HAVE WANTED IT!
Ninzo: HOW WOULD YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT!
Barberra: I DON’T, AND I DON’T CARE THAT I DON’T!
Ninzo: DON’T LIE TO ME CHILD, I KNOW YOU DO! WILL I STILL BE GETTING MY RENT WHILE YOU’RE ON VACATION?!
Barberra: I’M NOT GOING ON VACATION, I’M BEING TEMPORARILY TRANSFERRED YOU OLD BAT’LETH! AND YES YOU’LL GET YOUR STUPID FEDERATION CREDITS, I’M NOT LEAVING FOR GOOD!
Ninzo: SO MY PROFIT WILL STILL BE BOUNTIFUL BUT MY LIFE WILL NOW BE EMPTY!
Iko: Response
Barberra: ::eyeroll: Ugh, I’m going to miss her, ::shouting to downstairs:: NO I’M SUBLETTING MY APARTMENT TO A CREWMAN CLEM PHAN’TA’GO WHILE I’M AWAY SO THERE’LL BE SOMEONE HERE, I MADE SURE OF IT HORTA FACE!
Ninzo: HOW DARE YOU SUBLET! YOU DIDN’T TELL ME OF THIS AT ALL! I NEED A COMMISSION OF WHATEVER EXTRA YOU EARN!
Barberra: AND EAT INTO MY PROFIT? WHY WOULD I LET YOU DO THAT!
For a few moments, there was silence from downstairs. Annamae turned to face Bec, with a knowing smile…
Ninzo: SUB LETTING YOUR APARTMENT IS A VERY BROAD AND LIBERAL INTERPRETATION OF RULES OF ACQUISITION 45, “EXPAND OR DIE”, RULE 10, “GREED IS ETERNAL”, AND RULE 9, “OPPORTUNITY PLUS INSTINCT EQUALS PROFIT”… I’M PROUD OF YOU, CHILD! NOW GET OUT! AND DON’T COME BACK UNTIL YOU NEED TO IN WHICH CASE I WILL HAPPILY WELCOME YOU BACK AS MY TENANT ONCE AGAIN!
Barberra: I’M LEAVING! I’LL NOT MISS YOU, YOU OLD WART!
Annamae shoved all of the remaining headbands on her bed into her duffle bag, sealed it up, then slung it over her shoulder. She placed her hand in Bec’s.
Barberra: Quick, Bec, let’s go, this is exactly how I hoped I would say goodbye to Ninzo, I don’t want her to ruin it.
Iko: Response
Annamae led Bec down the stairs to the back entrance. The door slid open, and Annamae rushed Bec outside…
Barberra: ::Whispering:: quick quick-
Ninzo: BY THE WAY, BECAUSE I’M A FERENGI I OVERHEARD YOUR ENTIRE CONVERSATION WITH LIEUTENANT IKO AND I THINK YOU TWO MAKE A BEAUTIFUL COUPLE, AND I HOPE YOU BOTH MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LONG-DISTANCE RELATIONSHIP!
Barberra: Ugh. ::Turning back:: YOU DID THAT ON PURPOSE!
Iko: Response
Unusually slightly flustered, Annamae stepped out of the back of the fortune teller’s shop, hurriedly leading Bec with her. The door shut behind them, leaving the fortune teller on her own.
There were a few more moments of silence inside the shop, before it was finally broken as Ninzo spoke to herself quietly.
Ninzo: Yes I did. Just the way you would have wanted it. Hurry back, child… hurry back.
Tags/End scene!
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Crewman Second Class Annamae Barberra
Liaison Officer for the Starfleet Attaché, Science… type… person
Amity Outpost USS Kitty Hawk
V239511WU0