LtJG Jovenan – Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder
Jovenan
((Sensor Pod, USS Artemis))
Voicing one’s emotions wasn’t easy for anyone, especially not for those feelings that needed be said and let out. It was often easier to bottle them up, set up a façade of contentment and go on with your life, never having to bother those who are close to you. That’s what Jovenan had thought. There was a plug in her throat, preventing any words from escaping her mouth, preventing her from humiliating and discomforting herself.
Yet, alone with Hiro, separated from the others and the outside world, the bottlecaps and plugs of her mind came loose.
Jovenan: ::holds back tears:: You… You all have become a family to me. At this point, maybe more so than my old family. I am with you every single day, have been for months now. Meanwhile, I haven’t… I haven’t… ::wipes tears, difficult to speak:: I haven’t seen my family back home… back on the home planet for… for more than five years now! A fifth of my life!
Hiro didn’t look bothered nor uncomfortable. Instead, he had laid his hand on her shoulder, expressing empathy he shared with her.
Jones: Family can look like a lot of different things. There's an Earth saying a lot of people take out of context. They shorten it to, "Blood is thicker than water," meaning your biological family is most important. Thing is, that's not the whole saying. It goes, "The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb." It means almost the exact opposite. While our birth relatives will always be important, often times it's the people - the family we choose that form tighter bonds.
When the floodgate is opened, it is difficult to close them again. The immense pressure of emotions rushing out was more than Jovenan could bear. She bolted herself towards Hiro, entwining her arms around his torso and enclosing him to hug. Planting her face to his shoulder, she cried, teardrops falling onto his uniform. He didn’t resist, instead she felt him lean against her head and softly rub her back. It felt… safe. Familiar. Warm.
Eventually, she had a deep breath and pulled herself away from Hiro. She wiped the tears from her face, having stopped crying.
Jovenan: Ugh, sorry for being such a cry-baby, brothe―
She cut herself mid-word. It didn’t even register that she had almost called him her brother, a title she wasn’t sure Hiro would appreciate. Instead, she had realised she might have done something that could discomfort him even more.
She had hugged him.
She had touched him without his consent.
She had violated his personal boundaries and right to bodily integrity. Those rights were recorded and protected by the laws of the Edo and of the Federation. She had had no right to do so nor indication she would be allowed that. Shocked and horrified of her own actions, she stepped back away from him, going pale.
Jovenan: ::shocked:: I… I am… sorry, I didn’t mean… It was a force of habit… So sorry… I was being inappropriate!
Hiro stepped closer to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Terrified, she looked at both hands, one at a time, her eyes widened to the extreme. Oh God, he’s mad! Almost panicking, she breathed fast but didn’t try to squirm out of his hold. But… Hiro didn’t seem angry. He did nothing, just stood there, holding her shoulders. Jovenan turned to see his eyes, gradually slowing her breath towards the normal.
Jones: Jovenan, listen very carefully. One: You never ever have to apologize for being your genuine self with me. I will never judge you for it, hold it against you, or think any less of you for it. I will always be someone with whom you can be free and honest, ok? That's a promise. Two: I never had any siblings. I didn't really even have many friends until fairly recently. I'm thrilled to be called your friend, and it is the highest honor I can think to be called your brother.
There was no panic anymore. Staring at his eyes, new tears emerged despite a smile taking over her face. She felt like hugging him again.
Jovenan: Th–thank you, br–brother.
Hesitating to embrace him again, he was the one to initiate this time. Hugging one another, Jovenan cried a little, but not of sadness, but of happiness for finding her space brother.
Soon, they let go of each other. They were still in the Sensor Pod control room, something Jovenan had almost forgotten. Hiro scratched the back of his neck.
Jones: So, can we play with the Beholder, or would you like to get a drink?
Jovenan: The B–Beholder? ::looks around confused, then smiles brightly:: Oh, the TOV suit! What a cool name! Actually, I had intended to ask you if you would want to try it out.
Jones: Response
Jovenan stepped to an interface near the suit. Discreetly wiping the last of the tears off her face, she activated the interface, bringing the familiar LCARS to life. Obviously, they couldn’t just play with the thing. The Starfleet had regulations concerning how their enormously sophisticated equipment could be used, and shooting out probes just for the fun of it was not exactly a legitimate reason.
Jovenan: Yes, we can! This will have to be formally a training session. I should be qualified to hold a training session on sensor analysis, but I need to file in a request for permission to conduct one. Don’t worry, they are usually accepted by default when we’re not doing anything important at the time.
Jones: Response
She wrote a bit of an explanation of their plans to use the newly renamed Beholder, including launching a probe. She felt so light after all that had happened. No longer homesick nor lonely, she was almost like another person on the inside. Before finishing the plans, she turned back to Hiro with a quirky smile on her face.
Jovenan: :: faking a serious voice:: Good day, class! I will be your training officer, Lieutenant Jay-Gee Jovenan. Today, we will learn how to correctly operate a TOV suit and analyse telemetry provided by probe sensors. ::holds in giggles:: This training session will be evaluated and entered into your permanent records.
Jones: Response
She turned back to the interface. Despite their playful attitude, the part about it being a real, serious training was completely real. She had to file in their information and plans that were crucial for the safe operations of the ship and all the other vessels and people out there.
Jovenan: I’ll need to give the bridge our flight plan for the probe so they can have it approved by the flight control and the authorities. As long as we plan to keep within a specified “corridors” it should be approved quite automatically. So, which do you want to see, Cait or either of its moons?
Jones: Response
TAG/TBC
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Lieutenant JG Jovenan
Science officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11