[G-QTRS][Backsim] JP by Lt. DeVeau and Dr. Saveron: Roles Reversed - Part 2

[Amanda Nordstrom]

(Saveron's Quarters)


DeVeau: Are we? In all the Universe, are we a majority? Or do we simply
choose more often to work with other species?


Saveron: You are the majority. ::Said the PhD Xenobiologist, with that
heavy Vulcan brand of certainty.::


::Alora’s face broke into a smile.::

DeVeau: Whether or not you believe it, Vulcans are quite interesting.
Whatever our difference, there is enough commonality between us that we
are linked. All of us are, Vulcan, Ferengi, Denobulan. We’re not really
all that different when you get right down to it.


Saveron: We do largely have the same goals and ideals. ::He allowed.::


::Hence the Federation. And if Alora decided that she found his people
interesting when many happily consigned them to the ‘too hard’ basket,
who was he to argue? She was not alone, just perhaps in the minority.::


Saveron: I have no objection. ::He allowed, watching her face at close
range, his third eyelids slid half-way across his eyes like a sleepy
cat.:: Perhaps it is my fault that I seek logical explanations where
there are none.


DeVeau: It is your nature. And while it can be annoying sometimes, it’s
a part of you a part I accept. ::She paused, then added, a little more
softly.:: Just like you accept my sometimes annoying emotionalism.


::They were so different in many ways, and yet Alora could see the
commonalities they shared. Both added to their friendship in different
ways - a friendship she was grateful for more and more each day.::


Saveron: Not annoying. ::He corrected.:: Occaisionally confusing. ::He
added quietly.:: Always interesting.


::He learned a lot through their friendship.::


DeVeau: I bet our tea has steeped long enough.


Saveron: I anticipate so. ::He agreed.::

DeVeau: You’re going to have to get up to get it.


Saveron: That may prove difficult with you leaning on me. ::He pointed
out.::


::Not that he was particularly keen to get up anyway, but he suspected
that Alora was going to make it a point of honour.::


DeVeau: True. I suppose I should get up so you can get up.


::She tilted her head to the side, her brow gently brushing against the
fur of the white tribble.::


DeVeau: Though it’s a shame I have to.


Saveron: You would prefer to remain?


DeVeau: You make a nice pillow.


Saveron: I have no objection. ::He said in tones somewhere between
inebriated and sleepy.::

::With another of her grins, Alora braced herself against the Vulcan’s
chest and pressed up to her knees. Then she rose and offered her hand to
the inebriated man.::


::One thing his people never did was offer someone else a hand up.
Ignoring her hand he sat straight up, then paused and put a hand on the
low table as the room spun a couple of times. Rapid movements appeared
inadvisable. Once the room settle he folded his legs comfortably and
plonked the tribble on the table, where it ambled around cooing gently
and dragging it’s long, white fur behind it..::


DeVeau: Come on, let’s sit and have some tea. Maybe it will clear your head.


Saveron: Possibly.


::He pushed the little cups into the appropriate array on the tray and
automatically poured the Theris-masu; he got most of it into them. It
was very strong, the heavy smell of spice permeating the room. Once they
were poured the Vulcan picked up a cup and drank most of it in one go.
In Sickbay he drank it out of a mug, but the tea set was more traditional.::


::Regarding Alora as he drank, Saveron mused that perhaps he had spoken
more truth than he realised, that he was always looking for logic where
it did not always lie. He did not understand why Alora found his company
so enjoyable, but he considered it preferable that she did. Perhaps it
was one of those strange, alien things that he simply had to accept. And
that was not a bad thing.::


Saveron: I… appreciate your friendship, Alora. ::He said after a long
moment.:: Please do not think otherwise. It is simply that… sometimes I
do not know how to respond, to your words, your actions. ::They were
based on social conventions with which he was not familiar.::


::Alora plopped down on the floor next to him and turned a studious
gaze. The Vulcan seemed oddly emotional - for a Vulcan. Although he
would not be considered so in comparison to a human, his admittance was
still more than he usually offered and she knew that while there was
truth in those words she wasn’t certain whether or not he’d have shared
such introspection had he been sober.::


::He wondered for a moment whether this was why they did it. Why aliens
intoxicated themselves; the breakdown of barriers. Certainly the filter
between his brain and his mouth seemed to have shut off for the night.::


Saveron: It is agreeable to have friendships. This far from our
homeworlds, it is all the family many have.


::Which was something he’d thought before but not voiced. Those kind of
thoughts he usually kept to himself. Alora probably didn’t understand
him even as he often didn’t understand her; but she accepted him for who
he was and that was important.::


::Another admittance which was turning into a real ‘heart to heart’,
drunken Vulcan style. A smile pressed upon her lips and she reached out
to take up the teapot and pour liquid into each of the two cups.::


DeVeau: When you spend so much time together, when you take care of each
other the way we do here, yes. You become family.


::While they each had their own biological family, there were ties
formed upon starships that were just as strong as those other familial
ones.::


DeVeau: I’m grateful for my family, both on Terra and here. And yes, you
and Saavok are a part of that.


::Raissa, Roshanara, Aron, others.... The term used was friends,
coworkers, fellow crewmembers, but it was more than that, especially
after everything that had happened.::


Saveron: That.. is acceptable.


::How much more than simply ‘acceptable’ his cultural conditioning would
not allow him to say. Strong friendships were rare and so very important.::

DeVeau: Drink your tea. Perhaps sometime we should do a tea ceremony
together. I think it is an art you would appreciate.


Saveron: I am not… familiar, with the concept. ::He admitted as he
sipped the second cup.::


DeVeau: It’s a ritual that is highly regarded in Japan - I think you
would appreciate it.


Saveron: It sounds interesting. I would not object to that. ::He set his
empty cup back on the table.:: Thank you. I think I should retire now.


::He was feeling very sleepy, and his outer eyelids were drooping.::


DeVeau: That sounds like a wise decision. Come on, I’ll help keep you
steady.


::She rose, but didn’t offer her hand again as the reason why he didn’t
accept it last time dawned upon her. Instead, she hovered near, ready to
catch his elbow should he try to lean too far one way or another.::

::Though a little unsteady, Saveron got to his feet on his own, even
fielding Fluffy as the tribble somersaulted off the table in a bid for
freedom. He held the cooing ball of fur out to Alora.::


Saveron: Would you take Fluffy? ::He had enough to concentrate on.::


DeVeau: Of course.


::Alora cradled the creature in her arms, then swiftly returned Fuffy to
his cage. A moment later, she was back by Saveron’s side, ready to keep
him on his feet if he needed assistance.::


::The lights came on dimly in the bedroom as the door hissed open. It
was reasonably plain and the temperature was set quite high. There was a
Vulcan orchid in a pot on a shelf and several more holographs on the
walls, along with an abstract hanging. The heat slammed into Alora and
she flinched, but voiced no complaint.::


Saveron: Where is Saavok? ::He asked suddenly, pausing in the doorway.::


DeVeau: With Raissa. I promise, he’ll be taken good care of. I asked
them to return him once it was bedtime and he can then get some rest.


::If she trusted anyone with a child, it was Raissa. The counselor would
see that he would be all right while Alora tended to the father.::


::That was… satisfactory. Counsellor Moonsong had been established as
someone Saavok could trust.::

DeVeau: Right now, you’re more of a concern.


Saveron: Am I? ::He pondered vaguely.:: This was not my intention. It
is… inconvenient.


::He stepped into the room finally sat down on the edge of the bed.::


Saveron: I believe that I shall avail myself of… the standard wisdom and
‘sleep it off’.


::Trying to meditate in his current state was asking for trouble.::


DeVeau: Yeah, I think that’s a good idea.


::She hesitated, uncertainty creeping into her demeanor.::

DeVeau: Do you need anything?


::He seemed to give the question serious consideration.::


Saveron: I do not believe so at this time. I… do not think that I
consumed excessive quantities of the chocolate.


DeVeau: Okay. Well, I’ll be in your common room if you need anything, okay?

::Even though Saveron stated it wasn’t excessive, she didn’t feel right
just leaving him. What if he did wind up needing something, or had a
worse reaction after the fact?

Saveron: As you wish.


::The Vulcan kicked off his low-cut boots and simply stretched out on
the hard mattress, plainly not intending to undertake any activity that
required coordination, such as dealing with the buttons on his robes.
His companion turned to head back through the door, but his voice made
her pause.::


Saveron: Alora?


DeVeau: Yes?


::He turned to look at her sleepily.::


Saveron: Thank you.


::She merely smiled, instructed the computer to turn off the light, then
stepped through just before the door whispered to a close.::

****************

Lt. Alora DeVeau

Chief of Science

USS Garuda


and


Lt. Cmdr. Saveron

Xenobiologist

USS Garuda