Vice Admiral Quinn Reynolds - On Wheels
Quinn Reynolds
((USS Gorkon, Deck 4, Holodeck 6 - Program: Tiffany's Diner))
The stack of pancakes was slowly—oh, so slowly—reducing in size as Quinn took small bites in between sentences. She sat with Spelvan and Vesela Pace, the small trio learning about one another through inquiries and the organic travels of conversation. Spelvan had shared a formative experience from his youth, along with a practice of suus mahna, and had seemed intrigued by Pace's interest in roller derby.
Reynolds: I've never really been one for physical pursuits. I much preferred tinkering and reading and so forth. ::Music, too, but that was something she preferred to keep more private.:: My lightship's getting closer to spaceworthiness, although I haven't had much time to work on it recently.
Spelvan: A lightship? It appears that we have several "tinkerers" on the Gorkon.
Pace: What kind of lightship, Admiral?
Reynolds: Bajoran. I've tried to stay as faithful to the old materials and techniques as I could.
She was going to be sad when it was done, truth be told. Many days she'd looked forward to shucking the uniform, rolling up her sleeves, and getting stuck into building something. No personalities to manage, no conflicts to mediate, no competing interests to deliver a compromise to. Command was definitely something she'd fallen into, rather than aimed for, and there were always days she missed the simplicity of being an engineer.
Spelvan: Have you built the lightship entirely yourself, or have you been doing it with someone else?
Reynolds: Not entirely by myself. My son's been a big help, and I've had a few people drop in and lend a hand from time to time.
Pace: I’m sure it takes an enormous amount of time and effort, but it’ll be worth it for sure!
Spelvan: I see. I hope you have the time to finish it, eventually.
The contrast between Pace's boundless enthusiasm and Spelvan's more managed response made Quinn smile. It made her miss Saveron a little, and she resolved to give the Vulcan a call soon. He'd be interested to know how Amelia was doing, and of course Dylan and Saveron's son, Saavok, had remained long-distance friends over the years. It still seemed like yesterday when the two young boys were playing together in fountains.
Reynolds: Eventually. ::She chuckled.:: I'm nothing if not stubborn.
The conversation reached a natural pause, and a few moments of silence fell on the table. It didn't last long, Spelvan's curiosity driving him back to something mentioned—but not explained—earlier.
Spelvan: So what does roller derby entail, exactly?
Pace: Oh! Um, well, it’s a lot less elegant than building a lightship!
Reynolds: Trust me, there's nothing elegant about sweaty welding gear and sawdust in your hair.
Pace: ::She chuckled and continued,:: So, there’s two teams of five roller skaters each and the playing field is an oval track. Each team consists of four blockers and one jammer and the goal is to help your jammer lap the other team’s blockers as many times as they can!
Content to listen while Pace explained her sport of choice, Quinn took the opportunity for a few more small bites of pancake. It was delicious, but then, no one would ever accuse her of being a gourmet. She couldn't tell the difference between replicated and real, and that didn't bother her in the slightest.
Spelvan: Response
Pace: It’s full contact and a lot of fun! Honestly, I miss skating even without the full-contact aspect of roller derby. I might try and organize a skating hour on the holodeck sometime if either of you are interested?
Reynolds: I think we have a few aboard who enjoy ice-skating. You'd probably see them turn up to try out a casual hour on wheels.
Pace / Spelvan: Response
Quinn couldn't imagine a scenario where she wouldn't end up flat on her face, in sickbay nursing a twisted ankle, or some other indignity. Physical grace was not one of her strengths, and she thought she'd best leave the skating to those more suited to or practiced at it.
Reynolds: Come to think about it, my daughter would probably enjoy it. I'll ask her if she'd like to come along.
Pace / Spelvan: Response
Commanding Officer
USS Gorkon
T238401QR0