JP/Backsim: Ensign Lyra Voss & Lt. Cmdr. Ross: Post Pasta Plans, Part II
Hannah S
((Evan Ross’s Quarters; Upper Habitat Section, StarBase 118))
Voss: What about where you grew up? Were you in the city or out in the country?
Ross: Oh, I’m a city-boy through and through. Couldn’t tell an oak from a pine-tree. I’m from a city called Boston, it was very… gray. And busy. Not too different from the Commercial sector actually. Maybe that’s why I managed to settle here.
He smiled.
Voss: Boston is on the water too, right? They very famously threw something in the harbor. Like a drink or something? Whiskey?
That made him chuckle. Ross nodded.
Ross: Yeah, almost. They call it the Boston tea party.
Even 600 years later, people were insanely proud of it. As if anybody cared these days about such a small inter-human conflict, not even extraterrestrial forces involved.
She laughed brightly as she took another sip of drink.
Voss: Oh, tea! Of course. Well I’m afraid that’s the only thing I know about Boston, so I’m seven hundred years too late and I didn’t even get the drink right. Did you… ::cutting herself off:: no, this is a better question - if you could go back right this instant to your absolute favorite place in the city, where would you go?
A food stall, a museum, a park - even a busy, gray city had to have a few loveable spots tucked away somewhere. Hopefully?
Ross huffed at the sheer amount of possibilities. It had been ages since he had lived in the city - still, he enjoyed going back from time to time and dwelling on old memories which time had tinted with nostalgia. He had never had any strong feelings about the city while growing up - but the older he got the more often he caught himself thinking back to it fondly.
Ross: I mean - if I had a visitor, I’d probably have to show them the old ships. They replicated them, but word is one or two of them are even still original. There are some ancient houses as well which look pretty nice. The former library is great. You can actually get a lot of classic paper-books in the city - like a black market for passionate readers.
That memory made him smile. Sometimes, his mother had taken him out into the city and to the small stalls and flea markets where people were selling old family trinkets: Sandra had owned a huge shelf full of old books carrying such a distinctive scent that he could still smell it the instant he thought back to it. He wondered if Lyra could, too.
Oh she absolutely loved paper books! She’d only been to an actual library of paper books once in her life, and it was a story her family still liked to tease her about. She’d only been eight years old at the time, and when she walked in, she immediately stopped short, gasped theatrically, and pretended to faint by crumpling to the ground. Her mother, who knew she was just being melodramatic, started yelling at her to get up, but the staff was terrified and ran over like she might have actually just passed out on their floor. Palara had been mortified.
Voss: That definitely sounds worth a trip. When was the last time you were there?
Was that a loaded question? She almost waved her hand and took it back, pushed through to something else, but… that felt silly. She didn’t want to poke too much at sad memories - she was already a deft hand at that anyway - but you didn’t get to know someone by only ever talking about sunshine and roses.
He shrugged and rubbed his forehead, squirming at the thought of it.
Ross: Too long ago. I promised my sister I would get better, but… well, it must have been shortly after Frontier Day. I guess the Borg threatening to blow up Earth stirred up some home-sickness. I should go more often though - my niece just had a child. It’s just - Shore Leaves are rare and they pass really quickly on this base, as you’re about to find out.
Yeah, nothing like a terrifying existential threat to make you want to be around family.
He gave a wry smile. He had planned to pay Christina and Robin a visit, but with the Intel meeting coming up in the Gamma Quadrant, he wouldn’t be able to make it. He hadn’t told them yet. Ross was glad they were changing the subject - maybe that was a good thing about hanging out with a mind-reader.
Voss: What about your favorite place on the station? I’m still mostly wandering and stumbling across places by accident.
He grinned.
Ross: I think that’s the only way to do it. That’s our advantage - there’s no pressure to explore, we have time. I still haven’t seen all of it, but I mainly just follow good cuisine around the base.
Say one thing about the man - he appreciated good food. And it was always fun to hear people talk about the things they enjoyed. She took another bite of pasta as she smiled.
Voss: So what’s the best restaurant on the base?
Ross: Have you been to the Ashalla district yet? There’s a restaurant called Food for the Pagh - ugh! ::he rolled his eyes:: I’d move in there if I could.
Voss: Ooh, no I haven’t! Sounds Bajoran? I haven’t had the chance to try much Bajoran food.
Ross: We should go! I mean - if you’d like to.
Was it weird that he had taken T’Reyna there on their first date? No. He had been there before - and he had been there afterwards. With Alora, as well as on his own - maybe it was time to rebrand that place as simply his and not as his date location.
Her next bite of pasta did not go smoothly. Her brain did a little half-second freeze when he asked, during which time she forgot to chew, and then when her brain started up again, she swallowed a lump of fettuccine that was not quite ready for the next stage of its journey. The result was a somewhat less than graceful bit of coughing, and a big swig from her drink. Well, at least the coughing was a good excuse for the redness in her cheeks. She tried to put on a self-effacing smile as quickly as she could.
Ross tried his best to act as if he hadn't even noticed Lyra's slip. Suddenly the small amount of leftover pasta on his plate proved the most interesting sight ever - suddenly he didn't mind his inability to read her mind. Blessed be the ignorant.
Voss: Sorry, apparently I momentarily forgot how to chew! ::just laugh through it and move on:: But yeah, that would be fun. I’m always up for trying a new restaurant.
She was being ridiculous. She was completely fine twenty minutes ago! Just be that person from twenty minutes ago. The one who hadn’t noticed yet that she was leaning in a little closer when he spoke, or smiling a little brighter when he smiled. Evan was just trying to make her feel comfortable, just trying to be her friend - the last thing she wanted was to take that for granted. So instead, she sat across from him, trying desperately not to think about the fact that he was a vecking intelligence officer who basically read people for a living, and she was a Betazoid who had almost no experience with lying. Four have mercy…
He decided to change the topic, freeing both of them from the awkward silence that followed.
Ross: What about you? Have you discovered any hidden favourite spots yet? Ever been to the Dungeon?
He raised his eyebrows with a grin - that was definitely the weirdest place existing on this base, but he felt like you had to see it at least once to get the whole picture.
She was thrilled to think about something - anything - else, even if it was an apparent medieval torture chamber on the starbase.
Voss: Okay, I did see “Dungeon” on a map at one of the lift-tube stations, but I kind of thought I’d maybe misread the sign? We have a dungeon on board?
Ross: Truth be told, it's more… edgy than scary. I heard it has quite a history, but today you'd find mostly posers down there. Always worth a visit if you want to gamble or investigate smuggling rings. I'd just suggest to go civilian - the first time Fairhug took me, we almost got in a fight.
Ah, so not exactly literal. But it sounded like quite the wild place all the same.
Voss: ::grinning:: That certainly sounds… colorful. I’m afraid I don’t… when you don’t go out much in general, you tend not to end up in particularly shady establishments. For better or worse. Although I will say - while I was at the Academy, I spent a year doing an astronomy field camp, half of which was at a satellite campus down in the Atacama Desert in Chile, at this incredible observatory. We were about forty minutes from the nearest town unless you had transporter credits to waste, and one of my classmates finally got fed up with being in the middle of nowhere and dragged us all out one night to find something to do. Which is how I ended up doing karaoke at two in the morning with the meanest looking Tellarite I’ve ever seen, who finished the night absolutely sobbing in my arms after we sang an extremely drunken rendition of “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart.” ::with a laugh:: That bar was kind of magical.
He liked the way her eyes lit up when she told that story, although it made her look even younger.
Ross: ::with a grin:: You know, I somehow suspected from the start you weren't such a social hermit like you claimed.
Lyra was way too friendly and easygoing for not having a few good Academy stories like these.
She scoffed as she shook her head with a grin. What was that human saying? Even a broken clock was right twice a day? Even an hermit could occasionally do karaoke.
Voss: You must have seen some interesting establishments while you were working in cargo? Or maybe as an intelligence officer too?
Ross: ::he shook his head:: On the contrary. I actually became an Intel Officer to have less of these stories. I spent way too much time in front of sad bar counters. ::he hesitated, then a small spark lit up in his eyes:: Well… - one time I got drunk and almost ended up on a small shuttle with a bunch of Bajoran priests that wanted to explore a wormhole at the Fringe of the Gamma Quadrant. Don't know if that counts - I changed my mind and jumped off last minute.
A certain Bajoran ex-officer might have played an important role in luring him on board - but like many others, Ross had forgotten the sound of his voice by now. Just another pinch on a long list of minor heartbreaks and what ifs turning into it was hopeless from the start.
She watched the mix of emotions play out across his features in a quick burst. It was always strange to think back on those points where one small moment had made all the difference. Going or not going. Saying yes or saying no. But she didn’t want to pry for more information than he was willing to volunteer.
Voss: ::shaking her head:: Yeah, I’d say that definitely counts! Oh but - as to your previous question, I don’t know if I have any hidden favorites yet? I walked around the Ohmallera District, but it’s… I don’t know. It’s a little disconcerting? Similar to Betazed in a kind of… alternate universe/funhouse mirror kind of way. I did visit the Klingon opera house in the Qo'noS District though - the Tang Te Voc! It’s gorgeous. Actually, I dragged Ryden with me to see a show and two actors ended up crushed under a heavy piece of the set, so he got to save the day and everything. It was quite the performance. Have you ever seen a Klingon opera?
Her and Ryden - interesting. Ross narrowed his eyes slightly with a grin.
She was so excited to talk about opera that she missed that little expression entirely.
Ross: I'm afraid I'm not that cultured… you've seen me at the art gallery.
Ah right, the cosmic donut. Regrettably, there were not many desserts mentioned in Klingon operas. Unless you counted the “'uQ'a' jaj” aria in “tIqwIj 'Iw,” which was technically about feasting (well, feasting on the hearts of your enemies…). But still! For a Klingon opera, it was a bright, uptempo number.
Voss: ::with a very silly grin:: Come on, dinner and a show! We could totally go! Maybe it’ll become my personal side quest to turn the whole crew into Klingon opera aficionados.
That made him laugh.
Ross: So Ryden would be willing to go again, yeah? I bet that's due to the company more than the show.
What did Ryden… she stopped with the fork still halfway to her mouth and gave him a comically skeptical look.
Voss: Well, one, how dare you impugn the skill of the Tang Te Voc company to bring around even the most reticent of listeners, and two, I talked his ear off, promising it would be a relaxing, cathartic experience, and then he had to handle a medical emergency on his day off, so the jury’s still out on my company. Not ::she laughed:: that that should dissuade you! I have it on good authority they’ve heavily reinforced the Gates of Gre’thor.
Ross shrugged and smiled.
Ross: Of course I'm down. I'm afraid though we might have to schedule that in for next Shore Leave - I'll leave for an Intel conference in the Gamma Quadrant tomorrow and won't be back before the New Year's ceremony.
She took her last bite of pasta (she really did need to find time to make pasta from scratch more often, it was kind of incredible) as she listened to the rest of his shore leave plans. As soon as she heard the words “Gamma Quadrant,” her whole face lit up.
Voss: You get to go through the wormhole? I mean, I know we’ve sent plenty of ships back and forth at this point but… traveling through a stable wormhole is just… That’s amazing.
Ross: I know, I don't know how I got myself into that either. ::he grimaced:: Failed upwards.
Sometimes he still couldn't believe it - a few years ago he had slept on a shabby bunk bed in an empty warehouse, and now he had a first class ticket for a public shuttle through the GQ wormhole. He couldn't wait to enjoy the scenery, although the idea of another meet-up with Lyra was equally thrilling.
She wrapped both hands around her glass and leaned back in her chair. They’d both finished eating, but violins still played softly in the background and she was reluctant to break the warm little bubble that seemed to surround the table.
Voss: ::with a grin:: You have to be careful with that - you could fail all the way into a red uniform one of these days.
His eyes widened lightly, the chuckle from his lips resembling one of horror more than excitement.
Ross: Oh dear… fate help us all.
Voss: Do you think you’ll want to? To go into command someday?
He didn't hesitate to shake his head.
Ross: Honestly, those decisions are way too big for me. I know I'd crumble immediately. Thing is though - they don't really ask before they promote you. You'll find out soon enough, I'm sure. ::he threw her a sheepish smile:: Speaking of - are you aiming for Captain Voss?
That immediately made her laugh and then she took a long sip of her bourbon.
Voss: Abso-vecking-lutely not. I’d rather chew glass. No, let me finish my PhD, put me in a science lab, let me look at the stars - that’s all I want.
Well… it was, wasn’t it? The idea of being in charge of other people made her feel dizzy. Being in charge of a starship? An entire starbase? She’d have ten panic attacks a day and be constantly covered in hives. Maybe - maybe - she could be in charge of a science department. Someday. But even that felt like a hell of a stretch at the moment.
Ross gave an understanding nod, agreeing with every sentiment she had voiced. Never ever would he have thought to find himself in a position anywhere close to Starfleet command - and even the responsibility over Data Collection seemed oppressing to him on some days.
Ross: I hear you. Sounds like we want the same things from life.
There was a small breath of companionable silence. The combination of a stiff drink, a warm meal, and a lovely conversation (minus one or two slightly mortifying bits that were undoubtedly going to live forever on repeat in her mind) was finally making her eyelids a little heavier. It must be getting late. She found herself smiling softly as she looked across the table.
Voss: This was really nice. I’m glad you called.
He mirrored her small smile effortlessly. Whatever they had shared tonight - be it friendship, kitchen professionalism or something else, something much more confusing - it felt nice.
Ross: Well… I'm glad you came.
End of Scene
***
Ensign Lyra Voss
Science Officer
Starbase 118 Ops
O240208LV1
and
Lt. Commander Evan Ross
Intelligence Officer
StarBase 118 Ops
O240009ER2