LT. Arlill, Ensign Nilsen, Lt. Maxwell, Ensign Herrick. Lt. Promotory, Lt. Johnson, Zarah, Lt. Nijal, Ensign Vomek, Rox, Lt. Cabrillo: JOPA: Some say goodbye, and some say hello… (Part 4)
Erik J
(( “Special Restoration Area” (a.k.a. Bowling Alley) - Deck 7 - USS ‘Oumuamua ))
Arlill: OK! ::Toxin grabbed a bowling ball:: Who’s up?
Vomek: Let’s go HCO! I’m glad they got the color of the shirts right. HCO is red people.
Vomek smiled at what he considered a very clever rhyme.
Nilsen: ::looking at his and then pointing to Arlill's yellow uniform:: erm, about that.
Lhandon couldn't help but smile.
Arlill: Red HCOs only have the command chair in mind, gold HCO take care of the rest of the ship.
Vomek: Helm is traditionally a command position. Look at Sulu and Paris.
Arlill: That’s because they just weren’t skilled enough to handle science or engineering! (beat) Well maybe Paris but his wife was chief, be a conflict of interest.
Nilsen: We don't just do helm, some of us do stuff in Ops, besides, look at Jadzia Dax, she flew the Defiant and she was blue.
Vomek: ::scoffing:: Jadzia Dax, pah.
Nilsen: Simon, how could you mate? She's like one of the coolest people ever.
Arlill: I’m sure V’Len would agree with Lhandon.
Roxy: ::looking at Arlill:: I heard he had a poster of Jadzia in his dorm room at the academy.
At least Lhandon and Roxy were not at odds anymore. Hefting a ball to check its weight, Max raised a very Vulcan-esque eyebrow.
Maxwell: Who didnae have poster ae her on the wall?
Spying a box with his name written on it, Max pulled the lid free and peered inside.He half-smirked to himself as he lifted out the folded bowling shirt. It was the exact same style as all the others dotted around the assembled group, also proclaiming “Just Other Players Association” upon it. The pinstriping upon Max’s shirt was unique in the room, being the green tone of the SFMC. Holding the shoulders, he let the shirt drop and unfold before turning it around. Across the shoulders it proclaimed MARINE and then underneath it in much smaller lettering “Hard Work & Party Hard”.
Very true indeed. Marines were known throughout the Fleet for working hard at being the best at what they do, and partying even harder. Glancing around at the chatting faces, Max unbuttoned the shirt before pulling it on over his long-sleeve top.
Lhandon and Vomek had gotten along very well over the past few weeks. They worked through the same training program set up by V'Kel, and Lhandon was happy to have finally got to know Vomek.
Avander looked around. It seemed like folks were having a grand old time. He would miss this; JOPA had a way of bringing out the best in people. oO Huh. Looks like TK even made it! Oo
TK had not really planned on coming to or even joining JOPA. He had heard of it many times and based on getting his rank taken away from Lieutenant to Ensign some might have thought him a lifer in JOPA if he had joined. At the persistent urging of Rox, TK had consented to come to this JOPA meeting. Although he made sure he was very fashionably late.
Rox gazing down the lanes in a bit of a fog. She watched the pin machine set up the pins. She had her shoes on but had not yet begun to play. She didn’t really feel like it. She was about to get up and leave but practically jumped out of her own skin when she turned to see Cabrillo behind her.
Rox: Jeez, give a girl a heart attack.
Cabrillo: ::folding his arms across his chest:: Not like you to be so subdued like that.
Rox: I can do subdued from time to time.
TK was not an expert on people but her tone and inflection were slightly off. He had learned with Zi that surprise could produce such a change but more often than not, something else was going on.
Cabrillo: Something wrong? You seem like something is out of sorts.
Rox: Nothing is wrong.
Cabrillo: ::narrowing his gaze on her:: I’m not buying that Rox.
It seemed TK was not going to be dissuaded so she took a few steps away from the rest of the group and opened up her box. Inside was the bowling shirt with the word, “Crewgirl” on the back.
Rox: I mean what would have been wrong with “Nurse”
TK titled his head to one side slightly as he looked at the shirt and the name listed across the back of the shirt.
Cabrillo: ::in a straightforward tone:: What’s wrong with it?
Rox: You don’t see, do you? Sorry ::emphasizing:: Lieu-ten-ant. :: beat:: This shirt is how they see me. Just some crewman.
Cabrillo: I don’t see why it’s an issue, you are after all a Crewman.
Rox: Well there’s nothing wrong with being a crewman is there? But writing it on my back seems like they're keen to remind me I’m on the bottom.
oO This is why I avoid people. Who cares what the shirt says? Oo TK really did not have the best social skills in this area, never had and probably never would. To him wearing a bowling shirt with some obscured name on it was a bit ridiculous anyways. Wasn’t his idea of fun.
Cabrillo: Well, isn’t weird but related names on bowling shirts supposed to be the way to do it? ::looking around the room:: I mean I wouldn't think Nilsen would want to wear Ensign Nilsen on his back.
Rox: Well besides 4 years at the academy what does Nilsen have that I don’t?
TK glanced back at Rox. oO That’s not what I meant. Just keep your mouth closed TK and get out of here before she sends you back in time for not agreeing with her. Oo
Lhandon was with Promontory and Maxwell in the neighboring lane, while he wanted to listen in, he instead elected to swap sides with Maxwell in a move that is akin to walking backwards into a large bush, hoping not to be seen.
Cabrillo: ::looking at Rox:: Aside from the 4 years at the academy ::beat:: he has the title of Ensign. You do not but I don't think that is the relative point here you are trying to make is it?
Josh looked over and saw Cabrillo and Rox chatting; he was having some difficulty with spontaneously conversing with the team. When the conversation had a purpose, he found it easy to engage with others — but in these social settings he tended to be a bit of a wallflower. He thought he’d try and at least mingle with folks he knew.
Rox looked over at Cabrillo incredulously. How could he not get it? But as she turned to him she realized he definitely did not. The question suddenly became: did she? What was she really upset about and how could she explain it. Her thought were interrupted by an engineer.
Herrick: Hey… my fellow Paradiso peeps. How goes it?
Cabrillo: ::looking to Herrick:: Hello Herrick. It’s going rather well wouldn’t you say Rox? ::looking back to Rox with an evil grin on his face::
Rox: ::as pleasantly as possible:: Peachy. But I need to head to sickbay.
Rox stood up and headed out of the area.
In the awkward silence that followed, Josh stumbled to pick the pieces of the conversation back up, but with TK’s help, they eventually landed on a topic worth discussing giving their recent brush with alternate dimensions — what their counterparts on other ‘Oumuamua’s might be doing at this exact moment.
Lhandon was keeping his distance from Rox and was paying her no mind, he was still unhappy about the really short argument that happened on the surface of Paradiso. Even though things were now settled between them, for now.
Sometime later it seemed as if most of the JOPA members were enjoying the bowling facilities.
Josh was not having much luck with his rolls. Had the other officers not been so successful, he might have thought that the lanes had uneven floors. He released the ball, and as it sped across the waxed wood, it shyly missed the last pin and ended up in the gutter.
Herrick: I think we, err- I, need the bumpers up.
Promontory: What about the “bumpers”?
Herrick: You can raise the gutters up so that the ball stays in the lane all the way to the end — more chances to the pins.
Promontory: But then you won’t get better!
Herrick: I guess that makes sense ::rubbing the back of his head:: Perhaps I’ll think of it like golf scores, the lowest score wins and I’m ahead by miles ::he laughed::
He looked up at the monitors, and Eli’s scoreboard caught his attention. The screen mostly displayed Xs, meaning he kept getting strikes. Whatever his personal feelings were, it was an impressive feat.
A short time later, Lhandon got the attention of both Maxwell and Promontory and spoke to them both quietly in-between rounds. He stood much taller than the two of them at 6 foot 4, but he wanted some way to tell Promontory and Maxwell that they made him finally feel as tall as he is.
Nilsen: Hey erm, I just wanted to say thanks
Promontory: ::brightly:: No problem! For what?
Maxwell: Thanks?
Nilsen: That whole thing with the nebula and not knowing what's out there and erm, thinking it might be Borg and then letting me have my hunch and not chewing me out for it and erm
Lhandon dovetailed off, old nerves came back as he not just remembered the events of the last mission but also thought this could be his last chance to express his gratitude to Promontory now that he is leaving as Lhandon is joining.
Promontory: Hey, we’re all on the same team. Don’t ever not report something, the CO can decide for themselves if they act on it, but you got to tell them the info so they can make the decision!
Maxwell: Listen to your man here. Nobody ever got chewed out for passing on information. If it's irrelevant, the CO can discard it.
Max clapped a hand onto the Ensigns shoulder - probably a little harder than intended. Lhandon slightly winced.
Maxwell: Don’t doubt yourself laddie. You’ve a solid crew around you.
Nilsen: I guess erm, thanks for being there.
Toxin had been making rounds through the different bowling “teams” when he arrived where Nilsen, Promontory, and Maxwell had been playing.
Maxwell: Now then….
Max stepped up to the lane, swept his arm back and bowled.
All but two of his pins remained standing and he tutted lightly. Out of practice it seemed.
Arlill: Come on roomy, don’t get too sappy. (beat) You guys have room for a fourth?
Promontory: We always have room for a half-Bolian!
Maxwell: Aye, feel free.
Nilsen: ::Smiling::Go on then mate.
TBC!
LTJG Toxin Arlill
“The Best, Ace, Top, Pick of the Litter” Helm, Communications, & Operations Officer
USS 'Oumuamua NCC-81226
O239910TA
Ensign Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
"The Better Third Movie" Helm, Communications, & Operations Officer
USS Oumuamua
O240007LN1
2nd Lieutenant Arturo Maxwell
Marine Officer, 4/73 Marines.
USS Oumuamua: NCC-81226.
O239311AM0
Ensign Josh Herrick
Engineering Officer
USS ‘Oumuamua
O240005JH3
Lt Avander Promontory
Intelligence Officer
USS ‘Oumuamua
O239910AP4
Lt. Sasha Johnson & Zarah Johnson
Engineering Officer & Civilian
USS 'Oumuamua
M239008AD0
Lieutenant JG Zimedia Nijal
Engineering Officer
USS 'Oumuamua
V238208LV0
Ensign Simon Vomek & Rox
"Original" H/C/O Officer & Nurse - Crewman 2nd class
USS Oumuamua NCC-81226
T239811VK2
Lieutenant jg TK Cabrillo
Engineering Officer
USS Oumuamua
T239901JK1