Starbase Ronin

Reflections #50 & #51 "Visitation."

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-=On=-

Kathleen Black had just one more 'loose end' to tie up before leaving. She'd talked to Hannah, they were taking Ryylar with them... but she meant to say one last bye to her 'new friend' of sorts. She checked information on Sulan and was startled, but then not entirely surprised, to find out she'd have to go to the station brig. So Kitty spent a moment in her room amidst her luggage before heading down to the brig with a small bag looped over her shoulder. She was still wearing the jeans and shirt, but she'd taken her hair down. High ponytails were more trouble than she'd remembered

Sulan sat in the brig, reading a small book of Surak's teachings. The book was well worn and the edges of the pages were worn thin from use. The leather bound book looked to be several decades old, it's cover bearing the strange jagged writing that was the Vulcan script.

Kitty didn't take long to be cleared through security. Her own record was, of course, quite clean.. mostly because the debacle at the Pot of Gold Casino wasn't in this universe. She stepped up near the forcefield, the bag still over her shoulder, and tapped politely on the nearby wall. It was the best she could do to knocking, and she was somehow convinced that it was the most genteel way to announce her presence. <tag>

Sulan looked, up, and upon seeing Kitty, closed the book, and set it beside her. She stood and moved closer to the forcefield. "Ah, Kitty, I see your prepared to depart. What do you plan to do during shore leave?" Sulan feels a slight shock at how desperate for company she felt, though no sign of it shows in her face or voice.

Kitty smiled, but there was something wry in it. "I'm going home.. to Earth, to see my grandparents, and Evans will be meeting them for the first time. I wanted to stop first and tell you thank-you and I hope you have a nice shore leave... but the latter message seems kind of silly now."

"Well, I am certainly starting to see the humor in this situation. In fact, I believe it would be quite funny, could I laugh." She paced in her cell alitle. "Do you believe Evans is nervous at the prospect of meeting your grandparents?"

Kitty didn't pace, but she did lean against the nearest non-forcefield wall. "I think he is. But he did meet my father, and that went well. I think he'll be nervous, because I would be. But he's got nothing to worry about.. they like him. And I think that if you're in a situation where you could laugh, you should give it a try. I know I laughed enough times during the past mission, even though I was probably strange to find humor in it."

"Emotions are a door best left closed." Sulan said lightly. "What time does your shuttle arrive?"

"It's already here, it's been reserved specially," Kitty said. "But it'll leave in a couple hours. How are you holding out, in here? Is there anything I can get for you before I go?" <tag>

"I'm doing as well as can be expected for someone in the brig." She pauses for a moment. "There is something I would like to ask of you... If you are able, could you secure my weapons collection from the Pegasus? I had been panning to retrieve them myself, but, current circumstances forbid it, obviously."

Kitty thought about that for a moment. "I bet I could have them taken down and stored. I'm already planning on putting my cello into storage once it's retrieved. I think I'd need some sort of written permission, but I could put them into storage under my account. Is that what you mean?"

"Not exactly. I am uncertain that the repair crews will return all of my items, and treat the weapons with the care and respect they deserve. I have heard rumors of other crew being able to infiltrate the Pegasus with very little difficultly...." She lets the sentence hang, and folds her hands behind her back military style.

"Do you have cases for them in your room somewhere?" Kitty caught on. "I'll go take them down myself."

"In a manner of speaking. I have silks for them stored in the foot locker at the foot of my bed. Wrap them in those, and you should have little difficulty."

Kitty nodded. "I'll make sure they're safe. I'll put them in with my cello case and give you the lock code in case you get out before I get back."

"Thank you, Kitty. I am in your debt. I will remember this act of kindness."

Kitty smiled at that. "If your trick with the nightmares works, I'll be the one in your debt. I've started putting together the program already. It'll give me something to work on during the shuttle ride."

Sulan nodded. "One day, you will perhaps need a favor from me. On that day, I shall remember this one."

"Well, until then..." Kitty nodded. "I brought something for you. It's, uhm, silly... well... yeah, it's very silly... but it's what I would want if I were in your place."

"Is that so?" Sulan said as she raised an eyebrow.

Kitty nodded sheepishly. She rummaged through her bag a bit and pulled out... a small stuffed elephant. It wasn't new, furry, and glossy. It was a bit worn and slightly squashed, a couple of seams once burst and now resewn.. invisibly from this distance, but by hand. It had beady black eyes that had been polished up bright. She knew she couldn't hand it through the forcefield, so she handed it to the security guard on duty instead, to be checked and passed through.

After the security guard had checked it, and passed it through, Sulan examined the object carefully. "This... this is a child's toy?" She said utter utterly confused. "Ah, this would seem to have great sentimental value to you. Are you sure you will be able to part with it?"

"Elmer doesn't mind staying with you," Kitty said, blushing as she began to think this didn't sound quite as silly when she was thinking it in her quarters instead of actually facing the battle-hardened Vulcan. "I've still got Anastasia with me." She fumbled with her bag a bit and produced a similarly-sized and similarly 'loved' tiger wearing a ruffled apron. For all that she felt silly, though, she smoothed the tiger's apron down with care and smiled at it before tucking it back in. "I got them when I was twelve. They're good for talking to... and they remind me of who I am, underneath all my training and social conditioning."

Sulan examined the object more closely, tilling her head slightly. "So, you used these objects as an adolescent, and through anthropomorphism, transfered into this object, traits which you find suitable as an adult? I see... So by presenting me with this object, your wish is to ease my suffering and perhaps instill in my the same values which you attributed to it? Fascinating. Fascinating, indeed."

Kitty couldn't help chuckling at Sulan's analysis. "You've almost got it. I transferred a personality that isn't entirely what I am or entirely what I want to be, and I don't mean push any of that personality on you, either. Stuffed animals are good about that. They can be different things for different people. But no matter the personality, it's a friendly face that will listen no matter what I say. I do hope it'll make your stay easier, so that part you got spot on."

"Thank you, Kitty." Sulan said simply. "Perhaps, should you find it agreeable, after your return from Earth, you could visit me again and we could discuss this matter in more detail?"

"I'd like that," said Kitty, smiling brightly as she saw the gift was appreciated. "And you're quite welcome. Oh man... I hate to cut and run, but I've got to get moving if I'm going to get your collection into storage on time. I'll send you the pass code when I've got it, ok?" She shifted, no longer leaning on the wall, hefting and resettling the bag on her shoulder.

"Understood." She said quietly. "Thank you again for the visit, and the gift." <tag>

"If it at all brightened your day... that's what I came for." Kitty gave her one last sunny smile before heading out of the brig area. Next stop: USS Pegasus.

Sulan watched her go, and then, studied the object again. It's shape seemed to be designed to evoke an emotional response in Humans. But what sort of emotions? A Nurturing instinct, perhaps? Or...

She hook her head. There was much to think about.

[Off]

A joint RP by:

Lieutenant (jg.) Telek Sulan Chief of Security Chief of Security USS Pegasus

Lieutenant Kathleen Black Chief Engineering Officer USS Pegasus

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Reflections #50 & #51 "Visitation." <<< Previous Log ] [ Log Index ] [ Next Log >>> -=On=- Kathleen Black had just one more 'loose end' to tie up before leaving. She'd talked to Hannah, they were taking Ryylar with them... but she meant to say one last bye to her 'new friend' of sorts. She checked information on Sulan and was startled, but then not entirely surprised, to find out she'd have to go to the station brig. So Kitty spent a moment in her room amidst her luggage before heading down to the brig with a small bag looped over her shoulder. She was still wearing the jeans and shirt, but she'd taken her hair down. High ponytails were more trouble than she'd remembered Sulan sat in the brig, reading a small book of Surak's teachings. The book was well worn and the edges of the pages were worn thin from use. The leather bound book looked to be several decades old, it's cover bearing the strange jagged writing that was the Vulcan script. Kitty didn't take long to be cleared through security. Her own record was, of course, quite clean.. mostly because the debacle at the Pot of Gold Casino wasn't in this universe. She stepped up near the forcefield, the bag still over her shoulder, and tapped politely on the nearby wall. It was the best she could do to knocking, and she was somehow convinced that it was the most genteel way to announce her presence. <tag> Sulan looked, up, and upon seeing Kitty, closed the book, and set it beside her. She stood and moved closer to the forcefield. "Ah, Kitty, I see your prepared to depart. What do you plan to do during shore leave?" Sulan feels a slight shock at how desperate for company she felt, though no sign of it shows in her face or voice. Kitty smiled, but there was something wry in it. "I'm going home.. to Earth, to see my grandparents, and Evans will be meeting them for the first time. I wanted to stop first and tell you thank-you and I hope you have a nice shore leave... but the latter message seems kind of silly now." "Well, I am certainly starting to see the humor in this situation. In fact, I believe it would be quite funny, could I laugh." She paced in her cell alitle. "Do you believe Evans is nervous at the prospect of meeting your grandparents?" Kitty didn't pace, but she did lean against the nearest non-forcefield wall. "I think he is. But he did meet my father, and that went well. I think he'll be nervous, because I would be. But he's got nothing to worry about.. they like him. And I think that if you're in a situation where you could laugh, you should give it a try. I know I laughed enough times during the past mission, even though I was probably strange to find humor in it." "Emotions are a door best left closed." Sulan said lightly. "What time does your shuttle arrive?" "It's already here, it's been reserved specially," Kitty said. "But it'll leave in a couple hours. How are you holding out, in here? Is there anything I can get for you before I go?" <tag> "I'm doing as well as can be expected for someone in the brig." She pauses for a moment. "There is something I would like to ask of you... If you are able, could you secure my weapons collection from the Pegasus? I had been panning to retrieve them myself, but, current circumstances forbid it, obviously." Kitty thought about that for a moment. "I bet I could have them taken down and stored. I'm already planning on putting my cello into storage once it's retrieved. I think I'd need some sort of written permission, but I could put them into storage under my account. Is that what you mean?" "Not exactly. I am uncertain that the repair crews will return all of my items, and treat the weapons with the care and respect they deserve. I have heard rumors of other crew being able to infiltrate the Pegasus with very little difficultly...." She lets the sentence hang, and folds her hands behind her back military style. "Do you have cases for them in your room somewhere?" Kitty caught on. "I'll go take them down myself." "In a manner of speaking. I have silks for them stored in the foot locker at the foot of my bed. Wrap them in those, and you should have little difficulty." Kitty nodded. "I'll make sure they're safe. I'll put them in with my cello case and give you the lock code in case you get out before I get back." "Thank you, Kitty. I am in your debt. I will remember this act of kindness." Kitty smiled at that. "If your trick with the nightmares works, I'll be the one in your debt. I've started putting together the program already. It'll give me something to work on during the shuttle ride." Sulan nodded. "One day, you will perhaps need a favor from me. On that day, I shall remember this one." "Well, until then..." Kitty nodded. "I brought something for you. It's, uhm, silly... well... yeah, it's very silly... but it's what I would want if I were in your place." "Is that so?" Sulan said as she raised an eyebrow. Kitty nodded sheepishly. She rummaged through her bag a bit and pulled out... a small stuffed elephant. It wasn't new, furry, and glossy. It was a bit worn and slightly squashed, a couple of seams once burst and now resewn.. invisibly from this distance, but by hand. It had beady black eyes that had been polished up bright. She knew she couldn't hand it through the forcefield, so she handed it to the security guard on duty instead, to be checked and passed through. After the security guard had checked it, and passed it through, Sulan examined the object carefully. "This... this is a child's toy?" She said utter utterly confused. "Ah, this would seem to have great sentimental value to you. Are you sure you will be able to part with it?" "Elmer doesn't mind staying with you," Kitty said, blushing as she began to think this didn't sound quite as silly when she was thinking it in her quarters instead of actually facing the battle-hardened Vulcan. "I've still got Anastasia with me." She fumbled with her bag a bit and produced a similarly-sized and similarly 'loved' tiger wearing a ruffled apron. For all that she felt silly, though, she smoothed the tiger's apron down with care and smiled at it before tucking it back in. "I got them when I was twelve. They're good for talking to... and they remind me of who I am, underneath all my training and social conditioning." Sulan examined the object more closely, tilling her head slightly. "So, you used these objects as an adolescent, and through anthropomorphism, transfered into this object, traits which you find suitable as an adult? I see... So by presenting me with this object, your wish is to ease my suffering and perhaps instill in my the same values which you attributed to it? Fascinating. Fascinating, indeed." Kitty couldn't help chuckling at Sulan's analysis. "You've almost got it. I transferred a personality that isn't entirely what I am or entirely what I want to be, and I don't mean push any of that personality on you, either. Stuffed animals are good about that. They can be different things for different people. But no matter the personality, it's a friendly face that will listen no matter what I say. I do hope it'll make your stay easier, so that part you got spot on." "Thank you, Kitty." Sulan said simply. "Perhaps, should you find it agreeable, after your return from Earth, you could visit me again and we could discuss this matter in more detail?" "I'd like that," said Kitty, smiling brightly as she saw the gift was appreciated. "And you're quite welcome. Oh man... I hate to cut and run, but I've got to get moving if I'm going to get your collection into storage on time. I'll send you the pass code when I've got it, ok?" She shifted, no longer leaning on the wall, hefting and resettling the bag on her shoulder. "Understood." She said quietly. "Thank you again for the visit, and the gift." <tag> "If it at all brightened your day... that's what I came for." Kitty gave her one last sunny smile before heading out of the brig area. Next stop: USS Pegasus. Sulan watched her go, and then, studied the object again. It's shape seemed to be designed to evoke an emotional response in Humans. But what sort of emotions? A Nurturing instinct, perhaps? Or... She hook her head. There was much to think about. [Off] A joint RP by: Lieutenant (jg.) Telek Sulan Chief of Security Chief of Security USS Pegasus & Lieutenant Kathleen Black Chief Engineering Officer USS Pegasus <<< Previous Log ] [ Log Index ] [ Next Log >>>