Lunch Date

Posted on Tue May 7th, 2019 @ 9:06pm by Vivyra & Lieutenant Commander Charlotte Hudson

3,373 words; about a 17 minute read

Mission: Mission 2 - Love ORION Mistaken
Location: Legacy Corridor

Vivyra was not terribly bothered that her access was somewhat restricted. She was aware of the reputations that outsiders had of Orions. She sincerely hoped that she could change it. However, that would take time. In the meantime, she would enjoy her amnesty and figure out where she needed to go to get a bite to eat. Cindy had restricted her use of the lounge but she had not done so for the mess. Vivyra wondered why.

As she was walking the corridors, she happened to see a familiar face. As she approached, Vivyra started waving vigorously at her and rushed up to her. "Hi, Bec! How are you today?!" she asked enthusiastically.

Bec turned at the voice and kept her expression neutral. "Busy, but not terribly so," she said, raising an eyebrow. She wondered what Vivyra was so happy about. Then again, if she'd been rescued and given a safe place to be, she would be happy as well, but also would still need to process everything that had happened. "You?"

"Trying to find my way to get some lunch." She paused before continuing, "I really do not like being all by myself but Jane had to work and well, I have nothing else to do. Would you mind if I kept you company?"

She frowned ever so slightly, but nodded. "For lunch, but then I have some work to do in my office and due to confidentiality, you cannot be there," she only half lied. She would be doing up reports, but mostly she just didn't want company in any form. "To the mess then?"

Enthusiastically, Vivyra replied, "Yes, to the mess!" She sidled up next to Bec and smiled. "Is work bothering you? I noticed that you gave a slight frown before allowing me to come with you for lunch," the Orion happily bubbled at the Executive Officer.

"I hold two positions on this ship, Chief of Security and Tactical and Executive Officer. I have a lot of work, the frown was my reaction to working out if I had time for a proper lunch," Bec said with a shrug. It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't entirely truthful either. Lately, she'd taken to practically sequestering herself in her office, especially at meal times. She wasn't necessarily avoiding anyone, but she didn't want to partake in idle chit chat, especially with Neza, Jane, or Ayden.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Vivyra replied sincerely. "If you're too busy for lunch, I could find someone else to socialize with," the Orion answered. She placed her hand on Bec's shoulder. "I do not want to be a burden."

Bec moved so that the hand on her shoulder fell off. "No trouble at all, I really should eat normally," she said with a shrug.

"Oh, good!" Vivyra exclaimed happily. "I really don't like being alone. How is it that you can have so many people on this ship and yet be so isolated?"

"It's probably because you're new," Bec said as they headed for the turbolift. "It can be hard to integrate yourself, even harder because you're not part of the crew and everyone that's awake when you are is likely working." She looked at Vivyra. Something still sat wrong with her about the situation, but the woman seemed harmless. Maybe she was just over reacting, but it was always best to err on the side of caution than to be caught with your pants down.

Vivyra touched Bec on the arm again. "It is lonely. I mean, last night, Jane was kind enough to sleep with me. That made me feel a bit more at home."

Bec raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly 'sleep with me' meant, but she didn't say anything. She knew the loneliness that Vivyra spoke of all too well, and yet she still didn't fully trust this woman. And why did she keep touching her? The Orion woman's hand was warm and mildly comforting, but at the same time, Bec was very uneasy about Vivyra.

Vivyra continued, "I hope she will spend the night again with me tonight. Can you imagine what it would be like in my position? With nobody you know...?"

"I've been in that position... many times," Bec said, shaking her head. "It's not easy, but eventually you get used to the people around you." She gave a half shrug. Why was this woman so connected to people. Did she always have to touch others? It was odd and made Bec feel....weird... "Though I suggest you learn to sleep on your own, the doctor will not always be able to spend the night with you."

"Why not?" Vivyra asked, her eyes getting wide. "Would she want to sleep with someone else too? I would not mind that, either," Vivyra replied with a little tremor in her voice.

"Uh, that would be up to her," Bec said, now feeling very uncomfortable with this situation. "But there are times when the Doc needs to be in sickbay for medical emergencies in the middle of the night..."

"Oh," Vivyra replied thinking it through. "But, after the emergency was done, she would be tired and want to come back to bed. I wouldn't mind!" she replied happily. She then tilted her head and asked, "Who do you sleep with? Cindy?"

"No, I sleep alone," Bec responded, though that wasn't always true. For the most part it was. "Normally, we only share beds with those we're in relationships with. If you're not dating or married, you sleep alone. That's our custom."

"Married? Dating? Is that being owned?" she wondered innocently. "I've studied a bit of these concepts in school but I have to say that they are puzzling to me. Would you mind explaining them to me?"

"Owned? What... no!" Bec shook her head. "Dating, marriage... they're different levels of a mutual partnership where you agree to a set of... rules for lack of a better word, about who you can and cannot have sexual relations with. Some people like to be monogamous, er... one partner only. While others are polyamorous, which means they can have several sexual partners. But even then, there are rules to go by, things you and your partner agree on really, within each other's comfort level. Like, I tend to be polyamorous. But all of my partners have to be comfortable with this before I'll enter into an ongoing sexual relationship with them."

"Why would you have rules about sexual relations? That seems so, well, complicated." She touched Bec again on the wrist and left her hand there. "So, you are like me, then? Or my school? Poly-am-orous?" she asked testing the word. "We all enjoy each other. There is no reason why we should not, is there?"

"We are a complicated race, I guess," Bec shrugged. "I mean, not all of us live by those rules, sometimes people have sex with many people regardless of what their partners think or like," she looked down at Vivyra's hand on her wrist. "And every culture is different. If you and your schoolmates enjoy each other, then that's fine. Just don't expect everyone here to give you the same reception. Not all of the crew are used to such openness about sex. Every culture and species is different."

"I'm very glad that you're trying to explain these things to me. I do need to learn if I am going to live amongst you but it still feels so very lonely." Her face turned to a thoughtful frown. "So, who are your partners currently?" she asked, hoping that was the right way to ask these questions.

Bec paused. Should she reveal that information to this woman? She was a stranger after all, and she's freely admitted that she's slept with Jane. She looked down at the hand still on her wrist and shook her head. "I had been involved with a woman named Neza, but she's moved onto a monogamous relationship," she frowned slightly at this. "Currently, though? A man named Ayden, whom I don't think you've met yet.... and Jane."

"You sleep with Jane too?" Vivyra asked excitedly. "How wonderful! Now, maybe all three of us could sleep together. Wouldn't that be wonderful? It would ever so cozy!"

"Eh... I'm not so sure about that one," Bec said with a frown. Why was this woman so excited about sleeping with everyone? It didn't make sense. "We'll see," she said cautiously. Still, something in the back of her mind told her it would be fun. It also questioned if they should be going to the mess right now or if Bec should take Vivyra somewhere more private. Shaking her head slightly, Bec tried to clear the thoughts from her head.

Vivyra looked confused and asked, "Why are you not sure? Have I done something wrong? Jane has been telling me that Humans and Orions do things differently." She pointed at her clothes. "I mean, look at all this clothing I'm wearing. It is stifling. I don't know how you can wear all the clothes that you have on."

"You're barely wearing anything compared to most cultures," Bec said with a small chuckle. "But I have to agree that these uniforms are stifling. I hate wearing one, but to do my job, which I love, I have to wear it."

"I don't have a job," Vivyra complained. "I've never really had one. Do you think that you can get me a job?"

"I don't think so... to be in one of the positions like mine, or Jane's, you have to attend Starfleet Academy. And I don't know if we have any civilian jobs for you to do. You'd have to talk to Cindy about that though," Bec shrugged. They were nearing the mess hall and she was still at odds with herself. Why was she talking so freely with Vivyra when she didn't trust her? And why did she not want to take her to the mess and instead go back to her office or her quarters? "We're nearly at the mess, anything particular that you want to eat?"

"Eat? I do not know what you serve. I am not picky, though. Anything would be fine." She then returned to an earlier subject, "Is there something wrong with wearing less clothing? I am really finding these clothes of Jane's rather stifling. I don't know how you all can wear so much clothing! Do you not feel sick? Too hot?"

"We are used to it? I mean, that's our culture. It sees bodies as things you cover up. Too sexual to be shown," Bec shrugged. "So, like I said, we're used to being covered up." She saw the doors to the mess ahead and tried to steer the conversation back to food. "As for what is served, there's usually a large variety of things, but I don't know what you're used to eating, so I can't really suggest anything."

As they walked through the doors, the mess was full and lively. Bec frowned at the loudness of it all, but didn't say anything. She led Vivyra over to the daily menu. "See, you can pick anything on the menu, or ask the chef for something specific." She moved over to the chef, not really waiting for Vivyra, just wanting to put in her order and maybe leave, the noise and crowd was almost overwhelming. "Can I get an order of shepherd's pie and a coffee with vanilla shot, please?" The chef nodded and went to work preparing the meal.

"Have you decided?" she asked Vivyra while she waited for her food.

"Um," Vivyra said, biting her lower lip uncertainly. "I think I will have that omelette thing. Farmer's omelette? That looks yummy and pretty." Her smile returned and she beamed at Bec. "They are good, right?"

"Yes, omelette's are good," Bec nodded and indicated Vivyra should give her order to the chef. The man had returned with Bec's food and coffee and stood waiting for Vivyra to order as well.

Vivyra ordered the omelette. "The food here is so varied and different," the Orion told Bec. "I hardly know what to do with it." She gave a shy shrug and smile at Bec. "You are all so very lucky."

Bec shrugged. "We can be quite spoiled," she gave a half smile. When Vivyra's food came, Bec looked around. There weren't many tables left and all of them they'd have to weave through the crowd to get to. "Where do you want to sit?" Bec winced slightly when a group started whooping and yelling about something then, one of them spotting Bec, they fell into an awkward hush.

"Wherever you want," Vivyra replied simply. She seemed much more comfortable with the multitude of people around her than when she was alone in the corridor. It was almost as if her confidence level went up with the greater amount of people in a room. Smiling widely at Bec, Vivyra asked, "Would you mind if I tried some of your food, too?"

"Sure..." Bec led the way to the nearest table and sat with her back to the rowdy group. She nodded in greeting to a few of the people around them before turning her attention back to Vivyra and the food. "Here," she said scooping some of the shepherd's pie onto the small saucer that had come with her coffee and slid it across the table to the Orion woman.

"Oh, thank you!" Vivyra enthused. She tasted some of her omlette. Her eyes rolled back in her head with pleasure. "This is SOOOOO good. This ship has the BEST food! Gosh, I want to stay here forever." She then tasted the shepherd's pie that was on the saucer. She ate some and let it rotate around her mouth and finally decided, "I think mine is better. Would you like a taste?"

"No thanks, I've had the omelette before," Bec gave a half smile and then tucked into her food. "You know, there are places with better food than this? Fresh produce and ingredients always makes a better meal than anything that's had to be preserved."

"This isn't good food?" Vivyra asked perplexed. "You must be really rich!" she enthused. "I am truly fortunate to have met all of you! I have never had such good food in my life and if this is bad to you, I cannot wait to taste good. Could you take me to it?"

"I didn't say this was bad, I just said that fresh foods are better tasting. They have more flavour to them," Bec shook her head. "And I don't know if we can. That's a question for Cindy." She took another bite of her food and wondered how this woman could have been a captive. She was quite happy and well rounded for a prisoner.

"Oh! Can we see Cindy? I would love to see her again!" Vivyra enthused. "I have not seen her since I came onto this ship." Her face turned into a mix between thoughtfulness and a frown. "Does she not like me anymore?"

Bec shrugged and finished her coffee. "She has been busy, she does have a ship to run," she said. "It's a big job, lots of people to coordinate and dealing with higher ups is always a pain."

"That sounds AWFUL!" Vivyra told Bec. "I should do something nice for her," Vivyra considered. "Perhaps a massage? Do you think that she would like that?"

"I don't know," Bec shrugged, but then grinned. "She probably would though. Why don't you go to her office and see?"

"Could you take me there?" Vivyra asked Bec. "I do not know the way. Am I even allowed there? I know that she restricted me. Jane told me so. Do you know why? I'm no trouble! I just want to help, like you all helped me!"

"All civilians are restricted from working areas," Bec shrugged. "From a security standpoint, we can't have just anyone wandering around certain areas. So, working areas are restricted to crew only."

Vivyra exhaled a deep sigh. "But I'm already am so restricted." She leaned over at Bec. "Can't you help a girl out, Bec?"

"Sorry, no can do," Bec shook her head. She wasn't going to fall for the innocent girl act. "Your restrictions are in place for a reason. You're not the only restricted one here, and you won't be the last. Working areas are for crew only, that will never change."

Pouting, Vivyra simply answered, "I see. Well, you cannot blame a girl for trying. It is just that I am so lonely...." She paused for dramatic effect and said, "I don't know anybody but you, and Jane, and Cindy...."

"How can you be lonely with all of these people about," Bec gestured to the busy mess hall. "There's normally always someone in here to chat with," she pointed out. It was strange that this woman was literally surrounded by people, and had convinced Jane to sleep with her every night and was still supposedly lonely.

"But I only really know you and Jane and Cindy," she complained. "Nobody else seems to relax enough to get to know me. Everyone is working...."

"Half these folks are off duty," Bec shook her head. "We're not all on the clock at the same time, we have shifts. And to get to know someone, you have to talk to them," she said, trying not to roll her eyes. "Do what you did with me, approach, say hello, and ask if you can join them. Then talk," she suggested.

"But I'm not always hungry," Vivyra responded laughing and touching Bec gently on the wrist. "But, I think I see what you mean.... Just, well, I don't know anyone here and you all came to me first, so...." Vivyra tucked her chin into her neck shyly. "But, perhaps I should take your advice and be bolder."

Bec looked at the hand on her wrist. An odd sensation wormed its way through her, but a holler from behind her caught her attention and she turned to glare at the people in question. The fight that was about to start quickly dwindled upon the men realizing Bec was still there. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she turned back to Vivyra. "We only came to you first because you were injured and we were trying to figure out what happened to you. And why," she said with a shrug. "While I do encourage you to try to get to know others, I'm not encouraging you to be overly bold with people. Say hi, see if they want to chat, but don't force yourself upon them."

Vivyra removed her hand and held it to her chest offended. "I would never dream of forcing myself on anyone!"

Bec raised an eyebrow, but maintained a calm tone. "I more meant being too forceful with conversation," she said piling her dirty dishes. "So if someone doesn't want to talk, you move on to the next person. Don't give up trying to make friends, but don't be pushy about it, that's all I'm saying."

"Oh! OK!" Vivyra replied with all the enthusiasm of puppy waiting to be thrown a toy. She nodded once firmly and said, "I think I will do that. Thank you SOOOOO much, Bec! You're a great friend!"

"Uh... you're welcome..." Bec stood and picked up her plates. "This was... nice... but I have to get back to work. Stay out of trouble, I don't want to have to listen to you whine in the brig," she smiled, but it wasn't really a joke.

"What trouble could I possibly get into?" Vivyra asked, her eyes getting wider.

"On a ship this size? A lot," Bec shrugged. "Enjoy the rest of your day, Vivyra." Before the Orion woman could respond, Bec walked away, wondering why she felt so conflicted toward her. She was deadset against getting personal with Vivyra, but yet at the same time, she felt like she shouldn't be so mean. This was something she needed to think about, but now wasn't the time.

Vivyra waved vehemently at Bec and then decided that she would find people and introduce herself for the rest of the day.

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