Nachos and Lemonade

Posted on Wednesday May 19th, 2021 @ 14:33 hours by Mayterial Droz & Olivia Wright

Mission: Safe Passage
Location: Betazed Orbital Station
Timeline: 1530 hours
2275 words - 4.6 OF Standard Post Measure

After docking with the Betazed orbital Mayterial had made quick work to throw out the open positions on the local vacancy boards. The further they were getting away from the smuggling scandal the easier it seemed to be able to get new people responding to those calls. She was looking specifically for a new Boatswain and had gotten a couple of interested parties, she was in the middle of that series of interviews and hadn't really been swept away by any of them. She really wanted to make sure she found the right fit for the Bosun position because she worked closely with them to manage the Deck Hands, and she had to be able to trust them to keep them in line and give the kind of leadership she wanted to display on the Fawkes.

That's why she was now heading for her next conversation, a meeting at the Replimat on the orbital station where they had docked. As she arrived she noticed that it was already quite busy, but most people were there with someone else making her process of elimination a lot easier as she tried and find the person that matched the picture that was included in the resume.

After docking with the Betazed orbital Mayterial had made quick work to throw out the open positions on the local vacancy boards. The further they were getting away from the smuggling scandal the easier it seemed to be able to get new people responding to those calls. She was looking specifically for a new Boatswain and had gotten a couple of interested parties, she was in the middle of that series of interviews and hadn't really been swept away by any of them. She really wanted to make sure she found the right fit for the Bosun position because she worked closely with them to manage the Deck Hands, and she had to be able to trust them to keep them in line and give the kind of leadership she wanted to display on the Fawkes.

That's why she was now heading for her next conversation, a meeting at the Replimat on the orbital station where they had docked. As she arrived she noticed that it was already quite busy, but most people were there with someone else making her process of elimination a lot easier as she tried to find the person that matched the picture that was included in the resume.

Directly at Mayterial’s right, Olivia stared at the captain for several moments trying to get a feel for her. She’d purposefully sat right near the door; experience having taught her people tended to look furthest away first. This gave her a few precious moments to weigh her potential employer without words coming into play.

The women looked tired. A practiced fatigue one usually found in those with chronic insomnia. She remembered seeing the same type of fatigue in many high ranking officers during her years of service, especially those who worried too much. While that didn’t tell her if it made her a good captain, it sure helped tell her there was something to look out for there.

Despite the fatigue, the woman held herself straight, which was a good sign to Olivia. The most interesting part so far, was that she seemed to scan the room in sections, a habit only people trained in observation usually picked up. Most people tended to look around wildly, expecting to magically “fall” on the person of interest. Before she could be found, Olivia decided to stand up and politely wave at the captain. She sincerely hoped this would be a better conversation than the last three she had had with potential employers.

A motion in the corner of her eye caught Mayterial's attention and she turned to face the person waving. It only took a split second to identify her as the person that had applied for the Bosun position. She immediately headed over, conjured a warm smile on her features, and offered a hand in greeting, "Good morning miss Wright, thank you for meeting with me here. Can I offer you something to drink or eat?" A good first impression was half the battle.

“That would be appreciated..” Olivia smirked. “I’ll let you choose.” It was obvious the woman was curious as to what the captain would order, and also aware it could be taken as a test of sorts. She looked away for a moment and shifted in her seat, not completely as comfortable at the situation as she was trying to show. The idea of going back to civilian life was still making its way into her very being. While she looked forward to some of the challenges, she had to admit she mourned the structure she had run away from.

Strangely enough after having spent most of her life being told what to do, she ended up being very particular once she got to choose for herself. She really hoped this captain would be better than the previous ones she’d looked into. She was getting a little irritated with her own pickiness, and wasn’t sure how long it would take for her to accept an inferior captain.

Olivia closed her eyes and groaned. Was she really going to be that unfair? Have the same standards she would from a Starfleet captain? She sighed and opened up her eyes to look at the woman getting them food. Maybe it was time she let loose a little. Not just in appearance but also in expectations. These people wouldn’t be Starfleet, she couldn’t hold them to the same standards. Maybe it was also time she did the same for herself. Was this really the time to be having this interior debate?

It was always difficult to tell what kind of food people would like when you didn't know them, and drinks were even worse. From the time of day, it was a bad idea to start off with alcoholic drinks already. May sighed a bit, wondering why it would be a bad idea to drink. She ordered a jug of lemonade and a bowl of nachos with a bit of cheese and jalapenos. A perfect chat food. Gave you something to chew but it wasn't such a mess, unless you managed to pick up that one chip with all the cheese attached to it. She brought the whole thing back to the table and placed it in between them before pouring a drink for Olivia before serving herself, "So, tell me, why the Fawkes?"

The veteran nodded in approval as the captain came back with the nachos. She picked up a chip and stared at it for several moments as she pondered how to answer the captain’s question. “I’ve met with twenty-seven captains in the last two months, and looked at over double that amount of ships without reaching out. You’re kind of just on the list.” She sighed and put the chip back down. “I’m not saying your ship, or half of those I’ve looked at aren’t good enough for me. I’m coming to realize I may just have to realign my expectations because clearly, I’m way off track. And I’m hoping your ship will be the one to prove to me I can find what I’m looking for outside of the fleet.” She picked the chip back up and popped it in her mouth.

"Tall order," Mayterial took in a deep breath and grabbed a nacho of her own, "What is it about the fleet that you're seeking in the civilian sector?" She grabbed another nacho, wondering exactly what had driven the woman to leave the fleet and what part of it she missed. She sipped the lemonade and was immediately pleasantly surprised, "Oh, sorry, have you tasted this? It's pretty damn good."

“I’ve been pondering that exact question actually.” Olivia turned her attention to the lemonade and had a taste. “Pretty good.” She set the glass back down and stared at it for a brief moment. “At its most basic, I guess I’m looking for a place to fit in. A place I can call home again.” She gave the other woman a look filled with longing. “It’s a strange feeling to find yourself alone for the first time in your life.”

Mayterial nodded, she knew what that felt like. There were so many things one could respond to such a comment, and all of them felt disingenuine, cliché, rubbish. "Sometimes a good old fashion physical job will help put things back in perspective, clear your mind as you drag around crates." She smiled warmly, hoping to convey that she was there to talk to about whatever made her feel alone, but also clearly giving her an out.

With a half shrug, half nod, Olivia gave the other woman a half-hearted smile. "It's what I'm hoping for yes. And if I manage to make a few friends along the way, then it'll have been worth it." Her smile widened, offering her hopes. Leaning back on her chair she took a long sip of her lemonade before reaching again for a nacho. "I know my resume is accessible to everyone... for the most part. But is there anything you'd like to know before you consider my application?" The nacho disappeared.

"I checked your resume, and would have to run a background check on you," May took a nacho of her own, "anything that might be dredged up there I need to be aware of now?" she chewed down on the nacho, realising that it had a good chunk of a very spicy pepper on it. She suppressed a cough as she reached for her glass of lemonade to douse the sensation in her mouth.

"Nothing I'm allowed to talk about." The bosun winked and grinned. "But seriously not really. Other than the war, and a few strange instances where I ended up involved in a mission or another, I mostly did my job without anything special happening." She shrugged. "I've been told that if a bosun does their job right, they almost never attract anyone's attention. So I'll take it as a sign I've done my job well." Another nacho disapeared as she finished.

"Well, in the civilian sector the Bosun makes all the difference and I could really use a good one that I barely notice," Mayterial smiled warmly, hoping to inspire some confidence, "How are your cat-herding skills?"

Olivia's eyebrows twitched. "Cat... herding... what?" She stared at the captain, trying to figure out what the question was really about. Some kind of weird freighter joke she didn't get perhaps? "We talking real cats or is that some freighter cant I'm not keen on?"

"I'm told keeping the lower decks ranks in order and making sure everyone focuses on their jobs is sometimes akin to herding cats," Mayterial explained, "which someone once told me is a Terran idiom for near impossible task," she then wondered if she had used it wrong, or if Olivia was perhaps not from Earth and it only worked with humans from there, "plus, one of our most senior deck hands is Caitian."

Grabbing another nacho, Olivia stared at it for a moment. She slowly nodded and chuckled. "I... I guess that makes sense. Never been around cats much to be honest. Never spent much time dirtside." She looked back up at the captain and grinned. "I'm sure we can find an adequate litt...Yeah no, I'm not gonna finish that one." She popped the nacho in her mouth and held in a very innapropriate chuckle.

Starring at the floor besides the table for a moment, Olivia wondered if she's just put her foot in her mouth. "Sorry, I promise I'm usually more professional than that." She took a sip of her drink and looked back at the captain. "If that didn't turn you off too much, I promise never to bring it up." Especialy not in front of the caitian. She slapped herself internally.

Mayterial had some difficulties suppressing a chuckle, "Don't be silly, I started it, I'm pretty M'erah can appreciate a good litterbox joke," She finished her drink and leaned forward, "and I won't accept a Bosun that feels they need to punish themselves for making a terrible joke," She put out a hand, "So am I talking to my new queen of the lower decks?"

Olivia gave the captain a long hard look. This was it. No reason to pull back any longer. The woman seemed reasonable enough, and apparently had a decent sense of humor. Something pulled at the veteran. The last remains of her old life possibly. With a nod she offered her hand at the other woman. "I believe you do." A strange sense of relief washed over Olivia as she said those words. This was really it. No turning back.

"Great, I'll get the paperwork sorted and will have someone available to show you around the ship. I have some business planetside that I need to attend, I hope you don't mind." Mayterial cleaned her hands with the napkins that had been included in the nacho meal and looked for confirmation from Olivia to take her leave, it was the polite thing to do after all.

"Of course!" Olivia stood. "I'll grab my stuff and head to the ship. Should give me some time to take a look at what I'll be working with." She smiled at the captain then half nodded half bowed and started for the door as someone who'd been excused.