Star Trek: Eventide 777

Austin woke up in his quarters and stretched his back. He was ready for anouther day of harsh security work. He stretched his shoulders and got out of bed. He got dressed in his uniform and styled his hair ready for the day ahead. (edited)

He layed down in his bed desperate for a quick rest.

He jumped out of bed ready to attend the award ceremony though he dreaded its existence. he got dressed up in his formal uniform.

Upon arrival at his quarters he began setting out an outfit that attempted to scream I'm not trying to hard. He undressed from his work uniform and jumped in the shower intent on making a great second impression.

After getting out of the shower Austin dried off and began putting on his outfit. He went semi formal so no matter what she chose it wouldn't be too far off. He put on a polo shirt and a casual quarter zip sweater aswell as a pair of black dress pants.

Austin finished up styling his hair into the way he always did and then sprayed just a little bit of cologne on himself. He exited his room with a big smile on his face ontop of the world with glee.

Austin pulled out his PADD and then began writing a message with a wide grin on his face.

[D] Whidbey was finishing getting his room ready for Ava. He had replicated some popcorn for the two of them to share and had gone back down to the shops to buy a new bottle of wine for the two of them. He had the movie set up and dressed up in a casual clothes. He now only awaited Ava's arrival.

Ava knocked on the door.

Austin jumped up with glee happy to see her arrive. He was super excited for the date and essentially bolted for the door. He took a second to calm himself before he opened the door. "Hey Ava, welcome to my quarters."

Ava was unable to keep a grin from her face. “Hey, Austin.” She was dressed in a stylish, but comfortable jumpsuit. She didn’t have her earring in, but she did have her septum piercing. Her hair was open and falling onto her shoulders. “You look nice,” she said as she looked at him. Then, she looked over his shoulder into the room. “I’m excited to see your quarters!”

from the instant he saw her he was grinning. As always he thought she was the most beautiful woman on the station. "You look great! My quarters aren't really anything special though. Like I said I have really gotten a chance to decorate." He stepped to the side and gestured for her to come in.

Ava stepped in with a nod. “Wow, spacious, though.” She stood in the middle of the room and did a little twirl, looking around. “Definitely more luxurious than the shared quarters.” She saw how Austin had already prepared everything and she smiled. “Nice little setup,” she commented.

"Well thanks, I do miss how fun it always was to have a roommate though. Oh and I got us a bottle of wine aswell to go along with the movie." He ran over and lifted up the bottle.

“Admit it, you’re just trying to get me drunk,” she joked.

He laughed and made a little gesture with his hands. "Maybe just a little bit."

Ava laughed and took the liberty of sitting down on the sofa. She pulled up her knees a little and made herself comfortable. “So, how was your day?”

He jumped onto the sofa next to her. He sat a bit closer then he needed to be, nearly shoulder to shoulder. "Same old boring security stuff. Just Paperwork and training the ensigns. How about you any new science stuff?"

Ava felt a little strained. She was still too excited to really relax, even though Austin’s easy tone and happy smile really helped. “Actually, I might be discovering something highly unusual. But I can’t tell you anything beyond that. It’s very classified,” she said mysteriously. “Oh, but you know what?! You won’t believe it! Yesterday, just after we said goodbye, I bumped into Styre’s sister!” Just talking casually like this helped her relax into the cushions of the couch.

He was turned to his side so he could be looking at Ava. He was surprised to find out about styres sister. He was interested to hear about that. "Styre has a sister? What's she like?"

“Yeah, he has two sisters actually, Holly and Molly,” explained Ava, “It literally took him a year to tell me about them! Anyways, Holly is here, and she’s very kind. She’s a bit like me, actually, pretty emotional! Not like Styre who just stands there like a blonde pillar.”

He laughed. "Well it sounds like you two really hit it off then. Meeting anouther half Vulcan who doesn't follow Surak's teachings must be really cool for you though. "

Ava got excited and shifted a litte as she continued to look at him. “It is! I didn’t talk to her for a long time, but I’m sure we’ll meet again. You’d like her, I think.” Then, she added, “As long as you don’t end up liking her more than you like me, I’ll introduce you.”

He chuckled. "You don't need to worry about me liking anyone more then you. Youre just so great. Holly sounds nice but I doubt she's any competition."

Ava grinned. “Well, I’ll introduce you, then. She really is fun!” Ava turned thoughtful. “And she made me realise my worrying about Styre might not be so unreasonable after all.”

Austin shifted his position a little bit inching closer to her in a comforting way. "Oh no. I hope the guy is okay. I'm sure he's under a ton of stress given what happened during the attack in the station."

Ava nodded. She noticed him inching closer and she didn’t mind, though her stomach gave a little flutter. She smiled at Austin. “Yeah,” she agreed, her voice soft and quiet, and then she moved on, “Anyways, I don’t want to think about Styre when I’m on a date.” She smiled. “How is Jessil doing? And your other Ensigns?”

Upon hearing Jes's name he had to take a second to think about the lift. "I still need to talk to her about yesterday even for being off duty it was pretty uncool of her. I hope Jas is doing well."

“Stop worrying about that,” said Ava softly. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Somehow, even just this little gesture made her feel some sort of way. And she wasn’t even touching his skin. “Jasmine is fine,” she assured, “And I think Ensign Emin was just excited to see us. Don’t put the blame on yourself, Austin.”

He thought about her point for a second and decided it was a fair point. He always felt really comfortable when she made contact with him. There was something about her that made Austin feel everything would be okay. "That is fair... I still think Jes will need to become more mature on the job to become a good security officer. Hopefully I will be able to help her out."

“I’m sure you’re a great mentor,” said Ava. She really meant it. “What Emin did could have happened to almost anyone, though. There was a multitude of factors that made the situation in the lift a little awkward, and it’s no use blaming it on one person alone. Whether that be her or yourself, it doesn’t matter.” She smiled at him. Damn, he had beautiful eyes…

While she was speaking he found himself looking into her eyes again. They were almost hypnotic to him. He noticed her staring back and didn't mind at all. His heart was racing. He simply said "yeah."

They were clearly lost in the moment. Whatever they’d been talking about, it was irrelevant to Ava now. She was just looking at him. For a brief moment, her eyes flickered down to his lips and something in her head told her to kiss him. Just like that. Just kiss him. Come on, Ava, just kiss him, for fuck’s sake! Another part of her was way too terrified to make a move. So, finally she just cleared her throat, looked away and asked, “You wanna start watching the movie?” Coward, said the little voice in her head.

He snapped out of it and jumped up from the couch. He first walked over to the counter and offered. "would you like a glass of wine?"

Ava nodded. “Sure, thank you.” She smiled gratefully. Something inside of her gave a relieved sigh because now that he wasn’t so close anymore, she could stop constantly thinking about kissing him. Another part of her was incredibly disappointed. She’d gladly take the alcohol if she was being honest.

He poured 2 glasses and then he started the movie. He handed Ava her glass before sitting down next to her slightly farther then before but still with only a short distance between them.

Ava took the glass and smiled at Austin before settling down more comfortably. In the process, she got a little closer to Austin. Her heart was beating as though she were in some kind of over-dramatic romance novel. She told it to shut up. “I’ve always loved the way this movie starts. I don’t know why, but I think I just like the aesthetic of that first scene.” (edited)

As the first scene played Austin smile slowly grew. He thought the first scene set was setting it up really well. with the only light in the room being from the movie he took his chance to shift next to her. "Oh yeah I haven't seen it before but it seems like it's a really good setup." As music began to play he spoke again. "And...The music is pretty good."

Ava sipped her wine. “Yeah, and I always loved the way they show her morning routine.” She chuckled a little and hummed along to the music.

He smiled as she began to hum the music. It was very calming.

“Man, look at their clothes.” She laughed. “It’s so oldschool I love it!”

He chuckled and then sipped on his wine. "I wish I could pull those outfits off."

Ava snorted at the mental image and glanced at him. “You totally could, Austin.”

He smiled and cozied up closer to Ava. "I bet you'd look amazing in one of those outfits."

Ava laughed and got comfortable with her shoulder pressed against his. “Oh, I don’t know. Look, I always loved this scene! She’s so fierce!”

He laughed as the characters discussed the price for directions. "This movie is fun so far, great choice."

“I’m glad you like it.” She sipped her wine. “This movie broke a lot of stereotypes back in the day with a woman knowing more about cars than a man and also with the main character being a prostitute.”

He swirled his wine around then took a sip. "Oh I'm sure. The commentary is really good. I also am really liking the character writing. They seem so nice together."

“They have a funny dynamic, I think. And great actors!”

21:20

Ava laughed at Vivian on screen took a strawberry. “Hah, I love the way she says ‘groovy’!”

He laughed with her. The way she waved around the strawberry cool. "Oh yeah I love that! One could say it's quite groovy.*

21:22

As they watched the movie together he slightly nuzzled his shoulder against hers allowing himself to get a little more comfortable.

Ava proceeded to drink her wine, not at all uncomfortable with having Austin so close to her. “People should start saying groovy again.” Then, she grinned at the screen. “This is like, simultaneously the best and worst seduction scene in the history of television!”

He laughed. He was enjoying every detail of the scene. "The way they keep cutting to the TV is really groovy."

“You’re right!” Ava laughed, slipping a little closer to Austin in the process. “Aw, look at her hair in that scene. It’s so much prettier than her wig, I think. And imagine getting a breakfast like that!”

"It looks so good. Personally though I preffer your hair color to hers though." He grinned.

“You know my hair is actually dyed,” revealed Ava with a quick glance at him.

He laughed. "I know but I still love the color, it's really cute."

“Thanks.” Ava snorted as Vivian started singing on screen. “This is actually me when I sing!”

He suddenly began laughing outloud to her singing in the tub.

Ava found that Austin’s laugh was wonderful to listen to and very contagious.

He settled back in even closer to Ava their covered upper arms were now touching aswell.

Ava took another sip of wine and then put the glass aside. She put her head down on Austin’s shoulder. Hm, that was really nice, actually. “Watch, this scene speaks volumes about society back in the day,” she said quietly as Vivian entered the clothes store.

He watched as each woman judged Vivian and then forced her out of the store. "Oh no that's so mean."

“Yeah, but it’s really cool when she comes back then and they have to help her out.” Ava grinned.

He partially turned to her again. Catching her eyes with a smile. "Yeah I really like that."

Ava matched his look. “I really like you,” she whispered, the movie turning into background chatter. Her heart was beating fast. Austin was so close she could feel his breath.

"I really like you to!" He turned his body to face her fully face to face. His heart began pounding against his chest.. He wasn't sure what he was doing.. He began thinking about going in for a kiss but he was always so conflicted about these kinds of things. He hesitated for a second and ended up just staring into her eyes his breath heavier then normal.

Ava smiled. Her gaze went from his eyes to his lips. “Why don’t you just kiss me, then?”, she muttered. She surprised herself with that comment. She hadn’t expected herself to be so courageous. The movie was pretty much forgotten. Emotions were churning in her stomach. She held her breath.

He exhaled slightly from his nose and suddenly moved his body forward his lips touching hers. An explosion of emotions spread through his body. It had been forever since he had kissed a girl.

Ava’s eyes fluttered close. She felt how her breath got caught in her throat. She kissed back softly, enjoying the feeling of his lips. There were butterflies in her stomach that rose to her heart until she was finally grinning against Austin’s lips rather than kissing him.

As he pulled away he stayed in eye contact with Ava. When he was sitting with his back mostly straight just starring into her eyes he ran his hand through the side of her hair. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Ava’s heart straight up stopped for a moment. She didn’t know what to say. Her mind was blank. So, after a short moment of panic, she simply leant in once more and kissed Austin again, a little more passionately this time. When kissing him, she couldn’t read his thoughts, but kind of feel them, like electricity crackling.

Austin felt an electricity to the second kiss. He felt a truest passion towards her. He wanted to spend forever in those moments. After what seemed like hours kissing her he slowly pulled away.

Ava was a little breathless and she was pretty sure her heart was about to explode. “Austin, I…” She laughed breathlessly and blushed. “I have no idea what to say, other than that I really, really like you and you’re a surprisingly good kisser and… you’re hot. And I think we got a little carried away there.” She tried to calm her heartbeat. “Not that I mind.” She was really bad at this, but she grinned and she felt too joyous to really care that she was rambling.

He was in shambles over how great those moments were. A grin spread so wide across his face. "You are just so fantastic every moment I spend with you is better then the last. The way you kiss I feel like I could just stay next to you for hours. You are just the best." He by some luck had finally buried his nerves. Joyful to spend this kind of time with her.

“I…” She looked at him. “You’re way better at saying these things than I am. Austin, you’re amazing. I don’t know anyone as amazing as you. You’re so kind and funny and… Whenever I think I couldn’t possibly like you more than I already do, you say something and make me laugh and you prove me wrong. And I love your laugh, I love the way you say my name, I…” She looked down. “There’s way too many emotions. Not in a bad way; just… a lot.”

So many emotions were flowing for him to process. "You're just so kind in the way you speak I wish I could be as good as you. You're pretty and kind and just so smart. I just love every moment we spend together so much. Everything about you is so damn perfect." He looked down the same as her. "there is a lot of emotion in here but, I love sharing them with you."

Ava let out a breath. “Yeah, me too.” She was able to relax now for some reason. Maybe it was Austin’s honesty. Maybe it was the fact that she’d finally kissed him. Tiredly, she put her head back onto Austin’s shoulder, nuzzling a little closer. She put her hand on his arm (still touching no skin) and refocused on the movie with a content smile. “If you asked me to a date every night, I’d say yes every time,” she muttered half into the fabric of his shirt.

He watched the movie as the two protagonists kissed. "That's just so sweet isn't it. How those two found eachother."

“What, like the two of us?” Ava smirked.

He smirked back and spoke with passion present in his softened voice. "Yeah."

“You’re horribly cheesy,” said Ava teasingly, raising her head from his shoulder a little to look at him. “I love it.”

"What can I say I love to be cheesy with you." He joked.

Ava smiled and then put her head back down on his shoulder. As Vivian on the screen said ‘I love you’ the sentence got caught in her head. It circled around in her head. It made her question a lot of feelings. There was a lot of uncertainty. But one thing she knew for certain; “I’m really glad you asked me out, Austin. Thank you for this.”

That same line jumped around in his head. 'I love you' he almost wanted to say it but he knew she wanted to take it slow and was too nervous to say it. "Well I'm glad to. You wouldn't believe how nervous I was asking you on a second date. Again you are just so great."

“So are you.” Ava smiled. They watched the movie in silence for a moment. “I hate that lawyer so much,” said Ava.

"What a absolute prick."

Ava shifted a little, snuggling up to his side. “Hey, Austin?”, she whispered.

He put his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah?"

Ava felt a little anxious now. She took a breath. Her voice was very quiet. “You know about Vulcan kisses, right?”

He let out a small laugh. "I've heard of it before but I never tried it."

“Would you like to?” She was properly nervous now, but they had actually kissed after all, so…

"I would absolutely love to. You will need to help me out a little bit though." He smiled though he was nervous since he had never experienced a telepathic bond before.

Ava smiled and shifted. She sat up, facing him. “Okay, so, it’s not an actual mind meld,” she explained, “I won’t be able to read your thoughts, just… it’s a bit like an empathy bond.” She raised a hand, putting up two fingers. “You go like this.”

He mirrored the action slowly moving his hand closer to hers. He tried to focus most on the love he felt towards her but the nervousness still crept into his system. His hand shook as be moved it. "Will I feel anything?"

Ava nodded. “You should be able to feel my emotions a bit like I feel yours. It might be more subtle for you, but… let’s just try.” She grinned. “For research purposes.”

He laughed a little and calmed down as his fingers began to make contact with hers. His love for her remained at the forefront of his mind.

She closed her eyes. As soon as Ava touched his skin, it was a bit like explosions of colour, emotion and warmth, exploding inside of her. She felt deep affection radiating off of Austin. It was overwhelming in a wonderful way. His feelings somehow felt different than hers. She knew how to differentiate between his and her own feelings without even really knowing how she did it. It felt a bit like drowning, but pleasant. She wondered if he could feel the same and if he could feel her affection for him. In the background, the Pretty Woman song was playing. As Austin’s emotions washed over her, Ava could barely hear it.

Austin closed his eyes the moment they made contact. All he could feel was a sudden force of affection barreling down upon him. He did not understand it but he did however enjoy it. He whispered under his breath. "Woah."

“Woah indeed,” said Ava as she finally pulled her fingers away from his again. She laughed. “This is crazy!” Her big, brown eyes found Austin’s. “How was it for you?”

He looked down at his hands. He did not truely understand what he had just gone through. "I... I didn't understand. I just felt this wave of affection... it felt... good" His voiced picked up at the end implying he was still unsure.

“I’m sorry if it was confusing,” said Ava, “Must be different when you’re not telepathic… Did you like it, though?” She sounded unsure. She hoped it hadn’t been uncomfortable for Austin in any way. She’d Vulcan-kissed people before, however never any humans.

"I did enjoy it I think. I think I understand how you feel about me in a way. It was as if the affection in my heart was doubled down in a sense."

Ava’s face lit up. “I’m glad you feel like that. It is how I feel about you,” she said truthfully, “I think my telepathic abilities made it a little easier for me to actually differentiate between your emotions and my own. It… was really nice.” She smiled softly. “Thanks for doing this with me.”

"I really enjoyed tonight. I hope to see you again soon." He stood up from the couch and smiled back softly at her.

Ava yawned a little, before standing up as well and stretching her arms and back. She didn’t really want to go, but she couldn’t just stay the night either. It was late. They both needed to work tomorrow. “Very soon,” she said tiredly and smiled as well. Smiling was just her natural state whenever Austin was around.

He gave her a smile before he went in for one final quick kiss on the lips.

Ava closed her eyes. She got a hold of Austin’s shirt and pulled him in slightly to make the kiss last a little longer. Then, when they broke apart again, she smiled. “You’re the most amazing person I know,” she whispered, “Thank you for tonight.”

He enjoyed the kiss for those fleeting moments. "Then that would mean you haven't met yourself. Tonight was absolutely amazing expect a PADD message from soon."

“Not if I beat you to that message,” she said with a smirk and added, “Lieutenant.”

He gave her a little salute and enacted a joking kind of professionalism. "Ofcourse Lieutenant."

Ava chuckled and slapped his arm lightly. “You’re such a dork.” The way she said it revealed that it was actually something she absolutely loved.

He laughed and broke of from the false professionalism. "See you for our next date... Lieutenant."

“I’m looking forward to it,” assured Ava. She reluctantly went towards the door. “I’m afraid I’ll have to go now.” She still lingered, though.

He stepped up to her. He struggled to sat goodbye to her and put an end to such an amazing night. He simply ran his hand through the side of her hair again. "You are just so amazing." He said in a hushed tone.

Ava leaned into his touch a little. “You’re just so wonderful,” she whispered back.

He smiled. "I hate to see you go but we will see eachother real soon Allright?"

Ava nodded. “Yeah. We both need sleep.” She smiled. “Good night, Austin.” She kissed his cheek before finally opening the door to the corridor.

*He blew her a kiss as she left down the corridor and then settled back onto the couch curling up to fall asleep."

[D] Austin slept the night away and then changed into his uniform. He quickly did his hair and left.

[PADD] @Lieutenant Austin Whidbey

Oh, my God, Austin, you just made me cry in the mess hall. (Tears of joy.) Your poem is so beautiful. Obviously, my answer is yes! I’m more than happy to go to the ball with you! I don’t have enough time to write more, but, just, YES! Love, Ava

Austin changed into his custom tailored navy blue suit for the ball. He had them make it a little bit tight and it looked really nice on him. As he adjusted his white tie that matched his shirt perfectly he realized he almost forgot his watch. He ran over and quickly slipped it on. He also replicated a bouquet of flowers for Ava before heading out.

As soon as the doors had closed behind them, Ava stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around Austin’s neck. She pulled him down into a kiss — The kind of kiss she wouldn’t have given him in public. The kind of kiss that included her fingers messing up his hair and her breathing going heavy.

He joked in his own head 'I guess the innuendo worked.' He join in on the passion he held her as he kissed her unendingly. He put his arms around her and held her tightly as they kissed. For a second he pulled away and joked. "I guess you didn't come her just for the cookies." Then he resumed the kissing.

“No, of course I didn’t,” she muttered against his lips. It was exhilarating. She felt the heat rise in her body as her heart rate accelerated. Austin tasted like Irish Coffee. He was warm and the fabric of his suit was soft. Ava leant into him as they kissed. After a while, she pulled away to look him in the eyes. However, her gaze soon fell down. “You look so good in this suit,” she noted.

As she pulled away he wanted to ask for the kiss to never end but he recognized that eventually it had to. His heart continued to beat heavy. "I bet I look better without the suit on." He joked

Ava chuckled. “Don’t give me ideas,” she whispered and kissed him again briefly. “Speaking of taking things off, I’m absolutely dying to get out of these heels.” She pulled away form him, though it was a loss to be mourned.

He quickly took his shoes off and placed them by the door. "Don't get me started with dress shoes. I mean I love to dance but wouldn't it be so much better in something comfortable."

Ava laughed and slipped out of her heels. Her bare feet met the smooth floor and she hummed a little in relief. Then, she looked up at Austin. “So,” she started with a soft smile, “Cookies?” As she spoke, she slipped out of her gloves as well. Wouldn’t be needing those anymore, she was pretty sure.

He took off his suit jacket and tie and hung them up. He pocketed his gloves and then walked over to the replicator. "Can I get 2 orders of the good chocolate chip cookies please" *He grabbed the two plates and walked over to the couch gesturing for Ava to sit down next to him.

Ava sat down with him, close enough for the sides of their bodies to touch. “Thanks,” she muttered and took a cookie. This was nice, she found. It was even more relaxing than being at the ball. “You know,” she mused as she looked around, “You should really decorate this place sometime soon.”

He leaned down just enough to lean his head against hers. He slowly ate one of his cookies as he quickly looked around at the bare walls infront of him. "I've never been much of a decorater maybe you could help me out."

“Hmmm.” The way she hummed made it clear she wasn’t opposed to the idea at all. “Well, what things do you have that we could put up?” She settled with her head against his shoulder and continued chewing the cookie. It had the perfect mushy texture.

He laughed. "Not nearly enough to fill this place out. A couple of framed pictures, A couple antique weapons I might want to put up, and I also was thinking of replicating a couple posters."

“Who do you have pictures of?” Ava’s voice was soft. She enjoyed this; just talking with him, getting to know him even better than she already did. And the cookies were a bonus.

"I have a couple pictures of me and my family, a picture of me and some of the guys from the academy, my friends from my old California class and a couple my old squad from my last ship. My personal favorite picture is of the view from my old house."

Ava shifted to get a little more comfortable. She pulled Austins arm around her shoulders and settled against him. “What was your view like?” she asked softly.

He smiled and closed his eyes imagining him and Ava standing on the beaches of his old home. "We had a beautiful view of the sound and the harbor. There was almost always a hundred boats docked in the harbor ranging in size and then the ocean itself would go on forever into the horizon. The sunsets were always the most beautiful thing. You should come see it for yourself with me one day when we have a shoreleave"

“I would love to,” said Ava and she really meant it. Gently she took his hand in hers, making skin contact. Immediately, she felt the pleasantly overwhelming feeling rushing through her. She wanted to send Austin the calmness that he made her feel. And the contentment. The appreciation. The bliss.

He closed his eyes as they made contact. Feeling her emotions had come to make him feel very comfortable. He allowed her feelings of calmness and serenity to wash over him ontop of the standard feeling of attraction they both felt. As he kept his eyes closed holding her hand a content smile grew on his face. He really thought ava was perfect and in some ways he could imagine spending the rest of his life with her.

Ava smiled. She played with his fingers and the simple motion sent a shiver down her spine. It was like electricity in her brain; a whisper in the background. Something inside of her wanted to be able to properly hear Austin’s thoughts. Not a wish she could fulfil at the moment, however. After a moment or two, she dropped her hand again. The feeling of being slightly empty overcame her once again. Nevertheless, it was also pleasant in a way. “Austin,” she mumbled.

He relaxed back into the couch. Feeling a calmness that Ava had imparted onto him. He was feeling great just being there with her. He slowly turned his head and looked her in the eyes. "Yeah?" He mumbled back.

“Nothing, I just like saying your name,” she admitted, catching his gaze and holding eye contact. “Austin,” she repeated quietly. “Does it have a meaning?”

He thought for a second. "I think my dad just liked the sound of it. Ava is a really beautiful name, does it have a meaning?"

“My mom read it in the newspapers and picked it,” she told him, “So, I don’t think it has an intentional meaning. I’ve tried to find out whether there are any special meanings and different sources say different things. Some say it’s a form of Eve in the biblical sense.” She took another cookie.

"Whatever it means it's probably my favorite name now. Just like everything else about you I find it perfect." He put his arm around her shoulders in a way he intended as comforting.

Ava smiled and leant into him. Cuddling in his arms was very comfortable. Probably her favorite place to be. “You’re cute,” she said simply.

He held himself closely to her cuddling back. He had told himself he shouldn't but he couldn't stop himself from feeling protective over her. Having her here with him she was just so cute. "I love this, just being cuddled up here with you."

“I love it, too.” Ava put a hand on his knee and ran a thumb over the fabric lovingly. “I love talking with you and being with you…” She trailed off for a second before speaking again, “So, your old mentee who’d coming to visit; what’s he like?”

"He's a good guy, he's pretty similar to me in some ways. He's a bit more serious bit he definitely has a good heart on him. Do you have any friends back home?"

“Back home? Not so much. But spread within Starfleet, there’s a couple of people, yes.” She smiled at the thought. “Academy friends and such.”

He was simply happy to be talking with her. "Tell me about them. Id bet they are all pretty great."

“Well, there’s Isaac. Isaac Elms, one of the friendliest people I know. Total extrovert and an absolute sweetheart, but built like a brick wall.” She chuckled. “He used to randomly pick me up carry me around the campus.” It was clear that she thought back to that time very fondly. “And then there’s Tema, of course. An Aenar I met early in my career.” She lowered her voice. “Don’t tell anyone, but I had a crush on her.” A tiny grin spread on her face. “Anyways, she’s in operations now, but used to be a helmsman. She helped me with my telepathy back in the day. And there’s other people, too, of course. You know what? I might invite Isaac some day. You’d like him!”

He was comfortable and just wanted to keep talking with her. "Isaac sounds great, if he comes I can't wait to meet him and then Tema also sounds really great." He laughed a bit. "I bet she's really cute aswell to be able to pull you."

“Of course,” said Ava with a grin. “I have excellent taste and I only fall for cute people.” With that, she shifted slightly to lean up and capture his lips with hers. “Like you,” she whispered into the kiss.

He fell into the kiss and closed his eyes enjoying it when the kiss ended he put his hand against her cheek. He spoke quietly. "You are so perfect."

Ava could feel his mental presence in her mind as he made skin contact, and he leant into it slightly. “Nobody is perfect, Austin,” she whispered solemnly.

He shrugged in a joking way. "Maybe not but, you are pretty dang close as far as in concerned."

Ava chuckled. Then, she wrapped her arms around him and settled against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat as she pressed her cheek against the fabric of his shirt. “I wanna just stay here,” she admitted.

He wrapped his arms around her holding her tightly. His heart was beating hard as it always did when she was around. He was clearly excited but tried to play it calm. "You can if you want. I have plenty of extra space her."

Ava hummed. She liked the idea. She didn’t want to sleep with him (yet), however staying over on his couch sounded really amazing. Especially considering that she was not at all in the mood to walk to her own quarters right now. “I’d like that,” she muttered and listened to his elated heartbeat. “I’ll need to replicate some pyjamas, though.”

Austin had a content smile on his face. The way her head was up against his chest made him feel good and he was glad she was willing to stay over. "Sounds perfect. The replicators up here make super comfy pajamas."

“Hm, perks of dating senior staff,” joked Ava.

He laughed. "Yeah we get all of the nice stuff."

Ava snorted in amusement and commented, “Rude.” She shifted a little. Cuddling with Austin was very comfy. “You smell really nice by the way.”

He smiled thinking back to when his dad had given him the cologne while he was recovering from an injury. "Well thanks, my dad gave me this cologne a while back and I've been saving it. You smell pretty nice aswell."

“Thanks,” she whispered. “This is actually the only perfume I like wearing. All the others irritate me. Too sweet or too strong or too much of an old lady scent. I’m picky,” she told with a small smile.

He continued to hold her tightly feeling protective over her. "Well I think it's amazing. I suppose your pickiness payed off pretty well."

“It did, didn’t it?” Ava agreed and blinked tiredly. “I’m gonna fall asleep,” she warned, laughing a little at herself.

He yawned a little bit. "Yeah, I'm getting pretty tired aswell. I just don't want this day to end."

“It was amazing! What did you do before the ball, by the way?”

"Nothing much, I went to go pick up my suit but I couldn't stop thinking about you. What did you do?"

“Well, I woke up with Jasmine who was staying over. Then, I helped a very flustered Styre choose his suit,” she grinned, “I did a pretty good job if I do say so myself.”

"Yeah he looked pretty great didn't he. Formal but not too formal. He looked pretty happy out there with the captain."

“Styre and happy in one sentence without a negation in between the words. Who would have thought? But you’re not wrong. They’re just way too cute. I mean, who gave them the right?” said Ava jokingly and cuddled a little closer to Austin.

He laughed a little bit. "They were pretty cute but, I don't think they were nearly as cute as us. Dancing with you with the gloves off it was just something else."

“Oh, yeah!” Ava laughed and nodded. “It was,” her tone turned dreamy and happy, “Really amazing with you Austin. I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed a Winterball this much. Even though I’ve had some nice ones in my time, it’s not the same as tonight.”

His tone went extremely soft. "Yeah, tonight really was something special. I don't think I've had a night like that... well... ever."

“I’m happy you feel the same.” Ava smiled softly. “You know…” She pulled away from him a little bit to raise her head and make eye contact. “You’ve told me about your past relationship,” her tone was very careful and gentle as she mentioned it. “I think it’s only fair I do the same.”

He adjusted the way he was holding her in a attempt to make her feel comfortable. He gave her a look that said 'I'm her to listen'

“Well…” Her tone turned more serious and she put her head back down on his shoulder with a soft sigh, before she finally started speaking; “Do you know about pon farr?”

His tone was comforting. "I've heard of it before and I know the basics but not much pass that."

“Well, that’s no wonder. Vulcans make a big mystery out of it,” said Ava, “I kinda hoped I wouldn’t have to go through it, because I’m only half-Vulcan, but it looks like I’m more Vulcan than I like to be. Anyways, pon farr is a mess. You don’t know left from right anymore and every emotion is ten times as intense. Hormones go wild, your brain goes foggy, all that kind of stuff. Essentially the best word to describe it is a sex craze.” She pulled a face at the word. “When I had my first one…” It was evident in her tone that she disliked the memory. But she had a feeling she wanted to tell Austin. “I tried to kinda… meditate it away. Didn’t work. So I…” She bit her lip. This was embarrassing to say. Her voice went really quiet. “I did the next best thing. Which was stupid…” Did she really wanna tell him?

He gave her a little pat on the back trying his best to make her feel safe and comfortable. He gave her a comforting look. "Its okay, we all make mistakes. Whatever you did it's okay, you are in a safe space."

Ava laughed humourlessly. “Thanks, Austin. To rip the band aid off, I went to strip club and hooked up with the first person I met. A guy named Chuck. I don’t even remember his last name, just that we went back to his place and I woke up the next day naked and hungover. Truly not one of my most glorious moments.” She sighed. “I saw Chuck like three times after that before I cut off contact.” She took a moment before continuing, “Needless to say, my first experience with romantic/sexual relationships wasn’t exactly a pretty one. From then on, I was pretty disinterested. However, during my second pon farr I had a girlfriend, so it was no problem. It was actually quite nice. Her name’s Katie. We got out of touch, but… it was nice at the time. Well, and then during my third pon farr which wasn’t that long ago, I requested a shore leave and (truth be told) had a fling with an Orion guy.”

He held her closely. He was taking in everything she said quite well. He only wanted to make her feel better. "Well thank you for feeling comfortable enough to tell me, I really appreciate your honesty. I'm really sorry that you had to go through all of that. I'm always here to listen and I just want you to feel comfortable enough with me to tell me these things."

Ava pulled away a little bit and gave him a wary look. “You sure?”

He touch her hand so she could feel his emotions. "Ofcourse, I really mean it."

Ava was more than just a little taken aback. But it was a pleasant surprise. She took his hand and eased into the feeling of his honesty before letting go again. “Thank you,” she said with a smile of relief, “Most people tend to get judgmental about these things.”

He gave her a reassuring look. "You accepted my past why wouldn't I accept yours? I like you a lot and I wouldn't let that get in the way."

Ava smiled softly. “You’re the best, Austin. I’m so glad I found you.” She hugged him a little tighter and then she yawned.

He closed his eyes and cuddled back up with her. "I'm glad I found you to." He was beginning to drift to sleep but caught himself before he could fall asleep in her arms. "I think I should be getting to bed soon."

Ava blinked slowly. “Yes,” she muttered. However, it took her a moment until she could pull herself together and force herself to stand up from the couch. “Pyjamas?” she asked tiredly, standing in front of him barefooted and with her dress slightly wrinkled and a content but sleepy smile on her face. Kinda cute.

He smiled at her, she looked so cute like this, So cute he almost wanted to ask her to move in. He snapped out of the that thought and walked over to the replicator. "One pair of Pyjamas for my lovely guest here please."

Ava laughed. She couldn’t help herself. She went up to Austin and hugged him from behind. “You talk to your replicator like it’s sentient,” she noted as she snuggled against Austin’s back.

He laughed a bit. Only now picking up on his strange habit. "I guess I do don't I. I've never really thought about it."

“It’s funny,” she muttered. Then, she let go of him to take the pyjamas from the replicator. “Can I use your sonic shower?”

"Yep feel free I'm so tired that I might just go pass out in my bed. Have a good night."

“Good night, Austin. Thanks for letting me stay here and thanks for the good time.” She kissed him briefly on the lips before vanishing in the bathroom.

He kissed her back and vanished into his bedroom to fall asleep.

17:15

[D] Austin would fall asleep really fast and sleep through to the morning. After getting ready he wandered out of his room dressed in his uniform. He had dreamed about Ava that night and was ready to see her again.

Ava was still in the (very comfy) pajamas that they’d replicated the night before. When Austin came in, she was sitting cross legged on the couch, meditating with her eyes closed. Her hair was put up in a messy bun; a few strands had escaped. She was still wearing the fancy septum piercing from last night and she looked quite calm and content in her meditation.

He decided to silently walk past her. He didn't want to disturb her and didn't speak until he made it to the replicator. "Two bagel sandwiches please."

Ava opened her eyes and looked at him with a smile. “Good morning.” Her tone was very soft. “I could get used to seeing you first thing in the morning.”

Austin smiled. He walked over to sit done infront of her with the two bagels in hand. He placed one down infront of both of them. "I certainly wouldn't mind seeing you in the morning either. How does breakfast sound?"

“Hm,” Ava hummed in satisfaction, enjoying the smell of the food. “Sounds like you’re my dream guy.”

He laughed a bit and gave her a wide smile. He paused for a second meeting her gaze. "I think you are my dream girl." He checked his watch that he still had on. "Clevenger should be getting in soon."

Ava started eating contently. Between two bites, she said, “Well, I should probably pay a visit to my quarters then, and change into something appropriate.” There was a grin on her face. She was really enjoying this, just spending her morning with him.

He began eating his sandwich. "Sounds great. Shall I walk you there?"

“You really don’t have to,” said Ava with a shrug, chewing on her sandwich. “We can just meet by the airlocks. When’s Clevenger arriving?”

He checked his watch again. "About an hour and a half from now."

“We still have some time to finish breakfast, then,” said Ava happily.

He looked at her as he ate breakfast. "You look really cute in those pajamas."

Ava blushed slightly. “Thanks,” she said, “Though I think I’ll change back into my dress. Wouldn’t want to make my way through the base in pajamas.”

He laughed at the thought. "I could just replicate you a uniform quickly if you want."

“Good thinking,” said Ava with a nod. “Unless we want the rest of the crew to witness my never-ending cuteness,” she joked and wiggled her pointed eyebrows.

He sat there and finished off his sandwich. He joked. "Well we wouldn't want that would we. The station might have a cuteness overload."

“Death by cuteness.” She pretended to have a heart attack and dramatically flopped down against the couch cushions. “Aaaah!” She closed her eyes and played dead.

He played along with her faking shock. "Oh no! Who am I supposed to cuddled up either now."

Ava laughed. “The only one who’s immune is Styre.” She giggled and took another bite of her sandwich. “The lone survivor of my special cuteness attack.”

He laughed her. "I hope Styre and Clarke ended up having a good night. Hopefully he will be kinder to you as long as they are dating."

“That would be nice,” she mused, “Though I’ve kind of gotten used to his cold demeanor.” With a shrug, she added, “I think I’d almost miss it, as strange as it sounds. Emotional Styre is… strange.” She chuckled and finished her sandwich. “Hm, these are pretty good by the way.”

He smiled. "I'm sure they are nothing like the bagels you could get in New York but I always loved them personally." He finished up his breakfast and stood up stretching his back.

Ava totally checked him out while he stretched his back. Who could blame her? Then she picked up the empty plates and stood up as well.

He noticed Ava checking him out but didn't mind at all. He even leaned into it a bit trying to make himself look a bit better.

Ava smirked and kissed his cheek before walking over to the replicator and getting a uniform for herself. “This should do,” she said and vanished in the bathroom. She returned in her usual get up; science uniform, hair in a slightly less messy bun. She had her dress and heels under her arm, ready to go outside. She shot Austin a fond smile.

Austin gave her a quick but passionate kiss goodbye. "See you in a hour."

Ava returned it and smiled at him before saying “See you!” and slipping out of his quarters.

Austin exited his room. He was excited to meet his old buddy.

He replicated himself a drink and then sat on the couch doing some paperwork.

The door chimed.

He went over an answered the door. He didn't want to get up but he put a friendly smile on his face.

As the door opened Austin was greeted by the friendly smile of a woman in a courier uniform holding a box. "Hello love. Quickwind Delivery Service! Got a Secret Santa for Lieutenant Whidbey." (edited)

"I'm Lieutenant Whidbey. Thank you for the delivery." He took the delivery.

"No worries! Happy Holidays!" She said with a smile, before heading back to her hovercart to carry on her route.

"Happy holidays." He spoke and then returned to his couch to open the gift.

[D] Inside was a tea set served aboard a serving tray adorned with calligraphy with a unique draining system for any spilled water on the tray. It comes with six gaiwan to enjoy the tea in, a teapot for when there will be many people enjoying it, made from yixing clay, there are individual tea spoons, strainers and forceps for each gaiwan. With this set up, there is also a variety of loose-leaf teas in individual bags, there being some black tea, green tea, white tea and oolong tea. With it there was a note: "I was not familiar with this custom before signing up to do this 'Secret Santa' so do forgive me if this is not exactly what was anticipated. I figured that something important to my own culture would be a good gift. I do hope you enjoy making tea as I have supplied a variety. For the darker types of tea such as black and oolong, I suggest steeping in boiling water for three minutes, around 373 degrees kelvin. For the green and white tea I suggest allowing to steep for two minutes in water that is just below boiling, around 360 degrees kelvin. Please enjoy this humble gift. Best regards and wishes, your Secret Santa."

Austin had never actually tried tea before so he was pretty happy at the prospects the gift entailed. He inspected the calligraphy of the tray and figured it looked decidedly cool. He figured it was best to give it a permanent place on the table in his room where he normally ate breakfast. His mom had always loved tea and he figured if she ever visited she would really like the setup. He was also unsure if Ava liked tea but if she did she would enjoy the setup aswell. As he set up the tea he set the note next to the pot so he could use it as instruction whenever he prepared the tea. (Most likely the following morning.) If he ever figured out who his secret santa was he'd have to give them a big thank you.

He would sleep the night away after that. He went through his morning routine and then changed into his uniform. Before he left he quickly replicated himself a cup of coffee.

As chief of security Whidbey always found it prudent to read the files of incoming personal however the new romulan chief science officer peaked his interest. He made the decision that he would welcome her to the station.

Aella stood outside of Whidbey's door and pressed the buzzer and awaited a reply. She had compiled a list of all her deep philosophical questions, perhaps Whidbey would be in his quarters with some time to spare for her.

Whidbey had been resting on his couch and enjoying his book. He was wearing a much more casual outfit then usual, simply wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. When he reached the door he was still holding his book in his hand with a finger placed inside to hold his place. He offered Aella a tired but genuine smile. "Hello Aella, is there anything I can do for you?" He had his eyes narrowed at her, unsure of why she had come to his quarters.

"Mr. Whidbey!" Aella said with much enthusiasm as she held up her PADD. "Do you have some time? I was thinking about philosophy and I came up with some questions to consider. I was really excited about getting the chance to talk with you again," Aella said with a light blush across her cheeks. Despite trying to be good and get along with the Starfleet officers on the station, she was still a Vorta and thus meant she had to try and flirt with everyone she met. Although the only person she really liked was Eshen, but still she had to stay on brand. Deceptively cute and innocent Vorta!

He gestured with his hand for her to come along in. As he walked to place down his book he spoke. "Sure I've got a bit of time on my hand." He slid a bookmark into his book and placed it down on a table. He then turned around to look over her, confused by the blush on her face. He walked over to a table and took a seat, leaning far back on his seat. "What do you want to ask?"

Aella followed Whidbey into his quarters and smiled. "Mmm... First, you are handsome in your casual clothes, I like this Whidbey,“ It was just habit, she always liked giving compliments even if she didn't mean it at all. Well, at least she wasn't talking about genocide. Honestly, if all the bad habits to bring back, flirting with officers was the least dangerous. "And so I was thinking like..... If you are cleaning a vacuum... Do you become a vacuum cleaner? And what flavour is water? Is water wet?"

2

Austin tilted hisbhead at the continued flirting comments from the Vorta and then again at the barage of silly questions. "Well linguistic fallacies aren't really my type of thing. The issue is more within language itself then any actual philosophical quandary. My type of thing is more existentialism... why we are here, how do we create meaning in life, that kinda stuff."

"Existentialism--" Aella thought for a moment. "Then tell me, Mr. Whidbey. Doctors do well when we are sick, bankers do well when we are poor, bakers do well when we are hungry... However thieves are the only ones who wish for us to live long and prosper," Aella raised and eyebrow, wondering what Whidbey would say to that. "And I have more."

He tilted his head at her even more. Partially he viewed a lot of these types of questions as simply silly and not really worthy of much though. However he decided to flip the conversation towards much deeper thought. "Well that would be societal critique which does often fall under existentialism. Society and its flaws are something worth of a lot of thought."

"Society does have a lot of flaws, especially the society of lesser species," Oh no Aella, don't talk about the big G. "Like the Cardassians. They really had it coming," AELLA FIVE! "I am specifically talking about their Orwellian society. Being ruled by a secret police, spreading propaganda. It makes you wonder where the line is between trying to maintain order and suffocating your citizens. In a way, you could say the Dominion helped the Cardassians, you know. Look at Cardassian society today, it's booming."

1

Austin looked at her with a massive look of disgust across his face. He stood up suddenly, now eager for this conversation to quickly end. "You think the dominion did the cardassian a favor by genociding them?! Even the pile of goo you call the founders recognized they were wrong for that. Tell Kassel that crap and he'll probably knock you across a room. That's disgusting, get the hell out of my quarters." Austin found himself taking on a much more aggressive demeanor then he was used to.

2

4

3

What did she do?!? Aella put her hands on her hips and frowned. "You say you want to be open to different opinions but you won't even hear me out! Fine, forget it," Aella wasn't yelling but the anger in her voice was evident. "Mr. Whidbey, I want to know more about your Federation ideals and philosophy, but the minute I tell you mine you say it's disgusting. I think you need to realise what double standard you have going on here. I am willing to be educated and hear you, but if you're just going to call me disgusting then we can just agree to stay away from each other."

He laughed a quite rude laugh to her response. "You just supported the murder of billion, nay billions of people and you want to call that a great good." He gestured to his book. "The dominion was no better then the damn Germans who ran around Europe while committing genocides as they did." He visibly scoffed both at himself and Aella. "I thought the God damned dominion might have finally changed for once but no you still choose to support the genocide of billions... I don't want to see your face anywhere near my quarters again. I can take a lot and discuss a ideology but genocide isn't a mear ideology it's straight up wretched, especially to say you were doing them good."

4

"I guess I was wrong about you too. You don't want to change and you have always hated my people and our culture," Aella shook her head. "Then this is goodbye, Mr. Whidbey," She said before rushing out of his quarters.

[PADD Message] From: Captain Thomas Lloyd To: Lieutenant Austin Whidbey

I'm sorry to inform you the your transfer request to my science vessel, the USS Hudson will be declined. Plain and simple We don't have the open slots on board to transfer both you (no matter how much we want you) aswell as those you would like to request come with you. Furthermore you only recently arrived aboard station 777 6 months ago, a transfer that I'll remind you, you yourself requested. Our final point in looking over your transfer request is your recent performance aboard the station. We haven't seen any sign you actively have improved the station while you were aboard. It is understandably not your fault that the station fell into disseray after being attacked on your very first day but from what we've seen you continue to struggle with your position. The recent events of PACT Gallactica show weakness and while your defenses from the borg and species 8472 were adequate and your ability to train officers is unquestionably strong the question marks still remain. If you stick it out perhaps your next transfer shall be approved but it will not be to the USS Hudson.

6

4

5

Austin had just gotten off of work and back into his quarters when the message he had been awaiting finally came through. For a moment excitement crept onto his face, perhaps the horrifying few months he had spent here would finally come to an end. He had come to station 777 assuming his job would be constabulary in nature, instead though he spent his days dealing with attacks and reading casualty reports. Thus he needed to move for the sake of his own sanity, he wasn't built for combat, he was built to serve aboard a science vessel as their security chief. However the gleam in his eyes slowly dissipated as he read on. The preceding 6 months had taken a toll on his flawless record. On the Vancouver he served with distinction for several years never having a death among his crew, yet now he was a liability to any ship of the line. As he finished reading he threw his PADD onto his couch with unnecessary force, cracking a section of the screen as it found it spot. He was angry, his nightmare wasn't over and he knew it. He could help but slam his fist into the metal wall out of anger. The first strike against the wall hurt him, it bruised his knuckles and even dislocated one but he slammed it against the wall a second time anyways. The second time he hit the wall anouther knuckle came dislocated and his fist switched to shades of dark red and purple as the pain began to grow. Finally he slammed it into the wall for a third time, cracking several bones within his hand. Only at this point did the pain catch up to his actions. He clutched his off colour fist with his other hand as he fell to the ground. He whimpered a quiet "No." As he found himself quietly crying on the ground from a mix of his emotional troubles and physical pain. His worst nightmare would have to continue...

7

6

The normally stoic man spent the next ten minutes curled up on the floor letting his emotions out, he couldn't stand being here anymore. Every moment he spent around this station brought in stabbing memories of those he had lost. He couldn't take a step on the promenade without thinking of the late chief and his family. The dead haunted this place and every corridor within. He wasn't ready to deal with death but sorrowfully he slowly picked himself up. He breathed in for a minute slowly placing his masquerade of toughness back onto his face, every day it became harder for him to hide his true self away yet he couldn't stop.

5

[D] Whidbey returned to his room after some time to ready himself for the visit of his friend. He was just about to head out when a knock came over the door. He jumped up in surprise but then slowly approached the door.

3

The moment the door opened Wink playfully jumped onto whidbey. "Whidbey my friend! It's been too long since we have seen eachother." The high energy officer had been anticipating the visit so much that he had arrived early.

2

Whidbey pulled the man off his back and to the ground. "Woah, woah buddy you caught me off guard there." He pulled himself off of Winker and went back up to his feet. He offered a hand and pulled Wink back up to his feet. Then once he was up he pulled Winker into a tight hug.

4

He stayed in the hug for a little bit longer then was necessary. Upon pulling back he gave Whidbey a slightly sideways look. "You know... after all the years we spent together, I can still tell when you aren't feeling well..." Jesse gave Whidbey a slight frown as he anticipated the response.

4

Whidbey sighed and then found his way over to his coach, he wanted to take a seat for this one. He was tempted to lie to his old friend but he knew full well Wink would be able to tell through the lie anyways. "Its this base man, it's been making me miserable. I just haven't really been myself recently. I told you about my first day here right, where everyone got killed. I just wasn't ready for anything like that, I couldn't possibly be. I spent 6 years on the Vancouver with you and I didn't lose a single one of you guys. I mean I always knew death was a possibility but it's just..."

5

4

Wink made the conscious decision to cut Whidbey off before he could spiral any more. "That kind of think would crush anyone man, it's understandable you aren't feeling well." He hadn't seen this part of whidbey since he had first come aboard the Vancouver after losing his fiance. Wink could truely feel every ounce of Whidbeys pain. "Why don't we go grab lunch and maybe we can talk it out a little bit more."

5

3

[D] "No let's stay In here it's more private, I haven't told anyone else yet." Over the next hour Austin filled in Jesse on his situation.

After Jesse had heard the whole thing he suggested. "What about that ship Eventide, from what I've heard it's not too dissimilar to our old ship. Plus it seems like you like the captain there quite a bit."

"Why don't I show you around the ship a bit and then maybe we can talk about it more indepth. The captain has told me I'm free to come aboard as a wish." He took a second to straighten out his uniform before they both left.