Star Trek: Starbase 777 - ens-kae﹢linn′uen

The door swoosh open, as Am’el started putting away her belongings, taking the room in for a moment. Ah, there will be a roommate., she thought to herself. She chuckled, remember her olden days, before shifting to a more grim expression.

17:37

She took a glance into the reflective panel, blinking. She still felt that, and she didn’t like it.

17:38

She muttered something under her breath, before leaning against the wall. At least she was okay for now.

"Geez louise. And I thought those Bolian motherfuckers on the Promenade Tuesday smelled bad..." The Bajoran puffed a few unruly strands of red hair from her face as she stepped through the door; she then proceeded to snatch up a tank top and change into it with a satisfied sigh - and only then did she see that the other end of the room was occupied. Her roommate! Someone else to bother when she was bored. She let a smile dance across her lips as she strode across the common space and knocked on the wall. "Oh, hey. Roomie. Thought I'd say hi. You in there?"

She looked up at the Bajoran, as she sat on a chair, looking a holographic video, with some slight audio being heard. She lightly smiled at the Bajoran, but quickly closing the hologram, seemingly in a hurry. “Jola- Ahem, Hello. I’m Am’el Linn’uen, you are?

"Jolan tru to you as well. You Romulans seem to be pretty common nowadays - no need to hide the greeting," Rinne responded, looking over the Romulan with mild amusement. "Kae Rinne. I'm the station's Mistress-at-Arms. Bunch of Bolians decide to go shoplifting on the promenade and such, you find me. I take care of a big part of law enforcement - though I'm sure I don't need to explain that in detail." Rinne opted to lean her wiry frame against the doorframe where she could see her roommate, arms crossed. "So. Let me guess. You just came aboard, a couple of days ago and have been busy with work or some shit - which is why I haven't seen you till now?"

"That would be correct. And I wasn't trying to hide my greeting, I was merely practicing my Standard." A lie. "Nice to meet you too Rinne? Or is it Kae? I'm a little aloof on Bajoran naming customs."

"Rinne. Last, first. Easy." She quipped. "Hope I didn't interrupt anything too important. Don't know what you were watching there, but I saw it turn off pretty quick..."

“Just some memories. That’s all.” It was a sheepish answer, but it was kind of obvious she was telling the trust but in a limited way. Perhaps a secret of sorts.

"Uh huh. Got it." Rinne could tell that she was hiding something - try listening to years of people trying to be secretive and failing to do so and you'll soon learn to detect the signs, too. "So. How're you liking the ride so far. Starfleet I mean."

"It's better than the Imperial Navy, by far." She chuckled slightly, if a bit sheepishly. "Well, what made you join?"

"Let's just say I had to." Rinne replied coolly. "Had to make a change. Not a change I liked, but I guess it's growing on me. Being a bit less of a bad girl isn't so bad or so I've learned." Rinne let that thought hang in the air. "The Imperial Navy you say? How recent was that? Last I checked the Navy hasn't been very much of anything since the Romulans split."

"More or less unofficially part of the Tal Shiar now, basically grunts for them and only used as a front for propaganda." She had an air of grief in her voice, the ashes of a belief that was burned down.

Rinne made a 'pff' sound and rolled her eyes, puffing those same few strands of unruly hair out of her face. "Eugh. Thought they were better than that - they used to scare the Federation, last I recall. Drink? I'll get us something from the replicator."

"Anything a bit strong." She sort of muttered it out, distracted.

"Whoa there, girlie. For that we'll need to visit the bar." She joked. "You had a bad day on duty or somethin'? Cos that's usually the reason why people want the strong shit."

"I want to feel a bit of something, and I don't get drunk easily either, so it's fine."

"Which immediately tells me that you've got something bad happen in your day. Come on, change into something comfy and join me outside in the corridor won't you." Rinne smirked and sauntered back to her room to change out of her uniform and into casual off-duty wear: her tank top, jeans and heels. "

“Alright, if you insist.” She moved away, grabbing some old clothes she once wore. It had been a while, and she thought it was nice to use them once in a while.

Rinne wasted no time bustling out the door and into the corridor awaiting her roommate.

She exited, dressed in a modest but baggy outfit, it was very obviously of Romulan Origin.

Rinne stretched as stepped through the door; the day had been long and regretfully uneventful - in short, not a good one in her opinion. How ready she was to sit back and relax. Kicking off her boots she proceeded to change there and then in the living room, yawning softly...

She walked through, catching a glimpse of Rinne before covering her face, embarrased. "Shit! Sorry!"

The Bajoran raised an eyebrow as she turned her head to look at whom it was - and then smirked, flexing a slender, toned arm for her to see. Teasing, of course. "Oh, hey there." She giggled. "Didn't realize you were there. Your day go well?"

"I'm fine." Came the short, simple reply. She was moving towards her side of the room soon after, but Rinne could catch a glimpse of her face as she did. Her eyes were red, and she seemed to be sniffing a lot.

Living as a delinquent on the streets of Bajor, among other similarly disadvantaged or lost youths, had taught her many things - among which was how to read someone's facial expressions for how they felt. Am'el didn't exactly make that hard to do. "Ah-ah-ah. Ey, get back here. You're not okay and don't you fuckin' dare tell me otherwise.' Rinne pulled her shirt over her chest and closed the gap in two quick strides to grab the Romulan by the shoulders. "Come on, tell me what's going on, and who hurt you."

She turned, stuttering at first. “Nobody did! It’s just- the CE took me by surprise. That’s all.” Some tears lingered in her eyes, but she tried to keep a neutral expression.

"You sure that's all he did? You're practically at the brink of bursting into a sobby mess, girlie. Ain't foolin' me." She snapped, squeezing her shoulders as a firm show of support. "So. Out with it. What happened. Exactly what happened."

“I just- I just though he was my old Commander , the one who..” She trailed off, she was quietly sobbing again, her words becoming mumbled. “It felt like I was back there.”

"So... he looked like him?" Rinne raised an eyebrow. "The same old geezer who killed your family?"

“His last name, his voice, it was so familiar.” She sniffed, leaning her head on her shoulder. “I wish I could forget, why can’t I forget!”

"Oh, brother. C'mere, girlie." Rinne scooped the woman into her slender, toned arms and hugged her tight, rubbing her back like a mother would to comfort her daughter. "Booked an appointment with a counsellor yet?"

She nodded, though, she didn’t make much of a sound.

"That's step one. Ain't gonna be easy telling whoever sees ya about your problem but you'll get through it, I know ya will. I'll be there with ya too, not at the session of course but in spirit." Rinne pulled away a little and grabbed her shoulders, looking her over. "Got it? We'll fight this togetha'."

Why was she being so kind? They had only met a few days ago, it was odd. But she needed it, and she knew she did. “Thank you.” A weak smile grew on her face, as she wiped a few stray tears away. “Sorry about your shirt.”

"Pffft. Screw the shirt. Can't worry 'bout that when my roomie's in distress can I?" She smiled warmly. "Why don't I get you something to eat and drink and take your mind off it, huh?"

“Sure, I’d like that. She sat down on the couch, huddled up. Her head was still ringing, but at least her friend was making it feel better.

"What would you like?' Rinne sat next to her and squeezed her hand.

“Uh- I’ll have some egg? Yeah, that will do.” She leaned back, her head to the side.

"Fried, sunny side up, omelette, soft boiled, how would you like them? Humans find sp many interesting ways to prepare their eggs."

“Omelette, but leave it half cooked.” Her voice was still a bit muffled, and she was still a sniffling mess, but she was more audible now.

"Half cooked? Now that sounds like fun." Rinne smirked to herself and walked to the replicator, ordering two half-cooked omelettes, a pot of tea and two cups on a tray. "Here, eat." She pressed a plate and utensils into her roommate's arms before sitting down herself.

She quickly munched on the meal, her eyes were kind of red, but she seemed to be back to a better state.

"There, there." Rinne patted her on the back and squeezed her shoulder. "How do you feel? Better?"

“Yeah. Thank you again.” She smiled a bit, her eyes still weary.

"You're welcome." She sat down next to her and dug in herself with a smile. "Wanna do something fun? Holodeck or something? You know, go jog or something."

“I’m kind of tired. Sorry.” She yawned a bit, seeming a bit drowsy. “I tend to get tired after crying a lot.” She chuckled a bit, trying to lighten herself up.

"Sleep well, then! I'll be around if you need me, hm?" Rinne said squeezing her hand before letting go.

She nodded, before soon leaning down on the couch, falling asleep.

Yawning and stretching the redheaded Bajoran walked into her quarters and, tossing off her uniform and changing into a tank top and shorts, beelined for her bedroom - but first she took a peek into her roommate's side of their quarters, just to check on her.

Am’el was meditating, seemingly focused for awhile now. She soon opened her eyes, smiling after noticing her roommate. “Jolan Tru, Rinne. How was your day?”

"Pretty normal." The Bajoran stretched and sat down next to her, stretching out her legs in front of her before tucking them in to her chest. "You? Hope I didn't interrupt your meditation too badly."

“I was about done anyways, you didn’t interrupt anything.” She hopped down from her bed, in some long, flowing robes. “Care for something to drink?”

"Get me something fruity. Uh... like a peach smoothie or something, anything like that." She replied. "So. What do Romulans meditate on, I'm kinda curious. I know you folk probably don't try and suppress your emotions like Vulcans do, eh?"

“Romulans don’t. I’m just doing it to control myself better, and I find it relaxing.” She pressed some buttons on the replicator, soon having a smoothie in her hands. “That doesn’t mean I’m fully getting rid of them, I’d rather not.”, she said, handing over the drink to her.

"Pff. I'd rather not get rid of my emotions at any point - or see you do it. You just wouldn't be the same otherwise." She commented before downing half the smoothie in one go. "I like you the way you are. By the way - can I call you Amy or something like that? Like a nickname."

“Thank you, and I don’t intend to change, just have better control on my uh- negative emotions.” She paused for a minute, before continuing. “Amy? I suppose so, I don’t really have any objections.”

"Great. So, Amy-" Rinne looked sideways at her and brushed ling red hair out of her face. "-you do anything interesting of late? Or meet anyone of note? Gotta have something exciting happen, no? Of any kind?"

“Just… standard duties. Nothing really eventful lately.” She sighed, looking down. “It’s boring to be honest.”

"Shit. No sudden incidents, no random fateful encounters, no sparks as you look at someone?" The last part was a joke, of course, punctuated by a playful wink. "Now that's what I call boring. Back on Bajor, when I lived on the streets, it wasn't really ever boring."

Am’el chuckled at the wink, as her face grew ever so slightly greener. “Yeah, I heard Bajor is pretty fun, I wouldn’t know though.”

"Well. To start off we were basically a street gang. All of us ran away from home an' such, didn't have anywhere to stay. We didn't have much money, see, and so we had to steal sometimes and get away real fast." She recalled with a fond laugh. "Oh, good times. And then all my friends went to be with the Prophets in one night, leaving me behind." Her expression grew much sadder having said that. "I miss 'em. We were like family where our own families didn't act like it."

“That must’ve been… indescribable.” Her face fell slightly, as she followed along, listening. “I’m sorry.”

"Bah. It's in the past now, can't do shit about it. I'm here now and that's what matters, right? Make a difference, make up for the shit I did." She shrugged. "Well, most of the shit I did. I can still be a little bit of a bad girl, can't I?" She smirked and held her index finger and thumb apart a half inch or so. "Just a teeeeeny lil' bit."

“I suppose so.” She giggled, finding it very amusing. “You don’t seem too bad now. Heh.”

"Mmm, yeah. I'm not. But I like to think there's still a little bad. In good ways." She winked. "Wouldn't you like to know."

“I- nahhh. I don’t want to pry.” She was a bit startled by her question, and it showed in her face.

"No prob." Rinne snickered to herself. "Well. Wouldja like to do anything? Y'know, as roomies."

“I-“ She stopped herself for a second. “I don’t really know, what about you?”

"Sports, maybe watch a concert, whatever strikes your fancy." She quipped. "What did you use to do for fun?"

“To be honest, just my work. I never really let myself enjoy stuff I guess.”

"Well, shit. Guess we gotta start you somewhere." She reckoned. "Have you always kinda sorta wanted to do something? Anything at all."

“I don’t know?” She seemed a bit disappointed, defeated. “I guess I never really danced?”

"Any style you wanna learn?' She raised an eyebrow.

“You know those old style Earth movies? The ones where they had huge robes and they jumped around? Yeah, uh- I thought those looked nice.”

"Well, fun fact. I have never seen, nor wanted to learn to dance that - but you know what? I'm gonna learn with you." She said with a bright smile. "Mmkay?"

“Eh?” She looked puzzled, confused. “If you don’t want to- It’s fine! We can do something else you know.”

"Nah, nah, nah. I'll learn with you anyway." She said with a wicked grin. "We'll do it together as roomies and friends. Mmkay?"

“Alright, if you say so.” She awkwardly got up, but a slight grin was on her face, even if she tried biting her lip to suppress it.

"Atta girl. Look atcha and that smile. C'mon. Smile for me. Wider." Rinne smirked and leaned closer to her roommate with her arms folded. "You'll feel better when you smile, y'know that."

She chuckled, her face blushing a strong green across her cheeks. “If you say so.”

"Oh, would you look at that. How beautiful you look when you laugh..." Rinne smiled. "I'm gonna see more of this during our lessons, aren't I."

“If you want to.” She adjusted herself slightly, giving herself more room around the err, room. “Shall we?”

"Go get changed, and I'll meet you in the living room." She stepped out of her room, heading to her own half of their quarters to change.

She smiled lightly, moving to change into a much slimmer, but still long dress.

Rinne had by then changed into a body-hugging fiery red dress and was waiting for her in the living room; upon seeing her emerge she smiled and walked her way over with her hands on her hips. "Looking good! Where's this look been all the time I've known yah?"

“I don’t usually wear this, but I had nothing else that was nice.” She smiled a little, still evidently holding it back.

"Nice enough. Let's go, shall we?" She smiled mischievously and walked out the door, glancing behind her to see if she was following.

“We could practise in here?” She muttered the words out, perhapd a bit embarrased to be seen like this.

"Hm?" She glanced behind her just before the doors shut. "Oh, sure we can - but we'll have to move out of here eventually, you know? Baby steps."

“I suppose so, but I-“ Something in her mind just flipped a switch. “Alright, let’s go then.” She said, with a slight grin on her face.

She snatched up her PADD and loaded up a video tutorial, which she set on the common dining table. "Okay~ let's see here..." She moved closer to the Romulan and gently took her hands, looping one arm round her shoulder. "It starts like this..."

She shook a little, she wasn’t used to physical contact, and the look on her face showed. She followed along intently, hoping not to disappoint.

"And we carry on like... this..." Rinne's feet shuffled clumsily about the floor in an imitation of the tutorial's steps while helping to nudge Am'el's along.

The awkward pointy eared woman tried to follow along, and was doing kind of well, watching Rinne and following her lead.

"Doing well so far..." She whispered. "Computer, uh... play a waltz piece please, at random. Maybe that'll set the mood..." As soft, sweet music began to flow from the audio system she smiled softly, training her movements to the flow of the music.

Am'el found herself closing her eyes, following along to the rhythm of the piece. It was calming, perhaps she should meditate to this?

"You like?" She asked under her breath.

She grinned, nodding while still entranced into the music.

"There. You give a lot more of these beautiful smiles and you'll feel more confident in no time..." Rinne twirled her round and managed to catch her by the waist and hold her close to her chest...

"She blinked her eyes open, flustered at how close Rinne was holding her. She attempted to refocus, but she wobbled a bit.

"Whoa, whoa. Careful-" Rinne's arm held her firmly, preventing her from falling and taking her along for the ride. "You alright?"

"Yeah!- Don't worry about it." She bit her lip, regaining balance as the two continued.

"Careful. I don't want you to snap in two while we dance." She chuckled. "We'll go slower next time."

She found herself smiling more confidently, the cold air and the old music. It seemed like a dream she had so long ago. Perhaps she would be okay in the end. She moved smoothly through the room, making sure to follow Rinne's lead. She could get used to this.

Watching her roommate smile so widely and confidently, happy as could be, brought a huge smile to her own lips, turning them enticingly up at the edges. She squeezed her hand encouragingly as they danced slowly through the room. "You're doing great." She whispered.

Am! She smiled, and her feet held strong. The whole world disappeared, her past, her present, and the future, nothing burdened her in this moment, as her body filled with a warmth she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was going to be okay. The calmed Romulan twirled about, accidentally going to fast. Before she realized it, she hit Rinne head on.

Rinne let out an 'eep' and toppled backwards onto the floor, taking the Romulan with her. "Owwww." She panted, rubbing her forehead. "Next time, we calm down a little. You okay there?"

“I- I’m fine!” She blurted out, her face green as ever. She was so relaxed too! Maybe she’ll keep her eyes open next time. She blinked, realizing the situation she was in. “Oh. OH- I- I’m sorry!” She exclaimed, as she got herself of her. Her face was covered in embarrassment.

"Nah, nah, nah. It's okay, doll. C'mere." Rinne laughed and scooted over to take her by the shoulders. "You're okay. Trust me."

“Ah- Alright.” She jittered when Rinne touched her shoulders, as her mind, in typical Romulan fashion, became paranoid and anxious. Is this what the humans call panicking?

"Good." She chuckled and let go of her to sit down on the floor. "Phew! Not bad for a first time, huh! Guess we both need more practice."

Her mind didn't comprehend her statement, she was too busy clouded in thoughts of doubt. She knew she could do better and there was a sense of relief of how well she did and the embarrassing mistake. She coiled up her legs and wrapped her arms around them, as another thought entered her mind. Her face flushed with a renewed sense of embarrassment as she turned to hide her face.

"Hey. What's wrong?" Rinne sat down besides her and squeezed her shoulder.

“It’s fine! Just awkward is all.” She chuckled nervously, the whole event had given her a fuzzy feeling of intimacy? No! She pushed the thought and she wasn’t going to admit it.

"First time for everything." She laughed squeezing her shoulder once more before letting go. "Awkwardness is expected!"

She chuckled lightly, still processing the moment of it all. God, what was she going to do?

"Hey. Relax. Baby steps." She laughed. "Want a hug? You look like you need one."

Some sudden, sharp instinct overridded her senses, as she recoiled further away. She couldn’t lose again, she had to eliminate that chance, but she was a nice friend, and now the only friend she had that was still alive. She couldn’t lose that, but she didn’t want to be alone. Her face looked terrified as her conflicting thoughts clouded her sense of reality.

"...Amy?" Rinne scooted some distance away. "...what's wrong? Talk to me, girl?"

She just nodded, as she felt her body freeze up. She slowly blinked, as if coming out of a dream. “Rinne? Is that you?”

"Yeah. It's me." She reFher over and grasped both hands, staring into her eyes with concern. "The fuck happen, girl? Did you just go into shock?"

“I- I don’t know.” She blinked, of course she knew, it was a pointless lie. “I think- I’m scared of something.”

"What are you scared of?"

“You know-“ She gulped, almost unwilling to say it. “Getting to know someone.”

"I get that." She sat closer to her and gently took her shoulder. "Slow and steady, that's what we can do."

“Can I?” She stuttered, holding her arms out.

"Atta girl. Come here." She wrapped the Romulan up in a hug, pulling her close to her chest.

Her breathing started to slow, as she felt that stinging feeling going away. “Thank you. I apologize for my outburst.”

"Naw. Don't worry. I'd feel a teensy bit overwhelmed too if I were you. There, there, girlie. You're alright." She held her close and pressed her face gently into her nose. "You're gonna be alright..."

She nervously chuckled a bit, clutching Rinne close. She rested her head on her shoulder, letting out a satisfied and pur-like noise. This was nice.

Rinne smiled and shifted a bit, letting her forehead gently rest against the other's.

She smiled, as her face flushed a vibrant green. She felt.. warm, fussy, nice. Yes, it was very nice. Almost unconsciously, Am’el moved closer, kissing Rinne on the neck. Only after she did it, did she truly realize what she had done.

The next thing she knew, warm, soft lips were pressed against her neck - by absolutely no means an unpleasant feeling, mind, merely unexpected. A searing flush worked its way across her cheeks as she stared back at Am'el with both eyebrows raised. "Gosh, where'd that come from, girl?" She chuckled squeezing her hands. "Was that, like, a cathartic release of emotion or something?"

“I-“ Oh no, what did she do? “I don’t know. I just- did it?” She blinked, her face perplexed and incredibly vibrant, as thoughts rushed in and out of her mind.

"Sure did." Rinne burst into laughter and clapped her on the shoulders while staring into her eyes. "Ahh, if only you could see yourself. You look so adorable all green and blushy, girlie. Want me to get a mirror so that you can see this spectacle for yourself?"

“I- I’d rather not.” The Romulan could not muster much volume in her speech, as she awkwardly tried hide her face again.

"Only kidding, girlie. C'mere." She drew the Romulan into a hug, laughing and nuzzling her hair.

A little “Eep!”came out of her mouth, as that warm feeling came out again. She closed her eyes and smiled, she was scared of a lot of things, but right now she wasn’t scared anymore.

Smiling she hugged her tight once more before letting go. "'Kay. Anything else you wanna do? The night's pretty young."

“Wanna- uh, go get something to eat?” There was a slight shine of assuredness in her voice that was growing, as she repositioned her posture. “If you’re hungry of course.”

"Of course I am. What would you like? We can eat right here if you don't wanna leave."

“I think that would be nice.” Why does she keep saying nice? It did roll of the tongue well. “Anything in-particular? I can start setting up the table if you like.”

"Get me hasperat. Extra spicy." She said with a grin. "Order whatever you want for yourself."

She beeped away on the console, as food soon materialized. She grabbed it, still deep in thought about… well, everything.

Rinne walked up behind her and squeezed her shoulder. "Still bothered?" She asked gently.

“You didn’t bother me at all! I li-“ Ah shit, rephrase! rephrase! “I mean- yeah. I’m not.” She wobbly gestured to the open seat across from her, as she put down the food.

The two headed to bed shortly afterward, somewhat hopeful that the future could only hold better things.

1

Dear Ensign Am’el Linn’uen, Starfleet Intelligence requests your presence on a classified mission. You are to be allocated to @deleted-role. A full briefing as to the nature of the mission will take place once the ship has departed. Eventide is to depart on stardate 89728.71 – the 23rd of September 2412 at 1700 hours. Please be aboard the vessel for this time. It is predicted that this mission shall last approximately three days including the time taken for travel. A full communications blackout will be in place during this time: there will be no communication with Starbase 777 or any other outside sources. Please do not inform anyone else as to the details of this journey. We hope you understand, and we thank you for your compliance. Yours, Starfleet Intelligence.

Starfleet Intelligence. Intelligence. She found it hard to swallow this message, she tried not to get her emotions get the better of her, but compared to Vulcans, she was nothing more than a junior at that. She shut her eyes, doing her best not to do anything to awaken her roommate, as covered her face. She quietly moved to grab a glass of water, as her breathing slowly increased. Thankfully, a drink was good enough for now, as she sat contemplating the assignment.

1

The Bajoran stepped, yawning, through the door a few minutes later and took the time to change out of uniform before walking into Am'el's room to check on her (as she found to be quite useful in determining her overall status, she worried like that as a roommate) only to find her staring into space. Again. Knowing her it was probably nothing much to worry about, but she decided to check anyway. "Coin for your thoughts?" She asked. "Didn't wanna say penny because not every species uses pennies and shit like that for money..."

"I've been... assigned a mission, classified. I don't like the sound of it." Her tone was bleak to say the least, nearly monotone.

"You wanna talk about it?" She walked into the bedroom and sat next to her with an arm round her shoulders.

“I’ve got to go soon, just… just do… just take care, alright?” She seemed concerned for her, despite the fact she wasn’t going on that mission.”And uh- take this. Keep it safe until I get back.” It was a small book, an old one at that, with the front being a handwritten sentence in Romulan. “Now uh, sorry, I’ve got to prepare.” She abruptly said, scurring away. She wanted to say something, but she couldn’t let it out. She only hoped this wasn’t the last chance to do so.

2