Posted by Ensign Ranlei (Engineering Officer) in 17/18 Forward-Lunch Break (Ranlei & Kara)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Kara Iliana (Chief Science Officer) in 17/18 Forward-Lunch Break (Ranlei & Kara)

Posted by Ensign Ranlei (Engineering Officer) in 17/18 Forward-Lunch Break (Ranlei & Kara)
Posted by… suppressed (11) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<SNIP>
Ranlei had a way of gliding into a room as if she was seeking attention. She wasn’t really aware she did it, it seemed instinctual. But that she liked attention was undeniable. She smiled waved or otherwise everyone that made a effort to be friendly. The subdued whisperers she didn’t seem to notice at all. She made her way to a replicator and ordered some form of salad and a coffee before heading for a unoccupied table.

Ensign Ranlei. Engineer.

As the CMO’s party seemed deeply engrossed in conversation, Iliana gave them a courteous smile as she looked for another table. As she stood, she was taken aback by the sight of an Orion officer, sitting down at a nearby table. She hadn’t had much interaction with their race, but whether it was scientific curiosity or just nosiness, Kara went up to greet the newcomer. She smiled as she approached and stuck out her hand, a little awkwardly.

“Hi, I’m Lt (jg) Kara, Chief Science Officer, I don’t believe we’ve met?” she asked, knowing full well that she would have remembered if they had. “Would you like some company?” she ventured as she hovered next to the empty chair opposite Ranlei.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)

Ranlei blinked at the woman officer in blue. She stood and shook the offered hand. It had been a long time since any woman had willingly come near her as even with the pheremones neutralized the belief they would get a headache was often enough to cause them one. She swallowed the bite of salad in her mouth and replied. “Ranlei sir. Engineer.”, and waited for the senior to sit before resuming her seat.

Ensign Ranlei. Engineer.

Kara smiled as she took a seat next to the young engineer. “Pleasure to meet you Ensign, I take it you’re new here as well?” she asked as she sipped the drink she had brought with her. “How are you finding it so far?” she asked curiously, aware that the Ensign had not arrived on board under the best circumstances.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)

“Very new Lt. Only been here since yesterday. If this is your reserved table I didn’t know. I can move , no offence meant. ” Ranlei said shyly. Her experiance of other women ha2d never gone smoothlyand the kinder they seemed the more the eventual mockery, insult or degredation stung. So Ranlei turned “, “”, she asked ” , to the only tool she knew worked on most women. “I am sorry Lt. But are you not afraid you’ll get a migrane if your near me? “, her Germanic accent always got worse when she was nervious and it was fairly thick now.

Ensign Ranlei Engineer.

Iliana smiled warmly as she tapped the ridges on her nose, pointing out that she was Bajoran. “I don’t know whether it’s my race or just me but your pheromones have little effect on me Ensign, at least they haven’t in the past,” she said with a grin as she beckoned over a waiter. “Coffee, extra strong, extra sweet please?” she asked. The waiter nodded and scurried off. “Please, stay, I don’t know many people here yet,” she replied softly as Ranlei made a move to get up. As she looked at the young Orion, she thought she saw the same hint of loneliness in her eyes that Iliana had grown up with. Having spent the first part of her life in a concentration camp and then being adopted into a human family after the death of her parents, Iliana had spent most of her life on the edge looking in. She had been an angry and bitter youth and she wasn’t really used to having friends which is why she had devoted herself to science instead.

She got the impression that Ranlei had not had the easiest ride in life either. She had heard about Ranlei’s arrival on the ship which she would not have wished on anyone, but more than that, she sensed a kindred spirit in the young woman. “Can I get you another drink?” Kara asked warmly, keen to make a new friend.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)

Ranlei was speechless for a moment, her jaw may even of hung open. When the surprise passed she took a sip of her soycaf and shook her head, ” No,
I don’t need another thank you. Ensign Ranlie Greene Maam. Though I don’t answer to Greene if someone uses it as it was some idiots idea of a joke when child services named me. “, she said in a rather small voice with a German accent.

As the waiter returned with her drink, Kara nodded in thanks and took a sip of the steaming sweet coffee. She let out a little sigh as she shook her head. “That seems like a very unfair joke to me, I expect you’ve had a lot of those over the years. I’m sad to say I’ve had my fair share of taunting over the years as well. After my parents died I was adopted into a human family…I know how cruel kids can be when you’re different…” she added quietly.

After a pause she said, “To be honest the pheremones are neutralised by the medication they give me and I wear a lotion as well that is designed to kill off any odd millionth of a fraction that might escape the pills. I get a subcutonus time difused tablet injected every six months as well. It’s less effective but it largely eliminates the side effects of the daily pill. Works a lot like the common birth control injections most female starfleet officers get twice a year. So even if you were a spiecies with hypersensatine ability to smell My pheremones would not effect you. But many women still get headaches near me simply because they believe they will get a headache. The third year psychologists at the academy wrote a paper. Nor do I effect men in any manner not typical of the reaction of any man to a woman. So no I won’t steal anyones husband or boyfriend just by standing in the same room. Unless that man was prone to cheating anyways. In which case I have less use for them than their spouce of girlfriend has. I don’t fall for the bad boy type”, she said in the same shy quiet tone with a hint of reciting a well practiced faq answer as it was in fact what most women confronted her about when women would even approach her. She took a bite of her rsalad , chewed, swallowed and waited for a responce checking a copper bracelet she wore with a single green indicator light checking and playing with the bracelet seemed to be a nervious habit with her.

Ensign Ranlei. Engineering.

(Bump)

Kara nodded sympathetically. “I’m sure once people get to know you here they’ll change, it seems like a great crew. Granted, I haven’t been here that long either, maybe we could both get a little bolder talking to people?”she suggested with a chuckle as she took another sip of coffee.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)

Ranlei lifted a eyebrow, at the CSO. “I … Well… that is… I don’t know maam.”, she replied. “I haven’t had a girl friend, that is as a friend since puberty. The guys I understand.
They roomed the three girls in a room to avoid assigning me a female room mate at the academy. The councilors recomended that course of action.”
.
And Ranlei continued, “Every girl with a cheating boyfriend sought me out to use as a verbal or actual punching bag my entire life. So if your man is cheating it’s not with me.”
.
I was in foster care since I was in diapers. I moved from one home to another on average three times a year. Always because the wife decided they didn’t want me around. Though I still excange corespondance with some of my foster brothers. Usually the I like this girl how do I get her to notice me questions.”.
.
So no offence. But I have learned that when a girl, Or woman wants to be my friend there is always something going on that they want to frame me for, blame me for, or they want me to be a surprise gift. I don’t do that kind of thing, not anymore anyways. When everyone thinks badly of you you eventually end up living down to their expectations.”
.
Ranlei sighed, “As much as I would like us to be friends maam. I don’t think I am the sort of person you need or want as a friend. You don’t know me, maam and if you did come to know me you probably wouldn’t want to have anything to do with me. Please excuse me Maam I need to get back to my duties.”
For all her protesting Ranlei was touched by the gesture, and wondered if she was doing the best thing by discouraging Kara.

Ensign Ranlei. Engineering.

(Bump)

Before Kara could get a word in, the young Orion was gone. She sighed as she sipped her drink again. She felt for the young woman, clearly she had been a scapegoat for many over the years. As she watched Ranlei heading towards the door, she promptly shook her head and ran after her, taking her gently by the arm.

Ranlei had just deposeted her tray in the recycler when Kara took her by the arm. She was still jumpy after the attack on her before she joined the ship so she froze at the touch like a rabbit in a hawks talons. But she recovered and had the semi smile she hid her true emotions behind back in place before anyone not looking at her face could notice

“Ensign?” she asked, slowly turning Ranlei round. “If you knew me well, you would know that I’m a pretty good judge of character so if it’s all the same to you, I’d like to make my own assessment as to whether I would like you as a friend?” she spoke softly, so as not to draw attention to them but the warmness in her eyes spoke volumes.

“Maam. You never met anyone like me in your life as there are no other /Greenie/ raised by human families”, Ranlei hated the term people had used to talk about her most of her life and the venom that dripped from the word when it passed her lips cracked the semi smile emotional mask for not even a second before it was in place again.

Kara thought for a moment, not entirely sure how the Ensign would respond to her next question but she decided to go for it anyway. “Ensign, I could use a training partner later on in the holodeck if you’re free? I’ve been trying to get into better shape for our long mission but it’s not as much fun on your own. Perhaps you could join me after your shift?” she asked hopefully.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)

Ranlei blinked surprised, she was short , and a bit overly endowed in areas that caught mens eyes, and nobody had ever thought of her as a good training partner unless it was teaching Kama Sutra techniques. Ranlei blinked again. “I have no experiance with women I can use to help you with that Maam.” She replied jumping to the wrong conclusion.
Ensign Ranlei. Engineering.

Kara thought for a moment, not entirely surprised by Ranlei’s response. With a warm smile she gave the Ensign a friendly chuckle. “Well then we can learn together,” she concluded, the look in her eyes was more of a command than a question. As she tried to gauge the young woman’s response, she used the last weapon in her arsenal. “Consider that an order, Ensign,” she added with a wink.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)
OOC: Sorry this kind of poses for you in a way but As I imagine it would suprise you I am going to post it. If you object it’s null.

IC : Ranlei’s eyes hardened a bit and she wasn’t sure what to think. That she and the CSO were on different pages if not entirely different text books on just what was being asked of her never crossed her mind. So she stiffened as if 100lbs of starch had been added to her spine and barked, “Yes Sir!”, in her best parade ground voice and did exactly thexsame thing that she had donexwhen a man had ordered her to be inappropriate. She slipped in fast tilted Kara backwards and kissed her on the mouth hard. Let her go stood back and stiffened again. “Lesson completed as ordered sir.”, she snapped again in her best parade ground voice. “Permission to return to duty sir!” And stood there her face expressionless waiting. Everyone in the room had of stopped to stare.

Ensign Ranlei. Engineering.

Kara blinked in shock a couple of times as she stared back at Ranlei. Obviously their wires had got crossed somewhere with what Kara was asking but she was aware that the whole room was watching. She took a couple of seconds as her mind raced with a million thoughts but most of all she didn’t want the young Ensign to be embarrassed. Taking a quick glance around she shrugged her shoulders and kissed Ranlei back. She heard a few mutters between the onlookers as she finally released the young Orion from their embrace. Catching the eye of a befuddled looking Lt, she grinned as she gently took Ranlei by the hand. “What’s the matter Lt? Never seen two women kiss before?” she asked simply. The Lt’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he scurried off and the rest of the room quickly went back to their meals.

Kara gently led Ranlei to a quieter spot and couldn’t help but let out a little giggle. “I’m sorry Ensign, I think you misunderstood. When I said I wanted a training partner, I meant physical training…” she thought for a moment as that could also be taken in several ways. “I mean, an exercise programme, perhaps some combat training?” she added gently.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)

Ranlei ended up being the one stunned and confused when the CSO ended up kissing her back and it sucked all the anger and outrage out of her. Everyone staring at her she didn’t really notice as everyone always stared at her She was the center of attention anywhere she was and that was normal. So she was very docile as she was led to a quiet corner to sit her brain churning through ideas as she ended up seated. At a table again with the CSO and by the time the CSO started talking genetically engineered biochemical responces had ful0ly engaged and emotional responces overwrote her ability to think logically. So ,she held onto the Lt’s hand as if her life depended on the contact. Looked at the CSO with all the rapt attention of a teenage girls first true crush her attention absorbed by those lips and how they had tasted. And she pouted and replied, “Oh. You don’t want me.” In a quiet desperate pained voice and dropped her gaze lower which did nothing to reduce her triggers as she was staring directly at what so many men get told to stop staring at. Ranlei closed her eyes made a self disgusted noise as her thoughts recognised what had just happened to her again and with effort and reluctance she let go of the CSO’s hand. “That has never happened with a woman before.” , she said more to herself than to anyone else. Her bracelet beeped and the green light went yellow. And she stood, “I have to go now.”, and did not wait for permission but turned and left in a hurry.

Ensign Ranlei. Engineering.

Kara opened her mouth to reply but Ranlei was already gone. As she sighed and shook her head, she beckoned a waiter over. “Give me chocolate…” she muttered.

The young waiter smiled and nodded. “For today’s specials we have an Andorian chocolate…” he started as Kara shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t care, just bring me chocolate…” a little flustered at her bluntness, the waiter scurried off and returned momentarily with a chocolate sundae, placing it in from of her. “That went well…” she muttered to herself as she dug in to her indulgent sundae. She knew she needed to straighten things outwith the young Orion but it seemed like she just needed a bit of space for the time being.

Lt (jg) Kara (CSO)