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Side Sim: Achilleas' Quarters

Posted June 29, 2020, 6:18 p.m. by Lieutenant Junior Grade Achilleas Petrakos (Chief Science Officer) (Matt Evans)

Posted by Ensign Iyun Riani (Scientist) in Side Sim: Achilleas’ Quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Achilleas Petrakos (Chief Science Officer) in Side Sim: Achilleas’ Quarters

Posted by Ensign Iyun Riani (Scientist) in Side Sim: Achilleas’ Quarters
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Achilleas smiled in return. “You are very welcome Riani.” He set his glass onto the table before he scooted a little closer. At this distance their legs were almost touching.

CSO Petrakos

Riani slid her hand from his cheek down his shoulder and arm till it came to rest on his leg. “I feel like there are some things we should talk about before we talk to the Captain,” she said hesitantly. “This all happened so quickly and unexpectedly. At least for me. I want to be sure that we both want the same thing.” Smiling a little sheepishly she added, “And maybe get to know each other some more.” While they had talked a lot on the holodeck, she felt like there was still so much they didn’t know about each other. And wasn’t that part of the foundation of a relationship?

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

Achilleas nodded while he continued to smile. “Of course we should talk. I can say with full honesty that this has been an unexpected whirlwind of emotions that has completely taken me by surprise. I’m not sure what you want from this, but I can tell you clearly that I want you with me in whatever way you’re comfortable with.”

“While I know that no one ever knows if a relationship will work out in the long run, I don’t want this to be just a … a fling. I need to know that … that we both want something long term,” Ria said softly and still a little timidly. Asking for what she wanted was neither one of her strengths nor something she was at all used to.

Achilleas stopped smiling and put on as serious of a look as he could muster, “I don’t want a fling. I know that we may find out we’re not compatible or another reason why this won’t work out, but I’m in this with you for as long as you’ll let me.” He went back to smiling softly, “I know this has been quick and unexpected but I’ve given this some long and serious thought.”

Her cheeks turning a slightly darker shade if red, Ria said hastily, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound as if I thought this was just a game or something for you. Not for a moment did I think so.”

“I didn’t think you did Ria. I just thought that you deserved a serious answer. I may seem like I’m running into this, but my running isn’t without thought and consideration. This may be my first time feeling this way before but this doesn’t mean I’m abandoning all caution. I’ve sat and thought for a good while about what attracts me to you and my instincts are shouting at me to run into your embrace and never let you go. My heart and my mind are united in this effort and that’s only happened for me once before.” Achilleas responded.

“Okay,” Ria replied softly, looking relieved.

He moved just a little bit closer so their legs were definitely touching now. “I’m happy that you think we should get to know each other more as that’s what I want too. I want to know as much about you as I can and I want you to know me for everything that makes me, well me.”

CSO Petrakos

Shifting her position ever so slightly as well, Ria then rested her head on Achilleas’ shoulder. “Tell me about yourself,” she whispered, a little worried that she was too forward. Yet she did want to get to know him better, and that she only could by asking questions. “What do you like to do when you aren’t at work? What are your hopes and dreams?”

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

“I like to read stories of old sailing adventures. With the sailing I’ve done all my life, I feel like I am there in the stories. Imagining how it’d be on a wooden ship with the smell of the sea and being in the sun, it’s an alluring life. I have a bigger sea to sail however and that’s then stars.” He reached his free hand to gently massage along Ria’s neck while he continued, “I also like to spend my time just gazing at the stars. Whether it’s on the observation deck, out a viewport, or even in the holodeck; I am just fascinated by them. As for my hopes and dreams I don’t have very many. I did get a new hope recently though and that is to make you happy.”

CSO Petrakos

Ria felt goose bumps rise on her skin as Achilleas caressed her neck and for a brief moment her concentration wavered slightly. “I want to make you happy too,” she whispered and then asked, “What is your favourite book or story?”

“One of my favorite stories is of a man who gets shipwrecked on an a big isle. He met an indigenous tribe who was very wary of him and since they didn’t speak the same language it was even worse. The tribe made effort to help the man and he wasn’t able to provide for himself so he started wasting away. It wasn’t until the chief’s daughter took pity on him and started sneaking him food that he made a turn for the better. Their close contact caused a friendship to grow spurred on by their mutual curiosity. He started to learn some of the language but barely enough to make simple requests but certainly not a conversation. The chief however learned of his daughter’s foolishness and decided to punish the man by beating him and staking him out in the sun. For three days he survived in the hot sun while the chief’s daughter was inconsolable with grief. Things came to a head when the daughter threatened to take her own life in front of her father and the man she came to love. The chief at first was stubbornly sticking to his decision until the man very crudely communicated that it would be okay and that his death was by the will of their god. Well let me tell you that everyone was just so surprised at that. The daughter cried and the chief’s heart softened out of respect for the man’s honor. He was cut down and brought back to be nursed back to health by the woman who loved him. This might be a bit of a sappy story, but I’m fond of happy endings.” Achilleas chuckled.

CSO Petrakos

“Happy endings are good,” Riani mused, “and it does sound like an interesting read. What is it called and who is the author?” Being a voracious reader, she always looked for new things to lay her hands on. Lately especially those books and genres she hadn’t read before and might even feel a little hesitant about. But in her opinion it was the easiest and safest way to learn new things and make new experiences.

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

Achilleas hesitated for just a moment then seemed to make a decision, “This actually wasn’t from a book per se. My family draws our lineage quite a long time back with nearly 600 years of recorded family records. This was a story of one of my great-great however far back grandfathers. Remarkably he didn’t end up stranded on that isle for the rest of his life but was able to work with the tribe, who adopted him as their own, to build a small two person ship. He and his wife discovered that they weren’t far off from a small trading colonies in the Caribbean and got passage back to Greece. Being around so many Europeans was not a good thing for my great-great grandmother however as they were very discriminatory at the time. It is difficult for me to imagine hating someone you’ve never met before just because they look different from you. Fortunately once they arrived in Greece the family welcomed her in with open arms once they learned what all transpired. I’m very proud of my family for how accepting they are of others even when it wasn’t the social norm.”

“I hate prejudice and discrimination,” Ria said softly, “and yet I know that even today non of us are full free of it.” A slightly more lighthearted, she continued, “But I’m glad that she was accepted with open arms once your family knew of everything that had transpired.” Of course it would have been even better if they had accepted her right from the start and not just because of her actions. But maybe what mattered most was that they had been welcoming in the end.

He reluctantly disentangled himself from Ria before he stood and walked over to a shelf. It took him just a moment to find the PaDD he was looking for before he returned to the couch. He looked at the PaDD with some subtle emotions on his face before holding it out to her. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable when I say this, but you need to be aware. The tradition in my family is that by sharing the family stories, not just one or two in a simple telling but all of our history, is seen as a betrothal engagement. I’m not that is what I’m doing here. As much as I want to run headlong into deepening our hopefully approved relationship, I realize that that would be much to quick. However, I want you to know everything about me and my family history is a part of that.”

CSO Petrakos

Sitting up straight as Achilleas got up, Ria followed him with her eyes, wondering what he was up to. Studying his face while he held out the PaDD, she wondered what this was about. Taking it, she was about to ask, when he explained without needing to prompted. From the first words he spoke, she started to feel increasingly uncomfortable again and the moment she heard the word ‘engagement’ her mind seemed to go completely blank and she didn’t even hear what he said afterwards. Instead she just stared at him; her eyes wide, lips slightly parted and her breathing so shallow that it seemed like she had stopped breathing altogether.

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

Achilleas set the PaDD down onto his lap before he leaned forward and pulled Ria into his arms. He was starting to recognize the signs of when she would get into a panic and he didn’t have to be a Betazoid to pick up on it now. “Ria.” He whispered softly into her ear, “It’s okay. This isn’t a proposal. This isn’t asking for an engagement. I’m just telling you what my family tradition is and that I’m breaking tradition. You’re fine and this doesn’t change anything. So breathe for me, please.”

CSO Petrakos

For a moment Ria let him hold her, but it wasn’t long before she gently moved out of his embrace and moved as far back as the couch allowed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “Can you give me moment?” She did’t want to worry him or push him away. And yet she knew what helped her when she was getting too anxious. And one of those things was a bit of space.

Achilleas couldn’t help but betray his confusion and a bit of hurt on his face. He only wanted to help and dispel her anxiety but clearly what works for his sisters doesn’t work for Ria. He cursed his inexperience with women even though he knew logically that having more experience may not have helped. He closed his eyes and nodded, giving her the time she needed and what he needed to settle his own emotions.

Placing one hand on her chest and one on her belly, she started to try and breath into her hands. At first her hands were barely moving with the expansion of her lungs. But by and by that changed. Eventually her eyes flickered open again and she reached with one hand for Achileas’. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” Ria whispered, her expression remorseful. “I should have listened more closely.”

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

Achilleas opened his eyes and looked to Ria with a tranquil but caring expression. He received her hand with his own and gripped it softly. He began to rub the top of her hand while he replied, “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shock you like that. I can understand why it was so shocking, but I didn’t even think of it that way. What would have been a better way to broach the subject?”

CSO Petrakos


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