Posted by Commander Mason Black (Executive Officer) in Hallway. The joys of working together.

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Paris Black (Science Officer) in Hallway. The joys of working together.

Paris could barely wait to get out of the room. Part of her wished they would scream yellow alert just to get the Odin top officers moving with a purpose. She avoided tripping over one and resisted the urge to push past someone else to get to Mason’s side. As the pneumatic doors swished shut, Paris’ mouth began to open. “Commander,” she said in a low tone trying to keep her voice professional until the senior staff crowd thinned out. Calling out his name parted the officers enough to let her get past them.

Even though she was on duty, she avoided calling him Sir. Part of it was on purpose and the other part was it felt odd to call him that with everyone watching. Strangely enough, before they were married she had no issue but now she didn’t…except for when she was pissed. That was his megaphone to know to watch out. “Ummm, why is Kate still in there,” she asked giving him a look that said while she was using rank, this was a personal conversation.

“Because the Captain asked her to be.” Mason’s reply was simple and obvious, the ultimate expression of a man’s understanding that the conversation he was about to have with his woman was going to include answers that weren’t going to satisfy her no matter what he said.

Paris opened her mouth as the duty shift manager for engineering came up to him using the Sir to announce his presence. Paris wrinkled up her nose as the man blathered on about the variances they had been concerned about earlier. “I mean I am having second shift run the Altonian prefix code because the Dermatiraelian plate is not responding. That should align the variances in the cohered emitters,” he leaned back against the wall as if getting comfortable to throw out more useless technobabble.

Paris counted in her head for ten seconds allowing Mason to reply before she gave him a side glance to wrap it up. Lucky for Mason he caught on and in under thirty seconds they were back to moving again. She took a few steps before peppering him with her first question presented as a statement.

“I am pretty sure I know why O’Conner is holding her back. Is she,” Paris toyed with her hair as she let her fingers touch her rank at the collar before dropping her hand to her side.

“I have no idea, honestly, it looks that way but I guess we will find out after she leaves the room, right?” Mason smiled, if it was a promotion he was happy for Kate, it was long overdue for the feisty little CoS.

“How do you not know that question,” she looked at him like he was crazy. “You are the XO. XO’s run the ship. Everyone knows that but the captains,” she rolled her eyes. “I mean look at Dante and Kelly and now Dante and Colter. Pretty sure Kelly and Colter know more about the day-to-day on the Saracen than Dante does.”

“Honey, the guy has been on the ship for 5 minutes, I’m not privy to his deepest most inner thoughts yet,” Mason smirked at her, he knew this would he something the new CO would have arranged prior to arriving and his lack of knowledge wasn’t an issue, to him at least.

SInce Mason was not getting her point, she would have to clarify it.

“Or,” she spun walking backward to face him now that the senior staff had all left them in the hall. “Kelly’s New XO.... Jenn something,” she waved her hand not knowing the Andorian’s last name. I would bet my life he knows more than she does on the Atlantis. There is also Cochrane and his previous XO Creed. You know that man showed up in a pimp coat to a black and silver promotion event. I am pretty sure he had no idea about that one,” Paris said confidently. “There is also Reilly and Boudreaux. Boudreaux has that southern charm while Reilly is uber motivated to get the Wolverine the best ship of the sector award.” Paris knew all these men and women on some level. They all were outstanding officers and the right-hand man of the CO. Paris had no doubt they were privy to the secrets Mason alluded to so it made no sense as to why Mason was avoiding her question.

“I can go on for ten minutes about XO’s if you would like?” Paris had continued her blind cadence backward until she felt Mason grab her biceps. Lucky for her he did because she instantly felt something bump into her back.

“Sorry Commanders,” the Tellurite said stepping to the side. The female science officer literally had almost sat on his head. He had no idea why she was walking backward but was grateful the XO was there to stop the impending disaster of Black’s wife falling over his body. Paris pulled down the edges of her shirt straightening it as Mason moved her to the side. She looked less than pleased at the newest interruption. They were literally five feet from the turbo. If Mason had just stepped lively they would have been alone. “I was going over the menu and I am not sure we can substitute tuna for chicken. I know we talked about it being the chicken of the sea but,”

“That’s fine,” Paris took the PaDD and checked off all the boxes as she spoke. “Black likes mince, beef, taco, spaghetti bolognese, and....no veal,” she looked at Mason. “Chef’s special,” she handed the PaDD back to Mason indicating what leftovers would be used when for his signature.

Putting her arm over the turbo she blocked Mason from moving forward. “I can go on for ten minutes about XO’s if you would like?”

“Oh my God is he transferring her,” Paris jumped to another possibility. “Seriously why wouldn’t you tell me that,” she crossed her arms.

Raising an eyebrow at him she tightened her arms as if frustrated. “Would you tell me if I was getting transferred,” she said slightly accusatory as if she didn’t believe his answer.
Paris Black