Posted by Lieutenant Commander Brenna Neenna Atoded (Chief of Pets & 2nd Officer (COP)) in Let’s Try this Again (TAG CNS)

Posted by Lieutenant Eleyr of House Em’ujo (Chief of Keeping Our Brains Healthy (CNS)) in Let’s Try this Again (TAG CNS)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Brenna Neenna Atoded (Chief of Pets & 2nd Officer (COP)) in Let’s Try this Again (TAG CNS)
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(SNIP)
Brenna grinned and sipped at her drink. “Oh that is a very very long story. So what happened was....he was arrogant…like I can not tell you how annoying and arrogant he was. And well it was Freshman year, and I was still learning how to block people’s thoughts. See on Betazed we learn how to do this, but we also learn to block our own thoughts, so it makes easier to block, because people are already controlling their own thoughts. So I was still adjusting, and well his body language and verbiage didn’t just telegraph his....personality, his thoughts did as well. And it was ANNOYING!” Brenna raised a knee and wrapped an arm around it relaxing. “We were all, intel, tactical, security, in the physical fitness course together. Combat training, obstacle course, weapons training, tactical simulations, we were all together for all of it. It became obvious early on that Marsh was worth every inch of his ego, but so was I. And he called me ‘short stuff.’ Well after that we all kind of got together to show him mind over matter was a thing. Problem was he was smart too.” Brenna laughed, “We met face to face many many times. Usually a draw, but after the little incident with the obstacle course....he started dodging my every step, relentlessly asking me out.” She took a sip of her drink, “And that is the short version.” Brenna was more than happy to exchange more gossip, but she also didn’t want to over do it either if the counselor was merely being polite.

Eleyr tugged the targ jerky jar from her table and promptly sunk into her massive, fur-laden chair. She tore open the container, palming a single stick from its belly, and thrust it aside. Munching on it like a front-row sitter with an eye for the lead. Was it a long shot to say she enjoyed gossip? Spurts of roaring laughter, strange looks and the occasional smile were a soundtrack to Brenna story. When she finished, Eleyr couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. She wanted to know how he got her to go out with him. Was there some kind of fantastic display? Did she simply give in to his insistence? Gods, she would much prefer Brenna’s gossip to season 434 of General Hospital or Space Tyranny. (Sorry Commander Hotstuff.)

“So??” Eleyr waved her half-eaten jerky at Brenna. “Did you give in to his boyish wiles?”

Brenna grinned, turning slightly pink. “No, not at first. And had absolutely no intention of doing so. This went on for weeks. Everywhere I turned he was there. I think he was trying to show he could follow me without being spotted, but the man can’t figure out how to blend into a crowd. So, as I said this went on and on, and remember I said he was arrogant. So every time I caught him out, it was ‘You know you keep spotting me because you like me,’ or ‘I wasn’t even following you this time and you’re waiting for me,’ or some such nonsense. So it’s end of December and it’s actually snowing in San Francisco, it was Thursday, I remember because that was ladies night at O’Hanrahan’s. The WHOLE co-op went. We’d finished our midterms that afternoon, and it was the worst - the written Intel exam. We’re there, the rest are probably about 3 sheets to the wind. The first semester had been brutal and we were all ready for a reason to relax and blow some steam off. I’m sitting at a table near the door, freezing. Snow sucks by the way. Can’t stand the stuff, it’s cold and numbing and wet. Betazed is tropical, I’d never seen snow. So I’ve still got my coat on, and here comes Marsh walking in like he owns the place, no coat, not even phased by the weather outside, and sits down sliding right up to me, in my space, ‘Hey Short Stuff!’” Brenna gives a dangerous looking smirk, “I really hate that, by the way. Since insulting him, using logic, and besting him didn’t work, I figured I’d just ignore him. Well he wasn’t having it, the more I ignored him the more confident and familiar he became. Not to say he was inappropriate but he was making it a point to everyone he belonged there. Finally, R’Riia, my room mate and the lead security cadet in our group pipes up, ‘Leave her be Marsh. What’s your problem anyway?’ And I should have known something was up, because all of sudden his mind went blissfully quiet. Apparently he’d been getting some lessons somewhere.
Well I don’t drink, but with the drunken thoughts and emotions around me, and my exhaustion I might as well have been drunk on my own, and he’s sober. I finally pipe up and go ‘Oh so you can be quiet, thank the gods.’ and he laughs. Looks at R’Riia and then at me. ‘Tell you what, I’ll leave you alone, never bother you again if you get a higher score on the Intel exam than me. But if I get the higher score, you have to go on a date with me.’ Well everyone’s looking at us, the whole bar went quiet. We all knew there was NO way he would get a higher score than me. And to refuse would be to show fear, so I agreed. He chuckled at me, whispered in my ear, ‘1700 tomorrow night’ and left.” Brenna sipped at her tea, smiling and blushing over the memory. “None of us missed the exam and therefore the scores were already posted, none of us knew that, but Marsh. He’d already seen the scores. He beat me by ONE point.”

OOC: HAHAHA! I loved every second of this.
IC:

Wholly engrossed by Brenna’s tale, Eleyr lost sense of the world around them… including one testy eight-legged fiend marching in for another showdown. Power infected its mind, and it was out for blood. But Eleyr was blissfully oblivious. Soon, howls of laughter tore from her throat in the soundtrack to Atoded’s narrative. Curled lips and counterfeit disgust closely followed, each plunging her deeper into this real-life romantic comedy. She leaned forward, eager tips and shifts exposing her amusement, but a smirk remained tethered to her lips as a testament to her true character.
Eleyr absorbed her words, mental notes on how not to peeve the second officer escorting themselves to the back of her mind. For safe-keeping, of course. Snow. Invasions of privacy. Insufferably terrible attempts at stalking.. or whatever Intel hotshots called it. Short-stuff. It was valuable information, and she would prize it like the Sword of Kahless.

Eleyr watched Brenna’s cheeks rust, warning her of the outcome she feared (and secretly hoped) would occur. The great Brenna Atoded had lost the wager to Richard Marsh. A ‘boo’ dared to escape her lips, but it was no match for the formidable sparkle in her pale eyes. “Temerarious of him to challenge you,” her smirk managed to lighten her growl, “but gall makes for a worthy partner.” A flicker of approval passed through her gaze, but it soon tempered to skewed professionalism. “Where is your relationship, now?”

The laughter and humor at the memories drained right out of Brenna. “I don’t know.” She picked up the teacup and put it back down not drinking. Her finger running around the rim absently. “Yesterday was the first time in 8 years since I’d seen Richard. Before that it was the day after graduation, and I broke his heart and mine, on purpose.”

A hungry, harrowed void engulfed any trace of merriment. Eleyr strived to ease her glower, but the result was a warped grimace closer resembling an aggrieved Sehlat than her intended empathy. Shaking her head, Eleyr leaned forward and asked (in as soft a growl as she could manage): “Why?”

(snip)

“I think you are a woman who likes to challenge herself and learn new things. And really one or two people to mentor is more than enough for me. I want to enjoy it not get burnt out on it.”
Lr Cmdr Atoded, CoP

Eleyr scoffed approvingly at her assessment, “I wouldn’t dare dispute a fact.” She waved a dismissive hand, considering the woman’s comment. Burnout was a significant risk for souls of her calibre – ambitious, diligent, badass. Though her Klingon heart ached to push her toward her aspirations, Eleyr bit her tongue. “Then one or two it is. Do whatever satiates your desire without harming yourself.”

“Tell me about this schedule of yours,” she continued. “What kind of chaos do endure each day?”

— Eleyr, CNS

“Well the Emporium keeps me very very busy. Between feeding, medical check ups, socializing the animals, it’s a full time job on it’s own, but Cpt Zarcal has been amazing and managed to get me a small staff though. And then of course there are the officers who need help with their pets. As 2O I usually do a mid shift split to help the transition, but with Zarcal on paternity leave and the previous XO leaving I was on the bridge all the time, every alpha shift. It’s been…over a month with no day off. Well until yesterday and today, and the rest of the week. Remember I said Marsh was arrogant? Well he decided to order me a whole week off and come in, guns blazing, and take over the ship single handedly for his first week.” That though made her laugh. “But between you, me, and that targ jerky, my Intel work keeps me running from one end to the next. And then any perceived emergency means that I have to drop what I’m doing and go to the bridge.” Brenna picked up her cup, drained the contents, and with a speed that defied her small frame she smacked the floor with the flat of her hand, something flew into the air, her cup turned upside down, smacked the thing dazed to the floor and the cup landed on the floor over the top of an eight-legged demon.
Lt Cmdr Atoded, CoP

“Mr Marsh has an ego to satiate the entire crew.” She roared, regard infecting her hearty tone. “It appears—” Eleyr’s tongue twisted, urging her to focus on the flash of pale lightning that sliced the air like a bat’leth to fresh butter. At first, a growl built in her chest, knowing well the adversary that’d come to test her. But Brenna’s speed – a kind that’d give the noblest warrior whiplash – sent a wild grin chasing across her lips. “Qapla’!” She thrust herself from the chair, pale eyes bugging with unfounded excitement. “Tell me you’ve detained that diabolical fiend.”

— Eleyr, (an elated) CNS