| Dial It Back |
| Summary: | Alexander and Raedawn catch up as they remember old times and Alexander learns to dial things back for the military. |
| Date: | 2.26.2041 |
| Related Logs: | None |
| Players: |
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Galley
Behind the two hangar decks, the Cerberus' Galley is the largest room on the ship. Nearly half the size of a football field, the eating area is made up of long lines of stainless steel tables that can be folded up and placed against the wall for larger events. Individual seats are the standard military issue, boring and grey with lowest-bidder padding. The line for food stretches across one of the shorter sides of the room while the kitchen behind works nearly twenty-four hours a day to produce either full meals or overnight snacks and coffee for the late shifts.
Alexander is currently sitting by himself quietly at one of the mess tables. He is mindlessly eating a slice of toast with his breakfast using his left hand while he holds a book open using his right hand. It would seem that the actor is reading again and for once it isn't a book on duty for the fleet. No, he is reading Folk Tales from Aquaria by Sue Crowder Hann. The slice of toast is put down as he flips a page in the book. On the table in front of him is another book The Hero of A Thousand Faces and it has been folded in half as it is placed pages down almost as if waiting to be picked up and read again. He is in off duty uniforms and a few others in the mess glance at him disapprovingly from time to time.
In line for chow, Raedawn is humming something annoyingly catchy to herself and looking at a small flatscreen device. She frowns at it once in a while, tapping a different control. Finally, her turn at the counter comes up and she picks up a tray and a glass, strolling out into the mess hall proper and looking around. Just by chance, she strolls slowly past Alex's table, passing from in front of him to behind him, though she doesn't seem to see him.
Alexander takes a moment to sniff at something and his book is put down. The actor turned ensign turns and looks around the room for a moment as if he was hunting for someone and as he spots Raedawn, "You still use the same shampoo don't you, Raedawn?" Alexander says this by way of hello as he uses a paper napkin as a bookmarker. "Care to have something to eat with me?" He says as a few more looks are given over to Alexander and his table by disapproving members of the Fleet. "I'm afraid I'm a bit of a pariah these days to some but I can promise that I will use my best manners and I will do my best to be a good conversationalist."
Raedawn blinks, glancing back, and smile when she sees who it is. "It's good shampoo," she replies warmly. "Lots of herbal infusions. Same body wash, antiperspirant, makeup and nail polish, too." She grins and winks. "Different underwear and socks, though."
She glances at the table, but doesn't take the offered seat just yet. "I'd love to, but… pariah? How'd that happen?"
"I believe when I signed on and I was given a uniform that there are those who feel that I shouldn't wear it." Lexi smiles wrly, "Though, I do my work and I put in one hundred and ten percent so I would say I'm qualified enough. Besides I spend my days listening to radio chatter and monitoring things under the eyes of the LSO. It isn't as exciting as one would imagine but it is the part I've been given to play here, so to speak." Alexander then adds, "Though, yes, there are those here who dislike me. I spoke with one of the Sisters about it and I think the best thing to do is live well and respect them despite their dislike of me. This is what the Lords call us to do." Alexander winks, "And I would hope the socks and underwear are different otherwise, Raedawn that would be truly horrid and unbecoming of you. As for your cleaning regimine, I would say it agrees with you."
"My Dad used to say that opinions are like bungholes," Rae replies matter-of-factly. "Everyone has one, plenty of them stink, and there's nothing anyone can do about them. So I suggest the water and turtle's back philosophy, as the Sister did. That was a wise woman you spoke to."
She blinks and mock-frowns severly at Alex. "Horrid? Unbecoming? Oh, that's insulting. I think I'll be over there unless I hear an apology." She hoists her nose in a comical 'ignoring-you-ignoring-you' gesture and starts to step away, a bit slowly, so she's still in easy reach if he wants to stop her.
Alexander stands and in dramatic fashion he turns to look at Raedawn, "Forgive your humble servant. He has been without the company of one as lovely as yourself for so long that he has forgotten his manners. He has been waiting through times of fire, water, wind, and sand as he has waited to acquiesce to your presence." He then bows deeply in response as he is quoting an old an obscure play known as 'After the Famine'and with that Lexi looks at Raedawn as he adds simply, "I'm sorry." With that he holds out his hand indicating the empty table, "It would be nice to have a friend to sit with if you would join me. I'm afraid my joke went flat."
Raedawn, half-expecting to feel a hand snaring her by the hood or waistband, instead gets a sudden grandiose apology! The dark-skinned Ensign blinks and looks back, blushing as eyes from a dozen tables land on the two of them. "Um, Alex? I was joking…" she replies weakly as she takes the offered seat.
As soon as Raedawn sits eyes quickly fall off of the pair and Alexander beams, "I know you were but it is the first rule of comedy. One person plays the straight man or woman and the other acts goofy. It is like a one two punch." As Raedawn blushes the ensign looks down at the table, "Though that was a bit much. Hm, I keep forgetting that in military life everyone likes things to be dialed back in a bit more." Alexander looks down at his food and he says,"Though todays meal is pretty good I think. Though enough about food and jokes, how are you doing?" Alexander doesn't comment any further on his new pariah status though the Sister seemed to have helped him.
"I know… but I enjoy it a lot more when you goof back at me," Rae replies. "The straight arrow only works when there's an audience." She glances at her plate, poking at the main course with her fork. "It's not SOS. That by itself is a good thing. But while I know it's not SOS, I'm still not sure exactly what it is. Maybe it tastes okay anyway."
She manages a smile as she looks back up. "I'm okay. It's been pretty busy the last few days, with working on the cameras in the Petrels' birds and all, but I've had more hectic days. How've you been getting along? I notice you're not cramming this morning."
Alexander looks around, "I do believe we have an audience." He looks around the room as people suddenly make themselves look busy to avoid looking at him. "Really, they gave me toast with eggs and one sausage patty. I opted out of the SOS. I did have a grandfather though who loved SOS. He served during the War and it was one of his favorite dishes that the Fleet made for him." Lexi looks over at Raedawn and he says, "Ah, I had heard about the work on the cameras. Is everything going well?" Then she mentions that he isn't cramming and Alexander looks a bit pale and sheepish for the moment, "I sort of read all the books regarding the work I am supposed to be doing an Fleet work in general." The researcher is efficient. "Though if you have a suggestion I am more than happy to take a look at what you might point out."
Rae realizes this after a moment. "Well, yes. But it wasn't much fun for me," she replies after a moment. "I don't play with you to entertain other people, unless they're in on it too."
The mention of studying draws a thoughtful frown. "Hmm. Maybe I can suggest something. What'd you read already?"
Alexander looks back around the room as if he is always aware of being looked at for fame and for infamy and normally he doesn't pay much attention to the constant stares, but, in this one moment he is clearly aware of what is going on around him. "Well, in the future I will do my best to entertain you then." Alexander looks at his meal, "And as for what I have read?" He continues to look pale and almost ashamed, "Everything in your library. It is pretty much all I was doing when I was off duty."
Raedawn smiles faintly and waves her finger back and forth. "No… we both do our best to entertain each other. That's the point, after all."
She returns to the subject of flight training books. Alex's reply is enough to make her eyes widen. "/Everything/? Seriously? There are twenty books in that library on flying, at least, and that's just for support craft! Are you sure you got them all?"
Alexander smiles warmly, "Fine we need to enterain each other. Quid pro quo and all of that." Alexander looks at his hands for a moment and then he says, "Do they have a piano around here? I could play you a song sometime." Alexander then looks down at Raedawn and he says, "Well, I've avoided the sections on actual flight. I'm not allowed to so much as look at flight controls or an ECO board so I've put that off. Though I've read all the general information on the fleet. Flight, beyond the current work I am doing has been left alone."
"I'd welcome it, but I haven't seen a piano since I got on board. Maybe I'll see one later. In its absence, just some fun wordplay that doesn't exclude physical play would be fine," Rae adds, winking. That might be something he recalls from the studio years ago: just how playful her personality gets when she's comfortable with someone.
She blinks, looking over the table. "Actually, if you're going into flight school later, it couldn't hurt to read the parts on flight to get some background. There's a /lot/ of reading once you're in flight school, so getting ahead would be a good idea. I think I can recommend a few books I had to work through while I was there."
Alexander grins and remembers both the word play, physical play, and horse play that went on in the past and he says, "Alright, I think I can handle a bit of word play and everything else." Alexander for his part grins though this isn't a movie star grin because it is a real and genuine one for Raedawn, "I could use some help then since I have no idea what will happen. Flight school seems like a long way away. I still don't know where I might place. I mean I don't have the reflexes to be a Viper Jock and I don't know if I could fly a Raptor so well. Then again I'd make a horrid ECO since I'm just okay with computers."
"You never know. I never thought I'd be flying Vipers, and here I am," Rae replies with an encouraging smile. "You'd probably do great with Raptors, or even… hmm. Have you considered ship work, or even being a shipboard officer? I think you'd be good at it."
Alexander looks sheepish, "I probably would. Then again I probably could have made a decent Marine also. I mean what would I do as a shipboard officer? To be honest, frankly, I think I got stuck with the LSO because…" Alexander stops for a moment and then there is a pause as he looks back at Raedawn, "I don't have any training in flight and I was given to the wing." Lexi says, "If I was a shipboard Officer I don't think I have any skills that would be of use." Oddly, Alexander doesn't look even the remotest bit sad about this since self-realization about ones abilities and disabilities is one of the first things an actor studies. To be an actor one must know himself first (or herself, if you happen to be a woman). "Though I probably would be better on the ship. Who knows maybe I will finish my duty and run for President? I've always thought politics could be fun since I made The Untouable."
Rae chuckles. "I know. You wouldn't be waiting to go to flight school if you'd had previous training," she points out. "But who knows? Maybe we could use an actor as president. All those lawyers certainly weren't very good at it."
She gathers up her tray. "I've got to make sure the Vipers are ready to take off for the next exercise. Take care, Alex, and don't get discouraged. And please do come see me if you get time!" Waving, she moves off.