| PHD #227: Roses and Willows |
| Summary: | Rose goes to see Major Cavanaugh about civilian morale, and to return a loaned treasure. |
| Date: | 11 Oct 2041 AE |
| Related Logs: | A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose, Ibbhabibble |
| Players: |
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| Marine Offices - Deck 6 - Battlestar Cerberus |
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| This offices consists of desks for those under the CO, along with his desk toward the back of the room. The S1 and S2 have desks here and the place is neat as a pin, with everything in its place. At the front of the room, a Marine sits at a desk to meet people as they come in through the hatch. |
| Post-Holocaust Day: #227 |
Despite her best efforts, Madilyn hadn't been able to get as much done as she had hoped. The arrival of more Marines and the requirements of assisting with background checks and thinking about their integration into the crew on top of the last new arrivals from Sagittaron didn't do much to remedy the situation either. At the moment she's sitting behind the desk at the back of the offices, but rather than scribbling away on a piece of paper, she's leaning back some with her fingers steepled and placed in the crook between chin and lips, staring off into space, a point in the region above the hatch but below the ceiling.
Coming in through the usual business of the marine center of operations on deck six is an MP escorting the blind Ms. Rose Ibbhanas, her whitestick folded up on her left hand. She's put complete trust in the MP, who's guiding her into the office. "The Major is about ten paces straight ahead and to the right at about two o'clock, ma'am," the MP says to her. Smiling and nodding to the MP, she says, "Thank you. And please, don't call me ma'am. I'm only twenty five." The MP is likely younger than her, regardless.
Rose steps forward, not relying on her whitestick, but instead relying on her other senses as well as the MP's directions. "Major Cavanaugh," she calls out with a smile. "I'm glad you could make time for me. I've a few things for you, if you don't mind? Shouldn't take more than a few minutes."
If Rose could see, well, anything, she might note that there are much more visible bags under Madilyn's eyes. Or that the eyes themselves are a little more bloodshot than they should be. Her response isn't exactly immediate, but it's not unpleasant. She just sounds tired. Worn down. Call it a delayed reaction, a sudden intrusion of reality in a period of time comparatively free of action and excitement. It's a dawning, but not a warm, welcoming one. "Anything at this point will be more productive than the last few minutes. Please, sit. Talk."
"Is… everything all right, Major?" Rose asks. Her hand reaches out and grasps about until she finds a chair back; slipping into the chair at that point is elementary and she does so gracefully. Her eyes squint a little — she's trying to see through the haze and actually make out Madilyn's silhouette. "I didn't come at a bad time, did I?"
"It's as right as it will ever be now, I suspect," Madilyn states while forcing a wan smile. "I was just having a little daydream is all," she says, sitting up a bit straighter in the chair and pulling it in closer to the desk. "When the mind's not occupied it turns to memory," is all she'll add regarding what she was daydreaming about. "No, this isn't a bad time. Please, what's on your mind?"
Rose dips her head quickly; she's not going to argue with the Major, despite the emotions displayed on her face that show she's concerned. "Well, two things, regarding the state of the starboard hangar. Quality of life has… well, immesurably increased, because of the installation of the water and pipes and such. And, whatever supplies Mrs. Koios has received for her newfound school are helping as well. Morale is higher, I think it's safe to say. I can't speak for the dissidents, because there will always be grumblin and rattling, but things are improving for us. And for that, I've been empowered to convey our gratitude." She's sounding like a leader more and more, despite her protests should anyone ever bring it up.
"Well, for what it's worth, you're welcome. I'm not exactly directly responsible for any of those things, but I'm sure any other officer would know that's the right thing to do for," what are one part of the last humans in the universe for all we know, Madilyn wants to conclude. "The civilians we've rescued," she actually concludes.
"Which brings me to the main thing I wanted to ask your opinion on, and possibly obtain permission," Rose says, following on the heel of Madilyn's words. "There's some talk about how it's approaching the end of harvest season for many of the Colonies. Or, rather, it would be. Some sort of non-denominational harvest festival, hosted on the starboard hangar deck, would be a good way to keep positive sentiments flowing. Naturally, there'd be those who would want to celebrate a traditional Samhain, but I was thinking that personal worship can be handled individually, and the civilians and military folk could come together as a people, together. No uniforms, no pretenses. Naturally any food preparation would have to be done through the limited, portable burners we have, but I'm sure we could make it work." A pause. "Um, what do you think?"
Madilyn considers the proposal a moment, putting the palm of one hand over her mouth and stroking a cheek. "It's a good idea, undoubtedly. Morale-boosting events are usually worth it. It's a shame that shipping that many individuals down to the surface of Aerilon would be a chore, both ways. If we were still in orbit by the time that celebration happens, it would be a good time to get out into real sun and sky." The officers got a chance, so keeping the civilians cooped up is a little unfair. "We could probably recruit galley help, or at least borrow facilities to provide enough food for all, as well."
Rose smiles brightly, barely unable to contain her enthusiasm. "That… would be wonderful, Major," she affirms. "I'm definitely not expecting the fifty or so Raptor trips it would take to move people to the surface. This would be an event for Cerberus. After all, it's our home, even if it's a temporary home. We must be thankful for it. And, I think, maybe, it would be good for the men and women who defend us and keep us safe from the Cylons would be able to let their hair down, so to speak, even if it's just for a day, and we can see these people for whom they really are — and not just their uniforms and duties. I think it would be a wonderful community-building event. I really do hope it will happen."
"From a security standpoint…it's a bit of a nightmare. I'm sure you're somewhat familiar with the last attempt of Colonial officers to interact in a positive way with the civilians on the hangar deck?" I.E., Sitka getting stabbed to death but some nutjob when trying to pass out clothing and what have you. "I can understand the rationale and need for such a celebration, but the decision isn't solely mine to make. There are other officers involved in putting together such a large gathering, and in light of those past events, I'm not sure how elated they'd be to convene something like that."
Rose nods slowly, briefly nibbling on her bottom lip. Despite how fast she's been forced to mature, she's still got some innocent moments. "I… I see," she says, nodding again. "I understand. But you will iqnuire for me, won't you? It doesn't hurt in asking. And, well, if you'd rather there not be an event open to military personnel also, I suppose I could organize something solely for the civilians. Is that… do you think that will pose a problem?"
"I'm not going to postulate on what will pose a problem quite yet. If the investigations we've been performing have been working, certain seditious and incendiary elements should have been removed from the general population, or at least from positions where they might cause problems. If that's the case, having officers on deck in that great a number shouldn't be a problem. Or maybe the problem in the first place was officers on deck in numbers insufficient to discourage certain actions. A stronger military presence may simply deter such behavior," Madilyn muses. Of course the alternative is likely as well; a stronger presence gives more targets to go boom at one time.
"I'm sure you'll decide what's best, and we'll do whatever we can to accommodate you," is Rose's reply. She then fishes something out of her jeans pocket — a small, hand-held electronic music device, and associated ear buds, all wrapped up neatly. "I, um, wanted to return this to you," she begins, putting on her most grateful smile that she can, as to not seem as if she was giving it back for any other reason than: "We have so much now, down below. I feel bad holding on to this. You gave me something precious when I was in the infirmary when I was still sick after rescuing and… well… this is a treasure for someone who needs it. I'm doing okay now." She places it on the edge of Madilyn's desk; with but a nudge it would fall off the side onto the floor. It's as if she's timid about giving it back.
"You're making it out to sound like this is being held for me. If it comes down to it, I'll push for minimal fleet interference - just enough presence to ensure a riot doesn't break out - and let the civilians have what they need. It all hinges on what the higher-ups say." Well, not too many higher-ups compared to Madilyn, but people in a better position to give a unilateral yes or no to making this go.
When Rose reaches into her pocket, Madilyn leans way forward in her chair to peek over the desk - a bad habit if she weren't a Marine trained to keep an eye out for guns - and watches the digital music player get placed up n her desk. "Are you sure? It's not as if I was doing anything important with it; white noise, mostly." She spins in her chair to point out the speakers with the empty slot for the device. "You still look at if you could use it more than me." Oh yes, Madilyn's seen that look before. Like, giving something back or sharing it because it's the polite thing to do, or that it's the socially-accepted thing to do, when you just want to hang onto it.
Rose smiles thinly, dipping her head again. That causes some strands of hair to come across her face, which she pushes back behind an ear. "I insist. It's helped me through the most difficult of times, and, well, I know most of the music by heart already. I often can hear it in my mind when I'm drifting off to sleep." Probably the closest thing to an adult's version of a security blanket she's had, she inches it forward with her index finger, sliding it until it's halfway across. "And besides. I'd be a bad person if I didn't return what didn't belong to me. The gesture, and the beauty inside it, have been absorbed. What remains is a thing, an object." She shakes her head lightly. "I don't need the thing." She rests a hand over her heart. "I've got it here."
Well, if Rose is insisting on returning the device, Madilyn isn't going to resist. She reaches out and takes the device from the woman's offered hands, and smiles. "That's how I regard it as well. But, the thing is important in teaching these monkies some manners," Madilyn says loud enough to get a rise from the other officers in the offices. One or two groan, probably the ones that don't appreciate listening to classical music. "What I didn't tell you was that these fine officers don't get the full brunt of the musical assault. There are some tracks on there that I reserved just for my own listening. Of course, it's likely you found those…"
Rose smiles sweetly. "Some of it was a bit odd, like the jazz bit, and that one file that I found by purely accident…" She shrugs. "I was mostly listening to the classical parts. I really liked the quintets, and the choral pieces." Reigning in her enthusiasm some, she nods, and moves to stand. The MP that escorted her also becomes more animate, waiting for her departure. "Thank you, Major. I won't keep you any longer. And… it's good to see you."
The woman might not be able to see, but she's gotten a good look at Madilyn's soul through that music…or at least, that's what some psychologists might say regarding music and being a reflection of the person who compiles and listens to particular selections. "I'll see what I can do regarding the harvest celebration. You'll be informed either way. By messenger or in person." Madilyn is smiling a little bit now; more than she was prior to Rose's visit, and says her goodbyes, before spinning back around to tackle some work.