"Jump off a cliff.. maybe"

Posted on Sat Nov 9th, 2019 @ 4:25am by Commodore Phoenix Lalor-Richardson & Commander Liselle Qwyyn

Mission: Mission 3: Masquerade
Location: Captain's Ready Room
Timeline: MD1 - 12h00
666 words - 1.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Phoenix took a breath and summoned Liselle to her ready room.
"Commander Qwyyn to the ready room please"

Qwyyn lingered in her reflection on the slick surface of the conn for a few moments longer than perhaps she should have before finally reaching up to touch her comm badge. "I'm on my way, Captain."

Ever since her first day aboard the Elysium, Liselle had been studious in ensuring an absolutely perfect outward appearance. Since their time in prison, however, that desire to appear 'perfect' had started slipping away. Let a strand of hair fall out of place. Perhaps the lipstick doesn't need to conform to the contour of the lips perfectly.

What a wild woman she had become, she teased herself as she made her way into the Captain's ready room.

Phoenix smiled as Liselle entered and the door slid shut behind her. "Sorry to take you away from the helm, but I have a favor to ask."

Liselle couldn't help but furrow her brow. "Yes, of course. Is... Everything alright?"

Phoenix gave a half shrug. "I need you to step up as acting executive officer, effective immediately. Commander Taylor is escorting Commander Holmes to a medical facility."

Qwyyn found herself blinking. The more she tried to talk, the more the blinking continued. Finally, after making her way to a nearby seat, she managed to get a few words out. "How...Who...? Is...everyone...? What happened?"

Smiling Phoenix held back a chuckle. "Breathe Liselle. Its a medical intervention and Gary is going to make sure Aurelia gets the help she needs. You will be fine in the XO role."

"But what if I -- if you're not around and something big happens -- and there's some kind of crisis? Gods know that we've seen our share of big things happening and --," Qwyyn stammered, her head shaking all the while. She stopped herself then, taking Phoenix's advice to just breathe for a moment. She opened her eyes. "It's just temporary. Day to day routine XO duties for a little while, and then everything will be back to normal. Right?"

"Sure" Phoenix said casually "Unless I change my mind about Gary being XO." She teased.

Liselle's face went white. But a moment later she realized that Phoenix was joking with her, and she let out a nervous breath.

With her hands on her knees, Qwyyn pushed herself back up to standing and she made her way over to the Captain's replicator, ordering herself a raktajino. Strangely, she found that caffeine helped settle her nerves rather than agitate them. "We've come a long way since we first met," she mused with a happy smile. "Who would have thought we'd be running this whole thing some day? As temporary as this is, I mean."

Phoenix grinned back at her. "Wonders never cease" she said. "And I think you will one day surpass me Lise."

Qwyyn's face blanched white again and this time she couldn't rely on humor to quiet the uneasiness. Slowly she lowered her mug. "You're not getting plans of leaving any time soon?"

"No, but that should not stop you from looking to your future." Phoenix said "One day, I expect to be greeting you as Captain Qwyyn, and undertaking joint missions together."

She smiled at that, almost embarrassed to allow herself such a vain glimpse into her own possible future. "That, I think I can live with," she said happily. "Just so long as you promise to never stop thinking of me as a sister. No matter what happens."

"Never" came Phoenix's honest vow.

Qwyyn returned smiled, almost sad in her expression. How quickly time was going by. And the more she tried to hold on to moments like these, the faster they faded. Before she could stop herself, she pulled the Captain to her and into a hug. "I promise not to do this on the bridge," she laughed. "At least not a lot."

Phoenix laugged "Its ok. Now go get to work Commander"

OFF