Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: To Propose or Not to Propose?

Posted by Commander Roman Alden (First Officer & Chief Science Officer) in side - sim: To Propose or Not to Propose?

Posted by Ensign Rand Farquharson (Yeoman First Class) in side - sim: To Propose or Not to Propose?
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
It would be understandable that Rand was hesitant to continue to practice. She’d broken her boyfriend’s wrist after all. Rand knew things like that happened and couldn’t be avoided. It honestly wouldn’t have mattered if it was Roman, Randy, Morgan, or a complete stranger. Every time she thought about it, her hand felt like some slimy oozing acid covered thing was on her palm, feeling the way his arm moved wrong and snapped. It made her truly sick to the point her stomach rebelled once. She absolutely was not meant to be a security or tactical officer.

Rand

Roman wouldn’t force her if she absolutely didn’t want to, but he wanted her to know it, to heck with his bones if need be. She was the Captain’s yeoman and knowing the current Captain she’d not be getting out of landing parties anytime soon. If he had his way, no one would go to the surface without some training in fighting and defense. No need to be an expert, in fact he was sure most Chiefs of Security would know more than him, but it was terrifying for him for her to go without real means of defense of herself.

~ Roman

In the end, it was important to Roman, and he had legitimate reasons for her wanting to learn. It was both a personal and a professional reason. So she kept practicing with him, even though it made her queazy sometimes, and worked hard at it because it was important.

Rand

Roman worked with her until he was satisfied she knew the basics, advising her to keep up with it or she’d forget and possibly not know what to do if something really happened. He stressed that if something was really happening, she’d want it to be her first reaction. And then he left it open to her, that she could ask him to practice with her anytime she wanted.

During the same time, when she wasn’t around, he planned his proposal. He’d decided to do it in the observation lounge, when it was empty. They’d have their mutual favorite meal, Shepard’s pie, and, depending on when Roman did it, there’d hopefully be something really pretty outside the windows. Then he’d ask the question, using the handed down engagement ring he’d gotten from Randy. He just had to work up the nerve to actually do it.

~ Roman

Rand was blissfully unaware of what Roman was up to. It was really a toss up if knowing would have made her more or less nervous. However, despite how much she hated she had hurt him, she chose to continue to practice at least once a week with Roman. A skill not practiced was lost. It was important to him, and she knew that on a landing team, it would stop him from being distracted with worry. Well at least most of it.

Her study sessions were going well and her down time was significantly less, and even working later somewhat later than normal, or staying up late.

Rand

Roman always made time for once a week practice with her, using one of his normal exercise days for it. And he seemed to really enjoy it, though sometimes practicing with someone else would upset him, and like he’d once told Randy those days he’d often cry afterwards.

With the proposal planned and rings ready to go, all that he needed was to set it up with Chef and see when they’d be passing a nice nebula or something. But instead he was sitting on his plans. Command had assigned the labs a new project, studying an interesting compound discovered on an alien planet. Roman was spending long hours in front of a microscope with a science journal. Then he’d add something, change something, or grow something bacterial, and then study it again.

~ Roman

Roman had been working long hours, but when Rand finished her evening duties they would eat and he would work for another hour or so. Rand didn’t mind. Not only was Roman having fun experimenting with the mysterious compound, but it allowed her to work on her personal studies.

Today was no different. She finalized the days reports, sent them off and made her way down to the labs. Roman had his eyes stuck to microscope when she walked over. She waited, not wanting to distract him from what he was doing.

Rand

It took a few minutes before he looked up at her and smiled. “Rand! I hadn’t realized how late it was…” He said that every day when she came to get him. It was just easy for him to lose track of time, sitting there working on something he was really interested in. He finished what he was doing, closed the lab notebook, and stood. “Ready to eat?”

~ Roman

Rand smiled somewhere between a smirk and a grin. Half the lab crew did the same. Roman said the same thing every day. “I didn’t want to break your concentration.” She waited while he put everything away. “I am, are you?” Roman always looked like he was in the middle of something and needed more time. It was later than normal and the Galley was empty.

Rand

Roman nodded as he finished putting things away. Then he went with her to the galley. It was empty, it must have been late. Once they had food he picked a table and sat down to eat with her.

When they were finished, he went back to the lab to finish what he’d been doing. He only meant to spend an extra hour or so, but like always, time got away from him and after several hours he found himself stretching, rubbing his eyes, and then peering back into the microscope.

~ Roman