Posted by Ensign Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in Side-Sim: Lunch with a Friend

Posted by Ensign Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in Side-Sim: Lunch with a Friend

Posted by Ensign Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in Side-Sim: Lunch with a Friend
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Ashlyn was glad the medical check in went so well, and the offer for Investigation Technique Training was a boon she hadn’t expected. As promised she would sleep on it, but her answer was still going to be yes even if Sharah didn’t benefit from it. That fact that she did was just bonus icing on the cake that Ashlyn doesn’t eat, so perhaps the special wrapping on the ration bar? Ashlyn takes a moment to make a mental note that she needs to add more variety to her diet. Sure what she eats is plenty healthy, but there are not many analogies that can be made about it without sounding bland and boring.

At least the lunch itself wont be boring, Ashlyn enjoys the company of her most trusted friend and doesn’t hesitate to show her excitement by taking Sharah by the hand to swiftly make their way from Sickbay to the Mess Hall. Thanks to the identical layout of the ship that Ashlyn is already familiar with, she knows the fastest route to the source of food having made it plenty of times on the Challenger. Of course her pace has the added benefit of practicing motion and balance for Parkour, her excitement from a good physical carrying over into wanton energy in the corridor. There were a few times she had to pause or shift her position to avoid a collision with someone or Sharah.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah shakes her head and follows as quickly as her bad balance will let her. “I’m glad your happy Ashlyn,” she laughs. “You know I really like Dr Zarath. I’m going to learn a lot from him. And apparently you as well. He’s…different.” She of course knows all the corridors leading to and away from the mess hall. She spent a lot of time wandering them with Joseph on Challenger. There wasn’t much to do on a ship that small, and they had spent a lot of time going for walks. She suddenly turns down a side corridor. Her brains ability to exactly recall memories made her decide to duck down a different corridor to avoid the memories, and it was just a bit faster. Picking up on Ashlyn’s thought, “How about a grilled cheese sandwhich today? If you want to try something else?” She came up on a turn in the corridor and pulled Ashlyn to the opposite side of the corridor before they collided into several NE’s on their way to a duty shift. She started giggling, for really no other reason than the shocked expressions on the NEs faces at the fast moving new arrivals.

Then she turned left and they were at the mess hall. She paused to stop laughing. “Let’s eat.” She looked at Ashlyn and then whispered, “Wanna go spying in the jeffries tubes later?” It was such an unprofessional thought, but she release of all the pent up tension of checking in on a new ship had released some and she was feeling, rather....giddy?
En Fayth, Doctor

The thought of the grilled cheese sandwich made her stomach tumble and not in the most pleasant way, but it was a request from Sharah and the only way she would learn other foods was to try them. “Alright, I’ll give it a shot, but it needs more than just bread and cheese. That’s just not enough sustenance for my very active body!” Ashlyn made a teasing gesture to herself knowing it would have little affect on Sharah, but it was still fun to do from time to time.

Sharah chuckled. After all this time she was used to Ashlyn. And it was good for both of them that they both could be themselves without worry. She nodded, “Alright. You liked the peanut butter sandwich. That’s lots of protein, so how about peanut butter and jelly? We’ll go with grape jelly. It’s not as tart. So lots of carbs there too. We don’t want anything to go wrong with that active body of yours. So pbnj, doctor’s orders. It goes great with milk, if you like that.”

Once inside the Mess Hall, Ashlyn gestured toward a table when she was whispered to. The idea caused Ashlyn to give Sharah a scandalous smirk for all the possibilities that could invite. “My dear friend, what exactly would we be spying on? Surely you don’t intend us to do something inappropriate?” Ashlyn used a mock ‘ladies’ voice as if someone gossiping during the Victorian era. “Just what sort of scandal do you intend for us?”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah smirked, “I was thinking, Bravo shift has a sparing/ hand to hand session today in the gym. Only takes half the floor space. The other half is free to whoever needs it. Workout and a show?” Sharah waggled her eyebrows to make Ashlyn laugh. Maybe she could help her friend find someone to appreciate her flirtatious side. Yes, Sharah was attempting to play match maker. And if it didn’t work out, they would get in a workout like Dr Zarath suggested.

En. Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn did burst out laughing, likely attracting some attention from other lunch patrons of the Mess Hall. “Oh please, you know we would be doing Parkour while there. We’d be the ones putting on the show, I mean, you’ve watched us jump around, tell me it’s not distracting.” With a bit of playful flair, Ashlyn pulls out a chair for Sharah to sit in. “I’ll be back with our food in a moment.” It doesn’t take long to return with the grilled cheese sandwich for Sharah and the Peanut Butter and Preserves for herself. “I asked the computer for more information about jelly, decided that fruit preserves would be healthier than the sugar infested semi-solid, no offense. I also took the liberty of ordering you a tomato soup to go with your Grilled Cheese and bacon. According to the database, you dip the sandwich in it and it tastes better?”

“That would be the point Ashlyn,” Sharah laughed. “It’s supposed too, if you like the acid flavor of the tomato. I do. No I’m not offended, you know better.” She glanced at the bacon and smiled. Ashlyn was a really caring person. And she deserved someone that made her happy. And Sharah was not that person, not the way Ashlyn deserved it. She set half the sandwich aside, “In case you don’t like yours. You might like this.”

Ashlyn had mixed feelings about lunch, as much as she enjoyed the time with Sharah she found herself wanting more. Of course, she knew and accepted the fact that Sharah didn’t share her feelings but it didn’t stop her from frequently wondering how far she could take it if given the chance. Then again, if the peeping tom hint from earlier was any indication, the Betazoid probably wanted less of Ashlyn’s attention by diverting it elsewhere. This made it evident that she needed to talk about the more…private aspects of their life. “So, random question I know, and you don’t have to answer it if you’re not comfortable, but who was before Joseph? Was there a before Joseph?” She took a bite out of the sandwich…and wasn’t pleased. The peanut butter was great but the preserves were just too sweet. Having enjoyed the bland rations bar for ages, the sudden burst of flavor from the preserves was just too much for her. She pealed the sandwich apart and used one piece of bread to remove as much of the preserves as possible, folding the peanut butter half to eat just that part.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah saw the look on Ashlyn’s face, “I’m sorry. It’s really horrible isn’t it. Do you want the other half?” She pointed to the other half of her grilled cheese and bacon. She took a bite of her half and thought slowly. There had been several before Joseph. She spoke low, it not being a story she wanted to share with the rest of the crew. “When I was 15, there was a young man I was dating, named Arlo. He hung out with the kids from the embassy.” She stops and considers how she wants to say this. It’s not a story she likes to remember. “Arlo told them all about my gift, my extra sensitive telepathy. They decided it would be great fun to see how far they could push me. I was…so young, and so excited to be accepted.” She feels sad and bitter, but keeps her face neutral, “I went along with it. I ended up in the hospital. When I came to I never saw them again. The ‘freak’ was too scary to even see if she was alright. There were a couple before him, but I always seemed so flighty and disconnected it just didn’t work out, plus we were very young. There was only one more, Blayke, before academy. He tried, but we just weren’t compatible. During Academy there was…Richard,” she scowls. “All he wanted was to know if it was true what was said about Betazoid lovers. He didn’t last one date. After that I was too busy with studies to worry with it.” She takes a sip of her water, “Why do you ask?”
En. Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn shook her head, “It’s not bad, it’s just too much. I’ve been living on ration bars remember, no flavor, all sustenance. Peanut Butter has a subtle flavor, not unlike the ration bar, plus a little bit more with the texture from the nuts. Preserves are less substance and WAY more flavor, and that is just too much for me for now. I’ll stick to the peanut butter and maybe a small bite-sized portion from your grilled cheese to try it.” Ashlyn used a fork to cut a small corner from the grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and popped it into her mouth, giving her a chance to really get the flavor from it. Again, it was too much flavor for her. “Okay, better than the preserves which were way too sweet, but still more flavor than I can handle. We’ll have to search the database for more subtle flavors.”

“We’ll find something you like. We have plenty of time to research the database, if you want to.”

Ashlyn listened intently as Sharah shared her past experiences, wincing when she was betrayed by friends and reaching over to give her friend a hug. “I asked because I wanted to explain something. You know how my past went, you saw into the box. I didn’t have any choice on those experiences. I didn’t feel much for anyone until I turned 20 and I had my first hard crush on someone. That, someone, was a girl that worked in a bakery I visited on the regular. She was short but had a real commanding presence and dominated the kitchen like it belonged to her. It was really attractive and I asked her out the first chance I got. We dated for about a month and I met a woman that worked with facility fabrication. Tall, strong rippling muscle, the kind of person that could bench press you but treat you with such delicacy. This is when I made a discovery, I felt the same way about both of them. Neither was more attractive than the other nor did I feel more love for one or the other. Problem was, both were attracted to me, but not each other. They wanted a monogamous relationship and I can’t have someone dictate that to me. I spent so long without having a choice that now that I do I refuse to have to choose. Long story short, I’m polyamorous and have been in a few relationships since I joined the academy. They usually didn’t last long because I made the mistake of thinking a guy or two would understand. It’s the primary reason finding a partner for me will not be easy, not so much that I’m trying to be difficult with you, but because they will have to accept a part of me that most don’t really get.” Ashlyn took a drink of the milk and looked somewhat satisfied with it.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah reached over and took Ashlyn’s hand in both of hers and squeezed for a moment and then let go. “Ashlyn, you are my dearest friend. I KNOW. Or I had an idea anyway. And I’m not suggesting you find 1 person or commit to a serious relationship, mono or poly. Simply to find someone to spend time with, in a more romantic way. That’s not me. I don’t say that to be harsh, you are my BEST friend, and I want you to be happy, but it’s not me. There is nothing saying you can’t have brief casual relationships. There is nothing wrong with those. Simply enjoy the moment. I think you need that more than someone whose serious about the long term. Right now anyway, I’m not talking about later. I’m far too quiet and thoughtful to be around all the time.” Most nights Sharah slipped out of their quarters to go somewhere quiet where she could have a good cry or a quiet pity party and not wake Ashlyn up. Instead of getting better, she was getting worse. She’d talked to Joseph about it, and it was bearable she guessed.
En. Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn returns the light squeeze, “I know my dear friend, but you have to also know I’m not leaving you alone until you can be just as happy. You know my past makes me a light sleeper, and while you are getting better at it, you’re not always the sneakiest person when you leave in the middle of the night.” She didn’t want to call her friend out on too much, but she also wanted her to know she was there when she was needed, all she had to do was reach out. After some intense staring into each other’s eyes, Ashlyn returns to eating her sandwich and milk. While the milk may have been a bit on the strong side in terms of flavor, it was a good compliment to the peanut butter so she didn’t mind it. “When are we planning to go do this spying? After I finish check-ins?”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah shakes her head, “You aren’t leaving me alone, and this whole thing about Jo…Rainns asking you to watch over me is getting a little ridiculous. I’m sad, Ashlyn, but it’s not the end of the world, right? It sucks and I’m having a hard time. But I’m not alone.” Of course she wasn’t with all the noise she was never alone in the quiet. And that was part of the problem. Trying to filter the noise and her own thoughts and they all got tangled up together. “You are allowed to have friends, fun, relationships and not focus on me. That’s not going back on your promise.” Sharah sips her drink and shakes her head, “Ashlyn, I know you know I’m leaving. But after everything you’ve been through, my…my pitty party is pretty selfish to cry about.” Sharah empathy would cause her to end up making Ashlyn talk about herself, and feedback on itself and her own sadness and then…well it would be worse, in a very different way. “I know you are there, and I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.” She finishes off her lunch. “Well we could spy from the jeffries tubes, or we could give those in the class something else to stare at.” She chuckles. “I want you to have fun, and I can still have fun, even if I’m sad, right?”
En. Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn nods sharply, “Of course we can, I just don’t want to be a shitty friend by focusing on my own stuff when you need help with yours. I’m just sorry I can’t make the noise stop for you.” Ashlyn takes a breath and runs through her memories of the Jefferies tubes, meaning the conference were laying out maps and diagrams and arguing over the table. “We’ll have to physically go in to give them something else to stare at. Unfortunately, none of the Jefferies tubes get close enough to the gym in a way we can peep on people. Which is okay, we could distract ourselves with some light parkour. I’ll have to coordinate a schedule to be able to access the holodeck more frequently anyway, not to mention the needed upgrade to run the full Trenton Park program.” Ashlyn stands up to take her tray to be reclaimed and offers to take Sharah’s too if she’s done. “I’ve still got one more appointment today, then I’ll meet you back in the room?”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah nods and hands her tray to Ashlyn. “You are an amazing friend. And I appreciate you worrying so much about me. And I think some light parkour would be awesome. I’ve got to go see Lt. Marsh and then I’m going to check out the arboretum, but it’s on our deck so I’ll meet you back there soon.” Sharah waved to Ashlyn as she headed out. Whoever ended up with Ashlyn was going to be a very lucky person, or persons. She had a tremendous soul to share with others. Sharah just wanted to make sure whoever it was, was worthy of Ashlyn.
En. Fayth, Doctor