Treasure of the Moons - Part 2

Posted on Sat Jun 22nd, 2019 @ 10:33pm by Captain Abigail Laurens & Commander Ichiko Gail
Edited on on Sat Jun 22nd, 2019 @ 10:34pm

Mission: Getting To Know You
Location: CO's Ready Room

"For me, my library is the size of a planet. The card catalogue the size of a moon. The library is staffed by an army. Sometimes, I walk in and know what I want to remember. Other times, I'm locked in, pounding at the doors as the books I never wanted to remember are already piling up."

"But, it is what it is. I remember everything. The only thing I have no memory of is being born. My first memory is a blurry image of white and green, which I've been informed was when my eyes first opened."

Abigail remained silent for a long moment as she took a sip of her chai. "I can't even begin to imagine," she said quietly. In truth she couldn't. Memories were part of life, both good and bad. Making memories was an important part of life, but so was forgetting. It seemed incomprehensible to be stuck in the position of being forced to remember everything, forever. "I'm surprised you're still sane," she said softly.

"Maybe I'm not." she teased with a ghost of a smile, but then she relaxed. "I take the good with the bad." Ichiko commented with a smirk. "I remember everyone who ever walked out of my life, but I remember they day they entered it." she smirked. "Also, thank you. Most of the time when I tell people about my condition, they ask me to remember something for them. Thank you for not putting me on display like that." she commented, sincerely.

Pausing again, Abigail contemplated the weight of Ichiko's words. It wasn't just a token of gratitude, it was also just as much a reflection of the way she had been treated by others. "Honestly, I can't promise that I will never ask you to remember something for me, but if I ever do it would be because there's no choice. I can promise that I'll never treat you like a parlor game," she replied gently.

"If you ask me today to remember an access code, or a secret phrase to guard against infiltration then that's one thing. If you ask me to remember your favorite color or the recipe for a dish you like at a restaurant, that's entirely different. It's the thought behind it that I appreciate." she gave a smirk, "I'll remember this."

"Though, was there anything else you wanted to ask me, Captain?" she queried, one of her ears drooping down halfway, an inquisitive sign.

"Just don't forget my birthday and we'll be grand," Abigail said with an easy grin. "I read your records, you're highly qualified and you come highly recommended. The Astraea may not be as grand as some of your previous adventures, but if there is anything else I can do to make your assignment more comfortable just let me know." She paused, leaning forward on the edge of her desk, narrowing her gaze slightly. "You know you really do have the most unique eyes," she said with a smile. "Incredible."

"In Ts'usugi folklore, most of the more prosperous adventures begin with a single man, a few belongings, and a single horse. Scale up, but I think this will do for a proper start." Ichiko mentioned before putting down her tea, and leaning a little closer to Abigail, to let her truly get a good look into the eyes of a Daughter of Ts'usu.

"The shine in our eyes, the reflection of ourselves in the eyes of others. Taken from us by the First Emperor so that we never would seek to find ourselves in the eyes of others. Only would we work for the heart that held those eyes." Lusterless orbs sat in her pretty little head, giving nothing back but the calm color of her eyes. No shine, no sparkle, no reflection. Nothing. Just pools of color deeper than the depths of the ocean.

"Or, retrorefractive cells lining the cornea. I prefer the scientific explanation, but I can never resist a good fable."

"Personally I prefer fables that involve chocolate... you know, like the Easter Bunny," Abigail replied pointedly. 'But I suppose yours is a very good one too." She smiled to show there was no malice intended in her words.

Ichiko returned the sentiment with a grin, "I'm quite familiar with the Earth stories of the Easter Bunny." she actually chuckled, "And, if there are civilian children aboard, I suppose I could be counted upon to help their morale by portraying the character. Wouldn't be the first time, I assure you." she smirked. "But, I do love chocolate. Though, needs a little extra to really make it worth it. Salt, or mint I think."

She leaned back, blinking those fascinating eyes of her a bit. Did she just become friends with her commanding officer? Wouldn't be the first time. Ichiko was a people person.

Abigail laughed. "That would be a sight to behold I'm sure. We do have a small number of civilians aboard, obviously not as many as bigger ships, but I didn't see the point to deny them, so no doubt you will have your chance sooner or later to delight the little ones with chocolaty escapades. Have you ever tried the ruby chocolate?"

Ichiko paused for a moment, hardly a timeframe worth counting, but still it was a hesitation. "No. I haven't." she said with a shake of her head. "Is it any good?"

"I'll have some sent to your quarters, consider it a welcome aboard gift," Abigail said with a smile. "Personally I prefer it over any other. It has a beautiful taste and texture."

"I'll keep an eye out for it." she stated, another sip of tea punctuating her thoughts. "This is nice, just sitting and relaxing. Might as well enjoy the quiet while it lasts, I guess. Smaller post or otherwise, I look forward to working with you and the crew."

"Is it red? The chocolate, I mean." she inquired, "I'm assuming it isn't called ruby chocolate because of actual mineral deposits." She smirked.

"Not as red as an actual ruby, but it is a very pretty pinky red type of colour. It can be a little hard to come across if you want the genuine handmade thing, but the replicated version isn't terrible," Abigail replied with a smile. "And yes, you're right. The peace and quiet is proving to be wonderful. There's no pressure, no fuss, everyone seems to just be happy coming aboard and settling in. I'm sure it will all change once we get orders and we have to depart, but for now I'm enjoying such a relaxed start to my first command."

Ichiko gave a smirk, "I'll let you know what my thoughts are. Perhaps this could become a thing. Crew sitting in once a week or so, relaxing and snacking and sharing reviews. To maintain the relaxed posture. After all, there's a piece of Ts'usugi wisdom about relaxing." she paused for a moment, "Unless you spend your whole life running, a single petal will only float past you once."

Sun Tsin, Peace and the Art of Achievement, Page 205, Paragraph Six

"Take the time to enjoy life when it presents you with beauty or peace. Or spend your whole life chasing what you allowed to pass you by." she explained, before taking a final sip of her tea. "As comforting as it is to stay here, I fear the longer it takes me to get to Operations, the longer my list of concerns will become."

"Of course, I've taken more than enough of your time, unless of course that is you want another cup of tea?" Abigail asked with a laugh.

She honestly considered another cup of tea. Though, in the end, duty won over comfort. "By your leave, Captain."

"Of course Lieutenant, thank you, for your time and your company. I'm sure I'll be seeing you again soon." Abigail said with a nod, watching as Ichiko rose from the seat and headed out of the room, waiting until the doors had closed before she turned her attention back to the console in front of her.