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Tweak says, "NOT MY LEG NOT MY LEG!"

William T. Riker (1stofficer) wrote in marinanova,
@ 2014-02-25 22:38:00

Entry tags:

damon salvatore, data, deanna troi, duo maxwell, helen magnus, inara serra, kitty pryde (aoa), number one, seven of nine, tieria erde, will riker

video;
It's a beautiful morning. Good morning, to old friends and to new. One more day will complete our first week here, Deanna and I. A lot seems to have happened in that short time; losses that some of us have felt very strongly, and we've made new friends, people that I hope to get to know better in the coming weeks.

I'd very much like to use this opportunity to meet more of the inmates here, and perhaps to speak more frankly with some of you those that I've already met, now that I've had the opportunity to get a better understanding of my surroundings. If anyone would like to speak in person, or join me on the ice, I'll be spending the next few hours at the ice rink in Sector 3. From what I hear the sparkly costumes are obligatory. [ There's a distinct sparkle to Riker's eyes as he speaks. ]

Private to Helen Magnus

I'd like to speak to you, or perhaps schedule a meeting for later if you're busy.

Private to Deanna

We should talk about your progress--and perhaps you'd like to watch me flounder? It's been a while since I put on skates, and some of these costumes are...very daring. You wouldn't want to miss out.

Private to Seven

Do you skate? [ He doesn't say 'Do the Borg ice skate?' It's a subtle but important difference. ]

Action:

[ Riker can be found watching as the day's events begin to take shape on the ice rink, pawing thoughtfully through the selection of sparkly outfits and watching the others who come to show their interest. He seems to be very invested in everything, intensely curious and very good natured considering - as he said - that he's been here less than a week. ]

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	private video; lifelines 2014-02-26 01:55 am UTC (link)
	Of course. [ she's working extremely hard not to allow her voice to crack. it's... mostly working, but the emotion she's holding back can just barely be heard at the edge of her words, there for anyone listening particularly hard. ] Whenever you'd care to spare the time. I've nothing to interrupt at the moment. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	private video; 1stofficer 2014-02-26 02:21 am UTC (link)
	[ It's not empathy like Deanna has empathy, but he can read her hesitation, her worry, and he frowns into the video, looking grim all at once. ] If you'd rather we spoke now--that way you wouldn't have to worry about it for the rest of the day. I can met you outside? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

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lifelines
2014-02-26 02:34 am UTC (link)

[ normally, she might make a joke about him not needing to concern himself with her feelings, that she's got more important things to worry about, but in this case she'll let him believe whatever he wants if it will get this conversation over with quickly. it isn't that she doesn't want to meet with this man. he's shown himself to be nothing if not perfectly amiable, kind perhaps, a perfect second to jean-luc's first. the problem is that she would rather not address jean-luc at all in any capacity. the fact that she misses him desperately is enough to make her want to stay away from everyone who knew what they were to each other. she doesn't want the reminder of yet another person she has loved and lost over her long, long life. ]

Certainly. I'll see you shortly.

[ and without further ado, unless he has something else to say to her, she will make her way over. ]

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1stofficer
2014-02-26 03:12 am UTC (link)

[ As he said he would, Riker has removed himself from the ice rink and its brightness and laughter and sound. Outside he sits himself on a wall, warmed by breezes, and waits for Helen to arrive.

She was very brisk, he reflects, not at all like the warm and friendly woman he'd spoken to the other day. He wished he had Deanna with him; she could tell him exactly what he was getting into, whether it was grief, or anger, or distust--if it was something he'd done, or something deeper than that. But without her, all Riker could do was trust the instincts that made him a good First Officer, and hope that they helped pull him through.

He stands when he sees her approach, reaching out one of his hands to shake. ]

It's good to meet you in person at last, Doctor.

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lifelines
2014-02-26 03:28 am UTC (link)

[ try as she might, in times of intense emotion she's not hard to read, particularly in person. she's not wanting to pull the wool over his head, as it were, so she's not putting on an act. it's more that a deep-seated grief, one that she's been under the influence of for over a century, has combined with the loss of two extremely important people to create a woman holding herself together by sheer force of will. she's stubborn enough to try.

the impression he'll get from her today is one of composure and control. she does offer a tight-lipped smile as she approaches, but it does very little to smooth the slight knit to her brow or the hardness to her eyes. her body language speaks of age, of something beyond whatever it is she thinks he's called her here to talk about. the three-inch heels putting her at roughly 6'1" and the business suit and pants ensemble she's wearing only add to the idea that she's either trying to keep herself composed or that she's a woman accustomed to power and nobility. perhaps both. ]

The same to you. [ her handshake is firm, but not tight enough to cause pain, as though she knows exactly how much pressure to exert. ] It's unfortunate that our first meeting must be about this topic.

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1stofficer
2014-02-27 01:05 am UTC (link)

I'm sorry that I should be meeting you under such grim circumstances.

[ It's rare that he meets a woman of such height; there's something very controlled about her, very imposing. He wonders how much of it is a front. Certainly, though, she was close enough with Picard that he knows there must be genuine feeling underneath, and he suspects part of her front is down to the pain of loss, not out of any ill meaning toward him. Sometimes it's just painful to be reminded of what you've lost. ]

Shall we sit?

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lifelines
2014-02-27 02:46 am UTC (link)

I'd prefer to stand, actually.

[ it's a power move and they both know it. she's not usually this cold. after all, jean-luc had only seen half of this side of her and she'd never wanted to show him the full thing. it's just riker's bad luck that he's meeting her on a day where she's putting on such a front, playing a poker game of emotions. can he figure her out, is he able to see through her and willing to call her out on it? her will zimmerman would have done it long ago and brought her crashing down to earth. only time will tell if will riker is willing to do the same.

for now, she pauses only long enough to examine him and then lift her chin a fraction of an inch before she continues her train of thought. ]

I would imagine that this is an effort in politeness, which, I assure you, I would normally be well-versed in. [ and willing to entertain. she is a victorian-born woman, after all, and that often shines through with her mannerisms. ] How about we drop the charade? We both know why we're here. You want to grill me on my relationship with your captain, I'll answer, and we can both be on our way.

[ her mouth tilts up at the corners and she tilts her head in a very "so how about it?" way. her cards are out on the table now, most of them. she may or may not be hiding an ace somewhere, but that's for later. right now, she's testing him, both because she does want to get out of this prickly conversation as quickly as possible and because she's interested in seeing how good a second in commander this will riker really is. ]

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1stofficer
2014-02-27 10:45 pm UTC (link)

[ Riker gives it just a beat, then he moves to sit down on the bench, leaning forward so that he has to look up to her no matter what. It's deliberate from him; if she's going to pull a power move on him and make standing up dominance, then he's going to submit himself. Basic diplomacy. Staying up is just a good way to get the other person's back up.

Still, this is a very extreme reaction to a simple thing. Perhaps she's expecting more military a grilling from Riker than he intends. Maybe this really is just the pain of loss. ]

Politeness doesn't have to be a charade. As for your relationship with--with Jean Luc... I can't expect you to believe me, but I have no interest in making you feel uncomfortable, and an inquisition into all of that, particularly when the loss is still raw for both of us, would be indecent of me, let alone unfair.

[ He pauses, but only briefly. ]

Your private life is still private.

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lifelines
2014-02-28 12:02 am UTC (link)

[ she's surprised at his move and for a moment, it shows. fascinating. her will would have submitted in a different way, but somehow this seems like a better alternative. it's certainly getting through to her. the reaction isn't instantaneous, but as she glances away for a few seconds, some of that ice around her begins to melt and by the time he's finished, she gives in and takes a seat, crossing one leg over the other as she turns to face him. when she does, she decides to give him a little more from her, lips that purse into a tight smile, eyes that seem to carry the weight of the world. she still appears to hold herself upright, folding her hands in her lap and not hesitating to face him despite perhaps feeling a touch cowed by his response. she doesn't mean to offend him; she's simply not in the frame of mind for a personal conversation. now that it seems she was mistaken about his intentions, she's more willing to hear him out. ]

Jean-Luc said you were a wonderful First Officer. I see now what he meant.

[ it's as much of an apology as he'll get from her at the moment, at least without a deeper explanation for the losses she has suffered. she's lost three best friends, two of whom are from her world and one of whom is dead in her timeline, and now a romantic interest, someone she had come to love. two of these losses occurred on the eve of her daughter's birthday, a day she spends in mourning for the life cut away far too soon. the last few days have not been kind to her, not that she's been very vocal about it all. ]

What can I do for you? [ she sounds entirely sincere, her victorian propriety finally winning out now that she's been successfully shoved back down. she needed that jolt, much as she doesn't want to admit it. ]

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1stofficer
2014-02-28 12:54 am UTC (link)

Would it be blowing my own trumpet to say that Jean-Luc is an excellent judge of character?

[ A sparkle in his eyes, but as he's left room for her on the bench he only makes the slightest adjustment along it to look up at her, relieved that the edge has gone off the situation. He hadn't known what to expect, but it hadn't been that, and now that the first whiff of danger has passed, he's very careful about how he proceeds. He wonders if he should ask her how she is. It would be the natural progression of the conversation.

But she's probably tired of being asked. His smile is very small, but hopeful. ]

I was very much hoping that Jean-Luc's absence didn't have to mean a...dissolution of the goals that the two of you had, or our eagerness to continue working together. I won't do you the disservice of asking you to keep what Jean-Luc told you about our reality to yourself; I'm sure you've heard it more times than you care to count over the months from my colleagues.

In fact, the only thing I wanted to tell you is that if there are any questions I can answer, or anything I can do for you - at any time - you should know that I will make myself available without hesitation, and Deanna will do the same.

That's all.

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lifelines
2014-02-28 04:37 am UTC (link)

[ she hasn't been asked how she's doing, how she's feeling, since jean-luc and james' disappearances were noted and she's grateful for that. if she had to deal with that on top of ashley's birthday, she really would have lost it.

as it is now, she gives a soft laugh at his first comment. a little light seeps into her eyes and that joins the small smile to smooth out some of the rest of her coldness, the icy exterior sliding away to show a very vulnerable person on the inside. ]

If it is, I won't stop you.

[ the light remains in her eyes, small though it is and even though it's tinged with something else. sorrow, perhaps? she takes her time answering, gazing across the dome for a few moments as she listens to him and tries to decide how to answer, only looking back to him when she's come up with something. ]

I know all about the need for secrecy, Commander. My work demands it. You've no need to worry about what I might tell anyone else. Your world's business is your own, not mine. I would offer to tell you what I know, but as I've no idea where you fall into the timeline, I'd prefer not to cross history if I don't have to.

[ is that a small hint that she's crossed history before? why yes, yes it is. she's done the time travel / reliving years thing before and hated it. as for his offer, she pauses for another moment, gratitude seeping into her eyes now. she barely even knows him and already he's offering support. it's difficult for someone her age to accept something like that, particularly in the face of a crisis like this, but the sentiment is appreciated nonetheless. ]

...Thank you. [ she can think of a million things she'd like to ask him, but none that should be asked now. they're questions she would prefer to ask of jean-luc himself after all. ]

I would like to offer you the same that you have offered me. I see no reason to break off contact simply because a mutual friend has gone missing. You likely have questions about me and what I do. I think, given the circumstances, I can stand to answer some of them. [ her tight-lipped smile is back, a sign of sincerity and discomfort all in one, the latter being not at all related to the subject matter, more on how she initially presented herself to him. she does hope that they can make something of the olive branches being offered here on both sides. ]

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1stofficer
2014-02-28 11:29 pm UTC (link)

[ He only inclines her head gratefully at the gratitude. ]

I appreciate that, but given the circumstances I wouldn't like to press you unnecessarily. I know you're a doctor--and anything else can wait until later. We can get to know each other on our own terms, after all to all appearances we won't either of us be going anywhere any time soon.

But I would like to address the timeline. Jean-Luc and I did briefly discuss it, and he and I are from more or less the same moment, shortly after the loss of our companion, Data, in our own time.

[ Not a loss to the dimensional stabilizer but his death. ]

He doesn't know about this, or about the fact that Deanna and I are married. Unfortunately he's rather difficult to fool. Data may not be well versed in experiencing emotions himself, but he's very astute, and he doesn't miss the slightest hesitation. I was curious as to whether or not Jean-Luc had mentioned either of these things to you before, and if not, it seems important that you are aware of them.

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lifelines
2014-03-01 02:27 am UTC (link)

It's all right to ask. If you hit on a subject I'd rather not discuss, you'll know. [ she doesn't pull punches after all. ] Besides that... Jean-Luc trusts you and as I've come to trust his judgment... [ she figures riker is smart enough to fill in the blanks of what she's not saying here.

as for the rest of what he's saying, she does pick up on the subtle difference in his word choice. she hadn't actually known that, but it's little wonder why jean-luc wouldn't want to speak of data's death. ]

Ah. [ this is starting to sound very familiar suddenly, like the time she'd met james in 1898 and accidentally informed him of his own death. she'll have to tread carefully here and she can understand the eggshells riker must be walking on. ] Well, seeing as how I've managed to keep over a hundred years' worth of history from Sherlock Holmes himself, I don't believe you'll have much to worry about.

[ ...she's actually serious about all of that, even if she seems to be teasing, from the holmes reference right down to a hundred years' worth of history. she's got a lot of secrets. ]

Admittedly, I don't know much. I did know about yourself and your wife. That was one of the first things we spoke about, our... chosen families, for lack of a better term. He gave me the stardate, 56844.9 in the year 2379, and the names of several members of his crew: yourself. Deanna Troi. Of course, Data and Geordi, whom I already knew. Worf. Beverly Crusher. And Guinan.

[ she pauses here, knowing there's one more piece to the story that he needs to hear. ]

And I know about the Borg. I don't know if anyone's yet told you, but Locutus recently made an appearance here. I was the doctor involved in the plan to put him back in his place. [ and the only civilian involved, but she'll wait to see if he wants clarification on that, even if the whole thing reminds her of the night he came to her about his heart, the night she first kissed him. the whole thing is bittersweet at this point. ]

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