Unlikely Match

Posted on Sun Jan 7th, 2024 @ 5:46pm by Ensign Vivienne Conrad & Ensign Kateyo Fenn

Mission: The Trojan Horse
Location: Gym, USS Athena
Timeline: 0500, some day after repairs start
3083 words - 6.2 OF Standard Post Measure

There was something resoundingly satisfying about the sound of fist against damp leather.

Even better when the sound reverberated slightly, the product of a mostly-empty room and a decent dose of over-zealousness. Though it helped that a lot of the crew were making the most of downtime, there was something about the final hours nestled between the close of Gamma shift and the onset of Alpha that typically didn't lend themselves to physical exertion. This much Vivienne had learned early on, which was exactly why she made a point of dragging herself to the gym at a time her father would have affectionately referred to as 'sparrow's fart'. Solitude made it easier to think, to focus, and also made it less likely that any expletives born of frustration would cause offense. Conrad might have exuded a cavalier disregard for other people's opinions but she really did try not to rack up formal complaints if she could manage it.

This workout, as it happened, was quite an optimistic one.

A lot of that had to do with success, and managing to navigate an entire mission without being thrown in the brig, which seemed no mean feat given Zora's current penchant for incarcerating her crew. (Conrad had no idea why the Security Chief and one of the Intel goons were in the brig, she'd decided not to ask when responding to a service request regarding one of the ventilation outlets.) Having an opportunity to fly had been a bonus, even if she hadn't been able to entirely avoid capture. There had still been an opportunity to be useful in a meaningful way, which just happened to be the only expectation Conrad had of life outside of enjoying herself. Right now, she was taking her approval at having managed to merge both out on a boxing bag.

"You're dropping your left arm too early on the jabs," Teyo said from the doorway to the gym. He hadn't thought that many people would be using the gym right now, most of the crew were enjoying the various ecosystems that Earth had to offer. That's exactly where he wanted to be but his head was foggy from the drinks he had had the night before with Paxton. A belly full of beer, a terrible night's sleep, and pent-up energy had subconsciously driven him in this direction instead of the transporter room. He knew that a workout would be better for him than laying on some beach but it didn't make him hate his brain any less.

"Just pretend it's one of the rogue pirates we found," Teyo continued, "you managed then well enough."

"You could always try locking me in a confined space again."

Vivienne wouldn't have admitted to it directly but the next volley of punches showed a degree of consideration for the feedback. As was the case with most of her interpersonal relationships, both she and Fenn had got off on an interesting foot, partially due to what Conrad had only assumed to be a common misunderstanding on his part regarding her concern for other people's conduct. She had hard enough time managing expectations of her own behaviour, passing judgement on what other people got up to sounded not only exhausting but ultimately conceited. Fenn, she had come to realise, had a reputation and whilst he played into it a decent amount, aspects of it had likely warped outside of his control. Most people liked to compensate for their own perceived deficiencies by overstating other people's.

Vivienne, it would come as no surprise, was not most people.

"You're out of bed early." The blatantly obvious statement was followed by several more connected fists before she straightened, flexing her fingers, and took the time to properly regard him. "Unless you've just not been yet." Dark eyes skimmed over him, a quick summary of available information, before she added. "You look like shit." Oddly enough, this presented as an almost friendly overture, or at very least a not-insincere consideration for his well-being.

"Thanks," Teyo replied, a touch of sarcasm in his voice. He moved to the closest mirror and scrutinised himself. It was normally his favourite thing to do (how could you find true love if you didn't love yourself first) and he really did love himself. However, he hadn't had a chance, or want, this morning and the closer he looked the more he didn't like. The skin around his bloodshot eyes was darker than usual and his hair, which was flat on one side, was knotted and pulled at odd angles. "I really do," he conceded as he tried to flatten the other side of his hair.

"I was playing agony aunt for Pax," he went on to explain, "but he left early, typically. Then I ran into Kur'rhat which is never a good thing, and I think Dash was there at some point." The events of the night were hazy at best, all he knew was that he needed to learn how to drink synthehol. "What's your excuse?" He asked, unusually trying to draw the attention away from himself.

Far from immediate offense, Conrad's first impulse was a slight smirk. "Natural aptitude," she fired back, crossing to where she'd left her towel draped over a bench. Using it to wipe her face, Vivienne then slung it around her shoulders and joined Fenn at the mirror, similarly struck by circumspect consideration. Out of uniform, clad only in skin-tight black that left her arms bare, the Risian-by-marriage at least looked like a woman who invested time in physical health. She also happened to look like a woman beset by multiple cyclones, having forgone the necessary rigmarole to tame her hair in favour of a pre-breakfast snack.

If nothing else, the pair of them looked like they'd just gone several rounds with a bunch of pirates.

"Uh huh," Teyo replied, his focus more on his appearance than the conversation they were having. It wasn't unusual for him to get lost in his own appearance, in fact, he had had dates that had ended because of such. However, his reasons today felt more necessary than because of pure vanity and self-indulgence. "You're from Risa right?" He asked eventually, only really just acknowledging that the woman was still in the room. "You must know the best hangover cures?"

From Risa was a bit of a stretch, though Conrad was too busy being mildly surprised that he'd noticed that much to feel the need for clarification. Studying his appearance with renewed purpose, she considered the assumption and then raised an eyebrow. "Risians tend to focus on hangover prevention," she eventually broke the bad news. "Suggested consumption sequences, supplementary intake, a list of drugs a mile long." The honorary expert hunched a shoulder. "Tourists aren't much good to an economy if they're rolling around in shower cubicles the next morning." Regarding him a moment longer, Vivienne relented somewhat. "I might have a few suggestions if your workout doesn't sweat some of the junk out."

Teyo turned to face the woman, giving her his full attention for the first time since he had moved over to the mirror. He had decidedly given up on his appearance, it was nothing that a sonic shower wouldn't fix and as vain as he was, he wasn't about to have a sonic shower before a workout. If I make it that far he thought as he felt his stomach lurch uncomfortably. At least I will be good-looking again soon, that can't be said for everyone. It was this train of thought that gave him the confidence to momentarily forget his hangover and give his counterpart a wink. "What kind of suggestion?" He asked, his voice dropping an octave.

Though she should have been far from surprised, the sudden change in direction caught Conrad enough off-guard that there was no opportunity to mask her snort of laughter. "That depends," she challenged in return, arms folded across her chest, "on exactly how invested you are in recovery."

Teyo wasn't sure this was an offer he should accept and was about to politely decline when his stomach lurched again, angrily. "Pretty invested," he said earnestly.

A flicker of something akin to sympathy tempted Conrad's expression. If Fenn was missing only thinly-veiled suggestion then he was obviously feeling even worse than he looked. Studying him for a moment, she scrunched up her face. "Are you actually going to workout?" It was becoming harder by the minute to believe he actually had it in him, and skipping the pretence would make offering him an actual alternative far more viable.

"I did plan to," he said as he looked around at the gym equipment, a pained look on his face. "Though there are other ways to workout, I suppose," he added, his eyes landing on Conrad.

And, just like that...

Conrad's deadpan was equally as predictable.

"If you want something to ingest, then we'd need to take a trip to a replicator somewhere." She didn't stipulate where, which may have been an oversight or perhaps consideration for his willingness to appear in public right now. "Otherwise, I can spot while you try to work it out with your gloves. If you have some other kind of suggestion..." The ensign narrowed her eyes, a feigned attempt at introspective contemplation. "Well, firstly, you came to a damn strange place in search of it, at least at this hour." Amusement captured her expression and Vivienne huffed with dry humour. "Secondly, you might want to spare some thought for that bush you're beating around. I'm already disappointed to think how many times that's actually worked for you."

"Most people think me too direct," Teyo said, standing a little straighter than before. "Subtly isn't really a skill that's in my wheelhouse if you get me?" He considered her options. He knew the workout would be beneficial in the long run, he had plenty of experience with hangovers to know the endorphins hit would do him the world of good. However, he couldn't face putting his body through that. On the other hand, whatever Risian concoction she invented... would it really do him any favours? "Juice me up," he finally said. "If it works, I can work out after."

"Phrasing matters."

The words were immediate, almost automatic and certainly partially distracted. His choice, whilst understandable and probably what she'd expected, still left Vivienne with a choice of two options where one was the better but also the most...just most. With a jerk of her head towards the door, she waited for him to fall in step and allowed idle banter to create space for her to decide before they hit the turbolift.

"So what's got to Paxton bad enough that you were his last option?" It was a tease, punctuated by a smirk that managed at the same time to remain warm.

Teyo followed Viv, purposely staying one step behind her. He may be hungover and feeling like dirt, but he was still able to appreciate the way her, rather tighter-than-usual, outfit hugged her in all the right places. "Guy drama," he said as the pair entered the turbolift. "Turns out boring Mase isn't as perfect as everyone seems to think he is." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It's exactly what I have been telling everyone for ages now, but why listen to me?"

Had she clocked his intention, it may have flavoured Vivienne's decision-making as the turbolift awaited instruction and was eventually ordered in the direction of crew quarters. Instead, she was more focused on his response, and the slight incredulity that followed. "You know," she offered conversationally after a moment, "I expected to leave the incessant relationship drama behind on Risa when I enrolled in Starfleet. How is it that it's somehow worse out here?"

Teyo shrugged and then instantly regretted the sudden motion.

The lift stopped and the pilot stepped out, hitting stride as she committed to the dubiousness of allowing Fenn inside her quarters. She couldn't adequately replicate one of the ingredients she required, at least not to her liking, and if she was going to start sharing trade secrets then she would damn well do it properly. Leaning against the frame as the door hissed open, Vivienne fixed her patient with a pointed look and gestured with her hand towards the dark room beyond. "If sir would just step this way, we can do our best to rescramble his brains."

Admittedly, this wasn't the way he thought he would be invited to Conrad's quarters but he wasn't about to complain. He wasn't sure what he had expected from her personal space and after calling for the lights he looked around the room, taking it all in. "It's nice," he said vaguely. He was trying not to sound too eager as well as not to make any sudden movement that may cause another lurch of his insides. He doubted that she wanted that all over her carpets. "Should I make myself comfortable?"

"Is there a chance you'd do anything but?" The rebuttal was peppered with amusement and immediately accompanied by a permissive sweep of the hand towards the couch. In the early days of her deployment aboard the Athena, Vivienne had been warned against pretty much this very scenario and was about as intimidated by the prospect now as she had been then. Her quarters weren't anything special, there had never seemed much point in traveling with a bunch of ornamentation when it was difficult to know for sure how long she'd actually be on board. For the most part, the living space didn't reveal a lot, and the woman disappeared into her bedroom without invitation to follow before there was a chance to see if the simplistic theme carried on throughout.

When she emerged, Vivienne was carrying a decent-sized wooden box. "What did you actually drink?" Lifting the lid revealed an assortment of glass bottles and packets, a veritable apothecary of unidentifiable substances.

Teyo flopped onto the couch as instructed but instantly regretted the rather sudden movement. He sat, or more accurately slumped, with his head hanging over the back of the plump cushions, his face looking towards the ceiling, willing his body back into his control. He only looked up when she reappeared back in the room carrying an assortment of ailments. "What didn't I drink?" He said with a grin that looked more like a grimace. "I know there was beer and fire shots. I think there may even have been a round of Kanar too." He burped, bringing up memories of the night before and willed his body under control again. "What is all that?" He eventually asked.

"Magic herbs and spices," came the vague response, intentionally glib more because that kind of description was what tourists expected when they ordered from the 'morning-after' menu. In essence, the kit represented the life's work of some pretty specialised scientists, of which Risa had plenty if people cared to notice, distilled down into concoction-able concentrations that could be combined to deal with a swath of symptoms. Some cultures would label them herbal remedies but the implication there was often that they had limited success beyond the placebo. These analgesics, combined with anti-nausea medication and anti-histamines, had actual reputable and proven properties not dissimilar to what a doctor would load into a hypospray for the same treatment, the components had simply been directly harvested from the specialised garden plots most tourists just assumed were for looks, rather than replicated from a bunch of synthetic drugs.

"Here," she handed him a glass of water with a faintly purple tinge to it. The water was part of the treatment, of course, the slight fizz was in part to make it more palatable to an unsettled stomach. "Sip it," she warned. "Or you'll be scrubbing my carpet with a sore head."

"I don't scrub carpets," he said, attempting to be funny. Though the look on her face was not one of amusement. He gulped awkwardly and started sipping the water. "I've had worse in my mouth."

Arms folded across her chest, Vivienne remained standing on the off-chance that she had to scramble for a bucket quickly. "It's the effects after swallowing you really need to watch for," she smirked.

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Teyo said, sounding more confident than he actually felt. He managed to sip his way through half of the glass before he looked up at her. "Is this all?" He asked, hoping the answer was yes.

"Let me guess, you've heard stories of Targ adrenal fluids. Hot sauce? A dozen raw eggs?" Vivienne shook her head and then, against all odds, seemed to take pity enough to adopt a less amused tone. Perching on the arm of the chair opposite, she regarded his recovery for a moment. "It's all plant-based extracts, natural painkiller and something to settle the stomach. A mild sedative." This last was offered with a raised eyebrow. "You should really get some sleep."

"Well no workout for me," Teyo replied as he continued to work his way through the drink. Each swallow was getting harder to do but he was determined to not only finish the drink but to keep it down too. "Rest does sound good," he said slurring a little. He craned his head slightly to view the room more thoroughly. "I assume the bedroom is that way?" He asked as he kicked off his workout trainers.

She shouldn't have been shocked. She wasn't shocked, and if Vivienne was entirely honest, she'd already resigned herself to playing host. The phrasing took a moment to savour though, the unbridled and unabashed assumption that seemed to fuel the man's every motivation. "Standard-issue quarters, no mystery there." Rising, she moved out of sight for a moment and returned with a flimsy-looking blanket and a spare pillow, which she dumped onto the couch next to him. "And this is the standard-issue couch, and a standard-issue blanket, and if you like, I can replicate you a standard-issue bucket for all the vomit you are not taking into my bedroom."

Teyo grinned, "Spoilsport," was all he managed before giving in to Viv's request, swinging his legs around and spreading himself out on the couch. He managed to roll himself onto his front, one arm dangling on the floor, before the room faded away into darkness.