A New Friend

Posted on Wednesday, 27 May 2020 - 2:13pm by Lieutenant JG Adrianna Eberhardt & Lieutenant JG Maximus Mackenzie

Mission: Operation: Recall
Timeline: 2393 - Current

{ON:}

Max was strolling through the promenade. He'd spent the night in Sickbay with his mother. Feeling drained and tired he sat down in one of the chairs that looked out at the stars. He'd showered, shaved, and was in his uniform now. His hair wild and untamed yesterday was adjusted to fleet regulation and showed more of it's salt and pepper colouring. He sat looking at the stars having mixed feelings about being around Starfleet again.

Adrianna was only a few feet away and saw something move out the corner of her eye, so looked to see Mac sitting down. The exhaustion made her feel that she should not disturb him, but something tugged at her to at the very least ask if he was ok. Nonetheless, politeness won and she remained silent, looking back out to the stars, once again playing that stupid game with herself, in an attempt to ease hiraeth.

Max rubbed the bridge of his nose. So it was, he was back. He had yet to review anything that related to the Fontana. Feeling thirsty he stood to try and locate one of the replicators he knew were close by. As he walked he saw a familiar face. "Baciami." He said.

Adrianna bounced out of her trance and looked up from where she was sitting. He looked much more like a giant from this angle, "MacKenzie." The woman offered a small smile of familiarity.

"Baciami, it does not sound like a first name." He motioned to the unoccupied seat.

Adrianna chuckled softly, gesturing for him to sit, "you're right, but it seems more used than my first name, plus it seems entertaining to say it, knowing that there are very few that will put it through a translator."

He sat. "So what's the first name?"

"I'm Adrianna Baciami," she offered her hand, finally providing a respectable introduction.

"Adrianna," he said with a clear accent where it was due. "Lovely."

She smiled, appreciating the effort, then looked back out to the stars, "What brings you out here to stare into the stars?"

"My mother is here," He didn't use adopted because she was more a mother to him then his own had been. "She is in sickbay."

Adrianna didn't even blink, she reached into a satchel by her feet and pulled out a bottle, handing it to the man, "homemade grappa, stronger than the stuff you get in the bar."

"Appreciated." He took the bottle and took a drink from it letting I burn down his throat the only way real alcohol could. "Very good stuff."

The woman looked to him, "thank you." Adrianna knew alcohol shouldn't be a solution to problems, but it helped. He clearly needed it, "I once heard someone say that you could never trust a Baciami, but you could trust their judgement in drinks."

He smiled, "Well I'm not sure. I tend to trust until proven wrong. As for the drinks part good choice." He leaned back closing his eyes. "I should have returned sooner, perhaps called and not lost myself on Vashti."

He was a foolish man if that is the way he though. Adrianna knew better than to put trust in mere strangers as she'd be burned one too many times, including by family. "We all have regrets, but you can't do anything about it." Baciami looked round to him and lay back herself, taking the bottle from him and having a gulp herself. The woman was used to the burn and the taste, and didn't flinch.

"No not at the moment." He let the silence stretch. "You are a warrior." He said by way of observation. "I respect that. My people are warriors."

"Warrior?" that caused Adrianna to look confused. She raised a brow and looked round to him, "What makes you think that?"

"You have a way about you." He looked at her. "There is a deadly beauty about you."

That made her chuckle and she looked back to the stars, "sure, my hands aren't the cleanest and my past is hardly rainbows and unicorns, but I'm no warrior. Warriors don't try and find a way out, they just go into battle." The last part caught her. She didn't think she would be so honest, and equally how much it would change her tone to almost self loathing.

"Sometimes retreat is the only strategy in battle if one is to win the war."

"Got me one hell of a battle wound for someone that retreated," she tried to lighten the topic as she didn't like how people judged and had taken an assumption that judgement word come. Adrianna did, however, appreciate his encouragement and continued in her lightheartedness attempts at conversation, "ancient, Earth shot gun, bullets had salt in them. Makes a pretty pattern in the skin." She paused, "you a warrior of your own sorts?"

"By birth. We Capellan's like a good fight."

That got a genuine smile and an entertained emotion from Adrianna, "I box. Perhaps you could go easy on me in the ring sometime."

"Anytime you'd like." He looked out at the stars. "So tell me about yourself a little."

"Ever seen the ancient classics 'the God Father?" she asked.

"Can't say I have." He said. "What is it about?"

Adrianna chuckled, "mafia lifestyle. You should watch the set. It's a good action packed series." She paused then got on to where she was originally going, "if you truly, truly, want to know who I am, then I'll give you nightmares and you would hate me, I would have thought - from what little I know of Capellans. But know that Who I was, and who my family are, is not who I am now - though I do still enjoy grappa, poker and scaring people." The woman was then quick to change the topic, "what about you, MacKenzie?"

He raised an eyebrow in a fashion that would make a Vulcan jealous. "I am not that interesting. I was born on Capella, left when I was young and adopted by the Mackenzies. I am a rather boring subject." It had been ages since he'd had a civilized conversation. He had to admit that he was enjoying it.

Adrianna nodded and took another sip before handing the bottle back," hardly boring. I find you intriguing. Hell, you managed to kneecap a Vulcan."

He took the bottle and drank. He smiled. "I did not want to come back. They sent a young ensign to bring me back. He tried force I broke his jaw. Next they sent Vulcans. Same deal. I was perfectly nice and I did attempt to take the path of least resistance however he made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Go quietly or go kicking and screaming. I chose the second. As the Vulcan's would say. Logical."

Adrianna chuckled, "that's the spirit." Her brown eyes went back to him, "neither of us want to be here, but this is what life has brought us. Perhaps it will come with a few upsides - hell, I met you and you seem alright."

He smiled. He gave a nod. "You seem alright too." He looked out at the stars. "So how long till our rust bucket pulls in?"

Adrianna smiled at the response. "Hopefully soon," she looked back out, "I'm getting sick of not being helpful to anyone. I don't like having nothing to do."

"Shopping?" He asked.

Adrianna turned to look at him, hitting him playfully in the chest, "I'm not that kind of girly girl."

He smiled. "Just a suggestion." He sighed. "I just realized something."

Adrianna relaxed back, taking the bottle of grappa and taking a swig then putting it between them, "oh?"

"The ship is probably not big We're going to have roommates." He sighed. "I hate roommates."

"Take a leaf from my book," she looked over to him, with a smirk and mischief in her eyes, "consistently pretend you have a special someone over and just keep a sock on the door so they won't even think to come in."

He smiled. "One option." He gazed back out at the stars. "So tell me more about you."

"What would you like to know," came the genuine question in response. Adrianna's eyes looked back out to the stars, "my birthday? My relationship status? Taste in music?"

"Whatever you are willing to share. On my world one does not push when getting to know a friend. Anything that a person shares is considered a gift."

"I should go live in your world," Adrianna let the words fall from her lips before realising there could be other connotations to what she had said. Chastising herself in her head, she quickly moved on, tucking a stray lock of curly hair behind her ear, "let's see. I'm single. Apparently men find me scary. I'm a family person, although my family is not considering me family at the moment. I like to watch classic Earth films. I box. I can't speak Standard before coffee. Or any language but my native tongue, for that matter. My birthday is also Valentine's Day."

"Fascinating." He paused. "What is Valentine's Day? Is that the one where you eat turkey meat?" He'd been raised by humans but never cared much about holidays.

"No, but I'd like that," she giggled, "Valentines day is when Earth people celebrate 'love' and their relationships. It's a day that you go on a romantic date with the one you love. It makes the translation for my surname entertaining."

"Oh?"

"Kiss me."

He looked startled. "I...I'm sorry are you asking me to kiss you?"

Adrianna blushed, stunned. After a moment of silence she looked to Mac, "Sorry, it's what my surname means: 'kiss me'."

"Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Sorry I'm not good with these things." He paused. "But it's a nice name. Why do men find you scary?"

Adrianna looked the man over, genuinely considering falling through. It was clear across her face that she was debating it, "It's ok, and thank you." She then looked back to the stars, "A simple search will tell you what my family is famous for. I know I'm cold and stubborn, but the truth of the matter is, I'm just a woman that wants the 'happy' life with love, children and stuff. I don't know. I'm working on it."

"I do not find you cold. I can see stubborn though. I tend to see stubborn as a complement." He paused. "As for family...I know what you mean. I had to leave my world because of mine."

Adrianna looked over to him and smiled pointing to the bottle of grappa, "Family are the friends you find and the ones you give life to, not those that expect the status."

"True." He sighed. "Well I should get back to sickbay." He turned to her. "It was lovely speaking with you. It has been a while since I have had a conversation like this."

"I'm always open for a friendly ear," Adrianna offered with a caring expression then decided to leave with more of a teasing comment, "If you decide you want to follow through on our faux pas earlier, I may be open. Baciami."

He laughed. "Perhaps." He stood. "Until next them then."

Adrianna offered a flirtatious glint in her eye, "Let me know if you need anything and I hope your mother get's well soon."

{OFF:}