Hvem er du? [Who are you?]

Posted on Thu Jun 8th, 2023 @ 3:46pm by Lieutenant Magnus Volsung & Civilian Jessica Haugen

1,404 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: The devil wears tripolymer
Location: Lounge

[ON]

Magnus Volsung rolled his shoulders as he headed to the lounge. For once, without a PADD. His uniform jacket was in his quarters so he had slapped his commbadge on his shirt. The rest was part of his uniform though. He made his way to the bar, sitting down and bringing his hands to rub his face, trying to get the grit from his eyes. He wasn't sure how long he had done the paperwork, but long enough for his body to ache a little and his eyes to feel tired. He lowered his hands and pushed up the sleeves, revealing the arm ring he wore. Silver, twisted in a delicate pattern, but the ends looked like raven heads. It was the one he wore off duty. There was another one he wore on shoreleave, currently in a box in his quarters, made of gold-plated latinum in chains, to easily have a bit removed. But silver and gold had been the currency of his home and he had adjusted a little for dealing with the universe.

He looked up at the blonde woman approaching. She was tall, her hair braided beautifully...reminded him of a valkyrie, although she looked happier than one. Perhaps because there were no warriors for her to carry to Valhalla. "Hello," he said, an acknowledgement.

"Hello Lieutenant..." Jessica said as she approached the older man that had just approached the bar, despite him only wearing part of his uniform the pips on his collar were still there. "Lieutenant Volsung if I'm not mistaken, nice of you to finally come to my lounge." she said sweetly.

He looked at her with a small smile, nodding gently. "Apologies," he said, finding it easier to start on that foot. "I'm...still catching up on the life on the ship and haven't had the chance to come here." He also wasn't sure of her name, although he had seen her around and also seen her in the crew files. But her name? He tried to remember and couldn't, so gave up. "You have me at a disadvantage...I don't know your name."

"Miss Haugen to my betters, Jessica to my friends." Jessica replied, she didn't fail to pick up a distinctly earth born accent.

"Miss Haugen..." he repeated, the way she had said it. A familiar tone, the way the letters were pronounced. "You are a long way from the fjords."

"Very long ways away." Jessica said with a smile. "Much like yourself I believe."

He nodded, watching her before he switched to Norwegian. His was slightly accented with something else, underlying, close to Icelandic but not quite... but he clearly from the north, the way he shorted his personal pronoun and the twang of his words. "The stars is just another ocean. And a ship is a ship, in water or the stars."

Jessica stopped for a moment, it had been a long time since she'd heard or spoke her native language. "And this ship is a grand one to sail the stars in." She responded in Norwegian too, her accent more southern.

He chuckled at that, at hearing a language he was familiar with without the help of a universal translator. "Not often that I find others from our country here. In space, mean I. Why are you here?"

"Got into a really big argument with my parents when I was in my 20's, decided to ship myself off earth and see where the winds took me. Wound up waiting tables at Starbase 54, ran my own place there after a bunch of years." Jessica picked up two small glasses and put them on the counter and began searching for a bottle.

He nodded at her words, taking a deeper breath. "Leaving your old home behind is...a hard task," he said, remembering when he had been a boy and made the same choice.

"Especially when you don't have much life skills to go with, why I ended up waiting tables. Things grew from there for me." Jessica said before emerging from under the counter with a bottle. "There you are, a little task of home Lieutenant?" She asked shaking the bottle slightly.

"Akevitt?" he asked, watching the bottle with a grin as he tried to read it. "Can not say that I have drunk that in awhile. Mostly mead for me, when I get a hold of bottles."

"I have a good bottle of that around here somewhere too." She unscrewed the bottle and poured a small measure into each glass. "Don't be telling the boss about this, supposed to be dry unless there's something special going off." She said with a small smirk, a few close friends got real alcohol occasionally if they wanted it.

"That I promise," he said as he nodded, watching her for a long moment. "To your health, Miss Haugen," he said and raised his glass to her.

"And yours Mr Volsung." Jessica raised her glass too before taking a generous swig, swirling the drink around her mouth for a few moments before swallowing. "mmhhh not bad if I do say so myself."

He drank it easily, closing his eyes at the flavour before he nodded in agreement. "Smooth as a summer's day," he said, chuckling. "If you ever miss some of the...more traditional foods, let me know. I have been known to...on occasion acquire some delicacies."

Jessica chuckled. "I spend a lot of my off ship time searching for specialist products to stock my shelves with, I seem to have a knack for acquiring things for people."

He smiled warmly at that, clearly impressed. He felt relaxed, as if he had stepped back in time or was on shoreleave. "Well, then need you not my help," he said smoothly. "It is good. And it is good to talk with you."

"I am always around if folks need to talk," Jessica said after drinking the last remnants of her drink. "I've heard thing that people wouldn't dream of telling their partners or a counsellor."

He chuckled at the words, not surprised though. "Well, if I ever need to talk...I know where to find you. It might be good, once...I am in the flow of things here."

"I'll be here," Jessica said. "And if I'm not then James will be, he's not as a good a conversationalist but he's a bit better cook than me."

"Ah well...I know where to go now, for food...and for drink and conversation," he said and nodded, giving her a small smile. "And we can pretend that we are surrounded by snow and mountains."

"We don't need to pretend too hard Magnus, we have a holodeck after all." Jessica gave a small smile.

He chuckled at that, giving a small nod. "That is true, the trickery of the holodeck can help keep the illusion going," he said lightly. He had never felt that at home on the holodeck, despite using it often. But it was an escape for when the walls closed in around him.

"It is certainly a wonderous invention." Jessica remarked. "I can't imagine how ships back in the 22nd and 23rd centuries did without them."

"You'd be surprised...there are books, social interactions...hobbies. One does not need to rely on technology for everything," Marcus said with a small smile, clearly meaning it, but with that teasing edge of someone who knew he sounded old-fashioned.

"True, the computer does have access to a vast range of books from all over the galaxy, I've read quite a lot in my time. But it doesn't quite beat the holodeck for entertainment, not being a fleeter I can't get in there as often as I'd like to though."

"I can see that point," he said, clearly seeing her point of view. She liked the adrenaline of it, being submerged in the experience. "A chance to stretch your legs."

Jessica chuckled. "....Amongst other things." She said. "Give me a shout when you next get the chance to book the holodeck."

"Will do, Miss Haugen," he said with a smile, giving her a nod. "And take care of yourself."

"You too." Jessica replied before putting the glasses they'd used into the sanitiser and heading off to go help James with the days fresh food options for the soon to be coming post shift change rush.

OFF:



Civillian Jessica Haugen
Lounge Manager

Lieutenant Magnus Volsung
Chief Security

 

RSS Feed