PNPC Ens. Imogen Lacy — Unarmored

[Randal Shayne]

Quote

Isaac never fails to bring the humor and humanity to his characters, and it's a special privilege to read a sim and spot awesome plot opportunities between two characters just from the narration. 

((Suite J-32, Junior Officer Temporary Quarters, Habitat Ring, Deep Space Nine))

 

It took eight straight days of volunteering every one of her waking hours for repair duty, until 's one faceless counselor got avoid of her records and rejected Ensign Lacy's request, with a stern note that vaguely hinted at an order to relax for at least five minutes. She had a good run. It might have been cut short much sooner, if she hadn't been careful to alternate shifts between the Khitomer and the Ronin. But all good things must come to an end, and Ginny found herself awake with nothing constructive to do.

 

And so, she decided to try something new. She'd overheard a few crewmen on the Ronin discussing a new holoseries. “Space Conflict Episode I,” which despite its title was oddly the fourth to be released. To Ginny’s ears, the fantasy series about space wizards and knights with laser swords sounded silly, but the longer the thought lingered in her mind, the more her curiosity grew. So she tried it, falling into the role of a lasersword-wielding wizard-knight. It was difficult, at first, but she found refuge in the fictional monastic order's rigid ideology that discouraged attachments and elevated duty above all else.

 

It was from this simulation that Ginny returned to her assigned temporary quarters, still clad in the costume befit for the holonovel. She was concealed beneath flowing robes of off-whites and warm browns. And when she stepped into the suite's common area, she was startled to find an unfamiliar face. A long pause followed as Ginny decided how best to address her attire, but the young man seemed unfazed.

 

Zanti: Greetings, I’m Zanti. ::beat:: Err, Ensign Mirkl Zanti, that is.

 

She drew back her costume’s wide hood to reveal her dark brown hair wrapped in a tight bun. The light of the room hinted at faint reddish hues as her green eyes considered the Trill.

 

Lacy: ::slowly:: Ensign Imogen Lacy. ::beat:: Most call me Ginny.

 

Zanti: Are you also assigned to these quarters? oO Obviously… Oo

 

Her forehead furrowed at the question. Why else would she be there? One eyebrow tugged up towards her hairline as she pondered whether to give the young man a hard time about it. Owing to her mild embarrassment at the precise manner in which she was out of uniform, Ginny decided to play it safe.

 

Lacy: I'm assigned to that room over there. ::pointing:: With Ensign Michaels, but she mentioned she'd be going to Vulcan. I'm not sure if she's back yet.

 

The suite was co-ed, but at least in this particular unit the bedrooms were not. And Ginny wasn't sure why she was divulging so much information about her temporary roommate unprompted.

 

Zanti: How long have you been stationed here? Are you also from Khitomer? 

 

Lacy: I'm in Engineering, under Commander Dewitt. ::thoughtfully:: Michaels is, too.

 

Again with the Michaels thing! By this point Ginny had entered the common area, and was, well, disrobing. Underneath, she wore loose tan pants tucked into cloth boots, and a flowing white tunic held together by a sash tied at her waist. She wasn't sure why space wizard-knights needed so many layers, but as with all things she endeavored to authenticity.

 

Zanti: I see… Do you know how many others live here?

 

She folded the robe around her forearms, and leaned against the top of an armchair-back.

 

Lacy: You're the fourth. ::awkward pause:: So… three.

 

Her eyebrows emphasized the answer, as it felt like the logistical questions were beginning to wear thin. She was certainly not anyone's choice for Khitomer’s Chief Conversationalist, but even she could see that this train was running out of track.

 

Zanti: Response

 

Another lull. Ginny cleared her throat.

 

Lacy: Which department? ::beat:: Yours, I mean. Which department… are you in…?

 

Zanti: Response 

 

Lacy: Ah. Then I'm sure we will be working together, sooner or later. ::beat:: The science department is always breaking things, which we go fix. That's what the, um, Engineers are for. Which I am. An Engineer. So…

 

Conversation! Words! Saying things! Ginny prayed it would be over soon and she could retreat to her bedroom, curl into the fetal position, and stay that way until the sweet release of the universe’s heat death. Why did people-things have to be so difficult? It was much easier when everyone hated and ignored her. She'd have to find a way back to that.

 

Zanti: Response

 

And there it was. Things had gone so very well when neither one of them acknowledged that she was dressed like a space vagrant. And by “so very well,” it was meant “embarrassingly,” but she estimated that the longer the conversation ran on, the nearer “utter disaster” reached certainty.

 

Lacy: Oh! This! The robes. I, well… I don't usually go in for holonovels. But I wanted to try this one I heard of, and they say it's better to, um, wear your own… it's silly.

 

Her cheeks flushed red. Who was she? Where did Imogen Lacy, full of confidence and spite, go off to, and why had little Ginny in the ugly yellow flower dress taken her place? Nobody asked for you, Ginny! She vowed then and there to never wear anything but a duty uniform, in every circumstance, in every occasion. That was her armor, and she didn't like the feeling of being without it.

 

Zanti: Response 

 

Tags/TBC

———

Ensign Imogen “Ginny” Lacy

Engineering Officer

 

as simmed by

 

Lt. Commander Nolen Hobart

Executive Officer

USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)

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