Lunch

Posted on Thu Jul 16th, 2026 @ 11:02pm by Lieutenant Amanda Rose & Lieutenant Xavier

1,382 words; about a 7 minute read

ON:

Xavier looked up at the familiar voice. It appeared that the counselor had been released from Sickbay. "Counselor Rose. Are you feeling better?" He motioned for her to sit knowing that the mess hall was full.

"Feeling better?" Amanda asked, sitting across from Xavier at the mess table. "I'm feeling fine and seem to not be much worse for the wear given I was being digested by plants."

"Indeed. Yet we eat plants everyday. Gives you a new appreciation for Brussel sprouts."

Amanda wrinkled her nose. "I don't think that anything could give me an appreciation for Brussel sprouts. If it was not completely fattening, I would be eating hot fudge sundaes every day and then some."

"I think that after what you have endured a few days of sundaes are warranted." He studied her. "It could not have been easy. I hope you are allowing yourself time to rest."

"I will get some rest," Amanda answered. "I appreciate your concern, but there's really not much to worry about. Most of what I suffered was superficial."

"Indeed." He was quiet for a moment. "If you wish to speak about it I will listen. I am not a counselor but I can listen. In terms of counseling may I suggest the Captain or Doctor?"

Amanda grumbled. "I have got to be in a different universe. I'm out of phase. That's all there can be to it." She shook her head, "Your boyfriend suggested the Doctor, too. That's never going to happen. And, as sweet as you and Tox are and I appreciate your concern, I'm doing just fine. This is not the first time that I've been kidnapped. I'm becoming a regular pro." Amanda chuckled lightly after she said that.

"The Captain and I had a bounty on our heads after she did things I told her not to do." She clucked her tongue. "See, Xavier, if it was not for bad luck, I would not have any luck at all. Trouble just finds me." She laughed wryly making that admission.

Xavier reached over to place a hand over hers. "You cannot think like that. The Fates...lay out a life for us and it's sometimes painful and sometimes hard but it always leaves us stronger. I will...beseech Tyche for you. She is the the goddess of luck reversal and good fortune. Perhaps if you make a plea to her too she will help."

"I don't observe a particular faith, Xavier, but if you think it will help, you may say the prayer for me."

"I will. My faith is...some days what keeps me functioning. If it wasn't for my patron Goddess and God I would not be here."

That caught Amanda's attention. "Why do you say that, Xavier? That you would not be here but for your God and Goddess...."

He shrugged. "I was at my lowest. I arrived on Earth with nothing. Slept on the streets I was...not expecting to survive long I had given up on myself. The only thing that kept me sane was a book I had. I read it over and over, it was about the Gods. I ... prayed to the one God I thought would have mercy and... he did. The next day I got a Job, a place to stay. I still didn't have much but it was a start. I learned more about the Gods, and then I met Aphrodite. I saw her statue at an exhibit I prayed to her to help me find self love, self acceptance and while in an usual way I found self acceptance. The Gods gave me rules to guide me and for the first time in my life I felt listened to. My prayers were being answered I felt...cared for. It gave me reason to survive to grow, to change."

Amanda always found it curious that in a time when everyone had all that they should need that others still were missed somehow. "So, the vampire thing came after that?" Amanda wondered slightly incredulously.

His eyes widened. "Vampire thing?"

"Your entire room? The goth-like ambiance? Your personal styling? I mean, you're Vulcan, but the ears could be considered somewhat vampiric in nature, sort of harkening back to bat wings and such..." Amanda explained, wondering why this was anything, in the least, surprising to him.

"Oh...I see. My style is a bit dark but it is my style and I feel comfortable in that environment. It is also a nod to my Patron God."

"How so?" Amanda asked. "I still find it rather unusual that a Vulcan would have anything to do with human deities." She giggled lightly. "Though, of course, I know you, so nothing surprises me at this point."

"I do not know if that is a complement or not...But to respond to your question. My patron God is Hades."

Amanda smirked and her head shook once from the left to the right. "Not surprised at all. King of the Underworld. Though, I would have to ask if you feel what he did to Persephone was appropriate." Hastily she added, "Because I just want to make it clear that doing that to Tox is completely inappropriate."

"There are many interpretations of the myth. I believe that they fell in love and she chose to go with him to the underworld. I fully believe that she was a prisoner to her mother and Hades provided her with an escape and out of all the Gods he was the most faithful never having an affair. She was his whole world." He paused. "As for the Lieutenant we have talked and we will take our courtship slow although he has a disturbing fascination with me biting him. He makes reference to it a lot.... and he always tilts his neck towards me when we speak. It is frankly a little disturbing. I believe that falls under your preview as to why he wishes that."

Amanda wanted to argue, Then why the compromise that Persephone leave Hades for six months? If there is love, my interpretation is Stockholm Syndrome. Instead, she simply shrugged and smiled. "I told you.... Vampire thing.... It obviously is a fetish of his. Love nibbles and such."

"I see." He was quiet before he said, "I shall research it then." He gave a nod. "Thank you counselor." He paused. and studied Amanda. "May I ask you a personal question?"

"No, not at all. What's on your mind, Xavier?" Amanda asked.

"How have you been health wise since you returned?"

"Fine," Amanda asked, her eyes narrowing. "That's a really odd question to ask, Xavier. Should I not be doing well?"

"No....I just meant you have not noticed anything unusual....?"

"Like what? Did Tox tell you that I should be experiencing something?" Amanda wondered.

"No I...Tox and I are complicated at the moment. I just meant no shortness breath or rashes?"

"No, I don't have any of those symptoms." The Counselor grew more suspicious. "Why are you asking these questions?"

He shrugged. "Just have been hearing things." He'd be damned if he owned up to the fact that he had those symptoms. I could very well be nothing. "Well, I am glad that you are back." He tried to change the subject.

"Hearing things?" Amanda asked concerned. "What sort of things? About me?" she asked self consciously.

"No, just symptoms." He waved his hand. "It is not important."

"I think it is," Amanda answered. "You've been asking me these questions for some time now," the Counselor observed. She started to put things together. Maybe Xavier was experiencing these symptoms. "Are you having symptoms like you have been describing, Xavier?"

Xavier stood. He wouldn't lie but he wouldn't say anything. "I should leave." He stood. "Thank you for lunch Counselor."

Amanda sighed, "Xavier, please. Talk to me."

He studied her. "I really do have to go. Perhaps another time."

Amanda visibly pouted. "I see. Of course. Another time," she told Xavier, her tone flattening and voice softening as the sentence more as she finished.

For a moment he seemed like he wished to say something and then thought better of it. "Goodbye Counselor."

==========

Lieutenant Amanda Rose
Chief Counselor
USS Ontario

&

Lieutenant Xavier
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Ontario

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