A debt paid and favour asked

Posted on Thu Oct 13th, 2022 @ 7:54am by Lieutenant JG Eira Cortez & Ensign Emma Walken (Walken)

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Holodecks
Timeline: Backpost
1717 words - 3.4 OF Standard Post Measure

On:

It was so good to be back on the same ship as Emma again, Eira had missed the company and her brother wasn't much nicer around this time of the year but he still wouldn't tell her why.

She managed to locate Emma and set about going to see her as she had a bit of an odd request for the biologist. Standing at the doors to the lab, Eira called out to see where she was, "Hey Emma, are you here?"

Emma turns after hearing her name called to see Eira standing in the science lab. The young woman sets down her tricorder and walks over to her friend in her purple uniform. "One day I will get used to your change from gray to purple." She joked. "What can I do for you Eira?"

Eira looked down at the uniform, "Yeah, I still getting used to it as well." She walked into the labs, "I can honestly say though, I feel 100% safer in this position than the grey. So, what I'm here for is to settle the bet from the Christmas party."

Emma erupts into laughter, "That was just a bet between friends, you don't owe me anything. Besides I believe the terms have to be stated when the bet was made otherwise the winner could really take advantage of the loser if they could just choose what they wanted after the win."

"In that case, coffee and a catchup. My shout." Eira grinned and nodded in agreement. "I'm still mad at your brother for not telling me you were here."

"Alright let me clean up here and I will meet up with you in five minutes," Emma said looking towards the counter of the lab with her tools scattered around.

"Before we head off though, I do have a favour to ask." Eira hoped her request wasn't too much.

Emma stopped and turned back to her friend, "Yes?"

Eira took an available seat, "I know you're a bit of a botanist as much as you are a biologist so I was wondering if I gave you some seeds, you might be able to grow something for me?" She moved to get the little pouch out of her top pocket that contained a handful of seeds in it.

Emma smiles, placing her left hand on Eira's shoulder and holding out her right for the seeds. "Of course I can, just need to know if they are trees or flowers so I know where to place them."

Eira handed Emma the seeds, "They're flowers from my home back on Earth in Sweden. Lily of the Valley, or Convallaria majalis." She was hopeful they would still be able to be used. "I always had them growing up and was kinda hopeful they could be grown, I just have no idea how to grow them so why not come annoy you and ask."

"Of course, I will make sure to study up on them so they can grow up beautifully." Emma smiles, she takes the seeds and places them inside a storage unit meant to keep seeds safe until they are planted. "Now that is squared away let's go get that coffee."

Ten minutes later, the pair were sitting outside a Cafe waiting for their drinks to arrive. "I didn't realise you were going to be transferring across with Kyle and I from the Hawaii? What made you choose this place over any other posting you could've gotten?" The waiter came over and put their drinks on the table.

"The same reason I didn't tell my brother I was transferring after him. He will never admit it but he needs family with him right now." Emma took a sip from her coffee. "His time as a POW affected him, and until he is in the right space. I will be there for him."

Eira felt a pang of guilt over her own family situation but took her tea and sipped it, "Yeah, I have noticed that he shuts down a lot with certain things but I was there when he was rescued so he has definitely come a long way. I'll give him that much."

"I know, but we can only do so much for him." Emma took in a deep breath. "When he is ready, he will take that next step. But only he knows when the time is right for it." She leans back in her chair. "Might need to go to my holodeck program later to relax."

Eira followed suit and leaned back in the chair, thinking a little more about Kyle. "Ooh, any chance to relax sounds awesome to me. What's the go? Massages, yoga?"

"Hot springs, sadly can't really get a good real one out here in space." Emma laughs.

Eira laughed as well and downed half her tea, "Hot springs are sooo worth it." She grinned, "We used to have one back home about an hour away and it was perfect when you just needed to distress. How about mud springs?"

"Mud springs? How would that help, isn't that just getting dirty for the sake of getting dirty?" Emma questions aloud curious as to what that was.

"They're basically really thick clay or mud that is mixed with the hot water and its got healing and relaxing properties." Eira nodded, having not experienced them herself but had heard about it when she was younger. "It's not exactly for everyone but I know there are a few out there that do!"

"I think I will have to pass on that one." Emma smiles and waves her hand. "Hot springs are still the best." She sips from her coffee, "So tell me Eira, any of the new guys on this ship catch your fancy?"

That was a sudden turn in conversation and it made Eira blush a bit, "You know it's always going to be your brother, as Oblivious as he is." She laughed to hide the fact it was actually someone else, "Other than that, there's one person I've been spending a bit of time with but no details yet!" She finished her tea, "How about you?"

"Oh? A new person?" Emma smirks as she leans forward. "Now you have to share those details now that you have revealed them. If you don't I might cry." She covers her eyes with her arms dramatically and begins to fake cry. "Me...nah, I've been teasing Raiden a little but that was just to tease."

Eira felt a little taken aback at the mention of Raiden but tried to let it not show, "He's such a sweet guy, please don't break our pilot, we kinda need him!" She returned the smirk with a wicked grin, "I'm still not telling you... just in case it doesn't work out!"

"No worries I just took him dancing." Emma saw through Eira, "So you are going after him them, eh?" She couldn't help but smile as she looks at her friend.

Eira looked sheepish and opened her mouth to speak a couple couple times, "I wouldn't say I'm going after him, things are just happening.. And he's really nice!" She played with the spoon on her saucer, "I mean, I had something with Rafe back on the Hawaii and then he left me so I'm just being careful with Raiden, I guess?"

Emma places her hand on Eira's arm, "Take it slow, if he strikes your fancy take all the time you need."

"You know that's exactly what I'm doing, Em." Eira smiled back at her. "Come on, shall we go to the holodeck for a bit of relaxation?"

"Sure you don't want to bring Raiden? Would be the perfect excuse for a romantic getaway." Emma teases as she stands up once her coffee was finished.

"Are you sure you'd want to be a part of that?" Eira teased right back.

"Didn't say I would come." Emma laughs

---

Emma slides down into the warm spring water, it wasn't the same as the real thing here in the holodecks but Emma had to enjoy what she could. Closing her eyes she leans her head against her pillow. She begins to hum here comes the bride to tease Eira.

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" Eira was already in the springs and starting to relax. It was true that it didn't quite feel the same as the real thing but it was the closest thing they could get. "And what if it doesn't work? My hopes are on you!"

"Of course I am." Emma smiles as she opens her eyes and looks at her friend. "Nope, if he doesn't work out for my friend then there is no way he will work out for me."

"But I never said him, did I?" Eira grinned. She still had her eyes closed and could feel some of the tension starting to melt away. "Who knows? There might be someone in Security or Engineering who's good with his hands and might just sweep you off your feet!"

Emma laughs aloud, "Maybe but I'm not worried about any of that." She lays her head against a towel on the edge of the spring. "Since when has my love life become so important anyways?"

Eira moved to rest her arms on the side of the springs and looked at her, "You're basically one of the only true friends I've got so I guess I'm just taking an interest." She shrugged, "It's just a little bit of entertainment, plus it's not as if I'm taking bets on what happens." She grinned again.

Emma grins, "Mah you can find better sources of entertainment, I'm quite the bore when it comes to that. Just ask me, now if we were back on Earth. I could find you a wild club, then I would be in my element to be entertainment."

Still leaning back, Eira made a statement, "How introverts make friends: an extrovert finds them and adopts them. You know what, I'll take you up on that offer one day when we get some shoreleave."

Emma smiles as she closes her eyes and leans her head back on a towel, "I will make note of this Eira and it will happen."

With that comment, both girls leant back and relaxed until it was time to leave.

OFF