Aria and the Cursed Chair

Posted on 25 Nov 2021 @ 8:18pm by Lieutenant Aria Rice & Petty Officer 1st Class Gabriel Stark
Edited on on 26 Nov 2021 @ 11:27am

2,323 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: USS Galileo-A - Chief of Security's Office
Timeline: MD 01, 1910hrs

[ON]

The laughter had easily been going on for five minutes straight. Gabriel was actually having to hold his sides, tears running down his face as he laughed, unable to control it.

"Okay...okay..." he tried to say to himself between shaking breaths, using them to try and blow the laughter away and calm down, but his ribs and chest still trembled with the urge to laugh.

Gabriel made the mistake of looking back at Aria, and one look of that beautiful cherub face scowling at him ruined all his efforts....and he burst out laughing all over again.

Aria rolled her eyes, sinking together in her chair, the cursed chair that she had often said was haunted. In a role she had never seen herself in and always said she did not have the mind for. "Laugh it off, you are my cannon fodder now..." she grumbled, eyes narrowing as she crossed her arms.

"Me?" Gabriel laughed even louder at that, watching with wide, dark eyes of disbelief. "The bad luck on that cursed chief's chair has made more cannon fodder than the Napoleonic wars!"

She groaned before she leant forward, covering her face with her hands. "What have I done? I am not made for this, I am just...I am just not a leader...I'm not going to be good at this..."

"Oh, you're going to be fine at the job bit, you'd just better find a rabbit's foot to level out the curse of bad luck that chair puts on anyone that sits in it," Gabriel shook his head, still trying to push down his gasping laughs. "I doubt replicated ones help..."

She groaned again, lowering her hands to look at him. "Exorcism of the chair..." she said, aloud, considering it. "Maybe I should burn some sage too...just...anything...and burn the chair, get a new one...anything to get rid of the bad luck. Because everyone who sat here got...dead or mental or badly hurt."

"Oh! How about we get the priest up here? To do an exorcism!" Gabriel put his hand up, his eyes shining at the idea. "Cast out all the demons and make the place clean. Sprinkle some holy water...chant some Latin...burn some sage just in case we need to go pagan on this place..."

"Sacrifice a mouthy enlisted to the Klingon and Norse gods..." Aria added as she held his eyes, raising an eyebrow before she gave a wicked smile. "You know, cover all my bases..." she paused and looked around, thinking for a moment. "Actually, getting Verity here to cleanse it might not be a bad idea at all..."

"I mean, I figure you've got nothing to lose," Gabriel nodded wisely, but his smile was sheer mischief as his eyes glinted. He hooked a finger under his uniform collar, pulling the gold cross out from under it that he always wore around his neck. "I don't think I'd still be here if it wasn't for this."

Aria looked at him before she sighed softly, nodding as she eased back in the large chair. She groaned again and stamped her feet, unable to stop it. "It is so unfair! Why this one? Why couldn't Engineering be cursed instead? Or Diplomacy? Like, who needs those..." she paused and thought about it. "Okay, we really do need those..."

"Counselling? We don't need that," he made a face, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. "You think it's some weird karma thing?"

"Maybe," Aria said as she looked at him, some of the tension draining away. "Maybe it is. Maybe it is people trying to control too much about what happens on this ship. Or maybe not enough?"

"You know what, we should just salt and burn the chair to be on the safe side and get you a new one," Gabriel grinned, watching her with warm, shining eyes.

Aria nodded and reached for a PADD, biting her lip as she requisitioned a new chair. "Just want a new chair to be honest, don't trust this one. Bad juju coming off it, just...Baba Yaga bad. Nope, not for me, no Sir..."

"Hm, I like it when you call me Sir," Gabriel teased with a small smile, moving to look over her shoulder at the chairs. "Besides, I guess this means you should make this place your own anyway...right?"

She nodded as she looked around, taking it all in. "Somewhat anyway. I have to trick them that I am...professional-like," she said softly, frowning. "What does a grown up Chief have in their office, Gabriel?"

"Why are you asking me that, Aria, you're not a grown up chief..." he shot back lightly, sitting on the edge of her desk with a small smile of amusement.

She rolled her eyes before she looked around, trying to think. "Maybe some weapons. But cool ones to make me look more capable. And...and books. Maybe books? With stuff like...The Art of War and things?" she said the words aloud, trying to think what...people would expect when they stepped into her office. Her office! This was now hers. Now that was terrifying on all levels.

"Since when have you read 'The Art of War'?" he arched an eyebrow, leaning to her with mock suspicion in his eyes.

She looked at him before she bit her lip. "Does...having seen it once in a library count? Like, up close so you can read the spine?" she asked, giving a giggle that sounded nervous. Even a bit strained.

Gabriel rolled his eyes, reaching to take both of her hands. "Aria, darling, why pretend to be something you're not? Especially when that something is dull and boring and usually beats their chest like a caveman?"

"Well, what if they don't like or respect what they got instead?" Aria said as she met his eyes, frowning. "What if they won't follow me?" And it was what she was scared of. What if she couldn't command the respect of those who served under her.

"And you think putting a copy of The Art of War on your shelf will make them do that?" he teased softly, watching her with warmth.

"Well, it might make me think I am intelligent," she said with a soft chuckle, taking a slow but deep breath. "Hm. Must just...be myself, right? Rather than pretend?"

"Definitely," Gabriel shook his head with a half smile. "Truth is, you wouldn't be here if you shouldn't be. And people can smell a fake a mile off. Besides, if you model yourself after some of the arseholes I've worked with I'll never forgive you..."

Aria moved to him, reaching out for his hands. She was serious as she held his eyes, taking a deeper breath. "Gabriel...do you think I can do this? I mean...really?"

Gabriel squeezed her hands with a small smile, leaning into her. "I will never have felt like I'm in safer hands," he said with a firm nod.

Aria nodded as she watched him before she smiled, letting out a breath. "Okay then," she finally said, and it wasn't even a resigned tone of voice. She had considered it now. Taken it in. Had her freak out. "So I guess I will take that cursed chair then."

"No! Burn it with fire...we'll get you a new one. A better one," he grinned, looking around as he let out a soft breath. "One where your feet touch the floor...."

"Ha. Ha. Ha..." Aria's eyes narrowed him and she punched him in the arm and then grimaced and rubbed her knuckles. "Ouch...you've been working out. Traitor..."

"You've only just noticed? Well I'm insulted..." he laughed softly, rubbing his arm. "That year of extra training worked me harder than I've ever worked before."

Aria looked at him, just thinking for a moment before she smiled gently. "Well, maybe my first thing as the Chief will be pushing you more. You are a specialist. You should be a Warrant Officer you know, Gabriel."

"A Warrant what now?" Gabriel shook his head, lifting his hands. "No, I don't think so. I did that advanced hazard and rapid reaction training to make sure my boots are on the deck out there more, not to tell others how to do it."

Aria looked at him before she laughed, unable to stop it. "A Warrant Officer isn't a CPO. You'd still be doing stuff, just...you'd be recognised as a specialist in it." She took the moment to gently poke his ribs. "Don't underplay the hard work you put into it."

He squirmed, laughing softly as he shook his head. "Listen, don't be trying to share your bad chief chair juju with me, it doesn't work like that," he warned playfully.

"Oh, it does..." she said and smiled, hands going to her hips. "Because you hugged me. So my bad juju is now your bad juju. So you better help me out, Stark! Or else...well...tribbles may happen again."

"To be fair, that was one of the least bad things that has happened to us," he pointed out, but with a good natured grin, clearly not too worried about it either way.

She watched him, just studying him for a long moment. Her friend. And he had always been her friend. "Tell that to the shoes..." she said softly, thinking about when she told Lily Blake that tribbles were zombie shoes.

"The shoes?" he asked with confusion, chuckling softly as he leant in closer to her where he was comfortably perched on the desk.

"Lily Blake wanted a tribble as a pet. I said it made your shoes into zombies..." Aria said lightly before she shrugged. "Long story really. Or maybe not. Anyway...you think we will be okay? Really?" she held his eyes, wanting his honest opinion on her abilities and the department.

"Yes," Gabriel replied as if it were obvious, shaking his head. "You're the longest lasting officer of the Security team. That's not by accident. You've got something special. A thirst for life that's not going to go quietly."

Aria held his eyes for a long moment before she nodded, giving a weak smile. She believed him, she did. And that meant this was okay. "Well then. Suppose I have laid my bed and better tuck myself in and lie in it...right?"

"Pretty much," Gabriel chuckled, watching her with gentle but fond eyes. He wanted to encourage her confidence, but knew better than to treat her too differently. "Do you need a cute teddy bear?"

"With...a uniform," Aria said with a warm smile, moving to the desk and patting it. "And it can be my Specialist seeing as you have decided not to step up to the plate..." she poked her tongue out at him, meant to be teasing. She would give him a tiny bit of a hard time over it.

He groaned, tipping his head back. "Aria...no one has ever given me a shred of responsibility without instantly regretting it."

"Yeah..." Aria looked at him for a long moment, just studying him. "But maybe this time around, someone will do it for the right reasons. Not to show you up or try and push you down. But because you're trained...competent...good at your job. And you deserve the recognition for the hard work you put in every day and try to hide."

He looked to her with surprise for a long moment, his features sobering up with the sincerity. His breath shook for a moment, his hand absently reaching to touch the pendant. "I'm pretty sure I found that year of specialist training harder than anyone else there."

"But you did it. People...like us, we have to work twice as hard as the others," Aria said softly, looking down. "We will always be judged for not looking like what people expect from Security personnel. Not just by other departments, but by others in our department. It's not fair...but we still do it because we have...chosen to serve."

He watched her for a long moment before leaning in close with a gentle smile. "You know the only judgement I make of you is that I have no choice but to be jealous of how great your wardrobe is, right?"

She held his eyes and smiled, giving a slow nod. "I know. And the shoes too..." she said softly before she winked. "I think you are worth the universe, Gabriel Stark. And you might not thank me when I put more on you, but I know you are ready."

He reached to squeeze her hand, letting out a soft breath of awe. "You're way too nice for your own good," he whispered with a gentle chuckle.

She held his hand, searching his eyes before she smiled. "No, I am not. But I am honest," she said quietly. "It's not always the best thing to be, but it is what I am."

"It suits you," he grinned, shaking his head as he watched her with warmth, taking in the petite woman and how she sat there. "And so does this. Don't doubt it."

Aria smiled before she looked down, considering it for a long moment. "Thank you. And you know I will doubt...but not in front of the others," she said and met his eyes with meaning.

"Well, Doctor Gabriel prescribes telling yourself that you don't doubt it ten times in the mirror every morning," his lips quirked at the corner. "You'll get so bored of being nagged by yourself that you'll eventually comply."

"I know one thing I will comply with...right this moment..." Aria announced and grabbed a PADD, leaning over the desk to write. "I am getting a new chair..."

[OFF]

--

PO1 Gabriel Stark
Security Officer
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Blake]

Lieutenant Aria Rice
Chief of Security
USS Galileo-A

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