Buttercups - Simply Yellow

Posted on Thu Aug 12th, 2021 @ 3:01am by Lieutenant Commander Yivliph Ra-Gruvloveii & Lieutenant Amanda Rose & Lieutenant Percival Bálor Ph.D

2,999 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Out of Time
Location: Counsellor's Office
Timeline: Current

When it came the Counsellor Amanda Rose, Percy saw her as a spider. He was fond of spiders, but this spider was the Ship's Counsellor, and whether she realized it or not, Percy still perceived her as a threat, an affront to his goals and pursuits. She also had a mind that was a weapon of surgical precision if she used it in that manner. In some ways, he found her to be innocent and pure, but not childish in the same way he viewed the Chief Engineer. There was a difference between those two, a stark one. Percy completely believed that Amanda Rose was both qualified and capable in what she did. He could not say as much for the Chief Engineer who reminded him of a kid in a candy store.

Though he had begun to make significant ground, forming something with Yiv, he knew that Amanda was still roaming the corridors, still serving aboard, and until she found someone else to occupy her heart’s mind, Percy would have to continue to be on guard. With recent information provided to him by the Chief Engineer whom he had oddly struck up the beginnings of a motley friendship with, he had it on good authority that the captain may have been interested in her, but his senses and intuition had noticed the awkwardness between the First Officer and the Captain. They had been convenient in arriving relatively close together when the lab explosion occurred. Coincidence? He shuttered to think they had started something, but stranger things happened on these starships.

He tended to a small little garden container where he had planted sweet yellow buttercups which were peaking through a creeping black vine-like plant from some far distant minshara class world. It weaved in and out through the small buttercups serving as blackened ground cover for the bright yellow petit flowers. Percy loved to be creative with plants, be expressive and artistic, and sometimes his artwork carried a message with it. It would only be a matter of time before he would see her again as they were due for a continuation. In his mind, he had bettered her in their first round, but he would be looking for a knockout punch in the next.

Percy picked up a PaDD and did some quick mathematics before tapping his comm badge. “Lieutenant Balor to transporter room one,” he said and waited for the acknowledgment from an unassuming pawn, a transporter operator who had no pony in the race. “Petty Officer, I’m sending coordinate to you right now. Could you lock on them…it’s a non-sentient plant in the science lab. I need it transported to Counsellor Rose’s office, please and thank you,” he added. The petty officer did as he directed without question. It was an unusual request but not an alarming one. Percy watched at the floral arrangement began to be engulfed in the shimmering effect of the Federation transporter beam.

Soon, the buttercups and black vines were gone from his sight. They would be rematerializing on Amanda’s desk right where Percy wanted them to be for when she returned to her office. He had consulted the ship’s computer to make sure she was not in her office at the time they arrived, put he suspected that she would be back momentarily…a spider did not leave its web too often.

Amanda had been out to lunch. When she returned, she saw some beautiful buttercups with some stark black vines on her desk. She thought about everyone on the ship and smiled. There was only one person that could have possibly sent her flowers - Yiv! Her heart instantly leapt and she tapped her commbadge, =^= Commander Ra-Gruvloveli, =^= she started with a smile in her voice. =^= This is the Counselor, if you are not busy, could you please report to my office? =^=

Having hand-delivered a report to the Security Office, Yiv was making his way back to the Intelligence Centre when his commbadge chirped. Tapping the delta on his chest, he replied simply, 'of course, Counselor, I'll be on my way.' The Efrosian wondered at the sudden invitation, crossing his fingers that it wasn't too complicated a matter.

It was too much for Percy not to want to see the look on Amanda's face when she received her little floral arrangement. Though he could not be in the same room for it exactly, he decided to head towards her Counselling office and lurk around a nearby corridor for her. He was hoping that she would come out of her office, but instead, his nostrils flared a bit as a familiar scent came into the air. Yiv he thought to himself as he pressed his back against a bulkhead and peeked around the corner to see the Chief Intelligence Officer arriving outside of the woman's office. Interesting he thought to himself.

Yiv hit the chime on the door, waiting to be let in.

Amanda answered the door personally. She was wearing a grin on her face that stretched from ear to ear. "Thank you for coming, Yiv. Please come in." She stepped aside so that Yiv could see the flowers and that the door closed behind him when he entered.

Quirking an eyebrow Yiv noticed the flowers, a small feeling of relief welling up in him. 'Those look like some pretty flowers - I'm glad you invited me to take a look.' He stepped over and looked over them, inspecting them. 'They're very well bred. Not a blemish on them.' The Intelligence Officer noticed a small card folded up in the plant. He fished it out. 'Whoever sent them must care a great deal,' he smiled, a little sadly.

The card was short and to the point:

My Sympathies -
Roses can be red,
Now, you Counsellor Rose are a lovely shade of blue.
For these sweet buttercups are yellow.
Know that I know Commander Vetur is bedding your fellow.

"Say what?" Amanda asked, as she looked over the card. "I thought that you sent the flowers. And I know who Commander Vetur is involved with, but unless the Commander has switched to you...." Amanda blushed furiously at her admission. Well, now you've done it, Amanda! You've thrown yourself at him! So much for letting someone come after you.... Now what?

Percy had waited, but could not wait a minute more. Having Yiv in there with that spider of a woman was not something he was going to let happen. He walked down the corridor, stood at the door and pressed the chime.

Yiv looked up at Amanda as the chime went, still processing what was going on. 'No, I'm not involved with Commander Vetur,' he said wanly as he pivoted to the door. Another person would distract from this entirely confusing situation. Commander switched to me?... he mused as he brushed his hand against the door release to find Percy on the other side. Yiv frowned in confusion. 'Sorry, Lieutenant. I didn't know that you and the Counsellor had a session... I should clear out.'

"I don't have a session scheduled right now. It is not for another half hour," she replied perplexed. Then she saw Percy as Yiv opened the door. Amanda was not smiling at him. "Is this urgent, Lieutenant Balor?" she asked concerned but not happy to see him.

"Immensely," Percy replied. "I am tasting colors, seeing music, and envying my mother or something of the sort," he added poking his fun at their previous session. "You don't call, you don't write, what am I to think? Are you telling me I need a new counsellor?"

Glancing over his shoulder, Yiv cast a baffled eye at the Counsellor, wondering just what she was going to do. He looked back at Percy and made a 'what are you doing' expression at him.

Amanda looked confused at Percy. "I am not certain what is going on, Lieutenant Balor, but I am happy to talk to you after my next appointment."

"I'm sorry," Percy replied. "I didn't know you were busy...I'll get out of your web," he said to her and looked over at the Efrosian. "Care to escort me to partake in a meal?" he added asking Yiv.

'A meal?' Standing in the middle of the two officers, Yiv felt suddenly uncertain. 'Percy, someone's sent some flowers to Amanda.' He gestured at the pot on the desk, 'I thought they were from the Captain, but someone seems to be implying that Vetur and Michaels are a thing. Seems quite odd, don't you think, Percy?' He looked over at Amanda, 'and you didn't see anyone deliver them?'

Percy looked at Amanda "I wouldn't worry about it," he said to them both, but focused on the Counsellor. "It was probably just some jealous jerk or over zealous individual" stated Percy as he approached the flowers.

"Buttercups," he said with a chuckle. He quickly swiped them up and showed them into his mouth, munching on them like a goat. His face puckered a bit and he swallowed. "Dangerous to Humans if eaten, not so much for a Tellarite...or half Tellarite."

He gave a nod at Amanda. "Thanks for the salad, have a lovely day."

"I did not see anyone deliver them," Amanda replied to Yiv. "For all I know, they could have been beamed here." She shrugged. "I suppose if I were really desperate to solve the mystery, I could go and check the holologs for anyone entering or leaving this room."

Looking at Percy, she wondered why he started eating the buttercups and even moreso, wondered why he mentioned that they were dangerous to humans. "Why did you eat my flowers?" the Counselor asked the Tellarite curiously.

Percy shrugged "They looked like a good appetizer, and not to be rude, but those vines..." he said referring to the dark ones with the buttercups. "Give those a day or two and they would have wrapped around the buttercups and laid them to waste."

"That was not your choice to make," Rose replied simply. "I think we will have to have a session in the near future. Now, if you do not mind, I was talking with Lieutenant Ra-Gruvloveii and I would like to finish that conversation."

"I'm sorry, I am a bit impulsive at times," replied Percy. "I am trying to work on that, but finding a decent counselor is a difficult task these days. You could recommend one to me if you know of one?" Percy was becoming tired of Amanda, but he was not about to get into it with her. "I was going to take the lieutenant for a meal, but you'd be welcome to join us unless you want some alone time with the lieutenant?"

Frowning, Yiv interjected. 'It's OK Percy - I'll come along for food. I daresay your snack will hold you for a quarter hour or so, won't it?'

Percy reached for Yiv's hand. "It's not about the meal," he replied and beamed his gaze at Yiv. "I'm more interested in the company."

Amanda noticed Percy reaching for Yiv's hand and bit her lip. "I'm beginning to think that I see what is really going on here." She exchanged glances with both of the men, her heart trying not to break. Sometimes the only way to communicate with a Tellarite was with insults and combativeness. After all, that was part of their culture. However, it was the antithesis of everything that Amanda was. Summoning her courage, she finally burst and purposely narrowed her eyes and in a teacher's pedantic tone said, "Funny that an impulsive Tellarite would want to find a decent counselor. Seems that said Tellarite only has an interest in being an over bearing, manipulative, selfish pig. You wouldn't know a good counselor if she slapped you in the face and let me tell you, it has crossed my mind more than three times since you arrived here."

"Lieutenant Rose," Percy replied, his tone showing his agitation. "Whatever issues we may have, they need to be dropped. At first, sure, it was fun having this cat and mouse game between us in regards to my issues and your profession, but this is no longer amusing." The Chief Science Officer glared at her. "Look, I am sorry that you are striking out left and right aboard the Ontario, but calling me over-bearing, manipulative, and a selfish...pig? That's just downright spiteful, rude, and unbecoming of your uniform and your position," he added bitterly.

He approached the woman daringly. "If you need a hug and want a friend you can have one because I'm done with this tension between us. Now, if you want to keep calling me every name in the book and slap me across the face, go ahead."

Rose stood up to Percy, despite being a good four inches shorter than him. "You can leave my office Lieutenant Balor. I only have issues with your intrusion and your need to turn everything around to try and make someone else to blame for your conduct. I'm sorry that you do not like my accurate assessments but that is really not surprising given your persona."

Percy backed away. "Well then," he sighed. "I know when I am not wanted and clearly, I am not wanted. I wish I could say parting is such sweet sorrow, but it is not in this case," he added as he turned from her quicker than a Klingon shunning.

"I'll be in the lounge, Yiv," he said taking the sleeve of his uniform across his face. He was also beginning to sweat up a storm. Percy headed towards the doorway and said nothing more to Amanda Rose as he left her office, the doors closing behind him.

Amanda patiently waited as Percy left. Her hazel eyes reached pleadingly for Yiv's while she stood silently, hoping for some sort of response.

Looking towards the closed door for the moment, Yiv sighed. 'I've not felt tension between two people like that for a long time, Amanda.' He turned to look at the Counsellor. 'I hope those flowers weren't too upsetting. The note ... didn't really make much sense to me. It suggests that Michaels is involved with Vetur which would be ... a surprise.'

"He is," Amanda confirmed. "But imagine my surprise right now.... I thought you sent the flowers.... I did not even read the note.... And then...then...."

Enveloping her in a hug, Yiv cooed softly, 'there, there. This must be a lot for you, Amanda. I'm sorry whoever sent you the flowers like this has treated you in this way. I know you care deeply for Elijah, but you'll find someone better. And if he's interested in Vetur ... then it's for the best. He won't be your type, I don't think.'

"Elijah?!" She exclaimed pushing herself lightly away so she could see Yiv. "My God, Yiv! You don't get it, do you? I thought these flowers were from you! I never read the note. I thought that you...." She sighed putting her head miserably on Yiv's shoulder.

'Wait ... you've been making moon eyes at Elijah the entire time you've been aboard.' Yiv didn't release the hug. He knew that he should go find Percy. 'Were you just waiting for one of us to be unavailable before picking?'

"No," Amanda responded. "I'd never do that. I admit that I had a passing interest in the Captain but that ended some time ago and I knew about him and the Commander, so it did not matter. Ever since we met, I just felt...well, comfortable with you. And we have so much in common.... And I had you over to my quarters.... I thought it was obvious...."

'Nothing is obvious ... ' Yiv muttered, before sighing. 'I have to meet Percy. For lunch.' He paused for a moment. 'Would you still like to come over tonight? Some food, some dance, some non-synthethol wine might cheer you up a bit.'

"I'll have to think about it," Amanda replied a bit mournfully, wanting to jump at the offer. However, she also knew that something was going on between Percy and Yiv. She had no intention of becoming a third wheel. But then again, she wanted Yiv. Maybe he needed to want her more. She considered the problem. Time. She needed time and needed advice. But, who could she turn to? Grace was not a good option....

'Of course,' replied Yiv quietly, gently releasing her from the hug. 'I understand, please take all the time you need,' for the first time Yiv wondered whether his Efrosian cultural sensibilities about relationships had been sufficiently tamed. Perhaps he should reflect on how he was treating both Percy and Amanda.

"I..." Amanda started and then stopped, wanting to give Yiv advice, wanting to give him warnings about Percy and his unhealthy, possessive behaviors, or wanting to just tell him that Yiv and Amanda belonged together. So many thoughts and so few answers. Her eyes looked into Yiv's trying to convey all of her adoration for Yiv and her hurt feelings. Amanda did not know if she succeeded and could not know but after another hug, broke away. "I'll let you know."

'... yes,' he replied eventually. Yiv sighed again, then smiled kindly. 'Take the time you need. It's been a shocking event for you.' He looked at the door. 'I should go.'

Amanda wanted to reach out and comfort Yiv. She wanted to tell him how much she wanted him. She wanted to leap in his arms and tell him to stay. Ultimately, however, she did none of those things and just gave a slight nod, not knowing what else to do.

Yiv nodded in return, and headed out the door.

 

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