You brought this on yourself
Posted on Thu Jul 18th, 2019 @ 12:31pm by Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Fri Jul 19th, 2019 @ 12:38pm
3,370 words; about a 17 minute read
Mission:
Episode 7 - Home Again
Location: Holodeck 1 - Deck 6 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD007 1900 hrs
Tallida was hot. Her muscles were gloriously warmed up. She could fight all day. Her hair was pulled back in a pony tail. Her skin gleamed under the lights from perspiration and if her clothing hadn't been skin tight they would have been sticking to her. The naturally tan Angosian skin of her belly and back were bare as she wore only a crop top and compression shorts. "Thank's Mik, we are going to have to do this again." She smiled over at the older gentleman who had run her through her paces.
Mike's eyes gleamed in the lighting as he studied her, then he nodded, "You're welcome miss. Though you should be more tired. Get weighted gloves, boots and maybe a belt before you train again. The weight will help build muscle and train harder. Training harder makes fighting easier."
Taking a towel from his shoulder, he threw it at her. "You're welcome here anytime. Neil doesn't mind." Then he grinned, "I'd tell him that he should come and join you, but you two didn't seem to like each other much."
"We don't, but he won't have much of a choice." Tallida gave him a knowing smile. "He is meeting me here." she took another drink emptying the bottle. "I will keep the weights in mind." she started. "I don't tire easily."
The holograph crackled and Mik's eyes took on a speculative look as he said, "I just bet you don't, girly." When Tallida looked at him, he continued, "He is is he. How did you manage that? He's been a surly one lately. Even for him."
"As ships counselor, I can declare him medically unfit." Tallida replied as she used the towel to wipe her brow. "Last time we met he seemed uncomfortable in my office, so if thought I might let him have a go in a setting more suited to him." She looked at the watch she had sitting with her water bottle on the bench and smirked. She wondered if Neil was the punctual or fashionably late type. In a little over five minutes she would know. Dropping the watch and the towel back to the bench she moved over to the wall to refill her bottle while she waited.
Mik frowned at that, "I thought the last time you talked to him was in here...at least according to what I saw on the board." Then his program hiccuped, and he said with a gleam in his eye "I remember that meeting here. I told that boy he shouldn't be blind to a good thing."
"I meant professionally." Tallida started the remainder of his conversation not sinking in immediately. She turned with her bottle only half full and looked the trainer with wide eyes. "You were here? For that?" Her voice breaking slightly.
Mik grinned and nodded. Suddenly a bit of the wall shifted and a holo recording of Tali and Neil's previous meeting in the gym played. "It was all recorded Talli when the program was last saved. Since you were part of it, you have access."
The holo played briefly and Mik distracted her as he glitched again and said, "I told him he was blind. That boy need to get laid in the worst way." He gestured back at the holo, which showed Neil walking naked out of the gym's shower.
The image of a very nude Neil froze and Mik's own image twitched again and he said, "You should ask him about Cannelloni."
Tallida was about to ask him what exactly Neil was blind too when the image of Neil naked popped up in front of her. "Oh god," She exclaimed as she jump to turn herself away. "What does a Cannelloni have to do him being blind or his position?" Her held her hand up to the side of her face to shield her eyes.
Mik peered at the image of Neil for a moment and snorted, "I didn't think the shower was THAT cold." Mik turned to Talli. "You know, the horizontal mambo." Then Mik snapped his fingers, "Wait. The Doctor. Tear off each other's clothes and give each other a complete physical."
"You think?," Tallida started incredulously. "No, no. There is no way that is going to happen," she laughed nervously. "He is not my type and I am certain he hasn't even noticed I am a female, let alone his type." She looked over the hologram of Neil for a second before her eyes moved back to Mik. "Can you please shut that off?"
Mik's image cackled slightly as he said, "But you are a Doctor. Aren't you supposed to talk to him about his...short comings?"
As Mik spoke, there was a sound of the exit opening and across the gym, Neil walked into the gym. He stopped as he caught site of Tali and Mik, re-orientated and walked over, his face stoney.
Tallida shook her head in denial as she turned and resumed filling her water bottle. "You are just as bad as him. You are a man after all, so I shouldn't be surprised." She turned to head back to the bench and stopped short when her eyes fell on Neil. She stood there, eyes wide. Punctual, good to know..
Mik grinned as he caught Neil staring at the hologram of him leaving he shower, then the old man winked at Talli and said "I'm glad you noticed dear. Would you like to see MY Yankee Doodle? It's a dandy!"
Then he cackled and wandered off. The holo's disappeared leaving Talli and Neil standing there eyeing each other. Neil cleared his throat after a few moments, then asked "Well Doctor, I hope you're enjoying the program?" He paused for a few more beats, then said "And you wanted to see me? I guess I didn't realize you wanted to see all of me."
"No, I didn't." Tallida started after she cleared her throat. "Apparently, that was your training programs way of trying to convince me to sleep with you." She took a sip of the water and looked over Neil. "Unless you feel up to sparing in your uniform, I would suggest you change." She tried to sound like she had more authority than she felt. She didn't know what it was about Neil, but he reduced her to a combative, aggressive version of herself and she was doing her best to keep it in check.
Neil paused for a moment, then bowed his head in acceptance and headed toward the locker area, turning his head. "I'll change, unless you want to watch that too, Counselor?" Then Neil was gone into the locker area.
Her urge was to accept his challenge and follow him, but she didn't want to give into that side of her. She said nothing as she set to re-wrapping her hands.
As he was changing, Mik came in and Neil glared at him. "I see you're glitching again, old man. I hope you had fun."
Mis cackled and then shrugged. "I might as well. It's fairly evident the two of you don't intend to, at least together and you probably definitely not, given how sour you are."
Neil ignored him as he pulled on sparring attire and began wrapping his hands. Once he taped them off, he fished out gloves and started for the main gym. As he neared the exit, Mik asked, "You remembered the cup, right?
Neil glowered at the old man again, then headed out into the main gym. He made his way toward the ring and began warming up. "Alright, Counselor. How would you like to proceed? And do you want headgear?"
Tallida was still in the process of finishing her wrappings before adjusting her pony tail and pulling on her gloves. "I don't need protective gear, unless it will make you more comfortable." She moved to step into the ring. "Last time we spoke, professionally, we were in my element. After recent events, I figured we would talk in yours," she waited for a moment not shrinking back from his gaze. "When ever you are ready."
Neil pulled on the gloves and pulled the closures with his teeth, then reached up for a rope and pulled himself up and through the ropes into the ring. "So what are we speaking about...or is this you wanting to get rid of your irritation on an easy target?"
"Honestly," Tallida started as she watched him. "I wanted to check on you." She looked over at him and rolled her eyes at her self. "I just meant that I wanted to see how you were after our last, uh, conversation." She pulled her arm across her chest to stretch out her shoulders that were tightening up slightly. "It didn't go how I had planned." she offered him a minor olive branch.
"I'm not surprised," Neil said, as he started bouncing on his feet, and began warming his arms up. "She...Cami must have told you that I broke whatever it was off. Chasing after me would only get her hurt...maybe killed if things around here continue as they've been going."
Moving up, he toed the line and waited for her.
Talli approached the line across from him and rolled her shoulders before getting into a ready stance. "Yes, she came to me." The counselor stated easily. "Life in space is never safe." She added easily dismissing the romance in his worry over the musician with six simple words. "Ready?"
Neil kept his eyes on her, then extended a gloved fist in salute. When Talli matched it, Neil lunged with an uppercut, catching her a glancing blow across Talli's skull as she ducked away. Neil didn't relent, attempting to use his reach as he pressed his attack, raining blows at her head and midsection.
Tallida wasn't surprised nor was she caught off guard by his onslaught. Using her arms she blocked his blows keeping most of the impact across her arms but the thrust of each blow pushed her smaller frame back. Ducking down out of his reach she lunged for him, her shoulder hitting him in the torso as she pushed him back using her above average strength to her advantage.
Neil grunted as she hit him, feeling something give in his rib area as he was pushed back. He kept his feet under himself and skipped back as he bladed off. As he twisted, he grinned knowing he probably had a cracked rib. Neil didn't wait however and he stepped forward, closing ground moving his gloved fists in a back and forth motion, then pivoted and threw a roundhouse kick at her.
Talli was able to shield against the punches, her arms taking the brunt of the attack. The roundhouse kick caught her square in the chest and knocked her back against the ropes. The air had been knocked out of her but as she moved towards him she fainted a punch and swept his feet, lucky enough to catch him off guard. Standing over him, panting she offered him a hand. "You alright?" she asked fully aware she had let her aggression get the better of her and was genuinely worried she had hurt him
Neil relaxed a moment on the canvass, then accepted the hand and let her lever him up, which left them standing gloves clenched, forearms touching and their faces less than six inches apart. Neil looked into Talli's eyes for a moment before he backed off and said, "You've more power than I expected. Nice take down. I'm fine." He rolled his shoulders then and moved to the center of the ring.
Talli's eyes went wide when she realized how close they were before Neil graciously moved away from her. "Thanks, I think." She moved opposite him once again. "So, how are you after the break up?" She didn't really know how to ask the question. She had learned her lesson, she wasn't going to admit that she was there at the request of the women again, that had end badly before. "Ms. Petrovich was quite convinced I had done it on purpose." Reaching out her hand to match his salute before she used her speed to land the first punch.
Neil took the punch, grunting as the hit weakened his rib further. Instead of blocking it, he trapped her extended forearm, and stepped crosswise over her legs and hip tossed her onto her back, then he moved to follow up with a kick/stomp to her torso.
Tallida was impressed by the speed and efficiency at which he moved. She was both surprised and not surprised when her back hit the canvas. It didn't take her long to realize his next move which she dodged by rolling to the side. Interlacing her legs with his she twisted around him reach up and pulling him down to her level. In a smooth transition she was soon on top of him, her arm firmly across his throat as she straddled him. "Apparently, she believes I viewed her as competition, I can't imagine what you could have said to her to give her that idea." She spoke between pants.
Neil found himself staring up into her eyes again as her weight ground into his rib. Then his eyes crinkled as he grinned and he abruptly slammed his thighs up into her backside, shooting her forward, her chest to his face and he wrapped her and then bucked his legs and rolled her onto her back, his hands shot to her chest, his palms digging in as and he pushed himself up and away, avoiding her feet as she tried to kick him as he gained ground.
Panting, he said. "I'm fine and apparently I can't control what she thinks. She thought she should follow me out here without telling me."
Tallida laid there for a moment. Taking him in. Her heart was racing and, through her denial, she convinced herself it was purely from the fight. She nodded. "She told me." Lifting her legs up she rocked up throwing herself into a standing position. Her thigh quivered slightly giving out as she reached, her hands resting on his shoulders for a moment as she steadied herself. She laughed at herself slightly as she looked up at him. "Ah, but you feel guilty." She dropped her hand and without realizing it her hands brushed his chest as she moved to stand ready once again.
Shrugging and preparing himself again, Neil felt a bit...off as he looked at her and said "Guilty? I suppose so. I had to hurt her. Drive her off. She wouldn't be out here if she wasn't chasing me, so if I remove myself from the equation...it's what's best to keep her safe. And that's why I joined the corp. To protect people, even from themselves."
As they squared, Neil found himself distracted by the random thought of her touching his chest and he moved in rapidly, leading with a feint with his left, then spinning abruptly with his right, aiming a backhand at her face.
Tallida was able to see his right hand coming at her in time to get her arms up to block her face but the force of the blow knocked her back slightly. Moving out of range she watched him as she thought over what he said. "She wouldn't be out here if you hadn't given her some reason to think you wanted her." She stated as she moved in quickly and with a jab cross combination.
Neil turned, trying to save his rib and took a shot to the kidney. Grunting, he moved to block Tallida's other blows. Tempted to go for another grapple and head butt, his hesitation cost him. Her punches rocked into his chest and he grunted, feeling another rib crack. He got his elbows around to block and he let himself back into a corner as she followed and his training kicked in and he abruptly wrapped his arms around her own, trapping her and he panted out against her neck.
"Ok, that's probably enough. I think I cracked a rib or two and will likely be peeing blood from that kidney shot. You win, Counselor. And for the record", he said as he released the grapple, "I hadn't talked to her since we parted ways after that one night. I sent flowers and a note before the Pioneer left orbit, but that was it."
Tallida was hot and tired and her muscle ached gloriously. She panted against his shoulder until he released her her head momentarily resting on his chest before she stepped away. "Regardless of what you think of me, Lieutenant. I do believe you." She turned to rest against the ropes, her arm brushing his as if she still needed the heat and contact of another. "I told her to talk to you, initially, we women folk have a tendency to read between the lines and it isn't always real."
Shrugging he picked at the straps on his gloves with his teeth, getting the first off then the other. "I can't control what anyone thinks...but I can try and protect them from themselves. I don't know what to say beyond that." He looked at her and his eyes moved over her from heel to crown. "You're stronger than you look Counselor. Nice bout."
Talli noticed his perusal of her as she nodded in agreement to his statement. His compliment instantly removed any theory that his gaze was more than out of curiosity. She pushed off the rope following suit to remove her gloves. Her teeth sank into the leather as she pulled them loose. Dropping them to the ground she looked at him before she spoke. "Thanks, not being human helps with that." She stated more flirty than she had intended consciously as she began to remove the wraps. Her forearms were obviously bruised. and her knuckles were red from impact. She looked up at him. "If you want to avoid sickbay," She started as if the entire thought was understood. "I am a medical doctor and I feel bad, for all of it." She admitted.
Neil chuckled then, his eyes still on her quizzically. Her admitting she wasn't human didn't bother him. But she had more power than he'd expected and he'd been sizing up opponents for a long time. He pulled off his sweat stained shirt and twisted slightly, looking down at his chest. "I don't know. They're are probably a few cracked rib. Maybe one broken, though I'm not coughing up blood so it probably didn't pierce a lung or anything. Wrapping them for a few days will likely take care of it." As he moved, bruising appeared and he nodded, "Oh yeah. Look at that."
Tallida looked over her for a moment resisting the urge to reach out and touch him. She smirked at his comment regarding the barbaric treatment prior to mending technology. She moved towards him but ducked through the ropes. "My good tools and my good bourbon in are in my quarters." She said as she retrieved her watch and took a large pull off her water bottle. "Also lessens the likely hood of being discovered." She joked.
Neil nodded. "Fine with me. Sometimes getting anything done in sickbay is like herding cats." He climbed over the ring ropes and jumped down to the gym floor, retrieving a fresh shirt from his gym bag., this one in OD Green with black trim. Centered on the chest was USS Pioneer in large black cursive lettering superimposed over UFPMC in crimson with gold piping.
He watched her climb start to climb down and started to offer his hand to her, to help her climb down from the ring but caught himself and lamely asked, one hand still raised, "How good is the bourbon?"
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Tallida Ovaa
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
First Lieutenant Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
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