A Quick Bite

[Victria 0]

Mark stood in the doorway of sickbay and glanced back one last time. The room was mostly empty, only a few beds where occupied by those critically injured during the previous fireworks. He had waited well past things had settled, not seeing to himself until everything and everyone else was squared away. It was only a bump on the head anyway. He probably wouldn't have even gone if it weren't for Victria's chiding. He held for another moment, before turning and heading into the corridor. He had to get back to security and file his report.

 

"Feeling better?" The voice came from behind him as Victria approached unseen and unheard. She matched his stride as they moved in the direction of the turbolift. Blue eyes shifted sidelong to study him, rising briefly to where the injury to his head had been.

 

"I am.” She'd surprised him, though he didn't show it. As they walked he glanced at a pair of engineers servicing a wall panel, briefly wondering if it too had been damaged. That seemed the worst of it. From his understanding, nothing had been badly damaged -- just small pin pricks of chaos all over the ship. It was a gentle reminder of what the unexpected held. “And I'd imagine you must feel better as well, now that you no longer have the need to remind me that I'm injured." A small smirk rose from the corner of his lips, but nothing more.

 

"So long as you are able to function properly, you will hear nothing from me." One brow quirked upward. "It has been my observation that most Federation officers will stubbornly ignore their injuries, even after the battle is over. Is it pride that keeps you from seeking help even if your wounds impact your work?" She called the lift once they’d reached it and turned to face him while they waited.

 

"I'm a security officer. It's my job to ensure the security of everyone on this ship. My pride comes from knowing that everyone is safe, everything is as it should be. If that means at the cost of my own well being ... so be it." He glanced away, suddenly feeling awkward. He wasn't one to talk about himself so often, but her open curiosity was surprisingly disarming.

 

"It seems that my life has become a never-ending succession of foreign concepts,” she mused to herself. "I am not accustomed to being responsible for anyone except myself. To hold such … emotion ... for each person on this ship, some whom you have not met, is a truly strange concept. Tell me, do you care when someone on this ship dies, even if they were not in your department and you did not interact with them on a daily basis?"

 

His brow furrowed as he mulled over the thought. "It depends. If it's someone I've never met before ... no, not really. I guess I'm not attached to the specific people on the ship, but rather to the whole community."

 

As the lift arrived, she stepped inside, resting her attention on him again. "That is something I can more easily understand. Are you going back to security or are you interested in joining me for a meal?" Her tongue swept across one of her fangs as though to remind herself that they were still there.

 

"Of course I would." He said as he stepped in beside her. There was no rush for him to return to security immediately. He'd never tell her, but he filed the report he’d promised Segami an hour before he’d gone to sickbay. But he'd learned never to reprimand women for being wrong in their actions, more so when the said women could kill you. "Mess hall." He quickly added, remembering they were still waiting.

 

"When are you scheduled to meet with Atticus now that he has returned to normal duty?" She'd yet to have her discussion with their chief and was more than a little annoyed that he was still avoiding her. Soon, she would take matters into her own hands as she had so many times before. "I am sure he will be more than pleased to hear how you helped to keep things moving in security while he was away."

 

"I'm not sure. He'll probably contact me whenever he wants to meet me. I suspect it's going to be more about my suggestions about upgrading security from when we launched. We never got to discuss it before his ... disappearance." The decks flew by until they were deposited not far from main mess.

 

“I see. I would be interested to hear the outcome of your conversation.” Her gaze narrowed a fraction as they left the lift behind. She was still getting covert looks from random people she passed and it made her wonder what new rumor was circulating. The mess hall was not at all busy. She assumed most of the crew was either injured in sick bay, in their quarters attending to their wounds, or resting while they had the chance. With a brief glance around, she made her way to the bank of replicators to order a drink. It wasn't as satisfying as the fresh she'd had recently, but she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

 

Mark walked up to the replicator, punching in his own personal food specifications. What could best be described as "tunaroni" on ancient Earth appeared. He gave it a sniff with a satisfied smile. He glanced to her as she eyed a passing crewman who was stupid enough to stare right back. "Don't let it bother you. At least your rumors strike fear into them, not fear of a rash."

 

Victria let out a single burst of laughter, amused that even he had heard the stories. "It has not and will never bother me. There are very few things that do. Rather, I find it amusing. Some of the younger crewmen look as though they expect me to attack them at any moment." Her gaze swept over the tables again, searching for the three males from security that had previously addressed her, but they were not in attendance.

 

His fork dug into the food, a pleasant smile left behind as he swallowed. "Some of them find the thought oddly ... erotic,” he said, his tone plain as he took another forkful into his mouth.

 

Sipping at her drink in the seat across from him, her wandering attention snapped to him at his comment. "On Al-Ucard, it is rarely so. Nourishment is violently taken from the Lucam prey we've captured and there is little emotion involved beyond rage -- only the rising desire to feast on those inferior to us." Little had changed in that regard. Would he wonder if she felt humans were beneath her?

 

He watched her closely, gauging the emotions on her face. "No doubt on your end, but I doubt that these particular men truly understand what it means to be ... fed on." He smirked. "Some men are just attracted to danger."

 

"Men like you." It wasn't a question, for she knew exactly what he felt. "Men like Segami. I think that most of the people in your department would also admit to such, as dangerous as the job is to which they willingly dedicated themselves." Humans were such a strange breed.

 

His face was decidedly neutral, even though she'd just called him out. There was a difference between attraction and infatuation however, and for the moment he was content to be placed in the limelight of the Laarell-Victria-Segami scandal, as it could be best described. "You'll find in time that humans can be attracted to ... well ... anything. Sometimes I can even find it unbelievable, and they're my species."

 

She smirked at his comments and drained her cup, licking a line of crimson from her lips as she placed the glass on the table. "I will certainly keep the propensity of human males in mind as I seek out my daily meals. It would not do to have six or seven of them trailing after me in hopes of an encounter." Pushing her chair out, she stood smoothly. "I have things I must see to before I return to security. As always, the conversation has been extremely enlightening."

 

He gave her a genuine smile. "And also for me. As always, it was a pleasure." He watched her leave, his eyes on her until she was out of sight. He peered down at his food, twirling the fork around in it, then looked at his wrist chrono to check the time. Rising voices caught his attention. He glanced over at the crewman who was staring at Victria earlier, the officer now in an animated conversation with his fellows over what Mark could only guess. Yep. You sure know how to pick'em Mark.