Nothing Else Mattress

Posted on Mon May 22nd, 2017 @ 1:35am by Commander Cor Cordale & Lieutenant Commander Ziyal Tajor & Lieutenant Hel Samedi

Mission: The Trial of Cor Cordale
Timeline: Hel's quarters

Hel was restless. One could be forgiven to be, after witnessing what she had. Knowing full well the effect those crashing chunks of debris were having. Understanding perfectly the staggering loss of life that the Nironese were experiencing. Yeah, one could be forgiven to be a little bit restless. It didn't help that she had been ordered to take a few hours off duty. Everyone involved in the away teams had been given the same order.

Ofcourse, this meant that the two people she had bonded with so far were also under orders to 'take a break', and were likely just as distraught as she was. Possibly even more so. Cor because in the short time she's known him it he'd proven a very passionate soul and a champion for freedom and life, and Ziyal because Hel knew how much the woman valued family and duty, and too many families were now torn asunder by what happened.

As such she tapped her comm badge. =/\= Hel Samedi to Cor Cordale. I'm having a little get-together in my quarters. You're invited. =/\= And then again. =/\= Hel Samedi to Ziyal Tajor. If you have some time, head over to my quarters. Could use someone to talk to, and I suspect you as well. =/\=

Cor was working on his next model. No that was a lie. The box sat there, unopened. As it had since he took it out to start working on it five minutes ago. Either he was trying to open it by sheet force of will, or...

His reverie was broken by the comm chirp, thank the Source. A get together? Oh he'd welcome any company at this point. =/\= "This is Cordale, I'm on the way." =/\=

Ziyal tapped her commbadge. =/\=I'll be there in a moment.=/\= She said, turning to head towards Hel's quarters. She approached the door and rang the chime.

Hel opened the door for Ziyal, offering a hollow smile. "Hey. How you holding up? I just didn't want to be alone." she spoke. The pale engineer was wearing track pants and a tank top, relaxwear for her. Black in color both, the tank top featuring an image of a bed with the caption 'Nothing else mattress'. "Come in, come in. Can I get you anything to drink?"

Hel's quarters were a bit gloomy by anyone's standards. The walls done up in various grays, and a few minimalistic paintings on the walls. The couches were draped with black and red quilted blankets, and there was a goblot of crystal, set in a pewter dragon claw upon her low table, filled with some murky black liquid.

The darkness of the room sucked in light, making the room appear much darker then the hallway outside. Ziyal stepped in, and felt her eyes relax as they adjusted to the darker room. One of the things that Ziyal disliked about being in starfleet was the insistence on the lights being too bright and the temperature being too cold. "As well as can be expected I guess. Water, I guess." She said, sitting on a couch.

"Water?" Hel quirked a brow. "You're off duty. We're under orders to relax, or try to. "You sure you don't want some Kanar or a Sunrise or somethin? Anubis knows I'm hitting the harder stuff."

That's about when the door chime went off. When bid entry, there stood Cordale along with an oddly shaped case. Odd in the fact it looked like it could hold a guitar.

"I hope you don't mind, i brought a friend." the Thux motioned with his head to the case. "Four string bass. This one's replicated, but the strings are real. Better sound, if you ask me." He gave a nod to Ziyal, "Looks like the party is all here. I didn't miss the popcorn did I?"

Ziyal shook her head, "No, I don't think so." She said to Cor, moving over slightly so he could sit on the couch if he wanted. Then at Hel, "I don't drink much, but your right, now is probably as good of a time as any."

"A bass?" Hel quirked a brow, admitting Cor entry into her sanctum. "What kind of music do you play?" she asked Cor. Then attention back to Ziyal, ever trying to be a good hostess. She pulled out a blue glass bottle of the same murky black liquid as her own drink and poured the other woman a small glass of it. "Here, try this. A human drink called Hot 'n Sweet. It's a Vodka mix with crushed pepper candy." Then back to Cor. "What can I get you? We're off duty, so the hard stuff goes."

"I learned how to play from mechanics and at bars, so everything human from AC/DC to ZZ Top. Though, i swear no pun, i prefer playing metal." the Thux informed, them at the offer of a drink he gave a nod, "Scotch, neat. Please." and he sat on the couch by Ziyal and popped open the case. A beautiful piece of musical technology tested within: a four string bass guitar with a deep blue metallic finish along the body and a replica wood neck. Four steel strings stretched along the length of the instrument.

Cor rested the bass along his knee and adjusted the strings, giving two a strum with his prosthetic fingers and turning keys at the other end of the neck. Bummmmmbumm, bummbummmm... The bass was well cared for.

Ziyal took a sip of the drink, initially sweet, but as she went for a second one, she could start to feel the burn. She was not sure if she liked it. "That sounds nice, but I don't really know much music from that era."

"If you don't like the drink that's fine, I'll whip up something else." Hel offered, ziyal even as she went to collect a bottle of scotch for Cor. A genuine bottle. Not that replicated stuff. She came back with a bottle, a glass, and her own electric guitar. A 7-string flying-V, in metallic black.

"Neither did I. Hell I didn't even know it existed until i heard it." the Thux mentioned while he reached for his scotch then the glass. He unscrewed the top and poured himself two fingers worth of scotch... Lucky thing Thux have thick fingers.

He strummed a steady rhythm on his four strings, "That's a Flying V. That's a beaut. Too many strings for my hands, so I stuck with four." then he was quiet.

Hel smiled, sitting down in her own chair, with her guitar in her lap. "Rock music is - .... Raw. Energetic, groovy, sometimes angry. Often powerful. Sometimes emotional." she explained to Ziyal. "Very good for burning off excess energy."

Ziyal tried another sip of the hot 'n sweet, "I usually practice my forms to burn off energy. Occasionally, I might paint. So are you going to play us something?" She asked to either of the other two.

Cor took a slow pull of his scotch, just to appreciate it more than actually consume it. "I build models. Model starships, model tanks, all sorts of models. As for burning off steam, I go to the gym and punch a sandbag." he chuckled, "As for a tune, I could be persuaded."

"Hel, this is your party. Any requests?"

Hel smirked. "Maybe one of you will find out how I blow off steam some time. Maybe both." she offered, taking another sip of her drink. It was definitely something you sipped, not swigged. then to Cor "I'll let you take the lead. Just play something classic, if I recognize it I'll fall in. Computer, activate program Samedi seventeen, guitar and bass."

Ziyal settled back into the couch to watch the two of them play.

Cordale thought for a moment while he mindlessly, almost idly, strummed. Then he took a cue from Hel's shirt, and started playing an old tune. Solid and metal, but melodic and compassionate. It matched the mood of the room.

"I want you both to know, I really appreciate what you did back there. There was no right choice, and ... " he paused, just to strum a few more notes, "I hated doing what I did, but I had to do what I did."

Hel smiled softly yet sadly when she recognized the tune. She closed her eyes and played along, gently swaying with the soft melody. "There was no good answer." she quietly spoke. Her picking and Cor's strumming was picked up by the computer and amplified as if the two instruments were plugged in to an amp, the sound playing balanced as if it was coming from the instruments themselves, rather than strategically placed speakers.

"So close, no matter how far~" Hel's soft yet clear voice sounded. The music and tone lent weight to the words. "Couldn't be much more from the heart~ Forever trust in who we are, and nothing else matters~"

Ziyal nodded at Hel's response. "You both were ready to jump in, do it anyway and damn the consequences. Then I had to come around and question if we should. I feel responsible for that." She said somberly.

Ziyal thumbed over to a karaoke that gave her the words to sing. She was not trained, but she had an ear for the music and a good enough voice. "Never opened myself this way ~ Life is ours, we live it our way ~ All these words I don't just say ~ And nothing else matters"

Cor actually smirked and shook his head, "No no. Jumping in is what a Thux would do. Not interfering is what the Federation would do. You made me see that, even if I didn't want to. Especially if I didn't want to." he smirked, "And I know......~" he tried his best to keep up with the actual song he was strumming.

To be fair, with scotch in his system Cor may have thought he was a great singer, but in truth he was really just a bassist, and there's a reason most bassists don't sing.

Hel gave an encouraging nod and smile to Ziyal as the latter joined in, and although inwardly she cringed at Cor's singing, she didn't show it. This performance wasn't meant to wow an audience. It was meant to allow three people, three battered souls, to vent. The three of them alternated verses, with Hel taking over the bridge and chorus, since she figured Cor's voice wouldn't have the reach and power, and Ziyal wasn't familiar with the melody.

She had her eyes closed as she sung the final chorus, about never caring what they say, never caring what games they play, never caring what they do and never caring what they knew. But she knew ... Then she flicked a switch on her guitar and the tone changed from the gentle strumming she had been doing to the rending, howling overdriven tone that the solo required. A lone tear escaping her closed eyes as her expression became grim, angry almost, and her guitar screamed out the turmoil she felt inside deserved.

Ziyal sang along, relying on the little bouncing ball to keep her on track and so when the solo began, she fell silent and listened to Hel's beautiful voice singing. She took a third sip, and the burn in her mouth matched the burn in her soul. She was not one to show her emotions outwardly. However, at this moment, she felt overcome by them. She had more then a few tears to shed.

As the song came to a close there was a final line of lyrics, which Cordale fielded. He let the final 'Nothing Else Matters' linger in the air as he and Hel shared the final notes, and indeed there wasn't a dry eye in the room. The strings of his bass hummed out the final notes, which he softly silenced with his living hand rather than produce a mild cacophony with his prosthetic. "You're pretty good." he complimented Hel, "And you... you've got a good sense of timing." he turned to Ziyal. He softly set his bass to the side, and turned his attention back to his scotch. "And you... you'll probably be the death of me."

"But seriously, thank you both. It's good to know that in my circle of friends I've got solid people." he turned back to Ziyal, "I'm convinced, now, that if not for you, we'd all be in sickbay. So if nothing else, thank you for not letting my big mouth write a debt my tail couldn't cover."

Hel waved Cor's compliments aside, as with her other hand she dried her eyes. "Eh. I'm just little ol' me, doing what I can, best I know how." she muttered. Then to Ziyal "Thank you, for keeping us both on the level. For reigning us in. I let reason go for a moment, you kept me honest. And Cor, I'm glad to see you're as compassionate and pro-active as a good leader should be."

Ziyal tried to smile, but couldn't. "Well, thank you for your passion Cor it's what I wish I had sometimes, and for not making me have to cover the check." Ziyal looked at Hel, "Thanks for backing me up when I pointed out a flaw in big blue's plans. It's surprising how rare that can be, especially when your passionate about doing something."

It was now Cordale's turn to wipe the space dust from his eye. "Eh, a leader's only as good as the people who believe in him, so if that's the case, I think I'm alright." he was quiet for a moment, looking between the two of them, "But thanks."

Then he actually gave a chuckle. A deep, belly-laugh of a chuckle, "Okay, enough patting each other on the backs." he took a swig of scotch, "I'm lucky to have you two as friends, so thanks. Now..." he took a breath, "... I've got three isogigs of Earth cinema, mostly martial arts and kung fu legends. Shaw Brothers, Bruce Lee, the Thirty Six Bronze Men, the Five Deadly Venoms, Chamber of the Forbidden Shaolin." Cordale started to list off a few, then stopped, "I think we should just watch something funny and terrible."

Hel took another sip of her drink, contemplating. "I've always liked Kaiju movies more than Wuxia, but I could go for a fun bad movie." She mused, looking at Ziyal. Even though she'd only met her once before - twice if you counted the away mission - she still considered her a friend. "oh! Got something for you. Be right back." She said, hopping up from her chair and hurrying into her bedroom.

"I'm agnostic about what to watch, but I like that one Asian actress in 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon'." Ziyal suggested as she waited for Hel to get back. She took a sip of her drink, while she was not sure that she would order it again. It had grown on her over the time they had been sitting there.

As Hel came back she tossed Ziyal and Cor both a paperback book. It was called 'Forsake me not' and written by an 'Alice L Merriweather' "Here, my previous novel. I promised you a copy Ziyal, figured I'd give Cor one as well. It's psychological horror." that last bit aimed at Cor. She flopped back down in her chair, pulling her legs up underneath her. "So, settled on a movie yet?"

Cor caught the book with his good hand and gave the title a look, "Forsake Me Not... sou... ooo, horror. I like a good horror book." the Thux said with a smirk, "So, as for movies, I think we could use something fun." he looked over to Ziyal, and gave a nod. "Crouching Dragon, Hidden... no wait, Crouching Burger Hidden ... damnit." he took a breath, "Tiger. Dragon. The Crouching Hidden movie. That one. Grab me a PaDD, I'll pull up my archive."

Ziyal took the book, it was small, she could probably finish it in an afternoon. However, she would read it carefully. "Thanks, right. I don't actually have a physical copy of my Granddad's book. It's a bit bulky. Do you like the printed versions, or should I send it to you?" She asked as she handed Cor a PaDD.

Cordale took the PadD and started to run a connection to his personal collection. "I've got a book I'm working on. Not finished, probably not even close, but it's coming along well. Getting better all the time." he paused to put in an access code. "It's called the Book of the Thux, it's ... something I've been working on for a while now. A long while. It's... see... Thux don't have a racial history. We don't have all those mistakes to learn from, so I have to borrow the mistakes of other races to make lessons for us Thux." another pause, "You know, just in case I meet any other Thux. Rather than 'Where are we from' and 'What is our purpose' I could just hand them a book and let them draw their own conclusions. It's... like the Thux Bible, but a lot less strict."

There was a confirmation tone from the PaDD, "There we go, solid connection. I can put the film up on any solid, unbroken wall. Like that one." he motioned to a wall across from the couch they were all situated around.

"Sounds good. Get it started, I'll get the snacks." Hel mused, unfolding herself and rising from her chair again, heading back to the kitchen. "Sausage, cheese, crisps, anything else?"