driftfleet | In like a Tourist, out like a lamb

_{[ Kirk spots the child waiting, and at first he leaves her to her business, figuring whomever it is she is hear for will come out soon and either go wherever it is they want to go or invite her in. But when he spots her on another pass by he stops this time and gives her an encouraging smile. ]}

Are you looking for someone, miss?

[ By the time he gives her another pass, she's playing with her stuffed animal by tossing it up and down to pass the time. It's getting dull sitting around, waiting. The unfamiliar voice gives her a brief start, then she squishes her doll in her arms. She's normally shy meeting someone for the first time, but she offers the man the tiniest of smiles. ]

Oh, um... hello! I just wanted to visit Fenris. If he's busy, I'll understand.

[ She probably should have contacted him beforehand. At least she doesn't look disappointed. Fenris told her that she is welcome on the Tourist and she could check for him another time. ]

Fenris, huh?

_{[ He's surprised that a gruff man like that would have a child
visitor, but sometimes it was the gruffest ones that were the best with
children. He doubted that a child would take to him otherwise - they were
honest with their feelings, were children. ]}

I'm not sure he's here just yet, but you can come in and wait for him. How about I get some cocoa going and we can wait for him in the kitchen?

[ Have a cheerful: ] Yup!

[ Elize had thought that Fenris was a frightening man for a long while, but she eventually befriended him after coming to learn more about him. She's also careful about mentioning or performing magic around him. She knows it's a touchy subject. ]

Cocoa? Yes please, if it's not too much trouble...

[ She stands, gathering up her doll in her arm and hoisting her tote bag in the other. ]

Not at all, Miss...?

_{[ He trailed off in the signal for her to introduce herself as he
stepped aside to let her on the ship and walk with her to the kitchen. He
notices the tote bag, wondering if it's big enough to indicate she intends
to stay for a bit on their already cramped ship or if she was just bringing
along things to do with Fenris. He suspected the later, considering he
wasn't sure that Fenris understood the concept of fun. He seemed a
perpetually grumpy man. ]}

[ She walks along with him, heading for the kitchen. Her tote bag is filled with assorted items that she picked up from station. Some writing supplies and it looks like there might be a few articles of clothing in there. She's not sure what games Fenris would like to play, but she's content enouhg to sit around and chat with him. ]

My name is Elize. And this is Hoppo.

[ Not that her current doll speaks like Teepo does, but she just feels the need to introduce the stuffed animal. ]

What's your name? Are you friends with Fenris too?

It's nice to meet you Elize, Hoppo.

_{[ He nods to them both as he pulls down cups for their cocoa, mindful
enough that when a child introduces their doll it is only polite to
acknowledge it. ]}

My name is Jim Kirk. And I'm... well, I'm a crew mate of Fenris'. I'm the ship's engineer and I just arrived about a month ago.

_{[ He wasn't sure he could say they were friends. He had the feeling
that Fenris more likely tolerated him than anything. ]}

Do you want marshmallows in your cocoa, Elize?

Oh... [ From that answer and how long Jim's been on the fleet, she can already tell they're not exactly buddies. Just crew mates. ] Fenris might seem scary at first, but he's really a good man.

[ She props her doll up in a seat as thought it's a second guest, then sits in an empty chair next to it. ]

Um... not too much marshmallows, please.

Well, if he has you as a friend, then I'm sure he is. He's just a tad grumpy, is all. But don't worry. I have plenty of practice with that.

_{[ In the form of Leonard McCoy, so Fenris' grumpiness was a balm in
some ways. He puts four marshmallows in Elize's cocoa and readies the
drink. He puts the mug in front of the little girl and gives a few spare
marshmallows on a little plate in front of the stuffed doll. It seems like
the thing to do, and if nothing else she can eat them on her own or add
them to her cocoa if he didn't put in enough. ]}

How long have you know Fenris, Elize?

_{[ He took the seat across from her with his own mug, sipping quietly.
]}

Thank you for the hot cocoa.

[ If Hoppo functioned like her previous doll, he'd be scarfing down those marshmallows. Fortunately, Hoppo isn't like Teepo. The stuffed animal merely sits there, staring with lifeless doll eyes at the little plate. Yet Elize reaches out with one hand for a moment, giving the doll a quick pat on the head.

The question stumps her. She has been with the fleet for awhile, but she stopped keeping track of the months. She can't remember how many months ago was the day she first met Fenris on one of the stations. ]

I... I'm not sure. I've lost track. We've been with the fleet, for some time now.

[ Always seeing so many people coming and going... ]

_{[ He sipped his own cocoa, brows knitting ever so slightly in concern at her words. While he didn't think children had the best grasp of time in the first place, that she couldn't even guesstimate - or had been here so long she didn't even want to bother - was troubling. That she was here at all was troubling to him. ]}

Celebrated any birthdays while you've been here?

_{[ It was a better way to gauge time and would give him an idea of her age, too. That and he wasn't the best at speaking with children in general. He glanced at the doll, thinking that might be a better topic of conversation next if this particular thread went nowhere.

And where was Fenris? ]}

[ Fenris is... in the thread below. They can just keep sitting here awkwardly in this thread sipping cocoa or she doesn't mind if he has to go off to do other things. Grown ups can get busy and she knows not to bother them... ]

Not mine, no.

[ Honestly, she doesn't know when her birthday is. She can't celebrate it on a specific day. Even though her home's calendars are different from Earth calendars, which is the kind of time the fleet seems to follow, it's more because she lacks a lot of memory of her past. Having partial amnesia isn't fun. At least she knows how old she currently is. ]

I think it's getting close to a year since I've arrived... [ A pause, like a sudden realization dawns upon her. ] Oh, I'd be thirteen!

[ So she's twelve and being on the fleet is keeping her a twelve-year-old. Not even an inch added to her height. She's probably already a little old to be carrying around dolls, but she was never raised normally like other children in the first place. ]

_{[ He's making an effort here so hopefully it's not totally awkward. He
knows it is a little, but give a guy some praise for his effort. He just
didn't deal with kids often... or ever. ]}

Hmm, so you've been here about a year then? But why don't you celebrate your birthday?

_{[ Because just thinks that she has a reason for not wanting to
celebrate, not that she doesn't know it. Still, the number she gives is...
disturbing. It doesn't sit right with him that Atroma would take children
and bring them onto this sham of a show - and he balked at calling it that.
Adults was bad enough, but children? It made bile rise in his throat, but
he kept the look off his face. ]}

[ She might seem a tad shy, but she actually does like having the company of others. Elize is the kind of child that tries to pretend everything is just fine when the adults needs to leave her on her own.

Something about that question does make her feel a little awkward though. She looks down shyly at her mug of cocoa. She can't give the answer "I don't want to celebrate it without Teepo" like she did in the past with Shirley. ]

I... don't really know the exact date of my birthday and I've... never held my own celebration before?

_{[ He waits patiently for her to form her answers, taking a marshmallow or two and popping them into his mouth as he did so. He was curious what would make a child want to not celebrate such a thing, since every child he had ever come across was always excited for their one special day. But maybe it wasn't like that in Elize's culture.

Her answer, though, is a touch surprising. ]}

Oh, well, why don't you just pick a date then and call it your birthday? And you don't need to hold your own. Your friends will throw you one.

_{[ That's how it worked when you were a kid, or so he thought it should. Hadn't Bev said something about a pony writing songs and throwing parties for people's birthdays? ]}

[ Picking a day might require her to give it some thought. She didn't realize she could do something so easily. Her own birthday celebration might have crossed her mind in the past, but only briefly when she was locked up in Hamil. Why celebrate a birthday when you don't have any friends? But things are different for her now that she has real friends. ]

My friends will do that? [ It sounds like loads of fun... then she gives a little shrug of her shoulders. ] I don't know... isn't that a lot of work for them?

_{[ He shook his head. ]}

No. I mean, it is work, but when you're doing it for a friend, it's worth it. When you care about someone - your friend - you like doing things for them, don't you? It's the same for them. Or you could always ask Cheese. I hear he loves throwing parties - especially for birthdays.

And if you're having trouble thinking of a date - why not pick one that's important to you and use that? If it's already a happy day, why not make it happier?

[ A slight tilt of her head. That's an interesting name. ]

...Cheese?

[ The differing calendar systems between her own world and here seems like a problem to her at first, but carefully thinking it over, she might have solved that issue quickly. Pick a birthday following the Fleet's calendar system, then pick a different one for when she's back on Rieze Maxia. That should be fine, shouldn't it? ]

I... think I know what day I want to pick. For my birthday on the fleet. It's still a few more months away, but it's important.

Yeah, he's this yellow pony that talks.

_{[ He was taken aback by it too, Elize, but it's real.

His smile widened and her words and he nodded, reaching out and ruffling her hair lightly. That's what you did to kids when they did a good job, right? ]}

Then it's a perfect date. You'll have to let your friends know when it gets closer, so don't forget it, okay?

A talking pony...

[ For a moment, her surprise might appear as a look of disbelief. Then she says in an audible whisper: ]

That's so cute. [ She believes him. ] Of course. I won't forget. You'll come to my party too, right?

[ The hair ruffle brings her fond memories. Alvin would either ruffle or pat her on the head whenever she did a good job. There was also someone on the fleet who used to do the same and eventually came to care for her as a daughter. He went away a few months ago.

Smiling, she reaches up to smooth down a few loose strands of hair. ]

_{[ Oddly, this reaction does not surprise him. A little girl liking the idea of a talking pony? What could be more natural. Or cute. When little kids like just about anything it's cute.

He smiled at her, though his eyes widened a fraction in surprise at the invitation. He laughed though and nodded. ]}

Of course, I would delighted to attend your birthday party. You'll have to remember to drop me a hint on what you want for a gift, though. That's my weakness - gift buying.

I'll try. I'll let you know when the day is near.

[ If she's still around by then.

A year is long enough for her to understand that they won't always be here. There comes a time they will eventually leave the fleet. It was a hurtful truth for her at first, to lose all the friends that she made. But she has been learning to cope by keeping a positive outlook that she'll meet everyone again. ]

If I'm no longer here, you can just think about me. 'Kay?

[ ...That sounded kind of depressing, but she's still smiling. ]

_{[ It was a bit depressing, but he figures she wouldn't ask if she
probably hadn't had to the same thing herself. So instead he just nods and
holds out his pinky to her. Kids still did this, right? ]}

Pinky swear.

[ Kids still did pinky swears, but she never had a chance to do one with anyone else. She always watched other children. The children of Hamil helped her escape from her small room, but their parents instructed them to stay away from her.

So when he holds out his pinky, she leans over rather eagerly, hooking her own pinky around his. ]

Pinky swear!

_{[ He grinned and did a little shake to seal the deal before leaning
back. ]}

Finish your cocoa, and I'll go find Fenris. He should be around here.

In like a Tourist, out like a lamb

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