March Mingle Madness (aka SURPRISE it's another mingle)

[bryces_pup]

Who: Crew members and visitors of the SS Blue Fish
Broadcast: nope
Action: On the Blue Fish, naturally.
When: Throughout March!

[Another month, another mingle. Once again, any visitors on the ship should bear in mind that there are locks installed all over the ship, so someone on board's gotta let you in. Or you can just stand there. And stare. And hope someone takes pity on you.]

Comments

B

[faithfulwisdom]

[Because Finrod is an elf with impeccable timing, he chose just now as a great time for a visit. It doesn't take him too long to wind up in the kitchen because- well, really, after her quarters and the lab, it would be the first place he would think to look.

When he sees that shiner, though, his smile fades.]

What happened? [Read: "Do I need to go put the fear of Eru, the Valar, and angry elves into someone?"]

[dancingmd]

[Beverly looks up from her plate of food as Finrod comes in. Oh dear. She just finished calming Riona down and now Finrod. It's endearing, in a way, how ready they are to fight for her, even if that's not what she wants or needs right now.

She sets her fork down and gives a slight shake of her head: no. Don't go putting the fear of anything into anyone.]

There was...an incident with a patient. But don't worry, I'm fine.

[Though her attempt at smiling fails - it's more of a grimace, with how much her face hurts.]

[faithfulwisdom]

What manner of 'incident,' precisely? Unintentional, I hope. [He pulls a chair out from the table and seats himself across from her. And don't think that wince escaped his notice.]

Ordinarily, I would give advice on how to cope with that. [a gesture towards his own eye.] I assume, in this case, that is unnecessary.

[dancingmd]

I've never actually had a black eye before but Allen has been taking good care of me.

[What she wouldn't give for a dermal regenerator right now! She reaches one hand across the table towards Finrod in what she hopes is a reassuring gesture.]

It was unintentional. In his world, doctors are referred to as "Organ Mechanics" and they appear to be more interested in using their patients as living harvests than in helping them heal. I had to pull a tooth and that triggered a defensive reflex in him.

[faithfulwisdom]

What, never? Not even as a child?

[Not that he was a rambunctious little elfling or anything. No. Not at all.

But that explanation. Yikes.]

Little wonder he reacted violently, then. One can hardly fault the man. But I am glad you suffered no worse than a bruised eye.

[dancingmd]

Me too. [It could have been much, much worse, if he had hit her jaw or her nose and broken one or the other of them... well, let's not think about that, shall we? She smile-winces again at his disbelief.]

And no, in my world we have the technology to almost instantly heal cuts and bruises and breaks. Even when people do get into altercations like this, the damage is easily corrected, so long as it isn't too severe.

[faithfulwisdom]

[A little huff of laughter] I should have guessed it was something like that. One of these days I will stop being so surprised.

Well, I was not quite so fortunate. I am afraid that I suffered a great many such bumps and bruises in my youthful misadventures.

[dancingmd]

[She feigns shock, her hand to her chest.]

What? You? Getting into trouble? Never.

[faithfulwisdom]

Very amusing. [He playfully waggles a finger at her.] But I'll have you know that at least half of the time, I was the one attempting to reign in cousins and siblings.

[dancingmd]

[Her mouth quirks. Teasing is good, teasing is better than worrying.] Oh the model child, I'm sure.

[faithfulwisdom]

Perhaps not. [He'll admit that much.] But I did spend a fair amount of time fetching younger elflings from trees and interrupting the... disputes of a few of the older ones.

[dancingmd]

[That sounds nice, having a big family like that, with lots of children running around. How many times had she wished for siblings as a child?]

How many brothers and sisters do you have?

[faithfulwisdom]

I had three younger brothers and one younger sister. But I had also ten cousins- some older, some younger- and many of them as close as if they had been my own siblings.

[dancingmd]

[Big brother Finrod. She can definitely see that. She settles her chin in her hands happily.]

You must have had many adventures together.

[faithfulwisdom]

So we did- some more serious than others. [A fond smile] It is a pity I cannot introduce you.

[dancingmd]

I wish I could meet them as well. I never had a large family... I often wondered what it'd be like.

[faithfulwisdom]

Do you have any siblings at all? Or are you an only child?

[dancingmd]

[She shakes her head.]

My parents both died when I was very young. I don't know if they wanted more children, but... they never really had the chance. And I have no cousins: it was always just me and my grandmother, until Jack and Wesley.

[faithfulwisdom]

I'm sorry. [Sincere, but brief. He doesn't feel a need to linger on her loss and he doesn't think she'd want to.] Will you tell me of your grandmother, then? She must have been an extraordinary woman.

[dancingmd]

She was. She really was.

[Her brow furrows and she stares at the table for a long moment. She hates that Ronin has now become mixed into her memories of Felisa, that she wasn't given the chance to properly mourn and say goodbye because of him, that he - no. Stop. Nana wouldn't want to have that be the last image of her.

Finally, she looks back up at Finrod.]

I became a doctor because of her. When I was a child, our planet was struck by a deadly plague and we quickly ran out of medicine. Out of most of our supplies, really. Nana wasn't a doctor, but she knew plants, so she started using them to help heal whoever she could, until outside help arrived. She was... brilliant and strong and kind, always kept fighting, kept going, even when everything looked hopeless.

[faithfulwisdom]

[He can't help but smile, wondering if she realizes just how much she sounds like she's describing herself.]

She was a healer, then, even if she was not a doctor- and a more than fair one by the sounds of it, particularly if she was self taught. [Not that that surprises him in the least.]

'Nana' is a Sindarin term for 'mother,' did you know? Well, more akin to 'mama,' truly. It is short for 'naneth.'

[dancingmd]

[She doesn't recognize it, though she would be pleased to know Finrod thought so: Felisa always was her biggest role model and hero.]

Really? That's... very fitting for her then. I remember my mother well enough but still, Nana was... my whole world, growing up.

[faithfulwisdom]

I thought it seemed apt. [A little pause] Is that where you gained your love of plants? I have admired your work in the gardens on the Iskaulit.

[dancingmd]

[She nods.]

Her knowledge of plants saved us. Many of my fellow doctors dismiss the value of herbal remedies and traditional healing methods, but I will never will.

[faithfulwisdom]

That reminds me- [He reaches down and unhooks a little flask from his belt, handing it over to her. Inside is a clear liquid with a pleasant, sweet scent.]

I wished to tell you of this. When offered a boon by Atroma, Miruvor was my choice and not entirely for myself. It is a liqueur, yes, but it will bestow renewed vigor and strength on those who drink it. While it is not a healing tonic in the strictest sense, you can see how it might be useful in dire circumstances.

I hesitate to announce it to the Fleet at large, for I do not trust them to understand the need to use it only at great need. But if you believe you could make use of it in your work, you should take a portion.