ten_fwd | Dream a Little Dream

Entry tags:

Dream a Little Dream

Who: Alex Rogan and OTA
What: Thinking, being sociable, and generally being Alex.
Where: Ten Forward
When: Evening
Status: Ongoing
Rating: TBD

Alex Rory Rogan was humming to himself, and enjoying himself. He had been studying, of late, and trying his best to see how close he could come to Starfleet Engineer certified without actually taking the course. The PADD full of old Enterprise data and specs helped, a lot, as did what information was commercially and imperatively available in the Federation. Alex was also starting something new, trading a little bit of time as a speaker on certain forums for some credits, and in turn investing those in a few ideas he had. He knew that likely those would go nowhere, but he had to try.

In the meantime, today, he was not studying. His PADDs, several still active, lay scattered about his table. In the center, the finishing touches being applied by his steady hands, was a scaled-down model of the Enterprise D. It wasn't an exact duplicate of a standard model of the ship, instead incorporating some of what he had learned of the other Enterprise. That made it interesting to wonder what would work and what wouldn't

It rested on a dock which was charging it's batteries as he finished tightening some components. Then, after one more inspection, Alex lifted the control device and pressed the red start button. With a hum, the Enterprise rose from the dock, anti-gravity thrusters propelling it away and into the air.

As he had before with previous models, Alex sent the ship above the crowd of people's heads, well, most of them. He called an apology as he narrowly missed the head of a Edoan, who just grinned, now being used to this. The Enterprise slowly did a urn over his head as he checked the controls, then started forth along the length of the room. Flying stately just under the ceiling, Alex split his attention between watching it directly and watching the PADD screen which showed the views form two mounted cameras on the model. This allowed him to maneuver it as if he was in the cockpit.

He grinned. This was awesome!

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Padmé had never been without, but it was the beliefs that her family had instilled in her from a young age that had always had her wanting to help others. She knew that not everyone was as lucky as she was, and she learned that early on. How people reacted was different, but it was always nice to hear about those small things people did that cost them little but that would mean a lot to others.

"Sometimes we find out things about ourselves at the strangest of times." Although her smile softened. "Although I have no doubt you have gifts for more than just two things."

Alex smiled shyly at her, and shook his head. "I don't know about that, but thank you." He grinned at her, then warmly.

"What have you been up to? I've been so caught up in things I haven't gone looking for people in awhile. Have you been getting along okay?"

A pause, then he grinned again. "Oh, hey, has anyone ever made you a chocolate shake?"

"Mm. Well perhaps you might not, but I do." There was a surety to her voice when she spoke, an easy confidence that wasn't arrogant in nature. She meant every word she had said, and she still meant every word she was saying.

"Some more from my universe have shown up. A few here and there, at least that I know of. Aside from that, it is just still getting used to the change in pace. I've taken a few classes as well, wanting to get a better grasp at the politics of this galaxy."

That small smile, as she knew that politics was not for everyone, and she never held it against those whose eyes glazed over. That was so long as they weren't Senate members. That was something that Padmé had always taken seriously.

"No. Are they your favourite...?"

"Thank you." He grinned at her, warmth and gratitude in his eyes. And interest, some.

"That's great!" Alex bounced, chuckling. "I'm glad people from your universe are here to help you and be around you." he nodded. "I'm not great at politics. Give me engineering any day. I had to run the Starfighter League for almost ten years. Never again." He shuddered.

"Well, no, but they are an interesting thing. And I like them. Let's start a little simpler. Has anyone introduced you to ice cream?"

"There are a few... Although if you have met, or even seen, Master Yoda, you likely would have remembered it. He is a small being with green skin." Judging by her voice though, she did hold great respect for him.

She couldn't help but smile at his comment about not being great at politics. She knew that some were exasperated by it, wanting nothing to do with Senators or politics, and she couldn't blame them. There were those that did give them a bad name. Her smile broadened as she nodded. "You keep the engineering then, and I'll stick to the politics."

She gave a nod at that question. "They do have ice cream where I am from, although the flavours are those that are common place in my galaxy."

Alex shook his head. "I do no recall having met him, no." Alex would have a look out for such a being from now on, of course. He enjoyed meeting new people and trying new things.

"Agreed." Alex smiled at her, eyes dancing.

"Good! Man, I wonder what those would taste like! Anyway, a shake is ice cream mixed, sometimes with ice, with milk, so as to make a thick drink of delightful, if cold, flavor."

He likely wouldn't find it strange if he saw Yoda in a sailor outfit, as he wouldn't know any better, although Padmé didn't know if the Jedi was still wearing it. Then again, perhaps he liked wearing it and who was Padmé to say no. "He is a very wise individual."

There was that contemplative pause with those words, memories for a moment, before a smile lightened her eyes again. With her eyes catching his, her grin remained. "Good."

The truth of the matter was many of the flavour profiles were similar enough that they could pass for something from home. At least with the human food. Some of the others... Well, they weren't going to be on Padmé's palate anytime soon. "A dessertish treat then."

"Yeah? Cool. I will definitely look for him, then." Alex liked meeting new people, and anyone Padme thought was cool probably was.

He looked at her, and smiled a little. "Yes. Exactly. It's very desert, and very good, if filling, and very cold." He grinned.

"I'm still getting used to this place, myself, sometimes the number of new things to learn astonishes me."

"Be mindful of his speech, as it is all his own. I guess the simplest way to say it is that he doesn't exactly speak in a forward or linear manner? Like... Strong in the Force, he is." Which was the first thing that did come to mind.

"And no doubt perfect for hot days." Her grin mirrored his own, recalling all those balmy days on Naboo where Sola and here would seek relief in cold treats. But she nodded. "Even with all my knowledge of the universe, it is still small compared to what is known. But, at the same time, I am glad that there is always something to learn, to know more about, to see or explore."

Alex nodded. "I can do that." He listened to her words and grinned. "Sounds pretty cool. LIke self-speak, that twins do." He had met a couple of Twin Rylosians, once. It was odd.

"Exactly. I used to love to sneak ice cream on really hot days back home." he grinned warmly at her. She was pretty keen.

"Exactly. Has anyone ever told you that you were pretty damn smart?" Which, to Alex, meant pretty damn cool, and admirable, too.

"I believe it is something that his species does. Although the Gungans speak differently than humans too. And Wookiees... Their language takes quite a bit to understand, although I don't." Of course she hadn't met too many either. Most spoke some form of basic so Padmé could always understand them, even if it might take a bit of work in both directions.

"Oh? You had to sneak it, hmm?" There was a faint glimmer of amusement in her eyes. "Although I can't say Sola and I were always on our best. Cookies did go missing, but I don't doubt for one moment my mother knew which of us had taken what."

A warmth there, as she had loved her family dearly. It hadn't been the biggest, but it had never bothered her. Her family had grown to include more than just those who were related by blood. There was an innocent expression on her face, one that was held for a moment. "Perhaps once or twice, but I know there's always something else out there and I don't mind admitting when I don't know something."

"Languages are hard. Without the universal translator back home, I would have been lost." He shook his head. "I did eventually learn to speak several other languages, but I'm not very good at it."

Alex grinned. "Yeah, at first. Mom was strict, after dad vanished. And so things had to 'vanish', for me to get them." He grinned as he listened to her stories.

"Well, yeah, which is, of course, what makes you smart." Anyone could be a know it all, after all.

"They are, and they can be a gap to be bridged. Then again, you can speak the same language as someone else, and still be miles apart." It was spoken from experience, although she didn't linger on it. No, hope was always something that Padmé had, and while she knew now that there were dark days ahead for those in her galaxy, she had also learned that the sun would rise again, driving away the shadows. "It does tend to be something that requires practice, especially in the area, to truly get the linguistics down."

There was a slight pause, before nodding. Her mother had been strict, but only to a certain point, and she had never truly scolded her children for stealing a cookie now and then. It likely was because they didn't do it that often to begin with. "At first, but after it changed?"

Or had he grown up and been able to get his own things.

It was an amused laugh as she shook her head, curls coiling around her face. The smile remained as she looked back up. "And I would be dumb to argue that, no?"

Alex shook his head. "I grew up and stopped liking cookies, really, mostly. I had a lot of work to do, as a kid, and not a lot of free time to think about cookies." Alex had grown up fast, and had become a lot like his mom, who, despite good intentions, had come to lean on her pre-teen, then teen, son, to pick up a lot of the slack as a worker around the job.

"Nah. You can argue all you like. First thing I learned a a kid was that most women I knew were smarter than me, and stronger than most guys."

Padmé would say that she certainly ate fewer sweets now compared to when she was a child, but she still did enjoy them. Of course she could understand about being busy, although her own was of her own doing. Missionary work, training, lesson, all had kept her busy. "Not even with your ice cream?"

Personally she had still gone now and then and found an ice cream sandwich to eat. Less, as she had grown older, but there had been times. "Ah, hmm. Perhaps a different type of smart and a different type of strength?"

"Maybe." Alex smiled, shrugging.

"Everyone has their talents and skills, I think. I just tend to practice mine and keep out of other people's ways." Most of his life had been that, even if he had inadvertently changed the course of his galaxy's history.

"I'll have to test that one day." With cookies and ice cream clearly. Her smile matched his as the talk was easy, and Padmé did find herself enjoying his company.

"You almost make it sound like you were a hermit." Although given what he had told her to date, she knew that wasn't it. "They do take practice though, all talents and skills. It is when you stop that you start to get sloppy, when you think you know everything."

Alex chuckled. "I felt like it, kind of, sometimes." He shook his head. "I like this place, and the people here. I like interacting with everyone."

He smiled at her. "Very true. When we learn, we grow, and when we keep practicing things, we keep learning." He nodded to her. "LIke when you come around, I always learn something."

"Hardly the mark of a true hermit." There was that continued warmth in her voice as she spoke. Padmé had always been a people person, had always felt the need to go and do something, to make a difference in the world. She did find herself nodding though, as the people here, to Padmé's experiences, were very kind and considerate.

"Ah! Yet I can say the same about you and your ice cream. Little things on a daily basis, that one day will amount to a mountain."

"Maybe..." Alex stuck out his tongue at her and smiled. She was a nice person and a warm one, and Alex loved talking to her. She made him grin. And feel, well, accepted. There were just a few people who did that, here.

He grinned at her with a teasing glint. "A mountain of ice cream, the best mountain of them all."

That though did earn a full fledged laugh from Padmé as she shook her head. It was nice seeing that he was relaxing, as she too felt the same. Padmé's lips quirked though as she gave him a rueful look. "Although it may melt before you get to the bottom."

Alex grinned again, and nodded. "Maybe not if I had help. Wanna climb an ice cream mountain with me, Padme?" It wasn't meant as flirtatious, just a friend having fun with a friend. He was enjoying the way they could just hang out and be, well, friends. He'd never had much of that, not before here, and Chekov, who had vanished, and John, who hadn't, yet, but had his own things to do. And Kate. Kate was a harder subject.

"I think I would likely start from the bottom." Padmé mused that over, as if thinking about it seriously. "Less mess, both in the ice cream and on you."

Alex chuckled. "Unless there was an avalanche, and it fell on you, in which case, you'd be buried in ice cream. Which... wouldn't be a terrible fate." He grinned wider.

"Well... You could just eat your way out." Although one likely would get a brain freeze in the process, unless they were talking about a small bowl sized mountain.

Dream a Little Dream

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