Echo - Part Two

Posted on Mon Feb 24th, 2020 @ 11:58am by Commodore Siaxx "Bluemoon" Dvald-Vaxx MD & Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan

Mission: Mission 11: Red VS Blue
Location: Various Locations - Starbase 400
Timeline: 1845Hrs - February 10th, 2390

Siaxx raised an eyebrow as the way forward came to her. "I have been too forgiving, its time I tell her exactly how I feel." the Bolian responded. "I have been too subtle about it."

"You have our love and support, Dear," Dorothy promised lovingly.

Siaxx nodded her head slowly. "Alright..." she then popped the last bite of food into her mouth, she chewed happily. "Mmmm.."

"Her quarters looks like a hurricane hit," Aryssa warned with a bit of a grin on her face, for Dorothy never let her keep her room messy.

"Or a Meteor." Siaxx commented. "Its why she's always over at my place.... I'm a much better house keeper." she explained.

Aryssa was about to make another joke, when she noticed Dorothy having problems gripping her fork. The elderly woman had made it a private fight, to keep going as long as she could. Prideful and stubborn in her own way - like Jill was.

"You need help, Mom?" Aryssa asked gently, but Dorothy waved her off as she finally gripped her fork.

"I'm just a bit arthritic these days Dear. I'm fine," Dorothy tried to assure everyone.

Siaxx raised an eyebrow as she looked concerned. "I brought my medkit... do you want me to check... to make sure.?" she inquired.

"If you like," Dorothy agreed, though she already knew why she sometimes had problems gripping things - Her illness was now deep in the motor cortex of her brain.

Siaxx raised an eyebrow. "No... I'll wait until after dinner.... no need to make a scene since I already know what it will tell me.." she commented. "your issue is progressing."

"I came here knowing I'm on borrowed time, Dear One," Dorothy spoke wryly. "I had hopped to help Jill and Aryssa bond more with each other though."

Aryssa's reaction was that of visual protest. She looked up to Jill as a sister, but she refused to let that drunk take over Dorothy's place in her heart.

Siaxx turned to Aryssa. "She needs you... she doesn't let on that she does.... but... she does."

"Jill's a sheep dog. She goes after the wolves ta protect tha herd," Aryssa countered shortly. "Makes no effort ta get ta know the sheep though."

"She doesn't consider them worthy of her." Siaxx explained. "I can't say I really blame her though..."

"She loves you though," Aryssa pointed out in a mix of happiness for Siaxx and Jill, and yet bitterness of herself for not having a connection as strong with Phoenix. "I'm tha bastard she never planned ta have."

"Doesn't mean she hates you, Aryssa." Dorothy's eyes were so sympathetic for Aryssa that she wanted to hold the teen. Thing was, she was a lot like Phoenix. Folks did not really embrace Aryssa unless the teen said so. "We haven't been fair to Phoenix at all, really, when you look at the big picture."

"How so?" Aryssa asked very dubiously.

"In the span of a few hours after arriving here, she's had to discover that I will die within the year," Dorothy spoke as she counted on her fingers, "That you can't read well and you father and I are too feeble now to be much of help there. That Yeager is coming here to settle legal affairs with you -"

Aryssa rolled here eyes at that. She knew Yeager was coming here in order to finalize Aryssa's legal papers so she could function as an independent... And she overheard something about Oxly needing pressure on something, while she was waiting at the study to Yeager's study.

"And she's also in a relationship with Siaxx that's very new to her," Dorothy continued sympathetically as she turned to the Bolian. "We put all our burdens on her shoulders, to get her ready to be the mother she should of been.... When we need to help her and Siaxx out with this new relationship of theirs."

"I don't get it," Aryssa finally signed in frustration when she could not make any correlations.

"It means that we put too much on 'er shoulders, too fast," Blake explained as he finished his plate. "Anyone would crack up, put in 'at sort of pressure cooker. An' she don' know how ta deal with all of it at once."

Then she looked to Dorothy and Blake, then to Siaxx as if she finally understood. The Sullivans had not gone after Phoenix after the outburst on Siaxx, because Phoenix needed space to process and decompress.

"Not good ta leave her by herself too long though," Aryssa finally pointed out.

Siaxx nodded. "As soon as we finish here... I'm going to go put my foot up her ass." the Bolian responded.

"I should like to see the two of you here at dinner more often, I admit," Dorothy smiled sheepishly, for it was a selfish, wishful thought.

"Well... I like to think I am entertaining." the Bolian smiled at the older woman as she turned to Blake. "You and I should talk after dinner..." she paused. "I am not sure how to discuss your final request." she indicated Dorothy. "Bolian's throw a big party... all the relatives and friends of the deceased come and the party lasts two or so days."

"Sounds very similar to an Irish wake - which is what I want," Dorothy spoke with a bittersweet tone.

Siaxx nodded. "Very well.... It will be done." she answered simply. "May I add a few Bolian touches?" she inquired. "stuff like food and drink... no music... "

"I gotta go polish my boots," Aryssa finally said with annoyance as she stood up from the table. She loathed the JRSFROTC program with a passion, but quickly found the flight's instructors were keeping Aryssa in the program under Phoenix's orders... no matter how badly Aryssa tried to score on her monthly report.

Siaxx looked at Aryssa. "Do you like the program?" she inquired.

"I don', not really," Aryssa confessed as she cleaned her plate at the sink. "Jill's fighter folks wont let me quit either."

"You wanted to enlist not long ago," Blake pointed out with high interest.

"I moved on from that career path," Aryssa reminded both of her parents. "Not sure why Jill's forcin' it on me. Not like she's givin' me private lessons like she does Rache."

"Yes, Rachael did mention extra classes.... I wonder what she could be learning..." she arched an eyebrow.

"I think Jill just wants to give you something that you still want, even though you deny it," Dorothy spoke sagely. "You were really bitter when you failed the reading assessment exam. At least now you have an opportunity to be part of the corps."

"But I aint as good as Rache in a fighter," Aryssa countered.

"You can be a good flier and be a poor officer. Am I right, Siaxx?" Dorothy spoke as she turned to the Bolian.

Siaxx chuckled softly. "You could.... but you won't get far." she explained patiently. "Do you actually care about where you want to go in life?"

"I dunno what I want," Aryssa finally admitted in frustration.

"So, stick with this program and see where it goes..." Siaxx explained.
"It could help you later on..."

"Holosports is where the money's at," Aryssa explained for what might of been the hundredth time to her folks. "I'm good at Quidditch too."

"Okay... then afterwards when the cash runs out and you break something you can't easily replace." Siaxx commented. "What will you do then?" she inquired. "At least if something goes wrong with me, I have others around who can help me."

"Be a sports commentator. That's what all tha pros do," Aryssa quipped back easily enough.

Siaxx raised an eyebrow. "You might want to stick with this program.... quitting is easy..... she doesn't think you can handle it anyway.... I say prove her wrong."

"Jill knows I can do it... She knows I don' wanna be her," Aryssa pointed out rather fiercely.

"Alright." Siaxx said simply. "You've already proven your worth to me.... Now prove it to her.."

"It don' matter if I try hard or not now. Cause lots of kids in my class have basic flight already. I'll not make a flight team, cause I don' read fast enough ta learn," Aryssa finally spoke in frustration.

"So you'll have to fight harder for it.... but in the end... it'll make you a better pilot.. because you wanted it enough to work twice as hard as all of these other little shits." Siaxx commented, swearing was something she almost never did.