Of space... and Time... (Jeremy Varin)

[Trinity Sundergotte]

It had been almost three days since Jeremy and Trin had had lunch. She still smiled thinking of the banter back and forth and the flirting she imagined he was doing. Whether he had been or not, she wasn't sure now. But in her mind it helped to ease the lonliness sometimes.

After three days, and remaining in her quarters to stay out from underfoot, she decided she would stop by the man's quarters to see if hehad done anything with the watch, yet. She was wearing dark blue denims and a deep blue jewel colored button up shirt. Short black boots and a black short leather jacket completed the outfit. Walking thru the halls of the ship she wondered absently how the Lady was doing. Perhaps tomorrow she would seek her out. If for no other reason than to see how she was and offer her an invitation to come by for tea some time.

--
Ten minutes later she was standing outside his quarters. Her mind began arguing about whether this such a good idea. Surely the man was busy. Following that line of thought, he probably wasn't even here. With that in mind, she pressed the chime beside the door. She barely waited a heartbeat before she turned to go. See, he's not here, her mind whispered... despite the fact she hadn't even given him enough time to open the door.

[Jeremy Varin]

There was a muffled call of 'Just a moment" that sounded from behind the closed door, but it wasn't long before the door whisked upwards to reveal a rather bedraggled Jeremy Varin. One hand came up to press the heel of his palm into his right eyes while the other peered groggily at the person who now seemed to be... retreating?

"Ms. Sundergotte... ?"

As if his appearance wasn't enough indication of the nap he'd been taking had had a stranglehold upon him, then his slightly cracked voice certainly punctuated the sight of a half-buttoned duty jacket and the off-white undershirt beneath. Bare feet shifted, as his off-hand hooked a thumb though the beltloop of his trousers.

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity bit her lip as he opened the door. "Mr. Va...Jeremy.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I should have checked..." She stammered her apology even as the color rose on her cheeks at seeing him all disheveled.

"Forgive me...I'll...ummm...I'll come back another time." She unclenched her fists when she realized, as her hand cramped, that she was fighting the urge to reach up and run her fingers thru his tussled hair. A brief flash of how he must look, sleeping, made the blush flash brighter a moment before she backed up and accidentally bumped someone.

"Sorry..." She murmured to them and then nodded back at Jeremy. "I'm sorry. I'll let you go back to sleep." She bit her lip still unable to turn and run like her mind was screaming for her to do.

[Jeremy Varin]

He allowed himself the barest moment of calm before trying to calm to rushed words of the his caller. It was a feat, to be sure, as his mind was still arrested by the cobwebs of sleep and a hasty awakening. Truth of the matter, he'd been napping on the small utilitarian sofa that his small quarters allowed. A single room that barely accommodated a sofa, bed, and work desk. Of course, he'd also filled the small bit of personal space he had with another work table for his hobbies. It wasn't anything that really warranted an appraising look, but it was what he liked, and what fit the requirements of his needs.

"No no, no worries," he couldn't help the smile that came unbidden to his features.

"No harm done," a yawn interrupted whatever else he had to say, and Jeremy stifled it with a hand.

"You just caught me in a bit of a nap, is all."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity bit her lip caught between flight and stammering out even more apologies. His smile was her undoing. For some reason, despite the fact he even admitted he was sleeping, she relaxed. "I was just tired of being cooped up. I'm sorry." She caught herself apologizing once more. "I should have called you first, seen if you were awake and wanting company."

She managed to step back towards him to allow another person passing the hallway to go unhindered behind her. It put her within arm's reach of the man. A soft smile finally played on her face as she relaxed a bit. Something about his proximity did that, and she had no idea why. "I can come back later if you want? I just thought I'd check up on my watch. I don't expect it yet, but I was curious if you had had a chance to look at it yet."

[Jeremy Varin]

A nod was given to the passing crewer, but it wasn't a moment later that his eyes tracked back to Ms. Sundergotte. She had the look of a scared flutterdeer, and it was enough to cause a soft expression to fall over his features. He couldn't help but step back and to the side, one arm shifting outward in a silent beckon.

"It's fine," again he tried to reassure her with words.

"Come in, and let's take a look at your chrono, yeh?"

[Trinity Sundergotte]

As he stepped back and offered her entrance to his quarters, she smiled and walked in beside him. Looking around the room, she smiled. "Thank you, Jeremy. I won't keep you long. I'm sure sleep is more precious than entertaining allowable stowaways." She laughed and moved aside so he could step around her.

Her eyes glanced around the room as she took in the tussled bed and casual set up. It was nice to see this side of him. She knew his ship was impeccable, and so was his uniform when she had seen him in it. The fact he relaxed in his personal space made him seem more personable. A small smile lit her face. "I love what you did with the place," she teased him.

[Jeremy Varin]

"Well," he couldn't help the rumbled chuckle that escaped his lips, "... not much a body can really do with a one-room bunk."

And it was the truth. The single space was not large, but it had at least had a uniqueness to it that made it seem bigger than it really was. A bed along the far wall, the covers slightly mussed beneath an admittedly impressive view of space from the window above. The stars, rather than single pinpricks in a blanket of black velvet, were thin, streaking lines that only meant they were in hyperspace.

A small side table served as a nightstand, and a desk off to the side sat with a smattering of datapads and flimsis atop its' wooded surface. Along the opposite wall was a compact, utilitarian sofa and a low table - this one with a collection of small, precise tools laid out. The old pocket chrono rested in the centre.

"Still though, it's better than some of the places I've stayed."

He gestured to a closed door towards the back of the room.

"At least I've got my own fresher. Not many ships allow their crews to have them, so I count myself lucky."

His eyes soon enough returned to her, and moving to the sofa, he lowered himself to sit while giving a light pat the to cushion beside him.

"Sit."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

She took the joke at face value and smiled. "Well, I think this place is perfect." Having grown up in opulence, she actually found the tight space she and he had on the ship, as comforting. There were no useless things scattered around. Everything had a purpose, a place, and a reason. Unlike a mansion with several sitting rooms, multiple unused bedrooms and more nooks and crannies than any small family needed.

When he patted the cushion beside him, she smiled and moved to take the offered seat. With a hand space between them, she looked at his collections of tools on the table and shook her head. "I have absolutely no idea what most of those... ok, all of those are for." Shaking her head, she started to reach for the chrono then pulled her hand back. "I guess I thought it would be something as simple as taking it apart, replacing some spring or other then putting it back together." Her cheeks blushed as she realized how simplistic and naïve that outlook was.

[Jeremy Varin]

His smile only continued to radiate warmth.

"Sometimes that's all that it takes," came his admission.

"But, every so often there's a bit more that needs to be tended to."

Reaching out, his hands carefully went around the sides of the chrono, index fingers gently but firmly pressing against the sides before ever-so-slowly lifting up. The chrono's to circular frame came away, leaving the face beneath with its' hands and alien-scribed numbers. At least he guessed that those were what they were. Either way, a chrono was a rather singular beast, and no matter the symbol used to denote what the hours were, they meant mostly the same thing.

Setting the top frame aside, he shifted his right hand so that delicate fingers lifted the face.

Beneath was a precise cluster of embedded gears, all laid over one another.

"But this one's a bit different. Some of these gears," his left hand moved, a finger extending to try and point out the small contents, "... they're stripped and there are some missing teeth, even."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trin watched as the man moved with meticulous precision in removing the crystal and the rings to expose the inner workings of her father's ancient time piece. As he showed the gears, she nodded. "I never realized that's how it worked. I mean," she laughed as she realized how ignorant that sounded. "I mean, I knew it ran on parts, just not how."

Seeing the various cogs he spoke of, she could tell where parts of it were fine and other parts nearly worn smooth with decades of passing over, under and into one another. "So the trick is finding more wheels, that small," she laughed slightly, "and with the right spacing, to replace them with?" She shrugged teasing him. "Piece of cake, right?" She laughed slightly but had resigned herself to acceptance it would never run again.

Her hand rose to the table and hovered just near his own. "They are so delicate. It's a wonder anyone could figure it out at all." She was in awe of not just the mechanics of the chrono, but the feeling that while she merely saw wheels and pins, he saw the actual workings of the time piece and the mysteries she wasn't even aware of.

[Jeremy Varin]

He smiled at her words, continuing to delicately pull each piece out with a sureness born of experience.

"Lots of folks these days don't have the patience to sit and figure out old chrono timepieces, and so they think they're boring."

A shrug at that, as he took up a pair of thin tweezers to gain access to the thinner, almost minuscule inner workings. Each pin, shaft, stopper, and helt lever were removed until only the outer casing was left, empty and bereft of the internal organs that would turn it into the beating heart of timekeeping that it was.

"But, you'd be surprised how many folks still find interest in them," his head canted upward then, as his memory went through the sorts of replacement parts that he usually kept on hand. The tweezers were gently set down as he rose to stand, and moving over to his desk, Jeremy pulled open one of the larger bottom drawers. A hand reached in and he pulled out a gunmetal grey case.

His smile remained as he returned to the sofa.

"I might have a few of the pieces you need in here," he finished, giving the case an almost affectionate pat with his free hand.

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity felt the absence of his warmth when he rose. Side affect of her lineage, feeling the heat of others... Especially in close proximity.

"Well I admit I don't think I'd even know where to start. But if you don't mind a shadow, is love to watch you try and fix it. I mean," she blushed and looked back at the pieces to hide her face, "I mean... Just for a little bit. I'm sure you prefer solitude to work. My father always did." The final sentence almost dropping with the hint that she wasn't happy that had been how it was.

But this was someone else. Someone like enough to offer to help. She would never begrudge him anything for that. As he sat back down, their thighs brushed. She shifted slightly, though reluctantly, to give him space. "You actually have extra parts... For this..." she pointed at the watch, "in there?" This time she couldn't help but laugh. "Surely you're teasing me. How? I mean, I can't imagine too many things on a ship having wheels and pins and..." the couldn't think of the other parts suddenly, "and... pieces that small, surely."

She hasn't known before that moment that such intricate and tiny things existed. Yet he had a collection? The amazement on her face was purely radiating.

[Jeremy Varin]

He allowed a chuckle, settling himself once more on the sofa while opening up the case. Small bins were removed from their hinged spots along the top to reveal a deeper tray that held shallow compartments, each one filled with a myriad of tiny parts. Screw, gears, winders, springs,nuts, all in miniature.

"The nice thing about people who work on chronos as a hobby," he carefully picked through one of the sections that held an assortment of toothed wheels, "... is that they've usually got the right parts."

Another studious look at the chrono as it lay spread open for all to see, and he went back to the case, this time picking through a smattering of weighted bearings.

"And if we don't have the right parts exctly, we usually have ways of making what we do have work."

Satisfied with his scrounging, Jeremy pushed the case lightly to the side so that he could bring the old chrono close.

"You know," he started as his hands moved in precise motions, "... I don't think I've ever brought anyone that wasn't the Captain back from Schwartzweld. Not even her daughter, and certainly not the old bookwolf, Karrnage. Though, that one always stays on the planet no matter what."

He blinked in sudden thought, angling his head to afford her a sidelong look.

"Did you even see him while you were there?"

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trin watched him work. It fascinated her that such miniscule parts were in such abundance. "I guess Fate favors us both, then. Doesn't she? To give you something you enjoy doing, and me someone to help preserve my past."

She watched him a moment more till he started to mention the Captain's Manor and her appearance there. As he asked about seeing someone else, she shook her head. "I don't believe so. I mean, I sensed others had recently been in the house. But I only met the Droid."

Her heart was racing and she was suddenly glad he wasn't lupine. Otherwise, he would have surely heard her rapid pulse. As it was, it didn't occur to that their proximity would give. She reached out absently to touch one of the tiny discarded cogs he's pushed away.

After a moment or two of gathering her determination, she started to tell him her story. But she didn't look at him and the tiny great became the whole focus of her vision. "I'm sure you know the Captain well enough to know not a regular visitor to the house." Her awkwardness in the kitchen that would have confirmed it. "I traveled there sell out and claim my birthright. There's a plot of landa Manor house once not my family name. I had come to rebuild and claim it." The utter defeat in her voice was something almost palpable. "But it was gone. Not the land, I mean. But the house. Weeds and grass as high as my hips have overgrown the slight outline of a partial wall." Her breath shuddered with the memory as she continued. "I went into the nearby town to see what had occurred. But no one was there. So I went to the next town... It was the same. Everyone was gone, every... thing... was gone. My legacy, my history... All of it. Gone."

She slowly pushed the little spoked wheel back to where it had been. "The Captain found me in the middle of the town. It was late and she offered me shelter. The manor was closer than my shuttle." She folded her hands and set them in her lap. "My family is dead. I'm the last of my House. And the Captain is... was... kind enough to offer me a place here on the ship since I have no where else to go." She shrugged and smiled, but the light didn't quite some in her eyes like before. "So now you know. I'm an orphan with a secret and no idea who can know and who can't. I'm scared to slip and call the Captain Lady again. It seems like every time, and law, and warning I've ever been raised with are... wrong. And now I'm lost and I don't know what to do."

As she looked at Jeremy, she realized what she'd blurted out. "Forgive me! I didn't mean... I should go" She started to scoot across the couch to stand up without bumping the table.

[Jeremy Varin]

Her reaction to her own words was concerning, but Varin at least didn't let it show. Instead he swiftly deposited a small spring on the table before moving his hand. It fell on her shoulder with a firm grip.

"Don't go tucking your tail," his voice was a deep rumble, his features soft and understanding.

"Stay until I've finished, at least."

He gave her shoulder a squeeze, hoping to encourage her into not being so... so damned flighty.

"Remember. Steel in the spine."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

The young woman hadn't expected his touch. Though if asked, she wasn't sure what she expected. But his solid grip on her shoulder made her freeze. If he noticed, she had startled, just a little. Something told Jeremy this woman was either ridiculously sheltered, or something had happened to her.

With her face turned towards the door, he wouldn't see her close her eyes a moment to compose herself as his base voice ran down the spine he was speaking of.

"Steel in the spine..." She managed to murmur before opening hey eyes and smiling as she turned back to face him. "Steel in the spine, huh?" She was flushed, but probably more from embarrassment than anything else. His invitation to stay ran thru her mind. She should go... Go to her quarters.. Leave him be... Stop being a whining pest.

But she didn't. Moving back beside him, careful not to let their legs touch this time, she nodded. "I'll stay." As her heart slowed from the sudden panic and flight mode she had been in, she nodded slightly. "Thank you, Jeremy."

[Jeremy Varin]

His hold on her shoulder turned into a gentle pat as his hand came away, and he returned his attentions to the old chrono. A few moments of thought, and her gently slid it so that it was in front of her.

"How about you fix it? I'll tell you what to do, so don't worry about breaking anything."

His now-free hand plucked the spring back up, and his other held up a small, delicate pair of pliers for her to take.

"Here, take these."

[Trinity Sundergotte]

Trinity couldn't believe she was sitting here, watching him piece her past back together, literally. As he patted her back, she smiled slightly. "Thanks..."

Watching him slide the chrono towards her made her eyes widen. Both hands rose as if fending off a blow. "No... I couldn't... I mean... I..." Her lip slid between her teeth as she took the small pair of pliers in her hand. With hands much smaller than his, she had a new appreciation for the man's coordination with the small tools. She looked at the pliers and then at him. "Steel in the spine... right?" This time the laugh was a bit more relaxed.

She took a deep breath, adjusted the pliers in her hand and nodded. "Ok... I can do this." She looked up and smiled. "With your help!" This time the laugh was once more genuine and relaxed.

[Jeremy Varin]

She was relaxing, which was a good sign.

"I'll certainly be helping," he chuckled the words out.

This bit of her history was important to her, he had suspicion enough of that. But, there was also the feeling that it would be that much more special if she was the one to piece things back together. He knew he'd appreciate the chance to repair his own past. Maybe that was why he'd made her take the reigns in this little endeavor.

"Ok. Now, that worn-out gear there," he made sure that she knew exactly which one he was talking about, "... that's the one you'll want to pull out first."

She did exactly as he instructed, and he gave a nod as the damaged piece was deposited to the side.

"Good. The spring that's still nestled in there, you're going to need to unscrew the locking pin with this... " his free hand reached out to take up the tiniest of spanners, and he pressed it into the palm of her free hand.

"Don't worry, it won't pop out. The pin just keeps it from shifting; once you remove that, you can lift the spring out easy as you please."