Hit The Deck (Day 5 Evening)

Time ticked away and evening moved to late evening as Vas stretched out on his bed, following over to his stomach as he continued to read the manual. Another long day was coming to a close but the best part was only about to begin!

Daisy scurried from her spot at Serena’s feet underneath the crew table, near sending her glass tumbling to the deck below, but luckily the pig tailed teen caught it in time. Daisy swung sad eyes her way. “I miss him too,” she said, scritching the dog behind her ears. She dropped off the Crew Chief’s dinner early just in case -- the chance to sit and eat herself was a little unexpected, but welcome none the less. Gil had helped her fold laundry and it weren’t a *euphemism* for anything. She trudged from the crew loft back to the galley, catching Elle’s eyes briefly, and the Interim Crew Chief hoped the girl remembered there were still passenger showers to be scrubbed before morning, otherwise she’d find herself being woke up for a 4 am start. The teen put her own dishes in the sink as Daisy scurried beneath the Captain’s feet hoping for a second meal herself.

“Crew Chief?” She called with two raps on the hatch.

Vas closed the manual with a snap before rolling off his bed. “Come on down! I have new things to add the routine!” Too much time and too much thinking afforded him to start getting creative to keep things fresh!

Serena, whose muscles complained already from the *old* routine already felt them protesting as she climbed down the hatch. “New things,” she said, with as much excitement as she could muster - stowing any balking she might have been thinking. Besides, seeing him animated and genuinely happy helped raise her own spirits.

“Don’t get too excited or anything.” Vas teased. He was in his element after all! It wasn’t easy, he knew but he really did have the best in mind for her. They started there warm-ups. “You know your Do Re Me’s?”

“I have a feelin’ I will soon!” She replied, stretching out her shoulders.

“It’s a kinda singing exercise … Do, Re, Me …” Vas sang up and down showing her. “... go on your turn.” He said seemingly unaffected by the warm-up AND singing.

“You have a good voice!” She told him as she switched to stretching a hamstring muscle. “Show me again?”

“Meh ... “ Vas shrugged.” … haha you get one more and then you sing along … “ He said eying the girl suspiciously. “ Do .. Re …” He said singing up and down again. “Now it’s DEFINITELY your turn.”

Serena giggled, and tried to match her voice to his as she stood on her toes for her calf muscles. “Mi-Fa-So-La-Ti-Do!” She finished with another giggle.

“Okay, now I know to make fun of me in the attempts to sing reticularly deep like that.” Vas laughed. “How about you just do it in *your* normal voice not *mine*” He suggested as they moved to a different exercise.

“My own voice, okay, but why are we practicing Do-re-mis?” She asked, keeping her legs straight, arms stretching up to the ceiling then to her toes.

Vas smiled like a cat with a canary in his paws and he started to jog in place. “Build up your endurance and breath. Knees up!” He said singing Do Re Me’s and encouraging Serena to follow suit.

Serena followed suit, finding it hard to both hold notes and get her knees up, one or the other was happening, causing her to giggle again. “Can I hold one note for the same amount of time?” She asked, “I like fa, it sounds like you’re about to cuss but got caught.”

“Nope, it is about BREATHING not holding your breath.” Vas explained. “Think of this as an EXTRA challenge.” He said a disgustingly cheerful tone. “Besides … good practice for your singing voice and all that.”

“I don’t hear you sing,” she replied, already finding it harder to talk while running in place. “I don’t think ever!”

“That cuz I don’t.” Vas confirmed. “Doesn’t mean I can’t. Subtle but VAST difference. Starting to lag … Knees up!” He pushed.

“Why… not?” She asked, bringing her knees up higher as he requested. “If you can.”

“Why not? Ain’t much call for it.” Vas shrugged. “Not like there been opportunity or reason. ‘Sides plenty of folk sing from what I heard. No need for another wannabe songbird harping about.” He said dryly.

“On account of… it makes people happy…” she told him, as high step running gave way to jumping jacks.

“How bad you want me to sing?” Vas said an idea forming.

“A lot!” Serena said, in-between jumping.

“I’ll sing you a song as long as you can keep doing them jumping jacks … good deal?” Vas said with a smile.
“You’re on!” She giggled, gearing up for the challenge.

“Ooookaaaay …” Vas saifd going right into the first verse of ‘The Wild Rover’.

Serena struggled towards the end, but managed to make it through the entire song, resting her hands on her knees on the last note. Not only did he have a good voice which made the time go faster, but, the fact that he could keep in step with her and still not skip a beat of the song gave her something to work towards. “You… should sing… more often.” She told him, trying to catch her breath.

“Next time you can sing the chorus with me.” Vas chuckled rolling up a pillow and ties the laces from his boot around to make a strike shield. “I know oddles of marching song, pub songs, know some opera too. Not much though, soon as my voice dropped I couldn’t sing the parts I knew.” He explained sliding his arm and testing how secure it was.

Serena took the extra time to catch her breath until he was finished, dropping into a fighting stance. “You can show me!” she told him, gearing up to throw a punch. “I think you sing great, Crew Chief.”

“I sing *okay* I don’t practice much. I got a good ear for though. Grew up around the old Opera house. Now *that* is singing. No mic, how speakers. Just you and four walls and belting it out on key in various languages so folk in the back can hear ya. Then doing that every night … Phh.” Vas had a high bar. He had been different then. Had war never came … it might have been him on that stage every night instead of here on the ship. But the war did come. Things did change. He was on this ship.

Zero regrets.

“Okay, so we’re going to start putting into practice all the things I been drilling into your head. We're going to learn some basic combos.” He said holding up the pillow shield. “Ready?”

“Ready!” She replied, letting out a breath. Hitting something definitely would feel great. She clapped her hands together and brought her fists up.

“Let's start out simple. Jab, Jab, Kick.” Vas said braced. Even though the padding was supposed to soften the blow for him, he still had years of practice smacking his arms against things, so really it was so Serena didn’t feel like she was hitting a metal pole.

Strike shields in the temple. Ha! Man, this girl had it so much easier Vas mused.

“Jab, Jab, Kick.” Serena reminded herself with each action, right, left right, left, right, left, working into a rhythm. It was easy in the lull of repetitiveness to remind herself of anything she had to bring up to him before their time was up, but she’d also quickly redirect herself to pay attention to any changes in the routines.

“Harder … head in the game, not the clouds. Turn that hip out. You *fighting* not *dancing*. Hit me like you mean it!” Vas pushed.

Serena grinded her teeth but complied, even though her fists would hurt each time she connected with his arm. Before long, the teen’s hair was matted with sweat, and she took to imagining different things, people, and situations in general that warranted hitting, which helped in so far as putting more effort into the strikes.

“Okay we’re going to add in a duck ... so Jab, jab, kick, quack …” He said giving the girl a head’s up. “Stay focused I can SEE your head wandering!!” He warned.

“I *am* focused.” she told him, breaking into the new rhythm. Right, left, kick, duck, and he’d take a swipe with the pillowed arm. Left, right, kick, duck. Right left kick duck - slightly faster. That’s what she’d do to Keller. Knock the hat right off his stupid head for all of his I-knew-it talk about the crew chief. Right, left, kick, duck. And Elle, for not listening to her in the first place. Left, right, kick, duck. And the lieutenant, for not sticking up for the crew chief, Right, Left, right, kick.

Serena forgot to duck and got a face full of forearm wrapped in pillow with enough force to wallop her good. “I’m focused she said.” Vas tsked. “You okay pigtails?”

The blow knocked her off balance, but she was quick to reset into a fighting stance, her pride stinging more than the knock that caught her off guard. “Spacers are made of stern stuff,” she reminded him, bringing her fists back for another round. “Again?” She asked, making sure they’d be running the same drill.

Good.” He said in an approving tone. A compliment if you knew Vas well enough. “Faster.” He said as they started up again. Soon enough he was back to egging her. “Come on Serene! Fight! You think anyone going to take it easy on you cuz of your pigtails? I’m the ENEMY HIT ME. Your life is depending on it!” He pushed. “All in or not at all!”

He was pushing buttons, and just like before, she walked into it. She’d hit with all her might, but it would be called sloppy, or worse, weak. *Is that all you got?* *Focus! Are you trying to hit me or tickle me?* The more he goaded, the harder it was to remember the combinations which the crew chief was switching up, zero time in between to think about switching it up. He was pulling his punches in return, but she found she was getting a face full of pillow about as often as she was connecting with it, which only caused *more* frustration. She could feel it building - his plates sitting in the corner, meaning there were more dishes to be washed, having to check to make sure the showers were scrubbed, Ms. Meadow complaining her tea was too hot, too cold, too sweet, not sweet enough, the lieutenant asking her the status of things in the morning that usually weren’t done til later in the day, Mr. Lombard not knowing that hospital corners weren’t fitted sheets, meaning he untucked them every night, then demanded they be fixed, every night, and worst of all -- She swung wildly with a left cross and got hit, *again,* prompting the girl to shove him with both hands. “And they didn’t even ask!” she hissed, swinging another cross instead of a jab.

This time she missed the pillow whole and nearly pegged Vas in the nose. Thankfully he was quick enough to lean back and let the cross miss. “There … something you wana talk about there pigtails?” He asked both eyebrows up. They were dure for a break anyway. He wasn’t blind he knew there were a lot of demands going around and there now one hand down with another who didn’t know their elbow from their asshole. There was also a clear divisions on the ship. Crew, the new Independent class slowly forming and passengers. Worse he was pretty sure Serena wasn’t happy about his CTQ and Riley wasn’t the easiest to deal with. It took time to warm up to her, know how she worked, how she wanted things done. Frankly, he was at this point so out of the loop on most things Serena was acting as his only source for the going on on the ship. “You wana take a break and tell me about it?” He offered.

“No!” She said hotly. “I don’t want to *tell* you about it, I want you to *know* about it but you can’t, because you’re stuck down here and I’m stuck up there and it sucks! And yes, if it was an actual fight, I’d be dead because my emotions got the better of me but it’s not fair and Daisy tries but she’s not good company because I know she’s just hanging around on account of she wants me to drop something and I’m the only one does what the Captain says, and so what if I get stitches! And I know. You said no complaining so go ahead and assign me something, I don’t care.”

“Tsk tsk … I said no complain’ about *training*.” Vas reminded filling a cup of water for her and passing it to her. He sat down on the bed and patted it for her to join him. “I know it’s not fair. Lotsa things ain’t fair. I know it doesn’t look it but Riley does have my back. It ain’t easy being Crew Cheif I get it. Everyone gets mad at you for doing your job and you get yelled at when someone don’t, but you know I don’t care and neither should you. This ain’t no popularity contest and the only one who seems to get that is you and Riley. These … roustabouts … more than likely will move on … but it’s folk like you me and Riley who will still be here. Because this, ain’t a ship. It’s our home. Only one we got. We got roots here.” Vas shrugged. “But it sounds like you're getting a little iced out there?” Vas inquired.

“Roots,” she scoffed. “Cold as New Kasmir at least then there was hot chocolate. It’s like..” she swallowed a sip of water, sitting next to him on the bed. “I didn’t have no one to talk to on the Skyhook, and what I liked when I got here, everyone was so friendly and no one… ‘cept the lieutenant didn’t care so much if I was *succinct* or not - I banked that word, by the way. And Mistah Doctah Adluh *will* listen if *I go* see him, which I do when I have time, and tonight they just --” she took another sip of water. “They could’ve asked at least.”

Vas listened with all the patience in the world. “Asked about what?” He nudged curiously.

“The captain told Drake that crew takes dinner at the crew table in the loft, and Mistah Doctah Adluh and Lyen and Marisol asked Elle to eat with them in the galley, and they didn’t….” she kicked her toe on the floor.

“Well … one could argue that Elle is new and they’re trying to get to know her … make her feel welcomed.” Vas shrugged taking a sip from his cup. “But … I dunno kid. Lately, I come around to think I don’t know either of ‘em. ‘Specially Doc.”

Serena didn’t want to hear ‘what one could argue’, and the teen rolled her eyes. “I know ‘em.” She loved Mistah Doctah Adluh, maybe more than she should, and she wanted things to be okay between them in the worst way. “We should get back at it.” The teen said, not meeting his eyes. “Before my muscles cool down.”

“Don’t get all jilted on me.” Vas chuckled at the eyes roll as he got back up. “I said one *could* argue … didn’t mean [i]I[/] agree. I don’t. You been double-timing it and folk here have to be blind to not see it. Knowing the schedule means you been eating alone most days so seeing all your friends yucking it up while you get pushed back to the cargo bay sucks.” He said slipping on the pillow shield. “Hell Marisol seems to have plenty of time on her hands, you know she made dinner and everything and ate here. With me?” Vas snorted and shook his head. “I ain’t got one clue what that was about. Hands down the most awkward moment on this ship and that includes when we had the companion-not-companion on board. Talked about a whole buncha nothing too be honest. I know more about Marisol because of you that I do from her!”

“She came down to eat with you on account of I had to do turndowns and Elle wasn’t on her feet yet and she offered to help since I was worried you weren’t gonna get hot food and was gonna be alone.” Serena replied, slowing her punches. “It was nice of her, and it did help me a lot, and I asked her to be nice to you, on account of crew looks out for crew.”

“I can always rely on you having my back.” Vas beamed. “IF you want so you don’t have to eat alone you can hang here if you want. Though Daisy might get jilted cuz I KNOW you been feeding her scrap.” He snarked as they started up again.

“I want Daisy to like me.” She wanted Elle to like her too, but Esteban was out of cookies, so fat chance of that happening. “And I can’t, I don’t always know when I’m gonna get to take dinner and Captain said he wants crew to eat at the crew table,” The pigtailed teen replied, jab, jab, kick, ducking. “Orders are orders. Ain’t right that some people follow orders, and some people get away with not.”

“What you get ordered not to socialize with me?” Vas said an eyebrow quirked. That was an odd thing to do. He was CTQ, not a prisoner in a brig. Yet. “Well … remind them of their place. Marisol, Doc and Lyen can eat where they please but like you said Crew has to eat at the crew table less they got the Captains or Riley’s leave to do so. If they don’t listen then you tell Riley to dock their pay. It’s what I would do. Still don’t listen? Nothing sends a message like docked pay AND scut work.” He advised.

“Captain said… I overheard - which is different than eavesdropped - ‘em tell Drake.” Serena said, taking another shot with the pillow. “He didn’t say I couldn’t socialize… if … that’s what we’re doing, which I ain’t told no one about like you said. If Riley wants to dock pay she can, I don’t so much care who eats where, if the Captain hollers he hollers.”

“Well here’s how it is. Captain don’t want crew eating in the galley. You know cuz the help don’t eat shoulder to shoulder with paying passengers.” Vas tried not to roll his eyes. “So long as your out of sight I’m sure he don’t care none where you eat. So here is as good as the crew table. I’m crew. I have a table. Crew table.” Vas explained. “But if he catches Crew eating at the not crew table … whose fault is that?” Vas asked.

“Mine.” She answered, dejectedly.

“Damn right. You’re the one who gets hollered at for crew being out of line and it’s gonna be *YOUR* pay that gets docked cuz of it. All the blame none of the credit. Crew does good they get rewarded, not the Crew Chief. Crew messes up that’s on the Crew Chief.” Vas reminded. “You ain’t paid to be nice, hold hands, pull folk aside, braid their hair and ask ‘em nice over cookies and tea! We’re running a ship so either they can act like adults and do their job or they can get off. Plenty of folks looking for work and this is good ship that always has work.”

Serena regretted bringing it up, it was nothing she couldn’t handle, she didn’t want him having that on his mind. “So why do you do it?” She asked.

Vas paused for a moment thinking. “I got promoted. I accepted.” He shrugged. “Not like I was gunning for it or anything. ‘Sides if Riley didn’t think I could handle it or that I didn’t have the chops for it she wouldn’t have offered. I honestly don’t mind the job. I have my crew and my crew knows me.” Vas nodded thinking that was satisfactory.

“I’ll talk to Elle.” Serena relented. “I don’t not want her to feel welcomed, but I don’t not want her to get in trouble with the Captain. And… I got her on scut work, cause scut work has to get done, and cause maybe I’m not so young and obligin’.” She snap kicked the pillow and ducked from his reach.

“You do whatever you gotta do. Cuz that’s the job and make no apologies for it.” Vas advised. “Okay let's switch it up and work on that front kick of yours …”

Serena groaned. “My leg muscles are already singing something, and it sure ain’t do-re-mi!” she groused.

The crew chief snickered in response, and the teen realized that the *training complaint* was made out loud. He ticked his head and the teen let out a huff, hitting the deck to hold a plank until he’d give the second tsk to drop. “Can this be *succinct* Crew Chief?”

A scuffle above saved her from the torture that was holding a pushup at half push for too long, as she turned her head towards Vas.

"Go check it out." He directed, craining his neck to see up the ladder.