SmokeEmpress
Inactive Member
Rec Room
Jo made her way to her room first, after the long talk about what all went right and wrong in the hangar. She had Jethro working on how they could work better next time, going through how the others flew and working out calculations to better know who is where and what not. Even adding in their new location as part of the team in the given formations that they will need to work on. What Jo wanted to do, for now, was change out of her uniform and take in some downtime. She put on a pair of pants and a shirt, then headed to the Rec Room with her sketch pad and pencils. She found an empty couch and sat, pencil in hand as she stared at the blank page, waiting for some sort of inspiration to come through.
For Jayden, he hadn't really stopped working since he awoke aboard the NSS Oracle , his decision to take some time to relax and clear wouldn't have been that much of a surprise to anyone else except... really himself. Working kept him focused, the two going hand in hand like clockwork. When the Aquilas were given free time to rest and reflect, he opted to change into more casual clothes instead of the uniform he for the most part always felt comfortable in.
The ship was bustling with activity as various personnel shuffled around in order to aid in the work in progress repairs being made on the run. It was strangely nice to see things from a different perspective, but the timing made it very difficult for him to fully appreciate. Having arrived at the Rec Room, Jayden paused for a moment, almost as if he'd changed his mind to turn around and leave but instead entered and looked around.
Jo had her back to the door of the Rec room, thanks to the couch she had found. It faced the windows that looked out into space. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment and then started to let the sketch happen. She worked best by not focusing on what she was drawing, but by just focusing on the strokes themselves and allowing whatever happened to take shape. For now, if one were to see what she had drawn so far, all that could be determined was that she was drawing a person.
"You're quite talented... You have an eye for detail, Jo." Jayden said softly from behind her, standing behind the couch she sat in. He didn't know if she knew he was there or not, and steeled himself just in case her reaction could have brought potential harm. He'd watched her drawing for a moment, silently enjoying her creativity. Perhaps it made him look like a creeper, or perhaps she would take it as flattery. In either case, he was being sincere in his compliment, something that once remained a coveted rarity from the young Commander.
Jo jumped a bit when she heard a voice behind her. She stilled, not yet turning, as she controlled her own reaction to having someone sneak up on her as well as hearing the compliment. She said softly, "Thanks." Looking up, she tilted her head, "Was there something else, Commander?" She wasn't used to those of higher command being in the same room as her when not in training yet. They kept separate during training just to ensure that the trainees were focused on training and nothing else.
"Jayden." He corrected her quickly, but not sharply. "I'm not here on official business. I... just needed a break." He looked around the Rec to see whatelse was going on before continuing. "Please, for now, I'm just Jayden."
"Jayden," she repeated. Going back to her sketch, she added, "I think we all could use a break." She started on the eyes now, the shape looking somewhat familiar. They happened to be the ones looking at her and her work right now.
"I didn't mean to startle you." He glanced at her work once more, noting the uncanny similarity. "I'm not bothering you currently, am I?" He was genuinely curious, his golden hazel eyes scanning her over to try and read her body language as much as he listened to her words.
Jo shook her head, her lips curving up into a small smile. "Not at all. I've never been too worried about anyone watching me as I work."
He sat down in a chair across from her, giving her a bit of a smile back and nodded to her. "Do you draw often?" Tension grew within his body as he stretched, trying to relax a bit.
"Only when I need something to do and I can't work on an engine." Jo kept her gaze mostly on her work, though she did glance at him when she saw him tense up a bit and then relax.
"Are you nervous right now?" He asked, noting she mostly kept her eyes off him and focused on her sketch. "Do I make you nervous?" His posture was fairly relaxed, sitting a bit hunched over with his elbows on his thighs and his legs in a narrow V, his hands clasped in front of his chin.
Jo chuckled a bit as she blushed slightly, "Anyone of authority makes me nervous." Her own body was curled up on the couch, her shoes were off and placed right next to the couch on the floor. She looked up at him and asked, "Were you never nervous when you were an Ensign?"
He had to chose his words carefully, knowing his privledge, and not wanting to throw it in her face. "I graduated from the War College of the Imperium as a JG. I was eighteen. I think I was nervous the first day of college because I was so much younger than everyone else. But that changed quickly."
Jo's gaze lowered back to the sketch and the blush disappeared. She spoke to the sketch, though in reality it was to Jayden. "Oh. I guess that would make a...a difference." She could remember when she was fourteen herself, and knew that, if given the chance then, she could have gone to college as well. As it was, she kept it to where she stayed with the others, in spite of her boredom, and worked with her parents on their farm to stay in the same grades as her friends. She didn't have the means to advance that quickly herself. Her sketch had progressed to the nose being done, and now she added in his lips. They were not as stern as most would expect them...but they weren't smiling either. They were...sad. His whole features were sad. Why did she draw him that way?
"I didn't mean to make you feel badly. People think that I'm just some rich spoiled kid that gets handed everything on a silver platter and fed with a golden spoon." He looked to the floor, not ashamed, but there was little sense of pride to note. "My father's expectations of me drove me to be more, to fight harder, to push beyond that of his agenda. But it wasn't without its cost." His eyes narrowed some, giving of himself in such a casual manner. Not because he was talking to her, but because he hated the vulnerability of it.
Jo frowned a bit and looked up at him, "You didn't make me feel bad. But why would people think you were spoiled? I mean...you had the means to get through your education when you were ready to advance. There's nothing wrong with that." She set the sketchbook aside and studied him quietly. "And you had support of your father, not just monitarily. From the sounds of it, it may not seem like he was supporting you. More like pushing you. But he wouldn't have done so if he didn't think you capable."
Soft shaking of his head with a bit of a chuckle, he found her optimistic portrayal of his father to be both amusing and refreshing. "My father is a cunning businessman. We haven't spoken on a regular basis since I told him I wouldn't go into politics and desired to make a career out of the Navy." His eyes still to the floor, but without the sharpness held only moments prior.
"Yeah...well...we can't always please our parents. Or, at least, we may not always know if we really are by how they react." She smiled a bit as she thought of her own parents. "Some of us are just lucky to get to know that, I guess." She uncurled from the couch and moved to kneel in front of him, trying to catch his gaze with her own. "But I would venture to say that...you have made your father proud. Even if he won't admit it publicly."
He blinked, looking at her in silence for a moment as her words registered, stuck on them even longer. "Things were... hard for you coming up, weren't they?" He asked, trying to shift away from his father for just a moment. "But they were still good, despite that, right?"
"Life on a farm ain't easy. But yes. They were. Most of the time." Her gaze closed off for a moment as she thought of one of the times when it wasn't so good...but she didn't want to get into that. In the next blink, the look was gone and she smiled up at him. "But we made it. And that is what matters most. Don't you think?"
"I would have to agree." Jayden saw the trouble in her eyes just before she closed them and noted how she was able to push past it to give him a reassuring smile. What was it she saw in him, he wondered. Before long he realized he'd been staring at her and a bit of warmth crept into his cheek as his gaze shifted from hers to her hair, or just off from her... Was she trying to charm him?
Jo nodded as she stood once more and went to sit down again on the couch, picking up her sketchbook, turning to a fresh page so she could just doodle idly as she talked with Jayden. "So...what else are you wanting to know?" She figured that he wasn't wanting to open up about his own personal history, so she'd offer hers.
For a moment, he was disappointed she moved away, but it wasn't like she left altogether so the feeling subsided. Where had such a feeling come from? He looked to her back over in her spot once more and considered not himself but of what she wanted, perhaps he was falling into his bad habits once again where she was genuinely interested in knowing of him and he closed himself off. "I'd like to know of your questions, to perhaps provide answers to them."
Jo blinked when he requested her questions on him rather than just ask about her. She opened her mouth, and then closed it as she chuckled softly and shook her head. "I'm not sure. I mean...of course I'd like to know more about you. Like how long it took for you to get where you are now. What did you do for fun when you weren't studying in college? What do you do for fun now? Do you have a hidden talent that we don't know about? Feel free to interrupt me if you think I am rambling on." As she spoke, she stopped sketching and her features became a bit more animated. Right now, she wanted to get to know the man more. Maybe it would help her understand him as a commander. "How old were you when you first flew? When, exactly, did you know you wanted to be a pilot? Umm..."
He smiled softly to her as he listened intently to her questions, then realizing she would just keep firing them off he interjected. "I entered college for the Imperium at 16, graduated in 2 years with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and my 'wings'. Fun... isn't really a concept I've indulged in often, but I do enjoy reading and computers. I've been mostly a workhorse, because it's what I'm good at, and because it gives me purpose. I often design or revise technology when not working in an official capacity as an active pilot. Hidden talents..." He paused for a moment wondering how or if he should mention his augmentations.
"I'm not your typical Nepleslian to say the least. In more ways than one." He smiled to her, his words could have multiple meanings to which he wanted to see her reaction. "The first time I flew was just after I turned 13, it was on Planet Yamatai with my mother. She bought me my first ship from Origin when she saw how taken I was by them. I knew I wanted to fly long before I could do so physically, probably age eight or nine. Before I turned thirteen, I was able as crippled as they come, and yet I was considered the lucky one." He swallowed hard, not at all truly believing his own words at the end.
She let her questions lie as he answered what she had spit out so far. Of course, some of what he said only generated more questions. She frowned a bit as she heard it all and took a breath. "Well...if you mean that any improvements that were done to enhance yourself, that doesn't count as hidden talent. That's just something probably not easily noted unless read in a file or seen." She didn't say anything about his being crippled or 'lucky'. She was sure there was a story, but this wasn't the right time for that one yet. Maybe another time she would ask him about it.
He noticed she glazed over his last statement, possibly not ready to touch on it yet due to the way it affected him to bring it up. More frowning, he didn't like to see such on her, the subtle crease on her forehead, or the way her brows furled, and definitely not the ever so slight downturn in her lips. "Right... well I guess you could consider my ability to draw a not so hidden talent. I mean, I'm good at drawing other things aside from just blueprints." His eyes shifted lower to her pad once again, looking at her idle doodling for a bit, then back up to take in the features of her face and await her gaze.
"Well...it's not much of a leap for one to guess that if you can draw blueprints you should be able to draw other things. A hidden talent would be doing something that others wouldn't really expect of you." Jo smiled a bit at him as she spoke, not letting him get away with the hidden talent, but at the same time not really trying to push the issue if he had no other talent as well. She looked down at her doodling and found that a lot of what she was doing were eyes. They were all of the rest of the Flight, each one showing a feeling that she had seen them express at one time or another.
"Ah, well then I guess it would have to be my singing. My hidden talent is how badly I can butcher music." Jayden teased.
Jo bursts out laughing, her head tilting back as she goes into it fully. "Oh, Jayden..."
He had to admit, as foreign as something like this was to him, it was rather enjoyable. She was rather enjoyable. Chuckling a bit as well, he smiled and nodded to her. "I'm really pretty boring once you take away my work and duty. I can't tell you how many times I've been told I need to loosen up, or to stop being such a perfectionist."
Jo snorted as she laughed. She blinked and covered her mouth and nose, looking at him in shock. She hadn't laughed like that in a long time and she wasn't sure just how he would react to the snort.
"Cute..." Came his reply, snickering a bit. Definitely not at her, but in the enjoyment of the moment. It was nice to see someone actually enjoying his presence instead of groaning when he walked into the room. Of course this was drastically different than when he is doing his job.
She blushed furiously when he called her snort cute. None had done that. Not since...and that thought was what caused her to sober quickly and look down at her sketchbook once more. She cleared her throat and brushed back some of her hair on the side of her head. "Um...so...I guess that's enough questions from me to you."
He noted her blush, and then subsequent shut down. So quickly did her face pale and she reverted to more somber tones. What was it that troubled her? "Are you sure there isn't more you want to ask? I've pretty much given you a free pass." Along with her emotional retreat, he became acutely aware of the distance between them and how she came to him when he became vulnerable. Slowly he moved closer to her, an knelt before her, gently lifting her chin to try and catch her gaze with his. "Turnabout is fair play, wouldn't you agree?"
Jo raised her eyes to his when he came over and lifted her chin. She was stiff, but she didn't pull back from his touch. "For now, I will hold off my questions. Got to save something for another time...right?" She was trying to lighten the mood a little, even if her features weren't as relaxed as before, her voice had a lighter note to it and her lips twitched towards a small smile.
"If you desire another time." He didn't mind her wanting to save things, actually a part of him looked forward to being able to tell her more. "Tell me about life on the farm, if you wouldn't mind too much Jo." He lingered there in front of her a bit longer, his fingers resting just under her chin another moment before he released her from his touch.
Jo swallowed a bit, nodding to his first statement. "I'd like it." When he asked about life on the farm, she eased into a more comfortable smile and shook her head, "There ain't much to tell on that. Farmwork is hard work, or so my Pa would always say. All day long there was always something needing doin' and we did it."
"Farm work helped build you a better sense of character, good work ethic, and pride in your work, right?" He asked, still there in front of her, still very much interested in the simple things, smaller details.
Nodding, Jo shrugged a little. "Yes, but so would just about anything. It's all a matter of how one is raised, really."
"It was supposed to be a compliment, though I guess I should work a bit more on conveying such more clearly." His eyes shifted to the side for a moment, considering his words a bit more going forward. Looking back to her, he thought to ask more about her, to continue getting to know her. "What of your parents? They seemed to do right by you from what I can tell."
Jo blinked when he said he was complimenting her. She knew he wasn't being condescending, but at the same time didn't realize it was a compliment. She responded with a small, "Oh," before focusing on his probing into her parents. She smiled, then, and nodded, "Ma and Pa always knew I was meant for more than the farm."
"Maybe one day when everything is all said and done, I could pay your family a visit." It didn't sound too forward in his head repeating the words after he spoke them.
Jo looked at him, a bit confused. "I'm sure Ma and Pa wouldn't mind the company...but...why?"
"I... didn't mean to overstep my bounds. I've never really been to a farm, known someone that grew up on one." He shifted a bit in front of her.
"Oh! That's alright." Jo smiled and shook her head, "No bounds were crossed. I was just curious. But..." She bit her lip and looked a bit sheepish, "You won't be on the farm when you meet them. They sold the farm and move closer to the city."
"Why would they do something like that? Too much hardship or just wanting to keep a bit closer to you?" He still couldn't help feeling like he was out of the loop, something so drastically different and unrelatable. It however wouldn't show on his face.
"They wanted to make sure I could get through college." Jo stated this quietly before shifting to stand and pace. "I'm all the way out here, and they are back home on Nepleslia prime. But they knew that they couldn't keep up the farm without me...and that I needed to have the means to get through college before being picked up by the Navy."
"You and your family sacrificed so much." He said as he took her spot on the couch and watched her start to pace. He could tell it was a hard thing for her, and for her parents to have to give up their way of life, it was something that didn't sit well with him. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he needed to be doing more, to influence more with the Navy so things like this didn't have to happen.
Jo stopped for a moment, regarding him. Her bright blue eyes studying him, almost as if she was assessing his intentions behind that statement. But, when she realized he was sincere, she nodded a bit. "Yes. But no more than they would have for family. They are fine where they are now. Happy, in fact. Ma takes in the neighbors wash and Pa works in a shop building furniture. Something he'd always done on the side anyway." She took a breath and was about to say more when her datapad went off. Frowning, she went to it and opened up the message waiting for her. "Hmm...that's odd."
"Well I'm glad that things are for the better." He noted her distraction and the subsequent frown as she looked at her datapad. "What's wrong?"
"I have a meeting that I didn't know I was scheduled for." She looks to him and tilts her head. "Not sure what it's about. Any ideas?"
"I haven't gotten anything..." He stopped as his datapad went off with a message in reference to the entire Flight having to undergo manditory psych evals after debriefing upon arrival at the NSS Thanatos. He sighed sharply. "Seriously, if it's not one thing, it's another. I'm shutting this thing off for just a bit longer. Do you mind if I'm here a bit longer?"
Jo sighed softly and shook her head, "I don't mind...but sadly I am not able to stay much longer. My meeting, it seems, is scheduled in the next 15 minutes and I have to find this conference room." She gathered up her sketchbook and gave him a small, sad smile. "Another time, Jayden." With that, the young ensign walked out, leaving her shoes behind.
Had he been sent the wrong information once again? It wasn't the first time something like that had happened, probably wouldn't be the last. After watching her leave he looked around, reflecting on their conversation and noticed she left her shoes behind. "I should probably try to catch her..." Jayden scooped up her shoes and left out the Rec Room hoping to catch sight of her.
Jo made her way to her room first, after the long talk about what all went right and wrong in the hangar. She had Jethro working on how they could work better next time, going through how the others flew and working out calculations to better know who is where and what not. Even adding in their new location as part of the team in the given formations that they will need to work on. What Jo wanted to do, for now, was change out of her uniform and take in some downtime. She put on a pair of pants and a shirt, then headed to the Rec Room with her sketch pad and pencils. She found an empty couch and sat, pencil in hand as she stared at the blank page, waiting for some sort of inspiration to come through.
For Jayden, he hadn't really stopped working since he awoke aboard the NSS Oracle , his decision to take some time to relax and clear wouldn't have been that much of a surprise to anyone else except... really himself. Working kept him focused, the two going hand in hand like clockwork. When the Aquilas were given free time to rest and reflect, he opted to change into more casual clothes instead of the uniform he for the most part always felt comfortable in.
The ship was bustling with activity as various personnel shuffled around in order to aid in the work in progress repairs being made on the run. It was strangely nice to see things from a different perspective, but the timing made it very difficult for him to fully appreciate. Having arrived at the Rec Room, Jayden paused for a moment, almost as if he'd changed his mind to turn around and leave but instead entered and looked around.
Jo had her back to the door of the Rec room, thanks to the couch she had found. It faced the windows that looked out into space. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes for a moment and then started to let the sketch happen. She worked best by not focusing on what she was drawing, but by just focusing on the strokes themselves and allowing whatever happened to take shape. For now, if one were to see what she had drawn so far, all that could be determined was that she was drawing a person.
"You're quite talented... You have an eye for detail, Jo." Jayden said softly from behind her, standing behind the couch she sat in. He didn't know if she knew he was there or not, and steeled himself just in case her reaction could have brought potential harm. He'd watched her drawing for a moment, silently enjoying her creativity. Perhaps it made him look like a creeper, or perhaps she would take it as flattery. In either case, he was being sincere in his compliment, something that once remained a coveted rarity from the young Commander.
Jo jumped a bit when she heard a voice behind her. She stilled, not yet turning, as she controlled her own reaction to having someone sneak up on her as well as hearing the compliment. She said softly, "Thanks." Looking up, she tilted her head, "Was there something else, Commander?" She wasn't used to those of higher command being in the same room as her when not in training yet. They kept separate during training just to ensure that the trainees were focused on training and nothing else.
"Jayden." He corrected her quickly, but not sharply. "I'm not here on official business. I... just needed a break." He looked around the Rec to see whatelse was going on before continuing. "Please, for now, I'm just Jayden."
"Jayden," she repeated. Going back to her sketch, she added, "I think we all could use a break." She started on the eyes now, the shape looking somewhat familiar. They happened to be the ones looking at her and her work right now.
"I didn't mean to startle you." He glanced at her work once more, noting the uncanny similarity. "I'm not bothering you currently, am I?" He was genuinely curious, his golden hazel eyes scanning her over to try and read her body language as much as he listened to her words.
Jo shook her head, her lips curving up into a small smile. "Not at all. I've never been too worried about anyone watching me as I work."
He sat down in a chair across from her, giving her a bit of a smile back and nodded to her. "Do you draw often?" Tension grew within his body as he stretched, trying to relax a bit.
"Only when I need something to do and I can't work on an engine." Jo kept her gaze mostly on her work, though she did glance at him when she saw him tense up a bit and then relax.
"Are you nervous right now?" He asked, noting she mostly kept her eyes off him and focused on her sketch. "Do I make you nervous?" His posture was fairly relaxed, sitting a bit hunched over with his elbows on his thighs and his legs in a narrow V, his hands clasped in front of his chin.
Jo chuckled a bit as she blushed slightly, "Anyone of authority makes me nervous." Her own body was curled up on the couch, her shoes were off and placed right next to the couch on the floor. She looked up at him and asked, "Were you never nervous when you were an Ensign?"
He had to chose his words carefully, knowing his privledge, and not wanting to throw it in her face. "I graduated from the War College of the Imperium as a JG. I was eighteen. I think I was nervous the first day of college because I was so much younger than everyone else. But that changed quickly."
Jo's gaze lowered back to the sketch and the blush disappeared. She spoke to the sketch, though in reality it was to Jayden. "Oh. I guess that would make a...a difference." She could remember when she was fourteen herself, and knew that, if given the chance then, she could have gone to college as well. As it was, she kept it to where she stayed with the others, in spite of her boredom, and worked with her parents on their farm to stay in the same grades as her friends. She didn't have the means to advance that quickly herself. Her sketch had progressed to the nose being done, and now she added in his lips. They were not as stern as most would expect them...but they weren't smiling either. They were...sad. His whole features were sad. Why did she draw him that way?
"I didn't mean to make you feel badly. People think that I'm just some rich spoiled kid that gets handed everything on a silver platter and fed with a golden spoon." He looked to the floor, not ashamed, but there was little sense of pride to note. "My father's expectations of me drove me to be more, to fight harder, to push beyond that of his agenda. But it wasn't without its cost." His eyes narrowed some, giving of himself in such a casual manner. Not because he was talking to her, but because he hated the vulnerability of it.
Jo frowned a bit and looked up at him, "You didn't make me feel bad. But why would people think you were spoiled? I mean...you had the means to get through your education when you were ready to advance. There's nothing wrong with that." She set the sketchbook aside and studied him quietly. "And you had support of your father, not just monitarily. From the sounds of it, it may not seem like he was supporting you. More like pushing you. But he wouldn't have done so if he didn't think you capable."
Soft shaking of his head with a bit of a chuckle, he found her optimistic portrayal of his father to be both amusing and refreshing. "My father is a cunning businessman. We haven't spoken on a regular basis since I told him I wouldn't go into politics and desired to make a career out of the Navy." His eyes still to the floor, but without the sharpness held only moments prior.
"Yeah...well...we can't always please our parents. Or, at least, we may not always know if we really are by how they react." She smiled a bit as she thought of her own parents. "Some of us are just lucky to get to know that, I guess." She uncurled from the couch and moved to kneel in front of him, trying to catch his gaze with her own. "But I would venture to say that...you have made your father proud. Even if he won't admit it publicly."
He blinked, looking at her in silence for a moment as her words registered, stuck on them even longer. "Things were... hard for you coming up, weren't they?" He asked, trying to shift away from his father for just a moment. "But they were still good, despite that, right?"
"Life on a farm ain't easy. But yes. They were. Most of the time." Her gaze closed off for a moment as she thought of one of the times when it wasn't so good...but she didn't want to get into that. In the next blink, the look was gone and she smiled up at him. "But we made it. And that is what matters most. Don't you think?"
"I would have to agree." Jayden saw the trouble in her eyes just before she closed them and noted how she was able to push past it to give him a reassuring smile. What was it she saw in him, he wondered. Before long he realized he'd been staring at her and a bit of warmth crept into his cheek as his gaze shifted from hers to her hair, or just off from her... Was she trying to charm him?
Jo nodded as she stood once more and went to sit down again on the couch, picking up her sketchbook, turning to a fresh page so she could just doodle idly as she talked with Jayden. "So...what else are you wanting to know?" She figured that he wasn't wanting to open up about his own personal history, so she'd offer hers.
For a moment, he was disappointed she moved away, but it wasn't like she left altogether so the feeling subsided. Where had such a feeling come from? He looked to her back over in her spot once more and considered not himself but of what she wanted, perhaps he was falling into his bad habits once again where she was genuinely interested in knowing of him and he closed himself off. "I'd like to know of your questions, to perhaps provide answers to them."
Jo blinked when he requested her questions on him rather than just ask about her. She opened her mouth, and then closed it as she chuckled softly and shook her head. "I'm not sure. I mean...of course I'd like to know more about you. Like how long it took for you to get where you are now. What did you do for fun when you weren't studying in college? What do you do for fun now? Do you have a hidden talent that we don't know about? Feel free to interrupt me if you think I am rambling on." As she spoke, she stopped sketching and her features became a bit more animated. Right now, she wanted to get to know the man more. Maybe it would help her understand him as a commander. "How old were you when you first flew? When, exactly, did you know you wanted to be a pilot? Umm..."
He smiled softly to her as he listened intently to her questions, then realizing she would just keep firing them off he interjected. "I entered college for the Imperium at 16, graduated in 2 years with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and my 'wings'. Fun... isn't really a concept I've indulged in often, but I do enjoy reading and computers. I've been mostly a workhorse, because it's what I'm good at, and because it gives me purpose. I often design or revise technology when not working in an official capacity as an active pilot. Hidden talents..." He paused for a moment wondering how or if he should mention his augmentations.
"I'm not your typical Nepleslian to say the least. In more ways than one." He smiled to her, his words could have multiple meanings to which he wanted to see her reaction. "The first time I flew was just after I turned 13, it was on Planet Yamatai with my mother. She bought me my first ship from Origin when she saw how taken I was by them. I knew I wanted to fly long before I could do so physically, probably age eight or nine. Before I turned thirteen, I was able as crippled as they come, and yet I was considered the lucky one." He swallowed hard, not at all truly believing his own words at the end.
She let her questions lie as he answered what she had spit out so far. Of course, some of what he said only generated more questions. She frowned a bit as she heard it all and took a breath. "Well...if you mean that any improvements that were done to enhance yourself, that doesn't count as hidden talent. That's just something probably not easily noted unless read in a file or seen." She didn't say anything about his being crippled or 'lucky'. She was sure there was a story, but this wasn't the right time for that one yet. Maybe another time she would ask him about it.
He noticed she glazed over his last statement, possibly not ready to touch on it yet due to the way it affected him to bring it up. More frowning, he didn't like to see such on her, the subtle crease on her forehead, or the way her brows furled, and definitely not the ever so slight downturn in her lips. "Right... well I guess you could consider my ability to draw a not so hidden talent. I mean, I'm good at drawing other things aside from just blueprints." His eyes shifted lower to her pad once again, looking at her idle doodling for a bit, then back up to take in the features of her face and await her gaze.
"Well...it's not much of a leap for one to guess that if you can draw blueprints you should be able to draw other things. A hidden talent would be doing something that others wouldn't really expect of you." Jo smiled a bit at him as she spoke, not letting him get away with the hidden talent, but at the same time not really trying to push the issue if he had no other talent as well. She looked down at her doodling and found that a lot of what she was doing were eyes. They were all of the rest of the Flight, each one showing a feeling that she had seen them express at one time or another.
"Ah, well then I guess it would have to be my singing. My hidden talent is how badly I can butcher music." Jayden teased.
Jo bursts out laughing, her head tilting back as she goes into it fully. "Oh, Jayden..."
He had to admit, as foreign as something like this was to him, it was rather enjoyable. She was rather enjoyable. Chuckling a bit as well, he smiled and nodded to her. "I'm really pretty boring once you take away my work and duty. I can't tell you how many times I've been told I need to loosen up, or to stop being such a perfectionist."
Jo snorted as she laughed. She blinked and covered her mouth and nose, looking at him in shock. She hadn't laughed like that in a long time and she wasn't sure just how he would react to the snort.
"Cute..." Came his reply, snickering a bit. Definitely not at her, but in the enjoyment of the moment. It was nice to see someone actually enjoying his presence instead of groaning when he walked into the room. Of course this was drastically different than when he is doing his job.
She blushed furiously when he called her snort cute. None had done that. Not since...and that thought was what caused her to sober quickly and look down at her sketchbook once more. She cleared her throat and brushed back some of her hair on the side of her head. "Um...so...I guess that's enough questions from me to you."
He noted her blush, and then subsequent shut down. So quickly did her face pale and she reverted to more somber tones. What was it that troubled her? "Are you sure there isn't more you want to ask? I've pretty much given you a free pass." Along with her emotional retreat, he became acutely aware of the distance between them and how she came to him when he became vulnerable. Slowly he moved closer to her, an knelt before her, gently lifting her chin to try and catch her gaze with his. "Turnabout is fair play, wouldn't you agree?"
Jo raised her eyes to his when he came over and lifted her chin. She was stiff, but she didn't pull back from his touch. "For now, I will hold off my questions. Got to save something for another time...right?" She was trying to lighten the mood a little, even if her features weren't as relaxed as before, her voice had a lighter note to it and her lips twitched towards a small smile.
"If you desire another time." He didn't mind her wanting to save things, actually a part of him looked forward to being able to tell her more. "Tell me about life on the farm, if you wouldn't mind too much Jo." He lingered there in front of her a bit longer, his fingers resting just under her chin another moment before he released her from his touch.
Jo swallowed a bit, nodding to his first statement. "I'd like it." When he asked about life on the farm, she eased into a more comfortable smile and shook her head, "There ain't much to tell on that. Farmwork is hard work, or so my Pa would always say. All day long there was always something needing doin' and we did it."
"Farm work helped build you a better sense of character, good work ethic, and pride in your work, right?" He asked, still there in front of her, still very much interested in the simple things, smaller details.
Nodding, Jo shrugged a little. "Yes, but so would just about anything. It's all a matter of how one is raised, really."
"It was supposed to be a compliment, though I guess I should work a bit more on conveying such more clearly." His eyes shifted to the side for a moment, considering his words a bit more going forward. Looking back to her, he thought to ask more about her, to continue getting to know her. "What of your parents? They seemed to do right by you from what I can tell."
Jo blinked when he said he was complimenting her. She knew he wasn't being condescending, but at the same time didn't realize it was a compliment. She responded with a small, "Oh," before focusing on his probing into her parents. She smiled, then, and nodded, "Ma and Pa always knew I was meant for more than the farm."
"Maybe one day when everything is all said and done, I could pay your family a visit." It didn't sound too forward in his head repeating the words after he spoke them.
Jo looked at him, a bit confused. "I'm sure Ma and Pa wouldn't mind the company...but...why?"
"I... didn't mean to overstep my bounds. I've never really been to a farm, known someone that grew up on one." He shifted a bit in front of her.
"Oh! That's alright." Jo smiled and shook her head, "No bounds were crossed. I was just curious. But..." She bit her lip and looked a bit sheepish, "You won't be on the farm when you meet them. They sold the farm and move closer to the city."
"Why would they do something like that? Too much hardship or just wanting to keep a bit closer to you?" He still couldn't help feeling like he was out of the loop, something so drastically different and unrelatable. It however wouldn't show on his face.
"They wanted to make sure I could get through college." Jo stated this quietly before shifting to stand and pace. "I'm all the way out here, and they are back home on Nepleslia prime. But they knew that they couldn't keep up the farm without me...and that I needed to have the means to get through college before being picked up by the Navy."
"You and your family sacrificed so much." He said as he took her spot on the couch and watched her start to pace. He could tell it was a hard thing for her, and for her parents to have to give up their way of life, it was something that didn't sit well with him. For the first time in his life, he felt as if he needed to be doing more, to influence more with the Navy so things like this didn't have to happen.
Jo stopped for a moment, regarding him. Her bright blue eyes studying him, almost as if she was assessing his intentions behind that statement. But, when she realized he was sincere, she nodded a bit. "Yes. But no more than they would have for family. They are fine where they are now. Happy, in fact. Ma takes in the neighbors wash and Pa works in a shop building furniture. Something he'd always done on the side anyway." She took a breath and was about to say more when her datapad went off. Frowning, she went to it and opened up the message waiting for her. "Hmm...that's odd."
"Well I'm glad that things are for the better." He noted her distraction and the subsequent frown as she looked at her datapad. "What's wrong?"
"I have a meeting that I didn't know I was scheduled for." She looks to him and tilts her head. "Not sure what it's about. Any ideas?"
"I haven't gotten anything..." He stopped as his datapad went off with a message in reference to the entire Flight having to undergo manditory psych evals after debriefing upon arrival at the NSS Thanatos. He sighed sharply. "Seriously, if it's not one thing, it's another. I'm shutting this thing off for just a bit longer. Do you mind if I'm here a bit longer?"
Jo sighed softly and shook her head, "I don't mind...but sadly I am not able to stay much longer. My meeting, it seems, is scheduled in the next 15 minutes and I have to find this conference room." She gathered up her sketchbook and gave him a small, sad smile. "Another time, Jayden." With that, the young ensign walked out, leaving her shoes behind.
Had he been sent the wrong information once again? It wasn't the first time something like that had happened, probably wouldn't be the last. After watching her leave he looked around, reflecting on their conversation and noticed she left her shoes behind. "I should probably try to catch her..." Jayden scooped up her shoes and left out the Rec Room hoping to catch sight of her.
