Give What You Can

Posted on Tue Jun 4th, 2024 @ 2:06am by Ensign Mercy Mourne & Ensign Anne Marie "Ree" Beckett

Mission: Contagion
Location: Science Lab
Timeline: Day 399
1165 words - 2.3 OF Standard Post Measure

"Pockets, pockets, pockets, pockets..." Ree was patting down her jacket pockets as she quietly chattered on in a singsong voice. Her pants pockets followed, then the cuff of her left boot. What she was looking for was completely eluding her, no matter what she pulled out and set on the tabletop. A piece of string, various bric-a-brac- but not the right bric-a-brac because she continued to dig about. Finally she stuffed everything back into her pockets and looked about the lab space and the very few people in it. All were working quietly- as usual- except for her.

Spying one that *might* have what she needed, she leaned across her work station and called out softly "Mercy... Hey, Mercy? Do you have a nail file? I just put a good chip in one, and if I chew it off I'm sure to get a lecture from the LT again about why I don't have to gnaw on pieces of myself during work hours."

Mercy looked up from the work that had captured her attention deeply, and for a moment she looked a little dazed, then her attention visibly snapped to Ree and she laughed. Nodding her head she reached into a draw where she kept all sorts of odd and ends and a moment later she was able to slide a nail file over the desk.

"Always have one stashed in there, help yourself and pop it back when you're done." She took a moment to look at her own hands. "Sadly I ran out of polish about a month back though so a file is about all I can offer you." It was an old fashioned metal nail file, probably the only reason it had lasted as long as it had.

Mercy then let out a wistful sigh. "Man I miss manicures, and hair dressers. I could really do with a hair cut at this point. Haven't done anything like that for a while now."

Ree shaved at the nail until it was smooth again, thinking since Mercy's words struck a chord in her. "You know... that's a great idea, Mercy. We do need to start a supply and demand form of barter system on ship. There's only so much that can be done without skilled hands to do it. We have a big ship with a lot of skilled people, but if they don't know that their services are needed, how can they connect? We need a board in the mess hall." Ree nodded to herself, completely convinced of this. "I mean people need haircuts. Do you think I could convince people to let us have a board in the mess hall for morale reasons, of course."

Mercy found herself feeling a little bemused. She had only mentioned it as a passing whim really. But the more she thought about it, the more it was actually quite a good idea. There had to be someone on board who could cut hair. Or maybe there were other people with unmet needs who might benefit from that kind of informal skill network? She tilted her head to one side and hummed, something she often did when picking over a problem. “I think Ensign O’Connery might be the best person to ask. Might need permission from Commander Gerhard too, but it would be worth asking. Good idea! You got any special skills you would post on the board?”

"Me? Uhh, not really. I mean, I'm a good workout buddy. You don't want me singing at weddings or anything, though. And I can't do hair. I don't even do my hair. That's why ponytails were invented, right?" Beckett passed her back the file with a grin. "Thanks. You're a life saver. I'll bring that posting board up and see if I can get any traction with it. Who knows? Maybe we'll have a class act beautician on board squirreled away in OPs who's been dreaming of opening her own salon when they retire. You could *totally* be in luck."

Mercy chuckled and nodded. “Well I’m sure someone would appreciate the offer of a workout buddy. And you’re right, we won’t know what the rest of the crew might offer until we ask.” Mercy gave the young Ensign a warm smile, bouyed by her apparent enthusiasm. “If nothing else sometimes it’s nice to be able to offer to help people. I’m sure your enthusiasm will inspire a few ideas.”

"What about you? What special skill will you offer up on this yet to exist posting board? Are you a secret knitter? Hat maker? Puppetry?" Beckett crossed her arms over her chest and grinned. "C'mon, tell me."

The tall science officer held up her hands in a defensive gesture. “I am not entirely sure I have much I can offer to something like that. I don’t think anyone will want lessons on 21st century history and drawing. Plus we don’t have any kind of art supplies on board. Besides I don’t think I’m good enough to be able to teach anyone anything useful.” Mercy scratched the bridge of her nose as she thought for a bit, then shook her head. “No sorry, not sure I know what I could say yet. Let me think about it for a bit and see if I come up with something?”

As usual, Ree caught the vaguest of hint and ran with it like a rabid golden retriever. "You need art supplies? Oh wow... We've got a ton of powdered peels, pits and greens. We could probably portion off some to see what we could make in our free time. I'm all about staying busy lately. Maybe they could be unique watercolor pigments by House of Mourne, limited run. What do you think?"

Caught a little by surprise it took Mercy a moment to think it through. “Oh well, we’d need paper as well. But if there is waste to spare couldn’t hurt to try. Although I think it would be better to see if we could find things planet side. A lot of the organic matter on board is used for compost in Hydroponics and I think foods probably a priority over doodling. However… we will probably have to go planet side at some point, so maybe we can get permission to look around? Could be fun to do a little foraging for materials. And if we do then it would have to be Art Supplies by Beckett and Mourne.” Mercy laughed. “All the best brands are named like that. Windsor Newton, Fabre Castel. Plus if you are helping me I don’t want all the credit.”

"Okay, deal," Beckett offered her hand out to shake on it. "Posting board, art supplies, foraging permissions. Sounds like a plan to me."

Mercy took Ree's hand and gave it a firm shake. "It's a deal." She grinned, it was nice seeing the other Ensign come out of her shell a little more.