Hazards of Dating a Mascot

[Beau Altair]

Beau Altair was on cloud nine when he and Cassi had walked back to the ship to board from Aphrodite's, hand in hand. One had only to take in his strutting grin and her blushing smile to deduct what had occurred between them. Beau couldn't believe his luck. The absolutely gorgeous elf-like female actually liked him back! She had even kissed him, first. A kiss which had turned into a righteously wonderful-and-torturous thirty-minute make out session before they'd parted for the night. One that was still making it slightly uncomfortable for him to walk, even a day and a half later.

Beau's elation had lasted all the way onto the ship, chatting companionably with his new girlfriend all the while, never noticing the calculated, narrow-eyed stares that followed him all the way. It wasn't until after Cassi left him--with a quick, blushy kiss to his lips--to go help her sister get her new medical supplies squared away that Beau began to realize the danger he'd just put himself in.

It seemed like every member of the Plunder's Heart had a few, private words they needed to have with him. Concerning his intentions toward their Cassi. Beau had received so many death-threats and perils as to the safety of his privates his head spun, and that was all just attempting to go from the main deck to his bunk. Nervous, he stepped inside and fell back with a shaking sigh, eyes wide. The whole damned crew was suddenly out to get him.

[Dr. Andromeda Reyes]

Andromeda rubbed a little at her head, which was still somewhat foggy and sore, even days after her drunken binge.

She was never, ever going to do that ever again.

The slender doctor couldn't really remember half of what she had done in that state, but from the amount of teasing chuckles she kept getting from the crew, she imagined it was pretty bad. She vaguely remembered making a fool of herself singing karaoke on stage, with Morgan and Thorn. Everything else was a hazy blur.

The door to the med-bay suddenly opened, and the auburn-haired Beau suddenly stepped inside. Looking decidedly nervous. Andromeda straightened and gave him a warm smile.

"Hello there, Mr. Altair. I don't believe we've formally introduced ourselves." She stepped forward, holding out her hand. Which he hesitantly took. "I'm Dr. Andromeda Reyes, Cassi's older sister. Also the Chief Medical Officer on this ship." He nodded.

"Yeah, Cassi's told me a lot about you," he murmured. "She . . . she loves you a lot." Andromeda smiled winningly.

"Yes, we are very close. I've raised her more like a daughter than a sister for most of her life. So you can understand why I am a little concerned for her wellfare." He blanched and Andromeda sighed. "Cassiopeia hasn't had a very easy life, Mr. Altair, and the last thing she needs is any more heartbreak or undue complications."

"Oh, I would never--,"

"I'm sure you wouldn't," Andromeda interrupted, patting him on the shoulder. "Just be aware however, that as a boarder crewman you are more than likely to undergo more than one injury in your tenure here. Which will likely put you under my knife from time to time." She suddenly had a scalpel in her hands, causing him to jerk. Her golden eyes were deadly serious. "Be sure to remember how special Cassi is to us, Mr. Altair. If you should ever forget, I promise you that I am fully capable of rendering you unable to ever be interested in another woman ever again. Are we clear?"

The young man yelped out a white-faced affirmative. The scalpel disappeared, and Andromeda's soft smile returned as she patted him on the shoulder again.

"Good then, just so as we have an understanding."

[Admiral Hart]

As Beau was walking through the ship, Clara stepped out in front of him. She was wearing a well made green tank top and lighter green cargo pants, both of which looked very expensive.

"Hello Beau. So good to run into you." She said calmly, amplifying his fear just a bit. "I'm here, you see, because Cassi's my friend. I've never had a friend before. So I don't want to see her get hurt."

"Well, um, I, that is..." He said, stumbling over his words.

"Good to see we've come to an understanding." The purple-eyed girl said, an aura of white flame flickering around her hands before she slipped off to leave the threatened boy to his panic.

[T.K.]

T.K. was working by himself, adjusting the settings on one of the many Power junctions throughout the ship. Shiyounin was hovering nearby, reading off numbers, while he physically did the adjustments. As he was finishing up, he spotted Beau dashing down the hallway, looking a nervous wreck.

“Beau, get over here and give me a hand.”

“Y-yes sir.”

Beau reluctantly came over, and T.K. loaded his arms up with the tools he'd been using.

“Follow me. You seem like a bright kid. Good head on your shoulders. I know you're a Boarder, but I'm also recruiting you for the Emergency repair teams. You'll have to report to Engineering twice a week for training. One, it'll give you something to do in your off hours. Two, it'll give you some other skills that might be useful later if you decide being a Boarder is too damn insane for you. And three, it'll help keep you from doing something stupid in an emergency. I mean, we certainly have enough accidents around here as it is, but I certainly wouldn't want you to get hurt, maybe even killed because you didn't know how to handle shut off a plasma leak or a sparking power conduit properly. Heck, I think I've lost three Engineers already this year. Shame, but 'accident's do happen. I'll see you tomorrow at noon. Ish.”

T.K. snagged all the tools from Beau, and hurried back inside Engineering, leaving Beau to wrap his head around everything he'd just said.

[Jane Doherty]

Beau was once again walking throught the ship, on his way to somewhere, when he saw Jane walking his way.

He groaned, "you gonna threaten me too?"

Jane just laughed, "Oh hell no, I ain't the sort. People been talkin' about you and Cassi though. It's the greatest gossip on the ship right now. So who's threatening you so far?"

"Cassi's sister and T.K."

"Psht, T.K. is a kai dei. Now Andi, you're gonna have to watch out for, she knows anatomy very well. I'm surprised Morgan and the captain haven't gotten to you yet, but I'm sure it'll be soon."

"How come your not gonna threaten me too?"

"You already know what'll happen to you if you hurt our little mascot, and I don't think much more needs to be said. Besides, I wouldn't hurt you. I do, however, have several contacts in the slave trading business, that would love a new little sex toy."

Jane started whistling and walked away.

[Dane]

Dane smirked as he entered the mess hall, he'd been following Beau for sometime, watching the crew threaten him repeatedly. It was amusing really, made what he was about to do that much more fun. He spotted the kid sitting in the corner, looking over his shoulder and jerking this or that way.

His smirk fell into a unreadable one, he made quick strides and sat directly across from him, the kid blinked then groaned, poking at his food.

"Not you too." he didn't make any indication that he heard him, Dane reached around and tugged Veronica free, He cocked the weapon and ejected the round currently in place, he caught it with expert fingers and placed it on the table in front of him. Beau eyed the bullet for a moment, eyes widening as he read his name across the jacket. The weapons expert began disassembling his baby piece by piece, seeming to ignore the lads expression.

A few minutes had passed when Beau got up from the table, looking a few shades lighter when he did, Dane finally spoke up after a moment.

"Good talk Beau." the teen turned to him, he had reassembled the gun and held the bullet between two fingers, eying it with a smirk before putting it in his pocket. Beau had gulped slightly then exited the mess hall, it was then that Dane allowed himself to smile.

Yo ho yo ho...a pirates life for me.

[Admiral Hart]

Morgan saw the dismal, jumpy looking Beau as he wandered the halls. The First Mate walked up to him and said, "Hello Mr. Altair. Something troubling you?"

"...are you gonna threaten me too?" He asked dismally. Morgan shook his head.

"Nay, I know you won't hurt Cassi. Relax. And don't let them get to you." The First Mate give him a reassuring pat on the back. "Cassi means a lot to them. She's like family, and we all do stupid things for our family and the people we love." Morgan spoke as if he had more than enough experience with this.

Beau looked very relieved. "Yeah, I know. I like Cassi a lot."

"I know you do." Morgan replied. "And I can tell she likes you too. Just remember, everyone makes mistakes, especially when young, and you and her will probably get into fights. And the crew's first reaction will be to blame you. But if anyone gives you any flak for arguing with Cassi, making Cassi cry, or hurting her in any way, even unintentionally, you tell them they gotta talk to me first. We're the boarding crew, we gotta look out for each other."

Beau smiled, glad to be, for once in the past few days, not being threatened, especially by Morgan Halcyon. "Thank you, sir."

"Morgan. Sir's for the military. I don't want you to think you're there. Speak your mind when you want to." Mr. Halcyon replied. "Now, go find your woman. You look like you could use some R & R."

"Yes si...Morgan. Thanks again." Beau said as he rushed off. And, thinking about who he was going to, some small, but growing, part of Morgan could not help but to envy him.