by Darklady
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. Well, actually, I do own *these* characters. I just don't own the universe they play in. Paramount owns that.
Rated: G
Archive: Ask
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"Roommate postings." Patrick Finnegan muttered as he stood in the great hall of the Starfleet Academy and stared at the still-blank screen. "This is such *crap*."
Thorvan curled a pair of turquoise antennae towards his friend. "It's the rule of the academy. Our seniors graduate, and we get paired with freshmen." The Andorian cadet closed his stellar cartography text and poured another cup of coffee, which he handed to Patrick. "By the time we graduate, they'll be where we are, and *they* can deal with their own crop of newbies."
Susie Begay strolled up and helped herself to the rest of the pot. "The way our roomies had to deal with us?"
"Exactly," Thorvan agreed. "Besides, who else has the time to clean our quarters?"
"And bring us breakfast in bed," Patrick added, a grudging humor creeping onto his voice.
"Pat, Pat." Susie chuckled. "I can't believe that you fell for that one. Even *I* didn't, and *I'm* supposed to be the ignorant outworlder around here."
"Hey, I didn't mind." Pat defended himself. "I had to go to the replicator anyway. And besides, S'tovck was a good mentor."
The young woman took a sip if her coffee, made a face, and dumped it before heading back to the replicator. "Even if he *did* stick you with all the laundry?"
"Even if." Patrick finished his own coffee in two gulps. "Besides, that stuff is just part of the 'noble tradition of the fleet'."
Thorvan waved off Susie's offer of coffee from the fresh pot, preferring to replicate his own cup of vorna-flower tea. "So is the assignment of mid-course roommates," he answered Patrick reasonably.
"Yah Yah." Patrick held out his cup to Susie, silently asking for a refill. "I'm just hoping I get someone decent."
"The faculty is supposed to check for compatibility."
"Yeh, but they're also testing us for *adaptability*."
"You managed to get along with a Vulcan astrometrics major," Susie shrugged. "How much worse can it get?"
"S'tovck was OK, bu...Hey!" Patrick cut off in mid-word. " The posting are coming through now. He watched the screen closely as the list scrolled past. "Cadet Susan Begay with Cadet Lorilli of Risa."
"Risan!" Susie's eyes scanned the room. "Do you think she's here yet?"
Now, Susie." The young Andorian torqued an antennae cautiously at his excited friend. "Remember this is a 'mentor' relationship."
"Just glad of a compatible match, Thorvan." Susie lied. "I've always admired the... cooking... on Risa."
Patrick ignored them to focus on the screen." I've got a Cadet Barhan. Barhan z'ra Mej-Opath." Shaking his head, he added, "That's Tellurite." He sighed. "Do you *know* what *they* eat?"
It was a rhetorical question. Thorvan knew the answer very well. He nodded sympathetically at his friend. "I guess you'll be getting your own breakfast?"
"Yeh." Patrick thought a minute, then brightened. "But at least he won't hog the shower like S'tovck."
Susie patted Patrick's shoulder. "There is that." Then she looked past him to scan the list herself. "Thorvan?. You're pared with a Cadet Paris."
"Crom!" Patrick twisted to glare at the name. "You got stuck with him!"
Thorvan strolled over to watch the name scroll by. It was indeed a Cadet Paris. "What's the problem?" he asked Susie.
"Excuse me?" Patrick tapped the screen. "The *name*?"
"I see the name." The Andorian cadet answered mildly. "I just do not see the problem."
Patrick snorted. "Didn't you read the new Cadet listing? Federation Starship Valiant by way of DS-7. That means he's a legacy!"
"So he's a fleet brat." Thorvan sipped his tea. "That should mean he's better prepared for Academy life then some borderworlder civilian." After a moment he added, "No offense, Susie."
Patrick ignored that. "He's an Admiral's brat. They're useless." He poked the screen again. "Hell, he'll be wanting you to serve *him* breakfast in bed!"
"It might not be that bad." Susie said slowly as she punched up the extended listing. "He wouldn't be here if he didn't have the scores."
Thorvan followed her finger. "His entrance rating *is* high. Perhaps..."
"Do you really *trust* those scores?" With a loose wave Patrick answered his own question.. "He probably had tutors and stuff just to slide him through. And all his teachers were *fleet*." Patrick added cynically. "Who's going to grade him down and piss off the Admiral."
Susie open her mouth to object, stopped, then after a moment conceded. " Gartnath had Old Man Paris for a navigation instructor that year the Valiant was in dock, and he said the Admiral was a real hardass. Impossible to please."
"I believe you also said that Gartnath couldn't find a constellation if the damn things nova'd in front of him, so..." Thorvan set down his tea. "I'm not going to 'roll over' for the 'umpty-tow generations of Fleet Service', but I'm not inclined hold it against the kid either. If he does his work and watches his attitude, we will get along just fine."
"Cadet Thorvan?" A tall young man of evident Klingon blood stepped up to the Andorian upperclassman. "Cadet K'hTay Harold Paris reporting in, sir."
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Bet you didn't see that one coming! :-) FB welcome, flames included.