Friendship in Folded Paper
Posted on Fri Aug 29th, 2025 @ 11:46am by Petty Officer 2nd Class Sofia Cipriani & Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Edited on on Wed Sep 10th, 2025 @ 8:27am
2,930 words; about a 15 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Cargo Bay 2 Lower Level - Deck 8 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD008 2230 hrs
Millie couldn't go to sleep, as she should be doing. Her mind was upon Tyr going down to Wren. Wondering how he was doing, hoping that he would come back. Giving a slight sigh, she got up from her bed, and went to get some paper, along with a jar of bubbles solution to make the iridescent orbs that float in the air. She changed into a simple outfit, blue sweats, a tee shirt which had a butterfly upon it, with a pair of sneakers on.
She stepped outside of her room, knelt down upon the floor taking a moment of time to craft an airplane and make it fly. She gave a test flight of it, the color of the craft was green in color. It flew rather well, and Millie moved quickly to follow after it. The airplane settled gently down, Millie gave out a quiet squeal of delight.
Picking it up, Millie let it fly once more, it continuing down the corridor and flew towards the turbolift. The lifts door opened up, the craft sailed into it.
Sofia had just finished dropping off updated roster copies to Lieutenant Vahn — he still preferred them printed, for some reason — and was on her way back to the turbolift when something small and green zipped through the corridor.
She blinked, pulling up short as a paper airplane flew past her and glided neatly through the air, landing inside the open lift just as its doors slid apart.
“Che diavolo…” (What the devil…) she murmured, stepping forward on instinct. She reached out — one hand catching the lift door, the other snatching the paper plane just before it could crumple on the floor.
The sound of light, quick footsteps followed, and a moment later a young woman turned the corner, eyes wide with the sort of wonder rarely seen in Starfleet corridors.
Holding up the plane between two fingers, Sofia smiled. “I think this tried to fly into restricted space. Should I be worried?” she teased gently, then added with a tilt of her head, “Late night flight test… or just a bit of quiet fun?”
Millie's mouth went into an 'O' then she gave out a quiet laugh. "Sorry, and also nice catch. And as for the flight, it is a bit of both."
She gestured to the small satchel that was slung over her shoulder. "I've got more paper to make more planes or other origami shapes."
A pause then said. "My name's Millie, what's your name?" her eyes dancing with amusement and interest in getting to know the young woman who rescued her plane.
Sofia’s smile softened, pleased by the reaction. “Millie,” she echoed gently, as if trying the name out. “I like that. I’m Sofia — Sofia Cipriani.”
She passed the green plane back with care, then glanced down at the satchel with mild curiosity. “Origami and night flying? That’s definitely more interesting than updating duty rosters.” She gave a small, self-deprecating chuckle. “Which is what I was doing. Very glamorous, I know.”
There was something quietly endearing about the young woman in front of her — wide-eyed, whimsical, like she operated on a different frequency from the rest of the ship. It reminded Sofia a little of her younger cousins.
She gestured vaguely to the hallway. “I was heading back to my quarters, but… if you’ve got room for another co-pilot, I wouldn’t mind seeing what else you’ve got tucked away in there.” Her voice lowered in mock-conspiracy. “I promise I’m not with flight control.”
Millie gave out a soft chuckle, "I am glad you're not with flight control." accepting the green plane from Sofia. "I've got room for another person. I was thinking of going to the cargo area of this ship."
"My last name's Ambrose and I am part of the engineering crew." Millie slipping the airplane into the satchel.
Millie was liking the nature of Sofia, "C'mon, if you want to change first then we'll head down there. Uh... where are your quarters?"
Sofia laughed softly at the mention of the cargo bay, her brow arching with playful suspicion. “That’s either the start of a very good story… or one that ends with someone filing a minor incident report.”
Still, there was something infectious about Millie’s energy—whimsical, unexpected, the sort of detour the ship didn’t often offer. And maybe, after the day she’d had, she needed just that.
“Quarters are just one deck down,” she said, adjusting the small datapad under her arm. “I wasn’t exactly planning on running into airborne origami tonight, so I’m still in uniform. Might be nice to change into something that doesn’t come with duty stripes.”
She nodded gently toward the lift. “Give me ten minutes? You’ll get a more relaxed co-pilot that way.” Then, after a beat, her smile tugged a little wider. “And I’ll bring tea. It feels like a tea sort of evening.”
With that, Sofia turned and stepped into the lift. As the doors closed, she called back with a grin, “Don’t let the cargo bay fly off without me, eh?”
True to her word, just under ten minutes later, the cargo bay doors hissed open to reveal Sofia—now dressed in a soft grey jumper and casual trousers, hair loosely pinned back and a small thermos tucked under one arm. A subtle scent of citrus and chamomile followed her in.
She paused just inside, gaze sweeping across the space until she spotted Millie. “Hope I’m not late,” she said, lifting the thermos slightly. “Rescuing tea from the galley took longer than expected. Apparently chamomile is a security risk now.”
She smiled and stepped further in, her voice a little lighter. “So—what are we making? More planes, or do I get to learn how to fold something that doesn’t end up nose-diving into the floor?”
Millie looked up from where she was sitting, several small stacks of paper were sorted in different colors. Blues, green, pink, yellow, red, purple, orange and brown.
"I'll teach you something different besides making planes. Flowers, or even an animal." Millie patting a place near her upon the cargo room floor.
"And besides the origami, I have a bottle of bubble solution where we can make some bubbles and watch as they float in the air. Or chase them around to pop them" Millie giving out a light laugh.
Sofia’s gaze dropped to the carefully sorted stacks of coloured paper, and she let out a soft hum of appreciation. “You weren’t kidding,” she said with a smile, settling down cross-legged beside Millie with the ease of someone used to making herself small in cramped offices. “This is practically a full operation.”
She set a small thermos of tea between them and glanced toward the nearest paper stack. “Let’s try a flower. My paper animal might end up looking like a replicated snack gone wrong.”
Her tone was playful, but there was genuine curiosity behind her eyes.
“And bubbles?” She laughed gently. “I’m almost certain that wasn’t in the Yeoman’s course back on Luna. File protocols, diplomatic etiquette, how to wrangle a replicator schedule during shift changes—sure. But bubble evasion tactics? Not a single module.”
She gave Millie a fond look, her voice quieter now. “I’m glad I ran into your airplane. After the day I’ve had, this… feels like exactly the kind of recalibration I didn’t know I needed.”
"At times a person needs a little bit of whimsy, and tap into childlike play. That is what my grandmother had told me. Helps to chase away the clouds." A twinkle was in Millie's eyes.
Giving a gentle friendly nudge with her shoulder to Sofia, Millie looked at Sofia, genuine warmth "I am glad that my airplane made its way to you."
Looking at the colored paper "What color of flower do you wish to make?"
Sofia considered the neatly stacked papers for a moment, her head tilting slightly. “Mmm… yellow,” she decided at last, reaching for the bright stack. “Something sunny. Your grandmother sounds like a wise woman — mine would’ve agreed with her. She was always saying, 'non lasciare che la vita ti rubi il sorriso' — don’t let life steal your smile.”
She smoothed the sheet between her palms before setting it down in front of her. “I think she’d approve of this. Tea, paper flowers, and bubbles… feels like a good recipe for chasing away clouds.”
Her lips curved into a small smile as she glanced over at Millie. “And I’m glad your airplane didn’t just land in the lift. If it had, I’d probably be in my quarters, staring at a padd right now. This is much better.”
"I highly agree!" Millie's expression filled with glee.
Having found someone who wanted to learn origami was in essence rather exciting. This also made Millie wonder if there were any others. She will find out later on. Right now, her attention was on Sofia.
"Just for a slight bit of trivia, the paper we are using is called washi. It has the best texture to make our flowers, and traditionally used by those that take up the art of origami."
While she spoke Millie had chosen her color of paper, red.
"I am going to make a lily, what sort of flower, do you wish to make?"
Sofia’s brow lifted with pleasant surprise, fingers brushing over the paper’s texture again now that she had a name for it. “Washi,” she echoed softly. “I like that. Sounds much more elegant than ‘paper from the replicator.’” She offered Millie a small grin. “I’m learning things already.”
She studied the yellow sheet for a moment, then looked over at the red one in Millie’s hands. “A lily sounds beautiful. I think I’ll try a daffodil—seems fitting, since I picked the colour of sunshine. Even if mine ends up looking more like a squashed shuttlepod, I like the idea of it.”
With a gentle crease at the corner of her paper, she glanced sidelong. “So, how many of these have you made? Judging by how calm you are about folding tiny flowers at nearly 2300 hours, I’m guessing you’re not new to it.”
Millie gave out a slight chuckle, "I have made quite a few, my first attempts were, disasters. I didn't want to give up though."
A bit of a smile.
"This keeps my hands busy, and a practice in patience along with having fun. "
A thought occurred to Millie, her first attempts were disastrous as she had been learning on her own, without a teacher. The countless pieces of paper that ended up being shredded upon the floor of her room back home. Almost like confetti.
"You know, instead of my making a lily, I can work on a daffodil but using the red paper. At times it helps to have a teacher work alongside the person they are teaching."
"Shall we continue?" Millie softly remarked.
Millie barely remembered to bring out the tools she used, to make the crisp folds.
Step by step, Millie demonstrated how to fold the paper, to make the daffodil.
She was enjoying this time with the gentle Sofia.
Sofia’s lips curved at Millie’s suggestion, and she gave a small, approving nod. “That actually makes a lot of sense. Misery loves company, sì? If mine looks like confetti, at least yours will too.” The teasing lilt in her voice softened into a smile. “Though something tells me yours will look more like an actual flower than mine.”
She leaned in a little closer, carefully mirroring the folds Millie showed her, brow furrowed in concentration. “Patience, hm? My Nonna would say I was born without that particular virtue. But—” she tilted her head, eyeing her somewhat crooked fold with amusement, “—maybe there’s hope for me yet.”
A quiet laugh slipped out as she glanced sideways at Millie. “Just don’t laugh when my daffodil ends up looking like a mutant tulip, deal?”
"Deal." Millie agreeing. "Besides your flower, it will look like a flower instead of confetti. I confess that the first few times, I was rather upset and my flowers didn't resemble flowers and instead they were torn up into confetti."
Millie gave a sheepish smile towards Sofia.
"Hence my saying this is a practice in patience, both with myself and whatever project I am working on."
She watched as Sofia was working, "You are doing really well."
Sofia glanced down at her folded paper, then back up at Millie with a quiet laugh. “Davvero? (Really?) You must have very generous eyes if you think this is going well. But… I’ll take it.”
Her smile lingered, though her tone softened as she worked another crease into the paper. “You’re right about patience, though. It isn’t something you just have — it’s something you keep choosing, over and over. And that feels… familiar to me. On Pioneer, my job isn’t about grand gestures or saving the day. It’s rosters, schedules, reports. Making sure everything fits together so no one else has to worry about the small things.”
She hesitated, eyes tracing the fold beneath her fingers before continuing. “Some days, I wonder if anyone even notices — or if they just take it for granted. I don’t mind, not really… it’s what I signed up for. But sometimes it feels like being the paper in your hands: ordinary, unremarkable, until it’s shaped into something useful.”
Her lips curved into a small smile as she lifted the half-formed flower. “I suppose I just hope I’m not confetti when all’s said and done.”
Millie quietly gazed at Sofia, "You know, from torn pieces of paper other things can be made, even flowers." reaching out and touching Sofia's shoulder.
"Sometime, I'll introduce you to Papier Mache." Millie giving a chuckle "If you are not opposed to getting a bit messy."
After giving Sofia's shoulder a soft squeeze of understanding, Millie moved her hand.
"I do understand the worry, and- you're not alone, even if it seems like that sometimes. I'm here, and we've met, and well you are someone I won't and don't want to forget. Besides paper is always something remarkable. Possibilities abound when looking at a piece of paper. "
Sofia stilled at the touch to her shoulder, the simple gesture carrying more comfort than she expected. Her lips parted in a soft breath, then curved into a smile. “Papier mâché, hm? Madonna mia… now that brings back childhood memories. Glue everywhere, my mother threatening to ban it from the kitchen forever.” A quiet laugh escaped, light but genuine. “I think I could be persuaded, though. Even if it means a mess.”
Her eyes softened as she looked back at Millie. “Grazie… thank you. For saying that. I don’t always admit when I feel small, but you make it… easy, somehow.”
She lifted the yellow sheet again, folding the next crease with renewed care. “Maybe you’re right. Paper isn’t just confetti waiting to happen. It’s whatever you choose to make of it.” Her smile lingered, warm and certain now. “And for what it’s worth, I won’t forget you either, Millie.”
A spark of amusement touched her eyes as she glanced back at Millie. “Although… if we ever did make the kind of mess I used to in my mamma’s kitchen, but in Commodore Malbrooke’s ready room?” She gave a quiet laugh, shaking her head. “Let’s just say I don’t think I’d ever hear the end of it.”
"And I wouldn't either." Millie giving a wink. "And you know about Paper Mache? That is awesome!" her voice echoing in the cargo hold.
She resumed working upon her flower, each step done one by one. A companionable silence permeated the area where Millie and Sofia were, occasionaly pausing to have some tea.
The final fold, Millie holding her breath, she looked at Sofia as the flowers were ready to bloom.
"Ready?"
Milie had an encouraging smile towards Sofia.
Sofia glanced at her own folded paper, lips pressed together in mock seriousness as if this were the most important duty she’d carried out all week. She met Millie’s gaze, then let her smile soften into something genuine.
“Pronta,” (ready) she said, giving a small nod. “On three?”
Together, they opened the last folds, yellow and red blooming side by side. Sofia let out a quiet laugh, a mixture of surprise and relief. “Would you look at that? It actually does look like a flower. I think you might be a miracle worker, Millie.”
She set her daffodil gently down next to Millie’s, then poured the last of the tea into their cups. “Thank you — for this. The folding, the tea, the quiet. It’s… different from the usual end of a duty shift. Better.”
With a sidelong smile she added, “And next time, I’ll hold you to the bubbles.”
"You've got a deal" Millie answered with a bright smile.
A Joint Post By
Ensign Millicent Ambrose
Engineering Officer, USS Pioneer
Petty Officer Second Class Sofia Cipriani
Yeoman, USS Pioneer
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