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Side Sim: Friends and good food -what else does one need?

Posted Jan. 27, 2021, 12:09 p.m. by Lieutenant Kiama Naim (Chief Science Officer) (Silke Fahl)

Posted by Lieutenant Faye Calloway (Mission Specialist) in Side Sim: Friends and good food -what else does one need?

Posted by Lieutenant Kiama Naim (Chief Science Officer) in Side Sim: Friends and good food -what else does one need?

Posted by Lieutenant Faye Calloway (Mission Specialist) in Side Sim: Friends and good food -what else does one need?
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“No it doesn’t,” Faye said with a proper smile. Inwardly, she was proud of Kiama for not hiding her opinion, because it sure seemed she needed to get it out! And it allowed Faye to push down those other feelings, the discomfort of the conversational topic (though Naim had idea what they had actually stumbled upon and it had been entirely Faye’s doing) along with something darker. “I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything,” she said softly, moving back to the counter after having turned off the water.

“I know and I didn’t think you were. It’s more … I don’t know. I guess I still forget sometimes that not everyone around me knows exactly what I’m thinking and feeling,” Kiama replied and returned the smile. “Thank you, Faye.”

She nudged Kiama gently with her elbow. “You should toss that anger into making a mean curry. the spicier the better,” she said with a gleam in her grey-green eyes.

~Faye Calloway

Chuckling softly, Kiama nudged her playfully back. “I can certainly do that!” she grinned and then turned back to the stove. For a little bit she worked in silence, lost in her own thoughts when something Faye had said fully sank in. Before she could think better of it, she tilted her head towards her and asked, “You said you were that employee once. What did you mean? If you want to and feel comfortable telling me.”

~Lt. Naim, CSO

Faye turned on the water while Kiama started cooking and was immediately torn. Kiama was so open with her and Faye felt like anything she would bring up was heavy or an undesirable topic. And there were certain places she didn’t want to go. She had move on. Why dredge up more of the past? At the same time she didn’t want Kiama to think it was her. So she went the natural path. “Well, before I joined Starfleet I worked on freighters and merchant ships doing odd jobs. On one of them I was, in addition to being a deck hand, the cook. Those people barely knew their way around a pot,” she said with a fond smile. And it wasn’t a lie either, but it also wasn’t the whole truth. It wasn’t the thing that had reacted against Kiama’s story of growing up in a fine a home.

~Faye Calloway

Kiama sensed that that there was more to that then Faye was sharing, but that was okay. She wanted her to share as much or as little as she felt comfortable. After all, she was her friend and cared a lot about her. Pushing her to talk about things she didn’t want to talk would be unkind at best. Not to mention that, as open as she herself had been, there were still things in her past she didn’t like to about. Things that even all those years later still hurt. Instead she mused, “I always find it amazing what different types of people Starfleet brings together. Just look at us. Grown up far apart and under different circumstances and all. Yet here we are. Two Starfleet officers out here in the Delta Quadrant. Serving on the same ship. If it wasn’t for Starfleet we probably never would have met and never would have become friends. That would be a shame. More than that, really.”

~Lt. Naim, CSO

Similar thoughts has crossed Faye’s mind before, but it had always taken a different slant. “I’ve thought about leaving Starfleet many times, but I’ve done the aimless life before and that’s all that there would be for me. I’m not interested in repeating it. So, I stay.” She cast a glance Naim’s way. “But I’m glad I came to the Manhattan. Despite everything that happened and the… secrecy of my original assignment, I’m happy here. I never thought I’d say that about any place, and that has to do with the people I think.”

Kiama nodded thoughtfully as she stirred the curry. “I know what you mean. This ship and her crew, it’s a good place to be.”

The water had come to a boil, so Faye turned the temperature down and gently added the rinsed rice, securing the lid firmly. “Rice is in. Should take twelve to fifteen minutes.”

~Faye Calloway

“The curry should take about the same time, maybe a few minutes longer. But that shouldn’t be a problem, I think,” Kiama nodded and then fell silent again, getting lost in her thoughts once again.

Looking up and turning slightly to face Faye, Kiama suddenly said, “You know, I thought about leaving as well. I’m really glad I didn’t, but … I know it’s silly. When the Captain told me that there was going to be a new Chief Science Officer … it really hurt and made me doubt myself so much. It felt like I wasn’t good enough. I know that there was no malicious intent or anything and that it had nothing to do with me or at least not with my capabilities as a scientist. I think I already told you that day, but I could hear my mother’s voice so clearly in my head telling me ‘I told you so’ and ‘You never should have left Betazed and your family’.” Her brows pulled together, she looked straight at Faye, but her gaze seemed unfocused. As if she wasn’t actually seeing her surroundings or Faye. “I only stayed because I didn’t want to let any of you down and because I’m too proud and too stubborn to give up. No matter how miserable I am.” Shaking her head and blinking a few times, she added, “And I’m glad about it. It all turned out okay and I even got my old position back; including a very surprising promotion. Not to mention and more importantly, we got to know each other even better. Yet at the same time I still have moments where I wonder how quickly I might be replaced again. It’s silly and my stupid insecurity talking. I know that.” With a soft sigh Kiama shook her head again and added, “I’m sorry. I’m being a silly, emotional idiot. I didn’t mean to complain and drag the mood down. It was such a small and silly incident compared to everything else that has happened.”

~Lt. Naim, CSO

Faye stepped closer and tilted her head slightly so she could look directly at Kiama. “Hey, I had to fire a phaser at the captain, first officer and my mother, pretend to be a fugitive and spend two days in the brig after having been a prisoner for nine months before. You’ll get no judgment from me for being emotional, and it doesn’t make it any less impactful on you.” this time she was glad for Kiama’s abilities, because then she knew her friend would know she was being sincere.

~Faye Calloway

Even though she could clearly sense Faye’s sincerity, Kiama found herself unable not to be hard on herself. Of course she knew that because things were worse for someone else, that didn’t mean one’s own experience and feelings weren’t valid or inaccurate. Yet still here she was, feeling like that was exactly the case. With her brows pulled together, she looked back at Faye and said softly, “See, but that’s exactly how I feel. There are things like the occupation, my grandmother’s death when she fought off the Jem’Hadar with many other adults and my parents behaviour; especially since then that haven’t been easy and shaped me. Yet at the same time I grew up with a ridiculous amount of privileges. With the exception of the occupation I’ve always been safe and probably fairly sheltered. Which is probably exactly why such a silly little thing impacted me that much.” Tension was almost radiating from her and Kiama felt tears of anger well up in her eyes. “I’m so angry and annoyed with myself.” She was still looking straight at Faye while stirring the curry a little. As good as it felt to have her feeling validated by her friend, a part of her wished that Faye would tell her to just get a grip on herself, that she had nothing to complain about.

~Lt. Naim, CSO


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