Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Issac Forgrave (Chief of Security) in Lay of the Land - Corridors (Tag Forgrave)

Posted by Lieutenant Bethany Kovra Gadi (Counselor) in Lay of the Land - Corridors (Tag Forgrave)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Issac Forgrave (Chief of Security) in Lay of the Land - Corridors (Tag Forgrave)
(snip)

Issac grabbed a small handful of treats; and commenced to making Luna do small meaningless tricks for them; standing up, spinning around and the like. “That’s right, cuteness alone ain’t gonna get ya treats from me, ya gotta work for ‘em!” After exhausting the supply in his hand, Issac moved back to the table; gratefully accepting the steaming mug.

Luna was more than happy to perform any tricks Forgrave asked of her. Eager to impress and to get at the food. Bethany watched with a smile on her face. Luna hopped away moving around the room, exploring all the nooks and crannies around the room, looking for any misplaced treats.

Issac was quiet for a moment, mentally compiling a tactful response. “Well, I’d be lying if I said I ain’t eaten a few rabbits in the past; raised them for meat an’ fur for a time. Had some chickens as well. Though I miss that, I try not to eat critters what got names; always felt it was a bit rude… Luna here is definitely safe!” While he didn’t feel it was necessary to defend himself or alleviate any worries concerning Luna, Issac was well aware that the practice of raising animals for slaughter was… generally frowned upon, if not considered outright barbaric by some. Though he understood those opinions, he disagreed with them; he tried to give his livestock a good life and a quick death - nature was rarely so considerate.

Issac Forgrave, CoS

Bethany watched him choose his words carefully and waited. She knew he was trying to be polite and didn’t want to be rude in turn, but she laughed. “Oh no worries there. Rabbit, squirrel, chickens, hogs, cows. I’ve had it all and my uncles made sure of it. It took my dad awhile to get used to it, but he did. Luna,” she looks around seeing her hop behind the couch. “Well being half Betazoid pets can be a bit of a problem. And though my....” she tries to find the right word, “skills are negligible, I decided to go for a very small pet, just in case. And she’s got enough personality to rival any dog I’ve ever met.” She picked up her coffee and blew across it and then took a sip letting the heat spread through her and the savor the flavor. But she grinned. “I’m sure Luna appreciates the safety.” She sipped the coffee in silence for a moment. “Can I offer you anything other than coffee and the antics of a rabbit who knows she’s cute?”
Lt. Gadi, CNS

“I’d say you had an unusual upbringing; least by Federation standards. Not a bad thing in my book; I think with replicators making food there’s a… disconnect? Or something like that from people an’ their food.” Issac’s tone was slow and thoughtful; before quickly continuing in a much brighter tone. “Not to say that availability of quality food an’ nutrients ain’t been a revelation for countless folks; I just think somethin’ can be gained by providing food fer yourself. Certainly brings a deeper appreciation of it.” Issac paused in thought; remembering several ‘colorful’ conversations in his past. “Granted, I had a couple ‘a people call me a ‘disgusting barbarian’ in the academy; but ah well.” Issac shrugged dismissively. “I don’t expect everyone ta agree with my views; just like others are entitled ta their thoughts. Fer the sake of avoiding offense, I ain’t in the habit of bringing it up; but I sure ain’t gonna change my thoughts fer someone else.”

“I was seven during the occupation and resistance on Betazed. I don’t remember a lot from that time, but I do remember the other children, even myself at times, upset because there wasn’t enough food. We were hidden in the mountains and caves, some in the Jalarran Jungle. There was no technology, no replicators. Many got sick eating what was foraged but not safe. Betazed has a strong agricultural development, but those that lived mostly in the cities, like my father grew up, didn’t know what to do. And even with the farms most in hiding were too far away to get food from the farms. And most of what was there was taken by the Jem’hadar anyway.” Bethany stops to sip at her coffee. “When my mom finally got dad to take us back to Earth, my uncles insisted that I learn where my food came from and how to care for it. It took Dad awhile to adjust, but he agreed and learned alongside me. My uncles are strong supporters of the idea that technology has made us soft. It has helped to eliminate hunger, but what do you do when technology fails, or in our case, we couldn’t get to it?”

Forgrave cocked his head to one side in curiosity. “You mentioned pets can be a problem? Can Betazoids pick up on the… thoughts of animals?” Issac had never heard of such a thing, but then; he hadn’t really ever looked into it either.

Issac Forgrave, CoS

“Animals don’t have thoughts as we consider them, but they have instinct. Instinct is nothing more than emotion. Betazoids can pick up on the instinctual emotions of animals, through their empathy, and that can be problematic. Instinct is very different and a much stronger drive than thoughts. So most tend to shy away from having a pet or a large one. As I said I have very little talent there. I never could feel anything from any of the animals on my uncles’ farm. But I understand that others have gotten lost in the instincts of animals, making it dangerous if the person is unable to distinguish the difference. Or so my father told me. I have no experience with it so I’m not sure how much he might have exaggerated.” Bethany stood up and moved over to the desk and brought the coffee pot back, topping off both of their mugs.
Lt. Gadi, CNS

“That is… an interesting problem.” Issac was quiet for a moment, trying to process such a foreign concept. He had great empathy and care for animals, sure - but to get caught up in their instincts… it was difficult to imagine. “You mentioned people getting caught up in the animal’s instincts… how’s that work? Recovery I mean; I could see someone loosin’ their sense of self, though that’s just raw conjecture on my end.” He was genuinely interested; this was a unique insight to a foreign culture, and he could see this playing into legends and lore - something he always had a fascination with.

Issac Forgrave, CoS

Bethany set her cup down and drummed her fingers on the table thinking. “I remember when I was younger my mother and uncles taking us to a Native American celebration. One of the elders told the most fantastic stories about people becoming animals. They were then able to use the animal’s instincts and senses as their own. My father said that there are similar stories on Betazed, but that they now knew that it was an empathic link rather than a meditative induced state. My father told me that some people detach from themselves and are unable to see themselves as different from the animal and that someone else has to intervene. I’m not sure how that would work, or the use of medication to break the cycle. I would imagine that someone who…got lost like that would need to spend a lot of time with the counselor.” She grins. “I never really put much thought to it. There are many folk stories about it. Some say that the telepath could control the animal rather than just share the feelings. I would imagine that would be very hard to do. It sounds rather fantastical don’t you think?”
Lt. Gadi, CNS