STF

Dinner for One - Officer's Mess

Posted Nov. 27, 2020, 7:26 a.m. by Lieutenant Priscilla Simms (Chief Science Officer) (Melissa Aragon)

Posted by Lieutenant Bethany Kovra Gadi (Counselor) in Dinner for One - Officer’s Mess

Posted by Lieutenant Priscilla Simms (Chief Science Officer) in Dinner for One - Officer’s Mess

Bethany was tired of eating alone in her quarters. Well I guess she really wasn’t alone. She had Luna. That’s why T’Jal had insisted she get a pet to bring with her. *Can get a wee bit lonely bein’ ship’s shrink, Bethy.’ And T’Jal was right. She was always right. But tonight instead of sharing raw veggies off her plate with the insistent little rabbit, Bethany headed out to the officer’s mess. She was still eating alone, but at least the scenery was different.

But she found upon arriving she didn’t have much of an appetite. So she ordered a large mug of coffee, the blend that Stores had shared with her, and took it to a seat in the corner where she could stare out the window. Isn’t that what people did when they were alone in the lounge? Stare out at the stars?
Lt. Gadi, CNS

Two shifts of staring at a screen, waiting for the results to change, was all that had occupied Priscilla’s mind all day. She was ready for dinner elsewhere. Her own quarters, like others, was becoming claustrophobic and small. As she entered the Officer’s Mess, she noted not many were around. Grabbing a large glass of fruit juice and a slice of chocolate cake with matching ice cream flavor, she started to walk to a table in the corner. Someone else was there, this time.

A slight smile lit her face as she recognized the Counselor, whom she was supposed to see in a couple days for her annual eval. Hoping to win points, and maybe make a friend, she went back and grabbed a larger slice of cake with extra ice cream, and two spoons. Taking the new order with her, she paused by the table and looked down. “Best seat in the house. But it requires two things to sit here. Companionship and chocolate.” She smiled, nodding to the tray with enough dessert to probably feed four people. “Good thing I can help with both. I’m Priscilla, by the way. Priscilla Simms, the new CSO.”

Her dirty blonde hair was pulled back into a pony tail and she worse black slacks with an emerald blouse that cut from her right shoulder to the arm pit of her left arm. Her right arm boasted the 3/4 sleeve of the blouse, while the right arm bore a gold circlet around her bicep and was bare. A gold torc that matched the twisted pattern of the arm band was around her neck and a bracelet on her right wrist. Soft boots of black came half way up her calves.

Lt Priscilla Simms
CSO

Bethany took in the CSO and waved toward a seat. “I think I’m a little under dressed.” Bethany was wearing yoga pants and a tank top with “dress” slippers, as her mother called them. Nice enough to wear out but comfortable enough to putter around the house in. Bethany had her mothers long red hair and her fathers all black eyes. “Chocolate? The perfect desert for any occasion. I’m Bethany…” oh what did it matter? The woman probably already knew who she was. She was either trying to get out of an eval or pass judgement on her for her work with intel. “Gadi, the new ship’s counselor. Nice to meet you.”
Lt. Gadi, CNS

“Oh, dear… this just won’t do.” Priscilla tsked and shook her head as she sat down. “First of all, one must never apologize for attire. If you are comfortable then everyone else be damned. Although I warn you, you’ll be before your own mirror for an eval if you come out of your quarters looking *too comfortable.” She laughed and handed the woman a fork.

Bethany smirked. Betazed was known for it’s nude weddings, and somehow or another people got it into their heads that Betazoids were only comfortable when nude. It was an amusing assumption to Bethany. First it wasn’t true and second even it it was Bethany had been raised on Earth so the idea, even for weddings was embarrassing to her. Of course she had no idea if that was where Priscilla’s comment came from. Bethany took the fork, and it was chocolate and took a large bite of the icecream.

“I have to admit, that yes, I know who you are. And I hope that’s not a point against me. I’m just a curious bird is all. And besides, who cares where we work on this floating island, right? I mean, we are just like folks back at home. We get up, we work, we play and we go to bed. Just because it’s all done within several yards of each thing, doesn’t make us aliens or anything.” She took a bite of the cake with some ice cream before continuing. “So what brings you out to the mess this time of night and only with a coffee in hand?” Her curiosity was good natured. And the only surface thoughts were of contentment and the relief at finally being able to indulge in chocolate.

Priscilla
CSO

Bethany barely registered Priscilla’s contentment. Bethany had no telepathic ability what-so-ever and only very weak empathic abilities. As far as most Betazoids were concerned she had no psychic talent to speak of. “I was tired of sharing my dinner with my rabbit, and I just really like the flavor of this blend of coffee.”
Lt Gadi, CNS

“Yeah, you mentioned a rabbit. Never had a pet, myself. But I think it’s great you do. Hope you talk to it like my other friends talk to their animals. Seems that’s the main purpose. Me, I talk to myself. My staff have gotten used to it and it’s almost a normal enough thing now that they wonder what’s wrong when I don’t.” Taking another bite, she leaned back and looked at Gadi as if trying to suss her out.

Bethany grinned, “My uncle used to tell me that he talked to himself all the time. That there was no one more interested in what he had to say than himself.” She laughed then, “But,” her eyes twinkled at the memory, “he told me he had to stop because he kept loosing arguments with himself.” She pointed a cake filled fork at Priscilla, “So as long as you aren’t loosing any arguments I think you’re fine.” She eats the cake on the fork, pondering a moment. “My mentor told me to get a pet. She said being a ship’s counselor is very lonely when you know no one on board, so I got Luna. And she certainly keeps me occupied. She’s very insistant on not being ignored.”

After a moment, and finishing her mouthful, she furrowed her brows slightly in thought. “What’s on your mind? You seem a million light years from here. You know, sometimes even the Counselor could use a ear to bend, or a shoulder to lean on.” She leaned on her elbows on the table and lowered her voice as if conspiratorially. “And for the record, I’m a pretty good listener. And usually have chocolate around.” She wriggled her eyebrows trying to get a least a smile from Gadi. It didn’t take a Betazoid to read the woman across from her. Something was up. And Priscilla loved mysteries.

Priscilla
CSO

Bethany smirked, “Chocolate…don’t tell anyone, but if the dominion had brought chocolate, Betazed would never have fought back.” It was an aweful joke. But at the same time, kind of true. Bethany takes another bite of the ice cream and sighs. “I think I’m just a little homesick is all. I’ve been all over the quadrant, but I always got to go home afterwards. I was stationed out of command and then temporarily ‘loaned’ to different areas. This is my first real long term assignment. I’m excited, but I guess I just miss home a little.” More so though, and she wouldn’t say it, she didn’t feel like she could make this ship home, and just like when she’d joined the academy and gone into intel, she found her ideal, her desire for what she wanted out of life and her career, were so very different from reality.
Lt. Gadi, CNS

Priscilla listened and a soft smile played across her lips. “Not what you imagined, huh? We all have glorious ideas of what running around in space will be like. Adventure, glory, new species to make friends with around every corner. Then we get out here and it’s life or death danger. Half the species out here consider us a nuisance and want us dead. And there is no glory, just isolation in amounts we never fathomed. I haven’t been home since before my last assignment. But that’s been by choice. No need to keep going back, in my opinion. I have everything I need out here. But I know lots of folks in your boat, so to speak. Have you considered a holo program? One of the engineers takes all her correspondence and loads them as a program. The holodeck plays out the letter in an interaction scenario so she is there living the moment and talking to her family instead of guessing what’s happening and merely reading it. She said it’s like a small vacation or going home on weekend furlough. It’s not a permanent fix. And I’m sure you’d rather be home. But it may help. Perhaps you could act out a scene to write home about, maybe with the rabbit, and act it out on the holodeck then have it sent. Sort of a reverse of what NE Blarns is doing with the incoming letters.”

It seemed a plausible option. She didn’t have anyone to write to so it made no difference to her. But if it helped the Counselor, she was all for it.

Priscilla
CSO


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