Posted March 16, 2023, 11:12 a.m. by Civilian Karilan Massat (Owner, Quill and Parchment Books) (James Sinclair)
Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Unpacking More Than Books -
Posted by Civilian Karilan Massat (Owner, Quill and Parchment Books) in Unpacking More Than Books -
Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Unpacking More Than Books -
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻(snip)
“Ok!” came Karilan’s voice from the office. “Think about what kind of person you want people to see when they look at the shelves.” they said. “Classics at eye level speak to a cultured and sophisticated mind. First editions and ‘literature’ speaks to a mind that yearns for stimulation and likes to ponder deep, philosophical matters. And what I call ‘bodice rippers’ say that there is a box under your bed that would raise eyebrows if anyone ever saw it.” The last sentence was followed up with a lilting laugh.
Karilan
Eela didn’t miss a beat. “Under the bed is too inconvenient,” she said easily before moving back to the kitchen to stop the water from reaching full boil.
“Depends on positioning, I suppose.” came a slightly lower volume response.
“Bad back, remember?” she called out, her lips curling upwards.
In the kitchen, she simply poured the water in a circle in the carafe and set the press on top to steep. Eela moved back to the hall to survey the piles of her books and gravitated towards the mix of older and newer poetry books. They would go at eye level.
~Eela
“Excellent choice.” Karilan said with a smile. “Poetry says ‘I want to experience life and all that it offers, both good and otherwise.”
Karilan
Eela returned the smile, setting a replicated copy of Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám on the shelf. “It’s also about self-expression and the many complicated ways it can unfold. Seemed appropriate given my life right now, and maybe as I come home from work my eyes will trace a title and I’ll be compelled towards the one I need in that moment. For the days when I don’t have my own words.”
“When we’re completely done, which will probably be after we return from lunch, will you show me the reading nook?” Eela asked. “It’s so special that I feel it needs a proper reveal and it won’t do to go down there without the office full of books already.”
~Eela
They looked at her and said “It would be my pleasure.” with a smile. “Now. Let us finish these three shelves, and then we can get ready to go into the world. Deal?”
Karilan
She nodded. “Deal.” Eela went to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee before continuing with her task. She drank it while she set about putting the books on the shelves, greeting them like the old friends they were. It went without saying that her collection of books were either old volumes she had had in storage for many years, or ones (new or old) she had acquired since her retirement from Starfleet. It went without saying that anything was destroyed with the Steadfast, a fact that for a while she had mourned but also had been glad for the foresight to keep only replicated copies of special items on board. Then again, she had survived the Dominion War, and having witnessed the destruction of many a ship and the near destruction of her own one more than one occasion, Eela knew better.
Another fifteen or so minutes minutes and that part was done. She stepped back and smiled at the shelves that were filled, looking forward to seeing them all that way. But, first, lunch. She looked down at her leggings and very casual top and pondered. “I’ll be right back,” she said, moving to the front door and talking to her security to inform them about the new plan. They would get things rolling. Then she moved down the hall to her bedroom.
It was a slight debate. Did she try to go incognito as Karilan suggested (she had a couple wigs, after all) or did she just suck it up and step out as she was? It wasn’t so much about not letting anyone else dictate what she could or couldn’t do, but being emotionally prepared to be Eela Dasca, public figure. Even when she wasn’t working, she was still who she was and it wasn’t something that could be turned off outside of her home or other private spaces.
But she wasn’t doing this alone. Small steps every day; that was the name of the game. Stepping out of her room, she replaced her sheru with a pair of flats (all her shoes were specially designed to support her spine) and moved down the hall. She was still wearing the leggings, but the stretchy top was replaced by a burgundy tunic to her hips that was embroidered in a white floral border motif along the hem and neckline. Her hair was pulled to one side and secured with a simple elastic, the ends draped slightly over her shoulder. “We’re going with ‘I’m here, but I’m still a little hesitant’. It’s at least honest,” she said to Karilan with a lopsided smirk.
~Eela
Karilan eyed her like they were an art critic… and then they smiled. “Perfect. Let’s go.” they said and took her hand and half-led her out the door and into the elevator.
Something about the forthright way they took her hand and just carried on made her smile. Again, so much touch lately. Even earlier when Karilan had their hands on her face had added something to her experience of them. These small things, tiny moments, were tethering Eela to her life and to the vibrancy that was Oed even more than she could have ever imagined. And there was something just lovely about walking hand in hand with someone that made her beam.
When they hit the street, Katilan shifted to interlocking elbows and they said “So here we are, in the world. If it gets too much, say the word and we are right back here with the books, okay?”
Karilan
Eela nodded. “Sounds good. And now, lead me to the Bajoran food my friend. It’s been awhile since I’ve had good Bajoran cuisine.” The usual sunshine warmed her skin and she focused on breathing deeply as they meandered arm-in-arm, her mind aware of people around her, almost protectively so.
~Eela
It was a three block and wholly uneventful walk to the ‘Pub’. The outside was bright red wood surrounding heavily tinted windows with gold lettering that read ‘Delnot’s Public House’ in big block letters; and in smaller letters underneath ‘Bajoran and Human Food and Spirits’. Karilan led them inside and they got a booth at the far back. The place wasn’t crowded, but it had people. Tables were occupied and other booths full… and three tables by plain-clothes members of Eela’s security detail.
The booth was deep and soft cushions covered in leather and Karilan slid in one side so Eela could be seen by her protectors. A server came to the table and gave them real menus and told them about the specials, and Karilan ordered a glass of Bajoran blue wine.
Karilan
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