Equal Parts Tentative and Boisterous (Part 2 of 2)

Posted on 22 Oct 2015 @ 10:44pm by Commander Andreus Kohl & Lieutenant JG Lenaris Marika & Ensign Miriam Kallan

1,874 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 2, Mess Hall
Timeline: MD 04 - 1923 hours

Previously on “Equal Parts Tentative and Boisterous”:

For a moment there Marika seemed mesmerized, but quickly snapped out of it. Glancing between the uncomfortable woman and her superior officer, she quickly continued. “Am I interrupting something? Because if I am I can tooootally get out of your hair. I’m sure I can find another … table… somewhere.. Or you know, just go eat in a jefferies tube or a transporter room or something. You wouldn’t believe how fun a jefferies tube can be. Oh and transporter rooms are sooo underappreciated. Transport this, transport that, ok, let's just leave it.” Shaking her head slightly in apparent sadness, she gave them both a sympathetic smile. “Poor transporter rooms.”

And now: the conclusion



[ON]

Miriam didn't seem to even notice the hand offered to her. Her mind was far too distracted, with her churning stomach and building headache. As the Woman began chatting away, she couldn't really stop the smile. This woman sure knew how to talk and Miriam had to admit she found it utterly adorable. Miriam loved a good chatter. El-Aurians were a race of listeners after all. At least, that's what she'd heard. It did prove to be true with Miriam, she enjoyed listening to people, it was almost calming to her.

Miriam half glanced at her ration pack. While she knew she should eat something, she didn't really want to waste perfectly good food that she might not even be able to keep down. However, it struck her that she'd already heated it up so with a light sigh she turned to open the pack, before realizing she wasn't actually listening and she looked up at the two, also recalling in the back of her head that she hadn't taken the offered hand. "Sorry. I'm, I'm not usually so rude. I'm a little under the weather." She offered her hand out toward the Bajroan woman, "I didn't mean to ignore you."

Kohl set his hands down on the table, one down-turned palm near Marika and one near Miriam. "I insist," Kohl said, "that you both stay." His own smile was starting to become a facade, as he watched the two women. He had watched Marika Lenaris attempt to back-peddle away from the table, and he watched Miriam Kallan retreat into herself for reasons Kohl could not begin to fathom. As much as he was playing the part of the charming host at a housewarming, there was a slightly manic edge to his manner, as he tried to keep hold of a situation that was veering away from the image of happy-homes. "I went ahead and replicated a platter of oskoid," Kohl said. "I will go to bed feeling terribly guilty if I don't share with my team."

Miriam smiled lightly and looked at the delicious plants offered to them. While they looked utterly succulent, she worried about wasting them by not being able to keep them down. However, she didn't want to be rude and well, maybe just one wouldn't hurt. The El-aurian smiled and nodded, "Thank you, sir, that's very kind of you." Carefully she reached out to take one and bring it to her mouth. She'd never had this food before, but the first few bites brought forth a delicious sappy warmth that was completely worth any discomfort she might have later. "Mmm, it's delicious. 'Oskoids', you said they were? Where are they from?"

While the young El-Aurian professed her physical and mental discomfort, Marika dove into the vegetable plate with the vigor of a ten year old with ice cream. Mouth partially full, she nonetheless attempted an answer. “Bahwlus?” Her question asked, an answer would undoubtedly in the commings, she dove back into the plate with evident glee. “Deh ieh hawsaw!” Punctuating her ‘words’ with two thumbs up.

Miriam blinked several times before breaking out into giggles. This woman was a million times her second favorite crewmate so far. Her first, of course was Oren, the only other El-Aurian she'd met since her parents died. Finally Miriam turned to the ration pack once more and slipped a spoon in to try a bite. It wasn't the best food she'd ever tried, but it was edible. Although, she really would rather have the Oskoid. She bit her lip in thought before reaching to take a second. "These really are quite delicious, as you say." She said to Marika.

After allowing (and enjoying) Marika's blissful enthusiasm, Kohl finally responded with, "Oskoid grow wild on Betazed." --He bit into a particularly wide leaf and as soon as he pierced the purple-green flesh, a string of nectar dripped down his beard-- "I became addicted to them during my cadet cruise to the planet." --He dabbed at his bead with a napkin-- "Even after the Dominion occupation, that is one beautiful world filled with beautiful men and impeccable delicacies. It felt like home. I don't know how I got any work done!"

Looking up with a mischievous grin Marika finished her bite and swallowed. “I want to go there in summer! Naked people abound!” She fetched another leaf and shoved it unceremoniously into her mouth with evident glee.

Miriam looked over at Marika with wide curious eyes, "Naked?" Then she remembered what they were talking about, "Ah yes, Betazeds and their open nature. I grew up with Vulcan's; their polar opposites. I think I'd like to visit there as well. I like open people."

"Does Starfleet Academy," Kohl asked, "still send you traveling the Federation for a spell?"

Miriam turned toward Kohl and nodded slowly, "Oh, yes, they do, I spent some time on a Cadet cruiser, the Republic. It was rather fun."

Groaning in memory of her cadet cruise, Marika quickly finished her bite. “I got stuck on a Vulcan archive ship. Now I like Vulcan’s, and I don’t mind administrative logistics… but perhaps slapping a young excitable woman on such a ship for 8 months was a tad unfriendly.” She giggled at a few memories that popped up. “But I rest, secure in the knowledge I have marked several Vulcan lives just as much as they have marked mine.” She giggled some more, slowly creeping up to a full-throated laughter. She quickly threw her hands on her mouth and kept laughing, the mischievousness in her eyes matched her muffled laugh.

"It sounds like there's a story there," Kohl said in eager suspicion. He plucked another couple of leaves from the platter. "Is there a story there?"

Another fit of laughter hit her before she could say anything. As she struggled to regain control of herself, she plucked another oskoid leaf. “Well… perhaps more like half a dozen great ones..” Chuckling some more she put the leaf in her mouth and giggled a little. Eyes shining and slightly watery, she attempted to control her fits of laughter, but failed and giggled to herself, in the very least attempting to keep it somewhat subdued.

Miriam looked over at the giggling Bajoran and smiled, "Well, I love a good story. Perhaps you could share one with us?" Miriam found herself a bit surprised that the warm Betazed leaves were actually soothing her stomach, it actually felt a bit better than before. "Forgive me, but could I take one more?" She asked motioning to the plate of Oskoid's, "They seem to be putting my upset stomach at ease."

“One of my favorites has to be when I ended up naked, covered in green goo being run after by Sarathian Beetles.” She giggled a little and let it sink in. “Ok so, I’ve been there like three weeks tops, and already I’m bored out of my skull. So I start looking at flight logs registered in the area and I spot a Ferengi merchant coming through the same day. Looking at his manifest he’s put up for display, along with prices, I spot Sarathian Beetles!” Raising her hands in triumph, the young Bajoran’s eyes grow with pleasure at the memory.

“I had heard those made for interesting pets, so I look up ship rules, find nothing pertaining to pets, and figure, what the hell! Call up the Ferengi merchant, we arrange time and payment. All is good. Except the beetle he sold me was pregnant. Now understand these things are about a foot wide and two long, and it only takes them a week to get to that size with sufficient food.” Observing her companions she shook her head and chuckled at her own folly.

“So the things hatch, I figure, no biggie. By weeks end, I wake up to find everything not metallic in my room has been eaten, they’re finishing my blanket as I wake up. I get up, have a shower, and then head to the replicator for a new uniform, as they ate the other ones. I ask the computer for a fresh uniform, but instead of doing that, is starts spouting green goo at me. Before I can manually shut it off, I’m covered in the stuff!” Making a semi disgusted, semi amused face, she leans in.

“Damn little buggers had found a way into the walls and had started feasting on the interiors. What I found out quick enough, was that they liked the stuff. So I run out of my room, but my door won’t close. So I just keep running, but the critters are fast. I must have done half the ship wearing nothing but that green slime. The faces on those Vulcans! Priceless!” Marika looked at her companions shaking with mirth.

Miriam's hand moved up to her mouth to stop a boisterous laugh. She'd spent her life with Vulcans so it was an easy task imagining the looks Marika spoke of on their 'emotionless' faces. Vulcan's were indeed an amusing species to poke fun at.

Through a cackle of laughter all this own, Kohl asked, "Did any of-- did any of them even try to help you?" As he had done through most of the story, Kohl was shaking his head with his mouth agape, in plain incredulity at Marika's turn of events.

"Hah!" Hitting the table with her hand in a loud slap, she laughed some more. "I ended up on top of a cargo container, the captain's son, who must have been about fifteen, fending them off with a fire extinguisher. Eventually a few others came to help and neutralized the beetles, but I sure got an earful." Mimicking the action with energy, her arms flailed about, painting a picture of their own.

"Of course, as any good damsel in distress would do, I kissed the young man for saving me so gallantly. I'm not sure if it was the kiss or the slime, but he had this look of terror in his eyes I never thought I'd see in a Vulcan." Bursting in a full-throated laughter, Marika hit the table a few more times in rowdy amusement.

It wasn't the last story, or the last laugh, they shared that night.


[OFF]

Lieutenant Commander Andreus Kohl
Chief Science Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Lenaris Marika
Archaeologist/Anthropologist
USS Galileo

Ensign Miriam Kallan
Xenobiologist
USS Galileo

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