Comfort Food and Girl Chat Part III
Posted on Sat May 27th, 2023 @ 1:15pm by Lieutenant Vura
Edited on on Wed May 31st, 2023 @ 8:37pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Tasty Toppings - Deck 70 - Poseidon Station
Timeline: MD006 2100 hrs
Vura ignored the question regarding the "certain marine," and said, "The punishment for breaking the vow is rather severe. The court martial would be nothing. The incarceration would be lengthy and the harm to such a person could literally render someone insane." She shuddered involuntarily. "We Deltans cannot help that your species are so sexually immature. We're simply a danger to you until another few millenia go by and even then, we will have advanced more and still probably be a danger."
Sheepishly she continued, "But we mean no harm and love the Federation, so we take the Oath as a compromise. But, it is also one of many reasons that there are very few Deltans in Starfleet."
Paisley nodded. "I DO understand. If these are too personal of questions, tell me to be quiet," she said. "I just want to learn about your race," she said. "It seems a rather harsh punishment for an organization that prides itself on its humanity," she remarked. "I do understand what they SAY will happen, but are there any actual recorded instances?" Her analytical mind wanted to know. "I promise I am not trying to get you to break your vow for me, or anything. Just plain curiosity," she said. "Though it'd be fun to stick THAT on my father's head, too. Could you IMAGINE the talk among the Army people? Oh, there's Yeicet F'rar's daughter, driven mad by a Deltan woman," she nearly collapsed from the laughter. "He'd have to leave Cardassia Prime forever!" The thought was immature, but it made it her feel smug, at least for a moment.
How could Vura not possibly react with the biggest, most genuine smile that she could ever give Paisley. The woman just pleased Vura on every level: her running at the mouth, her insatiable curiosity, and her forthrightness. The Deltan could not stand it anymore and burst out laughing boisterously. After settling herself down, wearing a large smile, she told Paisley, "You'd likely end up leaving Cardassia Prime forever, too, but at least you would be well cared for and your needs all handled. But yes, there are examples, and as far as I know, most are between humans and Deltans. Now, there was the curious case of Ilia and Will Decker. Will seemed to resist the irresistible urge until the very end when he and Ilia disappeared.... It might be a Starship Captain thing?"
Paisley smiled. "What?" Then Vura explained. "I see. Yeah, I probably would, but I actually already HAVE," she said. "Left Cardassia Prime for good, I mean." She was sure about that-it was where she was from, but it wasn't home. "And perhaps it IS a Starship Captain thing. Or perhaps he just had some kind of natural immunity?" Paisley thought about it for a moment. "Anyway. Being driven mad by a lover, while funny, doesn't exactly seem like the kind of thing that would be fun long term. I AM sorry that you have to carry that burden-pleasures of the flesh are the best kind!" She said. "Or maybe it's just because I finally feel free to live MY life as I wish to. I don't know." She shared. She popped a piece of bread into her mouth again, and then giggled some more.
"By all reports, Will Decker was not completely immune. He thought of Ilia often but was able to resist. So, there was something about him, no doubt. Sadly, nobody studied it. And you're correct, having a person that is completely mind-boggling into you is a lot of fun for awhile but it it becomes boring and annoying after awhile. A relationship has to be much more than sex and we Deltans, ironically from your perspective, understand that better than anyone. Like I said, having sex for us, is basically like saying hello to a friend."
Vura looked at the assorted meats and noticed that they were disappearing. She gave a small frown but took one more of the fowl pieces, dipped it in the oil for a moment as she continued, "Living your life as you wish to is a wonderful thing. Just make sure that you're not living it to not be the person someone wanted you to be because then you're just living spitefully and still in the control of that person."
Paisley nodded. "Trust me, I am past that now, though I WAS for awhile. I don't care what people think, and I no longer do things to spite my father, even though he wouldn't know about it, anyway, because you're right. It would be living still under his control, and I am an adult now. But it did take me a few years to figure that out," she said. She used to operate SOLELY on "I am doing XY because it would piss him off," but now she did XY because she thought it was the right thing to do or simply because she wanted to. "I am not saying that I don't still have those conversations in my head, clearly," she HAD just made a joke about doing just that. "But mostly, I just try to make sure that I am making decisions for MY life and my future, and no one else's," she said.
"Exactly," Vura replied, happy that her friend had figured things out. Just at that moment, the waitress appeared with another pot, this one filled with chocolate. She also held a tray with various fruits. Vura rubbed her hands together. "Ah, this is what I have been waiting for." She was most pleased as she saw several rows of strawberries cut up and waiting for her dipping.
Paisley smiled. "That looks good. Is there any...bread...in there?" She laughed. "I am just kidding, fruit is up my alley." She said. The chocolate wasn't, so much, but she would try it, for sure. She wasn't Vulan or Romulan-she COULD eat those things as they didn't make her physically ill, she just didn't prefer them. "But actually, some pound cake in chocolate sounds heavenly right now. Just a second," she said, turning back to the host. "Can I have another Kanar, please?" She asked. One more wouldn't hurt, especially because she'd had the tea in-between.
The waitress was embarrassed and flushed. "Did I forget the pound cakes? I'm so sorry! I'll get them right away with your Kanar. I was just so concentrated on the strawberries for your friend here...." With that she turned and disappeared.
Vura sighed. "I guess I had an effect on her." She shrugged lightly and then delicately poked one of the strawberries and dipped it into the chocolate and gathered as much as she could, then put it to her lips. She was practically kissing the chocolate covered strawberry when she slowly allowed her mouth to open, her pearly white teeth, slowly grasping for the fruit. Her teeth crunched slowly into it, as her lips kissed the remainder of the strawberry while she let it sit in her mouth. Audible sounds of pleasure started coming from Vura, despite her mouth staying closed.
Paisley smiled at the Hostess. "It's Ok, really," she said. She wasn't that bothered. "I guess you DID affect her," Paisley giggled. Mmmm, chocolate covered pound cake sounded heavenly. She watched as Vura savored the strawberry. "Some people are going to think I am doing strange things to you under the table, you know," she said, blushing purple. "Here's my Kanar, yay," she changed the subject so she wouldn't embarrass her friend. "And the pound cake!" The hostess had returned quickly. "Thank you, Miss," Paisley said. She got to work, taking a piece of the cake and dipping-nearly soaking-it in the chocolate sauce, and then, after placing it daintily in her mouth, sighed in pleasure. "Indeed, it's quite good, don't you think?" Why didn't she treat herself to dessert more often? She did not know.
The Deltan had just finished her first bite of the chocolate covered strawberry. She knew that Paisley had been speaking but only had vague awareness of it. "You're doing something to me under the table?" she asked. "Huh?" Watching Paisley with the pound cake, Vura started to laugh merrily. "Nice to see you enjoying yourself, as well."
Paisley laughed. "Never mind, my jokes are always ill-timed," she said. "I am. Thank you for coming out with me. I was getting a little stir crazy. We're onboarding a new person tomorrow and it's always a pain in the ass," she said. "Hopefully, they've sent us someone with mettle," she said. "They're gonna NEED it," she remarked. This time, she selected some kind of melon. "I am going to try this one," she said. "I'll leave the strawberries for you!" She offered. "I insist," she said, before Vura could object.
"Need mettle? Why do you say that? Is there something wrong in Engineering?" Vura looked at Paisley regarding the strawberries and tilted her head to the side, "Come on now, you should have at least one. They're too scrumptious to pass up!"
"Nothing WRONG, per se, we're just a bunch of crude ladies who spend our days insulting men," she explained. "It's an estrogen show, and I love it. We NEED a man or two, actually-too much of a good thing is still too much." She shrugged. "Ok, I'll take one," she said. "But you requested them specifically, so I don't mind," she selected a medium-sized one, and placed it carefully on the plate in front of her. She picked up more pound cake-she decided that it was called pound cake because she would put on a full pound after this dinner for sure-and dipped it in the chocolate, though not as enthusiastically as before. "If he's an O'Brien type, he'll be just fine. If he's a sensitive type, well...we'll try not to chew him up and spit him out TOO badly," she shrugged. "I know that sounds mean, but I think that the REASON we work so well together is because we don't have to compete with each other. You add a man into the mix, and all of a sudden, an otherwise intelligent, capable group of women become, "Oh, pick me, I am great," she rolled her eyes. "I mean, Diari is a lesbian, but the rest of us are somewhere in between, and it can be messy, I think," she shared. "And I am the youngest-and the youngest Assistant department head in a decade-and I am still trying to prove myself. I can't do that if my head isn't fully in the game. So like I said, mettle is very important," she popped the whole piece of cake in her mouth, and then grinned like an idiot.
"I think you're worrying too much," Vura concluded after having taken another bite of the chocolate covered strawberry, delicately placing the remaining green leafy part on the plate before her. "There is no reason that any amount of men should change the department. And I certainly could not imagine everyone going 'pick me.' You're Starfleet officers, not hormonal teenagers."
Paisley laughed. "We're both! Actually, it's a good thing, only so we can all MEET a man," she said. "And maybe. But what if he's like...lame? Like, what if he's a total nerd? OR worse! What if he's a Romulan??" She sighed. SHE would be the one being an immature teenager then! I just he arrives before 10 am; after that, I am on shift." She said. "And I don't have TIME to train someone wet behind the ears. He's only an Ensign," she sighed. "I mean. So am I, but I've been trained by some of the best in the Fleet!" She'd cut her teeth on refuelers and shuttles-if you could fix THOSE hunks of metal, you could handle ANYTHING. "Wait, you don't think the Captain is trying to REPLACE me?!" The thought hadn't yet occurred to her until just then.
"If he's a Romulan, I'll expect you married in a week," Vura replied before laughing boisterously. "But seriously, Paisley, stop worrying. Whoever is coming is coming and they will be what they will be. I'm sure that everything will work out. Starfleet has high standards."
Paisley nearly launched a piece of pound cake at Vura. "That is NOT nice!" She said, laughing. "But true," she said. "I know. I just...I don't like change!" She said. That wasn't entirely true-she didn't like change that SHE didn't control. But most things out here were beyond her control, and she'd do well to learn to live with it. "Well, I don't know how high their standards are, they let ME in!" She joked. Finally, she picked up the strawberry, let it coat with chocolate sauce, and bit into it, holding it by the stem instead of the skewer. "Oooh, you're right, that's REALLY good," she said. What had she been sitting on this whole time?!
"AAAAAaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! The truth comes out! Paisley claims to like change, leaving home to be away from dad, but at the end of the day, she does not like change. Such an engineer!" Vura shook her head, coated another strawberry with chocolate and started chewing on it to stop herself from laughing further.
Paisley made a face. "That is NOT nice!" She said. "I thought you were supposed to be helpful!" She shook her head, laughing. "Anyway. Feel free to linger. I am done, though," she was finally full of sugar and carbs. So much for eating well, she thought. "Don't hurry on my account," she said.
"I'm extremely helpful," Vura responded with a smirk. "For me," she concluded with a laugh. "I adore you Paisley. Thank you for understanding about my slow eating habits. I will not keep you. Go! Have fun! Have an adventure and then tell me all about it."
Paisley shook her head. "No, I am not done asking you probing questions about your life!" She said. "So. Tell me about your family. What do your siblings do?" She asked. "Besides, the only adventures I'm planning to have after this is some water and whatever my dreams bring," she said. "My bunkmate found herself a group of Fleet Marines the first day we docked, and I haven't seen her since." Paisley chuckled. THAT was the kind of fun she missed, but the other girl was only 21. It was appropriate that she act immature. Paisley was a grown woman at almost 26.
"Oh, gosh! You want to know more about my family?" Vura replied most interested. "Looking to hook up with my brother or sister, are you?" She paused dramatically, and asked, "Maybe both?" With that, she took another bite of a chocolate covered strawberry and gave Paisley a daring glance.
Paisley smiled. “Mayyyyybe,” she said. “But no, just curious. Remember, I’m an only child,” she said, sipping the last of her Kanar. “And your parents definitely have to be far better than mine!” She said. “Speak! Then I’ll tell you how I got such a Human name for a Carjoran.” On second thought, maybe that’s a story best left for a session but too late now!
"Well, I admit that I did not have a father that practically kept my mother as a slave, so that's probably better," Vura admitted. "But now you HAVE to tell me about the Cajoran name." She put another strawberry in her mouth, this time without chocolate, while she waited for the story to unfold.
Paisley laughed. "Miles better; at least a choice was made. My only solace is that at least she was able to physically leave the work camps, but in exchange for what?" She shrugged. "And...it's not really a funny story in the "hilarious" sort, but more like "Wow, that's incredibly sad," but it's my cross to bear. You ready?!" She paused for dramatic effect. "Anyway. My father had left to go on a maneuver when my mother was about three months pregnant; so a little more than halfway through-Bajoran gestation is only about five months long-and it was a quick excursion-the story went-two days. APPARENTLY, my father met a Human woman he fell quickly in love with and carried on an affair with-but wouldn't bring her to Cardassia because my mother was pregnant. I guess some kind of twisted honor? Anyway. I am named after her. He said it was an honor; that I was named for someone he truly loved." She sipped the last of her Kanar. "Anyway. I always hated it, but not necessarily for that reason. If I could pick a Cardassian name, I'd choose something like "Soto" or "Layta." I've always liked those names. I used to name my dolls those since I didn't get to. My middle name is Bajoran-Deeya. After my mother's mother." She said. "Is it hot in here or was it the last Kanar?" She finished.
"Neither," Vura replied, amused. "I'm sure that you could handle another Kanar without an issue if you wanted." She switched the subject to Paisley's name. "IF you wanted to change your name, you could, Paisley, but I think that Paisley is a lovely name. Have you ever considered trying to find this woman that your father supposedly loved?" She then gave a short laugh. "Men.... They so easily confuse love and lust...."
Paisley sighed. Vura had inadvertently opened an old wound. "NO! I feel like that would be disrespectful to my mother. She was around for a bit when I was older-10. I don't know if they'd been seeing each other all that time or had reconnected. But she was the one who helped me paint my room, remember? And after that...I never saw her again." She sighed. "I think I am done. I might just go ahead and go to bed. I'll see you later!!" She tried to sound happier than she was. It wasn't Vura's fault. She smiled. "Have a lovely night, dear," she said, as she stood up. "I'll see you soon! Thanks for the chat." She quietly left the restaurant, stopping at the front desk on her way out. "Please send another glass of the wine that the Deltan woman at table 7 ordered, on me," she dropped some Latinum on the counter, more than enough for their check and a tip, and dipped out of the room. It hadn't ended how she'd have liked, but Vura couldn't have known that it was something that Paisley felt too deeply.
The moment that Paisley cried out, "NO!" she knew that she had made a mistake. She pushed the wrong button and she had hurt her friend. The immediate change of inquiring about Vura's past to "Have a lovely night, dear," was confirmation enough. She heavily finished the glass of Diamondfire Rose that she had, unusually gulping it down in one fell swoop. I can't bother her again tonight. Perhaps tomorrow. With that thought, another Diamondfire Rose arrived. A peace offering. She knew that I did not mean it. Well, I suppose that I should enjoy what I have for now. Tomorrow is another day. She dipped another strawberry and set her lips upon it and closed her eyes. "Mmmmmmm."
A Joint Post By:
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Ensign Paisley F'rar
Damage Control Specialist, USS Pioneer
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