LT Gila Sadar - Duties of a (unwilling) Hostess
LT Gila Sadar
(( The Sadar-Aqila Quarters - Compartment 83, Sector 03, Deck 6, USS Artemis-A ))
Today wouldn’t be the first time that a senior officer had visited Gila’s quarters. Sil-net had been there, obviously, but even if Gila still regarded him as a senior officer (at least in terms of experience, if not in rank), it didn’t carry with it the same sense of impending doom and reprimand that allowing Lt.Cdr. Jovenan into her private residence did. It was illogical, Gila knew this, for despite the fact that she and the Lt. Commander had never been the same rank, with Lt. Commander Jovenan always remaining one step ahead of her in terms of rank - as was only proper - the blonde Edo had never treated Gila with anything but kindness and grace.
Jovenan: What a lovely place!
And evidently, today would be no different.
Silveira: Nice, you have some new things.
She did? Gila looked around in confusion, but quite frankly, between all the colors and fabrics and sculptures and alien plants... She had no clue. No, wait! Maybe that decorative ceramic ashet with the mint green cracks was new?
Sadar: Oh, uhh... Y-Yes. K-Kolya’s decorating skills are, mmh... W-Well... They’ve started expanding a bit.
She needed to change the subjects before Sil-net or the Lt. Commander started quizzing her on the nature of Kolya’s expanding decorating senses, because she frankly couldn’t accurately point out exactly what Sil-net had noticed. So with a smoothening of her robe, she restarted on the welcome she had prematurely started before even letting her guests inside her quarters.
Sadar: Th-Th-Thank you for coming. P-Please, take a seat. Uhh, th-the first dish will be out soo- Wait, that’s not where I’m supposed to start! ::wrings anxiety band:: W-Would either of you like any refreshments?
Sil-net pulled out a chair for Lt. Commander Jovenan to take a seat, and Gila briefly felt her soul abandon her mortal coil to attempt to flee into the welcome embrace of the Wheel. And she called hereslf a host!?
Jovenan: It’s quite alright! Thank you for having us.
Her anxiety band was rotating at an increased speed, and Sil-net evidently noticed.
Silveira: First, thank you for having us. Second, calm down Sada. You look even more nervous than usual. It's us, your friends, we have done this before.
Before Gila thought to reprimand Sil-net for crudely assuming that Lt. Commander Jovenan considered her a ‘friend’, or that it would be presumptuous to do so, or that the added detail of this occurring within her private living space and that definitely made the ‘done this before’ statement null and void, Lt. Commander Jovenan smiled patiently, and Gila held her tongue.
Sadar: I-I suppose so? I-It’s just, uhh, i-it’s a bit... D-Different? Last time was us cooking together, a-and this time, I-I’m the only one cooking, and t-trying to ensure that you enjoy yourselves, and that the dishes don’t cause undue biological reactions, and-
Gila tried to take a deep breath, and Sil-net used that opportunity to prevent her from continuing her, admittedly, nonsensical rant.
Silveira: Sada, it's ok, there isn’t exactly a script for a dinner with friends.
Jovenan: If it helps, think of this like the cooking meeting we had a while ago, but without quite as much cooking.
But without the cooking, what was she supposed to do? Make conversation!?
Silveira: If I didn’t know you better I would think you're about to reveal a deep secret… Something like…
Both Gila and Lt. Commander Jovenan looked at Sil-net with curiosity. Their shared friendship with the odd man had offered them a certain sixth sense. It was that innate sense of concern that occurred when you knew he was concocting something odd in his mind.
Silveira: Something like you started dating Gnai… I mean he does have a Starflirt profile. ::He knew that because it was actually Vitor that set that up as a stupid joke. That also reminded him he needed to take down his own profile.:: I mean once you work with someone and get to know them better… And you share some rough moments… ::He looked at Nan and his smile widened, and he inadvertently began to lean in her direction.:: Then you start to realize that the friendship and the bond that unites you, becomes love.
Sadar: Lieutenant Gnai? Dating?
What a curious idea. Gila considered that notion. Did Lieutenant Gnai’s species experience the biological imperative to form romantic relationships for the purpose of procreation? Gila felt quite certain they didn’t - as far as her research suggested, Galadorans just ‘budded’ off of each other - but she admittedly hadn’t been able to verify whether this was an asexual reproduction method, or simply their means of ‘giving birth’. Lieutenant Gnai’s preference for the ‘it’ and ‘this’ pronouns would suggest gender and sexuality had less of a bearing on Galadoran society, but that didn’t necessarily equal a complete disregard of the concept.
Jovenan: ::looking at Silveira across the table:: It can be scary to try and form a romantic relationship with a friend, though. ::smiles:: But it can be rewarding. The best partner is both a lover and a friend, and when you love a friend, you’ve found him.
But the Galadorans had once been a hivemind, hadn’t they? At least, this is what they themselves professed, and it was this state of being that they continued to work towards. How would sexual reproduction work in a collective hive mind?
Silveira: Response
Sadar: What? ::blinks:: Oh! I-I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t- I mean, that’s something that warrants research, I’m not- Wait, what were we?
Lt. Commander Jovenan, ever a kind-hearted soul, evidently saw her confusion, and decided to save her from herself.
Jovenan: Sorry, Doctor. But you can tell us if there is something you want to tell us or if anything is troubling you. And it’s okay if you wanted to just have dinner with us. I love that!
Sadar: W-Well, yes, uhh... N-Nothing new has occurred that warrants a sense of excitement or trouble, s-so... J-Just a dinner party with friends?
Gila was unsure whether she should be upfront that the only reason she hosted this in the first place was because Lt. Commander Jashkaa was holding the survey mission hostage unless she complied with her demands, but regardless of the reason, she supposed she had to do her duty as hostess for the evening.
Silveira: Response
Jovenan: Are you sure you don’t want help with the foods? I don’t want to make you to serve us, we don’t have to be so formal about the dinner, do we?
Sadar: N-Nonsense, Lt. Commander! You are my guests, and I believe that this comes with a set list of requirements of me as a host. C-Certainly, having you help with the cooking is not allowed.
Silveira/Jovenan: Response
Sadar: Of course! Uhh...
Gila hasted over to the portable stove, bringing the heavy pot of orange soup to the table. The scent of boiled coral flowers, now opened within the hot water, filled the air around them, making Gila think back to a simpler time...
Sadar: F-For the appetizer, uhh, I-I’m serving slow-simmered coral-leaf soup. ::counts on her fingers:: The m-main course is Mizragavi - it’s, uhh, cheese and fried vegetables in boiled oyster shells - along with a salad with nuts and honey gel. Dessert is quillfruit pudding with salt and nutmeg.
She seemed to recall that Lt. Commander Jovenan preferred a vegetarian diet, though that could simply have been her preference that day, of course, so Gila had opted for vegetarian dishes to fill out the menu. (Granted, the oyster shells were a bit of a grey area, but in case that was out of the question for the Lt. Commander, she hoped the salad would suffice.)
Silveira/Jovenan: Response
Sadar: I-I, uhh, I’m not... I-I’ll be having Bimai. I-It’s, uhh, similar in taste to cow milk, only thinner and more sour? I finally got the replicator to make it to specifications. B-But I’ll replicate whatever you wish to drink, of course!
Silveira/Jovenan: Response
Tags/TBC
LT Gila Sadar
Medical Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240006GS1