LtCmdr Jovenan – Asking personal questions from Starfleet officers is a delicate process, ‘cause they all have traumatic backstories
Jovenan
((Sacred Marketplace, Ferenginar))
Jovenan and Commander Munro stepped out of the toy store and back to the Sacred Marketplace. Immediately after leaving the building, the pair of Mugato themed baby onesies with her, Jovenan found herself surrounded by the multitudes of sensory stimuli: flashing lights, advertisement jingles, smells of all kinds of foodstuff and other merchandise. Jovenan, born and raised in a small community and who had spent most of her recent years in a starship, had never got used to being surrounded by crowds. A mass of people was unpredictable – she had been fleeing from violent crowds on more than one occasion – but they were often times simply overwhelming even when calm and relatively orderly. Paris and Ki Baratan had been one thing, the Sacred Marketplace another. She didn’t want to say she didn’t enjoy it, after all, they stopped to watch some of the elaborate light shows, but she had to chat a bit with the Commander so that the plethora of things around them didn’t wash her away.
Jovenan: If you want to, you could use some of my money to buy the gifts. I haven’t used any of my stipend before this, and I won’t be needing any of it after I’ll get the presents for my boyfriend and maybe the Captain, I think. So you don’t need to keep up with your calculations…
Munro: Don't worry about that. If I have to owe some credits to settle a debt to the Federation I can handle that :: mischievous :: Can't deny this woman a little indulgence.
That was fair. Admittedly, Jovenan didn’t know how exactly their latinum stipends and Federation credits and money in general worked. She knew how loans, debts and banks worked in principle, she just hadn’t ever had personal experience in dealing with those. She had just thought that since she wasn’t going to need all the latinum she had been given, she’d give it to Commander Munro, who might be lacking some. Surely that was how money worked? Either way, they found the stand that sold the types of drinks they were after, so they joined the queue.
Jovenan: You mentioned knowing something about baby clothes. Is it okay to ask if that from personal experience or through osmosis?
Munro: It's been quite a while now but from experience. My daughter, Harper, is almost 19 years old. I graduated from the Academy while I was pretty heavily pregnant. A little unconventional.
Jovenan smiled, but in her mind, she was trying to do some calculations. If the Commander hadn’t stated Harper’s age, Jovenan might have guessed her age to be half of that; the Commander didn’t look like someone with an adult child. Was Commander Munro exposed to CloQ’s powers like Vitor had? Hearing that she had given birth soon after Academy graduation made some sense, given that the most of the human cadets were in their late teens or early twenties. That said, she couldn’t imagine how difficult the Academy must have been while pregnant – several aspects of that scenario were alien to her.
Jovenan: Oh. Where is she now?
Munro: At the Academy, she's a Science major. Definitely takes that from her father. He is not happy unless he's exploring a nebula or scanning a strange new world :: shrugs and more reflective :: Maybe she's trying to impress him.
The Commander pulled the umbrella closer to herself. Jovenan knew that personal questions were a risky topic among crewmates, hence the awkwardly cumbersome way she had asked about how she knew about baby clothes. She didn’t want to unintentionally insult anyone, and barely knowing someone gave her even less space to move – although she wouldn’t have seen herself asking similar questions from the Captain, not even after three years of service together. However, Munro seemed willing to share more, so she braved to ask.
Jovenan: How’s Harper’s father? I’m sorry if I’m reading too much into it, but, um, you don’t sound too happy for her following his footsteps.
Munro: He's a complicated man :: shrugs :: In the list of priorities we fell below career and exploration. Slightly wounded my ego but Harper dotes on her father, she sees him as a hero :: changing subject :: What about you? You mentioned a boyfriend? Who's the lucky man?
Turning the question around, a typical method in a conversation, although in this case, Jovenan interpreted it as a mean to signal that the other officer didn’t want to continue on that topic. Talking about her own relationship was a more pleasant topic anyway, rather than guessing where the line went so not to overstep it.
Jovenan: Oh, that would be Vitor. Um, Commander Silveira.
Munro: Response
The queue was growing shorter, and it was soon their turn. Jovenan wondered if anyone around them listened to their conversation, but no one seemed to pay attention. Besides, unlike for the longest of times before revealing their relationship, she wasn’t trying to hide her feelings for Vitor any more, so what did it matter if some random Ferengi shoppers heard her talk about him?
Jovenan: Yeah. ::chuckles:: We’ve known each other since I joined the Excalibur a bit over three years ago, but we’ve been dating for just short of a year… officially at least. Apparently, some of our colleagues had conspired to get us together for months before that.
Munro: Response
It was finally their turn to get their drinks. The cup felt warm against Jovenan’s hand; it was the perfect drink for the chilly, rainy weather. Perhaps that why there had been a queue to begin with. After paying, the two officers wandered off.
Jovenan: Vitor keeps giving me all sorts of lovely gifts and surprises. He says he doesn’t expect me to give anything in return, but I want to make him as happy as he makes me. That’s why I want to buy something for him. ::sips drink:: Mm, this is delicious! Mulled wine, was it? Is it an Earth drink or something local?
Munro: Response
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11