LtCmdr Jovenan – Pretending I know what I’m doing, just like at work!
Jovenan
((Chief Science Officer’s office, Deck 9, USS Artemis))
Jovenan accepted the small bundle from Richards. She was extra careful – it had been ages since she had held a baby, and she wasn’t sure if she was doing it right. Surely Richards would tell her if there was a more secure way to hold her child, but Jovenan for certain didn’t want to accidentally drop the baby or hurt them in any way. Finally, the baby lied on her arms and looked at her curiously, and Jovenan could relax, even if for just a bit. Seeing that the baby wasn’t in discomfort or in any danger while she held them, she turned to look at the babies’ mother.
Jovenan: Which one is this?
Richards: This is Aven. A little Talos look-alike. ::Gesturing to the baby in Nat’s arms:: And that is Leera. My own little mini-me.
Cole: I can confirm, she’s just as feisty as her momma.
Some formidable babies, then. Jovenan could see the resemblance in the two newborns to their parents, in both of them. Talos and Richards were such good-looking people in their own right, so it would make sense that their children looked cute as well.
Jovenan: ::looking at Aven:: Hello there, Aven. Nice to meet you. ::to Leera:: You too, Leera. What pretty babies you are. ::to Richards:: And how are you? I hope you’ve got at least a bit of sleep since their birth.
Richards: I’ve gotten pretty lucky with all the help from everyone. I sleep when I can, which some days isn’t much. ::Gesturing between the babies:: But they seem to be worth it.
Jovenan smiled at Aven and wiggled her eyebrows. She would have loved to get Aven to smile at her or laugh, and her intuition told her that babies might like a silly expression. When Richards mentioned getting help, she turned to look at Ensign – sorry, Lieutenant – Cole. She, too, deserved a smile. She rocked Leera in her arms, as Jovenan had seen others do with babies. Jovenan felt inexperienced dealing with newborns, but she felt that it was her duty to offer help where she could.
Jovenan: I have many siblings, and some of them are much younger than me. Others even had their own children back when I was a teenager. There were always babies in our community. I helped out with the toddlers, but I was still so young when I left that they didn’t leave me in charge with kids this young for long. But if there’s anything I can do to help you get a moment on your own, at any time…
Richards reached out to squeeze her arm.
Richards: Thank you. That means a lot to me.
Cole: ::without looking at Sam:: See Leera you have more Aunts and Uncles that will teach you all kinds of fun stuff. ::winks at Sam::
Jovenan chuckled. Growing up on a starship, surrounded by officers and crewmembers of all kind, must be a fascinating experience. Think of all the things these two babies would see and learn when they were still small! Jovenan was jealous of them. Sure, there would also be dangers and disasters… She just hoped the benefits of such a tight community outweighed the negatives.
Jovenan: If they ever choose to go to the Academy, they’ll fly through all the classes! ::to Richards:: But you don’t have to thank for that. I’m happy to help.
Richards: ::To Jovenan:: How many siblings do you have? I only have 4– ::she paused:: Well… 3 living. But it always felt like a lot more than that. Having 3 brothers-one being my twin- made for a pretty chaotic life.
Tilting her head and squinting her eyes, Jovenan had to think for a moment. Sure, she could list all her siblings, that wasn’t the issue, but the kinship terminology her language and culture used was rather different from the one the most prominent human cultures had. The two humans likely considered “siblings” a much tighter group than what the generational system she was accustomed to did – cousins weren’t siblings to them.
Jovenan: Let’s see… eight? And many more people who were close enough to me that I considered them family.
For a moment, she wondered if she should try to contact them, even if just by a letter. They might not be too interested in the things she had witnessed over her career, but she might have wanted to know what came of some of them, especially her younger siblings. Who knew, maybe one of them was in a similar situation as she had been when she was younger. However, for now, she focused again on the small person in her arms and rocked him.
Richards: ::To both women:: Thank you both. For the love and support. It really does mean so much to me. ::chuckling:: It’s going to sound silly, but I was worried no one was going to like them…
Jovenan’s eyebrows shot up when Richards said that. It didn’t sound silly, it sounded like she had struggled with her confidence. Becoming a parent for the first time was difficult, so Jovenan had understood, but Richards had plenty of people around her to support her. She shouldn’t have felt like that.
Cole: If babies wig someone out, you don’t need that negativity in your life.
Jovenan: That right. People like you, and people like babies. Why wouldn’t they like your babies?
Richards: Response
Cole: ::to Jovenan:: Personally I think her brother is hiding for fear of us tormenting him.
Jovenan: Oh? You have family over?
Richards: Response
Leera spat out her pacifier in Cole’s arm, but the Lieutenant managed to catch it without much movement. Either Cole knew how to deal with babies, or her security training had honed her reflexes and body control to the extreme. The baby giggled, which brought a wide smile to Jovenan’s face.
Cole: ::smiling:: oh was that because I made fun of your Uncle?
Jovenan: That would be the same person that we met during the Frontier day, right? Nice that he could come to see the babies.
Richards/Cole: Response
Jovenan: ::to Cole:: You seem to be doing great with Leera. Have you been taking care of babies before? Siblings, niblings, perhaps?
Richards/Cole: Response
Aven was starting to wriggle a little. Uncertain, Jovenan feared he might be feeling uncomfortable or that she wasn’t paying enough attention to him. Or was he restless or hungry? Her lack of experience with babies was starting to show as she rocked him in her arms and turned a little to show a plant on a shelf.
Jovenan: Hey, it’s okay. Look, a pretty flower. Or are you missing your mum? ::turns towards Richards:: Mommy’s right there, see?
Richards/Cole: Response
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Lieutenant Commander Jovenan
Chief Science Officer
USS Artemis-A
E239911J11