Lieutenant JG Seleya- Hobbies and Culture
EmpressKitsune
(( Overlook Restaurant, Hriki City, Ah’rak IV ))
Seleya: Thank you. So is Vulcan culture something you find interest in, or is it just limited to this mission?
T’Ama: Not usually. I grew up in it, and it sucks. But it has been very interesting to see how this version has evolved differently.
Seleya: So then, if you don;t mind me prying. Got any other interests or hobbies?
T’Ama: Other than breaking ensign’s legs with sticks? Singing, playing music, dancing.
Seleya let out an amused hum at the joke, remembering back to their first meeting.
Seleya: That is interesting. What got you into that?
T’Ama: My dad taught me music. My grandmother insisted I learn to ballroom dance, I just happened to like it.
Seleya: That was fortunate how it turned out. Your grandmother had a big hand in your upbringing as well?
T’Ama: One of the many things my grandmother insisted upon. Like telepathic training and close combat training.
Seleya: Both very useful skills for everyday life.
T’Ama: She said it was useful for formal occasions. So far I’ve not used it once but I’m sure there’s some yet undiscovered species out there where interpretive dance will be a critical component of first contact or something.
While Seleya understood what T’Ama meant, she couldn’t help thinking there were probably more than a few holodeck programs where ballroom dancing and close quarters combat training were both parts of the storyline mechanics. T’Ama would probably enjoy them, or at the very least, be very good at them.
Seleya: I will certainly look forward to that more than how this first contact went any day.
Seleya barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes, instead turning to the side to look out over the Ah’rakkian city. This was not how she’d imagined her first contact experience would go. She had pictured something far more romantic and inspiring, but instead, it had felt like a disaster from beginning to end.
T’Ama: What about you? What are your hobbies and interests?
Seleya turned back to T’Ama. Thinking for a moment. Seleya didn’t often go into her hobbies. Not that she had opportunities, she just didn’t often care to share so much about herself.
Seleya: I am very boring, and not any different than most other security officers when I say combat training. Hand to hand combat mostly. Phaser training. Though what I’ve been training and practicing all my life is with a Kazleti weapon we call the khanda.
T’Ama: Response
Seleya: Yup, my clan is named after a weapon. It was the name of our ship when my people migrated after our homeworld's destruction. It would probably resemble Earth’s hand and a half sword closely.
T’Ama: Response
Seleya let out a long breath. She could probably share more than the cookie-cutter details she gave most people. She had the sense that T’Ama respected personal privacy, enough that she wouldn’t go around telling everyone on the ship.
Seleya: Fine, I do draw occasionally and I can do metalworking. I would say I am pretty decent at engraving, and inlaying specifically.
T’Ama: Response
Seleya: It partially has to do with culture. There is a long Kazleti practice called Oarticinau where we take something old, worn, or otherwise broken, and make it into something new and beautiful. It is a very broad stroke term for it, because there are a lot of varieties. I also decided to learn it to create my Shao’ori. To quickly explain it, it is a personal item. When one comes of age they make an item where we put part of our soul in. It is meant as a representation of ourselves, and when we die and our bodies are cremated, our shao’ori’s can be one of several things that help guide our soul in the spirit realm to connect us with our family to watch over them, and provide guidance.
Seleya paused as the waiter returned with their food. It seemed very fast, but she figured the restaurant staff may be wanting to impress them by prioritizing them. Seleya thanked the waiter before looking back to T’Ama.
Seleya: What about you? After Vulcan you were raised by your El-Aurian dad, though your grandmother, I am assuming on his side, had you learn terran ballroom dancing. Was your upbringing more Terran, or did you have some El-Aurian cultural aspects as well?
T’Ama: Response
Lieutenant JG Seleya of Khanda
Tac/Sec Officer
U.S.S.Chin’toka
C240202SK1