Ensign Juliet Banks – Baking is Science for Hungry People
Juliet Banks
((Juliet’s Quarters, Room 142, Deck 14, USS Khitomer))
((Timecode: night before arriving at Alpha Trionus II, after all the current investigations))
Juliet set to preparing the tea – she’d added the camomile to her picks at DS33 after realising that her apparent immunity to caffeine wasn’t a trait shared by everyone, and if she wanted to share a late-night cup of tea with a friend it’d be good to allow them some sleep afterwards. Not that anyone was likely to be sleeping that well tonight anyway.
Semara: This one's a chocolate truffle layer cake. Super fudgy with ganache between the layers. Weirdly metropolitan of me to make somethin' so decadent. :: Beat :: But this? :: Motioning :: This is a bit of home. Ginger plum tart and some freshly whipped cream. :: Beat, opening a container. :: I did a bit a' savory, too. This is Sarenyi with Espra cheese fillin' and a touch a' garlic-chilli jam. Bit like a Betazoid version of gougères, if you know that. Or a real fancy mozzarella stick if you don't. Oh! And I made Sadi scones. :: Beat :: Weird mix a' stuff from all over.
Amelia was naming delicious treats as she checked the different boxes that sounded delicious and looked even better. If Amelia baked food like this on a regular basis Juliet was going to need so many extra gymnasium hours to make up for it.
Worth it.
Semara: You're sure I ain't keepin' you up?
Juliet looked up as she passed Amelia’s teacup and saucer over, and Amelia was almost curled into herself, the tension in her frame visible even to Juliet’s inexpert reading-people eye. She made sure the smile on her face was as welcoming as she meant it to be – what was a little sleep (that she wasn’t getting anyway) in comparison to being able to help for once?
Banks: And you’re not at all keeping me up, by the way; I’d been lying here reading for hours so I didn’t have to think about anything. ::handing a teacup to Amelia:: So. Baked goods. Pony up, ma’am.
Amelia actually giggled a bit, and Juliet rejoiced to hear it.
Semara: :: A grin :: Oh, I see how it is. Only good for one thing... Seein' I basically showed up lookin' for a treat disposal service, it's only fair. :: A little chuckle. ::
Amelia started setting out little morsels of deliciousness, even now paying attention to the presentation. Juliet thought guiltily of the number of times she’d eaten snacks straight from the storage container and resolved never to admit that to Amelia.
Semara: How much you think I should save for Tori?
And there it was. If Amelia’s sudden freeze was anything to go by, that wasn’t meant to come out?
Still, Juliet’s attention was snagged by the actual question first. She thought for a moment – her first instinct was to say “a good helping of everything”, but after a life defined by loss and scarcity Tori would likely be overwhelmed by the too-much-choice as much as comforted by the generosity behind it.
Banks: Hmm. I’d say… a generous helping of whatever’s likely to be a comfort food, and a small helping of something different as a treat for contrast.
She looked over at Amelia and smiled ruefully.
Banks: If you can’t spoil your time-travelling future daughter with treats at a time like this… ::a pause:: I can’t imagine what this is like for you, but… do you want to talk about it?
Juliet tried to convey, with sincerity if not with words, that she wanted to listen if Amelia wanted to talk.
Semara: She's all I can think about. I had it pretty together on-duty, but well... :: Gesturing vaguely to the restaurant's worth of baked goods. :: Yeah. This ain't normal. Even for me. :: A weary smile. :: So enjoy it while you can. :: A little laugh and a sigh. ::
Juliet huffed a soundless little laugh.
Banks: Well, my workout routine wouldn’t thank you if this was a regular occurrence, I suppose.
She hovered indecisively, and then selected a slice of the ginger plum tart, nibbling at the end. Amelia was having her own Moment with one of the cheesy choux balls, which gave Juliet the opportunity to stop her own eyes rolling back into her head at the delicious, sweet plum flavour chased with the peppery tang of ginger. Someone had once described baking as science for hungry people, and science was very clearly Amelia’s calling.
Semara: How much you know about Betazoid telepathy? :: Beat :: I promise this'll make sense in a moment.
Banks: Not a lot, beyond what we learned at the Academy. ::quoting:: “the extrasensory form of non-verbal communication conducted directly between a Betazoid mind and another intelligence, regulated by the paracortex and propagated as a vector through subspace” – right?
Semara: :: A little smirk :: Did you memorize that from the Ninian, Twoson, and M'Rindar Federation Species textbook? I hated that thing. :: Shaking her head with a chuckle. :: Point's this. I've felt her since she came aboard. Before, even. So when I say she's on my mind, it's more literal than you might think. :: A somber beat :: I could shut her out, but I don't want to. She and I could chat anytime, no matter where she's at on this ship, easy as you and I are chattin' right now. I want to. But we haven't... at least not since the conference. :: Beat :: I dunno what I'm supposed to do.
Oh. Constant awareness, like a sensory input that never faded into the background. That sounded uncomfortable, to Juliet, but doubtless it was different when you’d grown into adulthood with this being the norm. If you were used to it, expecting it, the absence was probably the discomfort. If this was part of Betazoid life, had Amelia been missing an important sensory input without other Betazoids on board? Or, wait, were there other Betazoids on board?
oO Stop, stop. Not my business. Oo
Banks: What you’re supposed to do… Is there even a “supposed to” in this situation? It’s destabilising enough for everyone as it is, and then add in the extra complications of being ::small flail-y gesturing:: related to one of our visitors. If there’s a guidebook for that, they never mentioned it at the Academy.
She eyed the other woman. That… probably didn’t sound as reassuring as she’d hoped it would. Still, if anyone could have handled this situation with poise, Juliet suspected it was Amelia Semara; the fact that it was still overwhelming her was no reflection on her. The story the Ouachita trio told, their desperation, their plan – anyone would be overwhelmed.
Semara: Response
Juliet took a moment to pick out one of the cheesy Sarenyi balls before returning her gaze to Amelia, cradling the snack in the palm of her hand. Unsure whether she should ask…
Banks: ::tentatively:: Is there a reason you haven’t talked with Tori since the conference?
She took a sip of her tea and settled back into her seat, attention focused on Amelia, the pastry already forgotten in her hand.
Semara: Response
Tag / TBC
Ensign Juliet Banks
Ops/Comms Officer
USS Khitomer – NCC62400
K240206JB1