JP: Cmdr Alora DeVeau & Lt Velaan Saa - Bibi's Bonny Bluebell
Sevantha Saa
((Arboretum, Deck 5, USS Thor))
oO Play it cool…Oo
Clutching the base of the ceramic pot, he tried not to appear too stressed or guilty, and yet there was tension in every muscle. He’d checked the hydroponics bay, the science lab, and following a checklist of locations given to him by a whimsical, dreamy plant ensign, Velaan had nearly doubled his usual step count for the day. Served him right trusting the Dokkaran for clear directions.
Besides her personal quarters, which Velaan had decided would be inappropriate to bother her with this, he had just the arboretum left to check.
The sounds of Valhalla’s music echoed through this side of the deck; on the other side, others could hear the MWC sponsored 24-hour Cosmic Bowl event kicking off. He’d need to make an appearance eventually as a volunteer coordinator, but he was more concerned with the state of a gift from the Chief Science Officer and onboard Matriarch. Stepping into the walkthrough Arboretum, his eyes darted around as the various collections of plants and flowers intermingled together in the ecosystem.
Saa: Alora?
Except it wasn’t just Alora. The chief of science was most definitely present, and since the Arboretum was not only under her purview, but literally right next door, not to mention her favourite place on the entire ship, the likelihood of finding her there was extremely high, especially when off duty. Since they were on shore leave, off duty she was, and thus Shyla was with her. The child remained in her arms, one hand clutching her mother’s shirt. After not being with her mom for a month, which in toddler time was eternity, she clung a little more closely to Alora, though not quite as much as she had the first week back. Eyes that reflected her Betazoid heritage turned toward the sound of the other Betazoid, though he wasn’t currently in sight yet, and Alora called out.
DeVeau: Velaan?
Hearing her voice, he sighed in relief. Stepping onto one of the small side paths clearly made for the xenobotanists to work, trying to find where she was.
Saa: I’m sorry to disrupt your work, but um, I need your expertise… ::He exhaled as he prepared himself:: Something is wrong with the flowers you gave me.
He launched right into the problem, which indicated his level of concern. Her eyes drifted down to the hands that clutched something between them. Holding up the pot, visually the plant looked completely healthy. Its leaves were a rich green, and its bulbs were in active bloom.
DeVeau: It looks beautiful to me. I don’t see anything wrong with it.
Shyla’s eyes dropped down to notice the flower as well, following her mother’s own gaze, but if she had any theories, she kept them quite to herself.
Saa: That’s the problem… During the recent flyby near the tangle edge, my replicator had a small malfunction, but did produce the fertilizer mix you mentioned. ::Holds up flower:: I’m not that good of a botanist… and… AND-
Waving his hands, he motioned her to follow him and stepped into the walkway where the corridors echoed with the music of Valhalla. At first the plant remained still, yet slowly, the leaves rattled to life causing the blooms to bob with the beat. At the sight, Alora’s eyes lit up.
DeVeau: Whoa…
That was not a tone of dismay, but of utter fascination. African violets didn’t usually move to any sort of music, or any other stimuli except light and perhaps water - and such movements were far slower than that.
DeVeau: It’s…sort of dancing.
Saa: Almost shimmying really. ::Staring down at it:: Slower music it sways, like there’s a breeze.
Right, not normal. As fascinated as she was, Alora had to remember that. Shifting Shyla so the child sat more comfortably on her hip, the executed a more detailed visual inspection. That particular specimen was a hybrid, but neither of the parent violets had moves like that.
DeVeau: You realise what this means, don’t you?
His brows furrowed as he looked at the Matriarch, then to the plant, then to Shyla as if she might know what her mother was thinking. Once confirmed the answer would not come without and answer, his brow raised and he replied.
Saa: No?
DeVeau: We get to explore a puzzle!
The green eyes twinkled with enthusiasm. Since the mutation, or whatever caused the strange behaviour, was obviously benign, there was, at least at that point, no concerns about safety. Instead, they had a unique discovery and a chance to find out how and why.
A question that some people would ask in a ‘get to know you’ fashion was what animal would someone be if they could choose. For Alora, she always struggled to choose, for there were so many wonderful animals in existence. However, she had been associated with a particular Terran animal in the past by those who knew her. The motto of all the mongoose family was ``Run and find out''; and Alora was a true mongoose.
Her enthusiasm was infectious. Here he’d been fretting about accidentally ruining the flower through a faulty replicator and Alora was reacting as if he had brought her a gift.
Saa: ::Holding back a laugh:: A-alright, you’ll have to forgive me, my Xenobotany is non-existent but I did fairly well enough in xenobiology to serve as a combat medic for a time.
Alora had basic xenobiology down - she had to for it was a precursor to xenozoology. Nodding, she smiled and motioned for him to follow her.
DeVeau: Let’s go take a look shall we? I know there’s at least one lab not in use.
Saa: I’m seriously not interrupting anything am I? ::gesturing to Shyla:: I know family time can be rare.
Alora glanced over at her dotter and booped her nose, which made the toddler grin before playfully pushing her mother’s hand away.
DeVeau: She’s coming too.
Relief touched his features as well as genuine softness in appreciation at the sight of a mother spending time with her daughter engaged in a shared hobby. Yet he was quick to allow the performative nature of his personality take hold as he addressed the half-betazoid child directly.
Saa: Well Shyla, I’m Velaan but since we’re both going to be Junior Science Officers today… You can call me “Vivi”.
The smile faded, not because Velaan was scary, he was just new and Shyla’s black eyes settled upon the blonde man, studying him. After a second, she lifted her hand and pointed with a finger.
Shyla: Dat.
DeVeau: Vivi.
The woman stated in response without missing a beat in her step. She navigated deftly through the arboretum, already quite familiar with its ins and outs. At some point, she wanted to expand and had a proposal half written, but for now, it was what it was and she made a beeline toward the exit.
Shyla: Dat.
DeVeau: Vivi.
The woman repeated.
Saa: ::gestures to self:: Vee-vee
Shyla: Dat.
Her single, chubby child hand still pointed at Velaan as she stated the word over and over again, and patiently, Alora continued to repeat herself. Meanwhile, the two stepped out of the arboretum, down the hallway, and finally into a turbolift.
DeVeau: Vivi.
Saa: Dat?
Unperturbed about her repetition, Shyla clapped her hands, then pointed at Velaan again.
Shyla: Dat!
DeVeau: Vivi.
Even as she said the word for the millionth time, she grinned in amusement. Children did love repetition. Fortunately, her experience as an aunt helped her know what to expect, at least to a certain extent.
Shyla: Bibi.
DeVeau: There you go!
An amused grin crossed his features as she finally found some semblance of a name for him.
Saa: Does junior science officer Shyla have a specialty? ::Folds his arms as he walks:: Studying under the Chief Science Officer is a very prestigious position little ma’am.
His voice lilted a little more, his tone louder and more playful, keeping the plant protectively held to avoid dropping it.
The little girl simply blinked at him before pointing directly at the man again.
Shyla: Bibi.
DeVeau: Yes, Bibi.
Not Vivi, Bibi. Whether or not Velaan liked it, that’s what the child said, that’s what it was.
As the music faded into the background the plant stilled, frozen almost perfectly, which caused him to tilt his head again.
Saa: I did scan it for any abnormal radiation as a result from the storm and didn’t pick up anything in the replicated fertilizer or from the plant itself.
DeVeau: Well, the science lab has more sensitive equipment. I’m sure we’ll be able to get to the bottom of it.
Not to be outdone, Shyla made her own exclamation.
Shyla: Bibi!
Tilting his head, he recalled a few plants that were known for moving, but never quite dancing. A reaction to music, he turned his attention to Alora, attempting to play innocent as he made the inquiry.
Saa: I wonder how it would react if you sang to it.
Of course Velaan had heard her sing, because he rather blackmailed her into it, not that Alora had any problem singing in public anyway. She was not shy, and had spent a lot of childhood days on the stage. It didn’t bother her one bit.
DeVeau: We can experiment when we get to the lab!
And Shyla continued to point at Velaan.
Shyla: Bibi!
Saa: You got it, little lady.
As if to encourage their exploration, the turbolift came to a stop and the doors parted. Stepping out, Alora led the way to an empty lab where she made a beeline for the replicator.
DeVeau: Shyla program four.
A second later, two sensory books, a toy with a boxy bottom and colourful rings flung around a thin cone, along with something that looked like it had colour coated keys one would press and a folded blanket appeared. Turning, Alora set the child on the floor so she could spread out the blanket and put the toys on top of it. Immediately, Shyla toddled onto the blanket and set about tugging the rings off of the cone, all the while chanting -
Shyla: Bibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibibi…
He stepped back to give the program space to materialize, holding in a chuckle still as the little girl fixated on the repetition of sounds that were now permanently associated. Still, he admired the set-up, dedication to creating a space in the lab for her daughter. He’d never known many children onboard the Thor during his service in the other dimension, and he only knew of one child onboard the Trillian. He always felt immensely conflicted on the subject, that version of Katsim Peri, had both his ire for what she had to do, but respect for how far she went to protect her daughter.
Saa: Where do we start?
Straightening up, Alora clapped her hands together, then turned to the closest console. Tipping her head, she inclined it toward a table and indicated the man should put the violet on it.
DeVeau: I’ll run some more detailed scans, take a look at the molecular level and see what we can see.
Setting it down where directed, he looked around the science lab once again, one of the few spaces on the vessel he wasn’t entirely familiar with. Again he turned to observe the little girl playing in her space.
Saa: You’ve really set this place up to support Shyla’s presence on the ship.
DeVeau: Well, it’s a necessity. She’s my family. Her father…
For a second, Alora trailed off, but it was a mere blip in the conversation and she recovered quickly.
DeVeau: Her father’s passed away. I have a nanny, but if Shyla can stay with me, then I keep her with me when I can. I’ve got several programs like that.
Velaan held his breath. He knew. He’d heard that the heir of the 15th house’s son had passed, one of the first things he did was view Betazed history the best he could, though the details of what and how were not accessible to him.
At that, Alora inclined her head toward the pile of play things on the blanket.
DeVeau: So I can access them from any replicator and give her something to distract her if need be.
If Shyla understood they were talking about her, she didn’t give any indication. Instead, she took the last and largest ring off the cone, then smacked it on the floor, the sound muted thanks to the blank.
Shyla: Bi…bi…bi…bi…bi…bi!
Each time she said the syllable, she did it in rhythm to the smacking of the ring on the floor. Poor ring.
Saa: More impressive, I haven’t seen many children on starships, only recently did Operations get the request from engineering to help develop a support environment for our onboard Xindi-Insectoid population.
That drew Alora’s attention enough that she looked away from her console to set her surprised expression upon the brother of her friend.
DeVeau: Really?
Saa: Yeah, seems someone high up realized that perhaps not all systems on board were suitable for the lifespan of one such an officer, and they have a right to have a family onboard as much as any humanoid.
DeVeau: I didn’t realise Naledi was interested in producing progeny. Did he say why?
And as a Xindi insectoid, they would have unique needs - space, for example She wondered how many eggs they planned to lay. Or maybe they couldn’t tell - much like how a human couldn’t determine whether or not they would have a single birth or multiples.
Saa: I haven’t asked but having the option is important. ::considering before jesting with a lighter tone:: I hear by a year the littles are all capable of running as crewhands.
For a moment, Alora considered the idea of a bunch of little Naledi’s running around the ship, fulfilling duties as part of the crew. She had to admit, she rather loved the vision in her head.
Shyla: Ba!
The child exclaimed, uninterested in the idea of Santa Naledi having children. She lifted the large ring and waved it at the two adults.
Saa: ::addressing Shyla like she’s interjecting in the conversation:: You’re going to have to wait a little longer little ma’am. ::Shifting to Alora hooking his thumb:: With those percussive maintenance skills you might have an engineer on your hands
DeVeau: Perhaps! Who knows what the future holds!
Alora grinned at her daughter who promptly placed the ring in her mouth while her other hand grabbed another ring and started slapping it against the cone. Such toys were supposed to be good for development, but the child didn’t seem to care about that either.
DeVeau: All right!
The scientist focused on the matter at hand.
DeVeau: Let’s take a closer look at our little friend here.
Shifting to the plant, he exhaled a little nervously, studying the perfectly preserved nature of it before sideglancing the Chief Science Officer.
Saa: …I didn’t mess it up too bad did I?
DeVeau: What do you mean?
The Betazoid received a sidelong glance and the courtesy of an arched eyebrow for the briefest of moments before Alora set the desired scans into motion. She couldn’t fathom what he meant about messing it up.
Saa: You know… I’m just not great with plants and this was a gift…
At that admittance, Alora couldn’t hold back a laugh. Shaking her head, she lifted one hand and waved it in a dismissive manner, unwilling to entertain the idea that the man was at any sort of fault.
DeVeau: Why do you think you messed this up?
Saa: The whole giving it replicated fertilizer from a machine glitch near the tangle seems like a not great idea. ::he frowns:: I didn’t detect any tachyons or radiation but that replicator hasn’t been quite right since.
He still needed to fix it but he’d been busy handling a plant that clearly had some abnormalities about it he couldn’t explain and wracking himself with guilt over the state of the flower.
Alora was no stranger to guilt or blame. She put plenty of that on herself, in many ways, and for many reasons. Likely, over the years, she’d probably find plenty more, and many of them would probably relate to her daughter in some form or fashion. However, this bit of blame, she knew, was completely unfounded.
DeVeau: My dear Velaan, we all make mistakes, but this? This isn’t one of them. Unless you were experimenting on your flower and didn’t tell me.
Saa: Experimenting? ::He blinked several times:: What do you mean?
DeVeau: You know. Splicing genes, infusing it with weird DNA, exposing it to alien radiation. That sort of thing.
She shrugged, knowing full well he hadn’t done any of those things at all - but then again, they were all exposed to all manner of strange happenings in Space. Perhaps a non corporeal entity had gone into his room to pull a prank! As the results of the scan came up, she paused and stared at the screen in surprise. What she expected hadn’t come on the screen.
DeVeau: Oh!
Was that a good “oh” or bad “oh”? Vocal tone alone didn’t reveal, nor could he tell beyond the feeling of genuine surprise around her.
Saa: …What is it? ::Trying to look at the results:: Something wrong?
DeVeau: It’s…actually not a true African Violet. I mean, it is, but only partly so.
Stretching out her hand, Alora pointed to a piece of data in the scans, then splayed her slender fingers toward the plant in question.
DeVeau: When I was on Kubarey years ago, I brought back some flora. One was a flower that looked similar to a terran violet. Not an African Violet, but species like viola odorata, viola mandshurica, and the like. According to this scan, this violet is a hybrid between one of my African violets and my Kubarey violet.
Her eyes slipped back over to the little plant, a hint of amusement on her features.
Curiously, he stepped forward to study the scans put in front of him by Alora, though he knew the basics of xenobotany from xenobiology class academy requirements, he couldn't quite recognize the intricacies she was pointing out. Though, the way Alora soothed him with both genuine care and jest simultaneously was appreciated.
Saa: They cross pollinated… ::Turning to the African Violet now:: So it's a hybrid with mixed characteristics, yet looks primarily like the African Violets…
Reaching outward, he lightly touched the leaves, which caused the violet to sway side to side in response before stilling again. Out of respect for the plant, he withdrew his hand.
DeVeau: Evidently!
Saa: Wonder if any of your other flowers in that batch ended up hybridized. ::he grinned:: You might just have a ship full of dancing flowers.
At the image in her head, Alora laughed out loud, but Velaan wasn’t completely wrong. She very well could hybridise them! Both were in the same family for their respective planets, and…well, it certainly triggered an idea.
DeVeau: The surprising thing is, I didn’t purposefully hybridise them. They would have needed wind, or pollinators. I don’t have any of that in my quarters.
Saa: Which doesn’t leave a lot of room for explanations.
Tapping her chin with her finger, Alora pondered over the conundrum a moment. Suddenly, a thought came to her.
DeVeau: I do, however, have cats, and these two were both on lower shelves!
Saa: Cats? ::tilts his head before looking at the flower:: Oh! Their fur.::pauses:: You have cats?
Alora did indeed, and she nodded. All her life, she’d loved animals, and her parents had a variety of them over the years. Thanks to their youngest child and only daughter, they sometimes had the most unexpected visitors.
DeVeau: I do. A calico cat from Earthnamed Sachiko and a Risian caracel named Flora.
An almost boyish smile touched his features as he spoke of the creatures.
Saa: Our neighbors in my universe were a mixed Terran-Betazoid, they had lots of cats, and growing up I thought it would be fun to read a cats mind. ::leaning on the counter:: some things should never be known to man, a cat's thoughts are one of those things.
As if in shock, Alora’s eyes widened and she leaned closer to Velaan, her voice lowering to a half whisper as she asked in mock awe.
DeVeau: What did you see?
Leaning in conspiratorially to whisper back his answer.
Saa: Chaos. ::he straightened up:: Also I’m pretty sure they knew I was there, and told me with a very annoyed growl to “get out.”
Snorting delicately, Alora straightened and shrugged. Alas, who could unravel the mysteries of the feline mind? Evidently, not Velaan. Certainly not her!
DeVeau: Ah well. Anyway, back to your flower, the Kubarey violet actually reacts to external stimuli beyond sunlight, heat, and cold. It responds to touch. I haven’t seen it respond to sound, but if the genetic code is there, it could be recessive and the combination with something in the African violet caused that gene to be expressed.
Saa: I am relieved to know this flower’s behavior is natural and not a result of tangle influence, but I’m probably going to need new care directions
DeVeau: Well, the environmental and nutrient requirements are actually almost identical. Other than that…
She canted her head and stepped over to the plant, carefully scooping it into her hands so she could return it to her Betazoid friend.
DeVeau: Maybe play some music on a regular basis?
Saa: I’ll rotate and see if it has a preference… ::leans back against the lab counter stroking his beard in thought:: If I find it does, do you want me to keep notes on it for you? I mean technically speaking this hybridization is the first of its kind, which means you should also name it.
Alora would have asked if Velaan hadn’t offered, and she grinned, her green eyes twinkling quite happily that he had, sort of, read her mind. After all, she was a scientist, which meant she wanted to know pretty much everything.
DeVeau: You really are telepathic. Yes, please, and will be taking a closer look at mine.
Alas, while she kept up with her plants’ care, she hadn’t noticed that little detail. Shyla and her job kept her very busy. However, with the revelation, she would put that violet somewhere she could see it without having to look specifically at that shelf.
Shyla: BIBIBIBIBIBIBIBIBIBIBIBI!
The child’s voice rang out through the lab and she waved two donuts, one in each hand, at the two adults, as if she
Turning back towards Shyla, he listened before gesturing and looking back towards Alora with a grin.
Saa: She makes a great case for “Bibi”
Alora chuckled softly, nodding. While it might have been her hybrid, it was Velaan’s attentiveness that pointed her to the unique characteristics of the flower.
DeVeau: Let’s see….how about Bibi’s Bouncing Bonnet?
Saa: That was not the kind of name I was expecting.
Smirking, Alora crossed her arms over her chest. Most people didn’t realise that most violets, especially the ones hybridised by owners, had unique names - some of them down right ridiculous or amusing.
DeVeau: Or…Bibi’s Bonny Bluebell.
Saa: Lots of B’s in there…
He raised a single brow quizzically at her.
DeVeau: What can I say? Alliteration is memorable!
Saa: Bibi’s Bonny Bluebell it is.
Satisfied, he lifted a finger to give his dancing flowering a little high five on the leaf before turning back to Alora appreciatively.
Saa: Thank you, for allowing me to disrupt your day a little for this, I didn’t want to… ::he looks at the plant:: I’m just starting to build my collection of personal objects finally and really didn’t want to lose one of the first gifts I got here.
It felt awkward to admit how little he had. There were pieces still of his Valkyrie being welded back together, restoring at least the pieces with his lost friends' callsigns on them after the Herald further wrecked it, but besides what he’d replicated uniform and casual wise, he hadn’t really kept a lot. He’d been living caged from long enough, it was still strange to have things of his own again. Maybe he’d get the Valkyrie back fully repaired.
DeVeau: It’s not a problem.
Alora caught on to that, though, It was one of the first gifts he received there, but she also noticed that he mentioned he was trying to build a collection of personal objects - as if he’d never had the opportunity before. If he’d been mostly confined ot a universe where he was merely part of a collection…
Saa: How about when I bring my notes, we grab lunch or dinner at Valhalla, or maybe DS14? Before we head off to Betazed that is..
DeVeau: That sounds good to me.
Alora nodded and turned back to Shyla who continued to babble ‘bibibibibibibibi’ over and over again while actually stacking the donuts on the cone - though not in the right order, so it was a bit lopsided. Actually, it was completely upside down, the smallest one on the bottom and the largest on the top.
DeVeau: In the meantime, I should probably go…she’s going to need a nap soon.
Thus far, the crankiness wasn’t on display, but it would be soon enough
He couldn’t see it, but he trusted a mother’s instincts to know when the turn to chaos was on the horizon. Still he watched Shyla for a moment in mild amusement.
Saa: Right, and I should get this back to it’s usual lamp now that we know that BB here is a hybrid and needs a little extra attention.
Turning he moved to start towards the exit, cautious to avoid any of the projected toys that had ended up scattered across the ground on the way out.
Saa: -scuse me little lady ::stepping over a toy:: Thanks again for the help, and… the gift!
With a wave, he flashed a grin to Alora and then Shyla a grind then stepped out of the lab. The little plant beginning to sway and wobble with the rhythm of every step.
[[End Scene]]
Commander Alora DeVeau
Chief Science Officer
USS Thor
&
Matriarch of the 15th House
Betazed
M239008AD0
&&
Lieutenant Velaan Saa
Operations Officer