Traditions

Posted on 09/29/2022 @ 3:11am by Captain Cara Letsul

1,720 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Mini Mission: When The Cat's Away
Location: XO's Office
Timeline: MD 3 - 1650

Finding her way to the XO’s office had not been difficult. Jae liked maps, charts, cartography and she even enjoyed mazes. She couldn’t get lost even if she tried. Her feet, however, had a mind of their own, and she had dragged them at length to reach her destination.

Small talk wasn't her favorite thing. She sighed. Still, after reporting for duty she would be able to go to the science department: her new fortress of solitude.

With a stern resolution, she pressed the chime and waited for an answer.

Cara lifted up her head from going over the details of day to day running of the Station, she wearily rubbed her eyes and then called out. "Enter."

When the Asian woman stepped in, Cara rose from the chair behind her desk and gave a smile, "Hello, I'm Commander Letsul, what can I do for you, Ensign?"

Unsure how to respond to that smile, whilst a moment before the Commander had looked tired, Jae gave a quick bow. A silent way to apologize for her intrusion. It was indeed, quite late in the day. She had made sure of that, hoping the Commander would want to expedite this interview. “Ensign Seon-u, reporting for duty,” she said. She then remembered the PADD in her hand, containing her credentials, and she placed it delicately on the desk, like an offering.

Picking it up, Cara took a look at the transfer papers, and looked at the credentials. "Ah a transfer to the science department. A welcome addition." She responded, "Welcome aboard Ensign Seon-u."

"How was your trip? Hopefully it was pleasant. May I offer you some tea?" Cara walking over to where an actual tea pot was seated and a separate pot that had water with in it. "Or would you rather go see the science facilities as soon as possible." taking a look over her shoulder towards Jae. "The last science officer who had arrived was very eager to see where they were going to work."

Jae looked at the tea pot with curiosity. She wanted to see the science department as soon as possible, but she was also intrigued by the tea. Would it be Jestral tea, from Betazed, or maybe something more banal, often served within the Fleet?

“I’d love to have some tea, thank you.” Jae said, whilst at the same time she vowed not to touch it if it happened to be black tea, served with milk, in a large mug. “My journey to the station was mostly uneventful. I kept to myself and was only annoyed once by a Tellarite passenger.”

"I have matcha, lemon grass tea. What would you like as I have quite the selection. I take my tea drinking very seriously and do not like lack luster teas." giving a bit of a smile. "And these are not replicated." Cara explained.

Ceremonial-grade tea... Jae, who until then, had looked at the tea pot with suspicion, now relaxed. “I enjoy matcha with citrus flavors, thank you. It is fascinating to note that all those teas originate from the same plant. Camellia sinensis. You make tea like an expert, Commander. Did you... did you learn from your parents?”

"I learned from my mother, and also did more exploration into teas. Even grew my own at one time. It was on another base. A long while back. The base is still operational which I am glad of." Cara making the tea in a ceremonial way. Utilizing the whisk that she had just for that purpose. "Tea is healthy, and helps to settle the mind and spirit. Giving one lessons in patience." she added.

“Entirely,” Jae agreed. “It is a ritual of intention and quiet reflection, away from the fast pace of everyday life.” She had not always felt that way, though. As a child, traditional tea time, on a Sunday afternoon, for instance, had been a torture - one where time always stood still. “This is what I like about science research. It allows for quietude and reflection.”

The tea done, the proper way, Cara handed the tea to Jae and then made some for herself. After sipping some, Cara remarked, "I do hope you enjoy your stay and your work here on the station. There will be a great amount of discoveries out here that haven't been found. Your records show that you are in Astrometrics, do you have a penchant for the stars and seeing new universes?"

"I find everything about space and its mysteries liberating. This is what allowed me to leave my world and its rather heavy heritage." She took a tiny sip of tea, and finding it excellent, she drank some more. “It is a contradiction. I crave traditional tea, and at the same time I want a new life, away from everything I’ve experienced before.” She looked genuinely puzzled by that. “Maybe this oddity will disappear once I’ve settled properly on Poseidon.”

"Nothing wrong in keeping with some tradition and not with the others. I myself do not completely follow Betazed traditions. My mother wanted me to be bound to someone when I was just a baby, and my father convinced her to not do that, he told her that, love coming naturally would be so much better than being bound right from the start. She and my father fell in love and they married, he wanted the freedom of choice for his family. I can't deny that I am very happy to not be bound into a marriage where I have to seek out that person. What if I didn't like the person." Cara sipping her own tea after that comment.

It took a few seconds for Jae to realize that she was staring at the Commander. As idiotic as it may seem, she had never considered that high ranking officers could also be subjected to the demands of their families. All she had seen so far from them were pressing orders. Do this and that, super fast.

Jae promptly returned her attention to her tea. "My parents are like your mother. They think that without their help, I'll never find the right person. That I'll end up alone and miserable. ... So, Commander, you did find the right person by yourself, then?"

Cara almost choked on her tea with Jae's question. "I thought I had at one time but, it wasn't meant to be. Many extenuating circumstances had happened and we didn't end up together. In fact we, broke up amicably, just a month or so back." Cara answering rather honestly.

"Things happen and when a relationship does not work out, it is time to say goodbye. He and I will always be friends, if he were to call on me for something, I wouldn't hesitate to go help or even send help to him. IF he calls for help. He isn't one who would unless it is something he considers important for me to step in." Cara's eyes going slightly distant for a moment as if looking back into her memories. She adjusted herself and came back to the current time. "My apologies, I don't know if you really wanted to hear that."

Jae bit her lip. She had never been able to discern what questions were right to ask, and what topics were best left alone. “I’m grateful for your answer Commander. Not every relationship works of course, I know that. And men, the worthy ones, it’s true they don’t like to call for help.” She took a sip of tea to hide her discomfort. All she knew about relationships came from holo-novels. “In any case, at the moment I’d rather look for space anomalies than reliable men. In fact, men are not necessary at all, when you're focused on your career, that is. They can even be a nuisance."

"Well the same can be said by men where women are concerned, women can be nuisances as well. I think it depends on the person. I've thought how nice it would have been to have someone to come home to or said someone come home to me. And I get wistful, but nowadays, I am occupied with work and as said before to someone, get reacquainted with who I am. And in essence find out who I am as I've worn many hats. One step at at a time, one moment at a time." a sip of tea, then she said, " Science is a world of wonder for anyone to behold and explore. in fact a former captain of mine he was very heavy into science. It was his greatest love."

Jae listened to Commander Letsul's words with great interest. Had it been her parents talking to her, they would have called Jae an imbecile by now. They couldn't stand her drastic views. The X.O. was gentler, and this is why she refrained from saying that, in her opinion, the surest way to have a nice presence at home was to adopt a cat or a dog.

"One step at a time, one moment at a time." Jae repeated. "This is a beautiful line, Commander... I have to say, finding a soul mate, or just a friend, in my department would be quite something. Almost as amazing as discovering a singularity. And I can only agree, science is wonderful. I would be lost without it. An empty shell. Maybe I should go explore the labs now, to... make myself useful? With your permission?"

"Go have some fun, and enjoy exploring science. And you have my permission to go. I've enjoyed talking with you, Ensign Seon-u." Cara giving a nod, and rising from her seat. " you have a pleasant evening."

"Thank you for your time Commander Letsul, I also enjoyed our little talk." This was true, as it had gone much better than she had expected, plus the XO had given her a lot to think about. But after talking so much, she felt rather light-headed now. She deposited her empty tea cup on the desk and she retrieved her PADD. She then produced a little bow and she left.

---

Commander Cara Letsul
Poseidon Operations Commander
Chief Counselor

Ensign Seon-u Jae (pnpc played by Brek)
Science Dept. (Astrometrics)
Poseidon
I like to hear chemistry puns, periodically.

 

RSS Feed