Getting to know Eden [Part Two]

Posted on 08/16/2024 @ 3:32pm by Ensign Masuda Junichi & Lieutenant JG Eden Bowers

1,965 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Mission 23:Pages...
Location: SB 50
Timeline: MD 23

"A transporter buffer?" his eyes went rather round at that fact. "and okay so... you are old enough to be my great great grandmother. That may be so called chronological speaking but that also means your life was stopped in essence, until you were brought back. You must have a lot of catching up to do to become in sync with this timeline." looking up as the klingon waiter brought their food, then left. He continued after the waiter left. "Why should it scare me to know of your age and that you've been married before. I am sorry for your loss though, that is something that would be difficult to live with." Junichi remarked.

"I've been back a few years. I think I'm pretty caught up on history. Yes, it was very hard at first but I've come to live with the loss. He was a great man and a good captain. No one actually knew we were married. He didn't want anyone to know. Things were different back then. I was only an Ensign and he was my Captain. We kept our relationship a secret until it was too late." Eden gave a small sigh and a shrug. "Depressing subject. Have you ever been in love?"

"I was but realized that perhaps the other person wasn't in love with me. The girl was gentle in letting me know, she didn't want to string me along. I even serenaded her, found out she was flattered but also embarrassed by it. Guess the staging was all wrong or I am just not that good in knowing much about ladies. I still have to do more research." Junichi explained with a small amount of embarrassment but still he wasn't going to hide that fact.

"See, that's where you went wrong. You're generalizing all ladies together in one convenient box. We're all different. What works for me isn't going to work for someone else. You have to sit down and get to know the person and find out what you think will really impress her. For example, I'd be impressed if someone wrote me an actual letter, like on paper in their own handwriting. Those are so rare these days. But not even my husband got around to that." Eden paused for a second as she was trying to think of something to ask him. "I'm out of questions other than stupid ones like what's your favorite color?"

"Well I have questions, what do you like to do activity wise? Do you dance, do you like to climb? Do you like to play games either holodeck or even board games? Or even roleplaying games like, Dungeons and Dragons? Do you like to read books and if so what do you like to read?" he paused, then added, "As for ladies, I don't lump them into one category, it's not fair to them at all."

Eden thought about it for a moment. "I guess I'm kind of lazy that way. I do like to read, mostly fantasy but some biographies. I like learning about people. I like to listen to music. I like to do things that make me relax. I enjoy the holodeck sometimes, especially historical programs. "

"Holodeck programs are good to indulge in at times, and the historical programs can be fun. I have one that I am using to climb Mount Fuji. There is a teahouse there that I visited before I joined Star Fleet. I had made my goal in climbing Mount Fuji, and made recordings so I can revisit those memories from time to time." Junichi gave a happy smile at the memory, which lit up his face.

"We didn't have holodeck back when I . . . well when I was young," Eden grinned. "So it's a big adventure for me to step into one. Why not climb the real Mount Fuji?" Eden asked. "You know, when you're on leave sometime." Eden thought her hobbies weren't quite so exciting but to each his or her own. "I want to learn to paint. That's the next thing on my list."

"Oh, the Mount Fuji that I climb in the holodeck, is the record I took of my climbing the mountain. It was beautiful and I made certain to go there before I joined Starfleet. There are three routes that a person can take, and I went on all of them. I hike it just to go down memory lane." Junichi responded. "I haven't done much painting, but I do know how to do calligraphy."

"Oh!" Eden replied, interested. " Feel like teaching me? That sounds like a lot of fun." Between the questions their food had arrived and Eden had dug right in.

"I would love to teach you Calligraphy, and maybe, we can learn some painting together. Well that is if you are willing to do so." Junichi answered, before he started cutting into his steak. "this is really good" he said after a few moments of silence as he tucked into his lunch, he was feeling really hungry.

"Sure. Why not?" Eden replied with a shrug. "And after dinner you can meet Stan if you want to." If this didn't chase him away then probably nothing would. People reacted differently to Stan though he was always very well behaved in Eden's opinion.

"Okay Sounds like a plan. I am willing to meet him." Junichi wasn't sure if the Stan she was talking about was either a plant, an animal a bird or a reptile. He was willing to find out. He quickly finished his food, looking forward to spending more time with Eden.

Eden chuckled. Stan was in fact her pet spider. But she wasn't going to tell him that ahead of time. She simply continued to eat until she was finished and wondered what his reaction was going to be. "I'm ready when you are."

His meal was finished, and the dishes were cleared away. Junichi paid for the meals, and he was ready to go. On the way to Eden's quarters Junichi gave a smile "I am wondering, would you consider calligraphy a form of art?"


Eden thought about it for a moment. "Yes. It's individualised and creative. Why do you ask?" Eden led him right to her door. As the doors parted she looked back at him. "Have a seat, I'll get Stan."

"There are some who do not think that it is a form of art, I do though." Junichi stated as he went to sit down. " and I enjoy it very much and that is important to me that I am doing something that I enjoy. And should it really matter if someone may not agree? I say no. " giving slight laugh.

"That's true. I never care what people think, especially not about me or my opinions." Eden opened Stan's cage and put her hand in. He crawled right over to her and onto her palm. She left the cage open and put her other hand over the top of him. "Okay, close your eyes and put out your hand."

Junichi raised an eyebrow when Eden called out from her bedroom area, gave a slight shrug then closed his eyes and held his left hand out with the palm facing upwards wondering what was going to happen.

Eden plopped Stan into his outstretched hands and said, "Okay, don't freak out. You can open your eyes."

Junichi slowly opened is eyes to see what it was that Eden had placed upon the palm of his hand. It looked like a spider, what kind was it? "Okay, an interesting companion you've got there." looking up towards Eden.

He hadn't screamed and thrown Stan. Maybe there was more to this man that met the eye. "He's a jumping spider. I'm not sure what kind. I found him on a ship all alone, looking for warmth and I adopted him."

"Stan, and jumping spiders are cute. I used to play with spiders that were in my parents home, I don't quite remember the species that they were, I just called them yo yo spiders as well I found on the thread and then gave a gentle tug to it and the spider dropped down then crawled back up again. The spider and I played like that for a few minutes then I put the spider to a safer place so it can go on about its business." Junichi taking a closer look at Stan. "I have heard jumping spiders are good dancers." looking up at Eden with a smile.

She was actually amazed. The last person who had tolerated Stan was actually well . . . Jake. Her last boyfriend. Though, that hadn't ended well. "Really? I don't think I've ever seen Stan dance. But I have thought about getting him a companion. Maybe he needs a girlfriend. Everyone deserves love right?"

"I think so." Junichi giving a nod, then asked Stan, "would you like to have a girlfriend? It would be interesting to see you do a bit of dancing. I have heard that your kind are the dance masters of the arachnid kind." he looked up from Stan to Eden with a grin. "Would be fun to see his dance."

"Well, I bet jumping spiders are pretty rare to find in space. But maybe someday I'll come across one. Maybe on my next trip to Earth I'll find one, whenever that is. Do you want me to take him back?" She offered.

Junichi looked at Stan "What do you think, Stan?" gazing at the spider a bit longer, haviung a notion that the spider might be examining him as much as Junichi was studying him. "He probably should head back to his domicile. Not that I mind holding him, but he might be getting tired of me." giving a laugh, and looking back at Eden.

Eden took him from Masuda. "I don't think he ever gets tired of anyone. He likes body heat." Eden answered him as she put him back in his cage under his heat lamp. "But it's fine." Suddenly it dawned on her that they were in her quarters and alone and she had nothing else to talk about. "Ummm . . . "

Junichi felt the soft brush of Eden's fingers when she retrieved Stan from him. Her utterance of Um brought Junichi out of whatever spell he may have been under, noticing that they were alone in her quarters. Looking around, then back to Eden, "Well, uh.. you know I've had a wonderful time with you, I'd like to do something with you again. If you are of the mind to do so." giving a warm smile. "I feel though I need to get going, the hour is becoming late. Would you like to do something together later on?"

Eden cocked her head at him, studying him for a moment. "Sure," She finally said. "I don't have any plans tomorrow."

"Tomorrow sounds great. We can figure out what to do, though there is a treehouse that looks like the one described in Swiss Family Robinson in the Arboretum, we can go explore that if you'd like to do that." Junichi rising to his feet. "We can go there in the evening. Sound good?"

"Yes." Eden smiled a little shyly. Very uncharacteristic for her. "I'll see you tomorrow then!. She bounced on her toes a bit as she watched him leave her quarters.

A few steps away from Eden's quarters, Junichi did a half jump with a fist pump, "Yes! I've got a date with Eden!" then his mouth dropped open as he repeated his words rather quietly, "Oh gosh I have a date with a gorgeous woman! Easy there, its going to be okay."

END

Lt. jg Eden Bowers
Science Officer
Poseidon Station

Ensign Masuda Junichi
Scientist
Poseidon Station

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