Posted by Lieutenant Tija Aizala (Chief Medical Officer) in Nine Forward - Time to relax (Side Sim - Open for all)

Posted by Cadet Teresina Jason Christine Tanner (Engineer) in Nine Forward - Time to relax (Side Sim - Open for all)

Posted by Lieutenant Tija Aizala (Chief Medical Officer) in Nine Forward - Time to relax (Side Sim - Open for all)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

<snip>

Aizala watched the Captain intently, probably more so than would be considered polite. She really wanted to focus on the conversation with the Captain, but found her mind easily drifting off. And focusing her gaze on something or someone had always helped her with her concentration. However, she was also aware of how rude and intrusive most people found it to be stared at. So eventually she lowered her gaze back to her cup and replied, “I guess you could say we are the same in that regard. Though I did have a sister, but I was too young when she died to really remember her.” A sad little smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she said that.

~Lt. Tija, Asst. CMO

Emmy easily met Tija’s gaze, unaware or unconcerned with the social intricacies of proper eye contact. She followed her gaze back to the tea cup. “Is that a relief or a burden?” she inquired, finding herself confused by the facial expression that Tija had adopted. Her own face remained completely neutral, again unaware of how brusque the question might come across, but truly, she wanted to know the information and it didn’t feel necessary to draw out the conversation to obtain it.

Davis, CO

Looking up once again, Aizala pondered Davis’ question for several moments. Eventually she replied, “I’m not entirely sure, to be honest, but both, I guess.” Frowning slightly, she fell silent once more and touched her left thumb to her lips, so that the nail was resting lightly on the crack between her upper and lower incisors. After a few more moments, she lowered her hand somewhat and continued, “I have never actually thought about that question and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to give a clear answer. The whole situation is just too … difficult, I suppose.” All the while the Captain’s brusqueness only partly registered with Aizala. And while it was something she generally didn’t much like in a private conversation, somewhere in the back of her mind and heart she felt that that was what she needed right at this moment. It was almost like an antidote to her brooding and all the emotions bubbling up in her.

~Lt. Tija, Asst. CMO

“I don’t much like difficult situations,” Emmy observed before she could stop herself and then realized that likely wasn’t the best thing for the captain of a starship to murmur. She caught the side of her lip between her teeth and bit down on it softly in her own introspection. She found herself staring at the tea cup in front of her again, finding comfort in the focal point for her vision. You didn’t have to be an empath to feel the emotions swirling off the medical officer and, well, those made her awfully uncomfortable. After a few moments, she abruptly let go of her lip and asked, “how are you finding the Challenger?”

Davis, CO

Who does, Aizala thought; not even fully aware that she didn’t say those words out loud. While she watched the Captain think, Aizala wondered if she was going to ask why or how the situation was difficult; without even being sure if she wanted her to ask or not.

A small, lopsided smile appeared on Aizala’s face at Emmy’s question. “I enjoy being here a lot. I know some find the lack of stability and continuity daunting, but I actually like the coming and going of cadets and even senior officers,” she replied without thinking her answer through beforehand. “Also, I’ve had some wonderful teachers in the past without whom I wouldn’t be here today. And I hope I can help and support some people in the same way,” she continued softly.

~Lt. Tija, Asst. CMO

Emmy listened attentively to Tija’s response, giving a single nod of affirmation as she completed it. She pushed back the chair she had sat down in and rocked to her feet in one smooth motion. “Well, I will not interrupt you any longer, Doctor. I hope the stars give you the answers that you’re looking for,” she commented, referring back to Tija’s stargazing that she had originally interrupted.

Davis, CO

Tija looked rather surprised for a moment as Davis suddenly rose to her feet. But of course she knew the Captain had more important things to do than chatting with her for any length of time. Not to mention that part of her was grateful that the Captain hadn’t pushed more for answers she was reluctant to give. Rising to her as well, Tija replied, “Thank you, Captain, I hope you have a good rest of your day.”

Once the Captain had left, Tija sat down again; unsure whether she wanted to stay in Nine Forward or not. Being in the lounge always bore the risk of being asked questions she wasn’t willing to answer. Yet right now she also felt reluctant to return to the solitude of her quarters. With the letter weighing on her mind, her quarters just felt rather claustrophobic.

~Lt. Tija, Asst. CMO

Cadets Tanner and her roomie entered passing the Captain as she departed, Tanner stopped in the middle of the room, and felt at a decided loss, there were so many different races here that she had never seen or encountered, that she felt like turning and following the Captain out, but she didn’t get the chance, her roomie, grabbing her hand and steering her towards a lone women wearing medical colours. What ever she was, it wasn’t something that she saw on Coolac, she didn’t feel right being here, it was like being on the Academy grounds surrounded by people of all shapes and sizes, colours and funny features. To put it plainly it made her uncomfortable. Obviously she’d missed what her roomie had said to the woman from medical, and she found herself seated next to her while her roomie went to the replicator and came back with a variety of food, most of it she failed to recognise.

“Here try the waffles.” Looking at the liquid dripping off the waffle, it looked like something from a horror movie, but TJCT couldn’t remember what it was called. She opened her mouth to refuse only to find it shoved into her mouth. The sweetness of it was enough to rot her teeth.

“Yuck.” She managed to swallow it with a half a glass of water. “How do you eat it without ruining your teeth?”

Cadet TJCT - Engineering

Aizala watched the interaction between the two cadets silently, her eyebrows ever so slightly raised. It didn’t happen often that cadets sat down at the same table as senior officers; especially without asking. Well, those two obviously didn’t have a lack in confidence. On the one hand that was good. A certain amount of confidence was needed as a Starfleet officer. But on the other hand too much confidence could get hurt or even killed. And then it was her responsibility to try and fix things.

In a subconscious movement, the Bajoran doctor moved the hand with the PaDD of the table so that it was resting in her lap. And while she still wasn’t sure how much company she liked, she knew that it would be rude not to acknowledge the presence of the two cadets. So she said, “I suppose this is the first time you’re having this breakfast dish from Earth? It’s called waffles with maple syrup.”

~Lt. Tija, Asst. CMO

TJCT looked at the other woman. “There are many things that are found in Starfleet that are not found on my home planet, both people of different races and their ways of doing things, and food. Even replicators and technology. I have realised that we do not have anything sweeter than fruit that is grown in the production centres or on AYK or the other planets nearby. We get other food from the traders, but most of what is not normal goes to the tourist areas. Even the Hirogen do not have these things.” She looked at the three dishes that appeared on the table carried across by her roomie.

“Ice cream. Everyone loves ice cream. Eat it before it melts.”

TJCT eyed the dark brown item. “What is that?” She indicated the slices of pink cake with lots of frosting.

“Strawberry mousse cake with buttercream frosting.” Her roomie answered. “And the other plate contains toffee apple (Candy apples). An apple coated in toffee.”

TJCT eyed the plates. “Please eat.” She offered them to the CMO. “What is an apple?”

Cadet TJCT - Engineering