Posted by Commander Shara Calloway (Executive Officer) in Lounge- A Welcome Lunch (all welcome)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Varen Jorath (Chief Science Officer) in Lounge- A Welcome Lunch (all welcome)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Lisa Caldwell (Engineer) in Lounge- A Welcome Lunch (all welcome)
Posted by… suppressed (10) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“I’ll take a black coffee, thank you.” Lisa stated, recovering from her outburst.

“Well, you know me, I’ll always take coffee,” Shara said. Caldwell’s outburst has passed so quickly but not without Shara making a mental note to address it later. “But I’ll come grab my own and give you a hand. since I promised nibbles.” The XO slipped out of her chair and winked at the group assembled.

Bethany laughed. “Yeah, you have your own replicator now, so you never come steal mine anymore.” She got up, “Be back.”

At the replicator, Shara was trying to maintain a calm exterior, letting Bethy grab the coffees first. “I wonder if crew socializing is somehow covered in Command school,” she said softly, giving Gadi a sideways glance. “If so, maybe I should put in to do distance classes.” The sarcasm slipped out and was a soothing balm to her uncertainty. Her, in clubs? The idea was somehow laughable. But she wanted to be supportive of the crew and would help them create whatever they needed, within reason, of course

~Shara Calloway, XO

“No idea about Command, but my counseling training covered it.” It had been brief, because if the nature of her training, but they had discussed it.

“I do play the guitar....occasionally. It has been some time though and I’m a little rusty.” She stated, trying to engage in the conversation and move on quickly, hoping no one heard her outburst. She hated that the incident had made her into some one different. She almost didn’t recognise herself anymore.

Lt (j.g) Lisa Caldwell (Eng)

OOC: Can I jump in here?

-Kieron/

OOC: Don’t see why not :)

Tom

Varen’s eyebrow raised slightly, “Guitar maybe you can play for us sometime”, he said taking a sip off his coffee. He leaned in on his elbows taking the weight off his back.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Varen Jorath
Chief Science officer U.S.S Asimov

Lisa froze. That hadn’t been her intention. She was only trying to make conversation. She sighed inwardly.

“Music! I myself do not participate in the musical arts, aside from humming to myself while I work. But my spouses are quite musical. Mwezi plays a,,, it is like the earth instrument, Violin and Shilo was part of a choir in their younger years. Perhaps a concert or music show could be organised?” Kula got excited at the prospect, and those around the table could hear the gentle thud of her wagging tail hitting the wall behind her.

Ensign Mwezi
Security USS Asimov

As she started ordering platters for the table, Shara looked back at the group, eyes alight. Music. Now there was an option that appealed to her. “Ummm, I play guitar and piano,” she said with a half shrug. Shara had played her guitar a few times in public places (usually when it was quieter) so many people knew she had a guiatar on hand and played, but she really didn’t share her ability with the piano to many people. Outside of the holodeck it had been a bit tricky too, especially on the last ship. Not exactly portable.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“I like music, but don’t ask me to play. I’ll offend someone and cause a war.” It was hard to tell if the security chief was joking or not. She ordered the various coffees and helped grab trays of food to carry back to the table.

Lt. Cmdr. Gadi, COS

Adrian’s attention was caught about the discussion of music. “I play the Vulcan Ka’athyra, or lute.” He offered. “I have never played with a group before.”

~Dr. Adrian Sorel

Lisa looked over to Shara, she hadn’t known that she could play. She reached over and grabbed a coffee.
“Maybe we could start a group…or a band? Or just a jam night.” She suggested not wanting to suggest anything too formal or forward.

Lt (j.g) Lisa Caldwell (Eng)

Varen smiled “I would love to just come listen to you all play, It would be a lot of fund to just relax” he noted looking around at the group he wondered how the group had grown to a full social event. He checked the time casually to make sure he was not missing anything important.

Lieutenant Junior Grade Varen Jorath
Chief Science officer U.S.S Asimov

Shara moved back to the table with Gadi and set out trays of small bites, including some fun little pastries. “Watch for these ones”-she pointed to a small bite sized triangle pastry-” as they’ll be hotter than you might be expecting, unless you love spicy food as much as I do.”

She settled back at the tables and grabbed her coffee. Leaning back in her chair, Shara chuckled ad shook he head. “Okay, here’s something not many people know about me: my mother was a classical pianist and played with a local orchestra as a side gig. I grew up playing because of her. But I play guitar more often these days because outside of the holodeck, pianos are tricky to find and keep on a starship, especially our last one.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

“No there wasn’t much room on that ship, more here, but not by much,” Gadi said as she resumed her seat after passing out the coffees. “I wouldn’t mind attending a concert or recital.”

Lt. Cmdr. Gadi, COS

“A guitar is a stringed instrument, isn’t it?” Adrian asked the XO. “I wonder how it would sound with a lute.” He mused.

~Dr. Adrian Sorel

Calloway nodded. “Yes, it’s a six-stringed instrument tuned to E, with perfect fourth intervals and a major third. They go really nice together, as would the piano.” As her mind dropped into music, there was a subtle shift in Shara. She sat more upright and forward, and her eyes were alight.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

Lisa nodded with the explanation.
“E is the most common. There are alternative tunings but they require slightly more practice to get right. Who taught you to play Commander?” Lisa asked pleased to have the distraction of talk of music. It had been a safe space for her, a means of escape. She’d not played for years but had recently re-discovered the joy of escapism that playing an instrument could bring.

Lt (j.g) Lisa Caldwell (Eng)

Shara shrugged. “I taught myself. I had been playing piano so long that other instruments are easier for me to pick up. My brain really likes math and music is all mathematical. When I lived on a colony during my first marriage, the guitar was easier to have around than the piano. I usually kept the piano in the community hall for big events and played the guitar the rest of the time.”

“What about you?” she asked Lisa and Adrian, though she looked around the group, making sure to give the others a smile too to include them. Especially Kula who seemed particularly enthused by this turn in conversation.

~Shara Calloway, XO

“I picked up the Ka’athyra during my stay at Starfleet Medical when I was undergoing heart procedures in 2387. It gave me something to concentrate on in between my studies.”

~Dr. Adrian Sorel

Kula happily listened to the conversation about musical instruments. She grabbed a handful of the ‘spicy’ pastries and began eating them.

Ensign Mwezi
Security USS Asimov

Lisa looked over to Shara.
“My Father taught me. He was an avid blues player. Played in all the clubs. He’d take me along and I’d watch him. He couldn’t wait to teach me and I started learning as soon as I could hold a guitar.” She replied remembering him in his band “The Blues Breakers”. She thought back to their first lesson and learning her first chord. Then remembering him beam with pride when she could make chord changes. She smiled to herself as she remembered happier and simpler times.

Lt (j.g) Lisa Caldwell (Eng)

“Sadly, playing an instrament is not something I ever took time to learn, that said I would love to come listen to a concert.” he noted “It sounds like it would be very relaxing”

Lieutenant Junior Grade Varen Jorath
Chief Science officer U.S.S Asimov

Bethy knew all too well that Shara was out of her element and so Shara gave her a comical glance before she gave a long-suffering sigh to the group. “Well, I guess there’s going to be a concert,” she said with a small chuckle. “Did not see that coming.”

~Shara Calloway, XO

Lisa took a breath, a concert was quite the leap from discussing groups. She shifted nervously in her chair. She hadn’t played for a while, she had just been too busy to practice.
“I guess, the masses have spoken. A concert it is.” Lisa stated and smiled timidly.

Lt (j.g) Lisa Caldwell (Eng)