Posted by Ensign Iyun Riani (Scientist) in Side Sim: The Likable Hornet Date (Open for Any to Join)

Posted by Commander Dira Myqian (Executive Officer) in Side Sim: The Likable Hornet Date (Open for Any to Join)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Achilleas Petrakos (Chief Science Officer) in Side Sim: The Likable Hornet Date (Open for Any to Join)
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Achilleas smiled wryly as he shared his hobby, “This is probably a bit cliche concerning my profession, but I love viewing the stars with either my naked or with an antique telescope I brought aboard. I also love sailing. I used to do a lot of it during my formative years and quite enjoy being on a body of water with a vessel under my control. I don’t really know if it counts as an anecdote or not, but I was caught out in a tropical storm when I was 16 and sailing alone in a small craft. I could have of course called for help and an emergency beam out, but my youthful pride spurred me on to see if I could weather the storm. Things were going well until the sail caught a wicked cross wind and snapped it around and into me. I would’ve been pitched right off the ship and into the sea had it not been for my safety line. The adrenaline and the danger kept me going despite having my arm broken during that impact. By this point I was committed to seeing it through and my stubbornness was more fiery than the pain I felt. After the storm cleared I limped the ship back home and had the worst butt chewing ever. My mother and grandmother laid into me and I had to take it while still standing there with a broken arm. I guess they figured the pain would help reinforce their lesson.”

CSO Petrakos

While she had been glad that Achilleas went first to answer Dira’s questions, she now found herself staring wide-eyed and rather speechless at him.

“I can imagine so,” Dira said with a light laugh. “I have a few similar stories about galavanting about forests. Remind me to tell you about the giant tree I decide to claim as a fortress,” she said with a grin before turning to Ria. “What about yourself?” she asked with a gentle smile.

Commander Myqian, XO

“Oh, uhm,” Ria said a little hesitantly. “My hobbies and interests are nothing special. My faith is important to me and I really like to read and write. And …” She faltered slightly, her cheeks turning pink, before continuing almost in a rush, “I … I love to work with clay. My work is so theoretical, which I love, and somehow the very tactile aspect of working with clay … it’s a nice counter balance.” She wasn’t sure why, but she always expected people to laugh at her when she told them what she liked to and why. So with her cheeks by now a flaming red again, she dropped her gaze to her lap and waited tensely for their reaction.

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

He took a sip of his wine while Ria told of her working with clay hobby. Achilleas commented when she finished and became extremely shy, “That’s fascinating Ria! I like using my hands on a variety of non-thinking like tasks but never thought you sculpted with clay. I’ve seen you doing some experiments in the lab so I have no doubt about the skill you have with your hands though. You’re really going to have to show me next time we get a chance. With the clay I mean.”

CSO Petrakos

Ria lifted her gaze just enough to look at him, a shy smile playing across her face, and nodded. “Sure… I didn’t think anyone would ever find it interesting watching me work with clay,” she admitted, looking both slightly bemused and happy that he hadn’t laughed at her. It was probably pretty obvious to both Achilleas and Dira that she had completely missed the underlying meaning of his comment.

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

Dira couldn’t help but smile widely. “My father is a multi-media artist and I grew up messing about with a variety of artist expressions. Clay was always a favourite. It can be very cathartic!” she said with a laugh. “You should have seen me after some of my appointments. Even therapists have to let off some steam some days,” she added with a grin.

“Really?” Ria asked shyly while a wide smile started to spread across her face. In the past she had experienced it a few times that people looked at her funny, when she said that she liked to work with clay. And while those reactions had never been the majority by any means, somehow they were the most dominant ones in her memory. So hearing two people react so positively made her very happy indeed.

“I understand faith being important too. I grew up in a multi-faith setting so while I don’t prescribe a particular one, I understand its role. Especially on a ship that’s purpose is largely about healing, it’s important to not forget that the spirit needs healing at times too,” Myqian said thoughtfully.

Commander Myqian, XO

Ria nodded and looked at Dira for a moment, meeting her gaze for more than a few seconds for the first time. She wasn’t sure what else to say, or rather how to put her thoughts into words. She believed that her people wouldn’t have made it through the occupation if it hadn’t been for their faith and for her faith was such an important part of her life, that she couldn’t even imagine what it might be like not to have faith. Dropping her gaze again, she took a sip of her wine, hoping that one of the others would bridge the silence before it became awkward.

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

“I didn’t really have any faith growing up.” Achilleas spoke up. “I’ve told Ria this before so it won’t be new to her. With all of the different higher dimensional beings that we know about, and I imagine all of the ones we don’t, I find it hard to place my faith in some whimsical being who may or may not have benevolence as their motive. I’m not discounting the importance of faith to those who hold it, but it hasn’t been something I’ve been concerned with. My being a scientist has me looking for empirical evidence of things. I realize that these two ideas aren’t mutually exclusive but I haven’t found the evidence yet.”

He took a sip of his wine to wet his throat before continuing. “I think that the importance of faith is in the instilling of values and morals where if given a choice between personally profiting and helping out another even if they are a stranger, the act of kindness and love would be the first choice. People can still have those values with ascribing to a faith system and there are selfish people found to claim to have faith, but I think those with faith benefit from the teachings of it. Though I’ve really only experienced this fact recently.” He finished while smiling warmly at Ria.

CSO Petrakos

Folding her arms on the table before her, Dira rested on them lightly, her mind thinking through the various permutations of faith and spirituality. She had described herself as spiritual on numerous occasions over the years, but its exact definition was hard to pin down. “I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know for myself that spirituality is about connectedness. Especially as a telepath, I can’t help but feel the connections between me and everyone else. They simply are more tangible. And when you have that, it’s easier to see the beauty in it. For me, feeling those connections is a form of faith. Something I rely on everyday. To not have that would be devastating. So I can understand how having your faith denied to you would be equally devastating all the while it could reinforce it,” she said, casting a smile at Ria.

Commander Myqian, XO

Ria smiled softly back at Dira and said, “I feel like that as well. Obviously I’m not a telepath, but my faith makes me feel connected to my people and my home. And even out here, lightyears away from the wormhole and the celestial temple I feel the connection to the prophets in prayer and mediation. It’s my anchor and a source of strength for me.” Turning her head towards Achilleas and reaching for his hand, she continued, “And while I can’t imagine my life without my faith, I do understand that not everyone can believe and that’s fine. As long as we treat each other’s believes and approach to faith and spirituality with respect all is fine.”

~Ensign Iyun, Scientist

Achilleas smiled as he took Ria’s hand. “I respect you and all of your thoughts and beliefs. I may not understand your faith but that doesn’t change my feelings for you, instead it’s another facet of you that I’m looking forward to learning about.”

CSO Petrakos