Posted by Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby (Diplomatic Officer / CNS) in Arboretum 2100

Posted by Ensign Charles-Louis (Engineering Officer) in Arboretum 2100

Posted by Lieutenant Sheleah Ruby (Diplomatic Officer / CNS) in Arboretum 2100
Posted by… suppressed (13) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Sheleah arrived at the arboretum basically on time. She had brought along a variety of tasty snacks. She had made certain to cover a wide variety of tastes, sweet, sour, and whatever that thing was the Klingon palette seem to enjoy so much that she could remember the name nearly never. She looked for a nice place to set up and hope that the fireflies would be out tonight.

• Sheleah

Charles met Sheleah shortly after she arrived. He was carrying a linen fabric bag that appeared packed with a sort of blanket. Something he replicated to keep the promised wines safe.

“Bonsoir, counselor.” he greeted her with a small grin, “Where are we to be seated this evening?”

[Charles-Louis, Engineering]

“Up this way just a little bit, there’s a fire pit left from a ceremony that some one was conducting or something like that from a native culture of earth. I don’t remember the name, you’d think I would knowing how I need to know all these things.”

Sheleah lead the way up along one of the main paths just a bit further until she came to a small clearing and the fire pit she had indicated earlier. Looking around she dusted off a few places to sit and indicated Charles should choose what he found best for the wine and everything she had brought. No fireflies yet but hopefully they would be out in a little while.

• Sheleah

Charles began looking through the half bottles he had brought. A small collection of half dozen wines, mostly reds with a sweet Moscato and dry Prosecco thrown in for variety. He pulled out one bottle and glanced at the label,

“From a vineyard on Sigma Iotia II,” he said, “A sweet red, best paired with fruits, hard cheese, or meats… At least, that is what my father insisted when he sent it.”

[Charles-Louis, Engineering]

Sheleah smiled and nodded. She began digging in the basket she had brought until she selected several kinds of salami, several cheeses and green grapes. She always enjoyed the green grapes because of their ability to be tart and sweet at the same time. The cheeses ranged from spicy to Sweet in an interesting way. The salamis were all from Earth unfortunately, she had never found any salamis quite like the ones back home.

“It sounds like your father was a wine connoisseur, he would have gotten along well with mine probably. So, will this do?”

• Sheleah

“I’m sure it will, Counselor,” Charles said. From his bag, he brought out and unwrapped two fairly standard wine glasses. He uncorked the bottle and began to pour them each a glass,

“I was never as … particularly as my he is. For me, most wine is good for most things. But I trust he… or how would I say it?” He paused to think while handing over one glass to Sheleah,

“I trust his opinions to reflect the palette of most other humans.”

[Charles-Louis, Engineering]

Sheleah took the glass of wine and looked at it intently for a few seconds before inhaling it. She decided to set out an assortment of snacks before actually taking a drink. Raising her glass she smiled at charles.

“Well, human pallets are about as different as any other palate of any other species you can probably come across. I do like your idea though and think it’s probably a pretty good one. So, here’s to an evening spent with a friend.”

• Sheleah

“Oui,” Charles agreed with a hint of a smile. Still, something did bother him. He stared off, taking a sip of wine. Not knowing where to start until he blurted out…

“You know, my father, he never had many chances for relationships. He was one of those people already, how do you say? Married to his job. It required him to travel a great deal, long trips in smaller quarters and working long shifts. And then he was having to keep track of me as well.”

He paused, taking another drink of wine,

“I feel, in that way, I am very much like him. It is… very pleasant though, to be able to make time for a friend.”

[Charles-Louis, Engineering]

As Sheleah listened and watched Charles she saw a glimmer in the distance. It seems the fireflies would be out tonight after all. This made her happy because it reminded her of a few times she had actually been on Earth, Arizona was known for fireflies in certain areas and they always made her smile.

“I think having friends is very important no matter where you are or what you’re actually doing when you’re there. Our jobs tend to take over our lives and this whole work-life balance thing is actually very important. Where have you been lately that keeps you from having friends?”

Sheleah turned to Charles and smiled. Her questions were phrased differently than if they had been in a counseling session. It was clear she was speaking to him as a friend, not a colleague.

• Sheleah

Charles laughed a little to himself, “Perhaps I have just been keeping to myself too long. I was never the one to be worried about what people thought of me, at least when I was working with my father. I’ve been laughed at and called names and everything else, and those were the some of our more… polite clients.” Charles interrupted his ramblings by popping a piece of cheese in his mouth, chased by a swig of wine. He stared off into the vague direction of the fireflies.

“But then I got to move on afterwards, I never had to see any of them again unless I wanted to. In Star Fleet, working on one ship, with one crew, it is very different from that.”

|Ens. Charles-Louis,
Engineering Officer|

“Yes, I bet it would be different. It’s kind of like having a family I guess. You deal with the same people for most of the time and you get to know a lot about them. Moving on from place to place like you and your father did you guys must have had a very close relationship but not much else outside that? It kind of reminds me of me and my parents. They moved around quite a lot and I was caught up in their wake. So I think I understand, but calling you names? I just can’t see it.”

Sheleah took a drink of wine and helped herself to a few berries and a bit of cheese. Looking towards the fireflies she relaxed and smiled a bit. They looked so much different here in the arboretum than when she had been in Arizona, or Brazil for that matter.

• Sheleah

“Some people are just that way, they feel they can gain honor by attempting at removing it from someone else. I do not believe it works that way.” Charles mused.

He took a few more pieces of the cheese and meats laid out. After some more wine, he pointed toward where Sheleah was looking,

“You called them… fireflies, yes?”

|Ens. Charles-Louis,
Engineering Officer|

“Yes, fireflies. They’re on many parts of Earth and creatures similar to them are on several planets I’ve been to, probably more to tell you the truth. I don’t know much about insects so I couldn’t tell you anything other than they’re fireflies and I think they’re pretty. Sam could have told you a lot about them. He was the botanist who helped raise him before I left with him when I was in Brazil.”

As Sheleah dug in her pack for the part of Charles present that would allow them to monitor rex, she realized that Sam had just taken a back seat in her memories and importance in her life. They had a relationship for nearly a year but he had just been demoted quite handily in less than 30 seconds. What did that mean? Perhaps, she should ask a counselor.

“Speaking of rex, would you like to see what he’s up to right now?”

• Sheleah

“Ahh, oui” he responded, leaning over a bit to get a better view of the screen.

|Ens. Charles-Louis,
Engineering Officer|

Sheleah set up the device and turned to Charles.

“I have a friend of mine’s daughter staying with Rex in my quarters right now. Let’s just say it worked out for everybody because the family needed a little time apart. Family quarters aren’t big enough for all families all the time. So, I wonder what hygiene’s he’s gotten into these days or this hour.”

She turned it on and revealed Rex in the middle of what looked like Sheleah’s bed. There were several small shiny objects strewn around the bedspread. It took a minute for Sheleah to register what she was actually seeing.

“What the hell, I don’t believe it. I’m really going to have to get on desiree. I don’t believe him.”

Rex began batting things about with his front paws and rolled off the bed carrying a long shiny strand of what looked to be silver with him. He had gotten into Sheleah’s substantial jewelry box. Where was Desiree?

• Sheleah

“What, what is it?” Charles asked, picking up on Sheleah’s concern.

|Ens. Charles-Louis,
Engineering Officer|