Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Dasca’s Apartment- Dinner with Kenzo

Posted by Civilian Kenzo B’tren-Hyrushi (Governor) in Dasca’s Apartment- Dinner with Kenzo

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Dasca’s Apartment- Dinner with Kenzo
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

That was always an easy one for her. “Well, the joke around our household when my children were growing up was that Haliians went out of their way to find a reason to celebrate and ritualize it all. And they’re not wrong, but of all our holidays and traditional, Batarael is not only my favourite but I’ve always felt it was also our most important holiday. It’s a six-day festival celebrated with friends and family that is centred around renewal and new beginnings. While it doesn’t align with our calendar year, it is our cultural new year. It’s a time to reconcile the past with our present and invite the future in.” She laughed lightly. “It’s not at all subtle, but there are a lot of traditions within it. The Horath is sung on the first evening around a dinner with family and friends, and it’s important, but for me personally it’s the Third Day that holds the most meaning. It’s customary, if possible to take the day off work and each person engages in a private examinations of the past, not to dwell, but to reflect.”

Piercing a vegetable with the tines of her fork, Eela was reflective. “I haven’t really had the opportunity to celebrate Batarael in the last few years, but my daughter called me on my second morning here and said her and her husband were thinking of making the trip out here for it. And that would mean that I will get to spend time with my infant granddaughter too,” Dasca said, beaming. “She mentioned that her brother might come too but I know better than to count on that.” She had this grand idea in her mind about what celebrating Batarael here on Oed might look like but was almost scared to voice it aloud lest she be disappointed.

~Eela

Kenzo nodded in empathy and said “Some family can be easier than others. And I hope they can make the trip. It has been some time since I was in my mother’s company.” He dabbed his mouth with his napkin. “The fish us *excellent. Sweet and salty together, but subtle and very well prepared. My compliments to the chef.” and hevraissd his glass to her.

Kenzo

Eela bowed her head and smiled. “Thank you,” she said, genuinely pleased he was enjoying the meal. Cooking for someone could go horribly wrong for a lot of reasons, but it was like they had discussed: there was no better way to get to know someone than sharing something personal of yourself.

“What is your mother up to these days?” she asked, curious, but also treading carefully to not intrude where she might not be wanted.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Kenzo shrugged absent-mindedly. “I honestly have no idea. I have not spoken to her in some time. Probably several years now. My… ‘previous endeavors’… did not sitt well with many on Betazed. And my leanings to following my human heritage was seen as a slap in the face by her family… even though I expressed the desire to learn both.” He ate a bite and thought for a moment. “The last time I communicated with my mother was when she sent me a formal congratulatory message from the Betazed Embassy on Bajor for my appointment here. So… almost two years now.” he added flatly.

Kenzo

She nodded slowly. “I won’t pretend to know what that sort of distance is like, but I understand feeling the absence of parents in one’s life. I’m sorry you’e experiencing distance with her. What about your father’s family? Anyone you’re close with?” Eela asked before scooping up some of the sweet and savoury salad.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov

Kenzo swallowed a bite and took a drink. “I feel the absence of my father. My mother was a fine instructor and a wealth of information. But her maternal instincts were… well… not as high a priority as her training me. As for my father’s family, I do keep in touch with them. Our family has been close for a very long time… hundreds and hundreds of years, all the way back to the early seventeenth century on the Old Earth calendar; and all the members of the family, both biological and ‘adopted’, are keen to keep it intact.”

Kenzo