Posted by Lieutenant Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Expanding the Offerings

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Expanding the Offerings

Posted by Lieutenant Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Expanding the Offerings

(snip)

Sharah turned south and started at a leisurely pace past the four blocks. It took them in the opposite direction of the government tower, but Sharah thought it was worth it. Leaf In Peace was down a side alley, between two buildings on the block. But it was a wide alley, with lots of traffic and access to several shops. Sharah turned into a door on the left and the humidity hit immediately. The next apparent observation was the bright UV light that was heavily blocked by the amount of foliage over head. The shop was a veritable jungle. There was a soft breeze from the forced air that helped regulate the temperature. Sharah smiled at Eela, “Pick something you like, my treat, but stay away from that far corner, most Haliians are allergic to the pollen of those plants.”

Fayth

Eela shot Sharah a look and smirked. “Good to know. I’ve been fortunate to not really come across anything I’m allergic too,” she said as she moved to the left and let her gaze drift up, down and around, breathing in the damp air. For a moment she just closed her eyes and took in the scent of lushness, that unmistakable smell of green plants and damp soil that she couldn’t place to anywhere specific but felt like a natal memory, or something at least from when she was younger that she had forgotten. It reminded her of a place but damned if she could recall.

So her friend wanted to buy her a plant. She wasn’t exactly sure the root of the offer but Eela had no issues accepting the gift. This was not like her moment of hesitation with the painting where she had to consider whether someone was trying to bribe her discreetly. No, this was an act of kindness between friends. Simple.

Her eyes led her about the store, fingers gracing each plant that struck her fancy but she was looking for something and she wasn’t sure exactly what but Dasca suspected she’d know when she had found it. “The temptation to fill my apartment with all of this is rather overwhelming, so be forewarned the greenery inside might start to match the greenery outside,” she said with a delighted smile.

Sharah grinned, “I understand completely. This however will be for your office.” One day she would have to have Eela over and show her what she had done.

“Lucky office. I’ve been meaning to add a few more but you how time goes for me.”

Finally, after several minutes just happily browsing, something pulled Eela across the store, but away from that back corner. It wasn’t the striking colours of the long trailing plant itself, with its chartreuse heart shaped leaves, edged in black with bright pink veining. No, something deeper drew her and it wasn’t until she reached out and touched the plant and it curled up its leaves that she understood. Hung from the ceiling, it clearly expressed seismonastic movements that some plants demonstrated to protect from pests or prevent water loss from evaporation, but this plant was different than others and Eela couldn’t figure out exactly why. yes, it moved when she touched it, but as her finger hovered over it again and gentle stroked the curled up leaf, it slowly began to unfurl.

Eela wasn’t jaded, but she certainly had had a difficult few years and few things surprised her. So as she turned at the hips towards Sharah with wonder in her eyes, she also felt a strange sensation flood her body that in this moment she couldn’t quite name. “This one,” she whispered.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov

Sharah was standing just a bit off, eyes closed with a blissful yet goofy look on her face. Sharah walked over with a smile. “It likes you. This is a Purple-Flowered Weeping Ivy, from Betazed. Most people are familiar with the generic ‘Betazed Pet Vine’ that one can wear. But we have a few pet plants. This is one of them. It will learn your touch and anticipate your presence. If you listen deeply you will be able to feel its presence.” Sharah turned and waved the proprietor over. “This one please, and the hanging trellis with hardware, and built in mister.”

Of course, an empathic plant. It was probably some sort of detectable energy that Eela as a touch telepath and empath could detect from the psionic field. A compatible resonance of some kind. Fascinating. She wanted to reach up and carry the plant out herself, but even despite her relative height, her back was already saying absolutely not.

The Orion woman smiled brightly. “Of course Dr. Fayth. Anything else? Should I have it delivered?”

Not wanting to deal with security…”Actually…” she turned to Eela, “We could place a transporter tag on it and you could have someone, arrange to have it beamed right over?”

Fayth

At any other point in her life, Eela would have just said sure, but her brain was already accustomed to the multi-level thinking required for the security of her herself and others. This was going to go to the Tower. “The Tower has an emergency-only transporter system, for security’s sake. It’ll block anything that isn’t from a verified EMS signal and even then there are double-checks. As much as that would make life easier, I can’t ask them to bend the system for this. So… its’s honestly just easier if I take the plant with me and we have the equipment delivered later, or we haul it all back in the slider. Honestly, I can wait for the trellis and mister. The plant can sit on my desk and get to know me until the rest arrives,” Eela said, not at all upset with this option. Her fascination made her want to understand the nuances of the plant and that would only happen through interaction.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.