Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Tenkiller’s House- Tipping Point, Day 2

Posted by Major General Charles Tenkiller (Vice-Commander, Colonial Customs and Defense Agency) in Tenkiller’s House- Tipping Point, Day 2

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Tenkiller’s House- Tipping Point, Day 2
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

“We need to do inventory of what they sent over first and see what recipes they intuited I’d want to do. If you can help me unpack, I’ll be there in a second, just need to send a message,” Eela said, going back to her comm and the message from Dash. She didn’t need to reply, but she wanted to.

| Something unexpected happened and I needed to be away from everything. I’ll let you know when I’m home and then maybe you can come over? I can explain everything. |

The reply from Dashiel was immediate. | Just say when. |

She hadn’t planned on telling him all of this, but as the implications of the situation revealed themselves Eela knew it was’t fair. She believed in honesty and so if there was any hope of continuing this thing that was starting between them, then there needed to be disclosure. This was a lot of baggage to ignore and to do so would only be to their detriment.

Sharah and Yavia shared a happy grin, but didn’t comment. If Eela wanted to share they were more than happy to listen, if not they would not invade her privacy.

Eela smiled, almost giddy and then realized too late that it was too late to keep any of that to herself. Shoving her comm in her pocket she adopted the most nonchalant expression she could and moved back over to the crate, book in hand. “Alright, what do we have, besides clearly more stuff than I even had,” she said eyeing the items from the crate as she pulled out an envelope and peeked in. “Ajballo leaves? Those must have been fun to find. More and more Eela was wishing she could have been a fly on the wall and witnessed Karilan and Kenzo interacting. They were such guarded people that she was fascinated how it all had gone.

~Eela

Sharah began pulling out jars of items and either reading labels or opening containers and peeking inside. She was uncannily accurate, able to correctly identify by sight alone, herbs that looked similar on different worlds. Yavia was clueless but enjoyed watching to see if Sharah would get stumped. She created labels for anything that didn’t have one. Sharah grinned, “This reminds me of when Uncle Olly used to come visit and he would quiz me.” It was a happy memory out of a very difficult childhood.

Sharah

“You too, huh?” Eela said. “My maternal grandmother was also a herbalist, so I have it on both sides. It was always fascinating watching my father with his mother-in-law working together. I’d come in and sit on a stool and that’s when the quizzing would begin. I remember the different ingredients but he was mindful not to teach me how to make anything until I was old enough to understand how it could affect someone. Just because they were plants, didn’t mean they weren’t powerful.”

Sharah smiled, “Oliver was…is a botanist. He taught me most of what I know. It was his tutoring that made my dad teach me what he knew. But the herbalism is all self taught.” Sharah nodded toward the door. There was a table and on it sat a cherry blossom bonsai tree in full glorious bloom. It sat in a 20 inch pot and took up the full space. “Olly gave me that tree when I was 8. She was a tiny seedling at the time. She has gone everywhere with me since.” Yavia hugged her suddenly and Sharah smiled at her.

“It’s beautiful and a testament to your care, Sharah,” Eela said warmly.

Tenkiller returned with a satisfied smile on his face. “And done.” There was a undercurrent of borderline malicious mischief coming from him and his eyes had that ‘I did a thing’ look to them. He went to Eela and handed her a bundle of gray fibrous strips bound in some kind of string with beads along them. “Sage, from my family’s ranch. You know how to cleanse with it?” he asked.

Tenkiller

Shatah and Yavia just shook their heads. Eela was worried about people’s anger. People were angry, but the people around her knew how to channel that constructively. If Yavia wasn’t so keen to see Eela’s reaction she would tell her that TK was not out for bloody vengeance. Oh no. He was just going to teach Cory a lesson in a very effective way.

Eela accepted the Sage with a nod. “My people have a similar sort of ritual. Thank you for sharing yours with me… Skip,” she said, testing the first name basis with him. It only felt slightly off because they had mostly interacted in professional setting and conversations. This was the first time outside of the evening at the art gallery that he had seen her outside of work. Eela also liked the idea that the cleansing of her home would be a group effort. Her new chosen family was coming together to help her feel safe to return to her home. There was something lovely in all this.

“Yavia, we’ll need a couple pots, a small one and a medium sized one. Both with about a third of water. It doesn’t need to be exact.”

“Sure thing.” Yavia grabbed the pots and stared filling them. “Do I need to start heating it?”

Yavia

“Yes, please, just to a simmer. We’ll start adding things then.”

Dasca eyed Tenkiller again. “Dare I ask what you did?” she said, uncertain if she wanted to know but uncomfortable with things coming back to haunt her that she hadn’t even known about.

~Eela

Tenkiller eyed her back and said “You can ask. And if you do I’ll tell ya. But then there goes your plausible deniability.” and he grinned. He looked around and found his coffee mug by where Yavia was standing. “Dammit, woman!” he said in mock anger and grinned at her. “Did you at least leave me some this time?” and he reached around her, kissing her neck, and sliding the mug away. He walked past Sharah and planted a kiss directly on her lips and then went to the press to make more coffee.

Tenkiller

Yavia, “I took one cup, not my fault with these huge mugs the press only makes 3 cups.” She grinned. “I never touched your mug…it was Sharah.” She immediately started laughing.

Sharah rolled her eyes and grinned at Charles before he kissed her. Yavia was outrageous and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

Eela allowed herself to feel the happiness and love between them all and revel in it. It certainly felt better than than most of her other emotions. Though the message from Dash reminded her that among the many things that were beginning to shift and change for her, so was her willingness to let her heart pull down the forcefield.

Their affection also allowed Eela to parse his words. “I know it’s easy to joke, and there is a lot of anger all around, but even if I am furious, and fed up, I’m not the kind of person that wishes harm on another. It’s just who I am. So even if Cory is someone I need to purge from my life, your jokes scare me. I told Hasid I didn’t want him harmed and that is still true. That isn’t his manipulation and control over me. That is me taking back my control. I will protect myself and my family as I need to, but to go farther feels wrong to me.” In fact it made her very nervous and if the whole situation would spiral so much farther out of everyone’s control. It made her feel ill again.

~Eela

Tenkiller looked at V and Sharah and winked. He then walked over to Eela, took her face in his hands and smiled. “I am only violent if the situation calls fo rit. But I am very vindictive concerning my friends. So… I called in a favor. Friend of mine at Earth spacedock is gonna fill his suitcase with dog treats. The drug sniffing canines will go insane.” and he smiled again.

Tenkiller

A hand on her shoulder was one thing but him holding her face was quite another and Eela knew there was no way in hell it wasn’t intentional and meant to cut through the sludge of heavy emotions. Well, all things considered it was extremely effective!

Her face shifted into surprises amusement. “That will make for a lengthily and uncomfortable time at customs.” She nodded, maybe not in approval but in acceptance of the action.

When he dropped his hands she shook her head. “Remind me not to piss you off. I’d hate to think what you’d swap my coffee for.”

Sharah giggled. “Remember that, and ask him sometime how he got the nickname.” Oh yes Sharah had read the file.

“You know! I wanna know,” Yavia almost pouted, all for affect of course. Sharah shrugged. “Well then go find out. Not my place to tell.” Yavia pursed her lips, “I don’t have access to his star Fleet record…but there are other ways I suppose.” She grinned at him by the coffee press. “I don’t suppose you will just tell me if I ask.”

Moving to the stove with the book, Eela laid it out of the way so nothing accidentally got on the pages. “This first one they brought everything for is loosely translated as ‘mind easer’ but is more colloquially known as ‘the air that reverses corruption’ and can be used as a spray.” Eela smirked at them. “My people have a flair for the dramatic all told. And I hope my protection detail won’t mind if I spray the entry and the lift.” Anywhere Cory was needed tending to. Downstairs in the lobby she was less fussed about as the other residents moving through the space would take care of it naturally by their own presence.

“It all just goes in the larger of the pots. I need a lot of it,” she said dryly.

~Eela

Yavia nodded and started helping put it in the pot. Sharah hurried down stairs to her room. Which unknown to her better 2 thirds was looking a bit like a laboratory. She came.back up the stairs, changed into clothes rather than her robe and carrying spray bottles, oil rollers, tins, tubs, and all manner of containers.

Sharah