Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Calm (Markets) Before the Potential Storm

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Calm (Markets) Before the Potential Storm

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Calm (Markets) Before the Potential Storm
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Eela nodded. “Well, I’m wandering anyway- I need the distraction- so let’s go see what else there is,” she said, rising to her feet.

Moving back to the stalls, she found herself once again relaxed. Some of it was her forcing herself to not think about any of the things on her mind, and in this way the wandering became something of a moving meditation. Her eye was caught by a stall she hadn’t seen before full of handmade jewelry. Eela smiled at the artisan. “Good morning,” she said as she eyed the array of items. “I was thinking of getting something for Caridee, something that was from Oed that she could take back with them,” she said to Sharah.

~Eela

Sharah looked over the selection. “They are all quite exquisite.” She smiled at the woman behind the table. “You are quite talented.”

The woman grinned, “Oh not me. My husband makes them. These are all his creations, but I will tell him you liked them.” She turned to Eela, “These here are made from gems and metal mined here on Oed.”

Sharah

“That’s wonderful. I love seeing it,” Eela said, picking up a metal cuff that was embossed with a vine pattern and had round cabochon stones in grey tones with white veins. She traced her fingertip alone the vine and smiled. “This is beautiful,” she said softly. It was exactly Dee’s style. Her daughter preferred less flashy items, while Eela had always appreciated some glitz. She set the cuff down, though she was still pondering it, though she wanted to think about it.

Her eye was drawn to a selection of pendants of various styles and sizes, though they all had some sort of glittery stone in them. “Are you a jewelry person?” she asked, flicking her gaze to Sharah before the pendants drew her attention again, the little ones looking very much like a dria, worn hanging off traditional Haliian headpieces.

~Eela

Sharah shrugged, “Not overly much. I like Jewelry, but I don’t wear it to work, so…” She grinned, “But Yavia is trying to change my habits.” Sharah picked up a couple of random pieces that caught her eye, but she simply knew what she thought was pretty. Her mother had liked jewelry though. Perhaps if they actually came she would bring her here to see. Her father would certainly like the market, at least she thought so.

Sharah

Eela grinned. “Can’t be on duty all the time, but also it’s all such a personal choice, a way of expressing yourself.”

Sharah snorted, “I’m a doctor and CMO on OED V. I am always on duty.” Sharah shrugged, “Jewelry is very personal and emotional on Betazed. But it is also a symbol of status, one’s place within society as a whole. Your job, position, House, power. I have none of these things on Betazed. I suppose my combadge and pips are my jewelry.”

“Hey, nothing wrong with that,” Eela said with a gleam in her eyes.

She picked up one of the pendants and held it up. It was a dainty 8-pointed star outlined in gold, with an interior made of a silvery white stone that had a shimmer to it. Resting the pendant in her palm, she felt the weight of it and knew it would be perfect. Eela turned to the woman. “I’ll take this one,” she said with a warm smile. “And tell your husband his work is truly lovely.”

“Oh, I will!” the woman said as she took the pendant to package.

Eela turned back to Sharah. “I’m wearing a traditional Haliian headpiece tonight and it customary to have a part of it rest on the forehead. I think having a dria made from Oed is a lovely little bit of symbolism.” That and the star spoke to her, given she had spent so much of her life amongst them.

~Eela

Sharah looked at the piece. “It is lovely. I am not sure who is lucky. Me because my outfit is chosen for me, or you because you get to dress up.” She smirked slightly. She picked up a PaDD the woman had on display and looked through the pieces listed there. “He is truly talented. Will you be here next week?”

“That is my hope. My husband has been working hard to build his inventory, so he has more to sell. They won’t sell unless I am out here, so…” The woman made a small humored gesture. “I will be back next week then,” Sharah told her.

Sharah

“I might swing back in a little bit. I’m still debating the cuff,” Eela said as she took the small package from the woman. “So many wonderful choices.”

Eela looked at Sharah as they moved on. “You know, I half-wish I could wear my dress uniform tonight. At least it would save some of the stress, because I don’t know if you’re aware, but clothing matters at these sorts of diplomatic events. You have the ability to make others feel at ease or accidentally offend them by even a simple choice, so even wearing a headpiece tonight feels like a heavy decision.” She chuckled. “But if you want to see an expert at it, pay attention to Ambassador Mathis. She’s putting on a masterclass every day.”

~Eela

Sharah nodded, “I’m aware Eela. That is why I said I don’t know who is lucky.” Sharah may not have the years of experience Eela did, but the ones she had…were powerful and potent. Sharah thought it was poor planning if clothing could offend that it wasn’t a topic discussed before meeting. If it was such an insignificant question as to not needing to be asked, then why worry about it. Not her problem though. “I wouldn’t know about Ambassador Mathis. I have only seen her from the press conference. She was very....diplomatic. I understand Dr Asimina met her briefly here in the market last week though.”

Sharah

“Oh good!” Eela said. “I’m glad they’re getting out more. It’s always a challenge getting settled somewhere new, especially when you have a teenager in tow. But yes, Mathis is very much what you expect of a diplomat: calm, observant, careful with her words and thoughts.” She thought back to the moment the other day when she had been trying to work herself up to walking past the press and entering the Tower for the first time after Cory. “But at the same time, there are depths to that woman that I hope we’ll get to see more of the longer she’s here. And her spouse, Ren, is delightful. They seems to balance her quite nicely.”

~Eela

Sharah shrugged. “I will have to reserve judgement until I have met her. I just hope she is here to protect Oed. The Federation only sent her here because of the Vren, and her loyalty and oaths are to them, n6it a single colony. If Oed is lucky, she will come to value this place as more than just an assignment.”

Sharah