Posted by Civilian Jezem (Upstanding Citizen) in What is an eggplant anyway?

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in What is an eggplant anyway?

Posted by Civilian Jezem (Upstanding Citizen) in What is an eggplant anyway?
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Séan was in his quarters tidying things up. Clothes were going through the laundry, plates and silverware getting recycled in the replicator, and various knick knacks went back into their neatly arranged places. He was normally a very tidy person but the sheer stress and workload of working as a counselor on Oed was mind boggling. How the staff, Mika especially, kept things afloat before he arrived to share the load was beyond him. Not that he swooped in to save the day or anything, but he’d done a rotation at Starfleet Medical and even it wasn’t this busy. He sighed to himself as he placed the picture of his mom and dad by the terminal on his desk.

Counselor Iven

Jezem arrived outside the counselor’s home dressed casually in the human style. A lose t-shirt and shorts with sandals to cover his feet and a sun visor. He carried a large square bag with several smaller bags folded inside. Jezem pressed the chime, announcing his presence, 10 minutes early because they had a lot to get done before the promised cooking lesson.

Jezem

The door slid open to reveal Séan standing there in khaki pants and an olive green tank top while barefoot. He looked Jezem over and noted the attire and large bag before he stepped aside and gestured in greeting. “Welcome and please come in.”

Counselor Iven

Jezem took in the casually dressed counselor and bare feet before smirking and stepping in at the counselor’s request, “Where’s the kitchen? I want to know what I’m working with.” If he’s lucky there will be some kind of stovetop or oven. Though he’d take one of those standalone appliances if that was all the counselor had. Jezem studied the living space around him with a keen eye. Noting the type and value of the objects that occupied it and anything that seemed to have a sentimental attachment rather than pure aesthetics.

Jezem

“Kitchen?” Séan asked with confusion before looking around the single bedroom place he’d been assigned. “Uh, I only have the dining area, a sink, and a replicator. They didn’t furnish this place with a kitchen.”

Counselor Iven

Jezem slowly blinked. He craned his neck around, searching the meager space for the kitchen because surely this was some kind of joke. What living space would come without basic cooking necessities? It was unimaginable. The Federation with all their resources and preaching about meeting everyone’s basic needs would. . . never. Jezem spun on his heel to face the counselor “What do you eat when the replicator is broken? Or the power goes out?”

Jezem

“Well if the absolute worst happens I’d head up to the Centurion and use their replicators.” Séan grinned at Jezem and enjoyed the outrage on the Orion’s face. “In the not worst case, I’d go over to the plaza and avail myself of the food trucks or various nearby restaurants. There are plenty of things in our modern society that enables someone to not need to know how to cook.”

Counselor Iven

Jezem shook his head, “You should still know how to do something. What if there are no replicators or cities? Sisters, you Federation types are spoiled.” Cooking was one of the very first skills he learned, even before he was sold into slavery. Everyone old enough to help out at the orphanage were given simple tasks. Six year olds could be trusted to clean and peel vegetables. “This, this is why you need a cooking lesson.”

Jezem Upstanding Citizen

Séan continued grinning as Jezem went on with disdain for the softness of Starfleet officers. “I’m not exactly a botanist so any situation that leaves me away from civilization will likely have me eyeing weird roots and herbs, but alright don’t get your knickers in a twist. Let’s do this cooking lesson but first… where exactly are we going to be doing this?”

Counselor Iven

Jezem pinched the bridge of his nose before even going into the whole forging for food thing. That was something that required more training than any simple cooking lesson. “Yes, lesson first. We’ll get ingredients and we’ll get you a simple portable cooking station.” The stations were small and compact and could be used at home or carried along for trips outdoors or even for use on starships or stations. “Let’s get you to the point where you can master the basics.” Jezem hitched his bags higher up his shoulder and waved for the counselor to follow him, “The market down the road will have all that we need.”

Jezem Upstanding Citizen

Séan motioned for Jezem to lead the way then locked up and followed him to the market. He made conversation along the way. “I’m not against learning a new skillset or being able to cook. I guess it’s just that there has always been something else to learn, job tasks or activities to do, and my own sanity to maintain. Trying to pick up a skill from scratch and solo never fit in to the myriad of commitments on my plate.”

Counselor Iven

Jezem turned his face up towards the sun as they walked, soaking in the warmth of the sunlight and the energetic sensation that came with being outside. No sun lamp could replicate the feeling, “I know what it’s like, I used to live on starships. Everyone had a role and if that role did not include cooking then you didn’t cook. I bought the ingredients but it was never my job to do anything with them.”

“I grew up on a freighter and there was rarely the luxury of having fresh food aboard. Whatever was on stations or planets we visited to trade would be the only time we ate something cooked.”

The markets were predictably busy. Jezem guided them through the stalls, casting his critical eye over the offered wares. This was his domain, hunting for the best deals, balancing quality for price and haggling prices down. “To make good food you need good ingredients,” Jezem explained as they went, “Pay attention to the look of the food and the smell. If it looks off and smells off then don’t buy.” Basic but important.

Jezem, Upstanding Citizen

“That seems obvious, but how can you tell when something looks good or bad? I imagine there are some ingredients that look strange to the uninitiated.” Séan posed a question.

Counselor Iven