Oed V
Batarael, Day 1- Gather
Posted by Lieutenant Commander Sharah Fayth (Chief Star Fleet Medical Officer) in Batarael, Day 1- Gather
Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Batarael, Day 1- Gather
Collecting herself after the memorial, Eela felt steady enough to put out the invite, and if she were honest, she was really looking forward to Batarael again.
~To my friends~
Batarael is an important holiday for Haliians. It is not just a calendar new year, but a personal and spiritual new year. It acts as a time to connect, reflect and reset. Each day has a theme and the First Day is Gather. Traditionally, friends and family gather to share a meal.
As you all know, my daughter and her family are here to celebrate with me, and I am also joined by my friend Roger, and as a surprise to me, my son Jourin and his partner Sibu. For First Day, Caridee and I are hosting an open house evening at my place. We’re cooking a bunch of traditional Haliian food, but we welcome any who attend to bring a dish they love to share with everyone. The festivities start at 1800 hours and there will be the traditional singing of the Horath at 1830 to kick things off officially.
It’s been a difficult time for many and I assure you no one is obligated to attend. But if you feel up for it, drop by for as long as you like and come find out first hand that Hallians know how to throw a party.
Security will be understandably tighter, especially given all the potential attendees, so apologies in advance for the nuisance.
~Yours in friendship, Eela~
Eela sent the invite to everyone in her group of close friends, which when you included her and Kenzo’s assistants, plus Eela’s family made for a pretty large group. She had no expectations that everyone would attend, but she was looking forward to spending time with people in both a happier physical and emotional setting
Eela had only worked the morning and started cooking with Dee before she took a mid-afternoon nap to bolster her energy levels. They had started cooking and decorating the night before and now she pulled over the step ladder to adjust the colourful sheer fabric hanging from the ceiling of the dining room.
“Get down!” Sinna said, hand planted on her hips. The Trill housekeeper looked up at the woman who was more than just her employer. Like many in Eela’s life, Sinna had a vested interest in making sure the woman had everything she needed, even if that sometimes was a sharp reminder that she was being stupid.
Eela scoffed. “I’m just fixing it. My back is fine.”
“Down, now. I’ll handle it, you go deal with the patio,” Elz said.
“Oh, you’ve been told!” Roger said with a laugh as he carried a large box out to the patio.
She climbed down and gave Sinna a withering look before heading out to finish setting up outside.
The penthouse had been transformed. Gone were the neutral tones and everything was replaced or added to with jewel tones. The ceilings of all the public spaces were draped with sheer fabrics in different colours and both interior and exterior spaces were set with metalwork lanterns of glass candle holders, with the addition of stringe of lgihts out on the patio along with heaters in case the chill set in as the night progressed. Both the patio and dining room were set up so people could sit together and eat where they liked with no formal seating. The living room and breakfast nook ere set to be comfy lounge spaces for conversation, and she had tucked all her work away so the office was open. People were free to browse the books or find a quiet place if they needed a minute. Only Eela’s room and the guest room (that Roger was using) were closed. Even her workout room with the fractal painting was open.
A bit before she expected anyone to arrive, Eela went and changed into a formal caftan style dress that was fitted only at the waist and had wide sheer sleeves. It was blue and black with stripes of silver woven through it, accentuating her hair. Midnight blue satin sheru with silver beading were on her feet, providing support and comfort on the floors. Her hair hung in waves with just the sides pulled up into a braid and her the dria hung in the centre of her forehead.
The place smelled of roasted dishes and sweet treats. They were setting a buffet up in the dining room and there were ample drinks, both alcoholic and non alcoholic available. In fact, Eela’s liquor cabinet in the dining room was open and the sideboard set up so people could make their own drinks. A non-alcoholic punch bowl and water were also set out with ice.
Eela originally had thought to hire a couple servers to help, even though she and Dee had the food covered, but given the intrusions in her home lately, she mentally couldn’t handle strangers in her home. So Sinna had offered to stay for the evening and help where she was needed. Eela had been reluctant to ask more of the woman who already ensured her home was functional and that Eela had food to eat. But she had conceded that it would be hard to be the host for so many people and make sure every detail was handled. But between the group of them in the home, it would be doable.
Eela took a moment to step onto the patio and take a deep breath, steadying herself. The patio was lush ad lovely and she had noted earlier that the Dash’s flower seedlings were doing very well.
Then people began to arrive. Cort and Elema showed up promptly and Kian brought up Alais who was entranced by the all the candlelight (which fortunately were not all real, lest they had an accident and burnt the place down), but the lights were warm and the lanterns cast patterns onto surfaces.
~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.
Sharah arrived promptly. The earlier she arrived the less people, and then she could gracefully step out when it became too much. She didn’t know anything about Haliian customs. So she wore her headband, but she had not turned it on. She didn’t want the interference from it to disrupt anyone else’s enjoyment. Sharah was nervous, she always was around unknown telepaths. They tended to be the most critical of her lack of control. She hid it well behind her professional mask and deep where other empaths wouldn’t be able to sense it either. Well at least not with just a casual passing.
She was let in through the door after passing through security. Sharah was glad to see that that was still in place. The CCDA officers gave her a grin and a wink that had her laughing to herself before the door closed behind her.
Lt. Cmdr. Fayth, SFCMO
While there was happy energy in the penthouse, there was also an underlying calm present.
The first to appear was small and scurried on all fours towards the new arrival. Alais saw Sharah and stopped, promptly sat, and grinned. She was followed by Eela who chuckled and called out in her native tongue. Seeing Sharah, Eela beamed. “Good evening, Sharah. I’m so glad you came!” she said as she stepped around Alais to greet her friend. She didn’t reach out to hug her, mindful of letting Sharah dictate contact, but her body language was open and at ease, certainly a change in recent days.
“Alais has decided to be the welcome committee, which works great for the moment since she seems content to go no farther than the foyer… at least for the moment,” Eela said with a chuckle.
~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.