Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Dasca’s Apartment- The World as We Knew It

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Dasca’s Apartment- The World as We Knew It

Posted by Captain Eela Dasca (Lt. Governor) in Dasca’s Apartment- The World as We Knew It
Posted by… suppressed (8) by the Post Ghost! 👻
She traipsed to the door, her gauzy skirt of her dress floating about her. She shot Roger a withering look, making him smirk as she opened the door. She stepped to the side and gestured. “Good day, Séan,” Eela said with more ease than he had probably seen in any of their interactions thus far.

Séan smiled in greeting and entered into Eela’s apartment.

Behind Eela, standing in the hallway at the entrance of the foyer was a tall Human male, who was older, probably around Eela’s age. He had red hair and a beard that had gone about half white. He was dressed in grey slacks and pale green sweater. “I’ll go make myself scarce,” he declared, moving into the foyer to stand at the coat closet a few feet from Eela.

She smirked. “You don’t have to.”

He laughed. “Perhaps, but then you have zero excuses.”

Eela shook he head and gestured between the two men. “Séan Iven, Roger Kellen. Roger, Séan.”

Roger reached out his hand to Iven. “It’s good to meet you. And kudos and commiserations. She’s a lot of work, this one. Trust me I know,” he said with a conspiratorial wink.

Eela just laughed, clearly not offended.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan took the offered hand and gave it a firm gripped shake while he minded his strength. “Good to meet you as well Roger. I’m happy to put in the work. Eela is worth the effort.”

Counselor Iven

Eela just snorted her amusement and flicked her hands in the direction of the door. “Go on,” she said to Roger. “And keep your Admirally self out trouble, you hear.”

Roger grabbed his leather coat from the closet and grinned. “But I thought you said you’d be the one to bail me out.” She gave him a withering look that made him laugh. “Have fun.” He slipped out the door.

She shook her head and gestured for Séan to follow her to the kitchen. She led him through the hallway opposite the foyer which was filled with framed images that documented the six decades and of Dasca’s life. Family, friends, three quadrants of travel- the highlights of much of her life where there. Though not everything. Nothing from her wedding but the other images on display were also deeply important, like those of all her grandparents and her late parents, or her promotion ceremony when she made Captain.

In the kitchen Eela set the water to boil. “Coffee, tea? Water? I also have a juice concoction I made earlier.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“Juice concoction huh?” Séan echoed back with a grin. “I’m feeling adventurous so I’m interested in giving it a try.”

Counselor Iven

She chuckled. “Alright then, here goes nothing.” Eela grabbed a jug from the fridge and filled a glass halfway with a pale green liquid. Then she took a small round purple fruit, cut it in half and squeezed it in. Then she topped it with something fizzy and slid it to Séan while she went to prep some tea for herself. “It’s a nice blend of fruit juice from several worlds, including Earth, with a squeeze of klio citrus that a vendor was selling at the farmer’s market. Then it’s topped with a soda water. Not too sweet, a bit tangy and, I find, very refreshing.”

“How have you been?” she asked as she grabbed her jar of loose jestral tea and set about filling the infuser.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan took the offered drink and took a test sip. Nice blend of flavors though he couldn’t place which one or ones were from Earth. He set the glass down then answered Eela’s question. “Busy. I imagine that comes as no surprise though. Seems that’d the default state around here lately.”

Counselor Iven

She gave a throaty chuckle. “ I saw say it’s the standard state of being here, and the was well before the Vren arrived. Everything lately is just like adding some kindling to an already established fire. Noticeable, but it can pass quick enough.”

Eela’s water came to a boil and she gently poured water over the infuser in her handmade mug. It was one she had made but it was a part of a set crafted by an artisan that she adored.

“I keep trying to frame things better in my mind and in the end I think it all boils down to what I told Sharah at the memorial: Oed is going to do what Oed does and the best I can do is just go with it and stop resisting, stop trying to control things. In the end, there very little I have actual control over and the rest will happen as it will.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

“That very much reminds me of a Japanese saying that I’ll paraphrase: Paddling against a raging river is pointless but don’t think all is lost. You may not be able to stop or reverse the river but you can keep yourself from dashing against the rocks.” Séan took a deeper drink of the juice. “Go with the flow, sure, but you can also guide whether the boat is close to shore or about to go over the waterfall.”

Counselor Iven

Eela dipped the infuser in and out of the hot water to encourage infusion. “This is true. But what if you can’t tell the waterfall is coming?” She looked over at him. “Sure, there are signs, but I suppose I’m second-guessing my ability to see and interpret the signs. And yes, I know that is the continued aftermath of Cory’s crap, but forty years is a long time to not have seen what others could.” She raised a hand. “I know, I know, it’s hard to have perspective when you’re in the middle of the trauma as it’s unfolding, but there’s still a part of me that thinks with all my training and experience I should be able to see the signs. If not to protect myself, then those around me I care about.”

Eela took the infuser out of her mug and set it in the seat. She gestured over to the U-shaped sitting area beside the casual dining table. She set the mug on the rectangular coffee table and sank down carefully into the comfortable sofa.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan could only grin as Eela clearly knew what he was going to say if he had the opportunity to verbalize it. So instead he let her work through the process then followed her over to sofa with his drink in hand. He sat after she was settled and placed the juice glass on the table.

“The thing about analogies is they’ll never perfectly fit a situation. What if the only direction you have is a waterfall? You could have all the signs and forewarning in the world and still ‘lose’, whatever that might mean at the time.” He shook his head before delving deeper on a specific point. “I don’t know enough of your past relationship to judge whether or not you should have caught on and whether you would have done things differently if you had. Hindsight being what it is, it’s really not productive or healthy to rehash the relationship over and over again. At some point you need to cut the detritus loose as best you can. Learn the lesson you feel it taught you but cut the rest out.”

Counselor Iven

She sucked in a breath. “I’m trying,” she said softly, before blowing out a breath. “But, one of the other surprises for Batarael is that my daughter and my best friend went through a lot of trouble to help get my son here to celebrate with us. My mostly estranged son whom I’ve had very little interaction with in recent years and who, at the time Cory and I separated, chose his father’s side, even though I was always tried really hard not to put the kids in the middle. The issues in our marriage were between Cory and I alone, but the problem with being married to a narcissist is that they will happily use any leverage they can to keep control of the situation. My son was and my relationship with him was a casualty of Cory’s manipulation. And while we have acknowledged that there are things we need to sit down and work through…” Eela teared up and felt that deep ache within of the years lost and sense of being abandoned, over and over. “I’m just so glad he’s here, Séan. But it’s also really confusing. So much has happened for both of us. And for us all as a family unit.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Séan slowly reached out his big hand and gently gave Eela’s free hand a squeeze. “That’s a great starting place. I’m glad he was willing to come out and test the waters at the very least. You both, and I’m assuming your daughter as well, have a lot to work through. It’s incredibly difficult to move past feelings that are later found to be misplaced or misguided.”

Counselor Iven