Posted by Civilian Jal’na of House Duroc (Head of Physical Therapy - Sacred Heart Hospital) in Batarael, Day 1- Gather

Posted by Civilian Karilan Massat (Owner, Quill and Parchment Books) in Batarael, Day 1- Gather

Posted by Civilian Jal’na of House Duroc (Head of Physical Therapy - Sacred Heart Hospital) in Batarael, Day 1- Gather
Posted by… suppressed (24) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

The sudden hug from the woman she knew so little threw her off a bit. She stood frozen after Sharah left blinking in surprise and confusion. It wasn’t as if she was touch phobic, she simply had never really gotten to know the young chief medical officer and she wasn’t used to being touched by near strangers. Finally, she opened her mouth and took a breath as if she was about to speak but then she simply closed it and blinked more. Again she opened her mouth and pointed in the direction Sharah just went, turning her head to Urg and Jal’na. “Is that just something she does with everyone?”

Jal’na watched in shock as Sharah hugged Astrid. “No, no it is not, Astrid It is quite unlike her even with her family.” She shared a look with Urg. She knew there was something there between them, nothing that concerned Jal’na or made her jealous, but Sharah had never offered to even shake his hand, even on their wedding day. “She is… different for a telepath. I think I’ll go check on her. Make sure there is nothing wrong.”

Jal’na leaned in and tapped Alais on the nose. “Now I want to hear all about your adventures when I return. You keep him,” she pointed at Urg, “out of trouble. Fighting is for later tonight.” She tossed Urg a wicked grin and then went to find Sharah.

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

“Be’ah!” Alais said before clapping her hands and looking at Urg. For a baby, she had a rather intense look, but then again, he knew her grandmother and it wasn’t so dissimilar to ones he had witnessed from Eela in their meetings.

Eela was at the edge of the kitchen and had spied Karilan. Knowing it would get busy soon and she had a lot of guests to greet, she slipped her arms around the Deltan and planted a kiss on their cheek. “In case it gets so busy tonight that I don’t get to mention it, I’m grateful for you,” she said softly.

Karilan was arranging fresh herbs around marinated vegetables when Eela kissed them. They turned and smiled at her and said “I know. And I you. And by the way, in case it gets so busy tonight that I don’t get to mention it, I adore you.” They kissed her on the cheek, a soft and lingering kiss, and then they said “Go. We have to get this food set up or the Klingons will start eating the furniture.”

Slipping back to the kitchen proper, Eela joined Dee in pulling out the trays of salt baked fish. It was the same dish she had made for Kenzo and she hoped it would be enough for whatever crowd showed up. Fortunately, it was as tasty cold as it was hot. Grabbing the large knife, she set it in the middle of the mound of salt and grabbed a mallet looking tool. With a precise strike, the knife pierced the salt and cracked it open. She repeated this on the three other fish.

“It is really hard for you to not look menacing just now, you know that, right?” Dee’s spouse, Kian said, observing with amusement. The Napean was a quiet man who exuded a calm and centred presence.

Caridee laughed. “Oh, you should have seen her when she was in Starfleet and doing weapons training. There was something rather awesome and terrifying as a teenager watching your normally relaxed mother taking down targets on the holodeck like they had personally offended her.”

Eela lifted one of the now uncovered fish to a platter with a smirk. “It’s called stress relief.”

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Karilan Massat, Owner - Quill and Parchment Bookstore

Urg’tohn, Lord Duroc

Astrid Rousseau, HotJ

The door to the apartment opened and on the other side was the Colony’s Governor. He nodded at the guards and then stepped inside. He was wearing a soft dark blue linen suit with a faint pattern made of a just barely noticable darker blue. Close inspection would reveal that it was actually symbols of some kind. Those with such knowledge would recognize them as kanji.

Kenzo looked around and nodded to those in sight. “My apologies for being late. I do hope I haven’t missed any of the festivities.”

Hyrushi, Governor

Sharah looked up at smiled at Kenzo from where she was on the other side of the room. She was glad he and Eela had managed to become friends and not just work partners. He needed to relax a little. Of course she wasn’t one to speak was she. She laughed softly to herself. Not anymore. That was going to change.

Kenzo nodded to her and gave her a slight bow. “Doctor. Very nice to see you.”

Eela was carrying the fish to the dining room and felt Kenzo’s presence before she saw him. Setting down the tray, she moved through to the foyer exuding layers of emotions as she greeted the newest arrivals. Eela gave a deep and reverent bow of her head to Urg’ton and a soft smile to Kenzo, though she reached out to Kenzo’s mind and gave a small affectionate brush.

“Welcome. We’re just about set up and will kick things off momentarily.” While her surface was filled with serene ease, underneath that was a joy and love. It was probably the brightest anyone had seen Eela since she arrived on Oed. Sure, she had had moments, even a whole day here and there, but this was something else, something more.

Behind Kenzo, another pair entered. There was a tall dark-skinned Human appearing person next to a slightly shorter man who had the Haliian forehead markings but softer. Kenzo would recognize the shorter one immediately as Eela’s son, whom he had spoken with over subspace. The other person was obviously Jourin’s partner, whom was travelling with him.

“Good evening,” Jourin said softly, clearly shy around a bunch of people he didn’t know.

Eela moved over to him and they shared a brief but fierce embrace. “Everyone, this is my son Jourin and his partner, Sibu.” Then she introduced those in the foyer to her the newly arrived couple.

“And now that you’re here, we can get started. Let’s all move to the patio where there is more space ,” Eela said, radiating excitement. She all but bounced as she spun on the ball of her foot before pausing to correct her balance. “Damn, every time.” Even with all the work she did with Jal’na, there were just some parts of her brain that would remain less than optimal. But as she moved towards the patio, she brushed it off. It mattered little. She had so much else to be grateful for and everyone present in her home was a significant reminder of that fact.

Sharah and Jal’na both saw it happen and took a half step forward before pausing. Eela didn’t need their help, she was okay.

Eela poked her head into the kitchen. “Dee? It’s time. Gather everyone?”
“On it!” Caridee said from the kitchen. “To the patio!” she said with a laugh as her and Kian carried out the last of the food to the dining room.

On the cozily lit patio, Eela moved towards the exterior wall and stood, radiant in her joy. “Thank you all for coming. As some of you know, Batarael marks more than just the Haliian New Year. It’s as much a spiritual holiday as it is a community one. For us”-she glanced at Caridee and Jourin briefly-“it is about reflection, on what we have, where we’ve come from, and the journey we’ve been on. It’s also about connection, to ourselves, our friends and family, and our communities. On Halii, everything pauses for Batarael. And while that is not possible here, I am honoured you can all be here to share in this special occasion with my family and I.”

“Over the next six days, I get to explore the different facets of my culture again in a way I haven’t in a very long time. Today, Day One’s theme is Gather, which is what we are doing right now. And at this traditional meal, we start the celebration with the singing of the Horath. And as a parent, it’s always excitign to be able to pass on one’s traditions, so…” She glanced at her children. “Who wants to do it this year?” she said expectantly.

Caridee was standing near her brother and simply held out a hand towards him. “Told you, pay up,” she said, highly amused.

Jourin just shook his head. “Later.” He looked across the patio at Eela. “We would love to… but next year. We decided that since we are celebrating the holiday together for the first time in a long while, it should be you. Seems only right and fair.”

Eela’s brows lifted and she smirked at the perceptiveness and rebelliousness of her adult children. “Fine”, she said, shaking her head. Normally they would all hold hands, but not only was that not practical in this case, it was also not necessary.

While she had sung the Horath in public before, it was in a very different scenario and this one left her feeling rather exposed. Closing her eyes, Eela allowed herself to find her centre, that place where the words and the tune came from generations of gatherings such as this one. Somewhere there her own late parents resided with all their love and wisdom. And so she sang those few delicate lines that summed up not only a welcome to the festivities of the next next days, but appreciation for the opportunity for reflection and connection. It was a song billions of Haliians had sung over many millennia. Somewhere in it was the root of all that they were as a people, and individuals.

“Jomiael hahnalia ma marou natalia
Rumael tavariel fatra di va Jomiael.“

Falling silent, Eela opened her eyes and smiled at everyone, gesturing widely. “And there we are, consider the festivities open. There’s plenty of food inside, though no meat, as we’re pescatarians, and there are alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages out here. Please help yourself, mingle and come and go as you feel the need to. And… let’s have a party!”

OOC: If you care to listen, there is an audio clip from the TNG episode it comes from: https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Horath_(song)

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Bump

Astrid had a beautiful singing voice, or so her mother told her, but she was too shy about it to use it publicly. Hearing her friend sing a traditional song made her smile. To her, it took a great deal of courage to lead people in such a fashion and to sing on top of that. Give her the cold harsh reality of the law and let her be its agent… she could stand before 100,000 and do that job. Here, in the presence of a small gathering of people in a much more personal level and she was a bit lost.

Sharah enjoyed getting to just enjoy the moment and not all the feelings. That was perhaps the opposite of the purpose for Eela, but it was a unique experience for Sharah. As everyone broke up she made her way to the non-alcoholic drinks, and found an out of the way seat to enjoy the progress Eela’s patio garden had made.

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

The Governor had remained quiet, simply watching as what his habit. When he saw Sharah move to sit, he followed suit. Taking a seat, he said “How are you, Doctor? Everything still going as well as the last time we spoke?”; but the conversation was interrupted by the movement of the giant Klingon Lord

Sharah beamed, “Yes it is,” did she dare tell him here? No, she wouldn’t. Today was about Eela and she wouldn’t take that away. She looked over at Urg and Jal’na with a smirk on her face.

Lord Duroc approached Jourin and said “You are the son of the Lieutenant Governor.” as if the statement of rhe obvious was somehow necessary. “Where have you been?”

Urg’tohn, Lord Duroc

Karilan overheard the question and choked on their mimosa. “L- cough - Lord D- cough cough- Lord Duroc, um… perhaps a less intrusive question would break the ice better?” they suggested.

Karilan Massat, Owner - Quill and Parchment Bookstore

Urg looked at them and said “Break the ice. Meaning to overcome the difficulty of opening small talk with new people. I did that. We can talk now.” He looked over at his wife and said “See? I listened when you were talking about meeting new people!” He looked down at Jourin. “Ice is broken. Answer the question.”

Urg’tohn, Lord Duroc

Jal’na grinned, but it looked dangerous. “My husband is much better at the direct approach. It suits him, don’t you think?” she asked Massat. It was an improvement, Urg didn’t bash his skull in or grab him and shake him for upsetting his mother.

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

Karilan looked at the Lady Duroc and just swallowed hard. Her… Eela’s… associates were of a kind of personality they had rarely dealt with.

Jourin was by nature an introverted person, but he also possessed his mother’s sense of adventure. He might have been feeling intimidated by the Klingon pair, but it was the understanding that they were protective of his mother that made Jourin smile, if softly. “I’ve been teaching a piloting course the last few months. I was fortunate to have had some help to ensure I could make it in time for these festivities. But I know that’s not what you mean, and all I can say is that things have bene complicated but my mother and I are looking forward to reconnecting after some difficult years.” It was the truth and as much as he was going to say amongst strangers.

The Klingon stared down at the young man and, after a very painful (socially of course, physically Jourin was fine… for now) silence, Urg simply grunted and said “You could learn some things from your mother. Even though she is a politician, she never speaks from the side of her mouth. Courage, Son of Dasca. Have some. Look me in the eye and tell me to mind my business… or think that I will just accept your attempt to brush me off and not throw you over the railing.” Knowing Urg, no one present would have thought he would do such a thing. But also knowing Urg, well… no one would bet real money on it not happening.

Kenzo scowled slightly, but didn’t say anything. All things considered, he was curious how the son of one of his best friends would navigate the treacherous waters he found himself sailing in at the moment.

Sharah leaned toward Kenzo, “Don’t worry, he won’t. He’s really just a big teddy bear. He just roars and bites a lot.”

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

Meanwhile, Alais was enthralled by all the different people and found herself once again in her grandmother’s arms, taking everything in. “Shall we find some food, hmm?” Eela said with a grin, sweeping past Jourin and Co as they chatted. She could sense the moods and smirked, quirking her brows up as she caught Karilan’s eye. Jourin was an adult and was used to his mother being someone who moved in different circles. He’d survive the encounters with her friends, or not.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Urg’tohn, Lord Duroc

Hyrushi, Governor

Karilan Massat, Owner - Quill and Parchment Bookstore

Jourin was admittedly intimidated by the very large Klingon, but it wasn’t so much the intense questioning and discussion that was tripping him up. It was the feeling that your answers were not good enough, not matter how you tried to phrase it. It wasn’t even about Lord Duroc, but about a different person he was trying very hard to not bring up at this particular celebration. No one needed that, the least of which was himself, Dee and his mother.

Speaking of which, Caridee swept over with a radiant grace, clearly enjoying the festivities herself. She rested a hand on her brother’s shoulder and smiled. “Sibu needed to speak with you, if you can pull yourself away.”

Kenzo have a slight smile at the tactical intervention. He had seen her mother do so many times, but it never failed to impress him how naturally she-and apparently her daughter- could move so effortlessly through sticky interpersonal dialogue.

Sharah was watching with the same respect. Except hers was geared more towards Lord Duroc. She had a profound respect for him. He was one of the few people she felt totally at ease with. Oh the man was scary and dangerous, no doubt, but she never doubted where she stood with him, or how intense the danger was. In a universe where people hid things even from themselves, Lord Duroc was a breath of fresh air to her.

Jourin nodded and then bowed his head to the group. “I need to go find my partner. I’m sure we’ll continue this conversation at a later point,” he said, slipping away.

Caridee gave Urg’ton a stern look not so dissimilar from one they might see from Eela. But then she winked. “We’ve been cooking for two days. Come on now, it’s time for food!” she said and slipped into the apartment to join her mother and daughter at the buffet table.

~Eela & Co.

She watched the exchange with Urg and Eela’s offspring with interest. For a Klingon, he was quite personable and she understood his motivations in speaking so candidly with Jourin. Yet Caridee saved her brother, in a way only siblings can and then easily reaffirmed the reason for the gathering, reminding Urg in a polite way, that now was not the time. Astrid smiled softly as she turned and moved to the drink table to get herself an alcoholic beverage.

Cort grabbed a plate and moved over to the table under the pergola that had been expanded to seat more people. He smiled at Sharah and Kenzo as he passed.

A moment later, Roger appeared with his own plate full of a small selection of many of the different dishes on offer.

“I see you got some of the fish,” Cort said with a smile.

Roger grinned. “Kapp’ala. Her favourite celebration food. I’ve watched her make it a few times over the years. You think it’s going to taste salty given it’s cooked in a mound of salt, but it doesn’t penetrate the scales. It’s a shame I’m not a bit more skilled with cooking. I’d have asked her for the recipe years ago. But the replicator does a decent job,. You just lose the smell of it cooking that permeates your space.”

Cort laughed and dug into one of the many different side dishes on offer.

Cort Belanger, Executive Assistant to Lt. Gov.

Astrid Rousseau, HotJ

Eela swept over, sans grandbaby, with a plate in hand and came to the drinks table, pouring herself a glass of white wine. She nudged Astrid with her elbow. “Well, what do you think of Haliian parties? Mind you, this is tame so far, but give it awhile,” she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Astrid turned to her friend and laughed softly. “MY My, Eela, I didn’t know you had such a playful side.” Her eyes took in the room and all that were present. Some she knew, and some she worked with but didn’t truly know. She bit her lip, reticence clear. “I find I am … shy.” She admitted with a whisper. Now that the prospect of specifically making friends beyond her current circle of dear and trusted was before her, she didn’t know how to start. Talk to people about business and law and she was confident.... Talking about personal life? She quickly downed her half full glass of chardonnay and looked a bit pale.

Rousseau, HotJ

Eela simply slipped her arm through Astrid’s. “Well then, you’re in good hands my dear. Just stick with me.”

She leaned back and turned her head to look over at the lounge area of the patio. “Hey Roger!”

A red haired older human whom was sitting with Cort learned foward. “Yes?”

“Care to fill in Astrid about my nickname? I think she’s under some false impressions,” Eela said.

Roger laughed. “Her nickname is Koonita, which is a Haliian word that means ‘one who causes mischief whether by accident or design’. It goes along with the phrase, ‘Adan ne quo koonita’ which translates to ‘the cause of mischief is as it again’. I assure you she regularly earns her nickname, and in all the years I’ve known her I’ve never known it to not be true in some capacity.” His words might have sounded like a condemnation, but there was nothing but affection and regard in his tone and expression.

Eela exchanged a deep look with him before she looked back at Astrid. She shrugged with her free shoulder, even as a glimmer remained in her eyes.

~Eela Dasca, Lt. Gov.

Bump

Kenzo arrived with a plate laden with samples of almost every thing. He took a seat next to Roger and said “I may need to impose upon your familiarity with Halian cuisine and custom, Admiral. This is not something I have been exposed to before.”

Hyrushi, Governor

Sharah made her way over to Jal’na. Her friend was much taller than her, but next to her husband she was tiny. “Well what do you think Jal’na?” She was eager to talk to her friend, and see how she was doing.

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS

Jal’na grinned, “I think this is good for Eela. I also think my husband is saying what we are all thinking. Though, I have to admire that Deltan for trying to intervene. Eela’s daughter has redirected the conversation for the moment, but Urg won’t let it go.” She grinned at Sharah, “You know how he is about those that he considers under his protection.”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

“If that is how he is with those he considers under his protection-” a voice said from behind them as said Deltan approached them with a wary glance at Lord Duroc, “- then I shudder to think what he is like to those he considers enemies.” She looked at Jal’na and Sharah, extending a hand to the former. “Your husband is quite the imposing figure, Lady Jal’na. I am Karilan Massat, one of Eela’s friends.” The Deltan was beautiful… or maybe handsome?… but it was almost impossible to tell which.

Karilan Massat, Owner - Quill and Parchment Bookstore

Jal’na reach out and shook Karilan’s hand. “Just Jal’na please. The ‘Lady’ only serves in the council.” Not that she would ever deal with them unless necessary. “Oh yes, you own the Quill and Parchment. Eela told me you installed the casings for her books.”

Jal’na, Lady Duroc

Sharah smiled. “Hello Karilan. It’s nice to see you again.” Her smile was warm and genuine. She didn’t know Karilan very well, but she knew how much they meant to Eela.

Dr. Fayth, DoMSS