Tips on Relaxation

Posted on Fri Jul 22nd, 2022 @ 1:11am by Ensign Emma Walken (Walken) & Lieutenant Commander Mel Torma

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Science Lab, USS Gladiator
2149 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Emma was pacing around, the sudden change to ships, having to leave behind most of her personal projects, and this whole cultist business was getting to her. She looks over to her lead. "Excuse me Mel, I was wondering what do you do to relax. I've been having some issues calming down with all that has been happening."

Mel perked a head up, followed by the other. "Who, me?" one asked, then the pair turned their attention to Emma. Being the subject of a Dalacari's attention could feel weird. Heavy. Burdening. Until you remembered she was still just technically one person. "What I do to relax? Oh geez, well..." she paused to think, a thoughtful expression shifting from one form to the other, then back again.

"Well, okay so sometimes when I'm just generally anxious but not like, nervous anxious, I do a few silly math problems to get the brain going, then I read a book." she started. "And no, I can't..."

"... read two at once. They kinda collide in my head and then I don't know which part is from which book. Though, sometimes it oddly works out." she giggled. "Though if I really need to relax, I used to..."

"... take some time and head to the holodeck. Render up a simulation of a sauna or something, adjust the gravity to feel a bit more like home, and soak until the color..."

"... in my fur just washes out." Her fur was naturally white, with tints of blue here and there. Though she probably meant it as a hyperbole. "Lately, though, I've been more stressed then..."

"... I've ever been, so if I look calm and relaxed, that's just Dalacari nature. I'm frazzled, but I can't show it. When I get the chance to relax, to sleep, I take it."

"I don't know enough about human biology to offer any form of massage therapy for the tension. All I can offer is chocolate ice cream and a converation partner." she offered with a pair of smiles.

"I have escapes for this normally, but just the idea of this cult. It makes me nervous, like more than nervous it isn't the right word. Just the thought of what these people do scares me. If I had some of my experiments I could distract myself." Emma sat down quietly. "Sorry I don't mean to bother you."

"Bother? Me?" she shook her heads. "Dalacari are social creatures, please. I enjoy the company. Otherwise it's just me by myself and that gets dull quick." The notion of a Dalacari being 'by themself' was an amusing image. "Though, I'm trying real hard..."

"... not to think too much about that cult except when I have to. Nervous? No, no they give me the creeps. I think the images in that report are going to be waiting for me..."

"... in every dark corner and sleepless night for the next ten years, easy." she actually giggled, despite the topic. "So, favorite food?" she quickly changed the subject.

Emma couldn't understand why these people would do this to others, "Favorite food? I guess that is a better topic to focus on than the other thing. Always been a fan of a nice roast paired with a wine. What about you Mel?"

"Well, it doesn't exist out here yet, but the closest I found is if you make an orange glaze, mix it with a little beef stock, and then glaze it over a steak on the..."

"... grill, oh by all the graces and praises it is the... best..." she almost smacked her chops at that. "Serve it with a Maliwah, or even a Slidewinder at that point and it's..."

"... worth any price. You'd be hard pressed not to find it someone on the top eight of all the major grills. And while they fabricate all the ingredients they usually grill..."

"... it actually right there on the spot. Nothing can beat the scent of a fresh grill. The fire, the scent, the seasoning..." she paused, "... right so next time I call home, I..."

"... NEED to get that fabricator recipe."

Emma made sure to look at whichever Mel was currently talking as she spoke. "That sounds wonderful, do you have a lot of family back home?" The young woman was curious to pick the mind of her lead since it helped take her mind off of the current situation.

"Yes and no. Yes, in that every member of my family is a Dalacari. No, in the sense that unless there's a provisional allowance, families aren't allowed to have more than..."

"... one child. Since, as you could guess, Dalacari take up a lot of space and need a lot of resources. So, I don't have any siblings. Out on the border of the Republic these..."

"... restrictions are lifted, so families can be much much bigger but in the cities, it's one per." she mentioned. "I've often wondered what it would be like to have a sister."

"What about parents? Or a partner? Got have someone important you are longing to see next time you can head back?" Emma sits down on a table as she watches Mel.

Something about that tickled Mel's funny bones. She just laughed and laughed, "W... well of course I have parents. We're not born in a turnip patch." she giggled, and then collected herselves. Hearing a Dalacari laugh, honestly laugh, was a sight to see. She cleared her throats, "I mean, yeah I miss my folks, dunno when I'll get the chance to even head out that way." she paused, her focus shifting to her other body.

"And no, no partner yet. Gonna wait till I'm home for a while before I head down that route. No offense, but single instance life doesn't attract me. Might be fun for a..."

"... fling, but I couldn't lead someone on like that. They'd have to know it wasn't anything serious, and even then I don't even know how it would even work." she paused, gave it some honest thought, and then shook her head.

"Like, just a date sure, but nothing further than that. A good time with a good friend. But not a *good* time, if you know what I mean." she said, amused by the entire line of conversation. "Got a whole mess of..."

"... letters and such to send back home once we can get up a line of communication. Might have to ask the Captain if we can hook into the Buoys. I'm sure Callisi would..."

"... certainly appreciate the chance to dial home." a pause, "Maybe burn some buoy rations on getting some *real* food around here."

Emma laughed quietly as she brought her hands to her face, "I figured you had parents, I was more speaking about how I'm sure they would love to hear from you." the young woman coughed a little when Mel began to speak on a fling with someone. "I'm sure that would take some adjustment for someone here, thou I think it would be interesting to see it happen. If you do take someone out on a date you have to be sure to share the details with me Mel." Emma's mind was completely off the thoughts of this cult and her smile was back.

Mel paused, and then started to giggle, and then started to laugh along with Emma. Oh this was a laugh she needed. "I... I thought..." and she just failed to form words. She doubled over, laughing a pure and honest laugh. It took a bit for her to regain control of her faculties, still a bit of a giggle in her as she composed herselves...

"Okay, so, yes. My mother and father, who are very much real..." a giggle, "... wish they could hear from me more often then they do. I send them messages and videos when..."

"... I can, but that all depends on when we can get a signal to the Buoys, and I don't like to impose on the Captain for things like that. So it's usually once a month. Which is..."

"... probably nice for them because they get to hear about all the danger I'm in, and then there's more messages after so they know I'm alright." a pair of smiles. "And, about any flings that..."

"... might be in the future, I really don't know but if something does come along I'll make sure to fill you in on *most* of the details."

"I wish I could send all things like that with my parents, still think my dad hasn't forgiven me for not joining the Marines." Emma frowns a bit as she looks at a frame near her little workstation. It was her, Kyle, and their younger brother Tony after he signed up for the Marines. "Did your family approve of all this? Were they upset that you signed up with all this?"

"Parents care, even if they don't show it." she offered before she just shook her heads, "As for my folks, nope. They were very much against me leaving the planet, let alone going out to..."

"... where all the Danger is. They wanted me to get a nice, safe, quiet job in a shop somewhere, working retail sales with a drone to do all the heavy lifting. A nice..."

"... quiet, safe job where I'd be bored out of my mind but absolutely free from harm." she giggled a bit, despite it all. "Dalacari put our own safety as the highest priority. Mostly because..."

"... if anything happens to us, it has the potential to be life changing. Also we hate being out of sync, except for Exoverts. They kinda weird me out a bit but at the same time..."

"... I think they're very cool. They're, oh how to explain it... They're Dalacari that are actually alright with not matching. Like, they'd wear two different outfits, and think nothing..."

"... of it. I even hear that they can do half-impressions. Imagine that!" she sounded so impressed. Must really be something on Dalacar. "But no, my folks were terrified when I got accepted into..."

"... the Stellar Discovery Selection, and even moreso when I told them I was transferring to a Starfleet ship." a pause, "I... leave out all the really dangerous stuff we do. They don't need to hear..."

"... everything. Just that their little girl is alright."

"For some parents that is the best way to do it, if they can't handle their child in danger it's best to leave it out." Emma thought for a moment, she opened a secure case near her workstation which held the various seeds from Earth planets. "Have you been to Earth before Mel? Growing up planting various flowers always made me happy, if you can get some seeds from home I would be happy to plant some for you that way you can have the scent of home."

"Oh I couldn't, that'd be like seven invasive species acts I'd be walking over." she giggled, "Though, if I could get away with it, oh there are some lovely wildflowers that grow in ..."

"... parks, and some of the rare places on the inner Dalacari colonies that aren't completely paved over, they are just beautiful." she got lost in the moment.

"There's also this Ts'usugi flower called the Night Warden. It blooms at night and attracts moths to spread its pollen. It's also bioluminescent, so the pollen glows this haunting..."

"... blue. Kids hate it, though. They call it the Tattle Tale because it grows in all the fun places to play and if a kid comes back with glowing clothes the parents know they were..."

"... out where they weren't supposed to be."

"Those all sound like amazing flowers, I would be more than willing to set up a separate location from them just so I could see them and raise them." Emma was relaxed as she stood up from her desk. "Thank you Mel, you really helped me forget about all this craziness going on."

"Might be a while before I can get you actual seeds, but I might be able to get the fabricator patterns for the seeds, if fabricated flowers will do?" she inquired. "Can't promise the same for..."

"... the Tattle Tale, though. The Ts'usugi are pretty close handed with their culture, including their wildlife." she offered a pair of smiles, none the less. "I'm glad I was able to help. Not going to..."

"... lie, it helped me a lot to talk about stuff other than, well, *THEM*."

"I'll take any of them that you can fabricate, but if you head home next you get some leave you got to get me some of the real ones." Emma laughed quietly. "I should get back to work, plant life isn't going to completely take care of itself."

"Oh of course." Mel affirmed. "I'll get you a good distribution." she paused, a smile on each face. "Always a pleasure chatting. Let me know if you need anything else."

END