There's Always Time for a Little Ylang Ylang

Posted on Mon Oct 18th, 2010 @ 6:53am by Commander Fala Awen & Lieutenant JG Malia Jacy

Mission: Episode 1.3 - "The Time of Trial"
Location: USS Pandora, Chief Security/Tactical Officer's Office
Timeline: Day 2, 2230

ON:
[[USS Pandora, Chief Security/Tactical Officer's Office, Day 2, 2230]]

Although it was somewhat late, Awen found herself in her office. Considering the fact that she was Acting Commanding Officer, she probably could or should have been in the Commanding Officer's office instead, but the Bajoran couldn't bring herself to do so. It was still Iluvar's office, in her mind. The extra duties did mean she had somewhat fallen behind on her Security/Tactical responsibilities and with everything going on, Awen wanted to keep her mind occupied.

Velia rang the chime and tried to scrape the amused sneer from her face. She'd heard the rumors, but had to see for herself just how irritated Fala looked behind the desk. She'd been disappointed to learn that the Commander wasn't actually occupying the CO office, but it had only taken her a brief query of the computer to discover where Awen was hiding. Of course, she'd not been raised to be rude, so she fingered the metallic paper covered box that contained a couple of objects behind her back as she waited. She didn't know how Fala would take the office warming gifts, but Velia thought it would be both practical and amusing and had no problem believing the other officer would find use for it.

Awen looked up, surprised, as she heard her door chime. During what most would consider normal hours, she wouldn't have been surprised to have someone at her door, but it was fairly late. Regardless, someone apparently needed her, "Enter."

"Well, well, well." Velia stood at attention and saluted with a free hand, careful to balance the box still hidden behind her back in the other hand. "Ensign Moretti, reporting for what some would most likely call a social visit," she smirked, "though we don't have to assign such a dirty term to it." She took in the office, and couldn't help but notice the difference in the atmosphere from the last time she'd been standing in it. "So who did you piss off?" One eyebrow quirked, indicating a rare good mood.

The Bajoran shook her head as the other woman saluted her. "A social visit, hmm?" Awen motioned towards a chair; she wasn't surprised that the Intel officer had sought her out - they'd met up a few times to spar and had had some good talks since their first encounter. "I think it was just bad luck. Iluvar essentially removed himself from command, before that he took Earlond off duty for sending that away team...and otherwise, we're a bit short on senior officers."

"Ah," Velia nodded and took a seat, setting the box in front of the Commander on the desk with an impish expression. Even though it was past time to really adhere to formalities, she still sat ramrod straight in the chair. Poor posture was just not in her nature. "Then maybe this will help some?"

Awen raised an eyebrow as she looked over at Velia while opening the box and pulling out the first item. "And what is this?" It didn't look familiar to her, unless she'd actually seen something that served the same purpose in a different form before.

"Why, it's a vaporizer Commander Fala," Velia tilted her head. "Along with some oil to use in it. And that," she motioned to the small pliable roundish object nestled in the corner of the box, "is a stress ball. They were quite popular on Earth a few centuries back. The theory is that when the need to strangle arises, you just squeeze the hell out of it until it passes." Reaching over to lift the small vial of yellow tinged oil from the box, she offered it to Awen for inspection. "This is called ylang ylang. It's an oil produced from a flowering tree, also originating on Earth, that is used in vapor form to relieve things like anxiety, effects of stress on a body, and some believe it helps with PMS." Now she couldn't help but grin, though it was never a pleasant sight when she did. "Or can be used as an aphrodisiac, I guess. Whichever you need it for."

"Interesting... A stress ball will likely come in handy, if events thus far are any indication. What do I do if the need to strangle someone doesn't pass, though?" Awen eyed Velia as she took the small vial and listened to her explanation. "Ylang ylang? Who named that?" The Bajoran continued listening, partly intrigued by this oddly named substance and partly unsure about its supposed abilities. "I suppose it doesn't sound dangerous at least...though I have no need of an aphrodisiac, for one thing," she thought back, trying to remember the last man she had even come close to in anything more than a professional manner.

"You may be surprised to learn, Commander, that I'm not an expert botanist, and couldn't begin to guess who named it. Nor can I speak for its properties, personally. Any of them. You'll have to tell me if they prove true." Velia quirked an eyebrow and smothered a curled lip.

Awen raised an eyebrow and chuckled slightly, "I'm a bit surprised you didn't research who named it." She turned the vial over from one hand to another before adding, "It certainly sounds intriguing. Perhaps we should both try it?" The Bajoran looked over at the other woman, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Oh, I don't know, Commander. I find I manage my stress quite well. All of my evaluations thus far say so." She winked wickedly at Fala. She then allowed her eyes to slowly rove about the office. "Just couldn't get comfy in the Ready Room?" No sense in beating around the bush about it.

"The Ready Room isn't my place. I'm not even supposed to be on the Command Staff, let alone in charge of the ship..." Awen frowned. "Bad enough having everyone stare at me when Iluvar gave me the bridge and walked out." Not something she really wanted to repeat either...

"Well I'll tell you what I think, Commander. I think that while you hold the reins to this leviathan, you should do something about the culinary department. I have yet to eat anything there that was worth chewing, replicated items aside. And even those are debatable." Velia grimaced.

Awen raised an eyebrow, "Well...we do have that new Acting Chief Engineer...maybe he can sort something out with the replicators at least. I suppose I haven't had anything but replicated food since I've been aboard." It was usually easier to eat by herself if she just replicated something in her quarters, though she had gone to the mess hall a few times. Still, she couldn't think of anything worse than the 'food' she and Jorak (NPC) had been given while in the Cardassian prison... Shaking the thought from her mind, she said, "It's really that bad?"

"Commander," Velia sighed. "When you grow up in an Italian household, food is held in extremely high regard. It doesn't just support life, it is an art form. So everything tastes like dirt when you aren't rolling out and cutting noodles by hand." She shuddered, memories of being stuck in a kitchen over boiling pots of stewing tomatoes, digging out from underneath mountains of peels that had once covered said stewing tomatoes and plucking clumps of caked flour from her eyelashes at the end of Sunday family dinners.

"I can imagine..." Awen looked over at Velia, "Would you like to teach them how it's done?" She had to admit she enjoyed not only the actual sparring with Velia, but also the verbal sparring. Most others were either too intimidated by her to do so or tended to pay her no mind. Of course, those in her department would physically spar with her, some were even fairly good.

Velia's face passed through several shades of reds and even greens before returning to something close enough to pale. "I'd rather not, thank you. Was that my strong point, Commander, I'd have become a cook." Besides, doing that may just be enough to land her regular sessions with either Myrin or Hannah, neither of which was preferable.

Awen nodded and a smirk crossed her face, "Perhaps you could recommend a cooking holoprogram for them then? They may simply not know any better, after all. Do you eat their food often?"

"Not anymore," Velia wrinkled her nose. "I've had four or five dishes in the hopes that maybe it was just the one, or that maybe they were having a bad day. But honestly, tell me now, who puts carrots in pizza? No one sane, I can tell you that."

Though pizza wasn't amongst her favorite foods, per se, the Bajoran had had the Italian cuisine on occasion. Frowning, she replied, "You're right, that does not sound very good. Perhaps they do need some cooking courses." With all the resources on the ship - recipes, holoprograms...she was a bit surprised that the food was still that bad. "Anything else I can do for you while I'm apparently in charge?"

"Not off the top of my head," Velia rose and instantly adjusted her posture to ramrod straight. "But if something comes up, you'll be the second to know." Again her lip curled at the corner. "Permission to be dismissed?"

Awen chuckled slightly and nodded, "Dismissed. Thanks for stopping by...I think." Her eyes moved to the..gifts...that Velia had brought her. Certainly interesting, at the least...or perhaps a bit disturbing.

OFF:

A JP by

Ensign Velia Moretti (NPC)
Intelligence Officer
USS Pandora

and

Lieutenant Commander Fala Awen
Chief Security/Tactical Officer & Acting CO
USS Pandora