Homework (Open thread)

[Rayek trLhoell]

Commander Rayek tr'Lhoell
and NPC Fvienn tr'Lhoell

[USS Discovery-B - Deck 6 - Officer's Mess]

She hesitated before starting to eat--she needed no introduction to Lt. Ramort, but the same was not true for the table's youngest occupant, "Jolan tru; hello. My name is T'Rea. May I have the honor to know your name?" Aside from the languages in question, she greeted him in the same matter as she would have greeted a Vulcan child.

Rayek paused his eating and looked over to observe his son's reaction to the Vulcan's introduction.

It was the formalness of her question that caught Fvienn's attention the most.  He too paused his eating to look up at woman speaking to him.  She looked somewhat like his rinam (*aunt), who he only got to see and speak to once over a special holo-comm because she lived far away and didn't like the Federation where eneh worked.  Fvienn wondered if T'Rea's family didn't like her working on the ship too.

"Jolan tru he greeted back with a smile. "I, Fvienn, and I like dinosaurs!"

[USS Discovery | Deck 6 | Officers Mess]

"Indeed, Dinosaurs originated on earth. They evolved over a timespan of millions of years so there were a lot of different Dinosaurs around. Some of their descendants are even around today all around earth!"

Fvienn looked to science officer as he spoke about the history of dinosaurs.  So cool!

"Indeed," she said. "Crocodiles, and Alligators, for example. Earthen birds are also related to the Dinosaurs," she said. That was the limit of her knowledge on the large lizards, though, so she hoped that Fvienne wouldn't press her.

"So if Romulus, and Bajor, and all those other places didn't have such large creatures, I suppose your father is right. They're a Sol-centric species," she said. "Crewman T'Rea. What kind of science do you specialize in?" She asked the woman, recognizing the blue of her uniform as a science one. Certainly, they were a better color than her own gold. The ugly yellow tunic was one of the banes of Vila's existence.

His attention turned to the female Lieutenant as she mentioned crocodiles and alligators and even birds being related.  Well, the last part made sense.  Steve and Evie both had feathers.

Wait... Were chickens related to dinosaurs too?

[USS Discovery | Deck 6 | Officers Mess]

"I am sure many other planets have interesting prehistoric animals too. Maybe even something similar to Dinosaurs. Say does Bajor has anything similar. Were there found any traces of some terrestrial landstriders for example?"

Despite Ramort's attempt to distract, Fvienn had a question he needed answered.  "Are chickens related to dinosaurs, eneh?"

Rayek smiled down at his son, approving of his deductive thinking.  "Yes, I believe they are - distantly."

The boy seemed to think on this a moment before picking up his knife and cutting a piece of the roast chicken which he then speared with his fork.  With an odd eagerness he ate the morsel.  "I a top preedeater!" he declared, after swallowing the piece.

Rayek stifled his chuckle.  "It's pronounced 'predator'.. and yes, you are.  Though many of the best predators are also omnivores - meaning they eat plants too.  Sharks, bears, and targs are all omnivores."

Rather than direct his son to eat, Rayek once more tried to lead by example, and took another bite of his meal and turned his attention to the conversations Ramort had started with Lorut and T'Rea.

[Lorut Vila]

Vila wasn't sure what had happened, but she thought that she had, perhaps, made a faux pas, based on Ramort's quickness to change the subject. She wracked her brain, but couldn't think of any reason to think she'd said anything amiss. For once in her life.

I am sure many other planets have interesting prehistoric animals too. Maybe even something similar to Dinosaurs. Say does Bajor has anything similar. Were there found any traces of some terrestrial landstriders for example?

"Dead Cardassians," she deadpanned, then nearly dropped her fork when she realized what she'd said. "I mean...animal wise, no, nothing," she said. The dig about the Cardassians was true, though-it took only uncivilized cultures to invade and enslave another, didn't it?! She shrugged. "At least, to the best of my knowledge," she said. "I feel like anything that WOULD'VE been discovered has been...lost to the Occupation," she said. "We had the Orbs, but none of them speak to any ancient beings besides us," she said, with a shrug.

I a top preedeater!

This caused Vila to smile. "Your father is right. I remember that my ex-husband took me to a museum once when we were on Earth," she said. "And they had a lecture-that's like a class-on dinosaurs. I went along with him but I don't remember much, but I do remember that some of them did eat plants, like you and I do, and so do Vulcans, and your father, and most of all the species I can think of," she said. "Some types of animals ONLY eat plants. Could you imagine?" She asked the little boy, trying to engage him. Vila had vague memories of happier times in her early childhood when she'd attended some work functions with her own father, and had always thought them boring. Vila was the type of child who wanted to run wild through the grass without shoes if she could help it.

[T'Rea]

Despite Ramort's attempt to distract, Fvienn had a question he needed answered.  "Are chickens related to dinosaurs, eneh?"
Rayek smiled down at his son, approving of his deductive thinking.  "Yes, I believe they are - distantly."

The boy seemed to think on this a moment before picking up his knife and cutting a piece of the roast chicken which he then speared with his fork.  With an odd eagerness he ate the morsel.  "I a top preedeater!" he declared, after swallowing the piece.

Rayek stifled his chuckle.  "It's pronounced 'predator'.. and yes, you are.  Though many of the best predators are also omnivores - meaning they eat plants too.  Sharks, bears, and targs are all omnivores."

Rather than direct his son to eat, Rayek once more tried to lead by example, and took another bite of his meal and turned his attention to the conversations Ramort had started with Lorut and T'Rea.

"Dead Cardassians," she deadpanned, then nearly dropped her fork when she realized what she'd said. "I mean...animal wise, no, nothing," she said. The dig about the Cardassians was true, though-it took only uncivilized cultures to invade and enslave another, didn't it?! She shrugged. "At least, to the best of my knowledge," she said. "I feel like anything that WOULD'VE been discovered has been...lost to the Occupation," she said. "We had the Orbs, but none of them speak to any ancient beings besides us," she said, with a shrug.

This caused Vila to smile. "Your father is right. I remember that my ex-husband took me to a museum once when we were on Earth," she said. "And they had a lecture-that's like a class-on dinosaurs. I went along with him but I don't remember much, but I do remember that some of them did eat plants, like you and I do, and so do Vulcans, and your father, and most of all the species I can think of," she said. "Some types of animals ONLY eat plants. Could you imagine?" She asked the little boy, trying to engage him. Vila had vague memories of happier times in her early childhood when she'd attended some work functions with her own father, and had always thought them boring. Vila was the type of child who wanted to run wild through the grass without shoes if she could help it.

T'Rea found her discomfort at the table's conversation growing with each passing moment. There was no inherent moral transgression in eating replicated meat, but something about watching young Fvienn so enthusiastically acting out a pantomime of violence upon his food was deeply unsettling to the Vulcan. The fact that--at least at first glance--Fvienn appeared quite similar to a Vulcan child only added to the moment's dissonance, and T'Rea had to actually stop herself from shifting in her seat.

The situation was only made infinitely worse by Lorut's statement regarding Cardassians. The openly de-humanizing response she offered to Ramort carried strongly violent undertones that the T'Rea found not only distasteful but also disturbing. And certainly none of this was helped by the Bajoran's attempt to lighten the mood by mocking the very concept of vegetarianism that T'Rea saw as a fundamental expression of her own respect for all lifeforms.

It seemed the choice to eat dinner here tonight had been an unwise one. And in the press of the moment T'Rea even found herself considering if the choice to join Starfleet had been similarly misguided. She had known that taking this path to experience the stars of deep space would and also mean encountering cultures outside of her own, but the scientist and mother of three had not envisioned that interaction happening like this.

"Greetings Crewman T'Rea, how nice you could join us. I hope you found something nice in the culinary databank?"

"Crewman T'Rea. What kind of science do you specialize in?" She asked the woman, recognizing the blue of her uniform as a science one.

Part of T'Rea was inclined to leave the table all together--excuse herself and return to her quarters--but instead she quickly resolved to attempt to steer the conversation back toward more palatable subjects. "Eating only plants is not so bad," she said, directing her comments more towards Ramort and Fvienn so as to not directly confront Lorut on her earlier claim. "This dish is a stew of vegetables and spices, served with a steamed grain native to my home planet, and it is quite good. It is called pok tar. You can try some if you like.

"In fact, as a scientist, I focus on studying plants and there ability to survive in all different kinds of surroundings on all different kinds of planets. There is a lot that we can learn from them. And in a natural ecosystem all animals and sentient beings rely upon plants to survive--whether directly or indirectly."

[Lorut Vila]

Vila nodded at the Vulcan.

"Eating only plants is not so bad..This dish is a stew of vegetables and spices, served with a steamed grain native to my home planet, and it is quite good. It is called pok tar. You can try some if you like. In fact, as a scientist, I focus on studying plants and there ability to survive in all different kinds of surroundings on all different kinds of planets. There is a lot that we can learn from them. And in a natural ecosystem all animals and sentient beings rely upon plants to survive--whether directly or indirectly.

"It smells nice," Vila commented, but refrained from asking for a sample. Her neurosis spread to food, too, and sharing of it was one of those no-gos. Even with her ex-husband, it had been very difficult when he'd take a fry or something from her pile. The Counselor types called it "resource guarding" and it was a symptom of her PTSD. Still. She wasn't ready to part with it, and she wasn't ready to extend that opportunity to others.

She eyeballed the room again. Still fine. She looked at Rayek, hoping he wouldn't notice her periodic scans of the room and hyper vigilance. She glanced at Ramort; he hadn't seemed to notice, either. Good.

She was looking for an opportune moment to escape. 

[Rayek trLhoell]

Commander Rayek tr'Lhoell
and NPC Fvienn tr'Lhoell

[USS Discovery-B - Deck 6 - Officer's Mess]

"Dead Cardassians," she deadpanned, then nearly dropped her fork when she realized what she'd said. "I mean...animal wise, no, nothing," she said. The dig about the Cardassians was true, though-it took only uncivilized cultures to invade and enslave another, didn't it?! She shrugged. "At least, to the best of my knowledge," she said. "I feel like anything that WOULD'VE been discovered has been...lost to the Occupation," she said. "We had the Orbs, but none of them speak to any ancient beings besides us," she said, with a shrug.

This caused Vila to smile. "Your father is right. I remember that my ex-husband took me to a museum once when we were on Earth," she said. "And they had a lecture-that's like a class-on dinosaurs. I went along with him but I don't remember much, but I do remember that some of them did eat plants, like you and I do, and so do Vulcans, and your father, and most of all the species I can think of," she said. "Some types of animals ONLY eat plants. Could you imagine?" She asked the little boy, trying to engage him.

Being only four, Fvienn knew little about the political and warring histories of the various species his eneh insisted he recognize.  He did know however that Cardassians were not a part of the Federation, and that they had a reptilian-like ancestor, which is why they looked different than he and his father.  He wondered if they had dinosaurs on their planet.  However, before he could ask, the conversation turned to those dinosaurs that only ate plants.

Part of T'Rea was inclined to leave the table all together--excuse herself and return to her quarters--but instead she quickly resolved to attempt to steer the conversation back toward more palatable subjects. "Eating only plants is not so bad," she said, directing her comments more towards Ramort and Fvienn so as to not directly confront Lorut on her earlier claim. "This dish is a stew of vegetables and spices, served with a steamed grain native to my home planet, and it is quite good. It is called pok tar. You can try some if you like.

"In fact, as a scientist, I focus on studying plants and their ability to survive in all different kinds of surroundings on all different kinds of planets. There is a lot that we can learn from them. And in a natural ecosystem all animals and sentient beings rely upon plants to survive--whether directly or indirectly."

Fvienn looked to T'Rea as she offered a taste of her vegetable stew.  His first impulse was to make a face and say no but there was something about her offer that Fvienn - who was very attuned to his father's feelings - could sense made his eneh upset.  The child looked to his Dad, but Rayek gave the appearance of being unconcerned.  Curious why his eneh was upset, Fvienn thought to dig deeper.  He nodded to T'Rea.  "Yes, pwease.  I twry."

Rayek, who had been feigning disinterest in the topic, glanced over sharply at his son's acceptance of the offer to try the Vulcan dish.  Fvienn rarely tried new foods.  Why would he do so now ? - and with a Vulcan dish no less?!  An irrational spur of annoyance and paranoia had Rayek nearly interceding to stop the exchange.  He opened his mouth to rebuke his son, but hesitated as he considered his reasons for wanting to intervene

Realistically, Rayek knew that the food wasn't a danger to his son.  Though the Vulcan science officer was new to the ship, he'd just seen her take a bite of the meal herself and therefore could trust that it wasn't poisoned, or contained anything hazardous... So why did the thought of Fvienn eating the food bother him?  Was it really just because it was offered by a Vulcan?  Or that it as a Vulcan recipe?

Rayek knew he had a bias against the Vulcan culture as whole.  From past experience, he'd come to know that some Vulcans were okay but his bias was still very much a part of him.  That bias however shouldn't be passed on to Fvienn.  The Romulan father didn't want his son holding the same grudge he carried.

Tamping down on his impulse to warn his son away, Rayek looked away as Fvienn extended his fork out towards the bowl of vegetable stew.  His eyes turned to Vila.

Vila nodded at the Vulcan.

"It smells nice," Vila commented, but refrained from asking for a sample. Her neurosis spread to food, too, and sharing of it was one of those no-gos. Even with her ex-husband, it had been very difficult when he'd take a fry or something from her pile. The Counselor types called it "resource guarding" and it was a symptom of her PTSD. Still. She wasn't ready to part with it, and she wasn't ready to extend that opportunity to others.

She eyeballed the room again. Still fine. She looked at Rayek, hoping he wouldn't notice her periodic scans of the room and hyper vigilance. She glanced at Ramort; he hadn't seemed to notice, either. Good.

She was looking for an opportune moment to escape.

He did notice Vila's periodic scan of the room, only because not so long ago that had been him.  Seemingly paranoid, always on the lookout for the knife that would be aimed at his back.  He still kept alert but it was not so all-consuming anymore - at some point, he'd managed to strike a balance.

[Lorut Vila]

The mood had shifted, and Vila recognized that it would soon be time for one or more to leave. There was no need for intercultural warfare here-even SHE did not antagonize any Cardassians aboard this ship, nor elsewhere, as they may be. She knew the history between Vulcans and Romulans, and Romulans and everyone else. Bajor was, as far as she knew, unaware of the existence of Romulans; they had had bigger fish to fry.

"It is brave of you to try new things, Fvienn," she said, her scan complete. She caught the Commander's eye, and simply nodded once. She was working on it, but the hypervilgilance would be the last thing to leave, the Counselor had said. Especially since she was in a new situation. So long as she was simply scanning, and not reacting, she assumed that it was understandable. She would not, under normal circumstances, actually draw a weapon on her fellow crew mates, but she WOULD if any of them presented a threat. Logically, she knew that it was unlikely that such an event would happen-Federation starships were very secure. The illogical, ill part of her brain, however, was ALWAYS attuned to danger.

She tried to change the subject.

"What is that lovely fruit you have..T'rea?" She asked, hoping she'd gotten the woman's name right. Newcomers were hard for her. "The...Gaspar?" She attempted the strange word on her tongue. It didn't translate to either Bajoran nor Standard well. 

[T'Rea]

Fvienn looked to T'Rea as she offered a taste of her vegetable stew.  His first impulse was to make a face and say no but there was something about her offer that Fvienn - who was very attuned to his father's feelings - could sense made his eneh upset.  The child looked to his Dad, but Rayek gave the appearance of being unconcerned.  Curious why his eneh was upset, Fvienn thought to dig deeper.  He nodded to T'Rea.  "Yes, pwease.  I twry."

Rayek, who had been feigning disinterest in the topic, glanced over sharply at his son's acceptance of the offer to try the Vulcan dish.  Fvienn rarely tried new foods.  Why would he do so now ? - and with a Vulcan dish no less?!  An irrational spur of annoyance and paranoia had Rayek nearly interceding to stop the exchange.  He opened his mouth to rebuke his son, but hesitated as he considered his reasons for wanting to intervene.

Realistically, Rayek knew that the food wasn't a danger to his son.  Though the Vulcan science officer was new to the ship, he'd just seen her take a bite of the meal herself and therefore could trust that it wasn't poisoned, or contained anything hazardous... So why did the thought of Fvienn eating the food bother him?  Was it really just because it was offered by a Vulcan?  Or that it as a Vulcan recipe?

Rayek knew he had a bias against the Vulcan culture as whole.  From past experience, he'd come to know that some Vulcans were okay but his bias was still very much a part of him.  That bias however shouldn't be passed on to Fvienn.  The Romulan father didn't want his son holding the same grudge he carried.

Tamping down on his impulse to warn his son away, Rayek looked away as Fvienn extended his fork out towards the bowl of vegetable stew.  His eyes turned to Vila.

She tried to change the subject.
"What is that lovely fruit you have..T'rea?" She asked, hoping she'd gotten the woman's name right. Newcomers were hard for her. "The...Gaspar?" She attempted the strange word on her tongue. It didn't translate to either Bajoran nor Standard well.

T'Rea found herself quite pleased by Fvienn's willingness to try the traditional Vulcan food. She nodded her encouragement at his declaration and pushed her tray in his direction so that it was within reach. "Here, take your fork and dip it first in the curry and then then in the steamed grains--I think about half and half is best, but you may have a different preference.

As she waited for the boy to give the food a try she glance at Lorut at her question, paying attention to her side dish for the first time, "Yes, it is gaspar, I'm pleased you can recognize it. It can be found in many regions throughout Vulcan, but it is thought to originate in my home province of S'Lara. I remember picking and eating them on my way home from school when I was not much older than you, Fvienn.

They had also be a favorite of all her children, but she was not thinking about that right now. "Of course, it is not exactly the same replicated, but I still appreciate it---I am sure we all have certain foods from our childhood that we miss."

[Lorut Vila]

{USS Discovery|Mess Hall}

"Yes, it is gaspar, I'm pleased you can recognize it. It can be found in many regions throughout Vulcan, but it is thought to originate in my home province of S'Lara. I remember picking and eating them on my way home from school when I was not much older than you, Fvienn...Of course, it is not exactly the same replicated, but I still appreciate it---I am sure we all have certain foods from our childhood that we miss.

Vila nodded. "Indeed," she said. "For me, it is fresh Spring grapes," she said. "That is what Spring wine are made from," she said. "They are sweet, but not too sweet, and tart, but not too tart," she said. She smiled. She could taste them on her tongue if she concentrated hard enough.

In her ear, she heard the sweet, dulcet tones of Dr. Campbell's voice.

Doing excellently, Vila. You can go now, if you wish. You did really well today. Thank you. We'll speak tomorrow. I'll let you go now. 

Vila nodded, and then spoke. 

"If you all will excuse me, I need to go now," she said, hoping it wasn't too abrupt. She stood up then, carefully, and smiled at Fvienne. "It was nice to meet you, young man," she said, picking up her things, returning them to the recycler, and leaving the mess hall.