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Vila raised an eyebrow, and pushed the plate away. What was the point in trying to finish something she didn't truly like?!

Sorry to hear about your ex-husband. Though I'm glad to hear you are open to trying new experiences and meeting new people. We Risans pride ourselves on offering new experiences and pleasures to those around us. Perhaps you should come to this evening's dance class. It's couples night and we're learning the Risan-tango. What better way to shake off the rust and try something new?

She paused a moment. That wasn't what she was guessing he was going to say. She wracked her brain for something to say or do. But she had nothing to protest with. Damn it. She sighed deeply, but nodded.

"Alright," she said. "I assume it's in the holodecks?" She asked. What did one wear to Risian tango lessons?! She'd figure it out. Wait, why did she even care?! Oh noooo.

{Ops console|Main Bridge|Discovery}

"Yes, Lieutenant, I will cover your station until either you return or I secure another Ops personnel to cover it for you."

"I inadvertently gave both women the day off, but I am sure that either will be a good choice," she explained. She'd done the roster but hadn't had her calendar in front of her, and besides, she knew the first day of a new mission was just traveling. Why have anyone extra on duty?! She hadn't planned for some dumb drill, though. Of all the people who didn't need battle drills, it was she, but still. At least it was something to do, she supposed.

"Thank you, sir," she said, standing up, reluctantly. She made her way to the Security office.

{Security|Discovery}

As Vila arrived, she assumed her normal cool demeanor. "What is so important that it can't be handled from the Bridge?" She asked Lachlyn. "Was this the Commander's idea?" She sighed. That damned Romulan! 

"Different? I feel the usual. Are you feeling ok my love?"

She smiled. "Yeah, it's...I don't know. I am fine," she said. It was something in the air, but then, they WERE due for a change in season.

"Hey, Dem. What's going on?" she asked. The two had butted heads, but Vila didn't hold grudges against him. "Whittling again?" She asked. At least someone had found something to distract themselves with. "Anyone want to venture back into the caves and see if the berries are starting to ripen?" She asked. They had found a cave that had a vast planting of berries; a rare treat, as they seemingly only ripened twice per year. Besides, if she sat around camp too long, she'd lose what was left of her mind. Her eyes watched as Malik assisted Murph, and then she set the piglet down to run around.

"And we need to jiggle around the watch schedule again," she said, to anyone who was listening. Slowly, more and more people were waking, and appearing for the day. 

Vila raised an eyebrow.

"Are you serious?" She asked. Louis Lane? Gotta be kidding. "Anyway, it all makes sense now," she said. She poked a bit more at the Hesperat before giving up, and tucking into the salad. Vila normally liked to eat. A lot. Why did she pick the hesperat? She'd been a little homesick, she supposed.

"No, I am fully single...I had seen my ex-husband at DS9 right after I onboarded but...it didn't go anywhere. And he...died in the Frontier Day thing anyway, so. I guess you can say that I am single. As for available...well. My counselor says that getting out there would be good for me, but it's been awhile, so...." She didn't know how to navigate dating these days. "I am...rusty, as the humans say," she said.

She was learning that she wasn't totally broken, and there wasn't anything "wrong" with her; counseling and quitting drinking so much had made a big difference and she was ready to start meeting people. It was just a matter of getting up the courage to do so. "I am bent...but not broken. I think...I can learn to love again. Maybe." She said. 

USS Discovery-Bridge

Vila flinched in surprise when her Comms badge went off.

Lachlyn to Lorut and Edriron. Meet me in Security, we're going to run some drills.

 

Her eyes rose to the Captain. "I am the only Ops person on duty today," she said. "Should I go?" She asked. She was hesitant to leave the console alone. She didn't trust anyone else with it. It was her baby. 

She tapped her badge again. 

=/\=Commander tr'Lhoell, please cover the Ops console. I am being requested for some kind of drill.  

The Romulan was the only other person she felt comfortable asking currently. It was below his station, she knew, but she'd be damned if she was going to leave it to some engineer. 

Vila simply shrugged. "I don't, sorry," she said. "As far as I know, everyone who isn't already hooked up is either gay or otherwise unavailable," she said. Except for her, but she wasn't really looking. Was she?! She didn't know. It had been...awhile since her last time with anyone. While she was doing much better emotionally, she wasn't exactly the kind of girl that men lined up for. She was pretty, sure, but she spent a lot of time putting up walls.

She laughed at his next.

"I would've paid any number of strips to SEE you in that," she said. Not just because he was good looking, but the blackmail would be priceless. "He was well built..." she said. "Anyway. Sounds like you dodged a bullet. I think that that sort of thing is a boundary...say it once, give it time, ya know?" She poked around at her food. "So...what was her name?!" She couldn't think of anything else to say. 

{Discovery Bridge|Ops}

Nothing too intense though, it shouldn't interfere with science's mapping task....

She gave the man a LOOK, but simply nodded. "Understood, sir," she said. "Hold her steady," she said, and pressed a button. "Please let..." she didn't finish her sentence when the sensors sounded. "What the hell?" She said. Her head lowered. "Nothing internal. It's...out there," she said, head tossing towards the outer hulls.

She sighed deeply. If this were more clones or some other similar thing, she was resigning. 

{Planet X}

The strained alien sun peeking through the door of the cave roused the Bajoran, as did Malik's moving about next to her in the bed. Her hair was splayed out across his chest, and she could hear the steady beating of his heart. She groaned lightly. "Time to rouse the troops," she said, sleepily, but sat up to dress. After a bit, she was ready, and stepped out of the cave, ready to go.

The five years they'd been marooned here had changed her-not just physically, as she was nearing fifty  years old now, but also emotionally. Calmer now; things bothered her less. Maybe it was the sheer drive to survive. Maybe it was Malik. She didn't know. She made her way to the base camp fire pit to get things going. The others had learned of her life, her struggles, and her pain. But also her triumphs-she had survived things that would've killed a weaker person. As such, she had sort of become a de-facto mother type figure.

Their overlords, The Guardians or whatever the hell they called themselves, sometimes left "gifts" for them. Usually foodstuffs, but sometimes materials necessary for survival, medications, and building supplies. Still. Vila was uneasy today...She couldn't place why. She greeted the others who had gathered-not many, but a few were early risers like she.

"Good morning," she said. She picked up one of the piglets that had become a pet-not all were, but a few were-and held him close to her. "Hello, Wilbur," she said, giving him a small kiss on his smooth little head. "Does anyone else feel...differently today?!" Maybe she was catching something.

Vila nodded.

"I have not," she said. "Participated in Jamaharon," she said. "In case you didn't notice, I don't have many friends here," she said. "With Torra having been reassigned...I've been mostly just a lone wolf. I do mostly prefer it, anyway," she said. She'd been doing better since undergoing such intense counseling and working on moving past her traumas, but it still scared her to approach people on her own.

Finally, Vila laughed. "I am familiar with Superman," she said. "My ex husband had me watch the movies a few times, from old Sol. He was human," she explained. "You DO sort of resemble on of the iterations," she said. "I can't recall the actor's name off the top of my head, but he was kind of cute," she said. "So it was a recent breakup?" She asked. She was blunt, though she really never meant to be. She had just spent so long closing herself off that she hadn't learned how to interact with others well. 

"Me?" she raised an eyebrow. "No one comes to the lounge to see ME," she said, "Unless it's the Commander, to tell me I've been ordered to see the Captain again," she said. Still, it was a nice gesture.

"I see," she said. "I have been to Risa," she said. "Shore leave a few times when I was married to my ex-husband. We didn't often leave our little beach hut, though," she said. Mostly because Vila wasn't exactly the kind to mingle with the locals without causing trouble. "It looks good," she said. "How are you?" She asked, trying to make conversation. Truthfully, she didn't know him well, but of course, had noticed him around. 

{Cave}

Vila was now investigating slightly further into the cave. She wouldn't go far-she wasn't exactly excited about being alone in a cave with...well, he wasn't exactly a strange man, was he? Still. She wasn't trying to die anytime soon.

"Meat's meat. Looks like good eatin' to me. And I don't see why not, after it's been cleared safe.

Vila couldn't argue. "You're right...it's meat. It'll suffice," she said. She smiled lightly.

If we can get these two alone together, perhaps they'll do what comes naturally if you know what I mean.

Vila made a face. "Really?" She asked, but returned to his side. "Nothing up ahead...at least nothing that sets my senses off," she said. She meant "no danger." "If you tell anyone I panicked for a moment, I'll phase you into the last century, by the way..." she said. She looked at the piglets.

"Well. I guess we head back now, and see if we can have a pig roast tonight. Wonder if we could ferment some berries..." she said, half joking.

Vila startled a moment, and then looked up. She smiled lightly.

"I actually hate all Hesperat," she said. "Except my mother's." She mostly ate it because it was tradition. "Please, sit," she said. She watched as he did so.

"Interesting salad," she said. "What IS it?" She asked. "What brings you here?" She thought his type usually spent their lunches in the mess hall with everyone else. 

Cave|Outpost

She let go of his hand when the light revealed what they were seeing. She couldn't help it, a small "aww" sound escaped her lips. Vila might not have been able to be a mother herself but she still thought small, childlike things were cute. She looked to Malik.

"You want to eat THAT?" she said. "We're going to need more..." she said. It looked a bit like a Hesperat, actually, and if they were anything like a rodent, they reproduced quickly, so taking a few as foodstuffs wouldn't harm the ecosystem. "How do we get more? And yea, he's cute," she said. She smiled. "Think Tekin would let me bring one on board the Disco?" She asked. 

USS Discovery|Ops

Vila sat at the Ops console, her left foot tapping away on the bulkhead in front of her as her fingers tapped away at the keys of the console in front of her, constantly running systemic checks. She wanted to get up and pace around-her pent up energy was a lot, but it always was coming off a mission. Particularly the last one. The Counselor she'd been talking to via Holoprogram said that some of it was understimulation. Vila wasn't so sure.

As the Captain entered, she righted herself. "Ops is smooth, sir," she said. "System repairs from when I...well. Anyway. We seem to be back online fully and running correctly," she said.

[know]

Vila sat in the Officer's lounge, nursing a mug of tea and picking at some Hesperat. Truthfully, she hated Hesperat, but it was tradition, and she missed Bajor. SO much. Around her, other crew were involved in loud, happy conversations. She didn't engage. She didn't know most of them; a thing she'd once wanted but maybe was reconsidering. Her six-month "recovery" after the Borg stuff had helped her. A lot. She still wasn't 100% "normal." She probably wouldn't ever be; she had been so young when her traumas started that she was cooked. Still, she could maybe learn to like people again. Right?! Especially men.