Cats or Pegasi Part I
Posted on Mon Dec 16th, 2024 @ 5:27pm by Sergeant Audie Fitch & Lieutenant Jayak Zek
Edited on on Tue Dec 17th, 2024 @ 11:00pm
2,264 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Episode 16 - Silent Cries
Location: Various - Promenade - Empok Nor
Timeline: MD01 0800 hrs
A day off-duty was something to be relished and appreciated, and Audie wasn't about to squander it, not that she had anything pressing to do. So, for now, she was content to wander the shops, looking for something to spend some credits on.
First was to restock her journal and drawing supplies. Actual journaling in a book of blank paper was a somewhat fading art, but there was something about putting a pen to paper that was more satisfying than talking into a machine, and it was partly that fun of marring a blank page that attracted her to sketching.
Now that she was looking over the options of writing pads, it occurred to her that this would be something Annie might like, so she was trying to choose between one with a fanciful winged Pegasus on the cover and one that had a painting of a cat reminiscent of old 'Steampunk' art.
"So, which do you think?" she asked aloud, intending to address Buster, who had been sitting at her feet a few minutes ago, but found herself facing a Bajoran man.
"Oh, sorry..."
Zek chuckled, amused by the auburn, no, brown, no auburn, well, some kind of brown haired woman before him. He quickly assessed her, noting her come hither brown eyes that were steeled. A playful and serious side, Zek guessed. And who was he to refuse an adventure?
"Sorry for what?" he asked nonchalantly. "I would recommend the Pegasus," he advised the woman. "Nobody should be afraid to take flight. Though, I do find it interesting that those are both that and the harsh, yet fanciful cat are your two choices. Either you or your friend has a rather wide range of aesthetics, which I find rather interesting."
"Oh, well, anything with cats!" Audie commented with a chuckle, although she did like his words about 'taking flight'...that would be perfect for Annie!
He then asked, before continuing. "Of course, I am not who you were seeking. Perhaps I could assist you in finding said person for their opinion?"
"Oh, not a person..." Audie felt her cheeks heat up a little as she laughed. "A cat!" She looked around, spotting the one-eyed ginger farther down the aisle, inspecting some stuffed animals. "That cat, Buster. And no, he doesn't actually answer me. I'm Audie!" She held out her hand to shake.
Zek took Audie's hand and shook it congenially. "Jayak Zek," the Bajoran answered. "Though, I suspect that your cat, Buster, would disagree with my assessment...." He turned to the cat and gave an apologetic salute towards him. "No offense, Buster, I still stand by the recommendation of the Pegasus. Is this for yourself or someone else?"
"It's for a friend...well, more like a niece, but not." Audie chuckled as Buster sauntered over to investigate the newcomer. "She's sweet and a little wild, and I want to nurture that part of her, get her away from all the computers and such, at least for a while."
Shrugging, Audie indicated the journal she had tucked under her arm for herself, a drawing of Earth on the cover. "I've been keeping journals for a long time, and I dabble in sketching, too. Anyway, what you said about taking flight is so true, we all need to do that now and then."
"Stories on stories it seems that you have. All the layers. I think I should take the time to allow you to peel each one back for me. You appreciate all of the modern conveniences but you prefer some things old-fashioned. And sketching...." He looked over her drawings. "Quite admirable. Such a talent I lack."
"Flights of fancy," Audie chuckled, "it gives us something to dream about."
He paused as he sidled up to Audie, "So, where should we fly off to, hmmm?"
"Oh, well...." All right, she'd accept the invitation, after all, it was good to get to know people, and Audie tended to hang around with the Kingsman. "There's a place around the corner that has smoothies and ice cream...and they'll let Buster in, so long as he stays off the tables!" She chuckled, then added, "Let me pay for these."
"But of course," Zek answered. He waited patiently for Audie to pay for her items and lead him to the identified place. Once she was done, he inquired, "Smoothies and ice cream. So, is your diet mostly liquid? And which would you prefer, I wonder. I would guess that Buster would prefer the ice cream."
"Oh, I eat real food, too, and Buster will gobble down almost anything!" Audie laughed. "If you want to grab a meal, that's fine, too. I'm open to just about anything, so long as it isn't moving." There were some of those 'delicacies', particularly Klingon, that just were...no.
"Gotta be flexible in the field, you just have to eat what you have, and MRE's aren't that great. Oh," she quickly explained, "I'm a Marine...a Kingsman!" The last spoken with pride.
"A marine, you say?" Zek stroked his stubble thoughtfully as he continued to stay near Audie. "I have to admit that I do not know what a Kingsman is, but you look more like a Kingswoman to me." He paused before saying, "I could be wrong. You never know about these things.... But, as to food, I am not particular, so if you say smoothies and ice cream, then so it shall be."
"Kingsmen are a unit of the Marines, Special Ops, I guess you'd call it." Audie shrugged, leaving her purchases to be sent to her cabin, then headed out the door. "It's a brotherhood...no distinction between members, so we don't worry over the words."
It was a little hard to explain, and it really wasn't something any of them thought about.
"This is the place. I like it because it's got tables outside, so Buster can be here."
The inside of the shop was pretty simple, just a counter for ordering, and several tables scattered around.
"So, I think I'll have a mint chocolate chip shake. What about you?"
Zek looked around. These tables would be ideal for people watching. He made a mental note to keep it on his list of places to observe others. "So, you're special ops. Are you really supposed to go telling people about that sort of thing?" he wondered aloud before chuckling lightly.
"Now, as to a dish... Let me see...." Zek inspected the menu thoroughly and made an audible thinking sounds before coming to a conclusion. "I think that I shall have a kava juice smoothie." He turned to Audie and explained, "They're using fresh kava to make their smoothies. They're much better than those that are replicated."
He then mused, "I wonder why. You would think that we are able to synthesize anything by manipulating the molecules and replicate it but for whatever reason, kava always tastes better fresh."
"Most things are better fresh," Audie observed, "but I think there are a lot of folks who don't get a chance to try stuff that isn't replicated." So many people grew up in synthetic situations, and mostly only had synthetic foods.
"I grew up on Earth, so I had plenty of chance to eat 'real' food, and I do miss that sometimes."
But he was right, real was better, and this little shop had a good variety of that.
With her shake in one hand and a 'kitty-cup' of cream in the other, she led the way back outside and settled at a table, putting the cream down for the kitty.
"So, Zek, what is your purpose in life? Are you a wanderer or worker?"
"My purpose in life?" Zek asked with a laugh. "I thought you were a marine, not a counselor or a philosopher." He then paused for a moment, screwed up his face slightly and in the most philosophical tone that he could muster retorted, "And who is to say what purpose I have? Few know their purpose and I do wonder, who REALLY knows what their purpose is? Maybe there is some deity's grand plan and we're just mucking with it."
"Oh, well, I guess that's right...I never have much fretted over what my purpose is in the long-term." Audie shrugged and took a sip of her shake. "I mean, sure, live a good life, be a good person, find happiness, all that, but for [i]purpose[/i]...I just mean to ask what it is you do?" She chuckled, "Besides giving advice to strangers?"
"Actually, that is what I do," Zek answered with a sly grin. "I'm the new Chief Counselor here. The Prophets know that I would rather people find their own answers than me giving them to them, however." Zek took a sip from his smoothie, his eyes never leaving Audie.
"Oh...counselor?" Audie raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. "Well, may we never meet professionally! I'm a medic, too, show up during emergencies and put you back together again."
She grinned, but then shrugged. "Can't say as I like having to go to counselors...no offense, and I've managed to dodge them so far, except for the mandatory evaluations." She frowned as she sipped more of her shake. "So, now, who does your evaluations?"
"A professional meeting is best to be avoided, I agreed. Then again, we do not travel much in the same circles, which, of course, is much more interesting to me. My evaluations are usually done by the head counselor before I come on duty. After all, if I was not fit, then the former or acting chief would continue that position. As to not liking going to counselors, why is that? I do understand we're only slightly higher on the dislike scale from the medical professionals, though I cannot really understand why, either. Enlighten me, please." He bent down to sip his smoothie while smiling broadly at Audie, still trying to determine the exact hue of her hair.
"Oh, well..." Well, there as no reason to hedge or hold back, after all, it was a sincere question that some folks might feel awkward answering. "Part, I guess, is that it's not comfortable having someone 'get into your head', to look at your thoughts and opinions critically, if that makes sense?"
Shrugging, she took a sip of shake, then started to stroke Buster, who had jumped into her lap. "And going to a counselor is like admitting you have something wrong, and you can't deal with it yourself? And no one wants to think that. And, personally, I think some of it's just hooey...platitudes."
She'd been to counselors a few times in her life, and at first it had put her off and left her wary, and more recently, she was just prone to say what she thought they wanted to hear.
The moment that Audie said that she believed that some counseling is just hooey or platitudes, Zek roared out laughing. "Is that a fact?" he asked between laughs as he tried to settle it down. "Well, you're certainly forthright enough."
Zek took a deep breath and then sucked some more of his smoothie down. "Perhaps you have been talking to the wrong counselors. Prophets know that part of my training and continuing training is to consult with another counselor. Sometimes it is nice just to talk - have a sounding board. That does not mean that there is something wrong with you. Other times, we're useful for improving morale or determining why someone is acting in a way that might seem unusual. Other times, a counselor is the friend that someone can confide in when you just can't talk to anyone else."
He took another sip of his smoothie and said, "This is rather good." He then continued. "But yes, sometimes we help people who are having problems but I like to think of it this way: I can give you a fish and that might solve your problem, but if I teach you to fish, I can teach you to feed yourself and learn a new skill. I like to think that i just help people find their own solutions to their problems. Then, ideally, I'll be out of a job."
"I agree it would be great if we could both be out of jobs!" Audie declared. Of course, that was never going to happen, mostly because folks were folks, and pretty much regardless of species, were susceptible to injuries of the flesh and the psyche.
"But, you might be right about the counselors I've had to talk to...that they weren't ideal for me." She shrugged, finding that just stroking the cat was soothing. "But then, I think I'm resistant to it, just say what they want to hear and be done with it."
Hopefully, that wouldn't come back to bite her if she ever had to come to Zek professionally! "I think, too, that I'm skeptical that someone can help who hasn't had the same experiences, if that makes sense?"
How could someone 'get in your head' if they hadn't experienced combat, or patching a child back together, hoping to keep them alive long enough to get them to a proper medbay...
A Joint Post By
Sergeant Audie Fitch
Corpsman Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
Lieutenant Jayak Zek
Chief Counselor, Empok Nor
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