An elaborate thing... with food.. and such stuffs.

Posted on Tue Jan 11th, 2011 @ 11:15am by Commander Raven Adams

3,226 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: On Typhon Station
Location: Lieutenant Commander Skylar's quarters

Skylar reviewed several of the items he had read off the terminal.

He stared at the candles, sitting on the table. He did not quite understand their purpose, but he decided that it was an aesthetically appealing way of providing light, without the ship's internal lighting active, which, apparently, was an important part to this entire thing.

For food, he had decided upon Filet Mignon, which, he had decided, was not that difficult a dish to cook, despite what the recipe book had said. A dish of mixed vegetables was added, both as a supplementary source of nutrition, and an aesthetic side-dish.

Two plates, with required cutlery, and two wine glasses. He had come across a bottle of something called Bobbleberry White Wine, something native to Betazed, when he had followed Lieutenant Yaneri through the promenade. He had later gone back, and purchased it, deciding it was appropriate for his guest.

He looked back at the oven, and hoped that he had not entirely ruined the dessert, when he had replaced one of the stated ingredients for something analogous, from a different planet.

Now, all that was missing, was the guest, for whom he had spent much of the past several hours getting all this ready for. He sat down on his chair, and waited patiently for Commander Adams to arrive.

Raven dressed in a pair of black jeans, a black poet's shirt and a black leather vest. For her it was more comfortable than her uniform and, as she wasn't sure what kind of help Skylar wanted with his social studies, she figured comfortable was best.

She also figured she should introduce him to Betazoid chocolate. So she picked up a box on her way to his quarters.

She rang the door chime and waited.

Skylar stood, and approached the door. He opened the door, and smiled at Raven. It wasn't a large one. Barely noticeable. "Hello, Commander."

From behind his back, he pulled out a singular red rose. "I do not quite understand the purpose of such a gesture, but I have a flower for you."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Thank you." She was puzzled by the gesture, but accepted it gracefully. She held it up to her nose to inhale the fragrance, then slipped it into the vee of her shirt and vest. "As you are learning more about human customs, I brought you some Betazoid chocolate. It's among the finest in the galaxy," she said as she handed him the box.

Skylar quirked an eyebrow. The timer on the stove went off. "I am aware of this." He stated. He went to the oven, and opened it, revealing something in a cake-pan. "Have you ever tried it in a cheesecake?"

The smell of the cheesecake filled the room and Raven closed her eyes. One of her weaknesses. "It smells divine."

Skylar refrained from laughing, though he wished to. "From the looks of this, I should have skipped the fish, and salad."

"Man cannot live by chocolate alone," she misquoted.

"Well, you are not male, and neither of us is of the species that was misquoted from." Skylar noted. "Regardless, it would be rather shameful to allow such a dinner to be wasted, simply because we wished to eat all of the dessert, instead."

"Man is in the generic form, meaning mankind -- but I suspect you know that," she said, trying not to smile. "Other than that, I agree with you. It would be a shame to waste a lovely meal. Dessert is always worth waiting for."

Skylar nodded, and smiled. "I found something on the promenade, I hope you enjoy." He said, as he uncorked the bottle of Betazoid wine. "Though I have not yet tried it myself." He added.

He poured two small-ish portions into the glass, and recorked the bottle.

Raven took the glass from him and looked at it. "I haven't had this in a while. It's quite good." She held her glass up to his. "To friends."

Skylar nodded. "And new beginnings." He said with a nod.

"And new beginnings," she said, touching her glass to his. She took a sip and nodded. "Nice."

Skylar nodded. "It has certain aesthetically appealing features, yes." He said with a bit of a smile. "Though the alcohol content is a bit overpowering."

"That's the whole point," Raven said. "It's supposed to have a kick. You don't drink it in large quantities."

Skylar nodded. "It is appreciated, that you do not mind the manner in which I approached you. I am aware it is not social-norm."

"My life has not been normal," she retorted. "Why should this be any different?"

Skylar nodded. "I suppose that's true."

Raven raised her glass to him in a salute. "Take my word for it."

Skylar placed the fish, and salad on the table. "Yes. I suppose that's best." Skylar said. "My life has hardly been that of a standard Vulcan."

"Oh? Why's that?" she asked.

"For one thing, as I have a higher protein requirements, among other dietary difficulties, meat proteins are routinely a part of my diet." Skylar noted. "As you have also picked up on, I do not always 'act' Vulcan, as, while it does have it's time and place, it is not practical for every social occasion, including dinner dates."

"Fascinating," she said humorously.

Skylar let the slightest bit of a chuckle out. "That's good. You can do that almost as well as I can."

"There have been times..." was all she'd say.

Skylar nodded. "Your position requires you to keep such information quiet. What you say, you can trust, it will be kept in confidence. What you do not, trust that I understand the necessity of the needs of the many, outweighing the needs of the few. I will hold nothing of your position against you. What we do on duty, is not who we are, merely our job title."

Raven took another sip of her drink. "Time will tell." She was being deliberately vague. She'd only just met him and wasn't sure yet how much she could trust him. Or with what. There were very few people who truly knoew who Raven was.

Skylar chuckled softly. "It will indeed. I'm not giving up on you."

"Mr. Skylar, I believe you have a far better grasp of social behavior than you let on."

"That is not saying all that much, now is it?" Skylar asked. "Would you care for some more wine, or, perhaps, some of this food that I prepared?"

"I believe I would like to try the food. I'm curious to see how well you cook."

Skylar nodded, briefly, and smiled. "Ladies first." He said, nodding to the food on the table. "And I promise, I poisoned none of it. Except for the first fish, which was improperly cooked, so it found the recycler chute."

"I'm curious to learn how your improperly cooked fish was poisonous," she said as she got a plate and began to take portions from the various dishes.

"Most fish are toxic, uncooked. Earth Salmon, for example, are known to carry what is known as Salmonella poisoning, if they are not cooked long enough." Skylar said. "Cooking is a rather fascinating field of study."

"I'm afraid it's not one of my fields of study. I can fix a few basic meals -- mostly over a fire -- but I mainly use a replicator," Raven admitted. She took a bite of the fish and nodded. "It's quite good."

Skylar smiled, and nodded, a he finished serving himself. "Quite healthy for you, as well."

"So I've heard," she replied. "Have you spent much time cooking?"

"I have." Skylar said. "Not necessarily today. This only took 1 hour, 26.5 minutes to prepare, including the first attempt at the fish. But it is a daily tradition, that I learned from an old Commanding Officer. If you prepare at least one meal per day on your own, you do not lose valuable cooking skills. Thusly, if you are ever marooned on a planet, you are that much more likely to remember how to properly prepare it."

"Logical," she said, finishing her fish. "But then, I would expect no less from a Vulcan." She smiled to show she didn't mean it as an insult, merely a statement of fact.

Skylar nodded. "There is also a certain level of enjoyment that one obtains, when another enjoys foodstuffs one has prepared."

That made Raven laugh. "Well, your cooking is very good."

Skylar bowed, slightly. "It is greatly appreciated, ma'am."

Raven bowed back.

"So, how has your stay on the Typhon been, sans classified material, of course." Skylar asked. "I have found it to be a rather unique community."

"It is unique. I've found it a unique challenge," she said. "But so far I've enjoyed it."

Skylar nodded. "I have found much of the Starbase's facilities to be enjoyable."

"What have you seen so far?"

"The promenade, Engineering, and, of course, the reception area." Skylar said. "I was briefly in the Operations department, to meet the Commodore. And of course, the delightful company of the Chief Intelligence Officer, which is finer than any of the above."

"I didn't think Vulcans could flirt," Raven laughed.

"I did state I was not your average Vulcan." Skylar pointed out.

"Yes, you did," Raven admitted. "You aren't your average anything."

Skylar chuckled. "I was thinking something similar about you, actually."

"So, tell me about this sociological study you're doing," Raven said.

"Oh, it's nothing real, written, or special." Skylar noted. "I have not come across such a large grouping of such diverse people, and it was originally to see how they functioned as a community. However, I have found an obvious complication."

"Oh? What sort of complication?"

"I have become infatuated with a member of the subject group." Skylar noted. "I am no longer capable of being objective in this regard."

"Infatuated." She finished her drink as she digested his words. The problem now was, what would she do now? She found his honesty a vast improvement over her last date. "Well, infatuation usually dies out quickly," she said, her tone dry. Honesty deserved honesty.

"So I have noticed." Skylar stated. "I have seen a few people fall out of infatuation, because they did not capitalize on the opportunity to make something out of it. I hope that this is not the case, in this regard."

"That's love. Infatuation dies as quickly as its born," Raven said. "Love dies if it's not nurtured or if the two in love don't work on it."

Skylar pondered that for a moment. "That is an interesting definition of that word." He said, after some thought. "I find the entire concept slightly perplexing, yet I am told that this is a common state of affairs."

"It is indeed." She nodded. "Many people mistake infatuation for love. It's a shadow of the real thing. Transitory. Ephemeral. Infatuation is selfish. Love is deeper, selfless." She shrugged. "Or so I have been told."

Skylar pondered this. "I am also told it varies from person to person." He stated. "Regardless, I do not intend you any harm. If you do not wish me to pursue this, I will step back. It may take a bit of time, but I will not take offense,"

She took a moment to think about it. She could feel his sincerity. Something she probably should have done the last time. "I don't mind. So far I enjoy your company."

"This is fortunate." Skylar said with a nod. " I appreciate your company, as well."

"So, where do we go from here?" she asked, figuring bluntness was the best way to go at this point.

Skylar shook his head. "This is not something I can answer. I do not wish to push you. Where do you wish to go from here?"

"I don't know."

"Then we will." He paused. "How is it said by humans? Play it by ear?"

"Yes. We shall play it by ear," Raven said. "Now, I wish to try that cheesecake."

Skylar nodded, and carefully cut a slice out for Raven. It was rather generous. He then cut a similar size slice for himself.

"I hope I did not ruin this recipe by using a different chocolate, than the recipe originally called for." Skylar said with a smile, as he pondered the piece of cake.

"What did you substitute?" she asked, taking a bite and sighing in appreciation.

"It was a triple chocolate cheesecake recipe calling for German, Belgian, and Swiss chocolates. I just used all three amounts, in Betazoid chocolate instead." Skylar said.

"It worked," was all Raven said as she took another bite of cheesecake.

"This is good." Skylar said, as he took a bite. He raised both eyebrows. "Indeed. Indeed it is."

Raven grinned. "Yes, it's very good. You're a good cook."

Skylar nodded. "Appreciated." He said with his little smile. He took another bite. "I will have to remember this recipe."

"I'd love to have a copy. It's quite good." She took a moment to eat another bite before continuing. "So, Mr. Skylar, what do you like to do?"

Skylar pondered the question. "I presume you are inquiring about hobbies, and not things like eating, and breathing, which are a prerequisite to continued existence." Skylar said. "I spend much of my time working, or watching people. They are interesting. Sometimes I do some of the more generically Vulcan things, like Chess, or what have you."

'I didn't know what have you was genetically Vulcan," she said tongue-in-cheek. "And chess is a Terran game, originally."

Skylar smirked. "Not everything is, as they were genetically coded, lady Raven." Skylar said with a nod. "They sometimes just pretend that they are, so people don't ask bothersome questions about their sanity."

Raven had to laugh at that. "Point taken. So, do you do other things besides work, watch people, play chess and meditate?"

"I have yet to find anyone who has stepped out of their way to introduce me to new hobbies, or interests." Skylar said. "Perhaps you could offer assistance in that regard."

"Perhaps," she said. "I don't do much more than you do. I fly, from time to time. I read." She paused for a moment. "Have you ever slept in a coffin? They're quite comfortable."

Skylar quirked an eyebrow. "Fascinating. I have not had the luxury."

"You should try it some time," she said blithely, finishing off her cheesecake.

Skylar pondered this briefly. He quirked an eyebrow after several moments of deliberation. "Was that a threat, an attempt at suggesting I join you, or merely a suggestion?"

"I don't issue threats. I don't proposition people I just met and I think you might find it... interesting. I've slept in a coffin for years. Much more comfortable than a bed. And it makes people wonder about your sanity," she added with a chuckle.

Skylar allowed his eyebrow to resume it's normal gesture, then nodded. "Would you like another slice of cheesecake?"

Raven giggled. "Always."

Skylar privately enjoyed that sound. Her giggling. It had a lot of softness, and innocence, hidden in it, or so Skylar thought. "I will have to remember this recipe." Skylar repeated, with a chuckle.

"Most definitely," she said as she ate the second slice of cheesecake. When she was done she took a sip of her wine. "That was delicious. Thank you."

Skylar nodded. "Thank you." He said with a trace of a smile. "For the enjoyable company."

"Thank you for the enjoyable food," she replied. "And the company wasn't bad, either."

Skylar simply nodded. "Is there anything else you would care for?" Skylar asked. He let his gaze fall down to the last slice of cheesecake. "Perhaps some leftovers to take with you?"

"Take with me, yes. I'm too full to eat any more right now," she said, noting his glance to the cheesecake. A man who cooked like Skylar did was definitely trouble. But right now she didn't care.

Skylar wrapped the plate in a protective wrap, and handed it to Raven. "Just don't tell anyone who made it, if you are forced to share. I don't have the spare time to open up a private bakery."

"Trust me, I won't be sharing," Raven confessed with a chuckle. "At least, not with anyone else." She took the plate and bowed. "Thank you."

"I hope you enjoy it." Skylar said with a bow in return. "And I am serious. I do not wish to have to apply for promenade space."

"It won't happen," Raven assured him. "I'm going straight to my quarters with this." The only person who might have been able to get the information from her was Dhindara, another Betazoid and the only person she had ever met who was a bigger chocoholic than Raven. But Dhindara left the starbase months earlier, so there wasn't anything to worry about.

Skylar nodded, and smiled. "Then you get to enjoy continued rights to eating my cooking." He said with a chuckle.

"But only if I tell no one?" she asked, her own eyebrow raised. "Paranoid, aren't you?"

"I'm an engineer, and a Vulcan." Skylar noted. "I don't wish to become famous for being an elaborate cook who does strange things with chocolate."

"Even if people knew you baked, it's unlikely they'd be beating down your door on a regular basis. Not that you aren't good, I just don't see it happening unless you start taking your baked goods to work and passing them out to everyone in your department on a regular basis."

"Precisely why you must keep this a secret," Skylar said with a nod. "But then, as the Chief Intelligence Officer, I'm sure you will be capable of this."

He pondered how long it would take for Raven to realize he was joking with her.

"You are a frustrating man," she said in exasperation. "Did you know that?" He was a hard person to read. She might have to break her own rule and use her telepathy to get a sense of when he was serious and when he was joking. She shook her head, relenting. "Do you need help cleaning up?"

"I will be fine." Skylar said with a nod. "It should not take long. They are all replicated dishes, and the recycler does a great job on them."

"True," she said with a nod. "Then I thank you very much for dinner. I enjoyed myself."

Skylar nodded, and gave her just the softest kiss on the cheek, at the door. "As did I."

Raven was surprised by the kiss. She hadn't expected it; at the same time, she didn't mind it, either. She paused to smile warmly at Skylar. "See you later," she said before leaving. The evening was nothing like what she'd expected. Neither was Skylar. She looked forward forward to seeing him again.

Skylar stood there, at the door, for roughly a full minute and a half. Clearing his mind, which took great difficulty, he went back in to the Kitchen and began cleaning.

That woman is too damn fascinating. He thought to himself. Not that this is a bad thing.

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Commander Raven Adams
Chief Intel Officer

Lieutenant Commander Skylar
Chief Engineering Officer

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