Dining Under the Stars

Posted on Sat 28th Jul, 2012 @ 4:29pm by Commander Brian Windsong & Commander Paul Graves PsyD

2,520 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: http://sb109.sim-station.net/index.php/sim/missions/id/2
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: Current

Brian had bribed an operations officer with a bottle of whiskey,to program the Holodeck with a special idea he had come up with. Someone had given the whiskey about six months back and he had finally found a perfect use for it. He was rid of a bottle of stuff he found revolting and in return he'd gotten a very nice program.

The near tropical sun filtered through a canopy of palm trees and on to the thatched roof of the main lounge, a slight breeze stirred the fronds. The smell of roasted pig wafted through the air mixed with the salty scent of an ocean

Cylindrical spires could be seen in the distance. This was Kesh, the capital city of the Windsong home province. This was home, and Brian wanted Paul to experience it. It would make a good first date.

It remained to be seen what would happen after the date, but Brian could hardly wait to find out.

Outside in the corridor, Paul halted at the door of the holodeck. He was a bit surprised that Brian hadn't simply suggested they eat at Orchids and Jazz. Dinner in the holodeck seemed like an awful lot of trouble to go to for just a meal and a chance to get acquainted. But variety was the spice of life, and Brian was turning out to be an interesting man. Paul pressed the door chime, curious to see what Brian had come up with.

Brian, who was dressed in a loose fitting teal shirt and khaki colored linen pants, set down his rum punch ^=^Computer advanced timing two hours to half hour before sunset^=^ he said in a low voice.

"Come in," he called out, "Just walk though the lobby and out the far door. I'm at the main lounge and your should find me easily enough."

When the holodeck doors opened, Paul found himself inside a restaurant or club. Through the windows, he got an impression of some variant of palm trees and a brilliant twilight sky. A hostess came forward to greet him. Paul told the holodeck figure that he was meeting someone and went on through to the main lounge, where he saw Brian Windsong seated in off-duty clothes, sipping a drink.

Up until the moment Brian had asked him to come to the holodeck, Paul had planned to simply wear his uniform. But Brian had told him to dress informally, so Paul had changed into a pair of black slacks and a loose, light-blue cotton shirt with a narrow, stand-up collar. He glanced about the lounge and caught sight of Brian.

"Nice place," Paul said as he reached Brian where he sat at the bar and sat down on the empty bar stool beside him. "Where is it?"

Brian turned on the bar stool facing Paul, a sly grin on his face. "I can't really see how accurate it is, but it is supposed to be my family's resort, one of their businesses. It's in the city of Kesh in the Marakesh Province on my homeworld.

"I'm glad you like it. It holds lots of fond memories for me." Brian did not go into more detail at the moment; that would come later as he came to know Paul not as the ship's counselor, but as a friend
and possibly more.

Paul didn't press the question. There were some things one didn't have to be an empath to know, especially given Windsong's history. He ordered a glass of the local beer. "So you didn't want to go into hotel management?" he asked and sipped at his ale appreciatively once the bartender brought it. It tasted crisp, cold, and pleasantly spicy.

A shadow passed across Brian's face and then was gone as quickly as it had come. "It wasn't a matter of what I wanted, "he replied evenly, "It was a matter of what my father wanted, what my duty was. It was my duty to see that the resolution to join the Federation passed the Council, then it was my duty to see that the Federation accepted our terms and that the process was completed.

It was my brothers who were to take over this business. But I will tell you this. Someday, when I retire this is what I want to do. Find someplace like this on some out of the way planet. I know it's not particularly glamorous or exciting, but with the right life-partner by my side, I'll be happy.

"Sorry, I know that was a rather long-winded response to your question. What about you, did you always want to be a counselor?"

Paul laughed. "Not a bit! I wanted to do rock-climbing. Unfortunately, you can't really earn money at that; rather the opposite. You could say I became a counselor to support my rock-climbing habit." He grinned. "I got interested in counseling because I used to observe people a lot when I wasn't trying to avoid them."

"Are you serious?" Brian asked. I enjoy rock climbing, I've even been looking for someone to rock climb with. I like to free climb myself. How about you?"

"I've done a little free-climbing," Paul said, "but probably not as much as you have, if you like it a lot. I did it at first because the idea terrified me. After I got over the worst of my fear, I found that you really get a better sense of the rock when you free-climb. You depend upon the rock and your momentum to survive, and that sense of oneness with the rock is exhilarating...as long as you don't look down."

"Well I don't have that problem do I?" he asked with a grin, "Have you ever tried Spiker Rock? It's an Earth formation."

"No, I've done all my climbing on Betazed," Paul said.

"Well, you'll have to try a hologram version if we have some time. I think it would be fun to climb with you.

You have your choice of a guiena game hen stuffed with wild rice, a steak and baked potato, or a grilled tehena with crenshay, it's an Akadian dish that is similar to tuna and asparagus. Which would you prefer?"

"Hm..." Paul mulled it over for a moment. "The tehena and crenshay," he said. "I'll try anything once...except gakh." He gave Brian an interested look. "So you free-climb. That's a ballsy thing to do when you can't see. Did you free-climb before the attack?"

"Yeah I did. It was actually Morgan that introduced me to the sport. Now I have to have a spotter. Someone on the ground or another climber with me. I may be ballsy, but I'm not suicidal.

"So dinner under the Akadain stars, I don't know if it was too much for a first, uh date, if you want to call it that, but a tad more civil and romantic than trying to seduce you into my bed. I know from what you said in our session that wouldn't work-though I can be quite persuasvie- besides I'm trying trying to get away from that kind of sh, uh stuff.

"May I ask you a personal question?"

"Ask away," Paul said.

"I am assuming from a few things you said earlier that you're what you would call bi. Do you have a preference?"

"A preference?" Paul thought about it a moment. "I've never really had to think about that before," he admitted. "A lot of my people are bisexual; it comes with the empathy, I think. Because we're open to everyone's feelings, we're open to each others' preferences. But if I really had to decide, I'd have to say I prefer...women more. It's probably the Terran in me. What about you?"

"Until Morgan I'd have to say I didn't really have a preference, now I'd give a slight edge to men, but I'm more concerned with whether I like the person than their gender. So are you seeing anyone?"

"Yeah, I agree. I have to like the person. If I don't, intimacy is unbearable," Paul said. "Liking the person is even more important than them being psi-gifted, to me." He looked at Brian over the rim of his glass. "No, I'm not seeing anyone. I dated a couple of people on the ships I've served on, but the relationships usually ended when they or I transferred off."

There was a long pause before Brian replied. "I used to be that way. Relationships were very important to me. Before Morgan, I didn't really sleep around much. I was just with people that were friends. But after Morgan, well after Morgan, I've slept with more people than I can count.

"And I am sick and tired of it. What I'm looking for is just what you said, intimacy. Real true intimacy." He paused before continuing, "I am sorry, I didn't mean to go on like that."

"You're not boring me," Paul told him. "I want true intimacy, too; it's the only sort of relationship I can really be satisfied with," he said. "But it doesn't happen overnight."

"I know that all too well. I'm willing to wait and let things develop for the right person. So I don't mind taking it slow."

Paul gave Brian an intent look and at last felt the tension he'd been nursing all day fade. Windsong meant what he said, and he no longer felt the need to mentally hold the man back at arm's length. The fear of being pushed into something he didn't yet want fizzled away, leaving a sense of relief and calm. "Thank you, Paul said. He smiled. "I'd really enjoy getting to know you better," he said. "So what do you like to do, besides rock-climbing?"

"I like to cook. Not the replicator kind of crap, but real food. I'll have to show you sometime. Breakfast is my specialty. I like to spend time in the holodeck although I'm not sure my Tradtionalist friends would find that appropriate. I landed a gig at Orchids playing the piano. If you're a night owl you'll have to stop by and hear me. I sing too. Pretty decently though my singing isn't going to win too many awards. What about you, Paul? You don't mind if I call you Paul do you?"

"I hope you'd call me Paul," Paul said, chuckling. "We can't really go through life calling each other Commander and Lieutenant all the time, can we?

"No, I don't suppose we can, Paul. So what do you like to do for fun?"

"Well..." Paul thought for a moment. "Not a lot of things aside from rock-climbing that you could enjoy without sight," he said. "I like to ride Terran animals called horses; we could do that. I also like to sketch and play tennis and golf. Those are both sports requiring hand-eye coordination. And I'm learning a Terran martial art called karate--emphasis on 'learning.'" Paul sipped at his beer. "I don't tend to like team sports; they kind of fray the mental shielding."

"Well I do have some knowledge of martial arts, and I think it would be fun to ride horses. I heard about them when I was at the Academy, but I've never really seen them, but you're right the other things you mentioned, I don't think I'd be very good at.

"Do you like Terran music? I rather like it, especially the ancient kind. I'll have to play for you sometime."

"You like plainsong?" Paul asked. It was the most ancient form of Terran music he could think of. "I like some of their rock music, anything with a good melody and a strong beat--even better if it has good lyrics. Some rock songs have good melody and beat, but the lyrics are empty. I can't stand that, except that it's good to dance to. I like to dance."

"I am not familiar with plainsong, what is that?"

"Old, old Terran religious music, done with just a melody line," Paul said. "Is that the kind of music you were talking about?"

"I see, well I didn't mean quite that ancient. I'm not a huge fan of rock music, but if it has a good melody it isn't too bad. At least the softer variety. I'm afraid I'm more of a country guy. Well that and the Rat Pack.

"However, I like to dance, too. So maybe after dinner we can dance together, but the band here just plays reggae. I hope that will be okay."

"Never heard of reggae or the Rat Pack," Paul said, "but I wouldn't pass up a chance to dance with you. How do you know so much about Earth culture? Do you have Terran relatives?"

"Well I think you'll like reggae, it has a nice beat to dance to and I'm glad that you want to dance with me, I think it would be fun to dance with you too. I'll sing some of the Rat Pack music to you sometimes.

"No I don't have any Terran relatives, I've just been studying it for a few years, mostly to help push through the treaty, but I've come to fall in love with it too."

"What about Akadian music?" Paul asked. He sipped from his beer again, and the chilled liquid felt wonderful as it effervesced down his throat. "I do like Terran country music. Have you ever heard of a group called the Charlie Daniels Band?"

"Akadian music is similar to Andorian Blues or Earth jazz. We also have some folk music too. And I have heard the name, but haven't really heard the music. Do you play or sing?"

"I can sing," Paul said. "I like Betazed folk songs and Celtic music from Earth. I can even sing some of it in Gaelic, which is its original language."

"Well then I suppose we can serenade each other. Maybe have a sing off even, though I don't know what we'd do for a prize. Any suggestions?"

Paul burst out laughing. "O, solo mio..." he sang in an awful imitation of a Venetian gondolier. "Let's not and say we did!"

"Here I'm trying a little seduction humor and you have to go and muck it up. It's a good thing I'm not eisily offended."

"I suppose there are things I could do to make it up to you..." Paul suggested.

"Oh?" Brian asked raising a brow, "And just how would you do that?"

"I'm told I give a decent back-rub," Paul suggested. "I think I could be persuaded to share my talents with the guy who came up with this fantastic holo-program. How's the food here, by the way?"

"I would love for you to share your talents with me," Birian responded with a grin. "I can't tell you how good the food is; this is the first time I've run this program. If it turns out like it is supposed to, then it will be fantastic. It is programed from my memories to be just like home. We'll see how the computer does, though."

OFF

Lt. Commander Brian Windsong
Chief Diplomatic Officer

Lt.(jg) Paul Graves
Chief Counselor

 

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