USS Dark Fire (IC)

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1900

“Not at all, and you won’t get intoxicated on that amount,” L’Sa replied. “Leshu'sa'atix – Freedom Bearer.”

Sipping her tea she raised an eyebrow, “Vulcan’s don’t Lie. Nor would I deceive you by an unspoken truth.”

“You’re safe Xiana,” Jordan commented with a smile. “If you get drunk off that, I’ll have you transported to you quarters, so you won’t need to travel the corridors.”

Standing L’Sa started to clear the table and serve the cinnamon rolls.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“I’m choosing to trust you, Leshu’sa’atix,” Xiana replied, drinking the port. She held it in her tongue briefly to savor the flavor, trying to decipher it’s ingredients before it went down her throat. It was painful. “Is it supposed to have a hint of sweetness or is my tongue confused?”

She had to take a breath afterward, but she placed the glass back on the table. “I’d enjoy some more, if possible.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1905

“Should be slightly sweet, Like Cherries Jubilee with nutmeg.” Jordan commented as he took her glass and poured her a double shot. “After that it’s single shots only. Most humans consider it to be as bad as Everclear."

Sitting he started cutting his cinnamon roll into bite sized portions as L’Sa did the same, though she inspected her's before she started eating it.

“Good thing it’s cream cheese and not powdered sugar,” Jordan said. “I love Cream Cheese and Vulcan’s can’t handle sugar.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

She took the glass and swished the liquid around a couple of times. How far would she be in her career if she used her persuasion for people that weren’t herself? “I drank something that looked like this recently with K’alena. I don’t think it was the same thing, but the colors are very similar.”

She knew if she fixated on how it had burned previously, she’d chicken out. Xiana swallowed the double shot in one gulp, regretting it instantly.

“How are the cinnamon rolls?” she asked with her voice strained while the burn faded. “Is sugar dangerous?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1910

“Not Dangerous,” he said. “She’d get drunk off one cinnamon roll. Found that out a long time ago. The Vulcan pancreas doesn’t process sugar like the Human one does.”

“I got exceedingly drunk, the chef made them with extra sugar and extra frosting.” L’Sa clarified.

“And the rolls are very good.” Jordan said.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“That’s terrible! I could’ve brought something else. I intended for you to enjoy it as well,” Xiana lamented. “Or if you’re interested you could have some anyway and we could level the field. We have doctorates, we deserve some homemade intoxication here and there, right?”

How fast was the liquid absorbing? She looked at her empty glass, almost if double checking that she’d had enough. Was it fast acting? Was it her?

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Having already eaten a bite L’Sa raised an eyebrow, “I am capable of eating this. I will be able to handle the sugars in the dough and the roll itself. I do not make them, so this is a special treat for Jordan.”

“I’d hold off a bit before you have more,” Jordan warned her. “Even if you’ve had it before, with a Klingon trying to get you drunk.”

“That does explain the widening of your eyes and pupils the other day.” L’Sa commented. “You’d met her before but did not wish to reveal this. May I ask why?”

“And yes, occasional intoxication is acceptable.” Jordan commented.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

So much for trying to be subtle. “It wasn’t personal, K’alena is lovely. I had a rough day trying to get through the parasite and needed a distraction. My original plan was to go to the Red Section… up until I was made aware that I needed escorting.”

“I wasn’t acquainted with any of you, so I didn’t think being seen with wrinkled clothes and a face green with nausea was the best condition for people whose respect I was still trying to earn.”

“I did have a lot of fun,” she noted, leaning back on her seat. “I do regret rejecting her advances. I’ve had some reconsidering since then.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1915

“She would injure you,” L’Sa said bluntly. “If you mean she was making sexual advances that is.”

“I would have to agree,” Jordan said. “Klingon sex is rather… well..”

“violent,” L’Sa finished.

“Yeah, Violent. Human’s end up with broken bones and torn ligaments, tendons, and very very bruised.”

“Next time, just tell Dark Fire you need some anti-intoxicants. Most Human Commanders and above had had to attend events that required drink unsuitable beverages.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

Her eyes widened. “Yeah, okay, bullet dodged then, but I’m still flattered,” she laughed.

Hopefully she’d remember the request when she sobered up. “So you two, do you have good friends on board? I don’t think I’ve seen either of you out and about. It’s perfectly fine to not be into socializing, though, if that’s the case.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1920

“We don’t socialize often.” Jordan said. “It’s not a Vulcan practice to engage in most social activities except games that involve mathematics or strategy. And due to my rank, I don’t socialize either. So normally we work, eat, mediate, pray, sleep, and train for combat.”

“I am allowed to socialize with non-military personnel like yourself, and occasionally with Officers, but the enlisted and below are off limits. And due to my position as XO I can’t afford friendships.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

She gasped. “Well, that’s just preposterous! This lovely lady gets a pass, but your rank shouldn’t be an excuse. You’re a person, not a statue.”

“You’re going to have to afford friendships, because I’m allowing you two to see me not sober, and that’s a very special and very vulnerable occasion,” Xiana stated, looking between the two. “I’ve been on my own the brief time I was here and I was miserable. There’s risks in company, but isn’t that what makes them worth it?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1925

“Starfleet Protocols AR 600-20, paragraph 4-14, defines relationships between Soldiers of different ranks and seeks to clarify proper personal and professional relationships within the Army.​

The standard for what constitutes an inappropriate leader-subordinate relationship hasn't changed in the new AR 600-20 4-14b which states, relationships, (both opposite-gender and same-gender) are prohibited if they:

-- Compromise, or appear to compromise, the integrity of supervisory authority or the chain of command;

-- Cause actual or perceived partiality or unfairness;

-- Involve, or appear to involve, the improper use of rank or position for personal gain;

-- Are, or are perceived to be, exploitative or coercive in nature;

-- Create an actual or clearly predictable adverse impact on discipline, authority, morale or the ability of the command to accomplish its mission.

If any of these criteria are met, the parties involved may be subject to Uniformed Code of Military Justice action under Article 92 as a violation of a lawful general regulation.

None of these relationships require any element of a sexual nature; they simply have to cause an actual or perceived situation, which negatively impacts a unit's good order and discipline. A couple of scenarios to consider are:

--You are an officer who regularly hangs out with some of your subordinates to watch the game.

-- You are a sergeant who calls select Soldiers by their first names.

-- You are a Soldier who enjoys working on holo-programs, so you help out the battalion command sergeant major with his holo-program during your free time.”

“Regulations, So by code I can only interact off duty with non fleet personnel. As you are a doctor and not a Ranking individual, I can associate with you.”

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“Goodness Jordan, have you ever broken a rule?” Xiana asked. Sober, she’d be impressed at how well he could recall information. In the opposite condition, it simply bugged her.

“I know, I get it, lead by example and all,” she continued, bringing the tea towards her abd taking a sip. “But historically speaking, nothing good has come from those who are afraid to stand out of line sometimes. Christ, this is delicious.”

“Come on, Reeves. You’re, in short, the only other human I have around that I don’t give counseling to. Tell me a fun anecdote of yours.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1930

“A funny anecdote?” Jordan replied, trying to think something funny he’d done. “Ah, maybe this will count, but you have to share as well.”

“When I first met L’Sa I was injured, and was in a hospital facility. As she kept checking my status I thought she was a nurse. I hadn’t realized she was the Doctor that had saved my life.”

“I started talking to her and at one point she’d informed me she’d had a pet Seh’lat as a child.”

“I’d starting learning Vulcan and .. um.. I tried asking what the Seh’Lats name was.. and .. um”

“He asked me why I had the face of a Seh’Lat.” L’Sa finished. “I asked him what he was trying to say.”

“Which I understood by the raised eyebrows, meant I had something wrong, And I repeated it in Federation. At least she didn’t hold it against me.”​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

She snorted lightly at the story. “She’s better than me. I would’ve never let you live that down. But it worked out just fine, didn’t it?” Xiana smiled, dreamily propping her elbows up and setting her head in her palms.

What could she share that didn’t certify judgment? She hummed lowly as she thought of her own stories. “I’m not proud of this, but when I was a teenager I had this terrible English teacher. At the time I wasn’t the best of students, but he used to berate everybody whether it was warranted or not. Just a bitter, bitter man.”

“When I eventually got tired of how rude he was, I had the luck of overhearing his daughter, who was visiting midday, talk about how much he hated bugs. Butterflies, caterpillars, slugs—you name it. I was able to figure out which car he drove, waited until he one day left it unlocked, and skipped my afternoon classes to fill the car up with hundreds of crickets from a nearby feeder store.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1935

L’Sa raised an eyebrow, “What is ‘feeder store’?” she asked confused. She knew what he words meant but had never heard the two used together and the context was lost on her.

Clearing the few remaining dishes and taking them to the kitchen Reeves allowed them to talk for a second as he cleared what was left in the kitchen as well, before returning.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“Oh, they’re these stores where humans can get live animals to feed exotic pets, like mice for snakes or insects for lizards and the like,” Xiana explained.

“Crickets were around what, ten cents each? The salesman was a lovely person.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1940

“That is revolting,” L’Sa commented. “The intentional feeding of live animals to other live animals. Do you then consume the snakes and lizards as well?”

Humans were more bizarre than she had believed, on level with or worse than Klingons.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“I personally haven’t, but some places around the world do. I do think it could be case by case. Perhaps live isn’t ideal, but without these predators the Earth would be infested with insects,” she proposed, then leaned back on her chair. “I do prefer merciful deaths to feed some animals, of course, but in animals in rehabilitation and such, sometimes the recreation of the real thing is best for the greater good, is it not?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

Stardate 29870527.1940

“Your hypothesis is sound,” L’Sa agreed. “But that does not dissuade me from the statement that to feed live animals to another is revolting.”

“Were you punished for your activity involving the teacher's vehicle?” She asked, sipping her tea.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

That was something she couldn’t argue. No one enjoyed watching a snack gobble up a rodent. “That’s fair.”

“I did, thanks to neglecting some nearby cameras. I was expelled.”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“I’m sure that you experienced a brief emotional sense of elation though,” L’Sa commented before taking a bite of pre-cut cinnamon roll. “Yes?”

Humans were an unusual species, they seemed to experience an emotional response to almost any circumstance, in general. There were of course exceptions to the rule.​

 

[sereneotter00]

◅ XIANA MARLOWE ▻​

“I guess, yes,” she mumbled, sinking into her chair. With the disappointment that followed from her grandmother, at the time heavier than other times Xiana had witnessed it, she hadn’t gotten much of a kick.

Catching her somber appearance, she switched into a more jolly one. “But I should get going. I had fun! This was lovely!” she grinned, standing. She could walk and considered it a win. “Next time I can host, deal?”

 

[The_Weeping_Angel]

“Yes,” L’Sa replied standing. “I apologize if I have made you feel uncomfortable.”

Walking out of the kitchen area, drying his hands off Commander ‘Jordan’ Reeves moved to stand next to his wife. If she were human he would have placed his arm around her waist or her shoulders, but such a display of affection in front of others was virtually taboo in Vulcan society.

“Whenever you’ve settled in enough, we’d be more than willing to accept an invitation by you.” He said for the both of them.

“Enjoy the rest of your night, Doctor.” L’Sa said as the counselor left their quarters.​