Pink Bows and Walking Food (Part 1)

Posted on Fri Jun 13th, 2025 @ 2:53am by Captain M'Raz & Lieutenant H'iri

1,086 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: Resistance is Necessary
Location: Captain's Dining Room | Deck 2 | USS Jane Addams
Timeline: MD002 - 2030

The voices of the captains, unwilling to form a consensus, weighed on him as Raz headed toward the Captain's Dining Room and a late dinner. The steward was aware, having heard through the yeoman pipeline (someone Raz hadn't directly spoken to as yet), when he had vacated the Ready Room. He tapped his commbadge as he walked, "M'Raz to H'iri."

H'iri heard the call and wondered what M'raz wanted. Did he need an update on the statistics? As she answered, "This is Lieutenant H'iri. What can I do for you Captain?" At the same time, she started running another analysis of currently MIA Federation citizens and Starfleet members.

"Nothing official," Raz said. "I'm late for dinner and wanted to know if you're interested in joining me, that's all."

Nothing official? H'iri wondered. What's he getting at? What about those boundaries that he wanted to set? What does any of this mean? The debate was quickly quashed in her mind. "Sure." She tried to sound nonchalant but all too quickly followed the words, "Where are we eating?"

"My dining room," Raz said. "I'm already on the way so, meet you there?"

His dining room? So, privately? I probably should freshen up a bit, then. "Sure, I just have to finish with some data. I'll be there in about ten minutes. Will that be enough time? You're overreacting, H'iri! This is not a date! He did not want to do that, remember? It is just dinner between two people. Don't read so much into it. Still, it would not hurt to make myself a bit more presentable. I'll just have to make ten minutes work.

"Alright," Raz said. "See you then." He walked slowly, lost in thought, toward his dining room. Not quite a sanctuary but more relaxed than the long hours he'd been spending either on the Bridge or in his Ready Room. When he entered, the steward already pouring coffee for him, Raz said, "there will be one more joining me for dinner. Lieutenant H'iri. About ten minutes."

"Aye, Sir," the steward answered as he set the now filled mug before Raz who was sliding into his seat. "I'll inform Chef." He set a second place setting and headed out of the Dining Room to speak to the chef and see when the first course would be ready.

H'iri rushed to her room. Once she got to her quarters, she checked the chronometer. Eight minutes to go. What to do? What to do? Let's see, we're staying in uniform, so let's just spruce up a bit. She extended her nails and inspected them. Clean, not polished. He won't see those, so, this will do. Looking in a mirror, she inspected herself. We can spruce this up. A little lip gloss, some earrings, and maybe a bow on the tail. That should do it. Carefully, she applied some rose lip gloss then she placed some small gold hoop earrings in each ear and put a pink bow in her tail.

Preparations complete, she made her way to Raz's dining room with ten seconds to spare. She took a deep breath and then rang the chime.

Raz looked up in surprise; he hadn't know there actually was a chime on the door to his private dining room. The steward flashed a knowing grin at his captain and walked over; the door opened automatically and he gestured for the lieutenant to enter. "Ma'am," he said, "the captain is waiting."

Slowly, H'iri walked into the dining chambers, taking a look around to absorb every detail, as she could. Politely, she told Raz, as her face focused on him, "Thank you for the invitation."

"You're welcome," Raz said, "Have a seat." He took in how stiffly she walked, as though unsure, and added, "It's just dinner. Relax. Chef promised something special though I never know what it will be until it hits the table."

Smoothly, H'iri lied, "I'm relaxed. I was just taking a look around." She purposely moved to the side of the chair and pulled it out from the side, rather than behind so that Raz could take a look at the pink bow in her tail. After she pulled out the chair, she swung herself in and tucked her legs neatly under the table as she pulled herself closer to it. "I'm certain that whatever your chef has made will be delicious."

"I wouldn't go that far," Raz said as he wrapped one paw around his coffee mug, his gaze traveling to the bow on her tail, lingering for a second, and then moving away before she turned. "He went through a Klingon phase. Had to go down there and order him not to do that anymore."

H'iri laughed prettily. "That was a wise order. Eating worms is something that should be done only in the most extreme circumstances."

"And certainly not first thing in the morning," Raz growled. "Walked that horror down personally. Seven a.m. and breakfast is trying to writhe its way off my plate."

Laughing harder, picturing worms walking off the plate, H'iri tried to compose herself but found herself failing. She managed only a few words between laughs, "Oh... my.... Did any... did any hide away and come...come to your...your quarters? The bridge?"

"Now that's a thought that's going to keep me up nights," Raz said, chuckling. "Tiny suicidal worms that take it personally when they don't get eaten?" He mock-shuddered as he gestured toward the steward who was bringing in the first course of their meal.

"Well, if you're up late, you can always talk to me." H'iri turned away, realizing that she was just very forward and perhaps inappropriately so. She cleared her throat and then leaned in, anxious to see what the first meal would be. Changing the subject rapidly, she giggled, "Well, hopefully this meal will not have its own volition."

Despite his best intentions, Raz's gaze softened as she turned away. "Standing orders," Raz said. "Nothing that moves of its own volition and ... nothing that stares me in the face. The whole fish thing with the eyes? Not for me." Raz shook his head. "Bias creeps in, you know. You're Cait so you must be a predator and enjoy the whole tearing into live things sort of meal. I pointed out that I'm a different sort of predator, one well-suited to a life in Starfleet."

Continued in Part 2

 

RSS Feed