All By Myself - Part 3

Posted on 08 Apr 2025 @ 12:28am by Lieutenant JG Cajag Lagnas & Lieutenant Commander Raviran Dattek-Winters

1,136 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Shoreleave and Reassignment
Location: The Bajoran Gardens - Starbase 375
Timeline: Current

PREVIOUSLY:

The Trill pulled out a ornate, silver, fine chained, pocket watch, looked at its face as he checked the time, mulled something over and muttered to himself saying that it must be lunch time somewhere and said "I could certainly go for a gin and tonic right about now and come food would certainly not go amiss"

Ravi's face broke out into a huge grin and she hurried a little as they moved inside, looking to see where the tea house was located. There was a computer terminal just inside where the could look for directions.



CONTINUED:

Cajag, smiled to himself wistfully as he was lead by Ravi's hand to the nearest replicator, as he admired her free spirit. "So" he asked inquisitively "What are we having?".

"You didn't answer my suggestion of Hasparat Souffle... would you like to try some? Have you had it before?" Ravi asked.

"You know I am not sure i have ever tried it." Caj shrugged a little and smiled "Lets give it a go then. Ravi had dark hair and green-hazel eyes, with slight Bajoran ridges at bridge of her nose and a lesser Cardssian exoskeletal structure "I assume its a Bajoran food right?".

"Yes, it is." she smiled. "but it's hard to make although the replicators do as good a job as can be expected. Are you okay with spicy?" she asked.

Caj smirked a little his eyes sparkling "Spicy?........we are still talking about the food right?"

Ravi was finding the company of this charming Trill ensign calming and very pleasant. She laughed and blushed a little pink into her cheeks.

"of course" she replied, rolling her eyes as if there could surely have been no possibility of any other inference. Her cheeks betrayed her and this too was unusual from the normally unreadable-faced doctor.

Taking their food, the two found themselves one of the rustic tables in the surrounding seating/picnic area set by for that purpose and sat down.

Ravi watched as her new Trill rescuer tried the Souffle. "Is it too much?" she asked a little concerned she should have started him off on his Bajoran food exploration with something more palatable to those who weren't accustomed to Hasperat.

Caj chewed his food thoughfully, and nodded as he got his head around the taste sensation in his maculating mouth. "Its Good"

Ravi looked thoughtful as she ate, and not a little chastened. She unwillingly retained her pinkened cheeks, the thought of her earlier behaviour bothering her deeply. She made excuses to herself silently but in the end she just *needed* to express an apology of some kind and justify the out of character outburst. Hopefully Cajag might be forgiving of the circumstances?

"I...." she began. "I wonder if you think me a raving lunatic, charging head first into the crowded corridor like that, earlier." She looked at him and panicked, this too was odd. Was she losing the plot? she asked herself silently, feeling broken.

"I should see the Counsellor." she said in a resigned tone. "It's been such a .... sad.... time..." ~Oh Prophets NOOOO! I must NOT cry....~ she told herself sternly and straightened her back rigidly to try to get herself back to somewhere safe in her sadness to stop it overwhelming her.

This was a DISASTER. She'd already made such a terrible first impression on Lagnas.

"I'm so sad to have made such a terrible first impression on you." she managed, having decided that straight, honest and frank were her best allies now.

Caj put down his fork and gently wiped his mouth with a napkin. "It certainly was a unique first meeting." Caj Smiled. "But I wonder if their is anything i can do to cheer you up?"

Ravi smiled slowly. "You don't know how much you've cheered me up by just letting me bump into you, literally!" her eyes sparkled softly. "And even more by coming here with me as well. Thank you!" she sighed. "Most people would have run the other way.... and i can't honestly say I'd blame them. I promise I don't act this crazy all the time......... there are times when I'm considered to be quite sane!" she blushed.

Reflecting for a moment she added: "Actually, considering how much you've already saved me today already. I think it could be time YOU got to choose what we should do that YOU would enjoy or that would be nice - I owe you that at least!"

Caj tried to look as casual, and failing, as possible as he leaned back in his seat, putting an elbow on the arm rest, then promptly letting it slip from under him. He blushed a little "Oh i dont think I will get to do what I want to do." Replied the Trill as coolly as he could muster, and failing again. Gods I am out of practice. Thought Caj. "Look i am new here and to be honest i have been stuck in a lab for a very long time.....So perhaps you could show me around?"

"Deal!!!" Ravi replied, much too enthusiastically and quickly. "Er, I mean, I'd like that a lot! Where would you like to start? Any favourites on your bucket list to do?"

Caj smiled "I warn you. It is a loooong bucket list." The Trill shrugged a little. He then shrugged a little more "I have spent a lot....a lot of time in labs. So I have not been out a lot. Were can we go to have some fun"

"Yes, we can, of course!" she grinned, very happy with the idea. "Which would you consider the most fun?
Hiking on the exquisite hills of Bajor (in the holosuite)
or drinking ourselves under the table in the "Colour of Magic" Bar?
or eating ourselves into a food coma at the "Wilds of Grandor" 5 star restaurant?
or dancing until we drop at "Krems" nightclub?
or playing 3D chess in the Grand Library Complex?
or scaling the "Wall of Sound" acoustic climbing wall?
Or ski-ng on the slopes of Naal 4 - in the holosuite?
Or the old-fashioned archery Academy at the southern end of the Arboretum?
or all of the above, one at a time?"
she asked, with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes that hadn't been alight earlier when she was so unhappily running towards the Bajoran Gardens looking for sanctuary from her sadness.

"Ok first of I really really really hope that said Colour Of Magic Bar is based of a certain famous 21st Century Earth Authors work. Secondly I would very much like to have a drink their, maybe several, followed by dancing, then lets see what happens?"

"Your wish is my command!" Ravi grinned and jumping to standing, she held out her hand invitingly, ready to set off right away.

TBC

 

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