Painting Pictures

Posted on 04 Oct 2023 @ 3:19pm by Nesh Saalm & Ensign Tora Zalos

2,128 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: Episode 18 - Cold Station 31
Location: Regula I- Level 17, Lounge
Timeline: MD 16, 1900hrs

[ON]

Nesh Saalm smiled as she sat in the Lounge of Regula I, her eyes focused on the view before back at the canvas. Before her she had her paints, carefully selected, and her favourite brushes. Finally being off the ship had made her appreciate being able to move, to go where she wanted to.

She took a moment before she dipped the brush in the purple, setting it to canvas with a light stroke, humming to herself as she painted. Another colour chosen, as she started painting the colours of the nebula.

Tora had not expected anyone else to be in the lounge when she visited. The person that was there, however, seemed to be a painter of some kind, presently absorbed in capturing the swirling colors of the nebula on her canvas. The Cardassian could not help but shuffle closer to watch the picture take form, captured stroke by stroke in radiant color. It would be a good minute or two before she spoke up: "You're an amazing artist, friend! I've never seen anyone capture astral phenomena in such detail before..."

Nesh smiled, the praise warming her. It had been a while since anyone had commented on her art. "Thank you," she said after a moment. "Part of it is accepting that what you get on canvas is more the feeling of it, rather than a proper representation or something like that, you know?"

"Right! Art is an expression of feelings, after all, emotions made into visual form." Tora replied as she came to stand behind the young, pretty Orion girl, leaving enough space to be respectful and allow her to work in relative peace. "You're very good at that. I don't think I could paint like that, not ever. I failed art class when I was yoing." The Cardassian let out a giggle. "So! My name's Tora. How about you?"

Nesh frowned for a moment, before she placed the paintbrush down. She needed a break anyway before she turned to face her. She studied the other woman, finding the giggle not what she had expected. "Nesh," she introduced herself, the frown easing to a smile. "I do art classes, if you want. You might have not done it how the teacher wanted when you were young, but art is...about something else."

"Oh, you do? Well, I'd be happy to attend! I hear we're going to be here for a while. Me and the crew of the Galileo, that is." Tora said with a beaming smile. "I could use some help with getting better - even though I don't normally paint. I prefer to read." She couldn't help but smile back at this young Orion girl. She had a beautiful smile, she reckoned, that could've lit up a room.

"Ah..." Nesh looked at her, the smile fading a little bit. "The Galileo..." she looked around, as if she considered something. "I think that's something I need to consider. I...was on that ship. Might stay here."

Hearing that Tora's once cheerful expression fell. She'd heard of what happened to the ship a few times over by now. All of it concerned her - she honestly didn't blame this girl for wanting to stay here, in the relative safety of the station. "That's a shame. I'd love to have you aboard. What did you do on the Galileo?" She asked, as she pulled up a chair and sat next to the young Orion, hands folded in her lap.

"Oh, I was the...stowaway," Nesh said and looked at Tora, before she frowned with annoyance. Couldn't just sit there, it was a wasted opportunity. She took down her own canvas, putting it to dry before taking a fresh one and shifting. "Sit, paint," she ordered, pulling the easel to be in front of Tora. "Don't think, pick a colour to start, put it to the brush and on the canvas. Let your heart guide, not your head. It is art, not a holographic representation of a time and place." She sat down, tapping her fingers against her chin for a moment. "My sister was the Captain before. I was escaping an arranged marriage and hid on the ship. And now, I am the indentured servant sous chef on the ship. It was that or go back to science, which...I used to like, now I hate. Too much pressure. I don't want to go back to the ship under Tarin, I'm only allowed in the mess or my quarters there."

Whoa. Tora hadn't expected to simply be handed a canvas and brush and told to literally just paint, at least, not today. Let your heart guide, not your head. Let your heart guide... Tora found herself dipping her brush into blue paint the color of the clear afternoon sky, and applying her brush to the canvas. "Does the Commander not trust you?" She asked.

"Nope," Nesh's lips popped at the p and she smiled, sitting back. "My sister made me serve in the mess as a punishment. And then went away. And we got Tarin and..." she shook her head and looked down, at her feet. "And I miss my sister."

Tora stopped painting for a moment. She'd now gotten the beginnings of a beautiful blue sky and clouds onto the canvas - but Nesh's admission had dampened her mood to paint somewhat. "You miss your sister. Have you expressed this to commander Tarin?" She asked. "I've met her. She seems reasonable, if a bit hard-nosed."

"I'm not expressing anything to her, in case she sends me to Praxis to live with the Klingons, like she did Rice when she went against her..." Nesh said quietly, looking at her painting. "Relax your hand a little, you aren't stabbing the canvas. And trust your instincts, you have a good eye for colour."

"On the other hand if you don't say something, you'll be even less happy. Unlees you choose to stay here of course." Tora said sadly. She'd begun to paint a layer of sandy khaki across the center of the canvas, like the shoreline of the beach. "Saying something is better than saying nothing at all. Or is there someone else you can trust?"

Nesh shook her head, but there was a small smile on her lips. "It doesn't matter, not really. I am just...blowing off some steam, been a bit of a year. Appreciate like the concern and all."

"If you're my crewmate, then of course I should care." Tora smiled at her. "Tell you what. I'll come hang out with you as often as you like - whether you stay aboard or not. Okay? You deserve that at least, I'm sure you agree."

Nesh looked at her for a moment before she nodded. "Well, you need an art teacher, right?" she asked, motioning to the canvas. "You're doing good. Strong lines though, a bit hesitant here and there. Speaks of your personality. Not a bad thing. But as you change, so will what you paint and how you paint it."

"I suppose! Art is expression isn't it?" Tora smiled back at Nesh. "So what do you do for fun? Or what did you do for fun? I personally do a lot of sports... of various kinds." She asked

Nesh considered it, before sports were the last thing she liked. But... "I like dancing," she suddenly said, because it was true. "I know it is stereotypical for an Orion...you know, scantily clad dancers on tables...but I really enjoy dancing."

"And that's fine. What kind?" Tora smiled back at her encouragingly. "There's plenty out there in the universe." She didn't want to assume. Not all Orions were the same, after all, and it would've been harmful to make any assumptions whenever she met one.

"Salsa," Nesh said with a wide smile, watching her. "And ballroom is fun too. I also like the court and celebration dances of the Arcadians, but you need to be in a swimming pool for that."

"I actually didn't know that about them - learn something new every day, huh?" Tora replied with a smile. "And I'm the one with the anthropology degree. I guess even when you think you're fully trained and clued up about something there's always surprises in store!" She'd begun to paint trees now, a line of green and brown, with lighter green accents for the canopy. "Would it be too much to ask you to dance for me one day?"

"Yes," Nesh said, but softened the harshness of the word with a smile. "I can teach you to dance, I can dance with you...but I do not dance for anyone. I swore that when I was little."

"Will you teach me to dance, then? I don't mind learning, and I don't mind having you dance with me." Tora replied. "I don't want to force you to do something you don't want to do."

"I can teach you," Nesh said easily, waving a hand. "That's not an issue and would be fun. Once...things are settled, if I am here and you are here, we can do that. Or if I am on the ship still and you are, I can teach you there."

"Of course." Only then did Tora take a moment to view the work she'd created, and what she saw took her breath away. Over the course of their talk she's replicated beautifully the pristine beaches of Suraya Bay and the forest line beyond, not in stunning detail, mind, but nice to look at nonetheleas. "Oh, wow. Huh. I guess painting isn't so hard after all!" Tora giggled as she studied the painting with newfound interest.

Nesh looked at it, smiling at it. "Why did you paint that?" she asked, out of curiosity at her motivation. It was good, although Nesh was never much of a landscaper. A great first effort anyway.

"I had Risa on my mind, I guess!" Tora smiled at her. "I suppose I'm a bit homesick. I haven't talked to my uncle in a while. Maybe I thought of him a bit, which brought home to mind."

Nesh nodded, looking at her before back at the painting. "Usually, the canvas shows what we need to see. You clearly needed to be reminded of where your heart lives."

"Guess I really do miss home," Tora laughed. "Especially if my heart's yearning for it so! I think I'll call home tonight and talk to my uncle, tell him where I've been."

"Well, with the delay you might be better sending him a log," Nesh said before she nodded, starting to pack up. "Your uncle, where is he?"

"Risa, of course. He sells stuff." Tora replied. "Mostly textiles. Did you know that Cardassian silk is really, really prized? It comes from this caterpillar that's about the size of your finger, compared to Earth, at least. I had one as a pet once before leaving Cardassia. Father wouldn't let me keep it, something about it turning its tank into a mess of string?"

Nesh looked at her, a small smile coming to her. "I know of Cardassian silk," she said. After all, she had...enjoyed friendships with people who dealt in things like that. On occasion. "Although don't expect many people here understanding it. The ship's got some oldies still mentally stuck back in the war..." she rolled her eyes. "Most have processed it all, though. We have had some excellent Councelors through the years!"

"That's good! I have the utmost respect for counsellors. It's not easy to hear people's troubles anf provide them solutions that'll benefit them for life. I'm not sure I could do that." Tora snickered. "I used to be a dabo girl, y'know. I used to hear weary travellers' troubles all the time while they spun the wheels." A faint gleam came to her eyes, a mischievous one. "Turns out sometimes pouring out sob stories is more than enough distraction, even if staring at the dabo girl isn't."

"I really wish they'd change the nickname to Dabo Croupiers," Nesh said, sighing softly as she shook her head before gesturing to her. "I mean, look at you! Woman, not girl...but that is Ferengi for you, smack a nice tagline on something or someone and watch the profits roll in..." the last was said with a small smirk, because as an Orion she knew what people said about Orions. And she was basically now doing the same thing with the Ferengi. So yes, irony wasn't completely lost on her.

[OFF]

--

ENS Tora Zalos
Science Officer
USS Galileo-A

&

Nesh Saalm
Chef
USS Galileo-A
[PNPC Rice]

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