The Path Not Taken: A Day In Okinawa (Part 3 of 3)

Posted on 30 Dec 2023 @ 10:42am by Ensign S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor & Lieutenant JG Montgomery Vala

3,215 words; about a 16 minute read

Mission: Episode 19 - Tomorrow's Galileo
Location: Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, Earth
Timeline: Early 2396

Previously on The Path Not Taken: A Day In Okinawa (Part 2 of 3)...

They reached the small restaurant, the server bowed to them both and showed them to a table in the corner which opened up onto the ocean and the beauty of Sol setting on the horizon. Sera lowered herself onto the mat and tucked her legs under the table, into the square shaped depression underneath designed for such.

And Now the Conclusion...

[ON]

“Vala-san, Sera-san…welcome. Tonight we have madai fresh caught this afternoon for special. Shall I obtain tea for you both, or perhaps a Kirin?”

Vala bowed his head, “That sounds wonderful, Arigatō” he spoke softly, his Rihannsu accent diminished, “madai sounds pleasant, S’Ers-a what would you prefer to drink?”

“Kirin will be acceptable.” Sera replied, and the server bowed slightly and moved off to perform his duties.

“Would you care to invite your colleagues over one evening after your duties are complete? We have dining space that has not been put to appropriate use…and I believe my food preparation to be stable enough that the odds of mishap are reasonably low.”

He raised his eyebrows a little, “You know I think that is an excellent idea,” he nodded firmly, “Though we are more the outcasts of Daystrom than colleagues. We are all in different departments.” He tapped the table with his fingers in thought, “If you think you are ready for the big leagues… I think it would be,” Imin, S’anra and he really should invite K'ratak too, “five of us in total. I will be happy to help with the culinary aspect too, as you like.”

“Outcasts can quickly join together and become clans of their own.” Sera responded serenely as she watched Sol dip below the horizon. The skies of Earth at sunset were quite aesthetically pleasing.

“If you refer to me cooking in a quantity larger than the two of us as being…’the big leagues,’ then yes, I believe it is a task I can adequately manage. And as to requiring your assistance, that is not required as you shall be the host.” Sera raised a brow in an imperious manner.

"If you are sure," he smiled, "I am not sure I have hosted more than… well… you for many years. I shall have to brush up on my technique."

The server returned with their drinks along with some steamed edamame with sea salt and then left them to their own devices.

“Tomorrow you will invite them then…shall we have them come on the last day of the work week? That should give me ample time to procure the ingredients necessary…will your Klingon colleague require a specialized food to suit his unique nutritional requirements?” Sera raised a brow. She had never met a Klingon before, let alone cook for one.

"I will do so, e'lev,, I am sure they will not have plans," he thought about his new Klingon associate, "I am unsure if he has any particular inclination. I shall ask him when I invite him? I confess my only knowledge has been tainted by the somewhat… unpleasant things I've been told about them in the past. K'ratak seems far more articulate and… uhm… refined than the others I have encountered."

“Then we should pick up some Kobe beef, as a contingency? Klingons are certainly carnivores, and no doubt you will consume any left-overs?” Sera’s brows furrowed as they often did when she was thinking a little too strongly about a subject.

"I would not say no," he said before taking a sip of his drink, "I am quite taken by this Earth 'beef', particularly the local variety." He gingerly took a hot edamame pod, and prised a bean from it with his teeth. It was a satisfying action, one that his fellow Rihannsu would certainly enjoy, "Perhaps we can have these beans as an appetiser?"

Sera nodded in reply and picked up one of the soybean pods and repeated the maneuver he just performed to remove one of the tasty beans. There had been a time when touching food like this had been an utterly alien concept, but she had quickly acclimated to such a more. “I purchased more today on my travels. They appear to be quite a popular food item in our household. Someone should let me know when they eat the last of them.”

Looking slightly abashed, Vala rubbed the back of his head, “Ah yes. I am… still unused to things not being immediately replenishable.”

Sera could feel the breeze shift as darkness set in and the warmer air off the ocean began its return to the faster cooling land. It blew tendrils of her hair into her face and she reached up to tuck them behind her ears. Once not a single piece was out of place, but now, in this place, such attention to detail was unnecessary. She found she preferred it more this way.

“This is a most agreeable location to reside, Varin.” Sera said contentedly in the moment while they waited for their meal of raw fish upon beds of rice and other texturally interesting diced vegetables wrapped in nori. ”It is unfortunate that your talents are not more appropriately used at Daystrom. Sera took on a subtly sly look as she took a sip of her beer. ”You may, of course, use your considerable talents at home tonight. I have taken the liberty of heating the soaking tub…perhaps a session of neuropressure and a…bath will help?”

“I would not require any persuading,” he said with a suggestive raise of an eyebrow, “I have a vast amount of energy that is currently untapped. I am certain I can put it to good use.” He caught her eye and bared his teeth in a smile, then took a sip of beer himself.

”Logical.” She replied easily. ”I find it acceptable that you defer to my wisdom in this.” She may have given him a Mona Lisa smile usually reserved for more private moments, but the section of the restaurant they were sitting in was currently devoid of guests sitting around them.


The arrival of the food caused a short pause in their tête-à-tête. A wooden plate beautifully arrayed with several different types of sushi, all made with the same pale pink fish was presented to them. Delicately cut sashimi, glossy nigiri and the ubiquitous maki roll all featured alongside deep green wasabi and pickled ginger.

“Arigatō,” Vala said with a bow of his head, looking back to S’Ers-a then to the array of food. Sushi had always been a kind of Earth food he respected. It required immense skill to make, it tasted wonderful and it required no heat to prepare at all. Most unusual, but something a Rihannsu could appreciate. “Itadakimasu,” he said to his ailhun as the server departed, trying to decide what to eat first.

“Itadakimasu.” Sera replied as she watched Montgomery peruse the pieces of sushi set out before them. She found it to be a fascinating pastime to observe his calculating gaze as he assessed various cuts and presentations of the red snapper. She recalled the conversation they once had aboard Galileo where he discussed having meals at this very restaurant. That she could share in his past, and be with him in the present…Sera was quite content.

While he was selecting pieces off of the serving platter, Sera picked up her chopsticks and pulled over a number of vegetarian nigiri options that the chef automatically made for her, knowing her dietary preferences. Sera still maintained a mostly vegetarian lifestyle, although she would occasionally steal one of Montgomery’s sashimi pieces when no one was looking.

The meal proceeded with an easy silence, for in the moment nothing else mattered other than each other’s company. The troubles within the Federation could not find them here at this moment. Their minds focused on small bites dipped in soy sauce, dollops of zesty wasabi that was inevitably sprinkled on much of what they ingested, and of course, the pickled ginger. It was probably Sera’s favorite component of the meal, truth be told. It cleansed the palette excellently between bites, and had an inexplicable spicy-sweet crunch that was quite delicious.

Chopsticks had not come easily to Vala. When he had first arrived in the Federation, more than fifteen years hence, he had ended up as an observer at Daystom. Part of the terms of his asylum were that he would share what he knew about various niche parts of theoretical physics and remain under guard. He had been billeted in Okinawa city at the time and had… struggled with the culture shock. His first experience of sushi had been a lesson in manners - he had been very much inclined to eat it with his hands. It seemed like it was intended that way, given how it was portioned, but he was quickly corrected. Only the rolls wrapped in seaweed, Maki, could be eaten by hand (and even then many people did not), the other types should be eaten with chopsticks.

He smiled a little to himself as he deftly picked up a piece of sashimi using the utensils. They had been offensive to his sensibilities back then - eating with strands of wood. Unthinkable. A spoon he could accept, but wooden poles were unnatural. Or so he thought at the time. Now they ranked highly on his methods of eating. Fingers and spoon still ranked higher, but he preferred chopsticks to the 'fork'. The appreciated how dexterously they could be used and how scalable they were. You could use them to pick up a single grain of rice, or a whole roll of sushi. It was satisfying.

Adding some of the green wasabi paste to the slice of raw fish, he then dipped it lightly in soy and consumed it. It was exceptionally pleasant. The wasabi's fire was particularly intense and complementary to the bite.

Refocussing his eyes on his mate, he lightly asked, "How are you enjoying the meal, e'lev,?"

“It is adequate.” Sera replied, taking another bite of her nigiri roll. Some things never changed. She would never be an eloquent orator by conventional standards. The Vulcan language was too highly specific for that. Combined with the cultural norms, one only said exactly what one meant. It did seem to be a loss after reading pre-Surakian works–and experiencing a mind where such concepts were allowed more creative means of explanation versus conveying what was concrete served to further enforce her opinion on the matter.

“Does the madai meet your expectations?”

"Oh it is delicious, as I have come to expect from this place," Vala gave a small satisfied nod. He did not struggle quite so much with adjectives as his ailhun, "The chef is certainly most skilled with a knife. I have seen the fish they carve these pieces from and it is undoubtedly highly skilled work." He gestured to the board, "As always you are most welcome to sample anything you wish."

Sera tilted her head, bemused. Their back and forth always included an offer to not adhere to the social mores passed down to her growing up. It wasn’t a dare, or a coercion to act in a manner not consistent…just an offer. Some things were hard to let go of, however. Glancing about her in a furtive manner and seeing no one of concern, Sera reached out with her chopsticks and picked up a piece of the sashimi, dipped it in soy sauce, and quickly popped it into her mouth.

It was a bizarre texture, and yet…satisfying in a way. Perhaps it struck a chord with a primal aspect still buried under the well cultivated veneer of civilized Vulcan behavior.

“I am not a proficient judge of these things…but I am in agreement. End meal here is, as it has been every time we have frequented this establishment, most acceptable.”

Vala raised his bottle as a toast, and smiled before taking a sip in honour of the little restaurant.

Sera took another swallow of her beer. Although not an intoxicant for a Vulcan, the drink was flavorful and the carbonation was a fascinating feature not present in Vulcan cuisine.

Their meal moved with ease, and steadily the carefully prepared bites disappeared off the plate. Sera took one last sip of her beer–finishing off the glass–and proclaimed, “I cannot consume anymore. I have never eaten so much food as I have here.” Meaning Earth in general, but also here specifically. The small mouthfuls and cold beer did catch up with one if they were not observant.

“I can only agree,” he said as he laid his chopsticks down, “This is an Earth cuisine that I have truly come to appreciate.” It felt like long ago that they were dissecting the strangeness of meals aboard the Galileo. So much had changed.

Taking a deep breath, Vala met her gaze, “I know I complain about the lack of direction I have at the Institute, but…” He paused, really focussing on his mate, “I have come to appreciate the life we have together here. I am sure things will only improve as we adjust and… well… the war may come to an end at any time.” It was a fervent hope, though he knew deep down his people’s involvement in the war would only further complicate things, “I am glad of these moments together, Rhiana.”

“Indeed.” Sera replied in agreement. Nothing was ever perfect in life, nonetheless, although their current situation was less than ideal, she had never felt such a measure of contentment. If this was all that their lives were to encompass, Sera was satisfied.

“We should take the remaining pieces home; no doubt Fvillhu (Vil-yu) will find the pieces of sashimi most agreeable.” Sera added after a moment of studying the few left over pieces in speculation. The feline was a most unnecessary addition to the household in her opinion. It left cast-off fur everywhere and on a number of occasions presented her with murdered rodentia. Regardless, Fvillhu never ceased to try to wrap its body around her legs as she moved through the house, nor to get into her lap during meditation (or any other time she attempted to sit for that matter). For that, well…his tummy was warm, and it was cool in the early hours of the morning when she would normally perform the deeply ingrained daily function. It was a complicated relationship.

Sera spoiled the cat. Sera would deny any attachment to said feline. Sera is lying.

“Oh I am sure he will expect us to,” Vala said with some amusement. He quite enjoyed the feline company they had come to have, but his amusement at seeing S’Ers-a dote on the little creature was most precious.

“Sumimasen,” he said as the server passed nearby. He was inwardly quite proud of the very small amount of Japanese he had acquired during his various visits to Okinawa. He was not the most talented linguist so he was happy to exercise the few words he knew, “Please can we have this packed,” he gave the man a small smile, pleased to not see concern or fear within his eyes, “Arigatō.” The server gave a small bow and took the board away to place the remaining sushi in a box.

“So, e’lev,” he looked back to his mate, “Do you think you can spare room for a sip of Awamori? They have a small sort of deck outside by the sea. It might be a nice place for a digestif?”

Sera considered. She had no logical reason to deny his request. There were no pressing matters that needed to be attended to. “As you wish. Listening to the sea can be quite…” She paused, thinking of the appropriate word. “Relaxing.”

Drinks were appropriated and they made their way out to the deck. The sky was slowly fading to the heavy blanket of night, but the spectrum of muted colors still played out upon the horizon and was an acceptable backdrop in which to consume their beverage.

Vala raised his glass, “To you, Rhiana,” he nodded his head towards S’Ers-a, “To our bond and facing the future as one.” He looked into her diamond-like eyes. He truly meant it.

Sera returned the gesture in verbal silence, but her unending commitment to him flowed through their bond.

Above the wash of sunset colours, stars began to shimmer and shine with tremendous brilliance. Being away from the city had the advantage of fairly impressive starscapes. Nothing on the viewport of a starship but certainly some of the finer views possible from the surface of Earth.
A pang of loss passed over Vala’s mind as he looked up. The uncertainty was the worst part. Who knew when he would be back amongst them.

“I…” He broke the tranquility that had surrounded them, “I do not believe this war will end any time soon,” he sighed, looking back to S’Ers-a, “My hope of being reassigned any time soon has dwindled, I must admit. I have no prediction as to what Starfleet intends for me…” He trailed off.

Sera nodded silently. She already knew how he felt regarding what was going on here. She too had concerns regarding the state of the war, and both of their ineffectiveness here on Earth. Kaiidth. Those were problems for people who had pips on their collar. Her life had become much simpler, and she had been very successful in not ruminating on what could not be.

“There is no option open to us but to simply be, Varin.” Sera responded serenely, taking a sip of the Awamori. Out of all the ethnic food/drink she had ingested on Earth, Japanese cuisine was the most suited to her innate preferences.

“Come, Adun, let us return home. I am certain the soaking tub in the bath house will be quite sufficiently warm to allow for proper relaxation.” Motioning with her fingers, Sera added, “I will address the muscle tension in your neck and shoulders as well. You really must attempt control in such things, Varin.” She chided lightly, with no real admonition in her words.

Taking a deep breath, Vala also finished his Awamori. He shook his head a little and dissipated the thoughts of uncertainty. He was here, now, and letting his mind drift from his beautiful ailhun was the last thing he intended to do.

He smiled and took S’Ers-a’s hand, “Ah, e’lev, you know control is not always my strong suit,” he traced his fingers over hers, “Sometimes it is better if I submit to your… guidance.”


[OFF]


LTCMDR Montgomery Vala
Chair of Xenogeology
Department of Xenogeology, Daystrom Institute

&

S'Ers-a M'Lyr'Zor
First Born daughter of Clan Lyr'Zor
Currently between jobs

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