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Who: Beverly Crusher
Broadcast: Video
Action: Iskaulit
When: Now!

[Hello Fleet, it's been a while since you all have seen this particular redhead's face on the network. Months, really, since she's made a public broadcast like this. She appears to be in a good mood, offering the fleet a smile, and even if her address is rather formal, her tone is warm and welcoming. Behind her is the greenhouse of the Iskaulit, with lots of tropical-looking plants and even what looks like fruit! Weird fruit! But fruit nonetheless.]

Good afternoon! For those of you who don't know me, I'm Dr. Beverly Crusher of the SS Blue Fish. I, along with Ino Yamanaka on the Three Twins, run the garden here on the Iskaulit. I've spoken with many of you who have expressed an interest in learning how to garden. In light of this, I've decided to offer classes of a sort... nothing too formal, just a weekly meeting where I can teach people the basics of taking care of plants in the environment of a starship. Though of course, if people want something more extensive, I'm more than happy to accommodate for that! But it seems best to start simple, see what people are most interested in. So, if this is something you think you'd like to be a part of or if you have any questions, you can either respond here or I'll be on the Iskaulit the rest of the afternoon should you prefer to talk in person.

Thank you for your attention!

[And Crusher out!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah. I believe I've seen this, but not quite in this form.

[He pauses, then leans over to kiss Beverly, briefly.]

In that case, thank you.

[His kisses continue to make her heart flutter, all the more so because she knows how much thought and care he puts into every one of them. Brief they may be sometimes, but never perfunctory.]

It's my pleasure.

[Then, sliding her hand into his, she straightens up and takes him over to a special temperature-controlled cabinet full of seeds and bulbs, all in tightly sealed glass jars neatly lined up and labeled. It's doubtful most of the names will be familiar to him: most were not known to her either.]

So what are you most interested in growing? Food, medicine, decoration?

[He gives this serious thought. Decoration doesn't appeal to him, exactly; he knows it's important, but it's not for him. Medicine is Beverly's department. And that leaves food, which is important in the most basic sense.]

I believe I would prefer something edible.

Hmm... [She studies the seeds for a moment, trying to decide what would work best.] How about...

[She selects one of the containers and hands it to him. It's full of tiny brown seeds.]

This! They'll grow into a plant similar to raspberries, and their flowers are a little like tiny roses. Unfortunately, our current plants aren't fruiting or in bloom right now but I can still show them to you.

That sounds ideal, Beverly. I'm sure many would be glad for the change.

[Because yes, he's likely to give the fruit away to everyone.]

[Of course he will. She would expect nothing less from him.]

I know I can't wait for the berries to start popping up. The Nunnalis said it shouldn't take too long to fruit, once the plants are big enough. Unlike raspberries, these plants produce fruit three times a year - they don't really have much of a dormant stage.

[She takes him over to the ones she and Ino planted a few months ago, the stalks already wrapped around a trellis along one section of wall.]

Oh good!

[Leaning in, she points to a few spots where the plant is starting to bud.]

The flowers are coming in!

[He looks, leaning in with genuine interest.]

So it is. This is good. I admit I was concerned about our success with a garden here, but perhaps this is a good sign.

For shame, doubting my gardening abilities!

[Her tone is chastising but the corner of her mouth quirks playfully. More teasing.]

But you're right, it's a very good sign. The flowers will bloom for about a week or two, and then the berries shouldn't be too far behind.

Hardly your gardening skills. I simply wondered about the suitability of this place.

[Yes, he knows she's joking. Yes, he's going to clarify anyway.]

Are they considered sweet?

[It's cute that he does. He's cute and it makes her smile.]

Yes, though not cloyingly so.

Then it's considered pleasant.

[He would hope so, anyway.]

Is there a tartness to it?

[He picks his words carefully. Tart. He thinks that's the right word; it's all outside his experience.]

A little.

[She tilts her head.]

I assume you were not programmed with the sense of taste?

[Unsurprising, but it always has struck her as a bit of an oversight with androids.]

I wasn't. Nor do I possess a sense of smell, except for the detection of the most basic of potential dangers; smoke, for example. A full simulation wasn't... thought to be necessary.

[Which generally doesn't trouble him. He doesn't feel hindered by that. It just is.]

I've been attempting some cooking for the crew of the Wonderduck. While I've had some success, this has been a minor inconvenience.

Perhaps someone would volunteer to be a taste tester for you?

["Someone." Hmm.]

[Oh. Oh. So subtle.]

I would great appreciate anyone who volunteered for that, Beverly.

[She leans in towards him and gets that look on her face, the slightly mischievous and undeniably flirty one. Forgive her. She can't help it, even though she knows he's still learning.]

You would, hmm? And what would this hard working taste-tester get for her troubles?

[The correct answer is of course: kisses. As if they need more excuse for that.]

[He blinks at her, mildly puzzled. Flirting! Oh no.]

Anything in my power to give her, of course.

[She grins. He's getting better at this.]

Good answer.

[She could drag this out further but she relents for his sake.]

Not that I need any bribing, mind you. I'd be more than happy to help.

Thank you, Beverly. It would be most appreciated. I understand that eating is considered a pleasurable experience, and I would like to help with that.

[Pleasurable and often social, despite being biologically necessary. Then again, so is sex.]

It is, unless you're stuck eating protein cubes.

I admit I do wonder whether the members of the Fleet had been raised eating protein cubes if they would still be considered unpalatable. The population of Earth mostly subsists on food produced by special strains of yeast or algae. I admit I don't know how it would compare to the protein available here.

As hard as it is imagining anyone finding them delicious, it is true that your tastes are very much determined by what you ate as a child. No doubt if someone was raised on protein cubes, they would find no problem with them now. And in truth, though I complain, I myself am probably at some advantage that the food Atroma supplies is not all that different from Starfleet field rations. Can't say I enjoy either of them, but I'm more used to it than I'd care to be.

I do recall partner Elijah's reaction to Spacer cuisine, which is rather more... traditional.

[It's nutritious, at least. There's that.]

I take it he didn't think much of it?

On the contrary. He found it delicious, although quite unlike anything he had been able to try before, once he was able to adjust to the concept of food so unprocessed.