Meanwhile on the loveboat (mingle log)

[destinyembrace]

Who: Crew of the Blue Fish, anyone who's been invited, and any visitors! So basically everyone
Broadcast: Nope
Action: On the Blue Fish, mostly probably in the kitchen and the mess hall because PARTY
When: Today~

[If there's anything this freaking ship loves, it's food. Somehow, a dinner got planned to welcome the new member. And then other people got invited. And then the dinner pretty much turned into a party with a lot of food. Needless to say, Kairi has been very busy preparing food all the day for this.

There's a lot of meat, per the captain's request. But there's also veggies, some fruit, pasta, and even brownies! There are also two pizza pies. Basically, Kairi just cooked a bunch of food and hoped it would be enough, as she had no idea how many people were coming.

SO DIG IN, BLUE FISH AND GUESTS. Also mingle and be social and all that jazz!]

Comments

[dancingmd]

[Beverly nods her head emapthetically.] To lose control over your actions... it's terrifying, especially if those actions end up hurting others.

[Ronin at least didn't make her physically harm anyone but god, the look on Jean-Luc's face: it's not something she's likely to forget.]

I wasn't myself when he was with me.

[forsometimenow]

Yeah... and when you're helpless to do anything about it... that makes it worse. The organism did quite a bit of damage to the city and hurt two of my friends... though not badly.

[Jennifer traced a finger around the top of her glass.]

I saw evidence that something was wrong a few nights before it got that bad, but it was like every time I thought to run a scan on myself, I'd get distracted by something else and forget about it. It was already affecting me before I realized it. It was creepy.

[dancingmd]

I know. I didn't... I thought everything was perfectly fine. The worst part is, this entity had been doing this to generations of women in my family, and I had no idea.

[She makes a scoffing noise, not directed at Jennifer, just at the situation in general.]

Just some lighthearted party talk, huh?

[forsometimenow]

[Jennifer gave a half laugh at that.]

Hey, at least "alien entities and the humans who were possessed by them" is interesting conversation. It's... not something everyone can understand, so in a way I'm kinda glad to have someone to discuss it with.

[dancingmd]

[She nods.] It's good to talk it out.

[She says this next part only half-seriously.]Maybe we should make a support group.

[forsometimenow]

That would be handy, wouldn't it? Makes you wonder how many people here have had similar experiences... [She took a sip of wine.] Back home, we did have therapists as part of the expedition's crew, but... there are things school just doesn't prepare you for.

[dancingmd]

We have counselors and psychologists too, and Starfleet Academy prepares us well, but you're right... we wouldn't be explorers if we weren't facing the unpredictable and the unknown.

[forsometimenow]

Yeah- it's part and parcel of the whole exploring new frontiers thing. I faced the same problem a few times myself, especially because the Stargate program isn't exactly public knowledge, so it's not like med school could have given me pointers on how to diagnose diseases I'd never heard of before.

[dancingmd]

No training in extraterrestrial diseases at all? I can't imagine... it's already hard enough sometimes and I was trained very well before I entered Starfleet.

Out of curiosity, what's the strangest thing you've ever had to do in your job do you think?

[forsometimenow]

Yeah, and I got recruited fresh out of med school then stumbled sideways into being chief of medicine. I wouldn't trade the experience for the world, mind, but it kept me on my toes, to say the least.

[Jennifer thought for a moment, trying to narrow down just one. It was surprisingly difficult.]

I'm trying to choose between the memory-wiping fever and the unknown entity that gave everyone it infected terrible nightmares. [There was also the time Rodney had had the parasite that degraded his mind and memories, but... that one was still very painful for her to think about.]

[dancingmd]

... it's a bit scary how similar our experiences seem to be.

[forsometimenow]

It really is. But it kinda makes me glad we found each other, too.

[dancingmd]

[Beverly smiles warmly.] Me too. I would say it's fortunate that we arrived here at the same time, but I have a suspicion that was no coincidence. I can't say I begrudge Atroma this one though.

[forsometimenow]

Yeah, seriously. I'm not happy about being kidnapped, but if it was for the purpose of helping people... I can't say I entirely dislike that.

[dancingmd]

[She snorts a little.] Surprisingly - or maybe not - it's not the first time this has happened to me. Granted, the last people were more ... straightforward about it.

[forsometimenow]

... wow. ... It's actually not all that surprising to me, given what we've been discussing.

[dancingmd]

True. I'm only now beginning to suspect how... unusual my life at home really is.

[forsometimenow]

Yeah. You kinda get used to the weird really quickly, and your definition of what's normal can shift drastically.

[dancingmd]

Mmm. [She swirls the wine in her cup around absentmindedly and sighs.] I hope I don't get too used to this place.

[forsometimenow]

... me, either. I'm glad for the people I've met, but... I don't belong here. And I doubt my chances of being successful.

[dancingmd]

What do you mean, "successful?"

[forsometimenow]

I mean in terms of... of being of interest to the audience. Getting gifts and whatnot.

[dancingmd]

[Maybe she's been made a little overly bold by the drink or maybe she just really hates Atroma. It's hard to say. Maybe it's a bit of both.]

They can go to hell! I like you and I'm sure other people here do too, so who cares what the audience thinks?

[forsometimenow]

[Jennifer laughed and blushed at that.]

Well, I'm glad to hear that... I just don't want to drag everyone else down. That's all.

[dancingmd]

I hardly doubt you're letting anyone down. You're a skilled doctor with experience in interplanetary travel and contact with alien species, so you've already got a head start over most of our fellow passengers.