I'd like to be your friend

Posted on 17 Jan 2021 @ 4:14am by Civilian Iola Hawkins

Mission: R&R - after facing the Planet Killer
Location: Iola's quarters
Timeline: prior to starbase departure
2786 words - 5.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Natasha conferred with the directory, finding from the computer where Iola was residing. The captain had mentioned that she needed to get with the representative from the Agora Crossroads. This was the first assignment Natasha would have in her new position. She reached Iola's quarters and rang the chime to let Iola know someone had come to visit her.

"Come!" the Orion woman called out as she twirled in front of her life size mirror, running her fingers through her long purple hair as it fell across her shoulders.

Natasha stepped inside, getting her first glimpse of the Agora Crossing ambassador. She didn't know what to expect when she came to meet Iola. Pretty Orion woman with pretty purple hair. Natasha was secure in her own femininity and self worth, so had no problem with admitting when another woman was pretty.

"You certainly have pretty hair." she said quietly, then smiled warmly. "I'm Natasha Blackthorn, a newly appointed diplomatic officer. Captain Reynolds mentioned that you are the ambassador from Agora Crossroads. Pleasure to meet you." holding out her hand, to shake Iola's.

"Ambassador is big title," Iola answered as she took the offered hand. "More liaison." She smiled back. "I Iola. You are friend of Michael, yes?"

"Yes I am a friend of his. I take it you know him as well." Natasha smiling. "He's a really nice and gentle man. Not at all mean. He helped me out when I wasn't feeling too happy. He actually danced with me. How did you meet him?"

Iola blushed a little. "At captain's dinner party," she answered, "he helped teach me to talk after. Spend a lot of time together." She felt a little nervous now, talking to another woman who clearly knew him quite well too. "He took me shopping for dresses, said I needed good dresses for work."

"Oh he did? That was very lovely of him." Natasha smiling. The smile faded slightly as she remembered the dresses she used to have.

"I'll be needing to make a trip to the Starbase to replace mine. I lost all my dresses when the USS Europa was destroyed. Everyone lost their belongings." she said quietly.

Her eyes went distant for a moment, an expression of sadness skipped across her face then disappeared as she mentally shook herself "Well, the best thing though, is everyone got away safely. What's a few possessions when your life is at stake, right?"

"Having nothing," Iola answered quietly. "Before coming here, I had nothing. I did as I was told, every day. Owned nothing, could not leave as I wished. You were at least free, I was not."

"Your plight is worse than mine. Are you free now? Or... do you still need to report back to someone?" Natasha responded. "You certainly have put my troubles to where they are just small matters." she looked around, then back to Iola. "May I have a seat? And I really would love to get to know you and be friends."

Iola shook her head. "I liaison now, expected to report to my Don." Though clearly not free, she spoke with a certain level of affection when mentioning her master. "Why are troubles small matters? All trouble matters, no?" She frowned, nodding at the final question. "Yes sit, need not ask." Then she tilted her head as she sat too, smoothening out the wrinkles in her dress. "Friends?" She never had a female -or any real- friend before, well before coming here.

"Yes friends. I would like that very much." smiling, and it was the truth. Natasha saw intelligence and sweetness in Iola, and a great strength. She most definitely wanted to be friends with Iola.

"I never had friend before," Iola confessed, "not female friend. Only had my Don, my master. Other slaves... jealous, I close to Don. Very alone." She smiled sadly. "Not alone anymore, but I miss my Don." The way she spoke of him indicated that despite being her master, he was somehow special to her. It was not affection, but certainly a kind of love.

The expression on Iola's face, the tone in her voice it seemed to Natasha that Iola's Don might be actually more like maybe a parent?

"Your Don, sounds more like someone you care for." she thought it over. "Maybe like a father figure?"

"Not my father, but yes." Iola nodded. "He special. I one of very few who know real name. Always knew my place, even if special. He now sent me here, sent me away. Learn more about people. Learn my people.... not seen others like me before."

"You've not met any of your people yet?" Natasha raised an eyebrow at that. "I wonder why, unless there hasn't been any opportunity for that to happen."

Iola shook her head. "No others here," she answered, "not seen others like me before. Pointy ears and green, but not as green as me. Have you?" She turned hopeful eyes on the woman. "Tell me more about Orions?"

Natasha thought for a moment on how to answer Iola's question. Then she spoke. "I have met a few Orions. Some good and some not so good. Some of your people are in Star Fleet, and there are others who are into criminal activities." Natasha looked at Iola, "Do you wish to know more whether it be good or bad?"

The young woman nodded. "I know nothing about Orions," she reiterated, "never seen any others, I think. Only me. I hear, Orion females are..." She hesitated, looking down at her hands. "Manee.." She paused shaking her head. "What is word, make men do things."

"Manipulators. They utilize their pheromones to entice the males to do things the Orion females wish them to do. Not all of them do that though. And there are Orion females that don't give out a pheromone to cause problems with the male crewmates. The pheromones have been known to give headaches to females of different species just being in the same area."

"Men do as I say, it always surprised me. Never knew why," Iola admitted. "Doctor gave me something here, so now they do not. I like better, this way. I don't mind this...medicine. I still me, but better. Feel better."

Natasha gave a nod at Iola's information. "It must have been fairly strange to not know anything about your people. How old were you when you became in the service of your Don? There must be some sort of story there. I definitely want to know more."

Keenly interested, Natasha was wanting to know the story of Iola, and how she came to be.

"Very young," Iola answered without pause. "Remember no other home than Don's. Origin does not matter, when serving Don. Belong to him, so we Don's people?" She arched an eyebrow at the woman. "Some want to leave, but most not leave. Don very good master, treat us very well. Most very happy."

"That is an interesting situation you were raised in. Now you are here as an ambassador, er that is liason between your Don and the Andromeda? Will you have to go back or... " Natasha paused for a moment thinking over her next part of the question. "Or do you have the choice as to not going back to your Don?"

"I not know. I think there is reason Don sent me, but not know why. Before here, I could not talk... could sign only, and write." Iola paused. "Your crewman, former slave, he speak with me in sign, taught me words too after Don sent me. Michael taught me more." She blushed at the mention of his name.

Natasha's eyes widened slightly catching the blush, then she smiled softly. "You really like Michael very much don't you? He is a really good man and very handsome. At one time I could have fallen in love with Michael but... There is someone else that I have feelings for." Natasha blushing as she thought of Ron Bumble. "I find the man I am interested in, adorable and handsome as well."

Her blush deepened as she nodded. "He very kind to me," she confessed, "makes me feel different, and all funny inside." The Orion woman seemed relieved when the other woman indicated having no interest in 'her' man. "Do not know what fall in love is," she added, "but he special. I like being with him."

"Falling in love, being in love it means you get a special feeling around a certain someone who makes you feel funny in a good way. Safe, warm, comforting and makes you very happy. Makes you feel like you can do almost anything." Natasha replied. "Someone you want to be with for the rest of your life."

"Michael makes me feel like that," Iola admitted, "want to be with him always. And he make me feel good, make me feel I can do things."

Natasha nodded, "It most definitely sounds like you are in love with Michael. No doubt about it." giving a faint smile. " And...does he love you? Has he said it?"

"Not like that..." Iola frowned, thinking hard. "No, not said words but he show me? Things he does, say he love me? Make sense?" she asked curiously, "does he need to say for me to know?"

"It is nice to hear those words, I love you, well.. If it was from the right man." Natasha smile faded to a small frown. slight "If you hear the words I love you from the wrong sort of man, then its not a nice things to hear." she stated.

"Never heard those words," Iola mused, "not said to me, or anyone. Not common where I lived. But I seen affection.." She bit her lip as she blushed. "Very open, as some slaves no privacy." She paused. "Or maybe.. no restraint? Maybe think they no privacy, but I was never without. Most do have own room..."

Natasha nodded "Maybe a little bit of both, it could be said. I 'm sure Michael will get to saying those words I love you, and he will really mean it. He doesn't seem like someone who would haphazardly say I love you and not mean it. He's the sort that will stay by your side through thick and thin. Never giving up on you." smiling at the thought. "And he will always treat you with kindness and love. Won't hit you in anger..." her smile faltered for a moment, then it went back to normal. "Yes, I am most certain, he won't be one to hit you at all, not in anger nothing to hurt you physically nor mentally."

"Did a man hit you?" There was something in the way the other woman had said it, that caught her attention. She reached out, compassion touching her features. "Why? Why would a man hit you?"

"There are men who feel they have to be in control of the woman they are with. They can be charming, witty, attentive, and appear to be loving, all the while they are plotting and scheming on making a woman their slave and property. I thought I was in love with a man, whom ended up not being whom I thought he was. I had a stupid moment and was in love with him, well thought I was. A little while back he had asked me to marry him. I said yes, but then once I had that engagement ring on my finger, he started acting like I was his property. That relationship didn't last too long after that. We got into an argument, I took the ring off and slapped it down on the table and left the restaurant. He followed after me and we literally fought. He-he hit me and I hit back, we exchanged blows, then he ended up on the floor unconscious. He was carted off to jail, and I left, not being charged with assault, as there were witnesses as to the altercation." Natasha picked up her tea and drank from the cup, her hand just a bit shaky.

Iola touched the shaking hand, steadying it. "I owned by man," she said, keeping up the little lie she'd kept her entire life to help keep the Don's identity a secret. "Owned all my life. He never strike me. Punished once, but only once... He good man, honest man, but I still owned. Many owned by him, man and woman. But all serve, all treated well. Few get severely punished." She bit her lip, briefly looking away. "Science chief did... he not listen, he try to escape, he got punished." She squeezed the hand she held. "You just had bad man... you will find better man."

Natasha calming just a little bit, after Iola's soothing touch, and drinking some more tea. "The science officer, who was it? And I think I have found a good man.. he is rather shy though. He is adorable." Natasha brightly smiling. "He makes me feel warm and safe inside here." tapping her chest where her heart is.

"Science chief here, has spots..." Iola pained her memory but somehow could not recall his name. "He helped teach me speak. He one of few at home who understood me, he know sign, know many languages." She smiled as Natasha smiled. "Warm and safe is good, if he make you feel that way, he good for you."

Natasha nodded, "Yes he is, I hope he feels the same way where I am concerned. And the one with spots... Um Datari, I think is his name? Glad he taught you to speak." looking at the Iola. "If there is anything I can do for you, let me know as you helped me right now. I think you are the first, female friend I have made on the ship."

Her expression brightened as she snapped her fingers. "Yes yes, Datari... kind man, gentle. Beautiful wife too, he very devoted, always said wanted to go home. Want to go home was trouble for him, he not happy in my home." She shook her head, forcing herself to smile. "I happy with friend too," she echoed then, flicking her purple hair back over her shoulders. "Hope you make many more friends."

"I hope so, and also hope you make many more friends too. This is a big ship, so who knows whom we will meet." Natasha giving a nod. "So...what sort of foods do you like? Chocolate cake?"

"Uhmm..." She hesitated. "What is chocolate cake?" she finally asked, "I like all kinds of food...but do not know names."

"Well it is a cake, you know something, its better to show you than try to describe it." Natasha pulling out her PADD and bringing up a picture of a chocolate cake. "It looks like this, but will be best to get it made and taste it as well."

"I know spongy delicacy... usually... yellow?" While she knew all kinds of food, and probably could describe what she knew, she had no words for them. "I like... long sticky things... like rope?" She licked her lips as she thought of it. "With grainy white particles, or with this red....fluid? has meat in it, but not know what. Red fluid has many vegetables too."

"OOh that is called spaghetti, and that sounds very good to me. I am now getting hungry, and the grainy particles are called parmesan cheese." Natasha replied, feeling her mouth water.

Iola shook her head. "Not cheese... is sweet. Put in tea too." But she was getting hungry too now. "Maybe...we eat?" she suggested, gesturing towards her replicator. "Will take time, not instant done I learn."

"Spaghetti with sugar? I've not tried that, though I do add sugar to the pasta sauce to lightly sweeten it." Natasha replied. "Did you like it like that?"

"No...ate pasta with sugar, or pasta with sauce. Don't know if sauce was sweetened." She gave an apologetic look. "I not cook, I assistant not cook. I keep schedule, manage appointments. Contact people."

"Ah, my misunderstanding. I can teach you some things you can cook or bake. I'm not a chef, but I do know how to cook and not burn water." Natasha giving a bit of a chuckle. "And follow a recipe."

Iola's eyes lit up at that idea. "I like that," she answered brightly. "We go shopping now?"

"Yes, I would like that very much." Natasha stated. "Fresh ingredients will be fun to get."

The Orion woman smiled. "Then we go," she said firmly, already on her way to the door.

"Okay, let's do so." Natasha laughed, and followed after Iola, very happy to go shopping with her.