Illogical human bonding rituals…
Solok let out a barely audible sigh of frustration in the privacy of his own quarters, While some Vulcans allowed themselves greater latitude with their emotional expression in private, Solok made a continual effort to maintain his control even when no one was watching. Having naturally expressive eyes combined with a rather tenuous rein on his emotions to begin with, he believed it best to allow himself virtually no leeway with it.
It was difficult to maintain at the best of times, but he was concerned that even a minor lapse in discipline would cost him months of hard won progress and so he simply forged on with his mask securely in place, reminding him that his emotions were obstacles to inner peace.
His current obstacle was most definitely an emotion and it had a name: frustration.
Humans had so many different cultures just among their species and the protocols for attending meals in their homes was just as varied and vague.
Was he expected to bring a dish to this occasion or not? He would have been grateful for a more definitive answer from his research than "not required, but considered thoughtful and often given as an expression of gratitude to the host." Yes or no would have sufficed.
He probably should have asked Sisko at the time of the invitation, but he had been so caught off guard by the invite that any questions simply didn't occur to him until after the human had returned to station business.
Perhaps he was overthinking this. And just perhaps his fellow captain, Sadara Lochlan, with her human half could clarify these convoluted social sandtraps associated with Terran dining experiences.
It did give him a reason to seek her out and that seemed like a promising start to his day.
Lochlan's eyebrows hit her hairline in amused surprise at Solok's dilemma.
"All those papers you wrote about illogical human bonding rituals and you never explored basic Terran dining etiquette?" She asked incredulously. "Seriously, you managed to skate through Starfleet Academy without ever once going out to eat with any human cadets or joining them at their parents' house for dinner? What rock did you just crawl out from?"
Solok sighed inwardly. He had not prepared for the possibility that she would tease him about this gap in his knowledge of human social behaviors. Perhaps this wasn't one of his better ideas. He wished to make a good impression on her and considered that this was a favorable opportunity to do so by showing interest in learning more about this subject she'd be more familiar with. He also simply wished to spend time with her.
"Not expecting to take part in their more food oriented social gatherings, I did not take the time to research them," he explained, hoping that she would get the hint and not tease him further.
"Apparently… So obscure sports like baseball we know about. Basic dining experiences, not so much."
Solok ignored the obvious mirth in her eyes and tone and forged on with his request.
"Will you assist me or not?" He asked, not quite successful in keeping the exasperation out of his deep, quiet voice.
"I will. When are you off duty next?" Lochlan asked, her expression neutral once more.
"I am currently off duty for the next 2.7 days. I assume even with the hindrance in efficiency due to your human genes, you will find time to accommodate my inadequacies in this matter," he said pointedly, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
That only seemed to amuse her further.
"The humans have an expression: don't bite the hand that feeds you. My human half is likely why you thought I'd be an ideal person to ask about this. But good job insulting both of us in one sentence. Killed two birds with one stone there. Most impressive."
Solok's jaw tightened in frustration, but he tamped it down with the reminder that Sisko did warn him that Lochlan would meet his verbal jabs head on. And he did tell Sisko he enjoyed a challenge. He supposed it was time to prove it by more fully enjoying future exchanges like this with Lochlan.
"I will leave the time and place to meet at your discretion," Solok said, attempting to steer the conversation back to business. They could socialize more when they met up as opposed to wasting time over comm lines when it was more difficult to multitask.
"I have more available time today then I will tomorrow so would noon work? I'll prepare a light lunch so you can practice socializing over a meal, we can discuss what to bring to dinner, and utilize the afternoon to prepare the food?" She suggested.
Solok blinked in surprise. He had not been expecting their meeting to take the better part of the day, especially when he only really needed a handful of questions answered.
She must intend to prepare the food by hand rather than replicate it, he realized, encouraged by the possibilities her plans opened up.
Rather than a brief conversation on Terran dining etiquette, he would have an entire afternoon at least to learn more about her and assess their potential compatibility.
His already considerable heart rate picked up, practically fluttering with anticipation. It was an emotional reaction to the possibility of being near her and he chastised himself mentally, vowing to meditate more intensely that evening. The Shon Hal Lok must be purged, logic insisted. If only the rest of him wish to cooperate. At the moment, it appeared his baser desires were winning by a landslide if his current actions were anything to go by.
"That would be acceptable," Solok acknowledged.
"Perfect. I'll see you at noon then. Fair warning, my Terran canines will be present."
With a nod, Solok cut the connection and rose from his desk. As he would be occupied past the noon hour, he should inquire about progress on repairs to the main deflector dish now and that meant a visit to the station.
He followed Lochlan into her spacious quarters. They were somewhat larger than his own aboard the T'kumbra, but not significantly so. The Sovereign class starships were still a relatively new class and while there were some upgrades to comfort, the larger and more efficient interior ship design intended to accommodate more crew rather than more space to a smaller population.
The first thing that stuck out to the Vulcan was her kitchen and the enticing aromas currently emanating from it. Kovka stew, Solok surmised and his stomach growled in anticipation. It was an excellent choice for a midday meal.
The kitchen was a feature she likely requested during one of the ship's previous refits as they were not standard during ship construction. In this era of replicators, cooking was no longer a necessary skill for the common person. One had to have a passion for cooking or at least an interest in learning how to.
It was not enormous by any means, but it had all that would be required for Lochlan to prepare her own meals by hand. Naturally, the replicator was still present, but Solok was admittedly curious how often she actually used it since she'd gone out of her way to have an actual kitchen installed.
The next thing that Solok noticed were the dogs Lochlan had mentioned. They hopped off the bed and scampered out into the main areas to greet them, tails wagging eagerly. Mickey offered his paw in a shake as he had with Sisko the day before while Fergus rolled over, exposing his belly for pets.
"They are Cardigan Welsh Corgis. The black one is Fergus and the tan one is Mickey," she said for Solok's benefit.
Solok raised a curious eyebrow at Lochlan as she knelt to humor her dogs with pets and kisses.
"Perhaps motherhood would suit you?" Solok commented with humor, though there was an undercurrent of seriousness in his tone.
"One day hopefully. Hasn't happened yet obviously. My career, and of course, the Dominion War really put my personal life on hold. The captaincy makes it especially difficult to find someone because everyone aboard your ship is someone you can't fraternize with. Long distance relationships are workable, but they take a unique type of effort to maintain."
After a few moments, she instructed her dogs to go lay down and they trotted off to park themselves in their fluffy beds near the couch.
"What would you like to drink?" Lochlan asked him, making her way to the replicator.
"Spice tea will be satisfactory."
He took a seat at the table, noting that it had already been set in the Vulcan fashion with great care. Lunch was fully prepared and only needed serving.
Glancing up from the table, Solok took in more details of Lochlan's living quarters.
It was immaculate for the most part save for her unmade bed that he could only glimpse part of from where he was seated.
"Yeah, I'm not a bedmaker," she mentioned as she set his tea mug gently down in front of him. Apparently she had taken notice of where he'd been looking. "Always seemed a pointless waste of time to me seeing as I'm just going to get right back in it later."
She had a point, Solok conceded inwardly. Still…
"True, but a made bed is more aesthetically appealing, wouldn't you say?"
Plucking their bowls from the table, Lochlan gave him an amused look before heading back to the counter to serve the stew.
"Hardly anyone ever sees it but me," she informed him ruefully and scooped a healthy portion of the stew into his bowl and then did the same for hers. "That part about being a starship captain means fewer visitors too."
She set the bowls back on the table and uncovered the Takta bread she'd made the evening before.
Solok's eyes widened and his nostrils flared appreciatively at the freshly baked Vulcan bread. She'd already sliced it even.
"Apparently I was remiss to criticize your human half. You appear to have planned your day's events with great care. Lunch had only to be served and much of the tools we will need for this afternoon are already prepared and ready for use. I am… impressed," Solok said sincerely.
"Good," Lochlan responded with a smirk. "Wait until you see what else I can do."