Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 22, 2021 17:14:14 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters]"We say in my business that you eat with your eyes first, so it has to look good," Max said of the aesthetics, as he served the lamb roast, along with the rice, to each of them. "With this one, the trick is the rub. We lay it on the roast by hand, and then use a brush to make sure it's nice and even," Judy added, explaining the technique. "I actually learned that technique from Judy, if you can believe it."Max was proud of his professional skills, but not too proud to give ample credit to his wife where it was due. She was listed as a contributor on every cookbook he'd published, for good reason.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609 Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Feb 23, 2021 8:07:16 GMT
[ Jovireh Velal / Devra Kul - Eastman-Williams' Quarters] "That definitely makes sense," Jovireh replied to Max's comment about the food needing to look good. It would explain why she had never been keen on trying Klingon or Ferengi foods... As the couple explained their method, Devra listened with rapt fascination. While it would likely be awhile before she would try her hand at cooking Human food again, it was always good to pick up tips wherever you received them. "Collaboration can be such a wonderful thing," she made her own observation. "I grew up spending all my spare time in the family garden. No one was surprised when I started studying botany. Endon, on the other hand was a very technical man. When we first met he couldn't tell a tulip from a pansy." She chuckled softly at the memory, her smile bright and reminiscent. Jov listened carefully to the story. It had been a long time since her mother had spoken so openly about her father. "When we decided to work together, we chose a project that fit both our expertise, and learned from each other along the way." It was the first time Jov had heard - from her mother at least - anything about how her parents had started out. She was reminded of what Commander Harmon had said about her father's work before... and felt a slight sinking in her chest when she realized this only confirmed he hadn't always been a botanist as she had grown up believing. But she quickly shoved those thoughts out of her mind, telling herself that she could ask her mother for more details later. In private.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 23, 2021 18:41:33 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters]Judy smiled. She could imagine talking about a dead spouse was hard for Devra, so she appreciated the woman sharing this with them. "Every good partnership is based on cooperation and synergy, and it sounds like you had that," she said, thinking about all her partnerships, personal and professional. The most successful ones, like her current marriage, were the ones with synergies - different but complementary strengths. She then turned to enjoying the lamb, and the rice. Max seemed to inhale his wine as he thought about what Devra must be going through, losing the love of her life. He'd come close to losing Judy more than once, but it still seemed almost unfathomable.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609 Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Feb 24, 2021 23:20:06 GMT
[ Jovireh Velal / Devra Kul - Eastman-Williams' Quarters] Devra nodded to Judy with a smile as they began to eat their lamb and rice. It certainly tasted even better than expected. "We really did, most of the time. Don't get me wrong... We also fought like targs more times than I like to admit," she laughed, fondness in her voice even when speaking of the less favorable parts of her marriage. "He was such a stubborn and prideful man... And I can't say I was much better. But once the arguments were over, they were over. We never stopped the discussion until we had settled it. Never held grudges, never brought matters up again."Jovireh ate in silence, listening intently to everything her mother was saying, enjoying seeing the light in her eyes once more. It was strange though... She had never noticed her parents fighting. Perhaps they had always kept it contained in the lab. "It's a shame all your research was lost. You both put so much into it..."Devra looked over, clearly shocked by the comment. "Oh honey, no! It wasn't lost. Every time we made a breakthrough, we sent the information to our homeworlds. I always assumed Betazed was passing it on to the Federation, but even if they didn't, it would still be in their archives."The younger woman's brow furrowed at the revelation. If there were backups of their research... Why had her father gone back to the lab at the last minute? She tried to push those thoughts away, not wanting to open such a sore subject for both of them in front of their hosts. They had made things awkward enough for the couple. So instead she forced a smile. "That's great! If you're able to get ahold of it again... I'm sure the scientists here would love to put it to use."
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 25, 2021 6:24:27 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters]As the guests spoke, Judy, and (with his wine finished) Max tucked into the lamb. It was characteristically rich, distinctly fatty, and infused with their blend of seasoning, particularly the garlic. They could pick up on some awkwardness, but knew better than to delve into another family's sore spots. "We have a lot of botanists and biologists swarming around the station. I'll have Mabel put together a list tomorrow," Judy offered, her administrative mind already drawing up a partial, mental list. "You know, we've actually never had a fight, in 20 years now. We've had a lot of uncomfortable conversations, but never a fight," Max said, seeming proud. "I really have Max as the one person I don't boss around, and he's always so mellow, so we just don't get to fighting," Judy added. "That, and we were already relatively old when we met."No two romantic relationships were alike, and Judy and Max both understood the passions that led very many couples to fight, but they were proud of their trademark calmness and good communication skills.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609 Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Feb 26, 2021 6:40:42 GMT
[ Jovireh Velal / Devra Kul - Eastman-Williams' Quarters] "Excellent, thank you!" The woman replied to the extended offer of help. "I'll contact Betazed's research department in the morning." It would be nice to feel useful again, and as her daughter had said - two decades of life's work would get to be utilized. The couple brought up their own communication style, and Devra nodded with a smile. "It is wonderful that you're able to have those uncomfortable conversations calmly. Probably helps reach resolutions much faster." Jovireh focused on her meal, not having much long-term relationship experience to add to the conversation, but she was listening, enjoying the opportunity to get to know the couple better.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 26, 2021 17:53:52 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters] Max smiled affirmatively. "Usually we get our disagreements squared away in one sitting, but sometimes we don't. When we were deciding where to live on Earth, Judy decided that she should make a 15-minute presentation to convince me that we should live in Manhattan," he said, and she blushed. "He wasn't impressed in the slightest," she recalled, chuckling with the benefit of hindsight. "Judy is a New Yorker, a big-city girl, at heart, but I wanted to raise the kids with more open space, somewhere with a backyard and a pool, in the suburbs. It also turned out to be a great place to raise a middle-aged woman," Max summarized the nature of the disagreement, as well as the outcome. Judy just smiled, appreciating the comedic way Max described the environment. The calming effect of having quieter surroundings, open space, and that large pool, was a positive boon for her, just as it was for their growing children.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609 Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Feb 26, 2021 22:27:12 GMT
[ Jovireh Velal / Devra Kul - Eastman-Williams' Quarters] Both women laughed at the story. Jovireh found it quite amusing to think of Judy as an adult being 'raised' by her husband... But she did recall the older woman saying that she hadn't been the stoic, level-headed person she was now, and that Max had a lot to do with it. Devra had a wistful smile as she replied. "Oh that sounds like my Endon... Always so organized and prepared. Though I will admit that I was the one who needed settling." The Romulan scientist had always joked about how he had no idea what to do with the Betazoid woman who captured his heart, but they had eventually learned how to work with each other. Jovireh got a mischievous glint in her eye as she swallowed her mouthful and turned to look at the woman next to her. "So, Mother, when are you going to get a boyfriend and settle down again?" she asked teasingly. Unlike her own mortified reaction to the similar question posed to her earlier, Devra just laughed. "Oh... I went on a few dates here and there back on Earth, but starting a new relationship at my age is just so much work, and more often than not quite disappointing. I haven't closed the door on the possibility of finding someone else, but it's become rather low on my priorities list."The hybrid realized she had mixed feelings about that. While she certainly wasn't eager for a stepfather, she wanted her mother to be happy. Perhaps she would meet someone on the station that she could at least find companionship with.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 26, 2021 23:53:09 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters]Judy nodded, quite knowingly. While she had been a good deal younger than Devra was now, she'd found herself single, and not too happily, at an older-than-average age, before she found Max. "Sometimes, you find Mr. Right exactly when you're not looking for him," she said, with that lived wisdom. "Technically, Mr. Right found you," Max corrected. "I wasted a lot of time on dates that didn't go anywhere, and then I met this gorgeous lass at a board game night, when I'd just about given up on dating, but I asked her out anyway.""There are a few eligible silver foxes on the station. You never know."Perhaps, as she got to know Devra better, Judy could even try her own hand at matchmaking.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609 Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Feb 27, 2021 3:20:07 GMT
[ Jovireh Velal / Devra Kul - Eastman-Williams' Quarters] Jovireh didn't think she'd ever heard the story of how the couple had met, but a board game night definitely sounded perfect for them. As much as she teased her mother for staying single all this time, she knew the real reason was likely that she couldn't yet help but compare every man she met to her late husband. But Judy was right... Perhaps it was just a matter of meeting the right person when she wasn't looking for him. While she had never experienced that, romance hadn't been on the table for herself for... well... ever. But she'd seen enough people fall in love to know how unexpectedly it could happen. Leanna was the most recent example of that. Devra laughed again at the mention of eligible 'silver foxes' on the station. "Oh, well, I'm sure I'll be meeting plenty of people once I start working on the Promenade." Even those who weren't looking to buy flowers often stopped by flower shops to simply enjoy the beauty. She assumed that would happen even moreso on a space station.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 27, 2021 4:21:21 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters]"Keep an eye on your regulars," Judy suggested with a wink. It certainly sounded like a cheesy way to go about flirting, but Judy had found that with age, people cared less and less about what was or wasn't corny. Max glanced at his own empty plate, and then to the others. "You can help yourselves to seconds," he invited, as he served himself. He'd come to adopt the Jewish value system, in which affection was shown by feeding, and reciprocated by eating.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609 Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Feb 27, 2021 6:29:16 GMT
[ Jovireh Velal / Devra Kul - Eastman-Williams' Quarters] At Max's invitation, the guests finished what was on their plates before following suit and adding more. With that conversation seemingly at a close, Jovireh asked the first question that came to mind. "What made you decide to join Starfleet?" She'd remembered Judy had mentioned being in her 40s as a junior officer, and while that obviously wasn't unheard of it certainly wasn't common. Devra remained silent this time, listening with rapt attention though as she continued eating. She was glad her daughter was finally using this opportunity to get to know her Captain better. Took her long enough...
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 27, 2021 14:55:29 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters]Max reached a hand to squeeze Judy's leg, right at the hemline of her dress, in a comforting gesture, encouraging her to tell the long version of the story. "Well, I have to go back to about 10 years before I actually joined, to explain it properly," she started, and Max squeezed a little tighter. "You see... Max is my second husband. I'd gotten divorced from my ex when I was in my early 30s, so going through that... and as a newly single mom, really scrambled my career path," she revealed, speaking with relative calm about what was still the roughest event of her life. "So the first place I went was academia, to get my PhD. I had flexible enough hours to take care of my boys, and I really am proud of the dissertation that I wrote, but I did have a hunger for more practical, hands-on work."Max resumed eating, seeing that Judy had weathered the difficult part of the story. He was also a little relieved that she didn't delve into her dissertation, having tried - and failed - to read it several times. "At the time, we're talking the late 50s, the Corps of Engineers was hunting for engineers, especially engineering project managers, on the civilian market. There was interesting work, a good childcare system, and they offered to take me in as a direct commission officer, so I took the posting."Having finished speaking, Judy helped herself to seconds. There would be leftovers, it seemed, but not too much.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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Jovireh Velal
Security & Tactical
[TI18]
Posts: 2,609 Likes: 55
Rank: Senior Chief Petty Officer
Position: Chief of Security/Tactical
Species: Betazoid/Romulan
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Post by Jovireh Velal on Feb 27, 2021 17:03:52 GMT
[ Jovireh Velal / Devra Kul - Eastman-Williams' Quarters] Listening to the story intently, Jov could see the slight shift in behavior of both Max and Judy, and realized it was likely difficult for her to talk about that time in her life. She respected her ability to do so, however, and chose not to further inquire about the divorce or struggle of being a single mother. "It definitely sounds like it was the perfect opportunity for you," she replied, instead focusing on the happier outcome of the story. Devra helped herself to another scoop of rice. She didn't normally have such an appetite, but the woman always ate an early lunch on days when she had dinner plans. "And you've come so far in your career in a relatively short time," she added to her daughter's statement, her tone of voice revealing she was impressed by the other woman's accomplishments.
Tag Judith Eastman
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Judith Eastman
Civilian
Grandma
Posts: 2,593 Likes: 84
Rank: Civilian/other
Position: Civil Servant
Species: Human
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Post by Judith Eastman on Feb 27, 2021 18:22:01 GMT
[Capt. Judith Eastman(-Williams) & Max Williams - Commanding Officer's Quarters]Chewing on the lamb, Judy was engrossed in the conversation with her guests, and thus didn't feel guilty over just how much cholesterol was going into her system. Max could take away her cheese later. Having finished a bite, she smiled at Devra, as she felt the need to talk down her achievements. "20 years, well, 22 years isn't such a short time either, and looking back, I'd say the major milestones of it came to me at the right time. If I'd made Captain in 10 years, like some people - some splendiferous people - have done, I don't think I could've handled it at that time, with a 5-year-old and a 10-year-old and menopause and all that jazz," she said, feeling that compared to many - such as Captain Ellis - her own progression had been slower. "I don't think she would've taken this job, as Captain, 10 years ago. It was really the grandkids egging her on," Max added, with the insight of one who was there. "Oh, you bet. Michael, our eldest grandson, has been going around his class, he's a first grader, just talking about how he's going to be just like me when he grows up. It's adorable."Talking about their grandchildren always put broad, stupid grins on Judy and Max's faces.
Tag Jovireh Velal
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