Meeting the Foster Family

Posted on Mon Jul 8th, 2019 @ 8:45am by Lieutenant Mona Gonadie & Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Jaeih Dox-t'Aan
Edited on on Mon Jul 22nd, 2019 @ 9:11am

Mission: Fractured Fairy Tales
Location: Main Flight Deck and Deck 6
Timeline: 2396, shortly after An Island of Two

The trio standing on the flight deck were waiting for a civilian shuttle - a Miradonian craft, at that. One that made Mona Gonadie more than slightly nervous as she seemed to readjust her uniform every few seconds as she stood next to her lover and bond-mate and her first officer, preparing to welcome her foster parents that had raised her after most of her colony had been eaten. She barely remembered her biological family at this point, but the 'redneck evangelical' stereotype was strong with her foster parents.

Still, they made sure every chick they took in got good schooling, worked hard, and was well fed. They wanted every orphan to have every opportunity they didn't growing up, and they thanked the Moon Goddess for every success. For all their back-woodsey-ness and reliance on government subsidies, they were loving people and even now, they insisted on being at every bonding ceremony they could manage to attend.

Hence the approach of a metallic green, purple, and yellow shuttle that looked like it had small wings on the top of the main body and smaller skids painted to look like chicken legs on the bottom. A few smaller panels were missing and it looked like it was going to fall out of space at any moment, but that was half the charm of most Miradonian crafts - they kept on flying even with half the parts missing.

As the craft closed in on the USS Hera and was ensnared by the tractor beams, it was guided to the landing spot waiting for them, where it settled so that the large rear hatch was facing the three awaiting crew members. A small nervous squawk came from Mona, right before the hatch unsealed and lowered to become a ramp.

A moment later, a pair of Miradonians wearing soft cotton overalls in garishly bright colors seemingly popped out of the shuttle, each almost as wide as they were tall, and they were only a few inches shorter than Mona herself. As for their colorations, they were similar to Mona's, but had blues instead of greens in their plumage.

Standing next to Mona, Mnhei'sahe kept her face neutral with a polite smile, but now understood what Mona meant when she had described herself as 'skinny for a Miradonian.'

"There's our girl! Mona, come here and give your old pappy a..." The first started to exclaim before the second rotund bird poked them in the gut.

"Dear, this is Starfleet. They have..." They began, letting the other finish the thought.

"Right, procedure." He then looked at the trio of officers, trying to remember how rank worked. In the end, he just went with the most bling on the uniform and addressed Rita, trying to come to attention and saluting as best he could. "Uh... Sir... Ma'am... Permission to come aboard this magnificent vessel and see our daughter and her bond-mate?"

A wide, bright, friendly close-lipped smile graced the face of the striking Starfleet siren in the old-fashioned uniform. After all, many species regarded the baring of teeth to be hostile, and she did not want to intimidate, but accommodate. With that in mind, she returned the salute smartly, with no hint of condescension nor mockery. “By all means, permission granted. We’re honored to have you aboard. On behalf of the command staff of the USS Hera, may I say it is a pleasure to have you here with us for this joyous event. I'm Commander Rita Paris, and if you need anything during your stay, you just let me know, hm?"

The first Miradonian relaxed visibly and sighed in relief. "Oh thank goodness. We're not too up on rank or uniforms or all that..."

"We're not even sure what race you all are..." The second added apologetically, adding a few nods.

"Yep, we don't get too many off worlders visiting us." The man added.

Then, as if playing verbal ping pong, the statement bounced back to the other blue feathered Miradonian, who added a bit more. "And we just never bothered to pay much attention or learn, really."

"Now give us a big hug, Mona! Your pappy's been waiting forever!" Without bothering to wait for any further words from anyone else, he swept Mona up in his arms and hugged her so hard you could hear her bones pop.

The second Miradonian wasn't far behind, scooping Dox up in a similar bone-popping hug. "I recognize you from the holos, dearie. Just call me your mammy just like our little Mona. And don't worry about food."

"Right! We'll feed ya'll good and get some meat on them skinny bones!"

"Uh... H... Hello." Dox replied, gasping for air from the somewhat intense hug.

Finally getting a few words in edgewise as she extricated herself from the lung-crushing hug, Mona introduced the pair. "Commander, Mnhei'sahe... I'd like to formally introduce you to my foster parents, Milla and Mardo Morafry."

"But yous can just call us mammy and pappy just like all the chicks do," Milla added as they moved to give Rita a hug as well. "After all, we're all family now, right?"

Accepting and returning the hug, Rita Paris waited til it was finished, then offered Pappy a hug as well, and took that one as well. When it was finished, she held her hand to her chest in a delicate manner and offered an explanation. "I am a human. I come from a planet called Earth, in the alpha quadrant, about 16 light years from Vulcan. One of our greatest authors once wrote that humanity is the only species that will form a family out of the materials at hand... but then, he had never met a Miradonian."

"Welcome to the family. Let's get you folks settled in, shall we? Do you have any luggage we need to bring onboard?" A pair of burly humanoid security officers, one male and one female, stood at parade rest nearby on the flight deck, in their starched gold uniforms.

"Oh, we have a couple bags," Pappy began as he hobbled back up the ramp of the shuttle to grab two large suitcases that were as patchwork and colorful as the ship they were in. "They're a bit heavy though. Don't want ya'll ta strain yourselves."

"As the Moon Goddess Minay would say, share the load and happy times abound sooner," Mammy touted, one finger waggling in the air. "Besides, I don't think just the two of us could carry all six bags and my deep fryer."

At the mention of her mammy's deep fryer, Mona rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. Please tell me you brought the small one for barbeques, mammy."

"Oh no, dearie. We brought the big one for your ceremony. We'll be making our famous deep fried corn and egg vittlins for your after party, doncha know!" Mammy was next to climb up the ramp and started pulling a meter long deep fryer out of the shuttle behind her.

Pappy just chuckled and handed off his first two bags to one of the security types before heading back in for the other two. "As the Moon Goddess provides, so shall we!"

Standing between Rita and Mona, Mnhei'sahe Dox had begun to blush a deep green. After all, 'Minay' was also Mona's name for her and she didn't often think of the cultural or religious implications of that and hoped it wouldn't come up much. "Is..is there anything I can take? Please, let me help."

Mammy pointed off a bit deeper into the shuttle at what looked like a golf bag filled with deep fryer tools as tall as them. "There's the bag of fryer tools. Do ya mind grabbing them dearie? Mona, do ya mind taking care of the shuttle for us?"

Stepping onto the ramshackle shuttle, Dox reached down and hoisted up the densely packed bag that was nearly as long as the short Romulan woman was tall. The bag was extremely heavy and felt like there might have been a third Miradonian hiding out in it if not for the clanging and shuffling of all the tools. With a slight grunt, Dox thought to herself that she was happy that she had been working out so hard to prepare for the Captain's tribunal as she hoisted the strap up over her shoulder and carried the bag back out.

"She needs some repairs, but you know how these old birds get," Pappy said with a wink as he hefted the last of the luggage. "She'll still do a full trickster around just about anything though!"

"And Robera got a good price for us. You remember her, right? She got to the home right after you did." Mammy added as they started down the ramp with the fryer. "She married a nice... ah... The blue-skinned, bald people..."

"Anyway, they have a really nice used ship business and they practically gave us this one just so we could get to her bonding ceremony easier instead of taking a commuter shuttle." Pappy grinned in pride and patted the side of the shuttle.

"We named her the MRS Minmree - the Nightlove after our love for the Goddess." Mammy finished off as they got the fryer to the bottom of the ramp.

"That's a beautiful name." Dox replied as she walked with the heavy bag over towards Mona, tilting an eyebrow. "I'm sure we could ask maintenance to give her the once over. Ensign Gavarus left with O'Dell on leave, but Tooley and Marquez are filling in and I don't think they would mind. It's unofficial work, but I can ask after everyone gets settled."

"I'll make a list of what she needs," Mona added with a wink before heading in herself. "My Minay is the Chief of the Flight Control Department and almost as good a flyer and fixer as I am, you know."

Both of their eyes lit up with an inner radiance at hearing Mona's words and they both excitedly started talking at once unintelligibly in Miradonian, not even bothering to keep the same thoughts separate between them. The few bits that did come through basically amounted to their excitement that Mona had finally accepted the Goddesses love into her heart and that she had found someone that was her equal in every way and they went through another round of hugs with Dox.

As the two wrapped their thick arms hard around the awkward young Romulan, the heavy bag slipped down to the deck with a clatter that did nothing to disrupt the flurry of unexpected affection. And while Dox had been working to try and learn the language herself, in the moment, she was at a loss and couldn't quite keep up as she grunted through the tight embraces. "Uh... what's... why... *ow* why are we hugging again? What's wrong?"

As they continued talking like they were, Mona poked her head out of the shuttle to explain, a cheese-eating grin on her face. "I called you my Minay and told them what you do for a living just now. I didn't do that in the letters. They're just... Super excited, is all."

After a moment, they released their near death grip on Dox and the crimson-clad Lieutenant was able to catch her breath. As she readjusted her uniform, she continued with a more relaxed smile. "Excited is... um... good. I do have to work a little harder on my Miradonian as I was only picking up every fourth or fifth word or so. But I am very happy to finally meet you. Mona speaks of you with nothing but love."

"I... hope I can live up to any expectations you have for me as well." She said as she hoisted the heavy bag up on her shoulder with a light grunt. It was a slightly formal way of saying it that betrayed the young Romulans frayed nerves a bit.

"We've got some very nice accommodations for you folks, just down the hall from the lovebirds here," the gold-clad commander explained as she hefted a bag and began herding the small party into the Hera proper. "So what do you say we get you folks settled in, give you a chance to freshen up from your trip, maybe catch a little nap, then this evening is the rehearsal dinner at the Captain's table, as I recall from the itinerary? Also the rehearsal, it would stand to reason."

Meeting parents was an old game for Rita, who had grown up around elder officers and their families all of her life. As a Starfleet brat stationed in San Francisco, she'd attended endless parties, brunches, soirees and backyard cookouts. Mnhei'sahe Dox, on the other hand, had not been socialized as a child, and her relationship with her own mother was a wary one, and often combative. Thus, with the stress of the pending ceremonies and stress and anxiety about somehow screwing up the big day, disappointing Mona, hurting someone's feelings or doing something wrong were only going to make her tightly wound for the next 48 hours. So Rita Paris was going to make it her mission to herd her adopted sister through all of this without her head exploding from stress. Thus why she took the lead to move people and events along.

As the couple slowly calmed down and their speech once again became more coherent, it became quickly apparent that they were mighty glad that their Mona had found herself a Moon Goddess to properly bond with and would do anything to make sure the ceremony went off perfectly and looked forward to meeting Mnhei'sahe's parents as soon as possible. They were still doing the whole stream of thought thing, bouncing the sentence between them to get it out, but at least it was in Federation Common so everyone present could understand it.

As the unusual grouping of officers and family made its way to the turbolift, Mnhei'sahe's heart felt as if it had skipped a beat. In the rapid-fire stream of consciousness, the two Miradonian's were engaging in, they mentioned wanting to meet the young Romulan woman's parents. Of course, the status of Mnhei'sahe's father was largely unknown. The last time she had seen him, she didn't even know that the drunken Romulan on the Tortuga station was her father.

And her mother was an entirely different source of stress. Jaeih Dox was on board the Hera. Her quarters were likely going to be only a few doors down from the quarters where Mona's Foster parents would be staying. But they young Dox had no idea how the icy, confrontational, emotionally distant former Tal'Shiar agent would react to the gregarious, open, religious and impossibly friendly Miradonian couple waddling onto the turbolift with them as it arrived.

As the group worked its way into the cramped lift, Dox found herself wedged quite tightly between Mona's foster mother, Milla, and Mona herself. As Commander Paris instructed the lift to proceed to its destination on Deck 8, Mnhei'sahe closed her eyes to try and relax. Physically touching Mona meant that she could feel, quite strongly now, their freshly renewed bond.

It was like a minor flood of all the emotions flooding through Mona's mind that filled Mnhei'sanhe with the familiar warmth that she had missed so much during the months when their bond had been damaged. But restored to its former level, it was a bond Mona had once said was unusually strong, even among Miradonians. And as such, they shared more than their emotions when in contact. With her eyes still closed, Mnhei'sahe thought to Mona. Hnaev... they want to meet my MOTHER.

Mona was finally able to start to relax now that she was in contact with her Minay, but being squished like she was wasn't helping. She knew her bond with Dox was deeper than most other Miradonians could achieve, but her foster parents had practiced their entire lives with theirs and could feel that same level of bond across great distances. Still, the thrumming they made in the turbolift was a bit loud. It'll be ok. It's all going to be ok. We'll be there in case anything happens. It's not like she's going to eat them - she's a vegetarian, after all.

Nervously, Mnhei'sahe let a slight chuckle slip out at Mona's last thought. As she did, she blushed slightly again. Between Mona's thrumming, their body language, and now her chuckling at nothing, it was likely fairly obvious to the rotund couple that there was an unspoken conversation happening between the two young bond-mates.

"Uh...sorry. Sorry about that." Mnhei'sahe muttered, anxiously.

The elder Miradonians just chuckled as well, sharing a knowing look as they spoke together. "The bond is strong already."

For Mnhei'sahe, it almost felt as if the lift had decided to travel the entirety of the turbolift network of tunnles to make it just a few decks. But in reality, it had only been a few brief moments as the lift doors hissed open on deck 8. As the occupants began to filter out onto the deck, Mnhei'sahe stayed pressed up against Mona just a second longer as she thought to her bond-mate, Normally I'm just worried about SAYING the wrong thing. Now I'm worried about THINKING the wrong thing. Hnaev... they can't hear this, can they?

No, the bond doesn't work like that and I don't have a bond with them, Mona reassured her bond-mate, squeezing her a bit tighter for just a moment. "I added some decor to the VIP quarters you'll be staying in. Curtains, a few pictures... A diorama of the Moon Goddess and the Trickster over a shrine... I knew you'd want to make sure you could pray while aboard."

Letting out the slightest of breaths, Dox was at last relieved by that bit of information. At least she was only projecting her anxiety in the old fashioned way.

"Thank you!" Mammy started off, letting the thought carry over to pappy. "You've always been so considerate." And then back to Mammy. "I'm sure everything will be perfect." And then back to pappy. "After all, Starfleet ships are so large and accommodating."

"That they are, folks," Paris smiled, knowing the silent exchange all too well. After all, she and Sonak had once been able to communicate shipwide through their own bond, and even now, if he was near and she was stressed, her fingers would still seek his to establish that link, to feel his calming presence in her mind. Striding out onto Deck 8, Paris led the way with chatter. "Back in my day the quarters for very important guests were still a bit small and cramped, but these days the junior officer's quarters are bigger than that. How times change, eh?"

"In your cases, we've put you up in lucky Guest Quarters seven, so your next door neighbor will be Mrs. Dox. I thought it might be nice if the in-laws had a chance to chat one another up and swap childhood stories and such. So she's next door, in nine." Rita didn't mention the living goddess who traveled as a guest on the starship that bore her name, or the incarnation of eternity who sometimes took her rest another door down. Mnhei'sahe would be nervous enough without trying to explain all of that, as would the usually unflappable Mona Gonadie.

As they approached the quarters, a few doors down, a pair of Amazonian security officers in their starched gold uniforms offered them a respectful nod, then kept to themselves as Paris interposed herself between that sight and the open door of the VIP quarters. “Here we are, folks... it's a bit cramped, but we thought that would make it a bit cozier for you."

Which was, of course, Paris having a bit of fun. The quarters visible through the open door were nearly a dozen meters square, and while not lavishly appointed, they were both tasteful and comfortable. Plus the additions by Ensign Gonadie to ensure they would be welcoming to the visiting parents insured the success of the 'wow' factor on the uncomplicated Miradonians.

Mammy and Pappy explored the expansive VIP quarters, dropping their luggage and chittering to each other in shorthand Miradonian as they did so. They never got more than a couple meters from each other, but they seemed to cover ground exceptionally well, rolling through the quarters to inspect them thoroughly. They seemed especially pleased with the bed, which had been replaced with a Miradonian style pillow-nest in vibrant blues and yellows.

As they headed back into the main room, they clucked over the tiny kitchenette and how only one of them would fit in there at a time. Clearly, Starfleet needed to redesign its cooking areas to be more accommodating. The universal translator was doing its best to keep up, but with their years of practice with their bond and the shorthand they were using, only a few words were coming through. Odds were that only Mona could come close to deciphering what they were really at and she was standing there with a tense grin on her face.

Eventually, they finished their inspection and came back around and grinned happily. Mammy started off the stream of thought as the two rotund avians pressed against each other. "It's wonderful." "Thank you." "We especially love the shrine." "It's just like the one at home." "But smaller." "We could raise half a dozen chicks here." "You remember our first cottage, don't you, Mona, dear?" "It was so small we had to make beds on shelves." "We were so scared you would roll out the door." "You've always been a skinny chick though." "We'll make sure you're all fed well though."

Mnhei'sahe had gently lowered the bag she had been carrying inside the main door and quietly waited near Mona as the parents chittered about the space.

Much like Mona had done for their own shared quarters, she had clearly made this room feel more like a home, even for a short visit. And as the two finished their bizarre back and forth commentary, the red-headed Romulan couldn't help but wonder if that was how she and Mona would eventually get with their bond as it was getting stronger. Mnhei'sahe began to reply, "Well, we're very glad you like it, but the ship has... we... we have plenty of food, so you don't need to go out of your way at..."

Stopping short as she spoke, Mnhei'sahe's heart all but skipped a beat as her sensitive Romulan ears picked up the sound of the door of the quarters next to the room they were all standing in hiss open. Seconds later, Jaeih Dox rounded the corner to come into the still open doorway with a neutral expression on her face.

Taking in the momentarily silent room, Jaeih stood in the doorway, hands folded behind her back, in her usual gray Starfleet Intelligence Tunic, "Ahh, Commander Paris, I thought I heard your voice. I have the initial report of the data encryption codes for the Artan network you requested all but complete and... ah... pardon me. I didn't mean to interrupt." But her mannerisms and tone of voice were slightly exaggerated, letting Rita, Mona and her daughter know quite clearly that this bit of shop talk was simply an excuse to introduce herself and suss out the Miradonians that would soon be part of her new family.

“Mrs. Dox! No interruption whatsoever. In fact, your timing is fortuitous, I would say,” Paris knew how to play along with this game. After all, while she couldn’t lie to save her life, Rita also understood the relationships of in-laws, having seen plenty of such interactions over the years, although while Sonak had been forced to deal with her family in the past, never had she been exposed to his family, and now never would. But in the moment, she stepped aside to encourage the bride to be to make the introductions.

"Hello, Mother..." Mnhei'sahe grumbled slightly, under her breath as her eyes narrowed and her cheeks flushed green again. "This is Milla and Mordo. Mona's family."

"Ah, excellent. I've looked forward to meeting you both. My name is Jaeih. I am Mnhei'sahe's mother." The elder Dox nodded slightly with the slightest of smiles cracking the rigid facade of her face as she remained in the doorway.

The pair of rotund Miradonians shuffled their way through to force their hugs on Jaeih as well now, their stream of consciousness talk starting with Pappy this time. "It's a pleasure to meet you!" "Welcome to the family!" "We look forward to..." "...our chicks' ceremony with you." "You must be so proud." "I know we are." "It's so happy watching them leave the nest." "No matter how many ceremonies we go to." "Where is your husband?" "Will you be helping with the cooking or setup?" "What do you do for a living?" "We run the foster home that little Mona grew up in after..." "...the unfortunate incident." "With the Moon Goddess's blessing we've taken in a lot of orphan chicks." "And made sure they got the very best education and opportunities."

Though they spoke in common and tried to keep it coherent, even Mona was starting to go crosseyed, her head rotating slightly trying to keep it all straight.

For her part, Jaeih was trying to extricate herself from the phalanx of aggressive hugging while Mnhei'sahe couldn't help but crack a grin of her own as she watched her mother completely overwhelmed by the boisterous pair. Finally, after the barrage of sentences fragments and half questions slowed, the elder Dox gently pulled free, adjusting her uniform top she cleared her throat. "Well... I can certainly see where Mona gets her affectionate nature."

In spite of the words, there was no sarcasm in her tone as it was sincere. While she had tried to be evasive and distant when they first talked, with Jaeih completely prepared to hate her Daughter's chosen mate, Mona was functionally impossible to not like and Jaeih had become quite fond of her impending Daughter-in-law.

"Well... how to put this... my 'husband', and I use the term loosely, is in a Penal colony on Earth." Jaeih added. "It was a marriage of... well... It's inordinately complicated, but suffice it to say, he is not Mnhei'sahe's father and has nothing to do her, which is for the best. As for the status and location of her actual father, that is currently unknown."

Taking a moment to collect her thoughts and try and suss out which questions she could actually understand, the Romulan woman continued. "I am not a competent cook in any capacity, which Mnhei'sahe can attest to, and I serve on this ship in the capacity of an intelligence... consultant."

Then Jaeih's tone shifted to a more pleasant, if slightly forced and overly formal one. "And yes, I am quite pleased that they have found each other. Mona is quite exceptional and is extremely skilled. I have enjoyed our time together."

Leaning in, Mnhei'sahe realized just how confusing her history must be and how oddly her Mother's mannerisms must seem to Mona's family. Clearing her throat slightly, she had an extremely awkward grin on her face showcasing her rising anxiety.

"Oh no worries, sweeties." "Few enough of our chicks knew their parents either." "Complicated family situations abound in our line of work." "The Moon Goddess provides for those without." The pair rattled on like that for a few more minutes, praising the Moon Goddess and patting both Dox's and heaping blessings upon them as they did so as Mona's expression just sank. This was the part of them that she had hoped to avoid.

Listening, Mnhei'sahe noticed Mona's own concerns and shot her love a reassuring smile. Maybe 8 plus months ago when she had first joined the Hera she would had dismissed the concept of a 'Moon Goddess' out of hand, but she had since met a few Gods and Goddesses and become friends with Hera herself and the embodiment of Death. So the idea of a Moon Goddess existing wasn't quite as absurd to her as it once might have been. Her smile was warm and while they weren't physically touching, she hoped Mona could feel her love from the other side of the foyer.

However, Jaeih Dox had no such cosmic experiences and had taken in her fill of what she thought of as nonsense. "Moon Goddess? What's this all about now?"

As she spoke, Mnhei'sahe's face sank to match Mona's.

Mona interrupted before her foster parents could get going, explaining who or what the Moon Goddess was. "Ah, if I may. The Miradonian Moon Goddess is the larger silver moon, Minay, and what we base our faith on. The small dark moon is the Trickster, Nicoo’la, and he likes to vanish and only make appearances either at sunrise, sunset, or during eclipses. The blessings of the Moon Goddess are that you can find your way even when the Trickster is about. Always guiding, always shining, always watching over us."

As Mona bowed her head after her own statement of penitence, her foster parents had a rare moment of silence as they too bowed their heads.

And Mnhei'sahe took that moment to lock squinted eyes with her mother and silently mouth 'shut up' in the two women's native Rihan while running two fingers actoss her lips in the semi-universal gesture that reinforced her message.

As she did, Jaeih scoffed, rolled her eyes and mouthed silently back in Rihan, 'fine.'

“Well, of course the Federation supports all religions,” Paris spoke up to break the tension when the bowed heads rose once more. "At least, those that do not practice harm upon others, so we will be happy to welcome the Moon Goddess to the ceremony.”

As Rita spoke, Mnhei'sahe had to stifle an awkward chuckle as she realized that with the Hera's track record, there was a moderately decent chance that Mona's Moon Goddess could actually appear. Stranger things had happened on the calamity-prone Starship. But she quickly put the ridiculous thought out of her head.

At which point, Paris changed the subject, steering the in-laws away from a potentially hazardous subject with Mrs. Dox, whom Rita assumed to be a pragmatic atheist. “Will you folks be requiring any special ingredients you may not have packed for the preparations? And I believe we can expand the kitchen in here without any trouble at all. If you just let us know what you need, the Hera is here to accommodate during this blessed event. You need something, you just let me know and let me handle it, all right?”

"Little Mona said that we could get all of our ingredients locally," Began mammy as they pulled a datapad out of their overalls and handed it over to Rita.

Pappy continued the thought. "There's quite a few of them, but they shouldn't be too hard to find."

"As for the kitchen..." "It just needs to be bigger." "Maybe add in a full size oven..." "Full size grill..." "Enough room for the two of us..." "If you have a better place for us to cook..." "Someplace closer to the venue..." "That might be better." "We could set up our deep fryer there and get the oil prepped first thing in the morning." "We will need at least sixty liters of bacon oil to fill it." "If that's not too much of a hassle." "Ah, vegetarian options dear." "Right, of course. In that case..." "We'll need sixty liters of truffle oil." "Everything has to be perfect for our little Mona and her wedding day." "You can't have a Miradonian wedding without Miradonian deep fried corn and egg vittlins for the after party."

In her own inimitable style Rita Paris radiated the ‘can-do’ confidence that inspired those around her, and spoke in the reassuring tones that indicated to a listener that she was both serious and honestly dedicated to the task at hand. Thus she turned to the most anxious of brides and did what she always did- made a plan on the spot. With nothing to do, anxiety would wind Mnhei'sahe Dox up until she was a nervous wreck- which meant that she needed something to do. “Is there something going on tonight, Miss Dox, or are we still in the preparation stage with arrivals and arrangements?”

Appreciating Rita's help, Mnhei'sahe tried to calm herself down and focus on something other than breaking her mother's nose... again. "Uh... I..." She stammered for a minute before regaining some semblance of composure. "I don't think anyone else is coming, so aside from the others from the crew that will be in attendance, we should be set, I think. Mona has the plans for the rehearsal and I... Uh... but I don't..."

The words seemed to be pouring out of her mouth faster than she could think of what she was saying. "Uh... what are our plans tonight?" She turned towards Mona with a nervous expression.

Leaning slightly in the panicked pilot's direction, the lost navigator mumbled out of the side of her mouth at a volume that would be unintelligible to most. But Rita Paris was accustomed to working with sensitive ears. Then she rethought it, took Dox by the shoulders and peered into her eyes.

"Tonight's the wedding rehearsal, then the rehearsal dinner. Then comes the bachelorette party- which," The mod throwback officer turned to make eye contact with the Miradonian parental units. "Mammy, Pappy, you are invited, of course, to come kick up your heels if you like, as we're neither speciesist nor ageist."

Turning back to fix the Romulan aerospace ace with those big baby blue eyes, the fetching first officer shook Dox by the shoulders, twice. "Tomorrow is your wedding day, to the most remarkable and wonderful woman in the universe. So, this is just my thought but... this occasion could be so much better if you could just... calm down, relax, and enjoy it."

"You are amongst family. This is your wedding. We'll all pitch in, use our gifts, make our contributions, and the two of you," Paris released one shoulder, only to draw in Mona, moving the two of them together physically and laying 'Rita Paris Speech' on them both.

"The two of you are going to have an amazing wedding, with mishaps and missed schedules and problems and catastrophes. Just like everyone else's weddings, and we'll all tell stories for years to come about it. The important thing is that it's a celebration, of two coming together. Not an inspection. Not a test in which you can somehow be found wanting."

The awkward expression on Mnhei'sahe's face relaxed just a little as Rita's words began to penetrate her proverbial shields, aided by being in physical contact with Mona again. She chuckled slightly at Rita's joke as she felt Mona's energy bolstering her own and helping the both of them calm down.

"It's your wedding, but it is all of our celebration. We'll take care of everything. You just show up where we send you, and have a good time." Paris finished out her speech with a somewhat serious face. "I don't want to have to make it an order, hm?" At that, the Starfleet siren broke into a smile, and pulled both of the lovebirds into an embrace.

With a more relaxed smile, Mnhei'sahe hugged her chosen sister back and half-jokingly replied, "Aye, Commander." with a throaty laugh.

Watching the exchange further cemented for Jaeih Dox just why her daughter had put so much trust in a human, and her own facade cracked enough to allow a slight smile out.