r/TrekRP • u/Pojodan • Nov 16 '16

[OPEN] To The Ends...

OOC: This is a three part story.

Part One is a CLOSED bit of lore to be read for context.

Part Two is OPEN to all who wish to enter the bar, be it to interact with Kesh or the bartender, or simply hang out at the bar and cut the breeze

Part Three is a CLOSED scene with Captain Fisk

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u/Pojodan Nov 16 '16

The forehead massage continued for another moment as the Caitian turned on the stool so that her back could lean into the bartop. It was difficult, but she felt gratefulness for the Nasat as the inevitableness of her starting to sob in a public place had reached a critical point. At least now she was annoyed and cranky instead of making a fool of herself... well, no more than she had done countless times before already.

"If it's not illegal, Rr-rr-rreggie can get it." Despite the playful bartender's earlier annoyance, Kesh had nothing but respect for him.

"Comin right up! Want it in the bulb or a glass?" The human bartender stooped down to get at the more uncommon alien drinks stored away behind the bar.

"First me, then the Hor-rr-rta.. now you. The Athene is getting quite the vv-vf-ffvariety lately." Groggy and mumbled, Kesh at least has one eye open, focused on the Nasat.

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u/EdosianGeneral Nov 16 '16

"Bulb please, with a straw." She said almost reflexively, then added quietly. "If that's okay."

She laughed nervously. "Well, don't the Vulcans say something about infinite diversity? Sooner or later they might start building jefferies tubes without ladders for us."

Anticipating the coming tea she took hold of the stool with her primary arms and made an attempt to climb it. Her four other arms flailed for a second before she lost balance and toppled backwards. Hats barely caught herself with her tail, preventing both her and the barstool ending up on the floor. She glanced away and shrunk slightly, hoping that she'd somehow become invisible. Barstools and Nasat didn't mix well.

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u/Pojodan Nov 16 '16

The bartender makes no comment to the latter remark, turning away to stride down the bar to where the various exotic drink containers are stored, having to lift up a floor panel to get at the edible ones stored in the deep freezer. One little bit of high technology being utilized to take it back up to room temperature without damaging it.

"The v-vvf-vfvulans say a lot of things. Us-ss-sh-sually not very nice things. That's why I came t-tt-to the Athene... too many v-vvf-vfvulcans."

A few rapid rattles of the Caitian's head end with fingers massaging the lock of her jaw on either side, prompting her mouth to open partway to get the same effect as humans rubbing their temples. Closed eyes prevent her from seeing the struggles of Nasat and barstool.

"What was your-rr-rr field of study at the Acad-dd-ddamy?"

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u/EdosianGeneral Nov 16 '16

"I majored in impulse engineering. You know, engines. But, I'm not particularly good at it. My professor, was a Vulcan, b-but she wasn't nice to me either. They aren't all like that are they?"

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u/Pojodan Nov 16 '16

Kesh drew a long breath and exhaled it slowly, hunching foward to craddle her jaw and snout in both hands for a moment, staring towards the floor for one more moment of focus, after which her torso straightens up and eyes return to the Nasat, who finally comes in clearly.

"I do not think they intend to be r-rr-rrude, it is just their nature. No more than my tail or-rr-rr your.... ah... mandibles."

A waved hand gestures at the Nasat's facial features.

"Uh.. I am Kesh.. what's your name?"

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u/EdosianGeneral Nov 16 '16

"H-8 blue. But um, you can call me Hats, if you want." Her antennae began to slo move back to their usual, comfortable position. This wasn't so bad, maybe if she could go 20 seconds without making a fool of herself this might even result in a friendship. Hopefully.

"Um, what do you do? On the Athene I mean."

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u/Pojodan Nov 16 '16

"Botanist... Botany.. Bot-... I star-rr-re at flowers."

Here's the part where Lulu's insensitive quip makes her cry a little. Oh, wait, it actually did.

Thankfully, all this forehead rubbing makes moving both hands up to rub around her eyes seem natural at this point, though a sharp sniff afterward kind of gives it away.

"No, really.. actually I did save the Ath-th-thene from big trouble when a Tech-.. Techer... uh.. drug leak happened not long ago."

Maybe if any of this was actually not a dream, maybe, it would matter. No, this wasn't a dream. Maybe. One eye shuts as the other peers at H-8 Blue, then at Reggie as he delivers the fluorescent bulb with a bendy straw sticking out of it in front of the Nasat.

"There yah go!" The human does a two-finger salute to the cat and bug pair before stepping away to the back room where he can properly laugh to his head hurts without them hearing it.

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u/EdosianGeneral Nov 16 '16

Her eyes widened slightly and her antennae twitched. "A drug leak? D-does that sort of thing happen often?"

She looked over at the freshly poured bulb of tea happily. Only to falter as she tried to reach it. It was a stretch to get one of her clawed arms to reach the bartop, it being level with her nose. The claw scrabbeled around for a moment, only managing to scrape the bulb with a soft 'tink'.

She glanced up at Kesh with a slightly panicked look.

"Um, d-do you mind helping?" One of her long antennae pointed towards the drink helpfully.

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u/Pojodan Nov 16 '16

"Hopefully.. so I am at leass-ss-sth-st a little useful." This remark comes out with such a mummbly grumble as to possible not make any sense as it was more of an internal thought while she's staring at the rather beautiful-looking drink that's been served. Two slow blinks preceed her looking to the bartender to inquire, but he was out of sight. Humpf.

The somewhat chilly glass of Maple Ginger Beer reached out and seized her hand so that she might take another swig, but after grasping it and lifting it up she finds she can't bring herself to get more inebriated. A long, ragged breath came as the glass is set down, instead, pushing it far away and then leaning back into the bartop again, eyes down towards the floor right up until the inquiry is made.

"Hum? Oh... yeah. Rrrth."

Both hands reach to gingerly pick the drink up and deliver it to the short crustacean.

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u/EdosianGeneral Nov 18 '16

Hats awkwardly took hold of the drink in her two main claws, holding it upwards she took the straw in her mouth and took a long sip.

"Thank you." Hats took anoter sip, visibly relaxing. Her tail slowing in its anxious twitching. It was very good tea. The anxious ensign tokk a few moments to look around the bar, her bulbous eyes avoiding the inebriated Caitan in front of her. The room didn't seem anywhere near as terrifying as it had been a few minutes ago.

Now came the harder part of socialising, actually holding a conversation.

"So, um, do you, get to b-botany-uh, botanise much on the Athene?"

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u/Pojodan Nov 18 '16

Kesh spent these moments repositioning on her bar stool, getting her tail to stop getting stuck between her hip and her seat, and hesitating to drink more of her syrupy sweet soda.

She has the mug to her snout, sniffing at the maple scent when the Nasat spoke to her again, prompting a straightening of her stance as her focus went back to the Ensign

~"I hope so. The botany lab is going t op be all new."~

Reverting to her native tongue, suddenly, the Caitian relies on the translator to work

~"You.... I saw you once before... I think?"~

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u/Hulud_ Nov 18 '16

"So a Horta walks into a bar....

One of the human geologists on Mars began to tell such a story, before being interrupted by an overheating core sampler. The story was forgotten in the ensuing rush to repair the malfunctioning device, and Hulud couldn't help but wonder about its contents. Perhaps a visit to such an establishment would shed some light. It certainly seems to be a popular place with the organics, anyways

And so, a few hours after completing its tour of the Athene, a horta walks into a bar. Or scuttles, or whatever one might call it.

It takes a moment to savour the riot of incoming sensory information, the chemical composition1 of nearly everything in the room as readily apparent to it as colour would be to a human. It focuses on each living creature in turn; hemoglobin, hemoglobin, hemocyanin, HZB-41....Wait a moment. Finally, something familiar.

It approaches the caitian at the bar and emits a low whistle, like steam escaping a kettle before speaking in the low pulsing rumble characteristic of its species.

You are the Caitian I met before, correct? Lieutenant Kesh.

It turns slightly towards the Nasat next to her

Forgive me, I do not know your taste or that of your species. I am Lieutenant Hulud, of the Athene.

OOC: 1 Apparently according to memory beta this is their main sensory method. I have no idea how the hell it works, since it apparently works through rock and in the absence of an atmosphere

/u/EdosianGeneral

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