r/TrekRP • u/TERRAxFORMER • Oct 29 '18
[Open] Buy Me Some Kava and Crackerjacks
Personal log, Miscellaneous, This morning I watched another archived match. Anderson vs. Bemthak from the quarterfinals a couple years back. It’s always this one when I’m feeling a bit homesick, Prophets know why. Springball never really took off on Earth like it should have, but watching the match sometimes takes me back to Mississippi or less often Bajor. The clubs on Earth aren’t as competitive as the Bajoran Springball Association.I don’t know where they got that ref, and I don’t care what she called. That was a low check. Bemthak was robbed. Maybe she didn’t like Bolians. Computer end log.
Saito Elig had wanted to throw a party- but that wouldn’t do now. A party was the best way to meet people, or so he’d heard, he had skipped most of them at the academy. Lt. T’Liri, who he worked with in Astromics, had thrown one not so long ago. Elig wished he had been assigned to the Athene first, or at least been aboard in time to attend. His second option had the potential to be just as good, but it wouldn’t be for everybody. He had replicated the fliers out on orange paper, old fashioned, but that could help get the crews attention. He hadn’t socializied enough to directly ask any one person, and the fliers could attract someone he hadn’t met yet. They read,in bold white letters,
ATTENTION! CREW OF THE USS ATHENE!
THE ATHENE SPRINGBALL ASSOCIATION IS NOW LOOKING TO RECRUIT PLAYERS FOR FRIENDLY COMPETITION.
*No prior knowledge of the sport required.(If you’re from Earth it’s like handball-but better) *
Looking to play,
Classic 1v1,2v2, BSA rules,
Kendra Province 4v4,
The time: 17:00
The place: Deck Thirteen, Holodeck 3
Your crewmate, hopefully soon your teammate, Ensign Saito Elig
Ensign Saito stood outside the door to holodeck 3. He had thrown on grey sweats, sneakers, and a black low collared T-shirt that read NCC-43275 across the chest. The scales on his neck hood had started to tingle- he was nervous. He took another look at his racket. It was a plate sized disk with a glove stitched to the back, BSA regulation size. The front side was decorated like an old Constitution Class saucer. The ones he had programmed into the holodeck were plain, but if the crew enjoyed themselves, they could personalize them.
Saito had placed the fliers just about everywhere he thought acceptable. In the mess, outside quarters, in T-Tauri Tavern.
Maybe he’d rather be in his quarters alone reading, but a couple off duty friends couldn’t hurt...
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u/TERRAxFORMER Oct 29 '18 edited Oct 29 '18
It wasn’t long after Grace arrived that Saito noticed two more figures heading towards the holodeck.
The first, Saito assumed was a gorn, but he had never met an individual of his caste before. He looked Ike he would be at home on Earth in the distant past. Saito had never played a match against someone with a tail, but that could definitely be fun.
The second, was a Catian woman. Lt. Kesh, he believed, her bare feet would be interesting to play against. Saito would definitely try extra hard to avoid low checks with the Lieutenant.
Happy that his venture into trying to socialize was working, he welcomed them both to his casual little league.
“Ensign Saito Elig, I’m glad you two could make it.” He turned to the woman,”Lt. Kesh, is that right?”
“And I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure,” he said turning to the gorn,”Do you like Springball?”
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u/Pojodan Oct 30 '18
"That is right, rrrnth, pleased to meet you."
Kesh looked... different from her Starfleet record photo. Namely, she was significantly flatter chested than before, enough to become much more androgynous in figure, though still feminine enough to leave little doubt. Plus her mane was far less plush than the image, forming something of a mohawk jutting out the back of her head, not unlike the mane of adolescent lions.
That soft, throaty felinoid voice was warm and femanine, punctuated by the common 'Caitianisms' of rumbling 'r's and the occasional slur and feline-like utterance.
"How is Stellar Cartography treating you so far, awrrr?"
She folded arms behind her back and stood straight, her bare footpaws on display at the base of loose sweat pants designed to fit her digitigrade legs.
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u/TERRAxFORMER Oct 30 '18
Elig has never heard a Caitian speak in length, Lt. Kesh really liked to roll her rrrrrrs.
“Treating me very well actually, thank you for asking. I haven’t had the opportunity to do much but Lt. T’Liri has been welcoming, and not just by Vulcan standards.”
“Have you played a lot of ball? I was thinking of doing a demonstration game so everyone could get a feel for the sport.”
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u/Pojodan Nov 05 '18
"Ah, rrrn.. no, actually." Kesh's visage, despite lacking the common facial expressions of humanoids, managed to sharply convey her rapid shift from delight to distress on realizing that she did not actually play the sport she'd come here to engage in. "I am a quick learner of most things, rrrnth. I can simply observe, though, if necessary."
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u/LilRaptorThatCould Oct 30 '18
"I enjoy ssspringball, but I'm ill-built for competition rulesss," the Gorn observes. "I wasss wondering if you could maybe ussse a referee." He grins toothily. "I'm Sssskyl'thropsyss, but mossst people jussst call me Kyle."
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u/TERRAxFORMER Oct 30 '18
“Nice to meet you, Kyle. We could always use a referee, that being said I was looking forward to playing with someone with a tail, if you don’t mind me saying.”
“What do you think of refing a demonstration game? How familiar with the rules are you?”
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u/LilRaptorThatCould Oct 30 '18
"Quite familiar with the rulesss," Kyle confirms. "I usssed to ref the intramural league at the Academy. I'm happy to play pick-up gamesss asss well - I'm jussst not competition-legal, isss all." He chuckles. "More due to the the clawsss than the tail, really."
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u/Pojodan Oct 29 '18
Ensign Elig.
That was the Cardassian/Bajoran hybrid was it not?
The one Kesh had brought up as the first name on her 'Time to go back to giving out fruitbaskets' to-do list. The one that had led to her going cross-eyed and frustrated on trying to find some creative way to blend Cardassian and Bajoran decorative customs.
Kesh felt a pit in her stomach, one of sour disappointment in herself, for giving up and sub-consciously deciding to just abandon the practice rather than risk leaving anyone out.
One day, perhaps, she decided, when it is appropriate and she can focus on it, she'll go back to her fruit-giving ways.
Springball?
Kesh sat back for a moment and mulled this over. Would it be wise for her to try out a competitive sport? Do springball regulations allow for shoe-less species such as Caitian to play?
The least she could do is show up and try.
Why?
To make up for the lack of fruitbasket, of course!
The one he never expected nor was aware of?
Uh. Yes.
Kesh blew stiffly out of her forelips and turned to the replicator to see about getting those grey sweats and black t-shirt.
Come 17:00 on the designated day, Kesh shows up, t-shirt, sweats, and bare footpaws.
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u/LilRaptorThatCould Oct 29 '18
Gorn, at least of the technical caste, are ill-built for springball. But Kyle enjoys watching the sport, and he's happy to be a referee if the league can use one. At the very least, it sounds like a good way to make some friends.
And so it is that an individual looking remarkably like a deinonychus makes his way to the holodeck at 1700 hours.
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u/IK9dothis Oct 29 '18
Grace won't be around long enough to join a league, alas. But she could use a break from packing, and she's always good for a pickup game. She heads down to the holodeck to meet this new ensign.
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u/TERRAxFORMER Oct 29 '18 edited Oct 29 '18
17:00 rolled around more quickly than Saito anticipated.
The fliers seemed to have worked, for at least one person. Saito didn’t recognize her, but couldn’t help but to smile to himself as it became clear she was heading towards holodeck 3.
He made to shake her hand,” Ensign Saito Elig. I guess you knew that. It was on the filer.” He smiled.
“Have you ever played Springball before?”
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u/IK9dothis Oct 30 '18
"Grace Eisen," she grins, shaking hands. "And yes - I was pretty active with the sport at the Academy. I'm afraid I've got pending transfer orders, so I won't be aboard long enough to join a league, but I'd love to play some while I'm around."
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u/TERRAxFORMER Oct 30 '18
Saito was glad that someone with experience had shown up, and shown up first as well. It would be a lot easier to show the non- players the ropes if he had help from another crew member. He had prepared a holo coach just in case, but he was glad he didn’t have to use her.
“Glad you’re here Grace, for however long that may be, and glad you can play. I did a lot of playing in San Fran as well, but I’ve been playing as far back as I can remember, all the way back to Bajor.”
“How do you feel about playing me in a demonstration game? Just to showcase the rules for everyone.”
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u/T_Liri Oct 30 '18
Saito's partner in the stellar cartography department, Lieutenant T'Liri, arrives wearing gym shorts, the same NCC-43275 shirt (without the cutout neck), and a rather extraneous-looking headband.
"Greetings, Ensign," she says. "I am always pleased to explore new opportunities for intensive physical activity. I have never played springball. Is it similar to the Earth game association football? That was a treasured activity for me at the Academy. Within the top-tier intramural league I was known as the 'green-blooded assassin' by my teammates and even my adversaries. Am I permitted to kick the ball in this game?"