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Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #75 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Below Decks | Deck 28 | USS Theurgy 01 ]Atten: @DocReno @Arista 
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Before she could do too much in the way of looking about, ch'Rayya had returned from his poetic discourse and taken the seat opposite her. She turned her blue eyes to him, and let one dark brow rise up on her forehead. Now just where is he going with this? she asked herself, running a finger in a circle on the top of the table.  "Apology accepted, Lieutenant," She dipped her head ever so slightly, some of her bangs flashing over her forehead as she smiled, gently. "The habits we pick up, when in charge of others, are hard to set aside." Unsure if she fully bought his explanation or not, Natalie was willing to let it slide. He was , at the very least still quite charming and a welcome change of pace.

"You want me to...observe?" She stated for clarity, looking down the last glass of wine from the bottle the Knzit had given her earlier. She brought it to her lips, savored the sweet caressed that ran over her tongue, and then set it gently back down, swallowing the ruby red mouthful. Her lips were slightly flushed after, and a bit of color lightened her cheeks. "Well then, lets see. What oh what do I spy, with my little eyes," she chanted, letting her gaze sweep over the Andorian's shoulder. Her eyes went back to the pilot, from earlier. She didn't know her name, but the face stood out in a crowd.

"We'll start with the pilot. I can tell that she's had some kind of trauma in the past," this was perhaps cheating, but maybe not. "No one who willingly keeps a set of scars like the ones on her face does so unless they want a reminder. Perhaps of something she;d overcome." Both brows rose up higher on her forehead. "And she apparently knows our new Gorn officer. Which is about all I can tell you about the Gorn. He knows the pilot, and seems ....well, as friendly as a Gorn could. I think. I've never seen one this close before." He wore yellow, but wasn't one of hers, so she assumed he was engineering, or security, but Keval had asked for something other then a service jacket.

"So...two, technically. A third...." She swung her eyes about, looking first to the left, seeing no one that stood out , then to the right and - and did a double take. Her blue eyes widened and her mouth parted into a little 'o'. She felt herself freeze up a bit. "There appears to be a Cardassian in the lounge," Natalie quietly informed Keval. Quiet, as the man was quite near to them, his grey scales catching the low light, giving him an almost fearsome look bellied by a benign posture, hands folded on the table. "If i had to judge...civilian. And...amused." She'd seen a similar look on the late Lt. S'iti.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #76 –
[ Dr. Silim Parnak | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus @DocReno 
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Without the bartender to question, Silim settled back into this chair. One thing he did have to say for Ives is that he certainly managed to collect a wide assortment of different races. Not only was this ship one of the largest that Starfleet had ever built, at least according to the Federation News Network, but it seemed to show the Federation’s celebration of diversity; Even if Parnak didn’t enjoy their choice in Romulans.

Trying to push Drauc from his mind, as there was no need to spend time thinking of him. It troubled Parnak, to know that the Romulan occupied such a position in his mind. He pondered as he stared out the window if it was in fact part of the telepathic meddling that Drauc had undergone. Was Silim losing his edge? After all these years, was he slowly forgetting what he had been taught so many years ago? No, it couldn’t be. Silim had the ability to recall anything he experienced. His eidetic mind, a by-product of the Cardassian schooling system, allowed him an ability over many other races.

One of the abilities that wasn’t good, at least in comparison to his human counterparts, was his hearing. It was well know that Cardassians couldn’t hear as well, which is why it was only as someone started to call out observations that Silim turned to follow the conservation. Apparently the Andorian and Human from the bar had relocated to a table, much closer to Parnak and now he could hear what was going on.

Pouring himself a new glass of Kanar, Parnak watched the attractive human as she turned and made rather obvious observations about those around her. As he brought the glass to his lips, she made eye contact with him. And oh, what eyes. Smiling, Silim raised his glass in a quick salute to her health before taking a taste of the vicious liquid. He wasn’t sure he couldn’t help but think that the woman wasn’t happy to see him. Parnak had seen this across his entire journey across the Federation and knew just what to do.

“Now now, don’t stop on my behalf my dear.” He spoke with clarity, ensuring that the woman heard him. “Is this game open for additional players or is it just a one on one?”

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #77 –
LT JG Alessia Garcia, Callsign "Angel" | Vector 3, Deck 28 - Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy] ATTN: @Auctor Lucan, @steelphoenix , anyone else
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A furry, charcoal felinoid paused at the table with Dev's drink and some unfortunate news for Alessia.  As the cat-man lingered at the table, Alessia considered explaining how to make the drink she wanted.  It didn't take much to make it the way her abuela1 always had.  Only 6 ingredients were needed: rice, water, vanilla, sugar, milk and cinnamon sticks.  She was certain they had a blender for mixed drinks, and if so then this blue man could blend the uncooked rice and water until they were chunky, let it sit for 3 hours and...

Alessia's face upturned to a grin.  She had no intention of being here long enough for the horchata to be ready.  But perhaps she could pass along the information for next time.  "Ah, well then si2, have it replicated.  It is horchata spelled h-o-r-c-h-a-t-aA, from the country of Spain on Earth.  I take mine with extra cinnamon, por favor3.  Oh, and i'll have a glass of agua, ah, water tambien4."

All growing up, Alessia had been surrounded by the faces and races of the Federation.  As a child, she hardly noticed any difference between her human, Vulcan and Andorian friends.  During her travels and rise through the ranks of Starfleet, she had met many more unusual species, some of which had become friends of hers.  She had even known a catian once, but this bartender was different.  She wondered what his story might be, but she was speaking with Dev already and it would be rude to begin a new conversation without ending the old one.  "Gracias5, bartender." 

With her attention now back to Dev, Alessia considered the questions she'd been asked.  It seemed she wasn't the only one grappling with her choices, and despite the resoluteness she'd shown her RIO earlier, Alessia couldn't help but wonder.  "Those that question 'the way things are' are indeed wise.  It is something my papi used to say.  Tomas Ravon and I flew together on the Kusanagi.  He was an effective leader and squadmate, and though our time together was brief, he is the kind of man you can trust.  He has that type of character.  In the time that I have known him, he has never lied to me.  But it's more than our history.  You heard his voice as he talked about why and saw his face, his motions.  He was unnerved by whatever happened involving that fighter and he was determined that everyone understand him.

"And you heard what the Captain said.  All that stuff about the entities from the future.  It's a lot to take in, but I think in a way it makes sense.  This ship and this crew have been enemies of the Federation for how long now?  And before that, they were exemplary in their service record.  We were told that the ship's AI had gone rogue and killed the crew or taken it hostage.  That has been the story all along.  We expected to find no living crew aboard this ship, only an intelligent weapon that had been corrupted and turned against us.  The fighters out there should have been on remote-pilot mode, all controlled by this Thea AI.  I think it made the story easier to swallow.  If we thought there was no life left aboard the ship, we'd have an easier time destroying it with no regrets.  Same with those fighters.

"But those were real people who fought and died out there.  And this ship is full of real people who, as best as i can tell, wish no one any harm.  Has anyone mistreated you or given you a reason to doubt that this ship is full of good people?  I know I have only experienced pleasantries with everyone I've met.  Why is that?  Why is the crew even alive?  This crew and this ship are protected by their AI, and while it's possible that she became corrupted, isn't it strange that this 'corruption' is only on ONE starship?  Why doesn't it affect the entire fleet or the task force?

"For that matter, why were we told to shoot on sight with weapons at maximum?  Once we discovered that there were people alive on board, isn't our mission and our duty to rescue as many of our comrades as possible?  Who knows what horrors they've seen; they deserve to go home. Instead, we were supposed to kill them, our brothers and sisters in Starfleet.  Kill them without a second thought, without trying to find out why, without even bothering to ask if each crew member shares the views of their captain.  Does that sound right to you?  Because it doesn't to me."

Alessia took a breath.  She hadn't expected such a powerful tirade, but she had just laid all her qualms bare for Dev to pick through.  She hadn't raised her voice and had mostly kept her tone passionately neutral, but the intensity behind those questions lingered.  This is what had been lingering in her mind.  This.  And sitting here in the lounge with Dev, she felt at peace and able to ask herself the tough questions.  Maybe even to admit that she was scared too.

"You asked why I trust them.  I believe in an entity that no one can see or hear or feel or meet, though throughout history many have claimed to be able to do so.  I believe that when I was small and afraid and prayed to him,
 he sent his angels to watch over me.  I believe that when I was older and lost my way, he brought me back to the light and gave me the strength I needed inside to get back on the right track.  I believe that he protects me when I'm out there and I pray to him for guidance before every mission.  I believe he's real and my faith allows me to see his invisible hands at work in my life and in the lives of others.  It may sound silly to you, but this faith that I have gets me through every day.

"For this crew, it's not so different.  They can't prove anything about this future menace and they have no concrete evidence, but it has touched their lives in some harrowing way and left invisible scars on each and every one of them.  It cannot be seen or heard or felt, but it is an ever-present threat in their minds and it affects their day-to-day life.  I don't know what is going on here, but I know that Starfleet is hiding something.  I can feel that in my gut.  Nothing about our last mission was right; i'm sure you felt it too.  What if this is what's wrong?  What if our leaders whom we trust to guide us to a better and brighter future are themselves corrupted?  Can you imagine the level of conspiracy it would take to keep that quiet?  And what if they were accidentally discovered?  Suddenly a war is declared on the sole person... or ship.. that made the discovery.  A manhunt is called for and the lonely ship is vilified or worse?  How many officers do you know who would question a commander's decisions?  How many enlisted men would go against their CO's orders?  Not many, I'm afraid.

"So yes, I believe them.  I believe that there is some plot within Starfleet against them and it goes deep enough that these so-called traitors are called to be executed on sight.  I have to follow what my heart says and where my gut leads, and something is telling me to stand beside these honorable people.  Because if I dont, who will?  They need an ally.  They need to see that not everyone in Starfleet hates them.  I will be their ally.  And if I am wrong, then.. well.. I'll get to see my brother again."

It was a sobering thought that Alessia might be on the wrong side of this battle, but nothing about these people indicated that.  The last thing she wanted to do was burn up in a blaze of glory, but if that was called for.. if it was her time, she'd go gladly into that good night.  After all, Jonas was waiting for her up there.  A sobering smile lit up her face and thoughts of her older brother filled her mind.  'After all this time, I still can't believe you're gone.. I miss you Jonas.'

But she was here with company in this noisy but upbeat establishment. This was no time to get teary-eyed.  Alessia wiped the corners of her eyes with her napkin.  "Ah, lo siento.  What about you?  What are your thoughts?"
1.) abuela = grandmother
2.) si = yes
3.) por favor = please
4.) tambien = also
5.) gracias = thank you

A.) Alessia spells words with the Spanish alphabet.  The letters are the same, but the sounds they make are different.  H, for example, would be written as "eych" or "aych" in english.  In Spanish, the letter is pronounced "ah-chey" or "ah-chay".  Also, r's are rolled (rr-rr-rr), ch is a separate letter (chey/chay) and vowels are monosyllabic (ah, eh, ii, oh, oo).  For purposes of her accent, she has spelled this....
"(H) ah-chay, (O) oh, (R) errray/air-ray, (CH) chay, (A) ah, (T) teh, (A) ah"
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #78 –
[ Devyrie "Dragon" Okhala | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @steelphoenix & @Even Angels Cry 
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Upon being served her drink, Devyrie had nodded in gratitude to the elusive bartender, but she made eye-contact with him when he kindly asked her to refrain from using the term she had for the Cardassian patron in the establishment. Weighing her choices, she decided that she was all too new aboard this renegade ship to afford to make an issue of it. She was not predisposed to come to fists - not at all - her reasons were just altogether too difficult to explain across a bar counter, involving the Tal'Shiar, the Obsidian Order and the Omarion Nebula in the Delta Quadrant. In fact... her father would never write her again if she discussed it with anyone.

"My apologies," she said instead, and looked towards Angel - sipping her drink.

Listening to the other White Wolf - likely to be a Lone Wolf on the morrow together with Devyrie - she kept her skepticism at the forefront of her mind, and let it pick apart what her sister wolf said. It was, without a doubt, the most sobering topic of discussion they'd shared over drinks. Those late nights in the lounges on Luna Base had never been so serious; so laced with horrible implications and controversial issues. Devyrie would share anecdotes about boys in the Academy who wanted to bed her just because of her Romulan heritage, and how she'd squashed their dreams under the heel of her boot every time. Yet Alessia has mentioned her faith during those talks, so that particular bit was not new to Dev.

Despite it all, the most simple explanation remained the alleged 'lies' of Starfleet Command. The very lies Angel mentioned. Was it not easier explained the way they had been told; that Thea had gone rogue, killed everyone aboard, and the ship had to be destroyed lest no one in the Federation were safe. Remote controlled fighters, aye, she remembered that.

And... she just remembered that they had even been told something else. That if they were to be hailed, the people that were to be seen on their screens... were merely holograms, created by the rogue A.I.

This had been offered to her by Captain Marcus Slayton during one of the briefings on the Orcus, and in the back of her mind, it had stuck. Slayton had offered his own theory, that Captain Ives had reprogrammed the A.I. hirself, being the only organic aboard the Theurgy, so that the Chameloid could operate the systems the A.I. was hard-wired not to. Devyrie, however, had chosen to refrain from making up her mind on her own theories.

Now, however, when reminded about the lone artificial sentience theory, Devyrie looked around the lounge with new eyes, feeing a cold shiver running up her spine. This ship was fitted with a ship-wide hologrid, was it not? she thought, and stopped herself from swallowing when she looked at the officers in the lounge. What if they are not truly here? Are they merely holographic ghosts of the people that served on this ship?

Turning back to look into Angel's eyes, she clenched her jaw. After a moment, she refuted the idea that her sister wolf was dead too. If I am still alive... and because of what she just said about her faith... she must be alive too.

"I think," she said, and downed her kali-fal before standing up, "I need to go Lower Shuttle Bay. Right now. I forgot something." That her mind was reeling had nothing to do with the drink. They had tricorders on their fighters. Those aboard the Theurgy could not be trusted.

Seikkea kllhe... They might all be dead. Father wrote 'Auroto'... meaning 'ghost'. Could it be?

She leaned in close to Angel, whispering under her breath in hope that the Kzin would not hear her. She even grinned, as if telling a lover an invitation to follow. "Check the ceiling. See the emitter? The Razor you knew might not be the one we met. If you want to stay, I'll return here, but I can't let this go. I have to make sure they are still alive..."

Then, she walked towards the door, throwing a sultry glance towards Angel, and keeping the fear out of her eyes. Her Father had taught her well since she was a child. She was his only student, but she'd never thought she'd be in the kind of situations he'd been in when she chose to become a pilot.

Father, I really hope this is not what you meant.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #79 –
[ Jaya Thorne |  Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attn @Kaligos , @DocReno , @steelphoenix , anyone else
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Jaya caught the last couple lines of the nearby Andorian as he spoke some kind of poetry to the human girl he was with.  Obviously he was trying hard to woo her; too hard in Jaya's opinion.  But he seemed distracted.  She watched him move off toward a table with a view of outer space, but not before he said something that captured her attention.  He owed drinks to the Allegiant pilot?  Jaya was the Allegiant pilot!  There had been at least two people that Jaya owed drinks to for saving her ass, and one or two who's asses she'd saved.. so which one was this one?  She took note of which table the couple chose to sit at.  She would inquire about that Andorian later.  For now, her attention was drawn back to the bar by the fuzzy figure moving towards her.

"You!"  As the bartender stood opposite Jaya's stool and addressed her, she instantly recognized him by face.  "You're the one who beamed aboard the ship at the last second!"  Her senses flew into high alert and she reacted by reaching for the phaser that no longer hung and her hip.  Her hand patted her leg under the bar, fingers anxious and eyes wary.  But just like before, he did not seem to be a threat.. simply an unexpected presence.  She scowled at him, but could do nothing more.  At the mention of her favorite drink being Federation contraband, she exasperated a disgusted sound.  "For crying out loud.. ok just give me the strongest drink you have.  i don't care what it is.  And make it a double."

With her new mystery drink ordered, questions about this bartender sprang into her mind.  "There's only one Gorn on this ship, and I'm meeting him here soon.  I guess you'd remember him seeing as he nearly decked you on the bridge of my ship.  Speaking of that, where did you even come from?  And how are you not in a holding cell somewhere?   I can't believe that they'd just give you free reign of the ship."  It wasn't disgust or contempt that she wore on her face; it was curiosity.  In almost any other situation, beaming yourself aboard the bridge of a ship got you tossed into the brig.  Yet here was this furry catman, serving her drinks like he'd been the bartender for years.  It was all a bit.. unorthodox.

The idle chitchat was soothing for Jaya.  This is where she felt the most at home, three sheets to the wind and listening to the hubbub going on around her.  She hadn't always been a heavy drinker, but everyone has to start somewhere.  She started in the juvenile detention center on Deneva.  Alcohol was illegal, of course, but she had resources and that made her valuable.  It also made her a target.  Jaya's fingers traced a line perpendicular to the scars on her face.  Her fingertips crisscrossed smooth skin to rough skin and back each time they encountered one of the long-healed marks.  She could have them fixed, of course.  She could make it so that her body was completely unblemished.  But then where would the story be?  They were a part of her and as much as they marred her face and neck, she would feel incomplete without them.  She was a survivor and these marks proved it.  She had been resourceful and clever, and in the end she had triumphed over those seeking to oppress her.  It was the first real step she'd taken toward working to be a better person, a 'good' person.  The kind of person her father would respect; the kind of daughter he'd want to be around.  Maybe if-

Sithick's hand clapped Jaya's shoulder and broke her train of thought.  She jumped at the sudden, scaly weight pressing on her back and calmed only slightly when she realized who it was.  He still made her uneasy, but now it wasn't because she feared for her life.  "Heh, hey Sithick.  I wasn't sure you were gonna show up."  She cracked a loose smile.  Had he honestly gone back to work today?  It appeared so.  Granted, there was a lot to do around the ship.. especially in areas of his expertise... but wasn't he injured?  Jaya glanced down at his arm.  "How's the arm?  My head's still spinning a little and my vision isn't completely clear but eh, no big deal."  She wasn't bleeding anymore and for the most part she felt fine.  Alcohol would help her feel better though.  And help her start this friendship thing with Sithick.
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #80 –
[Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya | Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attention: @Brutus, @Even Angels Cry

Keval quietly listened to her and slowly nodded as she listed each thing off in turn to which he gave her a small smile. "Very good..quite good actually since you caught the facial aspect right off the bat of the pilot as attention to detail is always important no matter the field one is in, true?"

Keval's smile then disappeared as he closed his light blue eyes and without turning around he replayed the last few moments in his mind. "I know the cardassian in passing as he was briefly on the Resolve before we lost her how ever did you notice the TaCon pilot that's trying to covertly watch him, the one with white hair, almost like she's expecting him to pull or do something against everyone in the room."

The andorian then tilted his head to the left a little bit, "Also the same pilot is acting like everyone is not above suspicion..a good trait to have but the way she's going about it might cause problems in the near future." He opened his eyes long enough to fix Natalie with his eyes on her's. "Not really a threat but possibly someone who might need counseling." he added in a lighter tone.

He then closed his eyes again then his brow furrowed just a little bit, "The red-haired pilot that mentioned the gorn that just walked in, his translator needs adjusting I think..you can tell that something is making him nervous just by the way he moves, watch the minute details. He's looking out for the woman who's he is friends with almost like it's second nature." he continued before chuckling and opening his eyes again, "Also I apparently said something that caught the same pilot's attention, I could almost feel her eyes at my back as I headed over here after trying to brighten everyone's spirits."

Keval then took a sip from his glass and set it back down. "It's exercises like that help to keep the mind sharp but rest assured I'm not paranoid, I can assure you of that." he said honestly before both his expression and tone turned more gentle. "By the way, how is your hand?"

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #81 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Below Decks | Deck 28 | USS Theurgy 01 ]Atten: @DocReno @Arista 
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As Keval gave back his feedback and - if she followed correctly - his praise, Natalie managed a soft smile, though she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, biting down on it, when she saw the Cardassian drawing her eyes, her gaze back to his. It had to be a practieced gesture, the way he smiled and then raised his drink slightly. Oh, damn, she thought, I've been caught. The reasonable thing to do would be to return the acknowledgment. And Natalie was a senior officer after all. She had a duty to portray the ship and its crew as best as she could.

And she was loath to let any lingering prejudices color her interactions with someone. As such, she gave a tiny nod, before blinking and looking back at Keval, "Oh, he was on your ship?" That would explain how the man got onto the Theurgy. Because she knew he hadn't been on the ship prior to the assault on the starbase. From there, she leaned her head forward, listening as Keval went into a bit of detail about those that she missed entirely. The man was extremely perceptive. She had to admit, if only to herself, that it was quite impressive. Perhaps just another reason he was in Tactical/Command track.

Personally, I think you're professionally paranoid, Lt. ch'Rayya Natalie concluded, but that certainly doesn't make you wrong, now does it? We probably all need a bit of consoling and therapy, not just your suspicious pilot. She had seen enough these past few months to wonder if she would always be paranoid.

But then he asked about her hand, and she, blushing a bit, as her gaze went right down the oher hand. She wiggled her fingers a bit, turning the palm up to look at it, delicately wrapped as it was. "Stings a bit. My own fault though," she  confessed, wondering if the Cardassian heard all of that too. Was it her imagination or was he scooting the chair a bit closer? Sure enough, he was, as he leaned over and chimed in, stopping Natalie's words in her tracks.

"Now now, don't stop on my behalf my dear." He spoke with clarity, ensuring that the woman heard him. "Is this game open for additional players or is it just a one on one?"

His voice was smooth, and to Natalie's immense surprise, quite pleasing. In fact, it seemed both men she was currently engaged in convesration with - there was no way to pretend the Cardassian was not talkint to her, after all - were gifted with voices that enticed the ear. Quite different from one another, of course, but that added to the audible enjoyment. Which to be fair, was not something Natalie had relalized she was quite so aware of, until right then in there. Perhaps it was because the voice eased the fearsome countenance the low lights gifted both men with? Regardless, the civilian had spoken up, and it would be highly rude of her to ignore him.

"I'm not entirely sure," she admitted, "This is Lt. ch'Rayya's game after all." See, I can be pleasant. I'm not all self mutilation and embarrassment Thus mentally fortified, she extended her undamaged hand - as she had with the Andorian Lieutenant - towards the man, swallowing any lingering emotions over the similarities between him and the very recently deceased Lt. S'iti. "Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark, at your service."

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #82 –
[Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya | Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attention: @Brutus , @Even Angels Cry , @Arista

When Natalie asked if the "good" Cardassian Doctor had been apart of the Resolve, Keval shook his head. "No, he was an innocent that was caught up in the insanity of that was happening on the starbase, Miss Stark." he explained as he took
a sip of his own drink and gave her an honest warm smile. "A few people like my late commanding officer used to joke that I was professionally paranoid when he knew that it's more along deductive thinking, keeping one's self appraised of everything..much along
the lines of the Old Earth character of Sherlock Holmes only applied tactically." he explained before saluting her with his glass.

When she moved the fingers of her injured hand, he gave her a concerned look. "Me, I'd blame the 'Verse for allowing such a thing to happen, Natalie." he said, relaxing just a little bit around the human
officer and was about ready to ask what had happened to it when suddenly he was slightly eclipsed by Silim's shadow and he looked up into the Cardassian's face with a mild chuckle when he asked if it was a private game or not but he honestly
couldn't help but chuckle at Natalie's response. "Very well then, my good Cardassian, using only what you see..tell me what you think of say, the human and gorn over at the bar but not loudly, this is more of a mental excercise then a game."

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #83 –
[ Deacon | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Arista , @Auctor Lucan , @Even Angels Cry , @Nolan , @Havenborn , @Kaligos , etc

The female who had requested the horchata proceeded to... spell?... the word it seemed, although not in any appreciable way that Deacon could understand.  Did the humans have additional dialects?  It was possible, he supposed, but clearly uncommon outside of Federation circles and certainly not used in any official capacity.  He supposed that was the reason he was never asked to learn more than their common tongue.  He wondered, had his circumstances been otherwise, if he might be more familiar with their nuances.  But for that matter, would he have even cared?

A moment later, the romulan beside her rose and whispered something to the human.  Deacon's ears flicked slightly as a sense of discomfort moved through him -- fear? Paranoia?  Whatever it was, she excused herself from the lounge as if she'd seen a lingering specter behind the bar.  With a shrug, Deacon return to his duties, shaking off any momentary concern he might have had.

The latest female nearly leaped upon seeing him, calling him out as the one who had beamed aboard the ship at the last moment.  He supposed that did tend to leave a bit of an impression, and as he searched his memory of the events, he did vaguely recall seeing her aboard even as he worked to make sense of the chaotic situation of that moment while simultaneously trying to avoid a gorn -- likely the very gorn she was inquiring about.

At the anticipated arrival of the gorn, he narrowed his golden eyes as if wondering if there would be a further need to joust with the giant reptillian creature.  When he spoke through the translator, Deacon cocked his head slightly, listening instead to the words coming from his mouth.  Curious that he didn't choose to speak the language of the Gorn.  If he didn't miss his guess, it was an orion dialect.

He responded in low kolari -- one of the two orion tongues he'd mastered during his training with the Black Priests, "Hot chocolate?  Your translator device could use some tuning."

Turning his attention back to the gorn's companion, he answered her questions, "Where I came from is a long and arduous story that I would prefer to disclose to your captain.  The short answer is that I had been a..." he rolled his eyes upward as if to snare the appropriate term from the ceiling, "guest on that starbase your ship was combating and I decided it was an opportune time to take my leave.  I suppose I never had the most appropriate sense of timing.  But the Fanged God provides and here I am.  And I would imagine that I'm not sitting in one of your holding cells because I've managed admirably to avoid eating anyone."  The whiskers over one eye gave a playful arch as his tail twitched back and forth in short sets.

Turning to the replicator, Deacon placed the orders the he'd been given.  "Horchata with extra cinnamon por favor... and whatever a water tambien is.  One hot chocolate," he said, casting a glance in the gorn's direction and amending, "extra large."  As the beverages materialized, he retrieved them one by one, glaring momentarily at his hand and its persistent numbness, and placed them on the counter. 

"Horchata with extra cinnamon por favor," he said, placing it before the first female who'd been speaking only recently with the romulan.  "And I specified a water tambien, but the replicator just gave me water.  Perhaps that recipe has not been added to the system yet."  Truth be told, he could smell the cinnamon in the horchata, but whatever a por favor was, it seemed to lack any distinct scent to stand out.  He imagined it might well be some special type of cinnamon -- perhaps a regional variant?

He slipped the large hot chocolate in front of the gorn, adding, "Given your size, I took the liberty of requesting a larger portion."

For the gorn's companion, however, Deacon had to admit he was at a loss.  She had requested a double of the strongest drink he had.  After the day's events, there were precious few actual bottles of alcohol left in the bar, and given Deacon did not drink, he would be hard pressed to tell which of the two remaining bottles was harder than the other, or if she wished something specifically synthesized from the replicator.  Pursing his lips slightly, he retrieved the bottle of breshtanti ale and poured out a double shot of the clear liquid, sliding it before her.  "I am uncertain of whether it is the strongest, but it is one of the few remaining, and I've heard tales that klingons find it enjoyable, if that is any indication."

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #84 –
LT JG Alessia Garcia, Callsign "Angel" | Vector 3, Deck 28 - Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy] ATTN: @Auctor Lucan, @steelphoenix , anyone else
[Show/Hide]

Alessia watched Dev as the Romulan took in all that she had to say.  They were silent for several minutes after she finished speaking, but Alessia didn't mind.  She had said many things that went against most cultures way of thinking.  At least Devyrie wasn't mocking her or debating her.  The silence implied thought processing instead of outright dismissal.

The lounge around Alessia was humming with activity and she took this rare moment to soak it in.  A woman sat at the bar beside, of all things, a Gorn.  Over near the observation window, another woman sat with.. Sehl?!  Alessia stared across the room at the male Andorian until she noticed the broken antennae.  It wasn't Sehl, but from this distance, they could have been brothers.  She wondered who this man was as she continued her glance about the room.  Many of the tables were occupied, but most of the faces were common fare for a Federation starship.  She noticed the Cardassian as he moved to join or perhaps just converse with Sehl's lookalike, and glanced back at Dev.  Romulans and Cardassians were famous for not getting along, but this one seemed to pose no threat.. at least for now.

Dev didn't even seemed phased by the Cardassian, but perhaps that was because her mind was elsewhere.  The Romulan was looking at Alessia, but there was no intensity behind her stare.  It was as though she was peering through Alessia, perhaps looking inward or still lost in thought.  Dev's body held the position of someone keen on conversation with an old friend, but there was a far-off look about her face.  When Dev did finally look at Angel, the woman spoke a polite goodbye, downed her drink and stood.

Alessia thought she'd be enjoying Dev's company for at least a little longer.  She hadn't even received her drink yet!  She turned towards Dev as the woman leaned in, intending to wish her a good evening, when Dev disarmed her with a grin.  The Romulan leaned in close and Alessia shivered unexpectedly as Dev's breath played across her ear.  What was she up trying?  Alessia had never inquired about the sexual preferences of her flight mates before, but it occurred to her suddenly that she may want to inform Dev that, while flattered, she preferred men.

But the words that Dev spoke were conspiratory rather than romantic.  Alessia tried to wipe the confusion from her face as Dev stood and strolled through the lounge door.  She was still watching Dev as the woman cast a back glance and gave Alessia a sultry wink that made her cheeks blush brightly.  Just what was that pilot up to?

Flustered and now curious, Alessia waited somewhat impatiently for her drink to arrive.  When the bartender brought it, she thanked him.  "Gracias, bartender.  It's just Horchata with cinnamon.  The Por favor is Spanish for please.  Lo Sien-  ..I mean, I'm sorry.  I forget that the translator doesn't always change every words to Federation Standard.
  And gracias.. or, thank you, for the water.  Tambien is another Spanish word.  It means also.  Perhaps I will come by tomorrow and teach you my abuela, my grandmother's recipe for horchata."  She smiled at him as she took both her drinks and tested the horchata.  The flavor wasn't bad, a little watery for her preference but the cinnamon brightened it right up. 

Aessia spent a few minutes drinking both her drinks while sitting alone at her table.  From what she saw and heard, Dev was on a mission of some kind.  Something personal and perhaps a little paranoid, but it was important to Dev.  As she finished her horchata, Alessia decided she should go along as well.  It was just a little trip to the Lower Shuttle Bay.  No harm would come of it and Alessia would be there to support her friend.

With her water half gone and the other cup empty except for the ice, Alessia stood up from the table and walked out of the lounge.  If Dev hadn't waited for her, she at least knew where the Romulan was headed.
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #85 –
[ PO2 Sithick | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry , @Arista @Auctor Lucan @steelphoenix @DocReno
[Show/Hide]

Sithick felt a little more awkward around others, he could feel all sides staring at him and to be fair that wasn't really the worst thing he could think of. Most people looked over him with curiosity at some point in their meeting, but he had always found a way to keep out of the public eye. He never liked being the center of attention.

Meeting Jaya was a little less stressful than it had been in the past. The woman had always been his stalker, but before she had always been more subtle about it, darting away or pretending like she was trying to avoid him while at the same time cat and mousing him so that she was seemingly always around where he was working. It seemed the last battle had calmed her, and made him more approachable which was fantastic as right now he could definitely use a friend.

"The arm is hardening, new scales growing over damaged ones, in a few days the new scales will be just as tough as the old." He lifted the scaled appendage showing her where the light green skin was starting to darken to match with his other uninjured arm. It would take time, but slowly the two would harden and he would be himself again. At least on the outside.

Especially after what had happened just an hour prior with Lahkesis, the meeting with her and all subsequint events after that had shaken him and stirred up weird immoral thoughts around him. He swallowed wondering if he should have just stayed in bed, as the bar tender brought him the Hot chocolat he of course recognized the creature as the one he had attempted to punch while floating on the bridge of the Allegiant during their last battle.

"Translator is not broken, this is intentional." Sithick said  picking up the hot drink and dipping his head so that it was over the steam. The hotter air wafting up from the drink made him feel more at ease with the atmosphere. "Human's look at me and think 'predator' or that I eat them, the voice I selected is female in nature, and because some find it funny it disarms them. Allowing me to go about my business. I would rather be looked at with humour than terror."

He could imagine that this other creature probably understood his feeling of not wanting to be feared. He gave a small shrug, and thanked him for the larger cup. Lowering his head he dipped his tongue into the bowl careful not to open his mouth too much. He never felt comfortable, doing so in this situation and heaven forbid if he yawned. So instead of drinking it and chance breaking the glass, Sithick lapped at the cup like an animal would.

"Though." He turned towards Jaya, attempting something he had not done with her before, a joke. "I'm certain I'd eat anything at least once."

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #86 –
[ Dr. Silim Parnak | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus @DocReno  Anyone
[Show/Hide]

The human before him, who certainly was not troublesome to look at, extended her hand in the classic way that all humans did. The handshake was a bit of an oddity but something he had started to become accustomed to. In this regard, he decided to mix things up a bit. Parnak took the fingers of her extended right hand with his left and gently twisted them to move her hand so that her palm faced down. He bowed slightly, as much as he could in the chair, before bringing her knuckles towards his face - his lips close to her hand but not actually touching. After a few seconds he moved back upright, the formal kissing of her hand complete. Part of him regretted having to let go, her skin was delicately soft and warm, there was something intrinsically pleasing about this woman. In the back of his mind, he quipped over her offer of service. However, Parnak was too much of a gentleman to utter such crudities out loud.

“Charmed.” He began, the smile returning to his face. He watched, drowning in the blue pools of her eyes.  “I’m Doctor Silim Parnak, pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Although he would probably like to spend all evening and perhaps even some of the morning with the human. Parnak’s attention was drawn from this woman when her Andorian friend spoke. Obviously, the instigator of this little game, Parnak couldn’t help but grin wider, an amused, mischeavous and almost predatory gesture. “Well Lieutenant, we’ll just have to see how ‘good’ I really am after my observations.” Staring unashamedly, he watched the comings and goings within the room and bar area for a few seconds before beginning.

“The Gorn, Male, approximately…” He trailed off for the briefest of moments as he calculated mentally “...late twenties to early thirties, I would say. Looking at the way in which he stands, alongside the sidelong glances that he is not accustomed to, or happy with being in large crowds. This would, to me, indicate that he is a relatively new member to the ship, as besides the pilot that he is with there is minimal interaction. The way he looks and speaks with the pilot, I would surmise there is some form of relationship but not sexual, almost protectionary.” The way Silim spoke was quiet and almost clinical, heeding the words from the Andorian about levels of volume within the slowly filling bar.

“The human, similar age to the Gorn, is more flamboyant. She is used to the public eye and getting what she wants from it. The scarring is deliberate, a choice to ensure those who see it know she is tough, and possibly also as a visual reminder to herself that she is fallible. I would say the overconfidence holds some secret key to her past from a time where she was hurt, and the need to be in control is what pushes her, both in and out of the pilot seat.” Her need to prove herself could also mean that she would be a strong and interesting lover, but Parnak chose not to vocalize that thought, certainly not in the present company.

“So at the surface, I would say friends, but if I were to look into it further, I would suspect some form of undertone to the relationship. In this case, I would guess the Gorn a nursemaid and the girl his charge…” Once again, Silim trailed off, this time to his conclusion. One last time did he look over the pair from across the room, before nodding, happy with this assessment and turned his attention back to those beside him. The Andorian said this was more of an exercise than a game. As such Silim prepared himself for feedback.

“And so, how did I do?”

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #87 –
[ Deacon | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry , @Kaligos , etc


As the female who had requested the horchata made her explanation, it confirmed Deacon's suspicions that she had been speaking some uncommon Earth dialect.  Curious that it would be so dissimilar to the common tongue that humans had fostered off world.  He would have to make it a point to see how many such dialects remained in use, if only for intellectual curiosity.  When she went so far as to offer to teach him a recipe, he considered just how many of the crew may well desire this beverage or if she was offering from a position of self-interest, but either way, priding himself on his proferred skills, he gave a nod and replied, "I have not yet determined reasonable hours for the meal services.  I will be working on that tomorrow, once I've had the opportunity to survey our supplies, but I will likely be here."  He started to walk away before pausing and giving her another look.  "I will make sure there is fresh cinnamon."

The gorn, however, was another matter.  His explanation regarding the translator was revealing, and although his original critique had been more a matter of the unnatural adaptive flow of the the syntax, the gorn had assumed he was referring to the artificially synthesized feminine tone it utilized.  He then regarded the gorn drinking the hot chocolate like a some sort of herd beast, face buried in the cup, tongue lapping.  The kzin narrowed his golden eyes in consideration before turning to the replicator, providing it with a series of quick specifications.

A moment later, he stepped up to the gorn once more, holding out an object that looked much like what the humans might call a straw, although somewhat wider and flatter.  "Here.  Kzinti use these when they have injured their jaws and need to take in nutrients."  It wasn't exactly the truth.  Kzinti too injured to eat were often left to die.  But telling him these were to help kzinti children transition from the teat would defeat the purpose he had in mind.  He would have to pray that the Fanged God forgave this small fabrication.  Taking a deep breath, his demeanor relaxing somewhat, he added quietly for only the gorn to hear, "Instead of humor or terror, we get them to regard you with respect, hrm?"

On some level, and despite their initial introductions, he actually felt some sympathy and understanding for the gorn's awkwardness.  He'd caught the wary and fearful stares of more humans than he cared to dwell on, and that was long before he'd made his way to Starbase 84.  It didn't help that his people were known carnivores with rapacious appetites for sentients -- no one knew that he, himself, had never engaged in such an act, but he similarly wasn't averse to using that to his advantage when necessary.  The appropriate application of fear could off-set unnecessary hostilities.  He'd proven that aptly enough with the assault he'd helped with earlier in the day.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #88 –
[ Lt. Cmdr. Natalie Stark | Below Decks | Deck 28 | USS Theurgy 01 ]Atten: @DocReno  @Arista 
[Show/Hide]

While Keval spoke, the Cardassian took her hand in his, but hte wrong hand. She was unsure just what he was up to, right before he raised her knuckles to his scaled lips, though he didn't quite touch the skin. Simply, he hovered over her, and yet, the gesture did not lack intimacy for the lack of direct oral contact. Far from it, in fact. Archaic, perhaps, but no less charming, nor less inciting. It led a warmth and civility to a potentially frightening set of features. And truth be told, Natalie found it as welcome as she did surprising.

It seems both of these gentlemen are surprising me tonight. The evening is not a total waste after all. After her run in with Hi'Jak and the pilot from the Resolve, and her own buffoonery, to find such pleasant company in the affable Lt. ch'Rayya - Keval, she reminded herself, and the equally graceful ...Silim Parnak? Well, things were certainly looking up for Natalie Stark. She curled her fingers in against her palm, feeling where the Cardassian's touch hand lingered, even as she settled her hand to her chest, pretending for all the world that, as with Keval, Silim had not just sent her face aflame. Surely, the low lighting of the lounge would allow her to retain some of her dignity, wouldn't it?

While she kept lying to herself - easy to do after as many glasses of wine as she'd had, and in the company of such strikingly hansom men -  Dr. Parnak did indeed engage in Lt. ch'Rayya's game. And impressively so! She noted, keeping her left hand down, in her lap, and letting her right reach out and run over the stem of her wine glass. She resisted the urge to applaud when he finished - sore hand being what it was - but a bright smile did blossom onto her face. Alcohol induced, perhaps. Or simply she was enjoying herself, despite how harrowing the day had been.

"My, that was quite thorough, Doctor," she congratulated him. "The two of you make me look like quite the amateur by comparison." She gave them both a quick wink to show she was far from slighted.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #89 –
[ Devyrie "Dragon" Okhala | Corridor Outside the Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry 
[Show/Hide]
Outside the Below Decks Lounge, beyond the corner of the sliding doors, Devyrie waited for Angel to come out, hoping she got the hint and would accompany her. Her heart was still beating quickly in her chest, hoping that she was wrong, but unable to shake the idea that she might be right. She ran her palms over her denim trousers, looking at her boots in thought. She fidgeted with her black tank top and pulled up her Tactical CONN hoodie over her white hair, trying to keep herself from looking up in case there was a surveillance device monitoring her.

When, Angel finally emerged, she made a low whistle to catch her attention, gesturing for her to come around the corner. Once she  finally did, Devyrie took up acting like they were lovers again. She smiled and put her hands on Anegl's hips, pulling her in close so that her mouth was almost touching hers. She tilted her head, making it look like she was slanting her lips across hers, and her green eyes were hooded, as if being really into it. Nonetheless, she spoke of her suspicions, their breaths mixing.

"Shh, play along. She might be watching," she whispered, leaning back against the wall and running her hands up Angel's sides. Their legs were scissored, and despite her fright, Devyrie was making delighted little sound sthat surely any recording would pick up. She whispered again, more urgently. "What if it's true? The things about Thea going rogue? Think about it!"

Despite how it might appear, their lips never met, and since Devyrie needed to whisper in Angel's ear, she pretended to start kissing her neck - hands roaming her sister wolf. "You read about the A.I., right? How it was able to interact with the crew on all decks of this ship. That means there is a ship-wide hologrid installed everywhere aboard. We are essentially on a big holodeck. Don't you see? It is the most obvious explanation!"

She leaned her head back, biting her lower lip as if she was deriving pleasure out of the intimate closeness of Angel - baring her neck to her lower. She hoped she acted the part well enough for any artificial intelligence watching them, before she finally went for the other side of Angel's neck - lips barely grazing the skin since she needed to speak. "Captain Ives had Thea kill all of the crew, or she did it herself. All the people aboard the Theurgy are just holograms, and we might be replaced too. Everything we've seen, the recording and the Reaver warp fighter, it has all been an illusion, created to keep us calm, so that the A.I. may kill us all in our sleep."

Putting her hands on Angel's bottom, she pulled her closer. "Think about it for a moment! We need to get to our fighters, and we need the tricorders we have there - ones that the A.I. couldn't have replaced. We need to make sure this crew is still alive."

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #90 –
[Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya | Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attention: @Brutus , @Even Angels Cry , @Arista

Keval nodded in appreciation of the cardassian's views but kept his own opinions to himself but when he heard Natalie's comment, he turned to face the human before gently and politely lay a reassuring hand on her right forearm before shaking his head lightly. "This is in no way to prove who sees more but it's more of an exercise like I said. I apologize if there was any offense." he said with a polite bow of his head.

Keval then turned to regard the cardassian, "So tell me then my young friend, what can you tell me about me from our limited interactions over the last few days?" he offered up as a new challenge, his face turning into what the scientist would recognize as one intuitive thinker challenging another.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #91 –
[ Jaya Thorne |  Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attn @Kaligos , @DocReno , @steelphoenix , anyone else
[Show/Hide]


Jaya accepted the Breshtanti Ale with a raised eyebrow.  She hadn't tried this drink yet, but if Klingons liked it, then perhaps she would too.  She admired the transparent liquid in her glass as she gave it a swirl.  She wasn't supposed to drink for 24 hours.  That had been a reiterated caution from her morning trip to Sickbay.  But the day had been long and too eventful to NOT have a drink.  At least just this one.. 

Her head spun as she watched the ale form a mini vortex in her glass.  It hadn't taken much motion to create, but now that her drink was spinning, she couldn't look at it.  In one swift motion, the brunette shut her brown eyes and tipped back the alcohol.  The glass was cool and comforting, resting on her lips like an old friend.  The ale filled her mouth at once with a mild, sweet flavor not unlike a flower field on a spring day.  In fact.. it tasted like roses?  How strange!  It was in fact a pleasant drink, something she could kick back frequently and probably end up entirely too drunk on!  Even the aftertaste wasn't bad: a little bitter but she had been expecting that, and even the bitternes had fruity, floral overtones.  If she didn't know better, Jaya would swear this tasted a lot like some of the vintage Earth wines she'd sampled.  

She smiled as the liquid made it's way through her system.  Already, she was feeling more like herself.  "Well,
 that was excellent!  if you don't mind, I'll have another.  Maybe two!"  Jaya grinned as she pushed her empty glass towards the opposite side of the bar.  Oh yes, she was feeling MUCH better!  Not drunk yet, gods no.  Not even buzzed, but warm and relaxed.  She glanced at Sithick with his hot chocolate.  What a strange choice!  Never in a million years would she have guessed that a gorn might like hot chocolate.  Her glance became a stare as she found herself unable to turn away.  What was he doing??  Was he seriously going to lick the chocolate into his mouth!?  Her eyes traversed his jawline.  If it was anything like a snake's, couldn't he just open his mouth wide and tip the drink directly down his throat?  Did he even have tastebuds with which to enjoy the flavor?

It hadn't occurred to Jaya that inviting a literal monster out for drinks was probably not the best idea until this moment.  Thankfully, the bartender was also acutely aware of Sithick's spectacle and in short order produced the weirdest looking straw she'd ever seen.  It was long and mostly flat, but maybe that was a good thing.  Sithick didn't have lips like hers; lips that could grip, suck and hold onto whatever she decided to put in her mouth.  Her lips followed the surface contour of whatever she placed them on, thus making it easier for sucking on roundish objects.  Like straws.  Or...

That thought brought a slight blush to Jaya's cheeks and she looked back to the bartender.  He was at least fuzzy, and she guessed he would be fun to sleep with.  Hopefully soft.  Warm, if nothing else.  Her eyes surveyed the room as her thoughts bounced from one person to the next.  She was rating their possible sexual prowess based on their interactions, their demeanor and their looks.  There were even a couple women in the room that she wondered about.  It was something she hadn't tried yet, mostly because she lost her confidence around women.  Men she could charm, that was easy.  But women were usually more interested in intellect or books or other passions on the mind.  Jaya had very few hobbies and she doubted that her collection of miniature model ships, while vast, would impress another lady.  Plus, she really didn't think she was that smart.  Schooling and books hadn't held her interest, so most of her learning she picked up by doing.  Yep, better stick to the male sex.  She knew them better anyway.

Sitchik's voice caught Jaya's ear and she turned back to look at him.  He had cracked a joke.  A terrible joke.  He was even attempting a smile, which she only knew because she had seen it before.  Sithick's 'grin' looked like a chamber of death as he mouth gaped slightly open and all his teeth were on display.  She laughed once, more in surprise than anything else, and shook her head.  "You're really bad at jokes, you know?  I'm not so good either but.. heh, maybe next time leave out the part where you suggest that you might eat a crewmate.  Haha.  Anyway.. other than the sickbay thing, how was your day?  What did you do?"

This was the hard part.  The icebreaker questions.  She needed so much more alcohol right this instant!
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #92 –
[ PO2 Sithick | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry , @Arista @Auctor Lucan @steelphoenix @DocReno
[Show/Hide]

Sithick lifted his head slightly curious as he regarded the straw. It was embarassing to lap at the drink, but the idea of actually opening his mouth to it's full extent here was also completely mortifying so the straw seemed to be the happy medium. Taking the thing in one of his claws he regarded it for a moment, placing it in his drink and, then slowly taking his first drink of the hot chocolate.

In an instant Sithick was hit with comperehension of the straw's use, the sudden ability to get more of the drink into his maw than ever before was satisfying, and the hot chocolate was by far the most delicious thing he had ever had in his life time. If he had tear ducts this would have been a moment to use them if for nothing else but the sheer feeling of joy that had been produced in this moment.

The conversation was also confusing. Respect? Sithick had been a slave most of his life to the Orions respect was earned through fear and force, more than once he had both seen and felt what happened to those who showed disrespect towards their superiors in the syndicate. The word meant something different in the Federation, the first time he had worn the uniform he had felt such pride about it. It had been the first time he had ever felt the proper respect his recent promotion to Petty Officer Second class had gotten him some steps, but he just chuckled. Rather than giving more of his life story. "Respect? I can't even get cadets or ensigns to listen to me. I've been repairing ships since I was large enough to walk, I've never even been planet side, and yet these... whelps still think I'm going to attack them the moment one of them falls down. The only friend I have is."

Sithick indicated towards Jaya, and silenced himself with another drink from the straw. He rested his head on one arm propping himself up with an elbow. "Is not bad idea, just funny dream. Even the chief engineer calls me Alligator, whatever that is, though me thinks he doesn't like to use the proper name of things. Still... If I was allowed a wish... I'd have liked to be the chief engineer of a star-ship. Not that I will ever have that now."

Sithick let out a heavy sigh. It was at least some part of the cost of joining up with this whole traitor ship is that they would never really have anything more than just this ship. Progression through the ranks seemed impossible in that regard. Though this ship did supposedly have five former chief engineers before. It seemed like a cursed position at that rate.

Just when his mood was starting to dower, however Jaya laughed at his previous joke and chimed in. He supposed she was right, one step towards earning that respect would be not joking about eating others, it was a bit of a two way street in that regard.

When she asked about what else he had done, his eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment. The memories of the past few hours came back over him, returning to work, the time he spent with Doctor Song, the moments that went tender, and of course the disasterious ending in which Sithick felt like he had just violated the trust of someone else, only to run away when he couldn't handle their sudden emotional outburst.

What was he supposed to say to Jaya? he was bad at lying, and he couldn't exactly hide the facts, their was a chance that any second now security could burst down the door, and haul him away to the brig under charges of sexual assault. He stayed resting his yellow eyes transfixed for a moment his body shaking. What did he tell Jaya?

"I... went back to work, and... helped to save a doctor... performed a surgery... took her back to her quarters." He paused at that point in his story... he wasn't even sure what to call it at that point. The two of them had cuddled, nothing physical past the fact that she had sat on his lap. He had kissed her... he should just leave it that really, but this was Jaya. His closest friend, and also the woman who would sleep around the most. If anyone could understand his situation it would be her. He tried to pick up his drink tried to shove the straw in his mouth and take another swig to orient his thought process. His tongue felt dry yet as he opened his mouth strands of saliva seemed to cover his long teeth. His body shivered like he was going to retch. He just needed to say something.

"And almost had sex with her." Anything but that, nope eject, abort. Sithick felt his jaw clamp up, his eyes close and a long drawn out breath escape his nostrils as he raised a hand to his face brushing along his own snout. "How was your evening."

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #93 –
[ Deacon | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry , @Kaligos , etc

As Jaya requested another glass or two of the Breshtanti Ale, Deacon considered the bottle in his hand critically, giving it an experimental swirl, mentally cursing the persistent lack of feeling that was hindering his dexterity.  He again reminded himself to have it examined in the morning if the sensation hadn't resolved by morning.  Pouring another serving, he silently confirmed his earlier suspicion that the humans would undoubtedly drink this lounge dry inside of a day if there wasn't some secret distillery hidden behind another of the bulkheads that the ship's avatar had neglected to share with him.

"One at a time," he commented, sliding the glass back to Jaya.  "The bottles are the genuine stuff and that kick won't shake with willpower and adrenaline."  At least, that was his understanding of the difference between genuine alcohol and the replicated synthehol, and new as he was to his position, he did feel some responsibility in ensuring the crew didn't get the ship blown up from drunken negligence.

As the gorn made his wish, Deacon tilted his head slightly.  An engineer?  He had to admit, this was a bit unexpected.  But then again, their first encounter had been in the midst of battle and it's hard to take the proper measure of a stranger in such circumstances.  Yes, certainly you could tell a lot about someone in how they approach battle, which is why Deacon believed the gorn was deserving of some amount of respect. 

"Well, an alligator is a large reptile native to Earth," he said, though admittedly he only knew a handful of native Earth creatures and most the result of his time studying the language on homeworld.  "As I understand it, quite fearsome in its own right.  But humans tend to..." he paused to consider his options "...abuse names.  They might give a thing another name out of familiarity, affection, disdain, or even laziness when they cannot be bothered to remember a proper name."  He took a deep breath.  "It's rather annoying, truth be told."

Placing his hands on the bar, he stared at the gorn.  "If you want them to respect you... if you want these cadets and ensigns to listen to you, then demonstrate to them your skills.  Show them what only you are capable of doing."  With a faint shrug, he turned to clean up one of the nearby tables.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #94 –
LT JG Alessia Garcia, Callsign "Angel" |  Corridor Outside the Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3  USS Theurgy] ATTN: @Auctor Lucan, anyone else
[Show/Hide]

Alessia glanced down the corridor to her left, and then her right, but it was the whistle that caught her attention.  She flashed a smile at her budding companion and moved towards her.  Dev was also apparently happy to see her, since the woman reached for Alessia and held her hips, then guided her back against a wall.  Dev's lips brushed in close to Alessia's own and the Latina blushed.  What was happening?  Surely she hadn't thought that..

Given how Dev was acting, whispering words past her ear and bringing her lips so close that they almost touched, Alessia had to assume she'd given the Romulan the wrong impression.  Dev's hands embraced her like a lover and roamed up and down Alessia's sides with the most loving of touches.  It brought an unintentional shiver to Alessia's body as her eyes went half-lidded with the sensation.  How long had it been?  But Dev was a woman!  Yes, a beautiful woman who seemed for all the world to be interested.  Was Alessia really averse to this idea?

Then she caught wind of the words.  Play Along?  So.. this was an act?  Well, if it was, Alessia had been fooled and she was in on it.  She couldn't help her body's natural responses (the goosebumps on her skin, the flush to her cheeks, the little murmurings coming from her lips), but she could play along.  Alessia's palms lifted off the wall and timidly held her sister wolf's hips.  She was unsure how these things worked with another woman, but seemed to be rather good at it, so she emulated her Romulan friend. 

Alessia's hands slid up Dev's sides, thumbs caressing the outside of her breasts as she moved a little too high on the pilot's body.  Alessia's breath hitched as Dev's words danced over her neck.  Her hands slipped around to the small of the woman's back and she pulled Dev in a little closer.  There was a lot of sense in Dev's words though.  When the white-haired girl exposed her neck, Alessia felt the cool air come between them.  Her grin was unexpectedly sultry as she took the opportunity to trail a hand up and craddle Dev's neck.  She then tilted forward, her lips brushing Dev's neck as she responded, "I never thought of it that way.  Go on?"

Both arms now rested on Dev's shoulders as the woman grabbed her ass and pulled Alessia in close.  The pleasurable gasp was not fake, nor was the rapid speed at which Alessia's heart beat.  She was both turned on by all the closeness, and intrigued by this idea that her sister wolf put forth.  What if that was what had happened here?  A rogue A.I. operating with a skeleton crew following some extremist agenda on a holo-ship wasn't too far off from what their superiors had proposed. 

Now it was Alessia's turn to act back, and she pulled her arms tight around Dev's shoulders.  She brought her forehead to rest against her Romulan friend, and with noses touching and lips a sliver away from a kiss, she whispered back.  "So let's go down there.  I remember the way.  We can make up una mentira1.. some lie, like we've always wanted to try doing it in the cockpit.  It should give us ample time to grab the gear, but I don't know how we'd hide it.  Neither of us is wearing much in the way of extra layers."  Still, just getting to the valravns would take time.  If they kept up this charade, they'd come up with a way to extract the tricorders before they arrived in the bay.

Alessia pushed back on Dev just enough to free herself from the wall.  She pivoted and grabbed Dev's hand, interlocking their fingers as she moved down the hall towards the turbolift.  The sensual glances that she shot the Romulan were only half pretend.  The woman had stirred something in Alessia that she'd kept dormant for years, but now that it was waking up, Alessia found it to be a welcome distraction.  A part of her hoped that Dev actually liked her.

The pair reached the turbolift after two stops to giggle and push one another up against the hallway wall in what appeared to be another blatant display of public affection.  Ideas were whispered to one another about what to do with the tricorder once it was in their possession and how to smuggle it off the valravn without arousing suspicions.  When the turbolift opened, Alessia pulled Dev inside with a laugh and enough momentum to make her own back thud against the back of the lift.  She let her hands drift to Dev's backside and grip tightly, pulling her sister wolf slose against her until her body was sandwiched between Dev and the wall.  Alessia let her head tilt to the side and called out their desired destination.

"Computer, Lower Shuttle Bay please.  Time to find out just how much room our birds have.."  She winked at Dev as the turbolift engaged.  She would be sad when this charade ended.

1. Mentira = a lie
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #95 –
[ Devyrie "Dragon" Okhala | Corridor Outside the Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry 
[Show/Hide]
Once inside the turbolift, the public act they had put on to fool any surveillance system or rogue A.I. had begun to get to Devyrie. She didn't usually engage in casual intimacy, but Angel was a fine human woman, and Dev couldn't help how hard and puckered the points of her breasts had become underneath her black tank top when she pushed herself up against her squadmate inside the turbolift. She imagined she felt the same reaction from Angel too, and she realised that they might be making things weird between them if they didn't cool down soon...

Which, of course, was when two security officers entered the turbolift, armed and on duty, and looking like they were having quite a handful with all the new people from the Resolve and the Orcus. Dev realised that they would notice if they didn't continue what they were doing. One of them cleared his throat and smiled faintly to them, but was clearly not about to engage in small talk. The second one seemed to be all frowns and no smiles, giving them a quick, suspicious glare.... which made Devyrie realise she was looking too much at the guards and not giving Angel the kind of attention she had when the two had entered the lift.

Turning her head back to Angel, she realised she had no choice. She cupped one hand over her sister wolf's breast, the other going to her bottom, and she full-on kissed the other pilot with her eyes closed - hoping Alessia wouldn't mind the show they had to put on. If they were holograms, they were merely an extension of the A.I., and could kill them any moment if they were not convincing enough. She felt her Romulan ridges brush across Angel's smooth forehead as she slanted her lips the other way, making sure it didn't look like an act when she let her tongue seek out Alessia's. With her thigh between hers, Dev began to undulate her hips against Angel too, grinding their bodies together more firmly, hoping the two security guards - or the A.I. - wouldn't question what they were truly up to.

Admittedly, Dev lost herself a little bit in the charade, finding herself making odd, throaty noises into Angel's mouth when their motions became more passionate. She tried to tell herself it was a part of the act, but she was fairly sure she would be lying. With Alessia's thigh betwixt her own as well, she found herself moving very attentively against the other pilot... until she glanced back, and realised that the turbolift was empty.

It startled her, having thought they were right behind her since she had Angel between herself and the wall. Eyes widening, lips bruised from kissing her sister wolf, she looked at her. "Did they step off or did they just... wink out of existence?" she asked in a whisper of dread laced with desire, her breath mixing with Angel's. She never noticed when the guards left, but hoped Angel could allay her fears since she had been facing in the right direction.

[Deck 21. Lower Shuttle Bay,] announced the female voice of the A.I., and the turbolift doors opened. Never had a Federation computer's announcement sounded so ominous to Devyrie, and she supposed they would have to finish what they started...

"Let's go..." she said thickly, swallowing, being quite slow to disentangle herself from Alessia since she both wanted to know the truth and didn't dare find out she'd been right. Despite how much she'd been taught to value information, right there, in that turbolift, she wanted to remain ignorant.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #96 –
[ Dr. Silim Parnak | Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Brutus @DocReno  Anyone
[Show/Hide]


Silim couldn’t help but raise a smile as he was praised. He had obviously done enough to impress the Human and that was a useful first step. Grabbing the bottle from table, he poured himself another glass of Kanar. Well, pour was a liberal term. With Kanar, it was simple, you placed the bottle where you wanted it and had to wait a few moments for the viscous liquid to agree. This gave him the chance to assess the woman some more as the Andorian swept in to ensure there were no hurt feelings. She was attractive, without a doubt, but there was something else there; a small twinkle in her eye when she smiled that showed there was more. She looked like the type of girl that could give as well as she could get, and with the way she played with the stem of her glass, Silim certainly wouldn’t say no to her working on his neck ridges.

The shift in topic brought Silim back to his senses and he hastily moved his thoughts back to the here and now, rather than imaging what could do. As the Andorian spoke, Silim tried to ponder if this was a multi-level affair, would he get his feedback after completing so many assessments? However, try as he might, the words that Ch’Rayya used amused him. Starting at that classic Cardassian smirked, his level of amusement grew until Parnak couldn’t contain it any longer and a mirth filled chortle escaped aloud.

“Forgive me Lieutenant, but if I’m young, then you’re positively juvenile.” His sentiment, while true, wasn’t intended to be cruel, more of a joke at the wording the Andorian chose. Parnak was old, certainly older than those within the bar.

“Now, Lieutenant Ch’Rayya, let see…” He paused, as if to appraise the Andorian before him “Whilst Andorian, you tend to inhabit the cooler end of the usual associated ego. No pun intended. You think of yourself as intelligent, this added to your overall posture and decorum show that you like to be the one in charge wherever possible. As for the use of first names when speaking with your former commanding officer? That shows you are used to a certain level of respect, leading me to believe that you like to push boundaries and meet new people although sometimes, as the scar on your right antennae indicates, it doesn’t always go exactly the way you want.” Stoppeing, Silim chuckled. “Though I suspect if asked, you’d have some rather interesting stories.”

Silim stopped to take a sip from his Kanar. His eyes resting back once again on the Andorian before him.

“Is that enough? I’m afraid I haven’t researched Andorians enough to even attempt to hazard a guess at lineage and genealogy from a visual perspective.” He switched back across to the Human and couldn’t help but get a jovial wink. “But don’t you worry my dear, as you can see, I may old enough to know better, but I’m still young enough to still do it anyway.”

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #97 –
 
LT JG Alessia Garcia, Callsign "Angel" |  Corridor Outside the Below Decks Lounge | Deck 28 | Vector 3  USS Theurgy] ATTN: @Auctor Lucan, anyone else
[Show/Hide]

Alessia's breath was shallow and hot on Dev's skin as the two security guards entered.  Her chocolate eyes watched them as one grinned sheepishly and the other frowned his disapproval. She caught the corner of Dev's eye as the Romulan woman turned her attention back, but she was wholly unprepared for what followed.

Dev grabbed her, groped her in a way that no one had in years. "Ah! Mmmm.." Alessia found it hard to contain her delighted murmur, so she let it out.  They were posing as lovers after all.  But was that it? Was it only an act? Alessia opened her eyes to find Dev considerably closer than before. The woman looked riddled with lust, or maybe Alessia was transferring her own emotions onto her sister wolf.  Didnt matter.  In the next moment, their lips locked and a sweet gasp escaped Alessia's mouth.

Dear God! Why had she neglected this part of herself for so long?  The kiss was all fever and passion, and Alessia was eager to return it.  She opened her mouth first, without provocation from Dev, hoping for a taste of the girl. And then she had it.  Alessia's hands gripped Dev's firm ass and pulled Dev closer against her own body.  Her legs naturally fell in between Dev's, and her upper leg found a warm home to rub against.  But so had Dev's.  Alessia closed her eyes and let herself be captured by the emotions, the grinding, the taste of it all.  Never had she wanted a woman as badly as she wanted Dev right now.  Her sister wolf had broken the dam she'd built around her passion and now the cascading emotions engulfed her.

Alessia moaned with delight, her tongue seeking out Dev's and relishing the flavor. She lost herself in the sensations, the sounds, the taste, and didn't pull away until Dev spoke.  Alessia's heart raced. Her breath came way to fast and her eyes were heavy with desire. She smirked a seductive grin at Dev until the stillness in the turbolift registered in her brain. It was too quiet.  She pulled her eyes from the Romulan and looked to where the security guards had stood.  Their post was vacant.  She stared back at her sister wolf as the question was asked, but Alessia didn't know.

"I.. I don't know.  I didn't see." She could have kicked herself.  Instead of keeping an eye out, she had submitted to the heat of the moment.  But she didn't remember hearing a deck announcement or the doors open.  Then again, Dev hadn't noticed either.  Maybe this was a little more sudden than either of them expected? Alessia's gaze locked with Dev's as the computer announced their arrival.  She didn't want to disengage. She wanted to stay entangled in this woman's embrace. But they had to leave.

Still, it needed to be convincing. So Alessia grinned and stole another long kiss as she let go of Dev and pushed herself off the wall.  "Come on. It's just a little further" She walked backward out of the lift, taking Dev's hands and leading her sister toward the valravns parked in the bay.  Just a little further and they had reached Dev's fighter.   Alessia reached for the ladder and climbed up, then unlatched the cockpit. She pulled herself inside and left enough room for Dev to follow.
"Relationships are not my strong suit; I deal in evenings."
 - Jaya Thorne, Asst. Chief CONN Officer, Ensign [Show/Hide]

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #98 –
[ Devyrie "Dragon" Okhala | Turbolift > Lower Shuttle Bay | Deck 28 > Deck 21 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Even Angels Cry 
[Show/Hide]
With her heart beating loudly in her ears, the only way her stress over the situation was alleviated was by how Angel pulled her in for another, deep, lingering kiss in the turbolift before they headed towards the shuttle bay. In fact, the pretence of their roles as lovers was the only thing that kept Dev from running towards her Valravn fighter and get the tricorder, fearing that she was right and that they had not only ended up in the middle of the Azure Nebula, but on a starship where the computer had gone rogue and killed every organic being aboard. To have Alessia distract her from her immediate fears was quite welcome, and especially since her wolf sister was really easy on her green eyes, the fact that she was not a man quite irrelevant.

Keeping up the charade as they made it through the shuttle bay, Dev had her arm around Angel's waist and stole kisses on her neck now and then, hand straying from her hip to her bum, and as if it was some kind of miracle, they were never stopped on the way there. Many of the shuttles were out, initial repairs of the Theurgy already having begun, but among the Valravn fighters that had landed on the lowest level of the bay area, they were virtually alone. They saw plenty of shuttle bay workers on the higher levels, though.. Perhaps it was because none of the Ops personnel knew what to do with the fighters, but whatever the reason, it allowed them to reach Dev's fighter without question.

Angel popped the canopy for Devyrie and climbed up ahead of her, and Dev was momentarily distracted by the sight of her wolf sister as she climbed up ahead of her, and with her Romulan genes, the female scent of her was overwhelming. Devyrie shook her head, realising that Alessia was just as wound up as she felt, and tried to focus on what they needed to do instead. Angel was quite a distraction in a way she had not considered before, not even when they had shared locker rooms on Luna Base and on the Orcus.

Once over the edge of the cockpit, they were both in the cramped pilot seat, which was actually spacious enough when neither of them wore exosuits. "Let me just..." Devyrie reached past Angel, their faces almost brushing together, and she picked up the tricorder she kept in a storage compartment next to the seat. Once she had it in her hand, she gently sat down in Angel's lap (since it was most comfortable for them both), and draped one arm behind her sister's neck and flipped the tricorder open, beginning to scan the surroundings outside the fighter. Dreading the results, she raised the tricorder to the upper levels of the shuttle bay, scanning the Ops officers as they moved about...

...and to her relief, at least the people working there on the Theurgy were organic, and not just holograms. A sense of ease coming over her, she widened the scanning area, and could see life signs beyond the bulkheads as well. Satisfied, she took a deep breath, and pressed the button to close the canopy around them - giving them some privacy.

"They are real..." she said, a small smile coming to her face as she looked at Angel. "...and if they are, I suppose there is no immediate need to question the veracity of Ives's story. At least not up front, without due cause. And if the parasitic threat is true... perhaps Captain Slayton was one of them."

Saying this, her thoughts did not linger on the Commanding Officer of the Orcus for long, for she realised that what she and Alessia had just done on the way to her fighter... it could not be undone. But did she even want to? Devyrie felt no regrets when she looked at Angel... instead, wondering... as she leaned in towards her with her lips pursed... if there was ought more to be said... or done... before they left the cockpit of her fighter.

Re: Day 01 [2200 hrs.] Drinking Yourself Blind

Reply #99 –
[Lieutenant Keval ch'Rayya | Below Decks Lounge | USS Theurgy ] Attention: @Brutus  , @Even Angels Cry  , @Arista

Keval listened to Silim's observations of him which made him smile just a little bit. "I'm glad that you didn't find my comment an insult, my good sir, because the reference to age wasn't one in the slightest."

He then took a sip of his drink before going over some of the things that Silim had said to which he bowed his head slightly. "I believe that I'm intelligent because I have worked hard for my education if and I've spent the last few years basically being the number three man on a starship on a forced exodus, so you'll pardon me if certain..mannerisms for the lack of a better term haven't left me yet but I don't think of myself in charge, Silim, as I would much rather not sit in that center seat again for quite a while."

"As for using my late commanding officer's first name with such a commonality it's because there wasn't just a level of respect but also one of family as I have put quite a amount of distance between myself and my keth..unlike the common Andorian view, I don't care much for having my whole family life preset before me like I'm a princess in the old human fairy tales." He went onto explain as he closed his right hand into a fist and brought it over his heart. "My Zhavey, my grandmother for the lack of a better term, once told me that you have your family by blood and then you have your family by life..friends that you've fought with and for to the point that you are willing to risk your own life for just as if they are your own family which is what Tristain, Leon, Jimmy, Krystal, and a few others from the Resolve have become to me."

He then unfolded his fist and gently reached up to run a finger over the old scar. "As for this, I got a little bit too close in a battle with an enemy force when I was a junior officer. It aches from time to time but it's more akin to a phantom pain then actual pain." he commented before his face broke into a slight smile. "But I do like meeting new people, Silim, despite my history as both a tactical, intelligence, and sometimes acting security officer..I am a people person amusingly enough."

He then took another sip of his drink before his smile became a bit more wry as he added with "And the stories I could tell you just might raise an eyebrow or two..but that's for another time, Silim, and might I add that before the end, Tristain counted you among us of the Resolve by extension.."

He then picked up his glass and offered it up in a salute to the Cardassian. "So you'll pardon me if I keep an eye out to make sure that you're okay from time to time...kid?" he said in a respectable tone, giving a joking wink to Silim at the end.
 
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