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Topic: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks] (Read 13533 times) previous topic - next topic
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Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #25 –
Indeed, the bloody Vulpinian did not speak with his lips, but chose to speak to Soo in thoughts - his concern for her flooding her mind and disarming her.

Blinking, she could not help but look back into the eyes of the form Miles wore in his cockpit, and the concern for her that she felt began to be her own - understanding that she could not continue drinking and that nothing good would come of it. A quick but temporary and inefficient method of shutting everyone out, which would also have repercussion on the morrow. A selfish means of escape from the present that disregarded her duties and their mission objectives - the requirement to be alert and ready if they fell into strife again.

Through her intoxicated mind, she accepted this. And his mind became her focus; her way to find respite. So she found herself slipping her hands behind his neck as their foreheads touched, breathing slowly through her nostrils while she shut the rest out.

"Thanks," she murmured, lips pursing as she tried to concentrate on what she should do. "Perhaps I should go. Head to my quarters. I have to stop by in the restroom first, though... Ugh..."

She put a hand before her mouth, eyes wide. It was clear she needed to go immediately, so she tried to scramble off him and set off towards the back of the Lounge.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #26 –
He understood immediately what she meant and helped her on the way up.  Instinctively he grabbed her free hand remembering how she had found it a bit difficult to step to the bar.  He knew making it to the head was going to be an even more difficult task for her.  Instead he looked around for something anything that would suit his needs as he looked to the bartender whom he had met a few times while on the planetary surface though having not yet learned his name.  "Quick! icebucket minus the ice."  He said desperately knowing both time and the effects of the alcohol eating away at the lining of her stomach were working against him for that matter really working against her.  There really wasn't much he could do other than hope that she would receive some form of container before creating a messy mixture of bile, stomach acid, and scotch on the bartenders currently immaculate floor. 

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #27 –
Ensign Skye "Kestrel" Carver - Wolf 02

Skye couldn't help the smirk that formed as Thomas said he could toast to wallowing.  "Ah, I much prefer your kind of wallowing, Razor," she said with a wink and nursed her drink, enjoying the burn of the bourbon.  Both she and Rory grinned at the face he made, a glance passing between the blondes like they'd been drinking buddies forever.

Rory wasn't too sure for a moment when the guy said there were many guys wanting in Kestrel's shower.  "Well ..." he temporized, not wanting to insult either.  "She's a lovely lass fer sure but I promise no one has t' worry 'bout me.  I got m' eyes set on a lovely brunette ... 'course she sees me like this an' I'll stand no chance 't'all."

Skye snickered, seeing the barkeep's discomfort.  "Maybe Razor here could offer you his bunk for a bit, give you privacy and not be put in a position some might call compromising," she grinned, glancing at Thomas with an eyebrow raised.  Why was it she felt better when he was so near, when his eyes twinkled like they were?

Rory saw Thomas leaning in closer and the heated look the blonde gave him, knowing that look all too well.  Without another word, he melted away from them to wait on some people at the end of the bar.  For now, the two would have as much privacy as the environment would allow them.

"I would like to know," Skye admitted, leaning in to where their faces were very close together.  "I'm just not sure if I'll like what sort of fish I'll come up with given Ranger's involvement."  Her heated look didn't quite cover the worry, perhaps even some jealousy.  "You've been spending a lot of time with her lately.  Can't help wondering when you won't notice me at all," she said softly.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #28 –
A small chuckle was all that Thomas could do when Skye told him she'd prefer his wallowing. His eyes darted up to Rory now as he mentioned a lovely brunette and he had to smirk when he told them he wouldn't stand a chance as he was now. "I beg to differ, perhaps she likes her men.... Dirty." He said and gave Skye a subtle wink.

Just when he placed the drink to his lips Skye started about giving his bunk to the barkeep, unable to object he sipped from his drink and coughed a bit. "Hmm, I wouldn't mind offering my bunk down for a night or two but um... Where do I need to sleep than?" He said with a sheepish voice.

Listening to Carver now as she talked about Rawley, Thomas had to smile a bit faint, knowing Rawley had promised him a blowjob or perhaps even more for letting her fly the Reaver. He hadn't given her control of the Reaver for that though, he wanted someone able to fly a ship full of medical patients without killing anyone or all on their way back to Theurgy. "It's nothing... We just got assigned to work on the damaged Reaver, after our primary duties. So I'll probably have to work a bit more with her than you'd prefer I think..." he said now and nipped from his drink again, keeping eye contact with the blonde woman. "But I know one thing though, I won't forget you... How could I?" He continued and smiled.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #29 –


It was then Master Chief William Robert 'Billy Bob' O'Connell entered the bar.  Clad in a set of soiled coveralls and carrying a hefty toobox, he groaned as he ran his calloused hand through his dirty blonde hair.  The Lone Wolves had invaded 'Below Decks' and were whooping it up.  Just what he needed after a sixteen hour shift, the chance to watch Commander Renard nursemaid his cubs and try to keep them from killing themselves when they weren't in the cockpit.  Even now, the Vulpinian was trying to keep Orcale from vomiting all over the deck.  He didn't even have Chief Warrant Officer First Class Sten Covington around to help him babysit and if Billy Bob wasn't careful he'd be drafted.

When did he start feeling this way?  When the ship launched last year, O'Connell was the king of the bar and worst chaser of fox and beaver on the ship (in his mind at least) but now he was ready to become a monk.  When had he stopped being the reckless young guy and become the boring old man?   Was it the first time a Starfleet vessel shot at the Theurgy?  Was it when he got infected with an alien pollen by that enchanting electronics technician while they were in the Mahéwa System?  Or was it afterwards when he was still licking his wounds after the Niga Incident and an alien intelligence the officers called 'Ishtar' made him start licking that cute little petty officer?  Maybe it was the first, or maybe the second time the ship lost a chief engineer.  Who knew, and right now who cared?  All Billy Bob knew was that he needed something stronger than synthehol right now.

O'Connell noticed a tall lanky young man behind the bar.  He wasn't wearing a uniform and Billy Bob didn't recognize him, so that made him one of the refugees they picked up.   The fella was blonde, blue eyed, likeable and roguishly handsome, everything that O'Connell used to be before he signed up for this ship.  He hated him already.  Kestral, AKA Skye Carver was already running circles around him and she was really aiming her charm on her shipmate Thomas Ravon, callsign Razor.   He smiled as the young civilian wisely bid a hasty retreat and gestured for the new meat to approach him and take his order.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #30 –
Rory Callahan - Civilian Celebrity/Bartender

Just as Rory finished with the couple at a small table, he heard someone yelling for an ice bucket and when he saw the dog-like man and female turning a shade of green that was certainly not Orion.  "Oohhhh hell," he muttered and dashed behind the bar, looking for such a thing but not seeing that sort of thing did the next best thing.

He grabbed the box he'd brought the alcohol back in from the thermal springs.  Long legs had him over to them as quickly as possible and experience sent him flying back well out of the way for when she started to blow.  "Don' worry ... I won't be needin' it back," he jested and left Miles to tend to the woman.

When he returned to the bar, he looked at the man who'd gestured to him just as the call had been made for a trash receptacle.  "Sorry 'bout tha', Sir," he said with an apologetic smile.  "Rory Callahan at yer service.  What kin I get ye?"

Ensign Skye "Kestrel" Carver - Wolf 02

Skye chuckled as she took another drink and nodded at O'Connell  as he walked by them and took a spot at the bar.  "Well I didn't say you'd forget me, just that you might not notice me," she grinned.  "I'm a little hard to forget."  She had enough confidence in herself to know that much and she knew she never forgot any of her lovers, no matter how brief the encounter might have been.

"As for the amount of time you spend with her, as well as what you do with her, well it's really none of my business," she stated matter-of-factly.  "It's not like we have a claim on each other."  She didn't add that she thought he could do better, not that it was her but there were a lot of women who was better suited to him than the jarring bald woman.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #31 –


O'Connell attempted to act friendly and smile at a man who was actually willing to offer him a drink without being told to.  "Yeah, I'd like to..."  He grimaced and closed his eyes when he heard a nauseating yet familiar sound.  Oracle was tossing her cookies.  Regurgitating a horta.  Making street pizza.  Painting a Jackson Pollock.  Shouting for Huey and Ralph.  Ejecting the plasma through the fuel port.  Blowing chunks.  Throwing her voice.  Experiencing a stomach overflow error.  Dumping the core.  Yawning for the hearing impaired.  Preaching it to the congregation.  Speaking in Klingon.  Preparing a meal for the Breen.   Flinging floor pie.  Making the holographic rainbow yawn.  Tasting her drinks a second time.   

He shuddered and collected himself while instinctively holding his breath.  "As I was saying I'd like to order a..."  Soo Young Seung wasn't finished yet.  Once again O'Connell closed his eyes while she had an out of stomach experience.  Suffered an involuntary personal protein spill.  Gave an organ recital.  Talked to her shoes.  Did the Feringar Yodel.  Brought it up for a vote.  Caught it on the rebound.  Yelled at the ground.  Cleared her throat the easy way.  Decorated the deck.  Ate backwards.  Called the moose.  Flung floor pie.  Made the Cardassian mating call.  Rode the regurtitron.  Cleaned house.   Had a hiccup from hell.

He opened his eyes and resisted the urge to glance in Soo Young Seung's direction.  "Hell just give me anything that'll let me ignore this!"


Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #32 –
When she was finished, Soo Young Seung sat back from the bucket, head reeling and her throat feeling raw. Miles had been there to help her, holding her hair away, but she was a bit too preoccupied to notice. When she finally could breathe normally, she wiped her eyes with her sleeve and tried to stand on shaky legs. "H-How embarassing," he murmured, blinking hard, "It's barely noon and here I am making an ass of myself."

Indeed, she could feel the looks as much as she could sense the humour at her expense - read every condescending thought. It was fortunate that she had reached a point where she did not care as much as she might otherwise. She glanced towards her Commander as if to weigh the odds that she could order something from the bar, but seeing that bucket again made her think twice about it. Better to retire to her quarters, sleep off the liquor and perhaps being able to fall asleep without thinking about what happened on Theta Eridani IV. The possibility of rest made her weary already, and it could only partially be attributed to her episode over the ice bucket.

"I should withdraw to my quarters, Miles," she half slurred, looking around and locating her headphones. She put them across the back of her neck and tried to look a bit more dignified, even as her mind was awhirl with other people's thoughts and her own. "No reason to stay here if I can't drink away my concerns. Even less reason when I am poor company."

Catching the eye of the rest of her present wolves, she gave them a weak smile and waved before heading towards the exit, half expecting someone to want to assist her given how plastered she had made herself. Curse her mixed blood and damnation upon the voyage she had returned to. She'd had the chance to stay away, so why could she not have taken it? Now, she would have to live with her decisions in that shuttle, unable to jump off the ride that would lead into the Alpha Quadrant.

On her way out, she nearly bumped her shoulder into someone else's, a woman that entered Below Decks just as she left. Soo mumbled an excuse, raised her eyes and saw that it was the Deputy. The Andorian named ThanIda zh'Wann. She seemed none to pleased to be bumped into, yet she didn't say anything - only moving on into the Lounge with a casual pace. Her antennae moved in sync with her eyes as she looked around.

At that point, Soo had rounded the corner and looked around for the closest set of turbo-lifts.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #33 –
Miles just shrugged as he looked for a place to dispose of the once empty box.  shrugging he decided to head over to the bar seeing the other pilots that were there. "Hey Skye." he said sighing as he said looking over fr a moment.  Sorry, I didn't even notice you walk in.  Guess I was a little preoccupied with ranger storming off and then seeing Oracle again.  well I guess I'll be off; I dread the sight of stacked PADDS I'll find in my office.  he said walking off  his form reverting to his natural body.  He dreaded what he would find in his office but he guessed it was better than delaying the inevitable for continued pleasures.

((sorry if its a bit short All i really wanted to do was note his leaving.))

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #34 –


O'Connell grimaced and leaned on the bar while putting his hand over the side of his face when he saw ThanIda zh'Wann enter Below Decks.  Ever since Commander Cinn had been sucked into the black to go where no traveler bothered to buy a return ticket, the athletic Andorian had been a stickler for discipline more than duty demanded to Billy Bob's way of thinking.  It seemed that every time they encountered each other he seemed to get on the wrong side of her. 

Not only was she an officer who could make his life miserable, but the one time they had tussled she had chipped his tooth and made him scream like a little girl.   Since honest-to-God-genuine-alcohol had a tendency to make O'Connor's mouth fall open and his conduct to be less than respectful, the blue ballbreaker had ordered the late and lamented Bill Regal, the ship's last bartender, to only serve him snythahol until Andor's sun froze over.  Regal had joined Wenn Cinn in that great starbase protecting eternity, so getting a real drink was challenging but doable these days.   Even so, unless Commander Cinn miraculously returned from the dead, in Billy Bob's reckoning it was a good notion to never let Ida see him drinking. 

He risked a glance to witness Miles Renard leave Below Decks.  "Well isn't this prettier than a hooker in heat?" he thought to himself.  "There goes the one of the few officers I haven't pissed off."   The rest of the Lone Wolves wouldn't get in the Andorian's way if she was feeling tetchy.  Time to think fast.

"Got my synthehol martini ready for me son?" He called to Rory in a feeble attempt at damage control.  It wouldn't fool anybody, but hopefully ThanIda didn't care right now.  All he could do now was stare straight ahead and avoid eye contact.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #35 –
Looking around, ThanIda zh'Wann was none too pleased with the company she found in Below Decks. She took a deep breath and headed towards the bar with jaws clenching, antennae lowering.

On one hand she had the Maintenence Chief that should not be there in the first place, his Pinkskin manners when being drunk being utterly repulsive to Ida. Being as there was a new bartender behind the counter, the engineer was probably trying to get his dirty hands on some non-synthehol beverages. In fact, that bartender had no business serving in Below Decks since Ida was positive he was a stowaway on the Harbinger until they left Theta Eridani IV.

On the other hand, Ensign Skye Carver was seated by the bar together with another of the Lone Wolves, and that blonde Pinkskin had been a direct cause for Ida's demotion to Junior Lieutenant. This, despite the fact that it had been the Ensign that had been insubordinate towards a superior officer and did not know her place in the chain-of-command. What were they to do if everyone could do as she did when answering a Security Officer's questions? Ida knew, of course, that it had been another stowaway that had caused the Ensign's hostility. A stowaway turned Cadet, and Cadet ending up dead since he would not follow Ida's orders in battle.

Reaching the bar, Ida looked to her right, locking eyes with Chief O'Connell. Then she looked to her left, seeing if the Ensign would deign meet her gaze. Lastly, she looked upon the Harbinger civilian behind the bar, and had it not been that Wenn Cinn's reappearance on the Flight Deck occupied her mind, and she needed a drink and some time to think, she might have ensured that the regular hologram bartenders would take over. For as it were, she did not have the energy to confront any of the three present parties at the bar counter.

"Andorian ale," she said quietly, "if you would be so kind."

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #36 –
Thomas let out a faint chuckle and he shrugged "Skye... It'd be even harder to not notice you if you keep making appearances like this." He said on a low voice and it was meant as a compliment for her. He had the feeling that when she entered a room he'd instantly notice her. Rawley was a very different kind of girl than Skye, almost the opposite even. As she brought up the claim, Thomas looked up at her now and frowned a bit. "You'd want a claim on me than?" he asked with a smirk. He wasn't sure about it himself it seemed, Skye had the looks that most men on board would fight for, yet he didn't know either if their little romance down on Theta was a one time thing for her or if they actually could make a connection of any kind. He doubted about the words that floated at the tip of his tongue and eventually he just blurted it out "Cause if you do, I wouldn't mind."

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #37 –
Ensign Skye "Kestrel" Carver - Wolf 02

Pausing and pulling back from Thomas a bit, she smiled at Miles and gave him a light tap on the shoulder.  "You got lots on your mind and then had lots in your lap," she said with a teasing smile.  "Try to get some rest in there someone, okay Boss?"  That was said with a smile full of concern.  He had a lot on his plate and tended to forget to rest.

She was just turning her attention back to Thomas when Ida walked in and she resisted the urge to snarl.  It was Thomas' smooth words that lulled her enough that she could lift her glass and salute Smurfette and then take a drink as she looked back into the young man's eyes.  What he said last left her sitting there a bit stunned.

Licking her lips as she set the glass down, she searched his eyes.  He could see past hurts and fear floating around in them but also a bit of hope, something that seemed to calm the storm within her.  "You wouldn't mind?" she said softly, a gentle caress of his cheek making her seem vulnerable, which she was.  "You are so tempting."

For a moment, she just looked at him and then touched her lips to his.  She could feel the excitement but also his hesitancy.  "You aren't certain but I would like to continue seeing you, being with you.  Why don't we take it slow and see how things go.  If things go well enough, then we can lay claims."

Rory Callahan - Civilian Celebrity/Bartender

When Razor had commented that Natalie might like her men 'dirty' he couldn't help a little snicker but if he was reading her right, she needed care and respect just as much or perhaps even more than a dirty tumble.  Maybe he was a bit old fashioned since being whisked away with labeled traitors but his days of playing the field didn't seem so wonderful anymore.  Every moment was threatened now and he couldn't help thinking the only legacy he'd left was as a roundabout singer.

No, he didn't expect her to fall in love with him though it would be nice.  He was thinking of her vibrant blue eyes as he approached the man needing a drink.  The poor guy was looking a bit green around the gills listening to the woman seemingly emptying the contents of her entire body and not just her stomach.  He was used to such sounds but knew others were so was glad when the poor woman made her way out of the bar.  "That one's gonna hate wakin' up," he said sadly.

Turning his attention back to the man, he pulled out a short tumbler and poured in a good four fingers of a dark amber colored liquor.  The name on the label was certain Irish, Tullamore Dew.  "This is somethin' I call sweet 'n savory.  There's a bit o' salty kick but there's also a hint of caramel, brown sugar, an' oak if ye let it roll 'round in yer mouth long enough.  Think ye'll like it lots better than some wimpy little martini," he said with an emphatic nod.  Of course he had no clue the man was attempting to avoid the blue woman and was just trying to offer a more manly drink.

Leaving the bottle sitting there for the man should he decide he wanted more, he moved over to the blue woman.  She didn't look happy at all and even though it wasn't his bar, he couldn't have that at all.  When she asked so politely, his smile was like a ray of sunshine.  "As th' lady wishes!  I happened to see a bit o' tha' just overrrrrrr ... there!"  Ducking down and grabbing a long fluted glass, he poured it three-fourths full.  "Name's Rory Callahan, pleasure t' meet an' serve ye," he stated cheerfully.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #38 –


"Much obliged," Billy Bob nodded back to the bartender.  As Rory served the bitter yet bodacious ThanIda zh'Wann, William O'Connell blinked and stared as he recognized the bartender.  "Hey!  Rory Callahan, this guy is Rory Callahan!" he burbled as he pointed at the lanky Irishman.  "I thought you looked familiar!" he exclaimed before looking at Ida.  "Don't you know who this is?  He's the lead guitarist and backup singer for Celtic Thunder!" 

Billy Bob froze as his head struggled to catch up with his mouth.  He heard a voice in his head that sounded like his.  'Quiet ya idjit,' his inner voice told him.  'Rory Callahan's travelling incognito and using his fifty bars of latinum smile on Lieutenant zh'Wann.  If anybody in the 'verse has a sunny enough disposition to shine some light on zh'Wann's dark and bitter heart it's him, ya stupid gump!  Vamoose and let him work his magic.  You're old enough to know that an unhappy officer means an unhappy chief, how 'bout finding out if it's the same in the converse for once?'

O'Connell cleared his throat, picked up the bottle, and spoke in a quieter and more conversational tone.  "Well I guess I best be gettin' on my way now.  Take care son, and if things ain't runnin' smooth, take comfort in the fact that you don't normally learn much when everything goes right," he winked before he turned to head for the door.


OOC:  Now that Searcher is back from vacation, I can have Billy Bob leave and give her characters room to do their thing in this scene.  Unless Auctor Lucan and Lieutenant zh'Wann have other ideas...

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #39 –
Inclining her head in gratitude for the drink, Ida's eyes rose to the Pinkskin that served her. His bright attitude seemed an honest affability, which was in stark contrast with the late William Regal's immoral lechery.

What happened next was something that went completely over her antennae. The Maintenance Chief's outburst caused Ida to turn her head and raise her white eyebrows in consternation. She caught on to the fact that this Rory Callahan was some kind of celebrity on Terra, yet when Chief O'Connell suddenly excused himself, having just received his drink, Ida's first thought was that he felt he had embarrassed himself, but that did not add up with his usual shameless demeanor. She blinked and watched him leave with a frown, thinking that it had something to do with her presence, and it irked her.

She turned back to Rory with a sideways glance, as if he was in on the joke, yet in the end, she did not have the energy to care or pursue what it was that had just happened. The Pinkskin did look far too unsanitary to be serving beverages, and that was something that she felt compelled to do something about.

"You are from the Harbinger, correct?" she asked rhetorically and sipped her drink - the taste blossoming like a flower in her mouth. "We will not rendezvous with her until tomorrow evening at the earliest, so you will have to secure accommodations aboard for the night. In fact, you need someplace where you can take a shower if you are to continue serving drinks here. You are probably doing a better job than the holograms we've used, but for sanitary reasons, I hope you understand why I have to ask you to step away for a short while."

Her standpoint not being open for arguments, Ida tapped her combadge so that she might help the Pinkskin. "zh'Wann to Quartermaster, I need quarters for a visitor here on Deck 07. What do we have available closest to Below Decks?"

[Closest? VIP Quarters, Deputy. Seventh suite.]

"That's fine. Would you mind giving a certain Rory Callahan - no rank - access to it with the passcode Alpha-Zero-Nine-Zero until he changes it to one of his own? I'll tell him to pay you a visit when he can so that he can register himself in your logs, but its likely just for one night."

[...Done, Deputy.]

"Thank you," said Ida, and while she had made the arrangements, she had not noticed if there were any objections or or mentionings of other plans. Her thoughts had been elsewhere, and when it was done, she stood from her bar stool. "Thea, activate the lounge personnel program. Mr. Callahan, I suppose you don't know the way so I'll show you."

She downed her Andorian ale while on her feet, and as the fiery beverage made her lips thin, she nodded towards the exit and slapped the glass down. "Come, Pinkskin. Let's go." As she led the way, she did not notice how the two holograms looked towards Skye Carver with disapproval on their faces - clearly remembering her lapdance before the Calamity attacked the ship.

They said nothing, but their stares said it all.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #40 –
Razor sat quietly as Miles and Ida passed by them and he was glad Skye didn't directly get into an argument with the Andorian. He saw the impact of his words on her as she seemingly sat there in a bit of shock. He brought his own drink to his lips and took a good nip from it before he felt the warm hand of Kestrel on his cheek. He looked up into her eyes and saw her mind at work. He shook his head slowly when she repeated his words that he wouldn't mind and he kissed her back gently when she did.

The sort of deal that she made to him wasn't really what he had expected yet it would be the best thing to do. Taking it slow and seeing where they can get could form a decent picture for both of them of the other person. "Sounds like a plan to me..." He whispered and smiled as he saw how vulnerable she had showed herself moments ago. He gently kissed her cheek once more and than drank the rest of his glass empty. "So what are you planning for the rest of the evening?" he asked curious as he let his eyes go over the people present in the room.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #41 –
Ensign Skye "Kestrel" Carver - Wolf 02

She was always reaching and they would come to her but then they would leave in some manner.  Yet Thomas could see she had wanted to lay claim to him, could feel it in the way her fingers caressed his skin.  He kissed her cheek and then she nuzzled her nose against his.  It was a rare moment, probably for both of them, but filled somehow with even greater intimacy than they'd shared before.

When he asked what her plans were for the evening, her lips pursed and she hummed softly.  "Well I hear there's going to be a party or some big hoo-hah on the holodeck tonight," she murmured with a playful smile forming.  "I thought I'd at least check it out.  Maybe you'd like to meet me there?"  With a little kiss on his lips, she leaned back.  "I hear it's like a beach party so I'll be almost naked."

Rory Callahan - Civilian Celebrity/Bartender

Rory's ears turned red when William recognized him, that boyish bashful grin forming but he wagged a finger at the man.  "Not really lead guitarist an' actu'lly I'm a principle singer," he corrected politely.  "O'course it's us'lly jus' th' gals that know tha'," he added, knowing it was an easy mistake to make.  Those girls were vicious with their delving into as much as possible though.  He grinned when the man started to walk away.  "Whoever said things'd go smooth?"

He caught a strange look from the blue chick, Andorian if he remembered correctly, and suddenly felt like he'd just been caught playing in a mud puddle dressed in his Sunday Best.  "Aye, I was over there fer a bit.  Wasn' s'posed t' stay long but ... things happen'd an' here I am," he stated truthfully.  He would have said more but then she called him unsanitary and told him he'd have to leave.  His ears turned red again but this time it was because of a little bit of humiliation.

She was treating him much as those on the Harbinger had, basically disregarding him by not asking him if he might have had plans or ... well, anything.  More than his ears changed color and by the time she called him Pinkskin, it was quite an apt descriptor.  "Now there's no need fer callin' me names," he said with a bit of puffing of his chest.  "I show you respect an' I'd appreciate a little respect 'n return."

Even though he was a bit indignant, he was still following her out of the bar.   "I'm so damn sick o' people treatin' me like I don' belong.  Fer fook's sake I know I don' belong but I jus' keep tryin' t' be helpful in some way," he grumped through the hall, pausing and stepping back out of the way anytime anyone walked by and gave a nod of greeting and respect to them all.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #42 –
[Thomas Ravon]

Feeling somehow secure around Skye, Thomas enjoyed the little private time they had. He closed his eyes and kissed her neck once more before they pulled away from eachother. As she told him about the beach party he shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't such a fan of beaches yet if it meant seeing her there once again. It had his mind racing to give her an answer.

"Alright, I'll probably see you there than." He answered her with a small chuckle, the premise of seeing her nearly naked at a beach was a pretty good incentive. He kissed her back when she did and moved a braid of hair behind her ear. "I'm sure you'll catch me around somewhere there than."

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #43 –
[ Corridors ] Attn: Searcher

While walking down the corridor, Ida's antennae rose in genuine surprise at the civilian's temper and demands to be shown respect. She paused her step a bit and looked towards him.

"Calling you names?" she asked quietly, tracing back on what she'd said, "You mean that I called you Pinkskin? I do not mean any disrespect by doing so, Callahan. It is a a cultural relic of mine, for even as I left Andoria many years ago, I was raised to speak this way. From the beginning, our betitlement of foreign species were a sign of distrust, yet over the centuries, the expression has changed in meaning - now simply being a form of recognition of what species you are. We name Bajorans Ridgenoses and Klingons Ridgeheads, yet not out of belittlement, for if it came to that, we Andorians know that we are quite easy targets to be made fun of with out quite... exotic appearence."

Was that what Skye Carver had been doing back on the Flight Deck? Making fun of her species?

The Pinkskin next to her felt offended, and not just by her denomination, but the way she had treated him. "I apologise if I may have seemed rude, for I was merely trying to be efficient. I can understand how you may feel like you don't belong, given our protocols and regulations. This kind of ship is not cilivian, and we in Starfleet have rules that may be hard to get used to, just like the way we enforce those rules for civilians as well in some regards. I do not dispute your help in the lounge. In fact, you seemed to be doing far better than the last Lounge Proprietor we had. If I didn't think you were being helpful, I would simply have shut you down."

They arrived to the designated VIP Quarters soon enough, and Ida opened the door for him. Inside were luxurious rooms made for diplomats and travelling envoys of all species, on par with that of the Senior Staff and even fitted with some extended comforts that were not necessary for Starfleet Officers.

Ida stepped aside to let Rory Callahan inside.  "Again, pardon if I may have seemed disrespectful, for that was not my intention, Pinkski-. Forgive me," she said and corrected herself by assuming the human expression, "Mister Callahan. It is not an excuse, yet I... have been through a great deal lately."

She may not have thawed or smiled to bridge the anger of the civilian, yet she was trying at least.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #44 –
  Ensign Skye "Kestrel" Carver - Wolf 02

"I'm sure there will be plenty of things to see and do, not just the beach stuff," she tried to reassure him.  "I wouldn't mind a little skinny dipping with you though," she murmured with one of those smiles meant to heat his loins.  I think I'll go rest a little bit ... so I'll have plenty of energy for you," she said.  "Unless you have other ideas," she winked then backed up a step.  "I'll be in my quarters until party time."

Rory Callahan - Civilian Celebrity/Bartender

Rory looked like Ida had smacked him when she started explaining that she hadn't been calling him Pinkskin in a derogatory way, his mouth opening but no sound coming out at first.  When he finally did, it was an uttered, barely audible "... oh ... sorry."  Now he had that uncomfortable look, fidgeting a bit as she apologized and he raised his hands in surrender.  "It's okay an' I'm sorry too.  I'm def'nitely not at m' best ri' now."

He did perk up a bit when she said he had done a better job than the last bartender.  "An' I'll get better too, th' more I learn th' place.  I know I'm no' trained fer anythin' you guys need but I'm glad t' know I'm doin' somethin' constructive an' maybe even helpful t' others.  I figure I'm stressed enough tha' you all must be feelin' completely run over."

Stopping in front of a set of doors, she helped him set his own code and when he stepped inside he actually tripped over his own two feet.  "The hell ...?"  He stood and turned in a tight circle, looking at everything with wide eyes.  He was used to things like this back home but here he'd expected a bare closet with a cot.  "This is bonny fer sure but ... I'm jus' a singer an' a 'tender.  Ye sure ye want me here an'  not somethin' ... less?  Not tha' I'm complainin', jus' a might surprised is all."

She apologized again and stated she'd been through a lot which only made him nod, looking much more sober now.  "I know ... we all have an' it don't always make us look good in th' light.  I'll make sure to keep some Andorian Ale close at hand an' yer welcome to come talk anytime.  I'm not a counselor but I can listen an' maybe at least provide a bit o' comic relief," he said with a kind smile.  "I'd even give ye a hug but I don' wanna get ye dirty."

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #45 –
That the Pinkskin was better than his predecessor in Below Decks said next to nothing, in Ida's opinion, yet she made no further comment since the new one had taken it as a compliment.

At the question Callahan posed to her about the necessity of giving him the quarters she had found for him, ThanIda zh'Wann merely shrugged with one shoulder as she gave the rooms a causal second appraisal - pacing slowly in a circle after she'd passed through the antechamber while she replied.

"It's not like we have many passengers aboard, and how heavy would you think political importance would be on a renegade ship? We are not prone to have visiting envoys or diplomats aboard anytime soon, and the Quartermaster said it's the closest set of rooms we have available near Below Decks. It would be ludicrous to give you something less in my opinion. To save these quarters for a visitor that will never come. Besides, from what I understood from Chief O'Connell, you are a Pinkskin celebrity, aren't you?"

She realised she had used the term again, but she barely managed to clear her throat and mutter an apology before she realised he was reaching out to her and offering her laughs... and a hug. She was so surprised that words failed her. "I..." she shut her lips promptly before she'd say that it was okay, since the blonde Pinkskin might get the wrong idea that she wanted him to hug her. "I am the Deputy and I am used to being dirty."

That hardly came out any better.

"Thank you for your gracious offer, yet I'll pass for the time being." As in... that she wanted a hug later? No! She cleared her throat again and made a final attempt at an answer. "I meant to say thank you, but no thank you, Mister Callahan. Now, do you think you can find your way back to Below Decks from here or do you require me to wait for you so that I can guide you?"

Why would she offer to stay? He could surely ask Thea for directions, couldn't he? Yet it would be dishonourable to take the offer back now that she had made it, so she pointed towards the bedroom and the bathroom respectively. "I believe you can find clean garments in the wardrobes there, and you should be able to find a shower and a bath with running water behind that door."

Wasn't the Pinkskin the one who'd offered comic relief? Ida felt like a jesting fool, weary and not entirely as sharp as he used to be. She refused to acknowledge how warm her neck had become, and how much darker her blue skin ought to be in that area.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #46 –
Rory Callahan

Rory listed to Ida's explanation about the room and found he couldn't really refute anything she said.  "Well, yeah, though don't know how much celebrity I am anymore," he stated with a lopsided grimace.  "I'll not turn it down.  It's much better than th' cot in th' closet I had on th' other ship."

Something about this Deputy was odd, he noted.  He didn't know much about her race but he didn't think they were always standoffish.  It seemed for a moment like she wanted attention and then would cut herself off.  She'd been hurt was his deduction, more than once from the looks of her.

"Not everyone's a hugger so don't ye worry," he replied when she found the words to form a proper apologetic decline of a hug.  Then he watched her as she spoke of the shower and clean garments, even offering to stay and help him find his way back to Below Decks, curiously noting the skin changes.

"If ye have th' time and don't mind, I'd appreciate a guide back.  Shoulda paid more attention but I was bein' an idiot as usual."  That was said with one of his more charming yet self-deprecatory smiles.  "If yer needed elsewhere though I understand an' I'll find m' way back, can always ask for directions."

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #47 –
Well, of course she was needed elsewhere, but she had taken the time to visit the lounge because she had a lot on her mind, and she had the pressing issue of finding a way to handle the situation in the Brig, where she now had two captives who's identities and nature had to be verified. "I came to Below Decks," she said thoughtfully to the Pinkskin, walking over to a sitting area, "so I would be lying if I said I truly needed to be somewhere else. I had things on my mind, and I might just think them through here instead. I'll wait."

On one hand, she had the Intelligence Officer that had disabled a whole fleet in order to lend aid to their cause, which seemed to her more legit than the notion to not distrust the other person. Someone close to her, and who she was sure had died over a month ago. Indeed, she had seen Wenn Cinn get sucked out of that hull breach, and just over an hour ago, he had been standing there in their Flight Hangar.

Her ruminations were disturbed from time to time by the Pinkskin celebrity as he moved about, and her eye was drawn in his direction whenever he happened to open the sliding doors to the bedroom and the bathroom - be it by his intention or not. He served to be a distraction, yet admittedly not an altogether unwelcome one... In fact, he was quite a stunni-

Ida's antennae rose at her thought, and the idea came to her.

It was just a seedling of an idea, yet it made her rise from the armchair she had picked and pace the floor - pressing her fingertips to her lips while her mind worked furiously. Perhaps... Yes, it might work. I need to...

The elation she felt overcame her, and she ended up entering the bathroom - caught up in her trail-of-thought and altogether forgetting about Pinkskin shyness about showing skin. "I am sorry... I have to go, I... I really have to..."

Ida fell silent mid-apology at the sight that met her, that trail-of-thought entirely lost for a moment. She still had to leave, yet she completely forgot herself momentarily.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #48 –
Rory Callahan

Rory took what Ida said at face value and nodded.  "Thankee," he said when she said she would wait and then he stepped into the bedroom where he looked about.  He wasn't thinking about the door opening and closing, was traipsing about trying to figure out where everything was.  He found a new set of clothes and hoped they would fit.  He was on the tall side but knew there were a lot of chaps taller and of course just about all of them were wider given his more lanky stature.

Then he went into the bathroom where he found towels and soap, feeling absolutely thrilled to have a real shower and not that sonic thing.  He knew it cleaned him but there was just something about real soap and water running over his body washing away the dirt and grime, a very physical and visual thing as opposed to the vanishing as if by magic clean.  All the while, he hummed a jaunty tune and once he had everything peeled off his ash-covered clothes and stepped into the shower where he started to sing.

In the merry month of June, From my home I started,
Left the girls of Tuam, Nearly broken hearted,
Saluted me father dear, Kissed me darling mother,
Drank a pint of beer, My grief and tears to smother,
Then off to reap the corn, And leave where I was born,
Cut a stout blackthorn, To banish ghost and goblin,
In a brand new pair of brogues, go rattling o'er the bogs,
Frightening all the dogs, On the rocky road to Dublin.

One, two, three, four, five
Hunt the hare and turn her down the rocky road and all the way to Dublin, whack-fol-la-de-da!

Just as he was finishing the chorus, Ida stepped into the bathroom and startled him out of his song.  "WAAAGH!"  He grasped the lower trinity in both hands though had his back to Ida, giving even more credence to her calling him Pinkskin as from head to toe turned a rather bright shade of pink that spilled over into red.  "Uhhh, sure, no problem.  I'll see m'self back," he said over his shoulder, thinking at least a shower curtain would be better.

Re: PROLOGUE: Supplementary [Below Decks]

Reply #49 –
Realising that she was staring, Ida shook herself from the momentary spell she had fallen under. In fact, the reason she did was the very catalyst for her idea.

"My apologies, I did not mean to startle you," she said, and her eyes fell down to see that Pinkskin had covered himself with his hands. It again reminded her about the fact that the male genetalia of most species besides Andorian were not retractable, and they had to wear their cumbersome organs outside their bodies at all times. It seemed unwieldy to Ida, even though all she could see was his glistening wet posterior. It made her clear her throat in the awkward situation, trying to come up with something to say before she left. Yet her mind unwontedly lingered on the biological phenomenon just like she imagined a Pinkskin would be mesmerised if horses or canines had their reproductive organs unsheathed all the time.

It just seemed so... unmanagable. If not bragful.

"I... I need to go to the Security Office," she said before realising that she did not have to tell him that, "Sorry for leaving you, but it is really important and..."

She really had to go. There was no way she explain or repair the offence of intruding upon Mister Callahan, and she supposed that the damage was already done with how he'd thought she'd been belittling him with name-calling in the corridor. She had no idea why she was lingering, really. The solution that the Pinkskin had helped her find returned to her thoughts, and she finally managed to turn around and set a brisk pace out of the bathroom. "Thank you," she called over her shoulder, "Thank you so much, Mister Callahan. You have saved my day."

Not to mention the entire ship and the whole mission... if she proved correct.
 
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