Star Trek: Theurgy

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #25 – June 14, 2020, 06:28:29 AM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

When Daniel settled on a pair of trunks with an interesting color layout, Derik breathed a sigh of relief. Finally something more appropriate to the setting, at least in the Trill’s opinion. To him, the more that was worn, the less in touch with nature his subject was. It was like wearing an old earth hazmat suit, isolating yourself from your surrounding while simultaneously containing your little world. He supposed in an ironic sense that was exactly what a starship, or frankly a one of the wolves, exactly was.

”Yes. That will work a hell of a lot better, I think. More natural, more in touch with your environment. Are you happy with that one or would you like to look at similar designs and colors first?” A step in the right direction, no matter how small was still a step in the right direction. Maybe this encounter wouldn’t be disappointing like he had been thinking just a few moments ago. Perhaps he was getting through to Havenborn, or maybe the man was just sensing what Derik was looking for. Either way the Trill didn’t care as long as the man remained comfortable with his decisions.  There was still a ways to go if Veradin had any say in the matter.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #26 – July 01, 2020, 12:20:32 PM

[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Deck 08, Holodeck 01 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Argyros

Daniel kind of shrugged it wasn’t like he really liked the swimwear, after all he was going to be posing in it, to him that was kind of pointless.  Swimwear was meant to be used for swimming, if Derik wanted him to pose in something he had literally thousands of different outfits that could be chosen for that; but this was Derik’s hobby and even if Daniel didn’t see the point of it he felt that he should help his friend out.  “Unless you want to change something I’m fine with it.”  Daniel said as he stood back for a moment.  “Computer replicate design D798 and replace my current clothing.”  The computer responded with a chirp and gone was the Aldean garb and in its place was the multifaceted colorful swimming garb.  Daniel felt sort of awkward in it suddenly but as he moved around he slowly was getting used to the feel of the new clothing. 

“Alright, what now?”  He asked wondering what was to come next.  Considering some of the poses he saw he was really wondering what his friend in mind for him to do next, hopefully nothing to uncomfortable. 

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #27 – July 02, 2020, 08:31:49 AM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

From the way Daniel moved in the new swim trunks, Derik could tell that he wasn’t exactly the most comfortable. Was it the lack of clothing? No. Daniel wasn’t someone to mind that. Was it the type of clothing? Probably. It was too casual for the man. Perhaps they had moved too fast, jumped to far ahead which was making the human uncomfortable. Derik pressed his teeth together for a moment while he considered what was to be done next. Before long they were going to run out of options. But how to salvage it? How to get them back on track?

”Well if you’re still good to go, you can try taking a seat on one of the bigger stones. Or you can pick any kind of pose you find comfortable.” The Trill didn’t know how much longer this little adventure between the tow of them was going to continue, so he had to make the most of it. Havenborn was really only half into it, putting forth the effort necessary to please Veradin, but not so much as to find a way to enjoy it himself. This was a tad unfair in his opinion. He wished Daniel would speak up more on what he wanted. ”Of course if there is something you want to do instead we can stop. I can tell you’re just trucking along.”

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #28 – July 02, 2020, 11:36:37 AM

[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Deck 08, Holodeck 01 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Argyros

Daniel made his way over to a large stone and looked at it, he wasn’t really sure how he should go about taking a pose.  He kind of stared at the stone, as if he was waiting for the stone to make the first move as he thought about the images that Derik had shown him earlier.  Hearing the offer from Derik to do something else pushed Daniel to step up onto the stone and he sat down on it.  “No, no, we’re here let’s do this.”  Daniel said, now it was a matter of principle, he would not let his friend think he was a quitter, besides if word of it ever got back to Uriah that Daniel couldn’t sit still and pose he would never hear the end of it.

He tried a few different poses, none of them feeling comfortable to Daniel, finally he settled on a laying down pose with his right hand supporting his head and his left arm resting on his leg.  This position still felt weird but at least he was comfortable, well as comfortable as one could be sitting on a rock.  “Alright, now what do I do?”  He asked, he was completely out of his element right now, he felt weird just sitting and doing nothing.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #29 – July 02, 2020, 07:13:58 PM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

Derik once more hopped up on his rock, crossing his legs underneath him as he got comfortable. What he saw was a somewhat entertaining interaction between Daniel and his chosen rock. They almost “looked” at each other like they were having some sort of intense but private conversation about how Havenborn might find himself upon it. Declaring his intention to see this little journey through, he climbed the stone, shifting through a few different posses, none of which seemed to be working.

Finally the pilot chose a pose Derik never would guessed. Classical, yet in some way provocative. It had been the butt end of many jokes over time as well, especially in human culture. Derik didn’t complain though, merely laughing softly to himself. ”And on today’s agenda…paint me like one of your French girls.” He laughed again, finding the whole situation more and more amusing. ”Now we can talk or you can take a short nap. Hell you’re welcome to make love to an orion slave girl. I don’t judge. Hardest part was just getting you into the right kind of attire.” As he spoke he made sure to smile so Daniel wouldn’t think he was being mocked. Not that such a sight wouldn’t be entertaining or anything.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #30 – July 04, 2020, 06:25:04 AM

[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Deck 08, Holodeck 01 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Argyros

Daniel looked at Derik with a raised eyebrow.  “French girls?  What do you mean?”  He asked, he knew that France was an country on Earth but he wasn’t sure how it pertained to the situation at hand.  Hearing the options for what to do next he shrugged his shoulders, as best he could in the situation.  The last option in particular sounded like he meant it sarcastically, Daniel liked to keep his romantic and sexual interludes behind closed doors without an audience.  “Talking sounds like the best option.”  Daniel said.  He ignored the bit about getting him into the right attire, this wasn’t the sort of thing he liked to wear to begin with but it was what his friend said fit the scene better than what he had originally chosen.

“Is there much demand for this kind of art within the Federation?”  He asked; this kind of artistic culture wasn’t something that Daniel was all that interested in.  Daniel liked holographics arts; holo-novels, holo-scenarios, holo-design.  Those were the kind of artistic works that he enjoyed, working on a holo-novel always reminded him of the creative writing course he had taken at the Academy, it gave him a chance to express himself and then allow another person, or multiple people, to explore that world with him.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #31 – July 07, 2020, 07:09:30 AM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

Veradin pondered the question as it came forward, unsure of how to answer at first. He worked while he thought, getting the outlines down incase Daniel needed to move at some point to get comfortable again. Depending on how nice the rock felt under the human, it could have been mere moments. He did not however devote too much time to thinking. He didn’t want to seem as if he was trying to come up with some perfect answer. Better to be honest and open about it.

”Yes and no.” He finally responded. ”As there are still some cultural taboos about being naked in any sort of public setting, much of the demand comes from behind closed doors. Despite the number of species that are apart of the Federation, it’s still hard to find volunteers. Most are either one-timers or once in a very blue moon. Rarely do we, meaning other artists like myself, get the opportunity for repeat business.” Derik adjusted the color of the horizon behind Daniel on his PADD. ”That being said, it’s even rarer to find those willing to allow distribution of their images. I can’t even begin to tell you the number of images I have saved that will never see the light of day.” It was a true statement if a bit sad. The Trill did have a serious number of images he wished he could show others. "Have I done much distribution? No. Practically none. Most of the time people will volunteer just so they can get a copy of the finished product. Never much found a point in trying to sell the work. Art deserved to be enjoyed by all."

”That’s why opportunities like this are important to me. It takes a brave soul to put themselves on display. Especially if it’s more than once.” He added shading to the rocks to give the illusion of shadows being cast. ”There are a few crewmembers on board that I have worked with at one point or another. I however can only count the number that have done so more than once on one hand. A pity.”

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #32 – July 14, 2020, 07:07:11 AM

[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Deck 08, Holodeck 01 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Argyros

Daniel listened to Derik give his explanation, he didn’t really understand why beings in the Federation would be against openly posing either nude or not for art, he had been under the impression that the Federation was more open in that regard, much like his own people.  While there wasn’t much of a demand for artistic nudity, they did have pornography, of which there was a high demand of for some reason, Daniel had never really considered why that was.  He took note of the adjustment to the color of the horizon as Derik continued.  Daniel decided that once Derik had finished he’d inform him that he had no problem if he wanted to distribute the artwork that he posed for.

“I agree, art deserves to be enjoyed by all, in fact if you want to distribute any artwork you have of me I give you consent to do so.”  He said hoping that would help his friend get more people to want to pose for him.  Maybe he could con Uriah into posing as well, his friend was quite the extrovert and Daniel knew that Uriah enjoyed helping others and socializing with as many people as he could.  “You should speak to Uriah as well, I’m sure that he’d be willing to pose for you.”  Daniel said.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #33 – July 20, 2020, 06:55:12 AM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

Derik’s pen slipped, causing a huge line of shading subroutines to cross the entire picture. It was as if someone had dragged a black highlighter across the middle of the image. The Trill was…. stunned. Was his mind playing tricks on him or did Daniel just offer him freedom of distribution? If it was, it was a very cruel trick. If it wasn’t though…It would mean starting a folder to actually show off when he needed to, Hell it could help with obtaining future models if they wanted to see examples of his work. The possibilities began popping up in his head one after another until they were almost a constant stream. Yet despite the way it made his heart race at the opportunity, he needed check.

”Y...You sure? It’s a big honor being trusted with the freedom of distribution.” The Trill hoped his ears hadn’t deceived him, that Daniel had not misspoken or something. He had to be sure. In order to keep his hands from fidgeting, he made sure to correct the error his fingers had just caused. ”I mean I’m not complaining! I just want to be sure I heard you right. A few previous models have given me permission to show off some of their pictures, but usually those do not include their faces.”

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #34 – July 30, 2020, 07:37:28 AM

[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Deck 08, Holodeck 01 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Argyros

Daniel immediately noticed the change in demeanor from his friend when he had offered the freedom of distribution.  For Daniel it didn’t really matter if his image was out there, he had no family ties to connect back to, no one to embarrass except himself and when it came to his body that was the last thing he could ever be embarrassed by.  “I’m sure, it’s no problem for me.”  Daniel replied.  He may not understand why there was a demand for this kind of work but he wanted his friend to succeed, he liked seeing Derik succeed whether it was in his personal life or career.

Hearing that other models have allowed him to show off their bodies but not their faces was just absurdity to him.  Why would you want only your body to be shown?  Daniel knew that he was superior to most of Humanity, there were some exceptions of course as was common with most species.  “You have my absolute consent to use my body and my face in your artwork.”  Daniel stated again.  “I don’t see what the big issue is really, it seems kind of pointless to do this kind of modelling and not want your face or your name attached to it.”  Daniel said.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #35 – August 06, 2020, 07:42:01 AM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

The Trill’s work slowed as he took more time to complete each phase. Perhaps it was the newfound freedom on these latest pieces of art. Maybe it was being given it by a friend and not a stranger or one timer. Whatever the reason, Derik found this latest image suddenly more enjoyable.

”I’m no Councilor, but I’m sure it boils down to a few different reasons. Could be an embarrassment with one’s body. I’ve seen a few who were willing to sit but had concerns about how they looked. Maybe even some feeling of inadequacy. Not that you have to worry about such things, I think. Some it’s a desire to get out of their typical shells but not embarrass their families or such. Maybe they do it on a whim. Maybe it’s just a first toe dip into something they’ve thought about for some time. Others do it on a dare. Perhaps they think of it as a little black secret, only told to a few people. Our culture may be more understanding compared to a couple hundred years ago, but that doesn’t mean that people still don’t concern themselves with silly concepts.”

Veradin made a few adjustments as he finished up the image. ”Ultimately the reason doesn’t really matter. Some people feel free like yourself, most don’t. When you think of Betazoids, you know their culture doesn’t see nudity as a taboo. But how many of them do you actually see naked? It’s an interesting dynamic.”

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #36 – August 26, 2020, 11:45:40 AM

[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Deck 08, Holodeck 01 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Argyros

Daniel nodded as he listened to Derik explain reason that one might not want to give permission to distribute their image.  He had struggled with that within his holography, there were times that he wanted to use his friends as characters but he was never sure how to broach that particular subject with them, he did have portraits of them; some were posed, others weren’t, some had him in them and some didn’t.  He still had a few of Krissy that she let him take of her that he hadn’t gotten to deleting, he wasn’t sure he would anymore now that she was gone.  He’d likely just store the images somewhere on his isolinear chip, bury them with the other portraits of friends that are no longer around.

Daniel smirked for a moment.  “There is also the fact that regulations state that clothing is mandatory.  I’m sure that some Betazoids might strip down in their quarters when they are off duty.  I’ve been known to do that myself on occasion.”  He said, he understood what his friend was saying however.  “That does make sense, however I still find it odd.”  Daniel added.  “So how is the image coming along?”  Daniel asked, curious to know how the progress was. 

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #37 – August 28, 2020, 02:13:35 AM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

With a few taps of the controls, his PADD projected a copy of the finished product above his head. The image was blown up by around 5 times so that Daniel wouldn’t have to struggle to see the details. Despite the little hiccup he was happy with how it turned out. Maybe they were meeting the end of their session, maybe not. Derik was rather unsure as he waited for Daniel to speak. Either way he was happy. He still had that adrenaline high from a few moments ago and he didn’t want it to stop. It was a big step for him forward.

”I think it came out pretty well. What about you? Critiques by the model are always welcome.” A small part of him wondered if he should push for more or not. Like a drug addict he couldn’t get enough. That said, they’d been at it for a bit now. Did Daniel need a break? Was there more that he could draw upon? Perhaps a new conversation to be had? So many questions, so much worry about Havenborn’s next words. It would be one of those “make or break” moments. Nervousness tempered highs  but Derik kept his face as even as possible.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #38 – September 15, 2020, 08:36:36 AM

[ LT Daniel Havenborn | Deck 08, Holodeck 01 | USS Theurgy, Vector 2 ] Attn: @Argyros

As Derik projected the image above him and increased the resolution size Daniel took a moment to study it, it was interesting albeit a little weird for Daniel to see an imaged version of himself.  He found that to be a little creepy but overall the image was fine.  Daniel nodded as Derik commented on his work.  He studied it a bit more, looking at the careful strokes and the attention to detail, but if he was honest he couldn’t really tell if it was good or not.  He was by no means uncultured, he just didn’t find non-holographic art to be all that interesting.

“It looks okay I suppose, I don’t really have a good eye for this kind of artwork.”  Daniel stated.  “So what do we do now that you’re finished?”  He asked, he wasn’t sure if there was something more than needed to be done or if they were free to do other things.  He was hoping that maybe Derik would like to go to the Wardroom for a meal and maybe some reminiscing about their service on the Resolve.  “If you’ve got nothing else planned, maybe we could get a meal in the Wardroom?”  He asked his friend.

Re: Day 08 [1600 hrs.] Quid Pro Quo between Pilots

Reply #39 – January 19, 2021, 10:34:48 AM

[ LT JG Derik Veradin | Holodeck 01 | Deck 08 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy ] Attn: @Havenborn
[Show/Hide]

With the few words left in feedback to the artwork, Derik chuckled a little and shook his head. Of course the fighter pilot confessed to not having an eye for artwork, and Derik decided to not take the underwhelming 'okay' as critique of his skills. To his own eye, the rendering of Havenborn had turned out more than 'okay', and he had enough confidence in his craft to know he wasn't misrepresentig the old Grey Wolf from the Resolve.

"Oh, Daniel," he said, still amused as he discontinued the program and powered down the holodeck. "Yeah, sure. I'd love to reminisce about the years before Starbase 84."

The both of them had served under Captain Kendrick, and a lot had happened since then. Nonetheless, the voyage of the Resolve had shaped them both, and perhaps it had also prepared them for the dire straits of the Theurgy. They had lost many of their old crew, but before then Captain Ives had saved most of them out of the burning wreckage of their old ship. The losses at the hands of the Savi, the Klingons and the Borg had taken their toll, but they could still see familiar faces in Thea's corridors. It had come to be a new home, and as challenging as their mission was, the challenge was really just a continuation of the Resolve's struggles to return to Federation space.

Together, the two left the holodeck and headed for the Wardroom.

- FIN