Star Trek: Theurgy

Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

June 12, 2022, 04:35:07 PM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual @Nesota Kynnovan

In the bowels of this ancient Klingon shrine that resembled, in many ways, the archaic Earth catacombs, it was almost easy to forget where they were: Qo’Nos. Humid air billowed in the torchlight as they sliced through it on yet another narrow pathway, the band of tourists sticking close to the guide like baby ducklings for fear of taking a wrong turn in this labyrinth of sculpted tunnels. Without a guide or a proper map, one could likely get lost for days down here, especially since materials in the volcanic rock made it difficult to get a firm transporter lock and mucked about with tricorder readings.

Responding to an itch, Enyd wiped a hand over her neck. She mostly succeeded in pushing the layer of Qo’Nos dirt around in the sheen of sweat covering every inch of her body. Despite the stickiness, Enyd was thankful for her high-waisted canvas green safari trousers. The wind outside the shrine had been brutal, with red scratches already forming on her arms from the pebbles and foliage debris that had lashed across her bare skin—compliments of her short-sleeved cream-colored safari shirt. Her face and neck hadn’t been sandpapered into a pulp because of the beige pith hat she wore that featured a red scarf that draped down to her shoulders.

They’d been following the guide for nearly ten minutes now, his explanations in broken Federation Standard, and still, they hadn’t reached the actual well featured in the tour brochure. Enyd and a few of her crewmates had joined the official tour of the Well of Molor, the historic shrine to the hated tyrant whose downfall helped establish modern Klingon civilization. She’d been a bit hesitant to join the tour at first, and not just because it was yet another historical site with ties to Kahless the Unforgettable—and it was no wonder he was unforgettable; they had so many landmarks and artifacts from the man that it was unlikely he’d be forgotten for many centuries yet. No, her hesitation had been due to the outpost above their heads.

Featuring an organized black market that was officially condemned but unofficially appreciated by all, the Orion outpost was about as seedy a place as one could go on Qo’Nos. Prostitution and gambling didn’t concern Enyd as much as the arms dealing. Depending on the context, prostitutes could be some of the freest individuals, and gambling was also contextually based on whether it was nefarious or just in good fun. Since it involved Orions, however, it was likely that the meter leaned more toward nefarious than good, clean fun.

This tour was not the type to avoid the outpost either. No, in typical Klingon fashion, it barged through the outpost to make for the entrance to the network of tunnels that eventually led to the shrine. It was able to get away with the tour (mostly) without hassle as at the end of the tour, refreshments were offered (required) in the Orion-run cabaret, and all patrons of the tour were invited (expected) to partake of food and local entertainment before leaving the outpost. THAT was the part Enyd felt a tingling of nervousness itching at the back of her neck over. With her penchant for attracting chaos, she had no doubt that something potentially terrible was likely to happen if she stayed longer than was absolutely necessary.

Glancing at her fellow crewmates, Enyd forced a smile, “I hope you brought bread crumbs because I don’t know if we’ll be able to find our way out of here if we get separated.”

She realized that they may not be as familiar with the ancient Earth folk tales but, desperate for a bit of fun in the face of potential danger, Enyd couldn’t help the comment, and willfully chose to ignore the reality behind her statement.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #1 – June 23, 2022, 12:12:21 AM

[Ens. Mia Dunne | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos] ATTN: @Ellen Fitz @Nesota Kynnovan

Mia didn’t usually go in for the tourist things most of the time. As a scientist she felt they were usually a waste of time and she rarely got to see anything that really interested her, or if she did, she had no time to investigate it further as the tour guides always wanted to hurry people along. However, she’d been interested in exploring this Shrine to Molor and the tour was the only option. Plus, there were a few other crew members going. This might be a good time to get to know people outside of her department. The woman in front of her was making a joke about bringing breadcrumbs along, Mia chuckled a little as she pushed the hair that had escaped the ponytail away from her face. She'd dressed in her usual expedition type gear, Hiking boots, khaki cargo pants, a lightweight long sleeve shit, and a khaki pocket vest, and a matching soft hiking hat. She carried the minimal gear with her in a canvas bag slung over her chest. “Well, if I see a gingerbread house I am definitely turning around,” she quipped in reply, “I don’t fancy being fattened up for a fancy dinner.” She smiled at the other woman, who was covered in a layer of grime, for that matter the entire group was.

Mia stopped moving for a moment to inspect a crystalline structure embedded in the wall, “Oh look at this! I don’t recognize this crystal.”  She reached into her bag and pulled out a small jar and a tiny hammer, then carefully broke off a small piece of the crystal and put it into the specimen jar and secured it. Then she but both back into her bag and hurried to keep up with the group. Catching up to the other two crewmates she smiled slightly,  “You’re from Thuergy, Right?  I’m Mia, Ensign Mia Dunne. I’m in the science department.”

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #2 – June 23, 2022, 04:53:10 PM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

It actually hadn’t been Amanda’s intention to join the official tour of the Well of Molor, especially not after what happened the last time she thought it would be a nice idea to go out on a trip with Commander Stark and Ensign Pierce. However, when the Chief Counselor made such a reservation on your behalf and stated that “it was illogical to be scared of the unknown based on one terrible experience” amongst many other things that could be considered encouraging and soothing in the Vulcan culture, one simply couldn’t deny the offer. Lieutenant Commander Hathev actually put in quite some effort as well by ensuring that the Assistant Chief Diplomatic Officer, Lieutenant Enyd Isolde Madsen, happened to be a part of the tour as well. While Lieutenant Junior Grade Amanda Ashby hadn’t met the other woman before, she had in on good authority that the petite brunette was one of the best Diplomats aboard the USS Theurgy; otherwise the Chief Counselor would never have insisted that she’d go on this particular tour.

As she listened to the quips between Lieutenant Madsen and another woman, a rather busty blonde with a canvas bag slung over her chest, Amanda couldn’t help but grin. That comment about the gingerbread house reminded her of something she’d heard at Starfleet Medical Academy a couple of years earlier; “A gingerbread man sits inside a gingerbread house. Is the house made of flesh, or is he made of house? He screams, for he does not know.”. Back then it had genuinely made her wonder if some people only chose the Counseling field because they were behavioural experts themselves, and for a moment she was grateful that both women were walking behind her so they couldn’t see her stupid grin.

”I don’t know, I wouldn’t mind a fancy dinner.” As she spoke, Amanda pushed her green safari hat onto the back of her head and turned around before further accentuating the playful tone of her Martian-accented voice with a friendly smile. It was only at that moment, when the other blonde spoke up about a crystal, that Amanda noticed that the woman wasn’t walking beside Lieutenant Madsen anymore but instead lagged behind just a little bit to look at a crystal more closely; leaving little doubt in Amanda’s mind that the well-endowed woman was either part of the Science Department or just a very fanatical geology enthusiast. When the woman caught up with them again and introduced herself, Amanda couldn’t help but chuckle as her suspicion was proven correct. ”Your interest in that crystal more or less gave that away.” She held out her hand to shake Mia’s. ”I’m Doctor Amanda Ashby, Theurgy’s Resident Psychiatrist.”

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #3 – July 01, 2022, 02:42:36 PM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual  @Nesota Kynnovan

At the sound of the woman’s voice trailing off as if she were slowing down, Enyd looked over her shoulder just in time to watch the scientist chip off a small chuck of crystal. Stopping in her tracks, Enyd braced as if the whole cavern would collapse around their shoulders for this small offense. But, when nothing happened except the increasing distance between their location and the tour guide’s, Enyd sighed. Perhaps it was as innocent an action as it was intended to be. Perhaps nothing at all unsavory would happen to them this time and everything would be perfectly marvelous.

“Enyd, Lieutenant Enyd Isolde Madsen. Diplomatic corps.” She replied to Mia’s introduction, her eyes half on Mia’s face and half on the bag that now held the ill-gotten crystal that Enyd had a sneaking suspicion would somehow be a part of their doom. If they were to have any doom that is.

After Amanda’s introduction, Enyd smirked, “I feel like we are at the introduction to a punchline. There once was a diplomat, a psychiatrist, and a scientist on tour on Qo’Nos…” Clicking her tongue against her teeth at the potential for humor, Enyd gestured for the women to follow, “We should probably keep up with the tour. This place is only really kept ‘safe’ for tourists along the official route to the shrine. But it is a beastly labyrinth of tunnels, sinkholes, sunken lakes, and rivers. Without a guide, we’d just as likely end up some cavern creature’s dinner than have one.”

Enyd moved under the archway she saw the tour pass through and, looking both left and right, caught sight of what looked to be the back of one of the tall Klingon tourists at the end of a long corridor on the left that slanted ever-so-slightly downward. Smiling back at the women, Enyd nodded. “Found them. Come on!”

[Not so far away, hidden, in the labyrinth of tunnels]

“You think Lhung is going to be impressed with our haul?”

Pausing in his pilfering, Yurdz looked up from the corpse of his latest victim to stare at his taller but dumber brother, Grorgei. They’d been at this all morning with quite a stash to show for it and with more idiots wandering into their clutches every hour. They didn’t even have to attack the official tour the Klingons took the tourists on. They just lingered in the dark, moving through the various corridors and turnarounds the tourists ended up in whenever they got separated from the tour.

“Nothing impresses Lhung except himself.” Fishing around in the old Klingon man’s pockets, Yurdz stood up again, grasping the money purse he’d known would be there. “What did you find on the broad?”

Grorgei lifted an ornamental dagger along with a bejeweled flask. “I’m sure these are worth something.” He kicked at the woman’s body with an amused snort. “She smelled like a fucking targ.”

Yurdz tipped his head to the side, eyes meeting his brother’s. They shared a smile. It sounded as if more idiots were about to fall into their grasp.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #4 – July 06, 2022, 02:06:23 PM

[Ens. Mia Dunne | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ]
ATTN: @Ellen Fitz  @Nesota Kynnovan

Mia looked a little embarrassed as she shook the Doctor’s hand. “Sometimes I tend to forget myself. And it’s been a long time since I’ve had a chance to get out and about.” She sighed inwardly as she thought, ‘Yeah, six months in stasis will definitely keep anyone from getting out and about.” “Yes, my area of expertise, well one of them at least,  is xeno-archeology. I guess it is a little obvious.” She shrugged slightly and turned to the other Starfleet officer who had come back to join them.
She smiled at the diplomatic officer. And chuckled at them remark about the beginning of a joke. “It does rather sound that way doesn’t it, we might have to come up with a good ending for it.”

Enyd’s suggestion they catch up to the others was well received. She hadn’t meant to stay so long in one place and the tour had moved through to another area, just out of sight past a junction. She nodded to her companions as she spoke and a humorous smile danced on her lips, “A wise idea since we forgot the breadcrumbs.” She followed Enyd and shifted her bag a little so she could protect her sample until she had time to examine it in the lab. She continued to look around the caverns for more interesting samples that she might secure.  With her focus only marginally on where she was going, she stepped through the arch and turned to follow Enyd.  Something on the ground in a small crevice caught her attention. It looked like someone had dropped something metallic. She leaned down slightly as she neared it to see a sort of handle that looked like it was well used. “That’s odd,” She said as she stooped to get a closer look, “Looks like someone lost something. I wonder if it was one of the others in the group." She tilted her head as if trying to decide if it was wise to pull the item from its resting place. It did not appear that it had been there long. There did not seem to be any of the slightly brown discoloring she would associate with long term exposure.

Mia pulled the handle gently and was surprised when she held a deadly looking dagger in her hand, “Oh dear, I’m glad I found this. I would hate to think of a child finding something like that.” She stood again as she pulled her bag open and pulled out a cloth to wrap the blade in. “I’ll just hold onto this until we catch up and I’ll give it to the guide.” She looked up to see Enyd and Amanda were almost around a small bend in the tunnel.  She chuckled as she realized she'd been talking to herself and she moved to catch up with her companions.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #5 – July 25, 2022, 01:19:18 AM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

While the earlier gingerbread comment had left her somewhat confused, Amanda finally connected the dots when she heard the blonde-haired Scientist mention breadcrumbs. The two women were talking about Earth folklore; the story about the three red-hooded children who walked through a forest to visit their grandmother and her pet wolf, only to be distracted by a trail of breadcrumbs which lead them to a tall gingerbread tower which housed a sleeping princess called Goldilocks and her endlessly long hair.

Those Earthlings remained odd people.

The mentioning of cavern creatures pulled Amanda out of her thoughts, and she slightly raised an eyebrow in reply. ”From what I’ve seen of Klingon culture, I really doubt that there’s any wildlife in these caverns. They were either hunted to extinction or died out naturally a long time ago.” As she spoke however, in doing so almost perfectly mimicking Lieutenant Commander Hathev (or any generic Vulcan for that matter), Amanda nevertheless picked up the pace to catch up to Lieutenant Madsen. The woman had already walked under an archway and the last thing the blonde-haired Martian wanted was to get lost in these caverns just because their chatter had made them lose the official tour group; knowing the Klingons they wouldn’t only not send a search party, but they were like to charge them extra for ‘the extreme survival experience’ if they managed to either make it out of the caverns or stumble onto the next tour group by sheer luck. Not one to point out the negatives however, Amanda simply spoke up with ”Nevertheless, there’s no need to put that theory to the test!” while she scurried after the brunette Diplomat.

As she walked under the archway and heard Enyd mention that she’d found the rear of their tour group, Amanda quickly peered down the long corridor on the left and also spotted the back of one of the tall Klingon tourists. Breathing a soft sigh of relief, the blonde-haired Martian turned around to Mia (who was falling behind once more and was clearly only now moving to catch up with them), and presented the other blonde with her friendly signature smile. ”Come on Mia, there are no breadcrumbs here to lead us to a gingerbread tower!” Oblivious to how utterly she was butchering Earth fairytales, Amanda’s smile only grew bigger at what she considered to be a funny joke, and with that she turned around once more to look at the back of the tall Klingon tourist. ”Let’s go.”

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #6 – August 05, 2022, 04:45:58 AM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual @Nesota Kynnovan

Enyd smirked at Amanda’s comment about endemic life. She didn’t comment on how even if the chance was slim, they were likely to meet the wildlife as long as she was involved. The Martian made further references to fairy tales, albeit a little oddly, as encouragement for Mia to rejoin them and Enyd chuckled. Now she wanted gingerbread and tea, neither of which she was likely to find in a palatable form within these caverns.

“Perhaps there will be a café of sorts at the end of the tour where we can find the Klingon equivalent to a gingerbread tower for us to enjoy." She winked at Amanda and tossed Mia a smile as she continued to lead the way down the tunnel towards where she’d last seen the tour.

Only it was the tour she’d seen, though Enyd was not to know that just yet; such mayhem is typically revealed at the last second and past the point of no return. No, it had been the pivoting back of a burly, young Nausicaan that had caught Enyd’s eye and now, unbeknownst to her, she was leading the three of them directly into a trap.

~~

It was another day of eating and pooping and eating and pooping for the ‘I’ghew. None of the females were interested in doing anything else, so for the time being, life for the dog-sized earth-chewing beetle-esque creature was reduced to meandering through the tunnels of this cavern, scooping up dirt and sifting through it for food. Occasionally the sounds of ‘er could be heard within the tunnel's walls. And without fanfare or clicks of aggression, the ‘I’ghew would turn and dig a new tunnel in pursuit. These stinging worm-like creatures liked to crawl out of sight but rarely escaped the jowls of the ‘I’ghew. In truth, the ‘I’ghew was content with anything juicy, wiggling, and small enough to fit in its massive claws, but the ‘er was it's favorite.

The ‘I’ghew cared nothing for the bipedal giants that occasioned through his pantry. His armored back was thick enough to protect him from the casual attack, and his girth made it difficult for anyone to tip him over to get at his less-armored belly. Presently this particular ‘I’ghew was chewing a perpendicular tunnel, set to burst into the Klingon-carved one within moments, perhaps somewhere between the Nausicaan brutes and the trio of adventurers. But it was difficult to tell as ‘er rarely fled the ‘I’ghew in a straight line, causing the ‘I’ghew to create weaving tunnels just large enough for a small Klingon to crawl through.

~~

Grinning over at Yurdz, Grorgei held up his hand and counted down from three. Then, with menacing growls, they leapt from the shadowed dark and held up their blasters, barrels pointed at the trio of women. It took only milliseconds for them to process that these were off-worlders but they moved forward with their plan, not being particularly interested in inter-galactic politics.

“Only death meets those who are lost in the dark here.” Yurdz had been practicing a series of catchphrases, using a different one with every set of victims. Most of them were shit. But Grorgei had to admit this one was fairly decent.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #7 – August 09, 2022, 03:42:29 PM

[Ens. Mia Dunne |Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ]
ATTN: @Nesota Kynnovan @Ellen Fitz

Mia chuckled at the gingerbread tower comment that Enyd had made. “A gingerbread cookie would suffice for me, a whole tower might me a bit much,” She quipped in reply as she lowered the dagger into her bag. She smiled at Amanda’s back. The woman had obviously mixed up some of the fairytales in an amusing manner. Mia heard a voice that was definitely not Klingon and glanced up to see a blaster pointed at her and her hand gripped the dagger tighter in response. She was shocked to find it was held, not by a Klingon, but that the aggressor was a Nausicaan. 

She stared at the ‘creature’ holding the gun as her brain registered several things at once. Three aggressors were facing them, a pair of Klingon boots belonging to someone laying on the ground who must have been their last victim, and a slight crumbling sound from somewhere above them.  Her shock at the sight was quickly followed by anger at the thought that she would die somewhere in the caves on what was supposed to be a pleasant and relaxing outing after her reanimation a few days back.

Mia took a step backwards in response to the threat in front of them. To say she was pissed that this way her fate was an understatement and she just yelled at the men holding guns in her face, “Oh Hell no! I did not just get defrosted to have you shitheads pull this.“ She waved her arms up in anger, “Damn it to hell and back! How dare you! Hiding out in caves and pouncing on unsuspecting tourists. Don’t you have anything more worthwhile to do, like, maybe go find a real battle to die in? Damn cowards!!”

Mia’s anger at the threat was a surprise even to her, and she had no idea that she still held the sharp blade tight in her hand.  She started quickly pacing back and forth in the small confines of the cave, making it hard for the Nausicaan to keep her in his sights. “Why, Just why did I think this was a good idea?” She said as she turned once more to her companions, “This was supposed to be a relaxing tour, I really hope this isn’t the Klingon idea of fun,” She grumbled.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #8 – September 02, 2022, 07:22:15 PM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

Before her time aboard the USS Theurgy she quite possibly might have been frightened by the entire situation and, in all honesty, for the briefest of moments it actually did startle her to find herself at blaster point. Having suffered through the traumatic experiences of both her transfer to the USS Theurgy aboard the IKS Kajunpak’t and then the horrors of the Klingon boarding action aboard Vector 01, all within the course of two weeks, had definitely steeled (or perhaps even blunted) Amanda’s nerves though; enough to make her burst out laughing at the burly Nausicaan.

In Amanda’s defense, the catchphrase was cheesy enough to make it obvious that both Nausicaans were actors; no doubt hired to make something as relatively dull as a cavern expedition a little more thrilling for a Klingon audience. To give the two actors credit where it was due, the rather dark surroundings within the cavern made their blasters look real enough and the prop on the cavern floor, which was clearly supposed to represent their previous victim, also looked convincing enough in the darkness. Plus, to further add to the blonde-haired Martian’s amusement, the two actors really managed to convince Mia Dunne that they were legit and she was now angrily waving her arms in such a way that she might’ve prepared to fly off to safety.

Still laughing, Amanda slightly raised her hands in an attempt to apologize to the two actors. It might have been more convincing if it hadn’t been for the tears that began to roll down her cheeks, but as she laughed Amanda began to realize just how much she’d needed this after all the pent-up emotions of the two weeks. ”I am so, so sorry for laughing.” For a brief moment she turned her blue-eyed attention towards Mia. ”Really Mia, you almost had a heart attack right there.” As Amanda turned her attention back to the two Nausicaans, she cracked up once more. ”Oh… oh you really startled us. My colleague just lost five years of her life. Thank you so much, I definitely needed this laugh. I’ll tell your tour manager that you guys were absolutely amazing, thank you.”

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #9 – September 04, 2022, 07:06:24 AM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual  @Nesota Kynnovan

This was not the response they’d been expecting. Klingons were always quick to fight, Orions as well, but they had only limited experience with humans, and there had never been a trend among them to lead to a “norm.” And this set of responses further proved the diversity among humans as, for the first time in their career as corridor hustlers, both Yurdz and Grorgei were struck mute as they took in the quick succession of emotional changes within their so-called victims.

One light-haired female took to pacing, manically growling out complaints that made no sense to them. The other light-haired female first took to laughing and then somehow managed to confuse Yurdz and Grorgei further by apologizing to them as if they were…actors? Desperate that at least one of this trio recognized their real danger, if only to assuage their wounded pride, both Nausicaans looked to the dark-haired female, the first to find them and the last to respond. Yurdz made his finger movements obvious, turning the dial a notch further, letting them know that if he shot them it would mightily hurt. That is if they bothered to take them seriously.

“Mia,” Enyd kept her eyes on the pair of Nausicaans, though her peripherals caught sight of the very dead Klingon couple that found these two ruffians sometime before them. “Amanda,” a strange, subtle grinding continued to sound in the dark corridor, almost as a type of white noise. “I don’t think this is an act.”

Grorgei smiled, “How astute of you.” He repositioned his blaster, aiming for Enyd’s heart. “Now, do we get the goods before or after we shoot you?”

Enyd was spared explaining how terrible a negotiator this Nausicaan was when the grinding stopped, switching out for a cracking. Dust and rock debris showered down on their would-be attackers for a few seconds before the faint cracking turned into an explosion. With no further warning, the ceiling above Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum crumbled, and a giant creature dropped on top of them. Enyd dropped to a crouch, arms splayed wide in an effort to pull the other ladies back with her. The creature seemed to be just as disgruntled with the abrupt fall as the Nausicaans were to have it crash atop them, with the corridor echoing with creature squeals and Nausicaan curses.

“Let’s get out of here!” Enyd tugged at Mia, then Amanda, as she pivoted on her heel and began a frantic dart back in the direction they’d wandered.

Behind her, Enyd heard the continued struggle between the creature and Nausicaans, as well as the high-pitched whine of blaster fire, but she didn’t stop. Aside from looking back to ensure that both Mia and Amanda were scrambling through the murky shadows with her, Enyd kept forward momentum. That is until she slammed into something large and fleshy, bouncing off the momentary warmth to fall on her rear. Shaking her head, Enyd blinked the “thing” into focus. It was a giant Orion man, clothed only in a loincloth and leather wrist guards, already looking grumpy.

“We were on the shrine tour,” Enyd rapidly began, tracking as the Orion’s gaze moved past their group and on down the corridor where the faint outline of the Nausicaans could be seen still wrestling with whatever sort of creature that had been, “and we got lost. We-“

The Orion spoke a few guttural words over his shoulder, and to Enyd’s surprise, much smaller, lither Orion men moved past them all, possibly to interrupt the fight. Situation seemingly taken care of, the Orion giant offered Enyd a beefy hand up, his smile creepily friendly. “Let me help you find your way.”

For as polite as he sounded, the words carried more threat than promise to Enyd’s gut instincts. Considering their situation, however, she didn’t see any other way of getting out of this mess without a momentary alliance with this giant. Enyd accepted the hand—that would have snatched her regardless—and let him hoist her back to her feet. He kept his hand firmly on hers before turning and gesturing for Mia and Amanda to follow. And now that both ladies had Orion escorts lurking behind them as well, it seemed unlikely that either of them would protest too much.

“Where are we going?” Enyd forced herself to fall into step alongside the Orion, fighting against her desire to tug and pull at his grip.

The Orion’s lips pulled back into another creepy smile, “The lounge. Whenever we find lost souls in our outpost, we like to take them to our lounge. Help them recover from their ordeals.”

Enyd wanted to cry “bull” at his words, but tightly clamped her mouth shut. Looking over her shoulder, she gave both Mia and Amanda what she hoped was a rallying look. Whatever this lounge was, and whatever sort of recovery they were expected to go through, they were more likely to survive if they did it together.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #10 – September 12, 2022, 04:43:59 AM

[Ens. Mia Dunne | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ]
ATTN: @Ellen Fitz  @Nesota Kynnovan


Mia paused in her pacing to look at Amanda, who was now laughing more than Mia thought was possible. She shook her head, not happy with the current state of affairs. While Mia may have thought they were ‘actors’ as well, she was not happy with this little plot device to make the tour more exciting for visitors. She shook her head and was about to continue with her rant when her other companion’s voice hit her as sounding more stressed.  Mia turned in time to see a small cloud of dust fall from the ceiling of the tunnel before a rather large creature dropped right down on the heads of the two ‘actors’.

Enyd’s reaction almost knocked Mia off her feet as the Diplomat pushed them back from whatever the creature was. Although Mia would have loved to get a better look and had actually stopped for a moment to stare at the beast, but the size of the thing was enough to encourage her to follow Enyd’s lead. Mia turned and quickly followed after Enyd, "Yes, that might be a good idea!"

No sooner did they escape one problem when Enyd apparently ran headlong into another one, a scantily clad but well-muscled Orion. Mia stopped in her tracks. In her experience, dealing with Orions never resulted in favorable outcomes. When the lead Orion all but pulled Enyd up from the floor and sent more of his minions around to escort the rest of the entourage, Mia made the mistake of trying to head in a different direction. However, her path was blocked by her so-called rescuer, and she was forced to follow. “I would really rather finish the tour to the shrine. If it’s all the same to you,” She said to the leader of the Orions’, “If you could just point us in the right direction?”

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #11 – September 13, 2022, 03:59:58 PM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

Amanda was wiping the tears from her eyes and watched how the two Nausicaan actors continued their act, amazingly undisturbed by her burst of laughter just now. It was actually really nice to see that Enyd decided to play along with their act as well though; clearly going for the full cave tour experience by allowing the two Nausicaans another shot at scaring them. One of the actors, apparently grateful for the opportunity to salvage his play following the earlier interruption, immediately focused his attention onto the brown-haired Diplomat as a result. They actually didn’t had to continue at that point, at least not for Amanda’s sake, because the element of surprise was already long gone at that point.

Nevertheless, the persistence of the two actors and the amazing way in which Enyd helped them out quite honestly made the blonde-haired Psychiatrist feel a little bad for laughing earlier. In fact, she was about to join in on the play as well, entirely prepared to act the scared victim just to make up for ruining their act, when a giant creature suddenly fell down on top of the two actors and Amanda felt herself being pulled back by the brown-haired Diplomat. From that moment onwards, everything went fast; while Amanda was quick to realize that this wasn’t part of the tour anymore, Enyd tugged her backwards before she could even decide on how to help those two unfortunate actors. Further encouraged by Mia’s acknowledgement to skedaddle, the blonde-haired Psychiatrist realized that running away to get help would be a much better idea than intervening with the risk of getting injured as well. Or worse.

It was just mere moments after they escaped, further encouraged by a cacophony of Nausicaan curses and the stun bolts of their disruptors -did disruptors even had a stun setting?- when Enyd quite literally ran into the help they needed; a group of rather scantily clad Orions. Their attire immediately told Amanda that these were actors as well, much like the Nausicaans, and it only required a couple of hastily uttered words from the brown-haired Diplomat for some of the Orion actors to quickly rush down into the darkness to help their unfortunate colleagues.

When the burly Orion whom Enyd had quite literally ran into offered to help them find their way, Amanda initially followed the brown-haired Diplomat rather meekly. The element of surprise was long gone now, after all; the joke had ran its course, and all that was left for the Orions to do was to reunite them with their tour group. However, when the burly Orion mentioned that they would be taken to a lounge, a place where they could recover from their ordeals, and Mia subsequently found her path blocked by one of the other Orions, Amanda began to feel a little bit uncomfortable. She had heard of ploys like this when she was visiting the caves on Vulcan, where people would try to take you to a store and attempt to persuade you into buying all kinds of trinkets.

A little worried by what was awaiting them, but still intent on not buying anything no matter how hard these Orions would try to convince them, Amanda followed relatively meekly; turning her attention towards Mia and smiling one of her more reassuring smiles. ”Yeah, me too. However, look at it from the bright side! We’ll visit the lounge, maybe stick around for one drink, and wait for the tour group to come to us. If this lounge is a landmark, it is bound to be a part of the tour anyway!” As she spoke, Amanda’s Martian-accented voice clearly stressed the one drink part in an attempt to warn not just Mia and Enyd, but also their Orion escort that they were not going to buy anything.

After several minutes of walking, their small group finally came upon the Lounge mentioned by the burly Orion. The rather unassuming structure didn’t look like a landmark at all, instead looking very much like it was built into the side of one of the cavern walls in such a way as to deliberately appear inconspicuous. For a brief moment Amanda continued to cling onto the hope that this was still part of the tour, but when they came closer and her blue eyes fell upon a scuffle just off the main path, where two Orions were mercilessly beating up a Nausicaan, that was when the blonde-haired Psychiatrist really began to realize that they found themselves in very hot water indeed.

For a brief moment she held her pace, turning her blue-eyed attention between Enyd, Mia and the burly Orion before speaking up. ”On second thought, I don’t think I’m very thirsty either. Could you please point us in the right direction so we can continue our tour? Please?” This time, there was no trace of her reassuring smile and the tone of Amanda’s Martian-accented voice now hinted at fear.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #12 – September 19, 2022, 08:47:24 AM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual  @Nesota Kynnovan

[Loycam, entertainment manager for The Lounge at the End of the World, Orion Outpost]

He’d always considered himself lucky. All his life, Loycam had found things practically tied up with a bow for him whenever he set his mind to accomplish something. Where others had to scrimp, save, betray, and fight for their resources and fame, Loycam could yawn and blink and things would work themselves as he needed them to. Perhaps he’d inherited all the luck his father had never had—dying at a young age in the arms of a Tellarite lover, drunk on Romulan ale.

Regardless, Loycam could only presume it was due to his natural luck that he’d found not one but three alternates for the empty space in their entertainment lineup at the lounge. The fire juggling twins had gotten burned the night before in a freak chemical fire, the sword swallowing act was still recovering from the slight accident the week before, and Teega had gone and gotten herself pregnant and couldn’t manage a proper strip tease without hurling up her breakfast on the patrons. Tasked with finding someone, anyone, to fill in the hour between acts, Loycam had ventured into the caverns connected to their lounge hoping to rope in a tourist dumb enough to follow him back to the lounge. Instead, he’d “saved” three humans and he knew enough about their culture to count on their feeling indebted to him for the rescue, coupled with their naïve penchant for manners, to ensure their compliance just long enough to get to the lounge. Once they were inside, there would be no escape until entertainment had thusly been provided. The question was whether they would comply without injury or be forced to entertain with the risk of injury.

“The only way to reunite with your tour is to go through the lounge,” Loycam commented to one of the blondes, the bustier one. “They come here toward the end of the tour for drinks and refreshments before leaving for the museum next to the bazaar.”

He ignored their obvious discomfort at seeing the seediness that was the norm outside this portion of the lounge. There were various levels to their establishment, some more civilized than others. This level tended to attract the worst dregs that the planet had to offer. Loycam preferred the higher levels himself, but many of his men loved the action that could be found on this one. He signaled the men to pressure the women to follow inside, physically if necessary.

“What is your drink of choice? Something tart? Sweet? Perhaps rich?” He looked at each of the three women, labeling each with the type of drink he presumed they’d like. “Once we’re inside, we can have some light snacks and your drinks delivered to you.”

The dark-haired woman he’d first snagged tilted her head at him, her gaze penetrating through his charm. “What are you expecting of us in return for all this magnanimous effort to ensure our safety and well-being?”

“You’ve had dealings with Orions before?” Loycam smiled, his attention on the woman as he led through the bowels of the basement level of the lounge. He knew without looking what sorts of things were going on. Gaging by their reactions, it seemed these women were also starting to pick up on it. “Not to worry, your table is not on this level. It is on the ground floor, the most accessible and visible level of our lounge. We alter our entertainment to match the desires of the patrons of each level. You will find that we cater to many desires here.”

The lift that took them to the higher levels was an open one, reminiscent of a mining past, allowing the women to see glimpses of what sort of desires they catered to as they lifted past them. There were at least five levels between the caverns and the ground floor, at least five that they made known to the Klingons and off-worlders. It wouldn’t do for them to know only about the subfloor that serviced Orions.

“You didn’t quite answer my question,” the woman continued, keeping her gaze on Loycam instead of the passing debauchery, “what do you expect of us as payment for services rendered?”

“A favor for a favor.” Loycam’s smile broadened. “You see, I am in a bit of a difficult situation. Just as you and your friends were earlier. It is my job to ensure the entertainment of our patrons, and I was given an indication not twenty minutes ago that the act I had lined up for the next slot had to cancel. Now, I pride myself on my ability to provide quality entertainment, and our lounge has a certain reputation to maintain. That we so fortuitously bumped into one another in the caverns, and my men were able to secure your safety, well, is it too much to ask that you return our assistance with a bit of your own?”

The woman looked at her companions before crossing her arms over her chest and cocking a hip to the side. Loycam smirked at the obvious display of attitude. It was almost Orion of her.

“What sort of entertainment are you or your patrons expecting?”

They arrived at the floor, and Loycam gestured for them to precede him into the seating area, “A simple dance is all.”

"How simple?" The dark-haired woman's voice took on a strange lilt; no doubt she'd caught view of the four-breasted alien dancing on stage, hips gyrating to the undulating swell of music from the live band hidden behind the silks.

Loycam gestured to the mixture of patrons, a diverse set of aliens all coming together under the banner of seeking sensual entertainment. He waited until the women also looked around, finally seeing something beyond the stage and its exotic dancer.

"Something that can be of entertainment value to our patrons here. As a guest star, if you receive any tips, you may keep twenty percent of the profits."

The dark-haired woman's lips quirked into a half smile, not unlike Loycam's own, "Fifty percent."

"Twenty-five." Loycam shot back, amused by this woman's attempt to barter when she had no foot to barter from.

After looking at the other two women, she quickly held out a hand in the Terran gesture of sealing a deal, "Twenty-five and only I have to dance. The others can help serve drinks."

Loycam eyed the hand then looked to the women, curious if they were keen on the offer as well.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #13 – September 24, 2022, 01:59:50 AM

[Ens. Mia Dunne | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ]
ATTN: @Nesota Kynnovan  @Ellen Fitz

Mia did not think this was a good idea and repeatedly asked the Orion escorting her to be allowed to continue the tour. He didn’t even smile but gestured for her to follow the bigger Orion.  Mia shook her head and looked over at Amanda, “I do not find this to be enjoyable, or amusing. I don’t like this at all. I came to see the shrine, not a damned Orion pit of inequity. “ She huffed as she was all but forced onto a lift that took them upwards five levels. What little she saw was enough to turn her stomach and refuse anything this Orion was peddling.

When they were finally led into a less seedy area she was only slightly relieved. She turned again to her ‘guard’ and spoke, “If you’ll kindly show us the exit we’ll be on our way!” The man again said nothing but merely smirked at her. She turned back to the brunette and was about to suggest they get out of there when she heard Enyd trying to bargain with the Orion. They would let them go if they danced?? And Enyd was trying to make a deal with this creep? “I will not dance in this place or serve their patrons willingly, so you can just forget it! I am leaving now, you ruined the tour but dragging us here so you can forget me helping you. I am a Starfleet officer, not some floozy looking for a good time! And I certainly did not ask for your help!!”

Mia stomped her foot to make her point and folded her arms under her breasts, pushing them upwards slightly, as she glared at the burly Orion. She looked around quickly for the exit and even started to turn towards what looked like an exit in order to make her escape from these ... crooks.

---

OCC - Ok Ellen- roll the dice and see how badly I suffer   LOL

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #14 – September 25, 2022, 01:52:52 PM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

As they were led inside the seedy establishment, Amanda quite honestly agreed with Mia. While she was open to alien cultures and generally accepted everyone for who -and what- they were, the blonde-haired Martian didn’t exactly felt quite at ease in this seedy establishment. If they’d been free to leave again things might have been different but as it was, their guide and ‘saviour’ clearly wasn’t as keen on letting them walk away; instead of respecting their repeated requests to be reunited with the tour group, he only led them deeper inside the Lounge and began to offer them drinks and snacks.

Ironically enough, it immediately reminded Amanda of something her parents always used to say to her; never accept candy from a stranger.

Despite their circumstances, that thought briefly brought a bitter smile to Amanda’s face; a smile that immediately disappeared as they were herded into an elevator and taken to a new level of the Lounge. When they emerged from the elevator at a somewhat less seedy, but disturbingly more sensual level of the Lounge, Mia spoke up once more and requested to be taken to an exit. Siding with the Xenoanthropologist, Amanda nodded and spoke up as well. ”I agree with my colleague, we would much rather leave.” As she attempted to reason with the burly Orion who was blocking their way to the elevator however, Amanda could hear how Enyd began to bargain with their guide and ‘saviour’ instead. Unsurprisingly, Mia took to that about as well as could be expected, and as the Scientist began to rant and stomp her foot to make a point Amanda spoke up once more. ”And nor did I!” While Mia had been somewhat defiant and further accentuated it by glaring at the Orion, Amanda’s voice was much milder. She had seen how the burly Orion was staring at the Scientist’s ample breasts as she folded her arms beneath them and, as Valyn would’ve put it, there was an opening which they could exploit. ”If we stay here any longer, we’ll miss out on the gift shop.” After all, who wouldn’t want a miniature Molor?

In truth, the tone of her Martian-accented voice was meant to further distract the burly Orion, and it seemed to work. While Enyd was busy haggling over tips, the Orion standing between them and the elevator completely let down his guard by a combination of veiled harmlessness and, probably mostly, by Mia’s breasts. Who would expect anything rash from a tourist group after all, especially when they were naïve enough to complain about missing out on a gift shop in this kind of situation? This was their best chance to escape and, as Amanda picked up on that chance, she acted in a way that would have made Valyn Amarik proud; without warning, she suddenly grabbed Enyd’s arm and dragged the woman along as she shoved her way past the distracted Orion. Being shoved aside by 143lbs worth of Starfleet Officer caught the burly guard completely by surprise, to the point where he stumbled aside and completely opened the way to the elevator.

Maybe their escape would have worked too. As she shoved her way past the burly Orion and Amanda looked back to see if Mia was following them, she saw that their would-be guard sprained his ankle and fell; desperately waving his arms as he went down and -almost comically- grabbing Loycam’s loincloth. It tore off completely and left the entertainment manager naked but for his leather wrist guards, yet those did little to cover the Orion’s tea green-coloured penis as it whipped into view. To give Loycam credit where it was due, he was an amazing manscaper and Amanda’s blue-eyed gaze lingered on his completely hairless manhood, which must have been five inches limp and visibly began to harden under not only her own gaze, but those of almost everyone on this level of the Lounge. If it hadn’t been for that, if only Loycam’s penis hadn’t captivated Amanda’s attention by whipping up and growing past his belly button, gaining girth as well as length in the process, they would have made it to the elevator. As it was however, Amanda ended up crossing paths with an unsuspecting waiter whom had just come around the corner of the elevator…

…and crashed straight into the poor Orion woman. As Amanda stumbled backwards, the contents of the woman’s serving tray went flying and completely drenched not just Amanda, but the other two Starfleet officers right behind her as well. Judging from the smell, Amanda observed in that brief moment as her mind escaped to anywhere but the consequences of their rash action, it could only be Orion moonshine; homemade alcohol so strong it could desaturate your vision.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #15 – September 28, 2022, 08:15:54 AM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual  @Nesota Kynnovan

Enyd’s heart sank to her toes as she listened first to Mia and then Amanda take the peace offering she’d tried to offer and trash it entirely. It seemed not everyone was as keen on looking to avoid diplomatic incidents or skating through the chaos by accepting the chaos and then riding it out to the end. Although their verbal responses would like this negotiation more difficult, Enyd was pragmatically optimistic to see ways that things could be salvaged if-

Enyd’s equilibrium and hope for a salvaged situation were both shot to hell by good intentions. Seeking to repay the favor of salvation in the cave, Amanda’s grip on Enyd’s arm had her yanked back and off her feet. Her eyes were partially on the elevator, Amanda’s intended escape route, and partially on the dislodged guard. Enyd felt her stomach tighten with a smidgen of anxiety when she caught sight of the two Nausicaans they’d run into down below. Emerging from the elevator with the remainder of Loycam’s men, the Nausicaan ruffians looked rumbled and pissed but no worse for wear.

At the same time, Enyd saw them and registered their identity, they too recognized her and the others, their lips pulled back in twin snarling sneers. It was Yurdz who tripped the waiter into Amanda’s path, drenching all three off-worlder women in Orion hooch. Jerking her arm out of Amanda’s grasp, Enyd reached up to swipe the liquid away from her eyes, genuinely fearful for blindness.

“You will work off the cost of that,” Loycam called from behind them. Enyd didn’t know if he meant the liquor, the now injured waiter and guard, or the former rescue from the caverns. Unaware of his nude state, thanks to Amanda’s escape efforts, Enyd turned to face him with her clarifying questions but immediately blushed and averted her eyes to the ceiling. “All three of you. And in our culture, it is rude to work off a debt with so much clothing hindering your efforts.”

Loycam gave a signal, and before any of the women could offer protest, they were each held betwixt two guards, a third standing in front of each of them brandishing a shiny blade to assist in the de-clothing process.

Clearing her throat, Enyd spoke above the din of protest her fellow shipmates offered, “The type of dance I can offer requires me to maintain my clothed status until I am in the midst of the dance. Then, as the song continues, I shed a layer.” Tipping her head back, Enyd kept her gaze on Loycam’s face, doing her best to ignore the rest of his hulking size. “It is called a striptease. If you permit, we can do this dance instead of the earlier offer for waiting on tables. As you have seen, we may not be the best at serving drinks. But we are all athletic enough to handle a dance.”

Enyd returned her gaze to Amanda and Mia, silently pleading with them to accept this offer. At least if they were able to take off their own clothing, they would then have the option to put it back on. Or perhaps, in the stripping process, the tour would arrive, and their tour guide would intervene, and they’d be spared. If they continued to insist on things, their clothing would be left in tatters, and they’d have to return to the ship—whenever that was—in the nude.

Loycam scratched his balls in thought. Eyes darting past the Starfleet officers to land on the Nausicaans, he signaled to his men again, Yurdz and Grorgei shoved closer in response. “You will work off your debt serving drinks while the women dance.”

After snapping his fingers, the Orion guards let go of the women and seized hold of the Nausicaans. There was no time for the ruffians to protest before they were stripped of their clothing one not-so-delicate slice at a time. The glowering would-be thieves were shoved toward the back where the drinks were made once they were as nude as Loycam. When Enyd had signed up for this tour, she certainly hadn’t expected to get a front-row seat to Orion or Nausicaan anatomical differences.

“Your stage awaits you.” Loycam leered at them, jerking his chin toward the stage. The remaining guards stood behind the women, ready to grab them and toss them bodily if necessary.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #16 – October 04, 2022, 02:05:27 AM

[Ens. Mia Dunne | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ]
ATTN: @Nesota Kynnovan @Ellen Fitz


Mia was stunned by the sudden commotion when Amanda grabbed the diplomat and made a lurch towards the elevators. Mia was pretty sure that heading that way would leave them trapped. She turned to tell Amanda it wasn’t a good idea when all hell broke loose around her. The guard that Amanda had barreled over fell almost in front of her blocking her forward movement, as he fell, he ripped off the loincloth of the burly Orion, the Nausican’s and their escorts stepped off the elevator, Amanda collided with an Orion waitress, whose tray went flying and covered everyone nearby in whatever was in the glasses, the waitress fell, and Holy shit, the Orion’s member was huge! She turned away from the view as quickly as she could but found herself forcefully grabbed by the arms and held in place before she could even think of taking a step in any direction.

The hands that held her in place dug painfully into her skin through the fabric of her shirt. She struggled only for a moment before she saw the large blade close in front of her and swallowed nervously. Her eyes focused on the blade for what seemed an eternity, her mind was racing even as she found herself speaking, albeit a bit more quietly than before, “I am a Federation Officer and not a serving wench for your drunken patrons to gawk at!”

She heard Enyd talking about some kind of dance and nervously looked over her shoulder at the brunette diplomat. Before she could voice another objection, it seemed that Loycam had made the decision for them. The sudden release of her arms almost sending her off balance as her ‘guards’ quickly moved to their new targets. In seconds the Nausican’s clothes were dispatched by the blades of the guards, and they were laid bare as Loycam ordered them serve the drinks. 

Loycam then used his chin to indicate they should take the stage and do this... dance. Mia looked at Enyd and Amanda, not sure exactly what she was being expected to do. She leaned over and heatedly whispered to Enyd, “I can’t dance at all, nor do I want to if I had a choice!  You are going to end up getting us killed!” 

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #17 – November 25, 2022, 08:10:08 PM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

To say that the situation wasn’t going to plan would be an understatement. Amanda’s attempt to make a run for the elevator was born out of sheer desperation and, now that it had spectacularly failed, she quite honestly began to get scared. While Loycam was clearly annoyed by the chaos which they had just unleashed within the Lounge, he surprisingly kept his cool -which only made him all the more intimidating- and instead told them to repay him. In the nude. As scared as she was after her most recent actions, there was little Amanda could say or do as she was wedged between two guards in preparation to be unceremoniously relieved of her clothing.

In the end it was Enyd who saved them. Or rather, it was Enyd who delayed the inevitable by mere minutes by suggesting that they’d perform a striptease for everyone within the Lounge. Amanda’s cheeks immediately began to turn into a furious blush out of sheer embarrassment at the thought of performing an erotic striptease in front of so many people but, before she could even open her mouth in protest, Loycam ordered that both of the actors who ‘ambushed’ them earlier be made to serve drinks instead. She hadn’t even seen that the two Nausicaans had been captured right along with them, and Amanda only became more scared as she watched how the two poor men were stripped bare.

As she turned her attention back towards Loycam, the naked Orion simply leered at them and told them that their stage awaited them. The blonde-haired Martian noticed the uncertain look that Mia was giving them and, as she listened to the blonde Ensign’s whispered protest, Amanda nodded in agreement and lowered her own voice. ”I’m not going to dance in front of so many people, let alone do something as sensual as a striptease!” Whether it was out of distress or anything else, her Martian-accented voice was just a little louder than Amanda actually intended it to be, and would only increase in volume to be heard over the sensual music that began to play at that very moment. ”I refuse, I’d rather serve drinks together with those actors! That’s still more dignified than doing something so sensual!” From the corner of her eyes, the Martian Psychiatrist suddenly noticed that Loycam tilted his head in her direction and that alone was enough to shut her up immediately; scared that, if the Orion man had heard her speaking out like that, a much worse fate would befall her.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #18 – November 26, 2022, 04:04:18 AM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual  @Nesota Kynnovan

Enyd plastered a feigned demure smile on her face as they were ushered closer to the stage. She heard the protests of both women behind her, and Enyd didn’t fault them in the slightest. In a perfect world, they wouldn’t even be here. They’d have gone through the tour without a hitch, seen everything there was to see, and gone back to the ship without an issue. But Qo’Nos was far from a perfect world, and they lived in uncertain times.

“Our fate will be worse than death, Mia, if we don’t feign compliance.” Enyd threw a whisper over her shoulder as they neared the edge of the stage. The present dancer was ending her set, and soon it would be their turn, whether they liked it or not. “And this is a classic stall tactic. We know our tour will eventually come here at the end for drinks so,” the music ended, making it more difficult to whisper while facing the stage. Enyd pivoted on her toes to face both women, making a show of self-preening her hair and tugging at her clothing. “If we can stall long enough, they’ll show up and I doubt the tour guide would take kindly to known Starfleet crew being abducted on his tour. He’d lose all honor. And it is THAT reality of honor-bound protection while on his tour that will likely save us from this conundrum without risk to our necks.”

The dancer intentionally pushed against Enyd’s back as she exited the stage, sending the svelte brunette sideways into Amanda. The sneer of disdain on the dancer’s face would freeze even the strongest heart, but Enyd was far too busy trying to keep herself and her companions from becoming sex slaves to care. If the dancer wanted to throw hands later, then so be it, but at least they wouldn’t be sold on the black market just a few levels below. Which is precisely what would happen if they didn’t keep Loycam happy for the time being.

As the musicians reset themselves, awaiting the trio of women to take the stage, Enyd leaned closer to murmur, “I’ll strip. You don’t need to. Just shift your hips back and forth and wave your arms on each corner of the stage, and I’ll keep the attention on me in the middle. At least do that for the time being. The tour was only supposed to be about two hours long, leaving us about twenty to thirty minutes until they’re supposed to get here.” Enyd didn’t know how she was supposed to keep the entire room distracted with her nude body alone for the next twenty minutes, but she’d try. “If they get antsy and it looks like they’re going to haul us off, before you start taking clothes off, touch yourself or touch each other, or touch me.”

“DANCE!” Loycam’s booming voice caused Enyd to jerk back, and finding his lethal gaze from across the room, she gave a curt nod.

“Please, just feign compliance so we can stall for time.” She whispered once more before leading the way onto the stage, hoping that the women wouldn’t condemn them to black market sales and sex slavery.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #19 – December 03, 2022, 05:43:53 AM

[Ens. Mia Dunne | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ]
ATTN: @Nes @ell

Mia wanted to run out of the place but there was just no way to get past the guards. And those two thugs from the cave were shooting daggers at them as they were forced to serve drinks in nothing but what they were born with.

Enyd was talking about stripping as a stall tactic but somehow Mia just could not see how that was going to help them. If she could actually get to her combadge she could send the emergency recall and Thea would get them out of this crazy mess they were in. Unfortunately, their combadges had been confiscated by Loycam’s men so that was not an option.

Amanda’s comments about serving drinks was just as bad as Enyd’s offer to strip on a stage.
The music ended and the last dancer nearly bowled Enyd over as they left the stage. They were running out of time. She looked over at the guard near where they had dropped her belongings, If she could just get to the badge...  Her thoughts were brought up short by the loud barking command of Loycam. She knew it had startled Enyd since she had felt her falter. And she knew that it had startled her since she had nearly tripped over Enyd when Mia had sort of jumped at the noise.

Mia didn’t know what to do and she started to follow, albeit very slowly and not exactly towards the same area where Enyd had taken to the stage, but closer to where all her stuff was. She was trying to walk as close to the edge as she could, while still appearing to do what the Orion ordered, sort of. Just before she took the last step onto the stage she ‘accidentally’ missed the step and fell, falling right next to their belongings and hopefully it looked like she was just trying to catch herself as she reached out and grabbed for her bag as she fell.

What she hadn’t planned on was the impact that nearly knocked the wind out of her for a second as she tangled her hand into the bag and grabbing whatever she could.

---

OOC:  I’ll let Ellen roll the dice to see if I got anything useful, like the combadge or the dagger!  LOL

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #20 – February 08, 2023, 01:42:50 AM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

Things only continued to escalate and, in all honesty, Amanda couldn’t help but feel that neither one of her companions were really doing much to improve the situation. The ranking officer kept insisting that they should get up on stage and take off their clothes, something which the blonde-haired Martian really wasn’t all that interested in, and after Loycam once more boomed for them to do as he told, Mia only seemed to turn into herself and meekly followed Enyd up onto the stage.

As she looked at both her companions and then shifted her attention towards Loycam, Amanda briefly considered her options and, quite frankly, came up blank. She had already tried to escape and that was definitely no longer an option, and it seemed that bargaining was not that effective either given that they had preciously little to bargain with. After several seconds of searching for anything to get them out of this predicament, Loycam threw her a look that could only mean “Hurry up, or else…” and, with little alternatives, Amanda slowly began to follow her companions onto the stage.

It was at this moment when Mia stumbled and fell down and, without anything else to go on, Amanda just threw Loycam a furious glare as she walked towards the blonde-haired Scientist in an attempt to help her. ”Can’t you see that she is scared to death? We all are!” While her Martian-accented voice was normally quite calm and collected as part of her entire proverbial “anchor”-thing which she’d always tried a little bit too hard to be for other people, all that was now replaced by an anger that only further accentuated her glare. ”You should be ashamed of yourself to take advantage of us like this.” Just as she knelt down in an attempt to help Mia back up to her feet, Amanda realized that the woman’s hand had reached out towards their belongings. While she wasn’t quite sure whether this was accidental or not, the blonde-haired Martian decided in that split second to buy Mia as much time as possible.

”You know what? No.” Getting back up to her feet, Amanda turned to face Loycam and began to approach the Orion. As she walked off the stage, the blonde-haired Psychiatrist was trembling in her shoes but she figured that this was the only card she had left to play; either Mia would retrieve something from her bag or she could bargain their way out of this situation with their dignities as intact as possible. When she held her pace in front of Loycam and, after briefly staring at the man’s still erect penis, was forced to look up just to make eye contact with the much taller man, this all seemed like a terrible idea. A very terrible idea. ”I won’t… I won’t get up on stage. I’m sorry for the inconvenience we caused and for those spilled drinks, I really am. But I won’t degrade myself like that. Just…” Along with her confidence and indignation, Amanda’s voice also threatened to leave her but she forced herself to keep going as well as possible. ”If you need our belongings to settle the costs, just take them. Take our bags, or my hat or my boots. These are quality boots!” They had actually been replicated that very morning along with the rest of her outfit, which made them as good as new. Especially on Qo’noS. ”Take it all, but don’t force us to degrade ourselves like this. Please?”

---

[OOC: This will either buy Mia the time she needs to find something useful, or this will backfire in some horrible Enyd-esque kind of way.]

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #21 – February 11, 2023, 11:23:54 AM

[Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual  @Nesota Kynnovan

Before Enyd could offer up further encouragement or advice, Mia took a tumble off the stage, and Amanda decided to face off with Loycam. Very quickly, her attempts to stall without violence were unraveling. Two of Loycam’s goons were already hoisting Mia back to her feet, easily pulling the recovered combadge from her fingers once they noted it. Whether she’d been able to tap out a signal for help was uncertain at this point, but that she no longer had access to it was unceremoniously tossed back onto the stage at Enyd’s feet was certain. The audience found the shenanigans amusing, some hooting with laughter while others booed, calling for more breasts and less fuss.

“Are you okay?” Enyd whispered to Mia, her hands moving over the woman’s shoulders after she helped her to her feet.

It was then that Amanda’s challenge to Loycam caught Enyd’s attention and she looked up just in time to see Loycam lower his forehead against Amanda’s head in a savage headbutt. As the Martian reeled from the blunt force, another goon thrust a fist into the blonde’s gut, a grin spreading across both men’s faces. As if they drew as much pleasure from pain as they did from pleasure itself.

“Hey!” Enyd took a step towards the edge of the stage, hands outstretched to lend aid to the crumpling Martian, but the two goons that had tossed Mia up to her lowered spears at her approach and looked less than pleased at the prospect of her helping.

Someone screamed from further inside the bar followed quickly by a plume of fire that just as quickly dissipated. A patron, feathers on fire, came running out from around a pillar, squawking in fear and pain, followed close behind by two other patrons, singed and sooted from whatever had caused the mini-explosion. With eyes on the smoke and ears on the squeals of confusion, Enyd ducked and darted toward the stairs of the stage, motioning for Mia to follow. They had a matter of seconds to get out of harm’s way of the goons and rescue Amanda.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #22 – March 02, 2023, 11:37:15 PM

[Ens. Mia Dunne | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ]
ATTN: @nes @ell


Mia had no idea if her thumb taps on the combadge had been successful at opening a com or sending a distress call. Either of which would have been useful to alert Thea that they were in a bit of a bind.  Mia managed to get to her feet, with Enyd’s help and was about to apologize for not being able to get help. Her apology died on her lips when the other woman in their group seemed to suddenly decide to fight back. Loycam easily ended her tirade with that headbutt and even if they wanted to help, the guards who had thrown her on the stage were now pointing spears. Mia glanced at Amanda, wishing that she had not put herself in that position. These Orion’s were going to get theirs when Mia reported this. At least she really hoped they would. For all she knew the Klingons encouraged this sort of forced ‘entertainment’.

A scream tore through the room and the sight of not one but three patrons seemingly running their way made Mia blink. The goons and Loycam had all turned to see what the commotion was.  She saw Enyd’s gesture and followed quickly as she whispered, “Right behind you!” They did not have much time. As she dropped from the stage she grabbed their things from the table, except for her com badge that hand been tossed aside by one of the goons. 

With their focus on the flaming patron running through the room the guards had moved away from their positions and left an opening for escape. Mia was hot on Enyd’s tail and ready to grab Amanda and get the hell out of this place once and for all.

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #23 – April 11, 2023, 02:40:40 PM

[Lieutenant JG Amanda Ashby | Shrine to Molor | Orion Outpost | Qo’noS]
Attn: @Ellen Fitz @Eirual

There was a very brief moment when Amanda genuinely thought she could see a hint of understanding, or maybe something more akin to sympathy or downright pity, in Loycam’s eyes. In those split seconds she was lead to believe that the burly Orion was willing to negotiate more favourable -or in any case far less demeaning- terms, but the blonde Martian’s hopes were brutally shattered when Loycam suddenly slammed his head right into hers. It came as such a surprise that she wasn’t prepared for it at all, and the impact sent Amanda reeling backwards while she brought her hands up to her painful forehead. Mere moments later she felt how she stumbled backwards into someone else and, with a similar lack of warning as Loycam had granted her just then, a fist suddenly slammed right into her stomach; forcing the air from Amanda’s lungs and sending her down on her hands and knees while gasping for air and struggling to not throw up.

What happened immediately after that went straight by her. Or at least, the first part did. One moment Amanda was still down on her hands and knees, gasping and attempting not to barf, and the next moment people were screaming somewhere further down the establishment. While still holding her head with one hand and protecting her stomach with her right arm, the blonde-haired Psychiatrist turned her blue eyes towards the source of the commotion; just in time to see a patron on fire and two other people, whom she vaguely identified as the two Nausicaan actors who had been so unceremoniously stripped and exiled to the kitchens earlier, stumbling after the burning patron. At a first glance they looked alright, aside from some singed hair and the soot that now covered their bodies, and for a couple of moments Amanda didn’t even knew what to do; the medical professional in her wanted to get up and help, but this was also the kind of chaos they could use to their advantage.

The choice was made for her when Enyd and Mia came darting past her. One of them, Amanda couldn’t even see which one, grabbed her and pulled her up to her feet. As she picked up the pace as well, the blonde-haired Martian could see Loycam standing right in front of her with his back turned towards her. Using her speed and him being distracted by the commotion to her advantage, Amanda slammed her shoulder right between the Orion’s shoulder blades with the intention of sending him forwards into the table that was in front of him.  

Re: Day 12 [1157 hrs] Maybe This Time It Will Be Perfectly Marvelous

Reply #24 – April 15, 2023, 05:00:54 PM

[ Lt. Enyd Isolde Madsen | Orion Bar| Orion Outpost | Qo’Nos ] Attn. @Eirual  @Nesota Kynnovan

Glancing over her shoulder as she moved, Enyd saw Mia grab her things but didn't pause to chastise the woman for collecting items that could likely be easily replaced back onboard the ship. She was too busy reaching down and grabbing Amanda by the shoulder and hauling the woman back to her feet. To her credit, Amanda resumed her confrontation with Loycam almost immediately. Ramming her shoulder into the Orion’s back at full speed. However, the Orion did little more than shift forward one step before he turned to renew his attack against the Martian.

Enyd reached for the closest object that could be used as a weapon against the much larger Orion—an empty mug—but was robbed of her opportunity to attack by the most unlikely of rescuers. Now naked and fuming angrily, the Nausicaan brutes from the shrine cavern were back, throwing makeshift bombs at potential threats--including Loycam. Enyd grabbed Amanda and pulled the woman against her body, throwing both of them back into the fleeing form of Mia and knocking the three of them away from Loycam, landing in a heap at the foot of a nearby table just as one of the flaming bottles smashed against the Orion’s back.

Pandemonium continued around them, with the floor echoing with the stomps of fleeing customers, the bar filled with the cries of confusion, curses of anger, and the acrid scent of burned flesh.

“Are you guys okay?” Enyd called over to the Martian as Enyd rolled onto her hands and knees, readying herself for another sprint towards an exit.

“YOU!”

Enyd froze, her gaze moving from the faces of her companions back toward where she’d last seen the Nausicaans. The larger one had spotted them, and it seemed, based on the snarl on his face and the way his hand was pulling back into a full arc swing, armed with a flaming bottle, that he wanted revenge on them for his current predicament.