Star Trek: Starbase 777

[D] After a long walk on the second habitat ring, it went to its usual place. Starbucks. Though it works there, this is where Lyrat spent most of its time. Tarlin walked by it side, his tounge hanging from his mouth. An absolute unit of a dog, Tarlin was white and very, very fluffy. Almost matched Lyrat, except it was bald. Notably its eye was pink and the Kelpien features were incredibly pale in colouration. It back seemed hunched, and the hands were of metal with claws. Lyrat wore the Starbucks uniform, and slowly walked into the shop. It couldn't go too fast or it will lose its balance.

Vivian was stocking the counter. She had just moved onto the station and onto the shop, and she was putting her supplies where they needed to go. The shop had several table for people to sit with their drinks, and plenty of potted plants. Her machines for making coffee and other drinks were placed where they were supposed to go- she didn’t use replicators, not to make things for customers. She did have one in case someone needed something made, but she made all the things she sold the old-fashioned way. “Hello! Are you Lyrat? I remember accepting you for a job.” Vivian was a lighter-skinned black woman, with short, dark brown hair. She had dark brown eyes and was also wearing the Starbucks uniform. Though, the name was quite literal, the uniform had a stylized white star on the dark green apron. (edited)

It tilted its head. Lyrat thought the plants looked pretty. Walking over to Vivian, it then replied. "Yes." Lyrat's voice sounded very nasaly, but also scratchy. It couldn't tolerate the sound of its own voice.

“Perfect. You’ll be helping to make some of the pastries and drinks. Unless you want to deal with customers, then go for that I guess.” Whoa. It was tall. It could reach all the shelves for her 5’3 ass. That was great.

"Bad customer. Can scare off." It didn't mind mean people, but wouldn't hesitate to take action. Lyrat walked to one of the potted plants, then walked to the counter. Tarlin stayed close to Lyrat's feet.

“So, you want to deal with the customers? More power to you I guess. Also, can I pet your dog?” She asked. Tarlin was adorable. She loved dogs, but horses were her favorites. She was a Horse Girl as a kid.

"....... sure." It patted Tarlin twice on the side, and the large dog walked over to Vivian. His breed thankfully made him large, similarly like Lyrat, but fluffy. Almost like a living cloud with the Service Dog vest on him.

Vivian ran a hand along his back. She almost cried from how soft and cute he was, but she composed herself. “Well, with you taking care of customers, I can focus on baking. If anyone gives you trouble, call me so I can kick ‘em out and ban ‘em.*

It then patted twice on it's thigh, Tarlin walking back to Lyrat. Despite its lesser verbalness, it seems to be communicating fine. It looks over to the drinks. "mmmmm. What if. Thirsty?"

“Drinks are easier to make than pastries, so I don’t need to spend as much time on them. You want anything to drink or something?” *She asked Lyrat. Despite it being not as talkative, she thought it’d be a great member of staff. *

It had taken out a PADD, typing onto it. It didn't take long and handed the PADD to Vivian.

"A vanilla steamer sounds nice. I do not feel hungry right now."

“Coming right up!” She took out a cup, ready to pour the steamed milk into. She waited for the machine she had to make them was ready, then she put the cup under it. The vanilla steamer poured into the cup. She topped it with whipped cream and handed it to Lyrat. “Here you go. You can make whatever you want here, you don’t have to pay.*

It grinned, taking the the cup. Like the tail, the metal components of their hands was also gunmental black, dark talons on each finger. "Thank." It took a sip, walking around to look at the customers.

There were only a few people in the cafe. A few humans idly chatting, and one Vulcan sitting in the corner with an espresso. Starbucks hadn’t gained popularity yet. Well, she just set up shop a day ago, so.. she was doing well in her opinion.

[D]. After a day of working, Lyrat and Vivian closed up shop.

Vivian was working in her shop, making coffee for customers as she always did.

It had been a fairly normal first day back at work for Elwyn since The Incident™️ and since it was the new year it meant one thing and one thing only: Inspection time! Inspecting the various businesses was a fairly regular practice, but inspecting them after the new year meant they were nice and safe after the holiday season. It was with that in mind that the young android, wearing their Security uniform with a PADD in their hands and a phaser holstered on their belt, wandered in to Starbucks, a place that served food. That meant not only did they have to make sure everything was safe, it also meant they had to make sure no one would get any food poisoning! Yay! It was as soon as the Health and Safety Inspector entered that they immediately started looking around to determine the layout of the place, if it was up to accessibility requirements, and if there was anything dangerous or unhygienic. Having a literal photographic memory meant they could spot a problem a metaphorical mile away.

The restaurant was as clean as it could be considering it was the middle of the day and customers gonna customer. No egregious code violations or any small ones either. Food safety standards up to code and all the coffee machines were squeaky clean. Several seats had open spots for wheelchairs and all the doors were big enough for a wheelchair to get through as well. Up to accessibility requirements, check. She was serving pastries and coffee with gloves on for hygiene too. She noticed Elwyn walking in and looked up at her.

As Elwyn looked around she ticked things off on her checklist whenever they were up to standards. Clean dining environment, accessible layout, nothing that looked dangerous. That was good! It was as she glanced over at the person behind the counter that she gave them a little wave, before casually making her way over. "Hiya! Ensign Elwyn Preston, Starfleet Health and Safety Inspector. Carry on as usual, I won't be long! I mean, unless I find anything untoward, that is!" She said with a friendly smile, before rather casually walking around behind the counter itself to inspect the places customers didn't go. (edited)

She gave her own wave and a smile. She wasn’t afraid of Heath and Safety because she kept everything up to code. Behind the counter was even cleaner because customers couldn’t mess things up back there. She did a weekly clean of everything she’d have to take apart and clean, and a twice-monthly deep clean of everything in the restaurants. She was a pretty big clean freak. Everything that had to be refrigerated was refrigerated and everything was stored properly. “I do my absolute best to keep everything up to code, so you won’t find much.”

"I hope not!" Elwyn replied cheerfully to the barista's remarks about not finding much. If she wanted to be picky suggesting she wouldn't find 'much' suggested she would find something, but she didn't feel like being picky. After doing a visual once over and opening up a few cupboards and food storage containers to check the insides, she then turned her attention back to Vivian. "Hi, can I get your name please?"

“I’m Vivian Smith. I’ve only been here a few months.” The cupboards were clean and the food was stored properly. Nothing was spoiled or past its expiration date. Even the fruit looked good. Considering she always got it fresh, that was pretty epic because fruit loves to go bad the moment you pick it.

As Vivian stated her name Elwyn wrote it down on her PADD without so much as looking down at it, a friendly smile on her face. Establishment owner doing the work, interesting. It's also possible they wouldn't be truthful about health and safety violations, but that was for Elwyn to determine. "It's nice to meet you, Vivian! You mind if I ask you a few questions? It won't take long."

“No, not at all!” Vivian was a pretty bright and happy person. She had nothing to hide with her shop, so she wasn’t nervous.

"Excellent! So, could you tell me how often you clean all of your equipment please?" Elwyn asked with a friendly smile as they eyed the coffee machines and other equipment.

“Everything I can easily clean is cleaned once a day. That includes the floors, counters, some of the machines, anything I don’t have to take apart to get at. Anything I do have to take apart gets cleaned either once or twice a week depending on how easy it is to take apart. And I deep clean the whole restaurant twice a month. I only have a few employees so we do our best.” She was proud of her few employees, though. Lyrat was great with the customers, no Karens ever came back to bother her.

Elwyn nodded in response to what Vivian said, a friendly smile still on her face as she made notes on her PADD. "Okay, and could you show me where you keep your chemicals and other cleaning products please?" She asked.

“Of course.” She went to a small closet behind the counter and opened it. There wasn’t much room in it, just a cart for the mops and brooms, shelves for the chemicals, sponges, and other cleaning related things. And a charging dock where a Roomba was charging.

“Thank you! And could you show me where you keep your chilled goods please?” They asked with a smile while noting down more information on their PADD.

She nodded and walked over to a fridge that looked like two typical house fridges put side by side. She opened it. The fruits were kept in the top drawer, all the milks and miscellaneous chilled items in the middle section, and all the meats in the bottom drawer. Everything was clean and well maintained with no spoiled food. She also opened the freezer, where everything was also clean and up to code.

Elwyn followed Vivian to the fridges with a smile, and as the doors were opened they inspected everything closely, and used their internal thermostat to determine how cold everything was. After a moment they stepped back and took notes on their PADD. "Okie dokie, you can close them now! How often do you do a cleaning cycle on your coffee machines?"

“Once a day. I run the cleaning cycles while dealing with the floors and counters.” She had to multitask a lot with so few employees. She did have a help wanted sign, but nobody was much interested in customer service.

"Okay then! And lastly, do you have any restroom facilities?" Elwyn asked with a friendly smile.

“Of course. They’re right over there.” She pointed to a door in the customer area. It was a single-toilet all-gender restroom, wheelchair accessible too.

Elwyn smiled and gave a nod before heading over to check them out. After a few moments of making sure they were clean and up to code she came out again. "Well, that covers everything. Thank you for your cooperation! We'll be in touch with your results soon. Have a nice day!" She said with a smile, before heading out of Starbucks with a skip in her step as she jotted down yet more information on her PADD and filed the forms required.

[D] Coming back from work, Nalas was feeling particularly energetic today! Aside from his conversation with that one health and safety inspector, the rest of his day went well. His project was going alright, but he was still struggling with recreating some of the data. The scientists on Bajor seemed to be getting much different results which frustrated Nalas, but anyway now was not the time to be thinking of work. Dressed in full uniform, Nalas walked into Starbucks and waited in the queue. When he got to the front of the line he ordered himself a unicorn frappe because of course he would order the most sugary and unhealthy thing. With drink in hand, he headed over to an open table and sat down. Soft shuffling could be heard as he moved about along with a metallic jingle of his earring. Nalas has fluffy black hair with glossy emerald green eyes. When he settled himself in the chair, he whipped out his PADD and a little plushie from his pocket that looked like himself! Here he was, Baby Nalas, the OG plushie. The design of the plushie was undoubtedly handmade, its eyes bright green with a silly smile. Nalas was taking some photos of the plushie and the frappe, more SpaceGram content, obviously! The earring Baby Nalas wore was similar to Nalas', only it bore more resembalance to the Obsidian Order logo than Nalas' current design. The plushie's earring looked quite large on it, orange and green adorned the metal with some reflective bits on the chain that held the single green gem on the chain.

Aurisk, still relatively new to the starbase, took their free time to explore. It was exciting to be working in a new place, but also mildly terrifying. As they walked around, they noticed a Starbucks. Oh, good, something familiar. Just what I need, they thought, stepping inside. The Aurelian joined the line, which seemed to have died down. They ordered a simple lemon loaf and sat down at a nearby table. They had to sit sideways on the chair, since the back of the chair was not very comfortable with their wings. As they ate, the person on the table next to them caught their eye. He seemed to be messing with a... plushie of himself? They cocked their head. Odd. Well, it wasn't Aurisk's place to judge. And, besides, there was a little part of them that wished they had a plushie of themselves. They turned back around to focus on their food when a metallic glint caught their eye. It was a Bajoran earring on the plushie. They didn't have the right perspective to check, but they assumed the earring matched the Bajoran's. "That's a beautiful earring..." they murmured, not realizing they had spoken aloud.

Nalas was in 'the zone' (autozone), taking photos of Baby Nalas as if the little plushie was a model. He made sure to catch all angles of the unicorn frappe as well, lifting the little plush up a couple times to catch a shot of him and the whipped cream. In the midst of Nalas' antics he didn't even realise the stranger who sat at the table next to him. It wasn't until the stranger spoke that Nalas turned his head and gave the Aurelian a wave. "Hi!" Nalas greeted, letting his PADD drop flat on the table with a soft 'clack'. The silly Bajoran with the Cardassian accent got up and sat in a chair closer to the stranger and turned his head and Baby Nalas'. "Thanks!! I made them! Well, I made his, my current one was made by my marnah!" Nalas giggled when he said that, gently tapping the green jewel on his earring to let it sway back and forth. "Oh!! My name is Nalas! Za'ari!" Nalas waved both hands. He had to admit, it was hard to embrace having a Bajoran first name (especially having 'Nalas' as his name), but he kinda liked the mixed nature of his name. He didn't mind being Bajoran and Cardassian. "And youuu?" He asked the other, not being completely sure of their species, but he knew he had seen their species somewhere.

Aurisk was taken aback by the sudden greeting. They weren’t expecting him to acknowledge what they said. Still, they turned to the stranger as he moved chairs. Aurisk waved in a small greeting when he turned to them. He’s very… enthusiastic, they thought while listening to him speak. It was clear he was Bajoran, but he had an interesting accent. It sounded… Cardassian maybe? They weren’t exactly sure. “I’m Aurisk,” they replied, slightly wincing internally. It came off as sounding more monotone than they intended. “It’s cool that you made it yourself. How long did it take?”

"Hi Aurisk!" Nalas greeted with a toothy grin. He put his PADD down and sat the plushie up to the side so he could take a few sips of his frappe. The blues and pinks swirled together with the whole drinking being topped with whipped cream. The drink was mostly sugar, but that's how Nalas liked it. "Yeah, uhhh he took me about a day! His name is Baby Nalas!" When he said the plushie's name he leaned down so his face was right next to the plush, allowing the Aurelian to see the striking resemblance the two shared. Well, Baby Nalas' face looked a little cursed, but it was clearly made with love. "Are you new to the station? I haven't seen you around," Nalas sat back up in his seat and tilted his head. He was always up for meeting new people, especially of species he hadn't met before.

Aurisk chuckled a bit as Nalas leaned down to the level of his plushie. He did a good job with replicating his appearance in the plush. It was almost uncanny. And... well, kind of sweet, really. "Well then, hello there, Baby Nalas," they said with a smile, leaning down a bit to be somewhat eye level with the plushie. As they spoke, they gave it a tiny little wave. Honestly, Aurisk thought the plushie was kind of cute. As Nalas spoke again, they leaned back up to sit properly in their chair. They nodded at the question before responding. "Yes! I was posted here a few days ago, actually." They turned their head to the Starbucks exit, looking at the rest of the starbase outside. "It's been weird trying to get used to being in such a large place. Before this, I've only ever worked on smaller ships." They turned back to Nalas before finishing their thought "I don't mind it, though. There's more space to stretch my wings, at least"

Nalas gently grabbed the back of Baby Nalas' very short neck to make the plushie bow his head as Nalas did the same action. It seemed both Nalas' were of the same mind. Nalas then made Baby Nalas wave his hand in response to the Aurelian's gesture. "Ohh nice, welcome to 777! I've been here about a year now! It's amazing!" Nalas was originally very nervous about being so far from home. Before 777, the furthest he had been away from home was the Academy, and he had his mother living on Earth with him for half that time so it didn't really feel like he was that far. Nalas chuckled when the other mentioned stretching their wings and stretched both his arms out to do some sort of a sitting down T-pose. "Woooo wings! Well I don't have wings. You'll get used to all the people! Where are you from, Aurisk? I don't think I've seen your species around, I thinkkkk I saw one other, but I can't remember."

They gave Nalas a small smile as he spoke. “I’m an Aurelian,” they replied. “I’ve only visited Aurelia a couple of times, though.” Aurisk’s expression changed slightly to one of mild sadness. Their father had taken them to Aurelia to visit their mother’s family, but those visits were few and far between. They wished they could’ve visited more often, but it wasn’t really possible with their father’s work. “I grew up on Scylla IV. My father worked with the Federation colony there.” They turned to Nalas again after speaking. “What about you, Nalas?” they asked.

"Ohhhh!!!! Cool! Love the wings by the way!" Nalas said as he flapped his arms a couple times, then grabbed Baby Nalas and made him do the same action. He noticed the way their expression changed when they mentioned their homeworld which made Nalas have to think about the Aurelian homeworld and if it had become Aurelian't (like how Romulus became Romulusn't). He didn't think so, but he wasn't going to push the topic. As Aurisk talked about their experience on their colony, Nalas rested both elbows on the table and leaned closer to them. "Ohhh Federation colony! What was it like there?" Nalas asked with a spark of interest in his eyes. "Oh me? I'm Cardassian, 100%!!" He stated proudly, puffing up his chest and looking confident as he said it. "I grew up on Cardassia Prime! I may look Bajoran but my heart and soul are all Cardassian. Yeah it's kindaaaa awkward being named Nalas, my Cardassian name is Sissil tho! Sissil Za'ari," 'Nalas said, choosing to omit his usual 'son of' because he wasn't so sure he wanted to openly admit he was Giyon's son. The same Gul who had some pretty problematic views on Bajorans.

"Thanks!" Aurisk replied, chuckling a bit. Yeah, they decided they liked Nalas' energy. He was honestly fun to talk to. "They can get in the way sometimes, but I don't know what I'd do without them, heh." Understatement of the century. Aurisk quickly learned after joining Starfleet that most places weren't designed with wings in mind. They were surprised how much of an annoyance that even something simple, like a chair, could be. "The colony was fine. There were mostly humans there, so it wasn't anything special." There really wasn't that much to say about it. There were a couple other species there, but not many. Aurisk and their father could seem pretty out of place at times. After the finished speaking, they turned their attention to Nalas. Admittedly, they thought what he said was a little... odd. Well, they supposed if he grew up on Cardassia, that'd make sense. Whatever. It wasn't their place to judge. "That's cool!" they replied, smiling. "What was Cardassia like?"

"I can imagine! Sometimes I wish I had some like... extra appendages. Like a tail. If it wasn't such an inconvenience with balance and running, I would have a tail! Everywhere! All the time!" Nalas said with a nod. He grabbed his frappe with both hand sand sipped it slowly as he listened to Aurisk talk about their colony experience. Mostly human sounded about right as most Federation colonies were. "So you were like... The odd one out? I know that feeling! I was like... The only Bajoran in my school for a while. It was kindaaa awkward but eh it was okay," Nalas shrugged, putting his drink down and holding Baby Nalas up to the straw so he could 'drink' some as well. "Cardassia is humid like.. All the time. I don't think it'd be a place you would like, sky is always grey, humid, and our wild animals are crazy!" Nalas put Baby Nalas down so he could gesture as he spoke, making claws with his hands and baring his teeth like some rabid vole. "You enjoying space so far? Wait I never asked your job, I'm a scientist! Exobiologist! I study like... Mostly plants right now, but I wanna do more with animals!"

"Yes, exactly!" Aurisk started. "It was pretty awkward to be one of the only nonhumans there for a while." They definitely remembered the occasional odd stare they would get on the colony, especially when they first moved there. "I got past it after a while, though. Especially as I got older." "Oh, I can imagine... Humidity makes everything feel so muggy and everything sticks together and it's just..." they shuddered a bit. They've definitely had their fair share of humidity nightmares. "Yeah, not for me." They perked up a bit, though, at Nalas' mention of what he did on the starbase. They always enjoyed hearing people talk about their role in Starfleet, even if they didn't understand all of it. "Ooh, Exobiology sounds cool!" they replied. "I'm a shuttlecraft pilot, mainly. I have worked at the helm before, but I don't have as much experience there."

"Yeah, I was like the only one in my class without like.. scales," In retrospect it was quite funny that he, the only Bajoran, was probably the least Bajoran out of all his classmates. He remembered when his classmates would ask him about Bajoran festivals or awkwardly stare at him when they learned about the Occupation. It was... Very awkward indeed. Nalas noticed the way the other perked up when he talked about his job. He always liked it when people seemed chill with him talking about his job, he never wanted to overwhelm someone with all the science talk but Aurisk seemed like a true G-- gangstah, as humans called cool peeps. "Shuttlecraft pilot! Oh yeah, we need those!! Have you seen the Eventide? I wanna whoosh so badly, but I'm just a scientist. What made you choose shuttlecrafts?" Nalas asked, grabbing his frappe again and taking a few biiig sips, nearly finishing the last half in a single go.

"No, I haven't had the chance to see it yet." The Eventide was definitely one of the more interesting parts of the starbase for Aurisk. They haven't been stationed on a ship like it before, so the possibility of being aboard, even for a little bit, was exciting. "I definitely want to check it out if I can, though. And I'm sure you'll get a chance to! I'd imagine that everyone stationed here long enough goes aboard at least once, right?" "And, I chose shuttlecrafts for kind of a stupid reason," they started with an awkward smile. "Well, maybe stupid's not the right word. My mother was a pilot, so I wanted to follow in her footsteps, I guess." They spoke with a small amount of uncertainty about the topic. Being a shuttlecraft pilot always came with some... weird feelings for them. They enjoyed it and was pretty good at it, but something always felt off. They always brushed it off, though, chalking it up to it bringing memories of their mother. "What about you? What made you choose Exobiology? It sounds interesting."

"I saw the map of the ship and it looks cool!" Nalas hoped he would get his chance on the Eventide someday. Maybe next big event? He grabbed Baby Nalas' arms and made him clap his hands and do a lil cheer before copying the same actions himself (with a soft clap). "Ehhh well we have a ton of people on the station so I don't think everyone gets a shot," Nalas said, tilting his head slightly at the idea. "The ACSO said I could go next time there's a need for scientists onboard," Nalas gave a hopeful smile, hoping for that day to come soon. He grabbed his frappe and Baby Nalas, placing the plush on his lap as he sipped his frappe. The lovely blues and pinks starting to muddle together the more he drank. "That's not stupid at all! I find a lot of people wanna follow in their parents' footsteps! Was she also in Starfleet?" Nalas said in response to the Aurelian's reason for choosing their division. He wanted to go into Intelligence to be like his ex-Obsidian Order father at one point. Now he realised just how messed up that was, but anyway. "I chose exobiology because uhhh... I know this may sound a little much but I want to show how much good Cardassian exobiologists can be. I know we don't really have the best track record in science. Actually, I'm from Culat Province, the home of Culat University and where Crell Moset taught. He... Is pretty problematic, I used to idolise him when I was younger, not realising who he really was," Nalas looked away from Aurisk for a moment, showing a bit of discomfort and uneasiness in his tone and body language. He soon realised what he was doing and shook his head, the smile returning back to his face. "Anyway, I want to be a good representation of what Cardassians are capable of. I know I don't exactly look like a Cardassian scientist, but I am and I want give back from the galaxy after my people had taken so much," Nalas finished up his little monologue, smiling with Baby Nalas in his arms.

Aurisk took a second to think about what Nalas said. "Yeah, I guess that's fair," they said, shrugging. "Well, I can still hope, right? Anyway." They grabbed what was left of their lemon loaf and finished it in a couple bites before speaking again. "I definitely think you'll be able to go aboard the Eventide. You better let me know when you do, though!" they chuckled a bit as they spoke. "No, she wasn't in Starfleet." Even though their mother wasn't directly involved with Starfleet, they did remember hearing stories about her working with them often. At some point, the details just blended together a bit. "And yeah, well. It may be a common reason, but there's a little part of me that wishes I did something unique, y'know? I do enjoy being a pilot, though, so I guess it worked out well, right?" Yeah, no more thinking about that. They didn't feel like having a career crisis in the middle of a conversation about. careers. So, they shook themselves out of their thoughts to focus on what Nalas was saying. "Honestly, I think that's really cool of you!" Aurisk replied, smiling. "And I can tell you enjoy Exobiology, right? So it's kind of like a win-win."

"Yeah I will! OH! Maybe you can join too? I mean, you do the shuttles, seems like something we would need on the Eventide!" Nalas was aware they had a number of ship-oriented people on the station. A few helmsmen, warp core engineers and so on. Although their jobs were more general on the base, they probably would all get a shot on the Evenytide he thought. "I mean, being a pilot is unique! Everyone does the job differently, you can still follow your mother but also make the job something totally your own," Nalas said with an encouraging thumbs up. He grabbed Baby Nalas and made him do a similar gesture although unlike real Nalas, Baby Nalas had no fingers. Just stubs for hands and one stub for a thumb, it was the thought that counted. He also grabbed his empty cup and sipped the verryyyy last bits of sugary goodness. "Mmm I do! After I'm done with my little plants I kinda wanna see if I can help either the Klingons or Romulans with something. Maybe the Klingons coz my boyfriend is half Klingon!" Nalas also had never worked with the Klingon science department, they totally had one! He then stood up and pushed in his chair. "Thanks for hanging Aurisk! OH and I'll make sure to tell you about Eventide if I get on it!" Nalas said with a little giggle before bouncing off to go throw away his cup and take Baby Nalas off to explore more great things on the station.

Aurisk cocked their head as he spoke. "Yeah, I guess you're right! Maybe we'll end up on the Eventide at the same time sometime, hehe." To them, it definitely did make more sense that they'd be working on a ship rather than on a starbase. So, maybe, there was a little more hope for them on getting to go on the Eventide at least once. "Yeah, let me know if you do! It was nice talking to you, Nalas," they said. They watched him walk away before standing up from their chair. After throwing their wrapper out, they left the Starbucks in order to explore the rest of the station.

"Uncle Vara'l" The kid began as son and adoptive father entered the Starbucks. "How is coffee different from Raktajino?" They inquired as they entered the place sat on their adoptive fathers shoulders. "And why's the place called Starbucks, is there such a thing as a Starbuck?" Their questions being something that followed the duo in as he looked around and proceeded to softly ask. "Please can I have one of the ice things?"

Vara'l entered with is son's questions following him in, having picked Starbucks during a walk during which they'd both jointly decided that they needed a drink and something small potentially, to eat. He'd answered some of their early questions on the way there and decided firmly to continue doing so as he moved to go order. "It's got less of a ...kick to it as far as I know Telim and well, I think it was just a name a Human came up with... don't think there's such a thing as Starbucks." The Romulan responded. "And yes, you can if you want, Telim." Telims yay being something he smiled at as he moved. (edited)

The Andorian wouldn’t have been sitting far away, though this time around she wore a rather formal buttoned shirt and a long skirt, almost blending into the crowd if she didn’t have her commsbadge. A half finished coffee cup and a PADD would’ve shown she was at the very least distracted, perhaps even relaxed?

Having spotted the Andorian he'd been told about, his dads boss, Telim poked his dad shoulder and pointed at the Andorian with his head slightly cocked as they approached the point where his adoptive dad would order for them "Uncle Vara'l, isn't that your dep-art-ments boss person?" The fact that he knew what she was a Lieutenant commander omitted because of the crowds. He preferred to well, mask how he knew alot about some things like this, when they were in places this loud and uh...full of people. When the time came to order, Telim resolved to order the strawberry frappe, it looked cool and he wanted to try it.

"That is the Lieutenant Commander, yes" Vara'l confirmed before the time came to order, the query of what he would like met with a order of a coffee and the 'frappe my son orders.' The kid allowed to order before he then expanded on what he'd earlier said. "I'm not sure if they're off duty like I am presently or not, though if you'd like, we could say hi." He offered as they waited a moment for the order to be fulfilled, the frappe passed up to Telim as he carefully held his drink as his son continued to perch on his shoulders. The kids confirmation that he did want to say hi being met by a nod before he proceeded to move over to toward the Lieutenant commander. "Ma'am" Vara'l once he was close enough as he greeted them. "My adoptive son and I just wanted to come over and say hello, if that's alright and we're not interrupting, Ma'am."

She looked up for a moment, before glancing towards Telim. "Ah, no worries Lieutenant. I see this is your son." She smiled a bit, turning her PADD off for the moment and setting it aside. "what's your name, friend?"

Telim waved at the other as they proceeded to glance toward him, the kid looking down at the Andorian as he smiled and watched them. "Hello!" He began before he then introduced himself. "I'm Telim, you're my dads boss, heya!" The kid observed as he reached down and accepted the Frappe with a. "Thank youu Uncle Vara'l!"

After he initially nodded his thanks to Lt. Cdr. Sh'Drvai and said. "Thank you and yes Ma'am." Vara'l remained mostly silent and allowed Telim to do the talking for a moment he broke his silent spell with a. "Your welcome, Telim." As he responded to his son's thanks.

“Heya, how do you like the station?” She said, leaning over to match his height. She tried to act like a teacher, if you will, since that’s the only thing she can recall when it comes to talking with kids.

Telim smiled a bit as she leant down while he sat on his fathers shoulders like that. The kid if anything had noticed how they'd acted. Teacher like. That was.... okay but kinda said 'I dunno how to talk to kids.' which was fine too he supposed? But well, he suspected that this would be a short conversation. "Hello!" He began. "I'm enjoying it mostly, it's a bit loud though, lots of people!" Telim commented. "It's different to Mol'Rihan." He then added.

Vara'l listened quietly as the two conversed and wondered quietly if, after the conversation had finished, where he could take his son next. The coffee he'd held sipped quietly every so often as the conversation continued.

[D] The Romulan Duo would talk with the Andorian for a little bit more before they eventually departed to go about their day.

Lisa walked into the Starbucks, hoping to grab a coffee after a long shift. She dearly missed her glorified desk job as ACOS, though being a Patrol Officer wasn’t too bad. She liked being able to walk around. But she missed her office, especially back when there was no COS and she had gotten to decorate it all to her liking. That time was hard work, but she was happy to do it and serve the Rapture. She hoped that her beloved ship was doing well out in deep space now. She ordered a hot coffee with a little sugar and sat down at one of the empty tables, still wearing her Security uniform.

There are some occasions where she missed the work life she had earlier on in her career in Starfleet, thinking back to those times as she stepped in line to the Starbucks and glanced down to the list of tasks and assignments which still have yet to be completed, relived to only have some equipment inspections to do left. Her earlier roles were still essentially glorified desk jobs, sure, but much lighter compared to her current responsibilities as Security Chief, not like she was complaining though, the post had its perks and she was happy to play a more active role in serving her fellow crewmates around the station. Jena was very glad that things around Starbase 777 were quieter in recent times, which was how she liked it despite current events, able to peacefully walk around, enjoy her surroundings, and even fill in for an ensign who wanted a short break. She ordered herself a tall black coffee with a slice of blueberry cheesecake and a plain bagel spread with good ol' Vegemite. She spotted her fellow Security officer as she got her order, walking over to Lisa's table with a soft smile. "G'day! Is it okay if I sat with you?"

Lisa spotted Jena walking in. Oh shit, that was the COS! Well, Lisa knew the inside story of the senior staff considering she was one back on Rapture, so she wasn’t too threatened. She still wasn’t used to NOT being senior staff anymore. She didn’t know if there were some secret boundaries here she couldn’t overstep, or how the senior staff were with the rest of the crew. But she didn’t show any of this. She was very cool and calm, it came with being Security and being a grown-ass woman who had lived for 45, almost 46 years. Her birthday was two days from now. But she was still in awe of Jena’s choice of food. Vegemite? Why? Why did Starbucks even sell that? “That’s alright with me, ma’am.”

"A'ight, much appreciated." Jena thanked her fellow security officer with a soft smile as she sat down across the table from her, the slight aussie accent casually slipping in as she spoke. The Betazoid would've gleaned into Lisa's initial thoughts as she approached her, glad to sense her calm coolness, but also caught a bit of her thoughts on not being in the senior staff anymore, which she personally understood how that felt in some way from her previous posting. Come to think of it, Jena never really met up with anyone else in the senior staff other than Dagis and Whidbey since arriving to the station, so she would be out of the loop on how they worked with the rest of the crew, but assumed it couldn't be too different from how she's doing things. "You're one of the new transfers from the Rapture right? How have you been doing in the station so far?" She asked out of curiosity, wanting to check in with the new additions to the crew since their reassignments to the station before she took a bite from the bagel. And yes, Starbucks having vegemite spread for bagels is an actual thing which Jena absolutely loved, internally enjoying the slight nostalgia coming from the salty, slightly bitter, and malty taste which came out as a quiet happy hum and a nod. "I'm Jena Sul, the COS. It's very nice to meet you."

“Yep, happy to be here on 777 now though. When I heard we were going here, I’ll have to admit I was interested in the diplomacy aspect. Though it’s odd not being ACOS anymore, the work’s easier but I still miss my nice decorated office.” She took a sip of coffee. She was still very chill. Lisa had good control of her emotions, it came with her age and just being Security. If there was a good thing about not being ACOS anymore, it was that she could take her week off every winter to go skiing.

"This is my first assignment in like, 5 years I think, so I understand how that felt at first... especially after you get everything just the way you like it. " Jena said with a soft smile as she took a sip of her coffee and looked back to the first weeks of being back home in Betazed from her previous posting. "And trust me, working in a station like this is a lot of daily busy work, so consider yourself lucky."* She added with a light chuckle, with 777 being a melting pot of activity for the Khitomer Alliance, things never really seem to sleep for long around here.* "If you don't mind me asking, what was it like in the Rapture? I'd imagine it was very exciting to explore so much of the galaxy."

“Five years? What were you doing all that time?” She was a little curious after all. She didn’t think she could take that long of a break from Starfleet, she loved her job too much. Of course she took vacations and such, she thought a good work life balance was vital in order to work efficiently. And Lisa was nothing if not efficient, she had been the one-woman leader of the Rapture’s security division with no COS for months after all. She had to BE her own COS while also being ACOS and damn it she did it well. She took another sip of coffee, kind of regretting not getting food as well. “Oh, I’m happy to avoid the busywork. That was the worst part of being ACOS. But the Rapture was amazing. I loved that ship, I loved all the other senior staff. We went on some pretty crazy away missions, almost died a few times, and when I first got assigned there, I had to act as COS for a fair few months while the actual COS was delayed.”

"Medical recovery mostly from my time during the Klingon War. I was ACOS of another station which bordered the Empire. Other than that, just enjoying time in Betazed with family, I haven't been home for a long while during the time." Jena answered honestly before taking another bite from her Vegemite Bagel ™️ to help her organize her thoughts during a brief pause, the slight bitter taste helping settle down very bitter memories. She snapped out of it after a quick moment as Lisa spoke of her time in the Rapture, listening intently with a soft smile. "From what I've read in the transfer logs, a lot of the Rapture's senior staff and crew have transferred here as well, so I hope you could help me get acquainted with them if you have the time." The Security Chief kindly asked, looking forward to meeting more of the new additions to the stations crew.

“Well, I hope you’re doing better now. I usually take a week off every six months to go home and visit family. Last winter I didn’t, I was more than a little busy, but now I probably will. Less responsibility now.” She’d be happy to visit family and go skiing again this winter. She was good at it, plus she always took the opportunity to hang out with her mothers and sisters and brothers and other family. She was hoping she’d be home for either Christmas or Thanksgiving this year. “Oh of course! Though I’ve only got a few people I know really well in my department, I do know everyone. They’re all good officers and very nice people.”

"Awe! That sounds quite lovely." Jenaha smiled softly as she listened to Lisa talk about her family, thinking about her own family as well, to which she did not have that many opportunities to keep in touch with for the past month or so due to the nature of her duties. She would give anything for some time to visit Melbourne again with her family, taking in the scenery of the beaches and also the fun of firing up the good 'ol barbie with her step-dad. Maybe she'll have that chance during the next shore leave. "I really appreciate hearing that.. um... I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch your name, Lieutenant?"

“It’s always chaotic with a big family, but it is nice.” There was barely enough room in the house to comfortably fit the whole extended family. She’d need a really big dining room to have a family dinner with all of them. And a shit ton of food. Luckily only about three quarters of the family could be counted on to be there at one time. She was happy that Jena was happy to hear about the old Rapture crew. They were amazing people after all, they deserved all the appreciation. Especially the somewhat underrated Security division. “Lisa Sanders. Patrol Officer.” She replied simply. She had finished her coffee, now it was time to leave. She wanted to get a workout in before finishing a painting. So she got up from her seat and waved. “Well, it was lovely meeting you ma’am, I hope we’ll run into each other again soon!” Then she recycled her empty cup and left.

[D] Jason walked into the Starbucks, his break having just started. The Starbucks was packed with people, Starfleet officers and civilians alike. He needed something to energise himself after a gruelling two hours of nothing happening while on duty. Being a security officer was his passion, yet he had to admit that patrolling was sometimes boring. It didn’t help that he hadn’t been able to socialise with anyone. Still relatively new to the Starbase, he had yet to make any friends. It reminded him of his early Academy days. He waited in the queue, stood behind a few people. Craning his neck, Jason looked at the menu and tried to decide on a beverage. He moved forward a few steps as the queue shrunk. Having never been in Starbucks before, he was surprised by the selection they had to offer. He found himself torn between ordering a cappuccino and a latte macchiato. The names of the sizes confused him for a moment. When he figured it out, he decided to get a grande sized beverage. Eventually he made it to the front of the queue and gave his order. A few minutes later, he received his drink. He had gone with a grande cappuccino. Turning and moving away from the counter, he looked around and tried to find an unoccupied table.

At one of the tables was a woman in science blue with sliver hair reaching down her neck as she dipped on a lovely little ice cap that seemed to have…Oreos in it? She looked towards the man trying to find and a seat and took an awkward breath as she waved at him, offering him the chair next to her. “Hey, uhm! If you need a seat you can use this one!”

As he looked around, he heard the science officer’s invitation. He turned to the woman and offered a relieved smile. “Thanks,” he said as he took a seat, “I can’t believe how packed this place is. Is it always like this?” He was trying his best to make conversation. It was a rare opportunity for him to actually talk to someone. He took a sip of his cappuccino, quickly recoiled from how hot it was. He set the cup down on the table.

Maggie gave a quick smile as he moved to sit down, shifting a little bit in her seat to give him more room as she took a drink. “Meh, it kinda is. Everyone needs the energy to keep on going, I don’t know what I would do without caffeine. Probably make giant worm holes happen, I mean uh!” She said as she looked away.

Jason chuckled. “I get what you mean, he said as he carefully picked up his cup again. This time, he took a much smaller sip. “I don’t know how I’d get through my patrol shifts if I didn’t have caffeine.” The sentiment applied both to when he was a security officer on the USS Defender and his job as a security officer on the Starbase. Most of the time, not much happened. Caffeine at least provided him with an energy boost.

Allan was... looking for some new fruity drink, but it was morning and he didn't feel like drinking in the morning or browsing the replicator menu and he had looked at Gliqqigug's line and seen that it was wayyyy too long for him to wait in, so he was here.. at something called 'Starbucks'. Was it to match Starfleet? What were bucks, though? He had no clue, but he figured the place might have some fruity drinks and he was soon... quite overwhelmed by all the menu options. Perhaps he should have gone with the replicator after all. "Yes, sorry, just, um- looking at the menu," he found himself saying to others who questioned if he was waiting in line or not, as he just looked at the menu and then saw a note on the menu that there was an even more extensive menu online.. oh, man. He took his PADD out of the pocket in his very short shorts and almost brought up the menu online, but then decided against it, determinedly stepping forwards into the line and leaned towards the person in the line in front of him. "Heyy, sorry, um - do you know maybe what the like, fruitiest drink here is? Is it the "Pink Drink" or like, something else...?"

After having dropped off her luggage in her quarters, having a smoke and freshening up, Maza had decided that her next stop would be to get one of the basic necessities of life. Caffeine. The replicator on the freighter that brought her here had been broken on the last part of the journey so she had to subsist on rations for a few days. Which was not the end of the world but it made her reach the end of her patience as it lacked any sort of coffee and she was not allowed to smoke on the ship. One shortcoming had now been taken care off, time for another. Leave it to humans to travel all this way out into space and still name their coffeeshop 'Starbucks'. She had visited one on her visit to Earth. It was passable. Standing at the counter to order, she would be tipped on her shoulder. Why he wanted a fruity drink in Starbucks of all places was beyond her, but she smiled and pointed at menu. "You want one of those Refreshers. Pink ones or those yellow ones are fine. Do not have green. Taste horrible." She spoke, getting her own cup from the clerk who gave her a look when she had just insulted one of their beverages. She would simply add. "What, it is true." She would keep standing near the counter as Allan would have his turn. "So, I am new to this station. Mind if we share our drink? I am excelent company, if I do say so myself."

"Ohhh, okay..." Allan said, as if this woman had pointed out the most revealing information about the restaurant to him, "thanks, yeah, I think I'll get the pink one, then," he said, making the quick exchange at the counter and looking at the cup curiously, swishing it around a few times just to see the mysteriously bright pink liquid slosh around. "You know what this reminds me of? It's like, if you took like, Trixian bubble juice and added some," he took a sip and nodded, "some milk? I think that's milk? Fuck, whatever it is, it's good, though-" He did not notice he'd been asked a question until about a full 10 seconds after he'd been asked it, too fascinated with the drink in his hands. "Oh! Yeah, totally, I'm sure you are," he said, moving over to one of the tables that was currently empty, "how long have you been on the station? Well, obviously, not long, or you wouldn't consider yourself new, but uhhh... like, what brought you here?"

She would eye Allan with some suspicion. Mostly because she thought he was joking. When apparantly this was not the case, she would take a sip from her coffee and comment. "Let me get this straight. You know Trixian bubble juice but not the menu of Starbucks? Is that not a human institution older than Starfleet itself? The guy at the museum on Earth said so. You...are a human right?" Maza said, seeming to almost instinctively regard Alan's ear and potentially forehead indicators. Appeared smooth. Following Allan to the booth, she would take her seat opposite of him. Looking at a small PADD she laid on the table near her she answered his question. "Not even a full hour. Just came off the freighter from Denobula. Placed my luggage in my quarters and now I am sitting here. With you. I consider you my standard on how I will judge the entirety of this station now. I hope you do not disapoint." Sip. "My name is Maza. I write holo-novels. Perhaps you know some of my work? Fireheart? The flying sharks of Risa? Perhaps 'Help, my Denobulan wives are cheating on me with each other?' Regardless, I am here to write a new one. If I may ask, how long have you served aboard this station?"

"Yeah?" Allan tilted his head to the side as the woman explained something about this coffee shop being older than Starfleet and that it was said at some Earth museum... "huh... no, I never - I mean, yes, I'm human, but... maybe it's a more regional thing? Never heard of it, and - more importantly, never been good with history. Hell, I might.. well, tech history's a whole different thing, actually, than.." than coffee shops, he thought as he sat down at the booth. And listened to her explain just how long he'd been here and... oh. Shit, expectations. He started analyzing what he'd already done, which, so far, hopefully, wasn't too bad- asking about a coffee shop menu and, well, he was wearing the 'Starfleet Short Shorts'... that he had a significant hand in starting the trend of.... well, maybe that was a good impression! They made his ass look good, at least. Which was... good? "Ah. Well, um, I hope I don't, no- wait," the redhead blinked as he replayed what Maza had just said in his head, "you're joking, right? Like, the Maza, who wrote the Fireheart? Nahh," he laughed, and then his eyes widened as he realized, no, he really was sitting in front of a fucking legend right now. Sure, he had hacked Starfleet. Nothing compared to the absolute resume of this woman, though. "Okay, I've served here since... mm, two years ago? May of last year," he said, and then shook his head as he took another sip of the pink drink, "you, though- please, I'm - honored to be in your presence, really, I - listen, playing through Fireheart was... an amazing experience, to say the least. Same thing with Hot Andorian Nights, that was also you, wasn't it?"

Maza listened amusingly at how Allan stumbled through this conversation like it was his first day at school and he just said called his teacher mom. That was a thing that humans were afraid of, was it not? For Maza her teacher was one of her step-moms so she would most likely see it as a compliment all things considered. Deciding to not torture the boy any more than was humorous, she left his lack of coffee knowledge unspoken. When the topic did go towards her and that the Starfleet boy not only knew who she was, but also seemed to have experienced her work... and loved it... a smile appeared on her face. Those elongated Denobulan smiles that meant they were really pleased. While she might have been humble in her early years, perhaps even embarrassed. Now? She was just happy to meet a fan. "All mine. Hot Andorian Nights, hey? You went for the hot steam baths or chose the thermic sleeping bag for two? Always happy to meet a fan."

In his opinion, Denobulan smiles were also quite contagious. He found himself smiling as soon as the woman in front of him did, more than happy to talk about the subject of her work. "Oh, absolutely the hot steam baths, but you know, I... always tend to try out all the options on my next playthrough, really. Have to try everything, you know? Cause like, those were both very good options, and - after having tried them both, I can tell you they absolutely were." He sipped his drink again, swirling it around to get it mixed up again, wanting the fruit to not sink to the bottom or whatever. Some drinks did that, some didn't, so he just wanted to be safe. "You said you were here to write a new one, though? I mean, I might not have been here for too long, but I'm like - I mean, not to brag, but I feel like I'm pretty well-connected here and know... pretty much about most things," he said, and he always set his drink down while talking, since talking with his hands was highly important to his mannerisms. "Especially when it comes to all the various... relationships around here, if that's something you're interested in... drawing inspiration from. I actually summoned ghosts with a friend just the other day, it was craaazy, but very nice."

The woman took a contented sip as she heard the lad talk about how he enjoyed her work. Always great to hear someone be positive about the amount of choices she build into her work. Not that the critics agreed. Regardless, she could throw him a bone. "If you want to really have fun, I will tell you a secret not many know about. In all of my novels I build in a sort of failsafe or easter egg. With almost any major character you can ask 'But what about our child?!' You will get a good response out of them. With some even a possible programmed route." As she took another sip and let the man talk, Maza was... kind of curious what kind of angle Allan was attempting to take. Was he genuinely interested in helping, or was he just brown-nosing? Bragging about being popular. With a hint of scepticism in her eyes, Maza would speak again. "I am here for a novel yes, but I have only just arrived. Hardly had the time to let the caffeine enter the bloodstream. Regardless, remember that you are talking to a Denobulan. Complicated relationship are our speciality. Asking any of my husbands, or their wives. Those are my step-wives. Or their husbands. Making them my husbands-once-removed. One of which is the lover of one of my husbands. And yes, I remember all their birthdays and hobbies. Regardless, if I was to depend on your expertise... Who would you say is the most interesting person on this station?"

Allan's eyes widened when Maza told him this clearly top secret information. "Noooo way," he said, grinning. "I actually have done that in a few runs, but holy shit, it works in all of them? God, well, guess what I'm doing tomorrow evening," he already had plans for this evening, of course. He'd always been able to go into the programming himself, of course, but what fun would that be? Spoilers were never much fun. "Oh, definitely," he wasn't going to get too much into his various relationships with Denobulans before, seeing as that would hardly be appropriate right now, nor his runs of 'Help, my Denobulan wives are cheating on me with each other'. "Hmm... I mean, honestly? There's a whollle bunch of us that could be considered the most interesting. Like, both of my boyfriends are super interesting in totally different ways... but then there's like, a ton of other people who I'd absolutely recommend you talk to, too... I could give you a list? But it'd be pretty long.." he looked like he was thinking for quite a while before he asked just another question, "but like... why this station specifically?"

Maza would grin and nod to indicate a very non-verbal 'Yes way'. While she was surprised a bit that someone would already use that prompt, she should not have been surprised. "Every major character. Also once a tree because I felt like it. It is not too uncommon of an inside gag. Know of an...better left unnamed holo-novelist who had build in that if you would sing-song 'Hello! Ma baby' they would break out in a musical. No matter if you are at a funeral or a battlefield." When the topic reached interesting people, Maza couldn't help but keep smiling. After taking a sip from her coffee, she would comment. "Multiple boyfriends? My my, what an explorer. I have two husband, but that is more common for my people. Are they each other boyfriends as well or do you keep one for each arm?" Maza would soon add. "It is a... Denobulan saying. It can happen that while two persons are married to the same man or woman, they themselves are not very compatible. So, one for each arm." Hopefully that made sense. "And if you cannot decide and need that list, you can make one. Still, always consider yourself interesting. I would guess your boyfriends would like that. But please, tell me about them!" Maza did not seem to answer the question as to why she was here... finding Allan the more interesting topic at the moment.

"A tree!?" Allan exclaimed in disbelief, laughing as he shook his head and took out his PADD. "C'mon, please, you've ought to tell me which one that's in." He did not mention that he had also done that latter experience several times as well- what could he say? He was a sucker for musicals. He nodded as he set down his pink drink, the ice in it making that little sound that ice tended to make when it collided with itself in a drink as he did. "Definitely, uh, the latter. They're... very different, but they do have some common interests! Like, they both like traditional books, um.." he looked down as he considered whether or not to make a list, before perking up again when Maza asked him to tell her about his boyfriends. "Oh! Yeah, I mean, I know I'm interesting, but oh man, okay, let me tell ya, so we'll start with Eshen - Eshen K'Tann, he's um, got a fancy title, which like, I love for him, he's so fucking fancy and I love that so much - but, um, he's a diplomat, who often goes by Dion, first of all, very hard to miss, he's got the most beautiful hair you've ever seen, the body and voice of an absolute angel, and - I mean, need I say more? Actually, no, I do need to say more, see-" and then he went on for approximately .... way too long talking about him, from every little quirk he knew about the man to like, half the amazing times they'd had together like when they formed their band (The Starlots) and had their crazy joint-birthday parties, and that one time in the... yeah, he just went on with all that, including even some information about Dion's other partners (Nalas, Aella, and Saren, the latter of whom he would say suspiciously little about), before he want on to say even more. divider

22:45

"So like, overall, soooo good, definitely the most... socially connected person on the station, we always say we sort of share that title with eachother, kinda a power couple y'know? And then there's Mephistopheles, who like," he sighed dreamily much like he had at multiple points during his last spiel, "you know, his voice is really soothing too, actually, like, in a really I want to hear this all the fucking time kinda way, and - oh - full name Mephistopheles Mo, by the way, he has like, a fancy title but like, not in the words way, in like, he runs the place kind of way? Anyways, he's got this really incredible way of..." and, well, you guessed it, he did the exact same thing he'd done before, ranted at Maza for however long about his second boyfriend, all the little things he loved about him, the little isopod platforming game they'd made together, the fact that his birthday was Christmas and it was imperative that everyone on the station remembered that fact - and finished it all with, "um, so yeah, they - honestly, they both make me feel so special? And, um, if. If it wasn't clear, Ilovethemsofuckingmuch, um, but I've probably talked too much," he had, "tell me about, um... your husbands?" (edited)

Taking a last sip, Maza was disheartened that she seemed to have reached the bottom of her cup. She could get another, but talking with Allan was just as stimulating. "I won't spoil the surprise. I guess you will just have to talk to every tree till you find the right one." The Denobulan would listen attentively when Allan began to gush both words and affection. At first she considered butting in but that would most likely get Allan out of his flow. So she just nodded, smiled, and seemed to be genuinely listening to how the affectionate man described his lovely love life. Ah, to be young.* "To keep it simple and just my husbands. My first husband is Truxan. Married when I was young. It was his Triple Treat." She hummed for a moment. "It is when you marry three spouses at the same time. Big event. Honestly my most beautiful wedding. He oversees a mine on Niberon II. We have four children. He is honestly a workaholic but he cares. My second wedding was to Korad and Horva. Separated from Horva after like a year but still married to Korad. He is teacher on Niberon Prime. We have three children. He worries perhaps a bit too much." All spoken quite matter of factly compared to Allan, something on which Maza commented. "Married to Korad for over 30 years now. Truxan...close to 50. Even have my first grandchild this year. Young love burns bright, but it is an art to keep the fire going even when the night turns long."

Every tree. Damn. Well, that would have to be something the engineer would spend hours finding out in the holodeck later, too. Allan listened as attentively as Maza had to him when she began to speak about her husbands, smiling as he was so deeply intrigued and - honestly, quite touched by the way she described it all. Marrying three spouses at the same time? Sounded like something he'd consider far into the future, perhaps. His eyes widened as he mentally added the amount of children in his head - seven children. As someone who was very much a 'eh, having children would be nice but I'm not entirely sure' at the moment, he simply nodded along as Maza continued to say the length of time she'd been married to both of the men - "Wow," was what he ended up saying after all that, genuinely amazed, "30, 50... wow. Honestly, I - congrats, genuinely, um-" was he tearing up at the thought of his own relationships going for that long? No. Nope. "That's.... you know what, I'm writing that down, actually, thank you," he said as he wrote that last line down in a PADD. Maybe could ask permission to use it in a song or something down the line. "And instead of any place with them, you're... here, on this ... regular starbase," he said with a chuckle, kind of amazed that that was the case, but it did make sense in his head, mostly.

Oh, sweet little biscuit boy... precious. Maza seemed to be genuinely endeared to Allan and at ease with his... joie de vivre. "Finding the right person helps with sticking together, but also commiting to the relationship in whatever form it has taken. I spent more time at homes when my children were younger, but now they are all adults they have their own lives. Nothing compares to being a parent. Both the good and the difficult." She smirked when Allan wrote down her quote. "As long as you attribute it to me when they ask, we are all good. Suns know that I cannot tell anyone about plagiarism." When being asked about why she was here and not with her husbands, Maza would fold her hands and answer truthfully. "Honestly? I am a writer. I need new experience or I will get..." What did the doctor say again. "...stir crazy. Life is too precious to fall into stagnation. It is why I love the holodeck. A place where you can design and do almost anything your mind can imagine." She wanted to add: 'And I just use it to make sappy romance and cheap thrills... you hackfraud.' But she did not. She was mature like that.

Allan nodded along as this woman just... really... maybe the whole thing about being older and wisdom was actually true, or at least, it was definitely seeming to be the case here. "Makes sense," he didn't have much to say in response, but he hoped that didn't give off the impression that he had no interest in what she had said, because he absolutely did, "oh, I'll - definitely credit you, no worries, I'm uh, not a poet, really, but Dion- well, you already about all that, uhm." He sipped the last of his pink drink - sadly, he'd have to find an excuse to get that again - as he listened to Maza explain the rest. "Stir crazy? Oh, yeah, I feel that. New experiences are like, cr- like, uh," he had to think for a moment of the correct word, "fuel? Uhm... really important, basically. It's one of the reasons I love the holodeck too, actually, and in general meeting new people and getting to know them and have experiences with them and then it's like, a whole new experience even if you've experienced it before because you've never experienced it before with them, you know?" Is the oven hot when cold put in or whatever it was? "I mean, I don't know what led you to 777 specifically, but like - if you need anything else here or even just like, suggestions on where or who to have experiences with, like - I'd be happy to help in any way I can, really, this - I know I can't, and I shouldn't say it, especially only being here for such little of a time, but... fuck, I - it does feel like home, a little. It really does, so - um, yeah."

Delightful young man. Maza would quite instinctively take a sip from her cup to find yet again that it was empty and without even a drop left. "It is funny..." Maza began, indicating that what she was about to say was not humorous. "It is a feeling I do not think I have. Feeling 'at home'? Not with a place at least. Maybe because I travel a lot. I have it more with people, and my family. But even then... all of my kids are adults and most of them are spread around the quadrant doing their own thing. I guess they have that from their terribly adventurous mom." Or have that because of their lack of one. Eh, they shouldn't complain. They had multiple moms to start. Standing up from her seat, the Denobulan seemed about ready to leave. Leave to get more coffee. "I am getting a refill. You want something or do you have places to be and boyfriends to hug?"

"Mm, I get what you mean," Allan said, instinctively doing the exact thing of taking a sip only to get some remains of the melted ice within the cup, "like, I think for me, it's the people that make a place home, like... the people are home, yeah, but like, the places the people are in also becomes a home, if - if that makes any sense at all," the engineer laughed, knowing that most of what he ever said did not make much sense to most people, but he always said the words anyways, because what else would he say? Speak properly? Nah. "I'm-" he looked at his own empty drink when she stood up, leaning back into the chair with a shrug and a dumb smirk on his face, "to be fair, I have a lot more I should be doing than my - doing with my boyfriends than hugs, I mean, but -" he stood up as well, taking his empty drink cup in hand, "I'll probably also get a refill before I go do them. That." [D] And so they probably idly chatted a little more as they got their refills, perhaps about certain things that may not be described, and then went their separate ways! For now. Allan still had many questions about all the secret holonovel paths to ask her after he would test them later after all.

It was Ensign Tennibrook Balmossie's first day off since arriving at the starbase five days ago, and she intended to take a little 'me' time but also go out in public and meet new people. It amused her that even in such a far-flung area of the galaxy, Starbucks was still a thing. It was pumpkin-spice season back home, and she was eager to have a couple of slices of pumpkin bread, so she dutifully queued up. She was dressed in civilian clothes-- a red off-shoulder blouse, black skirt, and flat sandals. Her toenails were painted robin's-egg blue.

[D] Thol had only just arrived on the station and finished his basic orientation. He had a few hours open before he needed to report to science for his introductory shift. Thol was a young Andorian wearing the blue of science, his uniform perfectly pressed and up to protocol. He wanted to have a good first impression. The Andorian was tired after all of his travels and decided that he wanted a coffee. He walked into the Starbucks and ordered something on the menu that he did not recognize, a raktijino. After getting his drink Thol walked over to a table with an open seat. "Mind if I join you?"

Tennibrook had acquired a couple pieces of pumpkin bread and a peppermint hot chocolate, and found an empty table in the corner to sit at, where she could look out at the crowd. When an Andorian science-department ensign came over and asked to sit with her, her first thought was, 'He's cute.' And he was. "Yes, of course," Tennibrook said with a gentle smile. "What'cha got there to drink?"

Thol sipped his drink, surprised by the taste. He had never had anything like that before and was not sure if he would ever have anything like this again. It was not bad, but the Andorian still preferred either a human coffee or something more like what he was used to at home. "I think it's called a raktijino. I'm Ensign Thol Ch'ekivil by the way." He smiled slightly but was also somewhat embarrassed. First propper interaction on the station and he was introducing himself with his rank and last name. Thol knew he was just nervous but still did not like it.

"I must be the only person who goes into Starbucks who doesn't really like coffee," Tennibrook remarked. "I'm drinking peppermint hot chocolate, and I've got some pumpkin bread slices. Would you like one of them? I'm Tenni, by the way. Ensign Tennibrook Balmossie." Tenni was a little awkward in social situations as well, but she'd found herself making friends so far on the station, and hoped it would continue.

"I'm good, thanks." Thol looked at Tenni and tried to guess what they did on the station. Didn't have the hands of an engineer. Did not seem like the command personality type. Maybe something in security or tactical? He wasn't sure and figured it was best to ask. "So what do you do on the station? You aren't in your uniform so I think I'm at a bit of a disadvantage here." The scientist understood the irony of the situation. He was just in a casual chat over coffee, but still resorted to overanalyzing everything due to his general stress about the day. Thol surpessed as much of it as he could, but Andorians were pretty emotive.

Tenni took a bite of one of her pumpkin loaf slices, and washed it down with some cocoa. She smiled at him. "It's my day off, so I decided I wanted to dress like a woman. I'm in security. Phaser specialist, actually. This is my... fifth?... day on the station, assigned here right out of the Academy. I'm loving it so far. Meeting all kinds of interesting people, including a Ferengi and even a Jem'Hadar." Tennibrook was curious about Thol too, so she asked: "What do you do on the station?"

Thol listened and sipped at his drink, intrigued by what he was hearing. Tenni was one of the security officers which something different to the science officer. He was excited when he heard mentions about a Jem'Hadar however. It only made sense that a Ferengi was around at a major trading post like this, but a Jem'Hadar? Thol never had even considered that he would have met one of those at the station. "Well starting in a few hours I will be serving as a political scientist. This station is the perfect place for it."

"Oh, yes, it is indeed," Tennibrook agreed. "A lot of different races come here. I never in a million years thought I would ever meet a Jem'Hadar, let alone have a theological discussion with one. I found him interesting. The Ferengi, too. Starfleet's credo is to seek out new life, and I've certainly done so already." Tenni took a long sip of her hot cocoa. "So, what will be your role as a political scientist here?" she asked.

Thol took a few sips of his raktijino, still debating whether or not he loved or hated the drink. He liked the flavor but there was just something off about it. "Fascinating. And that's just in your first few days." The Andorian paused for a moment when asked about his role. He was not sure how to summarize his entire field in a few short sentences. Thol figured that he would likely be asked to do this a lot in the future however. "As a political scientist I study everything about governments, how they operate, and how they interact. Specifically I am studying the relations of the Khittomer Alliance members and how their membership in the Alliance is changing how their governments act and operate."

"I'd say you've definitely been assigned to the right place for this discipline," Tennibrook said with a wry smile. "Did you get to choose your own assignment?" Tenni had been assigned here without getting much of a say in it; she'd done well in school but not well enough to get her choice of assignments. Not that she'd be one to complain. Starbase 777 was a fascinating place.

Thol just smiled nodded, he truly was in the perfect place. The station had a lot of tactical value with its placement yes, but it also had a lot of diplomatic and economic worth. The Andorian would be able to continue his work outside of the library and computer lab. "I mean I got to say my preferences. To be honest I still think my Klingon history teacher pulled a few strings to help me, but then that's just speculation."

"Nice!" Tennibrook exclaimed. "I had been hoping to be assigned to a deep-space exploration starship myself, maybe exploring the Gamma or Delta Quadrants-- but this isn't so bad. I hope I don't get bored, though. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of action going on around here. I've spent my days just calibrating phaser rifles and practicing on the range. But I got a satisfactory rating on my inspection, so I must be doing something right." Tennibrook sipped her cocoa some more, and took a bite of her pumpkin bread. "So, you're a student of history, huh?"

Thol was somewhat surprised that Tenni was bored spending their days on the station. He had always pictured this place as one of the most desirable Starbase postings, but apparently that was not the case for security. The tacticians, scientists, and diplomats all had a lot to do on the station at least. "Fair enough." The Andorian shook his head a bit, disappointed but not surprised by the question. He knew that most people had no clue what a political scientist did. That was likely not going to change however. He tried to keep his spirits up and not let this annoy him. "I am a political scientist, so I study how political systems work and how they have changed. Part of that includes military and governmental history, but much of it is looking at the present and the future."

"I suppose I shouldn't complain about not getting any action around here," Tennibrook said, smiling wryly. "We humans have a saying: 'Be careful what you wish for-- you might just get it.' And I should prefer peace and quiet to mad chaos. So all I can do is prepare for the worst while hoping for the best." Tenni took another bite of her pumpkin bread, finishing off her first of two pieces. "So, what's your ultimate goal in Starfleet? It sounds like you may eventually qualify for an ambassadorial posting on your current job path. Become a legend like Ambassador Spock or Ambassador Charivretha Zh'Thane of your own home planet."

Thol paused for a moment and debated how to respond. He was a pretty simple Ensign with any major dreams or aspirations. Simply be being a political scientist he was a part of something far bigger, a community of accedemics. That was how Thol saw it at the very least. "Two years ago I had to make the decision on whether or not I wanted to become a diplomat or a student of diplomacy. As you can see I am wearing blue. In a field such as mine the goal is not great acclaim or a captain's chair. It is simply to do good work, gain the respect of one's peers, and perhaps one day get tenure at the academy. I hope to advance the field and that's about it." He smiled, realizing how long his answer had been to such a simple question. "What about you? What's your dream?"

Tenni decided that Thol deserved a well-thought-out answer as well. "I, myself, had a choice between engineering and security at the Academy. I spent a lot of my childhood tinkering with old stuff like ancient tricorders. But I also had a lot of athletic pursuits. Ultimately, when I discovered my natural innate phaser ability, I decided to get into security. As I progress through Starfleet, I want to eventually become chief of security on a starship somewhere."

Thol listened and sipped his drink, interested by what he was hearing. He had departed between diplomacy and political science, but then those were similar fields. He was interested by the fact that Tenni had been debating between two roles that were so completely different in both their goals and operation. Thol also noticed that Tenni wanted to be a COS and not a captain which was another thing that surprised him. Perhaps they just truly loved there job. "Respectable. I mean I was also debating between two paths so I get what you went through. Is there a reason that you want to be on a starship instead of somewhere like here?"

"I just... want to be out exploring the galaxy," Tenni said. She smiled. "Discovering new life. Going on first contact missions. Defending my ship, if necessary. Starbase 777 is nice and safe and there's plenty to do, and I like the people I've met, but it's kinda... boring. Not much to do aside from lower-decks stuff like calibrating phasers and stuff." Tenni sighs. "But I shouldn't complain. If I do well in my tasks, I'll get promoted and get to do stuff that I'd really like to do. And I certainly can't complain about the fact that I'm meeting people of races that I never had before. Well, one, anyway. A Jem'Hadar."

Thol smiled and sipped his drink. "I guess that all makes sense, although I guess I never thought about how different it was for different roles. You need to worry about rank and placement about all of that. I am doing the same research no matter what my title or placement is." He could not help but noticing that Tenni kept bringing up their meeting with the Jem'Hadar. They were likely fascinating, but he had to wonder if this one was more than just the security officer's example of a new species. "And you keep mentioning that Jem'Hadar. Something about them stand out other than the fact that they are from the Dominion?"

"Good point," Tennibrook said, taking a sip of her cocoa. *My roles and responsibilities will grow as I gain experience and rank." *She took her first bite of her second pumpkin loaf. It tasted so fresh, she wondered if it was grown in the hydroponics bay onsite. "I just... never thought I'd be discussing Jesus, of all things, with a Jem'Hadar. I doubt he'll convert to Christianity or anything like that, but he seemed open to listen to what I had to say about my beliefs. I didn't expect such... respect."

Thol shook his head a bit. "I don't think it would be safe to try and ask a Jem'Hadar to serve someone other than the Founders, at least from what I know about them. Sounds like an interesting conversation though." The station's geography also played a big role in things. Thol expected to see a lot of Romulans and Klingons around, as well as any others who were interested in visiting such a well places trading hub. "This station is so special because it is at a major crossroads. We are both going to meet all sorts of people."

"I suppose you've got a point there," Tennibrook said. "You're right; I should make the most of the opportunities I have here, and not lament the fact that I wasn't assigned to a starship. There are a lot of different races represented here, right on the edge of Klingon and Romulan space. "So... have you ever been near Cardassian space?" Tennibrook asked. She finished off her cocoa as she asked the question. "Balmarrow is where I'm from; it used to be a Cardassian world before we made territorial trades with them just before the Dominion War."

Thol thought for a second before shaking his head, not able to think of any time that he had been to that part of the galaxy. He realized that he was not familiar with Balmarrow either, although Thol knew a bit about the territorial trades that Tenni was speaking of. He had learned about them during his Dominion War class. "I don't think so, no. To be honest I can't say that I know anything about Balmarrow either. What is it like?" He felt slightly embarrassed about not knowing a planet, but then there were simply too many to memorize the little ones.

Tennibrook tried to think of a good way to describe her home. "It's a place of great natural beauty," she finally said. "We have waterfalls, forests, tropical rain forests, and only a handful of relatively small cities. There's only about 10,000 people living on the whole planet. But we have all the modern comforts of your usual Federation world, too. We don't have to import a whole lot of resources, and our farming is all done by machine, leaving us free to engage in intellectual and recreational pursuits."

Thol listened and tried to picture the planet, imagining it to be similar to the remaining rural parts of Earth. "It sounds nice, the perfect place for a simple but pleasant life. Small enough to not need to worry about the complications of the galaxy but developed enough to not need to worry about survival." The scientist could not help but compare the world to his own home. An ice moon with billions of people and a small world with thousands were different in almost every way. "At the very least It sounds very different from Andoria, at least climate and size wise."

Tennibrook laughed. "Oh, yes. Very much so. It doesn't get nearly as cold as Andoria does. Even in the winter. I come from one of the most temperate regions of Balmarrow. It doesn't get much below, say, 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter where I grew up." Tennibrook finished her second pumpkin loaf. "I suppose a Balmarran summer would probably dry you out, huh?"

Thol shrugged, he had gotten used to the climate of San Francisco and Balmarrow sounded similar. He had managed to have a few respites by taking trips to Alaska and Russia, but then that was it. "By now I have managed to get used to warmer climates, although I admit that my definition of a good vacation is still climbing frozen cliffs." He wondered if Tenni thought that Andoria was inhospitably frozen or just cold. "I imagine that you would be fine on Andoria with a good coat."

"Oh. Okay, then," Tennibrook replied to his comment about a coat. "That doesn't sound so bad. And I do have a coat. I even brought it with me to the starbase. It's an old Starfleet field jacket. I love collecting old things. Some of the classics are the best things around."

"I have to agree with that." Thol smiled nostalgically as he thought back to his time back at the local museum on Andoria. His interest in history had led him to political history and then political science after all. Well, among other things at least. "My dad was a museum curator so I largely grew up surrounded by antiques. It's a large part of the reason why I am wearing a blue uniform and doing what I do now."

"It's been too long since I've spent time in a museum," Tennibrook said. "Balmarrow has several, including a natural history museum which I was particularly fascinated with. Balmarrow went through a period of absolutely massive animals, much like Earth's dinosaurs."

Thol nodded, glad to see that Tenni was also interested in such things. "I have to agree with that, museums are great." He knew that it was bad to make assumptions about people, but Thol could not help exactly what it was that a security officer liked about museums. He figured that most found them boring. "Just curious, is there anything particular that you look for at them? Any sort of exhibit or something?"

Tennibrook smiled brightly. "I like museums that have evidence of ancient civilizations. Like the museums on Earth that show the ancient Egyptians and Mesopotamians. Or the museums that show the Ancient Hebitian civilization on Cardassia. Though, unfortunately, the Cardassians sold off their own treasures to fund the Union's expansion."

Thol paused for a second, debating how to respond. “I’m not sure I completely agree with you there. The Cardassians are aggressively proud of their culture and heritage. Everything Cardassian is the best in their minds.” He shook his head slightly, losing a bit of his joyful disposition. “There has been quite a bit of corruption within the Union though, so a few figures have managed to sell away quite a bit of their artifacts.”

Tennibrook sighed. "That's true, but they don't care much for the First Hebitian civilization. Even though it sprung on the same planet. That plus the corruption; most of the kleptocracy has self-plundered Cardassian artifacts." Tennibrook finished her drink. "Well, it's about time for me to go on my shift, so I'd better go to my quarters and get changed. It was very nice meeting you, Thol!"

He shrugged knowing that he was at a disadvantage here. This sort of thing was Thol’s field but he did not know too much about this. His focus was more on current events. “Maybe so, I will have to look more into it.” Thol nodded, seeing that this conversation was over. He had not expected to have one in the first place though so this was just a spontaneous pleasant chat. It was also good to meet someone new on the station. “It was nice meeting you too Tenni.”