Star Trek: Rapture

The Doctor had just arrived aboard ship, she even still had her over the shoulder tote bag along with her suitcases. She took in a fresh breath of that starship recycled air. As she searched for a place to set her heavy bags down. God know’s why she chose to settle here in the delta, perhaps she was just looking to settle into larger ship board life again. She picked a window seat and moved her bags into a non-awkward position so that other officers could get by without struggle. But one thing was certain. She needed to find her quarters immediately; after she saw what this place was about of course.

[D] The Kelpien had heard of some event happening, though to be honest, never liked crowds. He immediately had turned to what he had hoped a less crowded part of the decks for now. Also he had not been here before, so it natural pique his interest. He would look around the room before walking into it. What was this? Serell decided to ask around, now with his curiosity burning. "Er... Hello Sir?" He stammered a bit upon realizing the person's rank he approached to was higher than his.

Angela glanced back Serell, then when she realized he wasn't a waiter as if he were; sje would've told him to move on as she was still deciding on what she wanted. After she realized he wasn't a waiter or whatever passed for one in this spot. She greeted the officer with a warm smile, but she couldn't help but correct him. "Lieutenant, before we continue this conversation. I'll have to insist you call me Doctor. I may hold the rank of Commander and be a Starfleet Officer, but I am first, and above all else, a Doctor." She couldn't help but chuckle after that. "Sorry, it's kind of a running joke for me. People always think I'm some kind of Chief of Science studying rocks. Because we have the same color uniforms as them. So they're surprised when they learn I'm in the Medical Devision. They're taken aback from time to time. Angela Olson, Chief Medical Officer. What can I do for you?"

"Ah... apologies. Hello Doctor. I'm Lieutenant Junior Grade Serell Hutchson." God, he wished he could get promoted, Junior Grade adds in a few more mouthfulls... The Kelpien reached out a hand for the doctor to shake. "Forensic scientist and forensic psychologist..." Serell was quite... tall, but then that's expected of Kelpiens. However he was more apparent on the thinner end, still with broad shoulders.

1

She walked into the room. She was wearing a red t-shirt with a white sweater, an ankle length white skirt to top it off. She sat down at the bar.

Bannir smiled as she walked in. The Delta was lively but not unruly so. The few neon lights flashing as people enjoyed their drinks. Pulling a bowl of the trademark delta shaped pretzels towards her he came over. “Hey welcome to the Delta what can I get you?”

“Gin and tonic, please.” She said. She took a pretzel from the bowl. She’d just have a few drinks and go to bed.

Nodding he started on the drink before sliding it to her. “So what bring you in here? Just a night cap or you on the look out for the party?”

“Just a night cap. I don’t think any parties are going on. Not tonight, at least.” It was usually a cup of tea she had before bed, but this ship had a bar and she was going to use it.

“Probably the better idea of the two. We’re happy to have you regardless. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thank you.. ah.. I don’t think I caught your name? I’m Lieutenant Lisa Sanders. After all the records and things I’ve had to take care of, I deserve a drink.” And she did. ACOS was a demanding job. She loved it, but it was a total pain in the ass.

“Oh my apologies, I’m Bannir, and it’s a pleasure to meet you Lisa. Please do take your time, and I’ll see what I can do to help.”

She took a sip of her drink, and took another pretzels from the bowl. She swallowed before speaking again. “So, how’d you find yourself on a starship?”

“Oh you know. One thing leads to another. I was just hanging around a Star cruiser for a while and ended up here. Mostly it’s the little worm in my belly. He likes the stars.” *He had started wiping down the counter as he spoke relying on the old trick of seeming busy.I

“Hm.. Well, I think a lot of us are here because we like the stars. After all, why go to space if you hate space?” She loved space. Charted, uncharted, it didn’t matter. She would never get tired of staring at the stars, watching them go by as the ship moved past them.

“Yeah I get that Mer spent so much time in space he doesn’t like the actual gravity of planets and honestly I get it. It’s weird not moving.” He smiled softly as he kept wiping. “But either way I’m here and I don’t mind it. It’s nice.”

“Being in zero gravity’s a nice feeling. Strange, but nice.” She finished her gin and tonic, and took out her PADD. A few messages, one notification about the extended warranty. She clicked ‘decline’. She didn’t need an extended warranty.

“It really is. Want another?” He pointed to her glass as he watched her gently. “You know the extended warranty is very worth it. It’s extended and warrantied.”

“Oh, it’ll be fine. I’m very careful with my devices. But yes, I’ll have another.” She wouldn’t have many, though. No need to get drunk. One more, she thought.

Nodding he poured another before passing it to her and pouring himself a water. “So Lisa, what do you do around here?”

“I’m the assistant chief of security. So far, it’s only been paperwork. I’m just wandering the ship and familiarizing myself with the layout. But yeah, that’s about it so far. Most of my downtime I just spend in the gym.” She was a perfect example of the SwoleFleet culture aboard this ship. Everyone went to the gym. It was always leg day.

2

“Ah, nice. I don’t work out much but hefting kegs is more than enough.” He smiled as he kept going before sighing and picking up a glass starting to polish it. “Why the fleet?”

“I needed a change from my old job. I had liked it, but the new boss was about the worst type of person to work with. So, decided I’d finally join Starfleet. I was considering it, but didn’t join up until that point. I’ve spent a decade or so in Starfleet. Best decade of my life.” And it was. Even better than Earth, even though she missed the mountains. She always had the holodecks to hike in, new scenery each time. Plus, the Science division always had interesting stories of the new Experiment going on, who had what research project and so on.

“That sounds nice. I was almost in the fleet. I did a while in applied biology but then I decided I didn’t want it and I went and worked on a few cruise ships as a bartender and then moved here. It’s a great time here plus I get to make my own rules.”

“I get it. Starfleet’s not for everyone. There are upsides and downsides like with every other job.” She was a pretty wise person, believe it or not. She had seen a lot of shit in her time. There were plenty of things she wanted to forget, and plenty of things she wanted to remember forever.

“Yeah plus end of the day I didn’t like people telling me what to do. I like being able to find my own way through the world.”

“Mhm. I think I’ll end my drinking here and turn in. Perhaps I’ll come again another day.” She finished the rest of her drink and slid the glass back to him. She left the required payment next to him and stood up.

“Sounds great come again.” Taking her payment he smiled before waving her off.

She waved, before walking out of the bar.

A new place, a new position, Mishkanaa was trying to keep track of it all, all of the new rules, the new corridors. It was almost overwhelming -- really she was overwhelmed, it was why she was currently situated in the bar, getting her bearings, she called it. Bars were somewhere she could find friends. Bars were somewhere she could find someone to talk to, maybe pick their brains about what it was like to live on a ship such as this. After all, every ship was different, every ship had its own culture. She took a seat, and she stretched, grinning as she finally let herself relax.

Dunamis didn't drink, except when the social situation at hand called for it. He still liked to visit bars, though, in the interests of socializing and building connections. Bars tended to attract all manner of people, after all - after all you never know whom you might meet. He settled down a seat away from the Orion woman and ordered a mango smoothie. Odd order from a bar of all places, sure, but he'd long gotten used to the oddity of it.

Mishkanaa was quick to notice that someone was sitting next to her. What kind of pilot would she be otherwise? What kind of pilot could not notice their surroundings? But no matter. She was quick to notice someone next to her and she was more than happy to at least try and make conversation with them. That was what people did at bars... at least that was what she had always found. Maybe things were different here. "Hello! I'm Ensign Mishkanaa Y’Arri, it's a pleasure to meet you. I believe I heard you order a smoothie? I wasn't eavesdropping I promise I just have good hearing. Anyways, are the smoothies good here? I'm looking to branch out a little when it comes to my orders." Maybe she talked too much, but that bright smile was there the whole time she spoke, happily talking to someone almost unprovoked.

Dunamis looked over to see who had spoken. The young Orion woman wore a bright, dazzling smile on her lips, the kind that would instantly bring joy to the beholder - which it honestly sort of did for him. A lot of ensigns began their duties optimistic, of course, but few with quite as much enthusiasm as she. "They are quite good, I'd say. I'm sure the bartender would be pleased to make you one if you so asked." He replied smoothly. "I personally rather enjoy his mango smoothies - though I'm sure any other fruit would be equally as pleasant."

Mishkanaa nodded, taking his advice to heart and very soon asking the bartender politely for a strawberry smoothie. She had always held a weakness for pink things -- if her glasses were not any indication. She seemed quite pleased with what she received as well, if the satisfied nod were any indication. "May I ask your name? Ah! Sorry if I'm talking your ear off, I can stop if you would like!" She was embarrassed for a moment, slight blush rising to her cheeks. Though, it did not last for long at all. There was no time to worry over social faux-pax.

"I am lieutenant commander Dunamis, assistant head of tactical. Worry not about talking too much, ensign - I really do not mind at all." He replied with a kind smile. Maybe she was nervous, he reckoned, seeing his rank, and might be even more so now that she'd learned he was also holding a position on the Rapture's senior staff. "And yourself?"

"Well, again, it is a pleasure to meet you, Lieutenant Commander Dumanis," Mishkanaa nodded at this new information, seeming to take it in stride -- even if she was just a touch nervous talking to a member of senior staff. But, she reckoned, she might have to talk to senior staff more as time went on. It was probably for the best that she got used to it now. "I'm a helmsman and a pilot. Hopefully I'll do a good job... this is my first post out of Academy."

"Ah! I see. As an ensign myself once I understand how it feels when one sets foot on their first assignment - how have you settled in?" He asked, "Have you made any new friends, or at least others who are willing to show you the ropes on board?"

"I'll settle in eventually, it's been going well so far, so I'm sure it won't be too long now." She shrugged, scratching the back of her neck before she confessed something that might be a little embarrassing. "I haven't really met anyone else yet, I'm working on it though! This happened back at academy too -- it always takes me a little while to actually make friends." There was emphasis on that last word, and truth to it as well.

It took her a while to make friends? With her personality he found that highly unusual. "And why would that be?" He asked with a curious cant to his head. "You seem to have a wonderful air about you, miss Y'Arri - I don't really see why you'd struggle to befriend others." And he meant every word of that honest compliment. She was of a rare sort of individual, the kind the larger world needed far more of.

A compliment? That was enough to catch her off guard, and bring that blush back to her face. In truth, she was more than a little embarrassed, and she did not recover as quickly as she had before. "Ah! Thank you for the compliment. I suppose the reason I struggle to make friends is the fact that I come off as too much for some people. All this" she gestured to herself "can make some people uncomfortable I'm told."

Well, alright. He did have to admit that too much energy was indeed too much for some people to handle. Some preferred their company to be milder and more quiet, more a listening ear than the one doing the talking. That was fine by them. Dune himself really didn't mind her energy and optimism at all. "I don't uncomfortable at all, and I'm sure most others on board won't either once you've met them," He remarked kindly. "Trust me when I say you need not worry not about bonding with this crew, ensign."

His words were comforting to Mishkanaa. She had been trying not to worry about her place on the ship, on making new friends and being accepted. At least now she had someone telling her that it would all be okay in the end. Everything would end up fine. She just needed to be herself -- as cheesy as that sounded. "Thank you. It means a lot... hearing someone say that I'll be able to fit in. I've been kinda worried about that whole thing to be honest." She thought for a moment, having taken a sip from her smoothie and having tilted her head ever so slightly to the side. "What do you like to do? On the ship I mean. I've been trying to get a feel for the culture and all of that."

"My duties keep me busy - though when I am free I spend my time reading and occasionally playing chess with those who are willing. Elsewise I make my own dinner sometimes - though I find such times are becoming increasingly rare." He replied. "How about you?"

"It is always good to get a good break from duties I've found -- even though I haven't been doing them myself for long -- a good break keeps me focused more when I get back to it" She shook her head after she gave her rather unwarranted advice. "It might be a little surprising but I like to study up on Astrophysics and Cosmology -- I attended the Orion Institute of Cosmology before I attended Starfleet -- and I like to keep up with all of the new Discoveries... maybe I should try cooking my own dinner some time, that does sound like a good time..."

"You'll find it somewhat therapeutic." He remarked with a kind smile. "Our human colleagues say food made yourself tastes better - I certainly agree with that idea. Perhaps it has something to do with savoring the fruits of your own labour, don't you think?"

"That probably has something to do with it! I know my mother always told me to never underestimate the power of a home cooked meal -- raises Morale -- she liked to say. Brings back memories" She chuckled softly, her head tilted back ever so slightly. "Maybe it will bring back some memories when I do it, that's a good thing hopefully!"

"I'm sure it might," He reckoned with a soft chuckle. "My mother would make me this delicious seafood stew from Kaminar whenever I fell ill as a boy. Even now whenever I eat it I cannot help but remember her face, her smile and how kind she was to me in spite of how my peers treated me back then." Following this he added, softly. "I wish she could've been around to see me graduate from Starfleet Academy. She and my father went missing in action many years ago, along with the vessel I grew up on. I never heard from them again."

It was times like this when Mishkanaa knew enough to keep quiet. To give others a place to speak and offering kind words when the time was right. "I'm sure they all would be proud of you. What matters is the that you cherish the memories that you do have -- that's what I try to do when I think of my father."

Yes, she hadn't explicitly told him what her father's fate had been, it could have been any number of things - but in context it wasn't too hard to guess. Every possibility was negative, and heart-wrenching. "I do." He said, "I sometimes think that somehow they do know that I am doing well for myself, somehow. The universe and all its machinations, material or not, always find ways, don't you reckon? I'm sure the same goes for your father."

Her smile was sad this time, almost like the memories of that time were just a little too much to bear -- no matter how much she would like to say otherwise. It was hard, bearing the weight of grief alone, and she rarely spoke about it. Perhaps this was the sign of something new. "Yeah... I hope you are right, honestly. It makes things a little easier to bear than just thinking that everything just... ends... one day. Ah! Sorry if I got a little morbid there!"

"No, no. I really don't mind at all." He replied. "Life itself will indeed end one day, but is that not also the reason why we seek to create our own best lives to live?"

"Exactly my thoughts! It's hard to mourn the end of life when you've filled your life full of everything that you've ever wanted to do." Mishkanaa grinned, ever the Optimist, ever the one trying to push herself forward, even through the tough things, even through the sad things.

"Such that when it does come to an end you feel satisfied with what you've done." He finished with a smile. "You see? You do have a wonderful energy and optimism to you, miss Y'Arri! It would be a tragedy if it ever left you - and that I say without compunction." Dunamis chuckled. "My apologies. Stay who you are, ensign. Starfleet needs more individuals like you, who bring joy with them always..."

"You really know how to make someone feel special. Thanks again for the compliments, and I will try my utmost to keep my optimism about me -- after all! What do I have if I don't have myself. It's hard to be someone else after all!" Mishkanaa tucked some of her stray hair behind her ears before she continued. "You are very kind, Lieutenant Commander Dunamis, I hope that never leaves you either. The Galaxy always needs a bit more kindness." She was serious about this, very serious. The Universe always needed more kindness, more people doing good.

Dunamis' cheeks colored lightly with pink. "Thank you. I certainly do try. I wasn't really always this way, you know. I used to be somewhat more... closed off."

She nodded, hoping to offer some compliments of her own in turn. It was only polite, and she always ment everything that she said. There were more pressing matters to attend to than trying to keep a bunch of lies together. Thought that just might be her own Viewpoints on things. "Whatever it is you are doing, it is working. Just... don't try to push yourself too hard, that just does more harm than good."

"I know. My first partner made sure of that. She'd drag me out of my office, sweet woman she was. She was one of the doctors in sickbay, a Betazoid woman, and would instantly know if I was overworking myself when she so much as stood in the next room to mine." He remarked fondly. "I didn't take too well to it at first, but she could be quite persuasive."

"It is good that you had someone to bring you out of your shell. It made you the person that you are today, and for that, I should thank her! One of my Aunties back when I was growing up was a Betazoid woman, she used to know when I was overworking myself too. Once she came up to me and pulled my work out of my hand before ordering me off to sleep. I miss her sometimes..." Mishkanaa's eyes were glossy for a second, lost in thoughts and memories of times that were long since passed.

Dunamis smiled wanly. "She sounds like a wonderful woman. How is she?" He expected nothing, of course - though he found himself bracing for a somewhat unpleasant answer nonetheless.

"She recently made Lieutenant Commander herself! Lieutenant Commander Niayo Danni, I made sure to send her my congratulations the moment I heard the news." it was a more lighthearted ending than what others would probably have expected, especially in this line of work. "She's an astrophysicist. Helped me find my love of the stars -- though I ended up going a little beyond the stars she looked at. Cosmology is a little... out there after all." She couldn't help herself, even if it was a pun other people might not get.

"I'm pleased to hear that - and I am sure she is incredibly proud of you and who you've become." He said with a lighthearted laugh. "Perhaps she might someday see you flying a shuttle or, someday, this ship, on her instruments - how nice would that be?"

She nodded, almost excited to for something like this to happen. Mishkanaa hoped she made those who raised her proud, they had inspired her so much, after all, they had made her who she was. "I hope so, that sounds... really nice. Maybe one day I'll be able to visit her again, I always enjoy that." She smiled softer by this point, looking forward to the future, hopefully a future that would be as bright as she thought they could be.

"I'm sure you shall - and I'm sure she'll be incredibly proud of what you've achieved." He replied softly. "And perhaps someday... I might, too. My aunt and uncle living on Kaminar raised me through my late teens - they are like my second family."

Mishkanaa smiled knowingly at the sentiment, having been raised mostly by others herself. That was just the way of things sometimes, that was just the way of her life, a lifetime that she would not change for the world. She looked at the time soon after, though, sighing a little before she shook her head. "I'm sorry to do this to you, but I think I should get going. There is always something to do after all, even if I'm just trying to get used to the place." She paid for her smoothie and offered a quick wave in his direction.

Dune offered a wave of his own and a kind smile. "I agree. I'll see you around, ensign - take care now, won't you?"

Mishkanaa nodded, grin spreading across her face before she turned to leave the bar, walking away with a spring in her step. She always had walked fast after all, there were things that she needed to see, to do, there was a ship that she needed to explore. And this was only the first step.

1

2

Mishkanaa entered the bar once again, feeling just a little awkward about having just left. But she opened the door for her companions and gestured them forward "And here we conclude our tour!" She told them both as she wiggled her eyebrows, breaking out into laughter soon after. She could rarely take herself seriously

He followed the other Orion in, ducking his head to clear the doorway and took a look around the bar, eyes drawn to the array of colorful bottles aligned at the back of the bar space. Before looking back toward Mish with a wide grin and laughing at her antics, noting how nice it was to serve aboard a ship he could make friends on again. "Nice place! Looks like heaven for a partier like myself!" He looked around for the dance floor, requesting the computer to play some Risian pop, taking a long pull of his ale and walking over, letting the beat take him away.

Ari: Arrien couldn't help but smile and watch the big, burly Orion dance so childishly - it was endearing in a way. Like that time- eugh, no. She shook her head and turned away to Mish. "You have a very nice laugh. You've gotta light up the room every time you do that." She commented.

He finished his drink, walking back over to his companions, a big dumb grin on his dark green flushed face. "That was fun! What are you guys talking about?" He asked, looking between the two, before running a hard through his dark black hair, mussing it from its usual swoopy apperance.

Kind words were always enough to make her blush, dark green rose to her cheeks as she hid her face. "Th-thank you, I at least try to make people happy wherever I go." Mishkanaa was embarrassed, finding somewhere to sit in some sort of privacy, waving her companions over to join her.

He wandered over and sat down next to Mish, fascinated by her blush...he wanted to see that again. He smiled wide and took a pull from his drink, setting it down and speaking. "You have a beautiful blush, you should do it more!"

The Romulan smirked and left the two to it while ordering herself a huge glass of Romulan ale.

This, of course, only served to make her even more flustered, and soon enough Mishkanaa was more than just a little red "Thank you!" She managed to squeak out before she took a swig of ale herself, only to find that she didn't much like the taste.

He grinned slyly, taking a sip from his drink, draining it. He Watched the other Orion grimace at the taste and took his empty glass up to the bar, standing next to the Romulan. "I think our esteemed colleague is not fond of your people's ale!" He chuckled, and tapped on the bar before ordering the next round. "A shot of tequila and an Andorian Margarita!" He looked toward the Romulan, noticing her drink, his eyes going wide and a smile of incredulity spreading across his face. "That's a big pour! You could probably drink me under the table!"

The Romulan smirked at him and downed a quarter of the glass in one shot. "Perhaps." She settled down on the bar counter, allowing one leg to lazily cross over the other. "I don't intend to, though. I'd hate to ruin my first few days aboard with a drinking incident..."

Nokkul gawked at the Romulan...that was alot of ale for one drink... "You're new here too?"

"Oh, yes. I'm new, alright." She replied. "What did you expect?"

He was momentarily lost for words...what did he expect? Was it her confidence that made her seem like a more senior member of the crew? Or was it his lack of interactions with Romulans that made him so clueless. "I'm not sure...I think my own newness to the crew has me a little out of sorts." He grabs the shotglass of tequila and downs it, relishing in the smokey flavor, before tapping the bar once again, silently requesting another, taking it and the brightly colored margarita, setting it down next to Mish. "You might like this a little better!" He said with a wide grin, heading back over to the dance floor, taking off his uniform jacket, and revealing a cropped band tee, covered in glitter. "Computer, play something to dance to!" He shouted with a laugh, resuming his slightly awkward dancing.

Mishkanaa took the margarita with a thankful smile on her face. After all, she was quite a fan of some of the more bright and sweet drinks that the galaxy had to offer. "I think ot might be best not to drink so much we cause a problem, I'm not about to get in trouble so soon either." She laughed as she sipped her new drink, finding the taste much more to her liking. It seemed like everything about Mishkanaa was bright. From her personality, to the pink glasses, to the things that she liked. "Maybe the three of us should be friends! Newbies gotta stick together after all!"

Still in the midst of his ridiculous dancing he answered. "Drinking is fun, but not jusf for the sake of drinking! You've gotta be doing it with friends and having fun!" He grinned brightly and gestured his new friends over to join him, ready to pout and give his signature 'puppy dog eyes' should they try and get out of it. He was the very essence of joyful fun, all bright smiles, silly quips and happy body language. He enjoyed making friends with people who were so clearly like him; kind, joyful, interesting and vivacious.

"I don't dance, sugar. I'll just wait here and watch you two have fun." Arrien didn't know how to dance, and had admittedly never tried - and intended not to for as long as possible. She had a reputation to uphold! She'd be the laughing stock of the Daeva when she got back and told the others about it - not that they wouldn't find out eventually by their own (sometimes nefarious) means.

At the Romulan declining to dance, Nokkul stopped mid move, immediately turning her direction, his eyes going as big as saucers, head tilting slightly to the side and a plump, green bottom lip paunching out in a pout. "Why not? It's so fun!" He says with a sad little shimmy and a slight bounce on the balls of his feet.

"Oh, no. I've seen that all too many times. Ain't working on me, stud." The Romulan smirked and sat down at the bar counter next to Mishy as if daring him to come and drag her over to the dance floor. Hopefully not, of course, not that his attempt (if at all) would end well.

The brute shrugged, continuing his dancing. "Worth a try!" He laughed loudly, smiling wide.

Mishkanaa decided to just watch as well, after all, she was quite enjoying her cocktail, and she did not want it disappearing while she went to dance. Maybe afterward she would join him, but until then, she decided to stay seated "Have fun on the dance floor!" She cheered before she took another sip of her drink

"He's adorable." The Romulan remarked softly to her green-skinned companion. "Don't you think? Gentle giants are the best..."

Off on the dance floor Nokkul's favorite song came on 'Werewolves of London', and in time with the song he howled like a wolf, a booming laugh falling out of his lips, before taking a pull on his drink, finishing it. A flush now prominent on his cheeks and neck. "You guys are lame! But alas, you just have to endure my flaling attempt at dancing! Woop!" He looked toward his friends, making his dancing especially bad, trying to make them laugh.

"Yeah, he is pretty cute," Mishkanaa remarked with another blush before she turned back to watching his dancing, managing to hide her face in her drink. "Do you know how to dance?" She asked her Romulan companion, genuinely curious about the answer.

"Nope. Never was good at it, likely never will be." She remarked. "I'd rather slip ans fall than dance and break my nose doing the former thing anyway. How about you?"

Mishkanaa laughed "I can teach you if you want! Apparently I'm rather good! Besides, it's not that hard, all you really need to do is move your body a little in fun and interesting ways!" Mishkanaa stood up, spinning around and offering her new friend a hand.

He noticed his friends getting up to dance and ran over to them in excitement, bouncing up and down with a dumb grin on his face, some how more covered in glitter and having left briefly the fully eschew his uniform in favor of the crop top he had already been wearing and some bright pink short shorts, also covered in glitter. "You guys are gonna join me?! Woo-hoo! My signature dance move is the worm!" He grabbed a phile of body glitter out of his pocket and put some in his hair.

Oh, what the hell. Might as well. Arrien swallowed her pride and grabbed her hand. "Alright, fine." She conceded with a sigh. "Where do we start?"

Mishkanaa hummed for a moment before she pulled Arrien closer, making sure her companion was stable before letting go. "Just do what I do and you will be just fine!" Her smile was bright as she waved over at Nokkul, all before she started dancing herself. She... may... have neglected to state that she took dance as a sport back at school.

He looked between the two, before noticing the level at which Mishkanaa was dancing...hmm "You are...suspiciously good at this." He said with squinted eyes, before shrugging and continuing dancing, feeling emboldend in his tipsiness.

Arrien sighed and decided to simply, as the humans put it, do as the Romans do. Er, Orions, in this case. She had no real sense of rhythm, sadly, and so her attempt came off as little more than a poor imitation of Mishy's own dancing.

Mishkanaa grinned, already starting to dance her heart out. She was quite proud of herself, this might be the quickest she had ever made friends in her life -- if these people considered her a friend that was. "You've got this!" She offered encouragement to both of her companions, grinning from ear to ear.

Having seen the Romulan visibly struggling, Nokkul walked over to her and gently showing her some of the basic moves he knew, placing a massive hand on her waist and speaking lowly. "Look at Mish, she's just feeling the rythmn, not nessecarily moving to any prearraged steps, only the way her body wants to move!" He said with a soft grin before moving away, continuing his dancing, occasionally bumping hips with his friends, trying to make them laugh.

Maybe he hadn't noticed at all, judging by the way he'd moved off without a care in the world - but Arrien's body tensed considerably under his uninvited touch. The Romulan's face hardened as she turned, almost robotically, and walked off the dance floor.

After fully tiring himself out dancing, he made his way over to one of the large plush couches ringing the outside wall of the room, huffing, and spreading himself wide across it, taking a large gulp of his drink "I think I actually tired myself out!" He boomed out a laugh.

Mishkanaa stopped dancing when she realized that she was the only one still on the floor. With a pout on her face, she returned to where she had been sitting earlier, taking another sip of her drink and closing her eyes for a moment.

Catching himself dozing off on the comfortable couch, he yawned loudly, getting up and stretching. "I think I'm gonna have to pack it in for the night friends! It was super fun hanging out, we'll have to do it again sometime!" He said as he made it way out.

Mishkanaa nodded, thinking that it may be time for her to leave as well. She had fun! She just needed to recharge her social batteries for a little while before she went out again. And so, she waved goodbye, paid for her drinks, and skipped out of the room "See you all later!" She called before she disappeared out the door.

Arrien walked out the door behind her with a brief but sharp glance at Nokkul. Clearly she wasn't very happy.

1