Star Trek: Starbase 777 - ┃lounge-left

Upon a stone-tiled floor there was a bonfire in a square brick raised firepit surrounded by comfy armchairs, and a stall giving away free hot chocolate, tea and coffee, as well as the ingredients to make smores.

Drink in hand, they walked over to the lounge and sat down. Noticing s’mores supplies, they stuck a marshmallow onto a stick and began roasting it over the fire.

After wandering through the bar but not actually getting anything, T'kara found herself here. The drinks here were much more relaxy, and she grabbed a spice tea from the drink stall. She then meandered over to the chairs and happened to sit down near the Caitian currently smores-ing. She didn't initiate conversation, instead contemplating the fire in silence.

When T’Kara sat next to them, they looked over. They smiled, a toothy but still warm Caitian grin. “Hi!”

"Hm?" She was brought out of contemplation by C'sara, but still greeted them with a smile. "Hello. How are you doing?" she replied in a cordial tone.

“I’m doing great! This party’s amazing- the drinks are really good.” They took a sip of their drink, which was bright pink, and they ate the cherry floating in it. Once their marshmallow was golden brown, they put it on some graham crackers and added chocolate.

"Indeed, this is an excellent spice tea. It tastes... festive." T'kara raised an eyebrow at her own drink, and then took a sip. "I wonder, are there sugarfree smore supplies?" She asked, looking at the table containing them. "I've never tried one before. Sugar isn't as intoxicating to me, but it still gives me an unpleasant buzz."

“There probably is. It’d be kind of weird if there wasn’t, since there are so many Vulcanoids here. But I’m getting drunk the old-fashioned way.” They gestured to their alcoholic drink beside them. They took a bite of s’more, careful to not get any marshmallow in their fur.

T'kara stood and went over to the table, plucking out some sugarless options from the lot and returning to her seat. She grabbed a skewer and impaled one of the (is it even a marshmallow without sugar?) on it, then gently stuck it directly in the flames. "Am i doing it correctly?" she asked C'sara, taking her eyes off the mallow as it drifted closer and closer to the embers.

“No, don’t hold the marshmallow in the flame. Hold it by the coals, not in the fire. Rotate it so it becomes golden brown on all sides.” C’Sara was happy to help. Gotta spread the s’mores making strategy so everyone can make delicious camping cuisine.

T'kara quickly pulled the lightly blackened marshmallow out of the flame and got it close again, but a little to far out of caution. A minute later, it was just beginning to yellow where it wasn't charred. in the meantime it had remained as close to a fixed point as possible while being rotated. "It's working, but slowly. It seems the marshmallow is to far now, yes?"

“Depends. Do you like charcoal instead of marshmallow? I have a friend that ate his marshmallows completely charred. Absolutely savage. I did not let him cook anything for me, ever.” After all, if Ace burned MARSHMALLOWS, what else did he burn! Chicken? Steak? Were they going to come over and find a pot of charcoal rice on the stove?

"I do not know if i like marshmallows. Burnt food, however, is distasteful to me. I know from experience; one time a replicator was found to have a glitch where vegetables would come out burnt, but still green, so it would be hard to tell until eaten." It was quite a surprise indeed. T'kara had resolved to learn how to cook after that, though eventually began to trust replicators again since she hadn't actually learned to cook yet.

“I hate burnt food, too. There’s a limit though, I like certain things to be crispy, but I can tell if things are burnt burnt.” C’Sara had a great but sensitive sense of smell and taste. It was good if they were eating good food, but bad food was intolerable to them.

"Indeed," T'kara concurs, "Roasted vegetables with some char on them can be nice. But too much char and i simply won't allow it past my tongue." Not that she was a picky eater, but some things simply aren't fit for mammalian consumption. That included certain textures and flavors that clash with one another, such as certain sweet fruits on certain savory circles.

“Or the burnt ends from a smoked brisket… damn, now I want barbecue again. Roasted vegetables are great too, especially with a bit of garlic butter? Top tier.” C’Sara was pretty good at cooking. But they were far from vegetarian, and they preferred real meat over replicated. Replicated was fine, they just liked the texture of the real stuff. Fun fact, when they were still under the influence of the Weed Werthers on the Section 31 mission, they actually just kept thinking of brisket until Voris made them not high anymore.

Once the marshmallow was orangey, T'kara withdrew it from the fire pit, and sandwiched it between two crackers to pull it off. She tried separating them to add the chocolate and... stuck. Drat. She raised an eyebrow at her creation. "I was not aware that the marshmallow would stick so acutely to the crackers. Perhaps I should add the chocolate beforehand next time." She set the failed smore aside to cool on the side table, electing to just sip on her tea awkwardly for now.

“Yeah, probably. So, what’s your name? I’m C’Sara.” They said. They speared another marshmallow with their stick, and put it by the coals again. They turned it slowly, and kept their eyes on it.

"My name is T'kara. It is nice to meet you, C'sara. Interesting how our names have a similar rythym." She reached for the smore now, taking a tentative bite. "Interesting. The cracker is nice, but the marshmallow is... odd. Perhaps with chocolate involved it will work better."

16:33

She speared another mallow, and held it towards the fire. With her other hand she laid our two more graham cracker segments and put a piece of chocolate on one.

“Yeah, it is kind of cool. Oh, and yeah, the s’more isn’t complete without the chocolate.” With one hand holding the marshmallow, they used their other hand to take another sip of their drink. They wondered what they’d do the rest of the party. Just drink and dance, perhaps?

T'kara didn't continue the conversation without being promptrd, instead she just watched her marshmallow carefully. She wasn't one much for socializing anyways. Although capable of it, she did not find it necessary. And she especially wasn't one for dancing, it would be terribly awkward!

“So, what’s your position? I’m a shuttlecraft engineer.” They asked. They were still focused on their marshmallow, though. There was a calm atmosphere around the lounge, it was very nice and quiet and warm.

The calmness was good in T'kara's opinion, much more relaxing than the bustling party. "Tactical, weapons specialist," she stated frankly. "It's not always pleasant, what i do, but it is necessary for defending the Federation."

“Neither is mine, sometimes. Ever gotten WD-40 on your hands? Well, it’s worse with fur. Way, way worse.” C’Sara didn’t much like getting anything in their fur, much for the same reasons a cat would. Unless they were going to blow dry themself, they took forever to dry off once they were wet. Still, they loved swimming when they were in the right mood for it.

"I have not. Blood however, i have. It smells much worse than lubricant." Ah, her marshmallow was done. She brought it back and balanced the chocolate and cracker on top, before coming in from below with the other cracker and using them to pull the mallow off like before. It too of course went on the table to cool.

“Yech, blood’s awful too. Definitely worse than lubricant, plus the whole issue of, y’know, having a part of someone on your hands. Even if they were the embodiment of a pile of shit, it’s hard. I get it. Plus I’ve got a good sense of smell and it smells disgusting to me too.” Even as an engineer, they’d done some questionable shit. Like stabbing people. But even though they felt a bit guilty, they still felt it was necessary to survive. Section 31 had tried to trap them in a mindscape, for heck’s sake! They’d tried to tempt them with their own dead parents, how low could you possibly stoop?

Indeed, when cornered by hostiles, or rescuing people from wreckage, blood is basically guaranteed to happen. "Excellent senses are part of being Vulcanoid too, though less so for me as a half human. Still, I can be bothered by things that don't seem to bother others." Loud and crowded environments for example, which is why T'kara did not stay long at all in the main hall or the ballroom.

“Oh, that sucks. I usually hate that my hearing’s so sensitive, since I love concerts and parties and such.” C’Sara was a loud, crazy, fun person. They were always down for a good time, even if their ears screamed in protest.

T'kara decided that now was the time to bite into the complete smore. She chewed it for a moment, and tilted her head. "Perhaps it is the marshmallow after all. This snack does not agree with my taste buds." She set the half-eaten smore onto the table and took a sip of her tea. "This flavor profile is more preferable to me."

“I’m not a tea fan, usually. I prefer coffee. But hey, you’re a completely different person than me, and I don’t judge.” C’Sara wasn’t a Vulcan, after all. They didn’t have a judgmental bone in their body.

"Indeed," T'kara responded. "As i shall not judge you for your likes and dislikes." Judgemental bones? Not a one in T'kara either! In fact, if any Vulcan would be judgemental, they wouldn't be such a good Vulcan for doing something as illogical as judging strangers now would they? Wait, T'kara's inner thoughts just judged strangers. Gosh darnit.

“So, what do you like to do off-duty? Mainly I fuck around in the holodeck, read, or draw.” They weren’t very GOOD at drawing, but they could do it. Their Shirley Temple was mostly ice now, but they drank whatever was left of it. They didn’t indulge in alcohol often, for sure.

"Meditation, contemplation, relaxation, consumption of non-interactive media. I have been trying to hit the gym more often lately for fitness's sake, but my off-duty schedule is very particular and i've had trouble consistently inserting a workout into it." T'kara was probably even less of an artist than C'Sara was. Even her stick figures came out wonky. She took another sip of her spice tea and fount it to be the last; had she really drank that much of it already? Hm.

“That’s a lot of -ations.” They said with a giggle. They were done with their marshmallow endeavors too. There were only so many s’mores you could eat before you got bored of them. They’d probably rejoin the party soon. “Oh, I’m not fit either. I gotta work out more too. Anyway, talking with you’s been awesome. I hope we can stay in touch when you leave.”

"Yeah, it was. And of course we can if you want to!" T'kara flashes a smile at C'Sara. Her human side's showing /pos. "I've always tried to make at least one friend when i go to a party, and it seems i have." Her social life was in critical condition; the 'one new friend per party' rule was meant to combat that. (edited)

“That’s a good rule to have. I’m a very social person so I don’t really need to worry about that though.” After all, they had met a guy a few days before, got to hold his cat, and started reading Warrior Cats to talk about it with him.

"Yes well, when one is as introverted as I am, it can be a challenge." T'kara set her tea down, and stood up from her set. "Perhaps I ought to head to the dining area. I had neglected to have a meal before attending, and I'm beginning to feel hungry. Would you care to accompany me there?" she asked, not used to asking others to share a table.

“Sure thing! Excited to see what they have if I’m being honest.” [D] The two got up, headed over to the dining area, and had a lovely meal. They promised to keep in touch even once the Rapture left. C’Sara hoped they would meet again in person sometime soon.

Coming from the dining area, Sakkath headed towards the lounge. They were still waiting for their uncle who was presumably also on the station and working on getting to the event area. They walked slowly as they searched for an open seat.

They arrived from the other lounge, holding a mug of coffee... Though they might have thrown in an energy drink from the replicators. Grivix was absolutely NOT shy of caffeine. Cottonball strutted alongside them. Even she was dressed up somewhat, a rose was on her emotional support vest. The hybrid slowly took a sip from the mug of god knows what was in there... They went to sit down in the least crowded spot possible, setting down a bowl of seeds from a replicator that they passed by and putting Cottonball on the table with the bowl.

Sakkath was still looking for an open seat when they noticed-- Grivix! They quickly made their way through the sofas and any others until they reached the seating area Grivix was in. "Jolan tru, I see you brought Cottonball," Sakkath said as they knelt down in front of the hen and pulled out some seeds from their pocket (yes they were carrying them always). "How are you enjoying the party? You look lovely by the way and so does Cottonball, "Sakkath spoke calmly with a warm tone, happier than ever to see their roommate and their hen! How cute!

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They grinned briefly before returning to their deadpan as usual expression. "Cottonball goes where I go. Tribbles are slightly more difficult to train..." They adjusted their necktie. Cottonball moved away from the bowl and to the seeds Sakkath had. She made soft noises. "Thank you, you look great as well." It was a relief too, to see a familiar face here finally... and probably a good excuse to avoid their old rival.

Sakkath let Cottonball eat all the seeds from their hand before standing up and taking a seat across from Grivix. They really did think their roommate looked good. Their eyes then drifted to the drink that the other hybrid was drinking which prompted the question, "What are you drinking tonight, Grivix? I hope it is something nutritionally balanced."

"It's just coffee I swear... No need to worry." Cottonball almost appeared as if she was glaring at Grivix, though she always looked like she was glaring at something. "Though it does has stuff like B Vitamins. I think that's nutrition enough. As well as the sushi I just ate before coming here." Cottonball then proceeded to sit down at the table. Her seat now.

"Grivix," Sakkath looked at Cottonball and then at Grivix. Not convinced that the other was actually drinking a healthy and nutritious drink. Cottonball looked rather silly sitting on the chair at the table, but Sakkath didn't say anything about that. She was a free and independent hen, she could do whatever she wanted. "Have you enjoyed the snacks I leave out for you? If there is something you would want more of I can make note of it."

"I did enjoy the croissant. Usually don't like most breads but that one seemed tastier than I had anticipated..." They suddenly felt the craving for it again. So flakey too... it was fun to eat as much as it tasted nice. Cottonball started preening her funnily shaped, furlike, feathers.

"Then I shall bring you more croissants. I do worry about you getting a balanced diet though. Try not to overwork yourself," Sakkath said, care evident in their voice paired with their gentle gaze. Although they still did not think Grivix should have been filling up on caffeine, they were both adults and capable of making their own decisions. They pulled out a small container of what appeared to be tik-taks or whatever that Terran candy was. "These are Vulcan protein snacks, very sweet, a lot of teenagers eat these in place of actual meals. Although it is not a meal substitute, I hope it provides you with proteins that you 'coffee' lacks," Sakkath handed the item to Grivix and stood up. They still needed to meet with their uncle and explore the rest of the ball so as nice as it was to sit down, they had people to meet. They gave Cottonball a soft pet on the head before bowing their head and heading out to explore more.

They gave Sakkath a slight nod, in appreciation. Grivix gently took the Vulcan protein snacks begore they tucked Cottonball under their arm. The hybrid scanned the room for any other faces before they headed out, waving goodbye to Sakkath.

2

[D] And Sakkath was here. Dressed in their victorian-inspired outfit with their uncle just chatting on one of the sofas. The two spoke about their lives, their experiences. It was... All a lot to take in. As they chatted, Sakkath held Hanaj's hands. It was a weird experience, they felt like for the first time in their life, they had a father.

"I owe my life to that kind Reman man who saved me. I still hold some regrets that night we were attacked... He ran to me first before his sister and.. Well, his sister never made it. I wonder if I hadn't fallen asleep on duty, maybe I would have been able to save her. I remember her face like she was here beside me yesterday.. Jianux, that was her name," Hanaj said, speaking about a very specific moment when they had settled on a colony after the Supernova. He looked thoughtful as he spoke, a little sad too. Sakkath was not particularly good at comforting someone experiencing such grief, but they did provide a listening ear.

Actually, maybe, getting dragged to this place was not a bad thing. It looked nice, and quiet, and they probably could find a comfortable corner to sit in. He clutched the PADD harder, one that he imported tons and tons of his sister's and familie's pictures on to show to Sy - of them, of the house... "I'll find a place to sit," Saren offered, letting the older male wander off to the hot drink stands. Meanwhile he went to a corner located a bit further away, past the Rllaillieu pair...

Hanaj was enjoying his time just holding Sakkath's hands and speaking honestly. He was clearly very distressed as he spoke to the very Vulcan Sakkath. "I... It sounds cheesy, but I remember promising that once we found a new home, we would get married and we'd live with her other conspirator," Hanaj continued on whilst Sakkath merely listened. That's when he heard the sounds of someone shuffling around them. Paranoia high as ever, he immediately lifted his head and that's when he saw... Who?! "Sakkath," Hanaj stood up and stared straight at Saren and pointed to him. "That's him, Irok Lareth."

Sakkath, unaware of anything that was happening was merely listening to their uncle tell a tale about their past love. Was being a hopeless romantic something that ran in their family? Their mother also had a tendancy of falling in love with the wrong people. Anyway, they were taken aback by their uncle's sudden movements and shook their head when Hanaj pointed a a stranger. "Dinam-ri'ranai, I do not know who that is and it is rude to point," Sakkath stood up and stood in front of their uncle, hoping the stranger didn't see or hear what he said.

"Oh for FUCK'S sake", Saren thought miserably, his face a careful pokerface, his back strained to the point of pain. Maybe he should go away while he still could?.. But he didn't want to leave Syrax - and he didn't want to leave just because some stranger was being an ass to him. He was doing that his whole life, it was about time Saren let himself be comfortable, for once. So the Romulan sat down, slightly shaky hands opening the picture folder - stubbornly ignoring the two strangers seated not too far away from him.

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"Sakkath! The Lareth's are evil, pure evil. Do you know what they have done? They are the ones that banished our house to Remus," Hanaj was not going to back down that easy and he grabbed Sakkath's shoulders in an attempt to move them.

"You will not disturb that stranger, we are on a Federation Starbase and you must behave. I do not know what you are talking about, but there are rules," Sakkath remained calm throughout this whole exchange, trying to stand their ground although Hanaj was easily stronger than them. Sakkath wasn't very strong at all. "I am head of our house and I order you to sit down. Think about how your actions could impact your campaign."

"Lareth, what a fucking bastard."

He inhaled, then let out a shaky exhale, feeling both a sting of fear and anger. For all it's worth, he was still a Romulan, and hearing someone insult his House was... "The man you're talking about," he set his PADD aside and stood up, hands slightly raised in a placating gesture, face impassive, "is my relative. My name's Saren, I am a Starfleet officer, and right now you're making a mistake. Please calm down." He shot a glance towards Sakkath, giving them a grateful nod. Well, at least he had to deal with only one person. He could do this, without disturbing other people. Little did Saren know that this situation was already being watched.

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"I apologise for him, he has never been outside of Romulan space and does not know Federation manners," Sakkath sat back down on the sofa and pulled Hanaj to sit down beside them. This was incredibly embarrassing. "It is nice to meet you, Saren. My name is Sakkath s'Rllaillieu and this is my uncle, Hanaj tr'Rllaillieu. I am a communications officer on Rapture," They spoke in the most polite Vulcan monotone they could manage, introduce themself with their full name as well as their position to show just how apologetic they were on behalf of their uncle. This man was Romulan and would surely know what a big deal it was to not only give a person your full name, but so much more information after that.

Hanaj stayed silent throughout the exchange, gritting his teeth and mumbling in Havrannsu words that were too quiet to be picked up by the UT. He kept his gaze away from Saren, disgusted that a Lareth would even be on a starbase after what that family had done to him and his relatives.

"Nice to meet you, Sakkath, Hanaj," Saren nodded,making sure to remember these names. The fact that Sakkath managed to persuade their uncle to sit down was reassuring - so he took a risk and walked closer to the pair. "Rapture? It seems that I am meeting people from your crew mostly, today. I am a scientist, a biologist to be specific." His gaze wandered towards Hanaj. "I... apologize, for whatever happened between you and my family. Unfortunately, I can't fix any of it, for I have no correlation to things that had happened. It's... probably an unpleasant thing to hear, but it's the truth." Probably not the right thing to say, in this situation.

Sakkath felt incredibly embarrassed and frustrated that their uncle was acting this way. They looked at Saren and nodded, also making it a point to remember his name. "We have a large crew, it is logical that you would meet them," Sakkath replied, attempting to be friendly with Saren so that at least the two of them could be on good terms. It was illogical to hold grudges, especially towards family members. Was that just something Romulans did? It was culture shock for sure. "I do not hold any ill feelings towards you or your family, the past has been done, we can only move on from here," Were they doing this right? Sakkath wondered if they were acting too Vulcan. Maybe that was a good thing in this case. They really did feel bad for Saren though, the poor man looked just like someone who clearly did crimes. Not his fault at all. "Are you waiting for someone? You may sit here. My uncle will not bother you," Sakkath invited Saren, not with a smile of course. A cold Vulcan stare but at least their uncle was being quiet through all this. Sakkath would definitely be speaking with him later.

He gave them a solemn nod, Hanaj's words still lingering on his mind. Judging by the look on the man's face, he had a different opinion on all of this, one that was quite unlike Sakkath's; was he being too risky, coming so close to them? Overstepping boundaries? "I understand the need to blame some--"

"No, the fuck you don't," Syrax interrupted him easily, hovering over Saren's shoulder, glaring daggers at the older man in front of them, the usually soft eyes squinted sharply. He came back empty-handed, for as soon as he heard the first signs of trouble, he was watching the events unfold - fully ready to barge right back in, if things went south. "You ain't some martyr for people to use as a scapegoat, brother. I hear anyone talk to you like that again, I am calling Security on their asses faster than they can count to three. Did I make myself fucking clear?.." Dark eyes shifted to Sakkath, the glare immediately softening into something more familiar, more Syrax-y: "...Hey, Lieutenant. Fancy meeting you here. Enjoying a family reunion, too?"

2

Sakkath found their uncle's actions highly illogical and they wanted to get to know this 'Saren'. Right when they were about to tell him there was no need to feel remorse for something another person did, Syrax showed up. Sakkath immediately stood up, but say right back down when they realised what they were doing. Did they... Want to go to Syrax? They weren't sure what was pulling them towards the other, it was like a magnet. The whole night all they had been thinking about was Syrax. After they sat down, that's when they heard-- brother? Saren and Syrax were related. Wow. "Syrax," Sakkath looked at their uncle and then at Saren, wondering if they should continue to play the perfect calm Vulcan or give into whatever otherworldly force was telling them to do. "Not as much as you it seems," So Sakkath stood up and immediately walked over to Syrax. As illogical as it seemed, it's what felt right. A tiny voice inside their head said to offer to touch fingers with him, but no, inappropriate!!

Hanaj watched the exchange with a stern gaze, as if he was looking at two murderers. He could not react fast enough to get Sakkath to stay still so instead he just stared. All he saw were two Lareth's, both guilty of every crime in the book in his eyes. "I did not know Starfleet allowed war criminals into their ranks?" They very much did in fact, only those that showed remorse for their actions, but neither Saren nor Sy were guilty of anything like that. Perhaps Sy by enabling one, but Hanaj was treating the two Morvars like they killed epohhs for a living or something.

The Romulan was... openly fucking baffled by what was going on. He didn't hear Syrax sneak up on him (and, truthfully, the thought that such a large person could be so quiet was a terrifying one), and why this Sakkath person was suddenly acting so strange upon his appearance, and... Green eyes darted from Syrax, to Sakkath, then back to Syrax. Squinted. Hmmm. "I don't-- oh for fuck's sake," Saren sighed, as his attempt at speaking up was immediately killed off by a bristling Syrax, who had stepped in front of the younger Romulan, finger pointed at Hanaj:

"War criminal this, war criminal that, you really accusin' a twenty year old for that shit?.." he hissed. Later he would apologize to Sakkath for being such a shit towards their uncle, but he sure as hell won't apologize for protecting his own blood. "Dinam's working his ass off to connect Romulans to the fleet, don't you dare disrespect his, or mine, efforts like this!" Sy puffed out a sigh, turning his head to look at Sakkath, gaze apologetic yet stubborn: "It's, um. Probably better if we take our leave here?.."

Hanaj didn't say anything in repsonse to Syrax's rebuttal, he was too frustrated and he knew that if he said anything.... It looked like Sakkath was going to take the side of the two Morvar's. It was definitely something he would have to speak with them about.

"I will ensure he does not," Sakkath was frustrated by their uncle's lack of response. It seemed the only things he was capable of saying at the moment were insults. Sakkath looked to Syrax and then to Saren, then back to their uncle. There were so many ways this encounter could go, most of them violent. For the sake of everyone's sanity they nodded and looked at Syrax. "That would be wise. I... Would like to see you later, Sy. There is an important matter I must discuss with you," They took a step towards Syrax and gently touched his arm, the contact only lasted a couple seconds. "I apologise again for the trouble," They said before turning around and rejoining their uncle on the sofa. There was... A lot of explaining they would need to do along with some basic rules and etiquette they needed to drill into their uncle's head.