Star Trek: Starbase 777 - pumpkin-patch

Pumpkins as far as the eye could see! It seemed the botanists involved in planning the festival had gone a tad overboard. There was a big patch of pumpkins that had been growing since the summer and the pumpkins were huge, orange orbs sitting happily in the field. There were walkable paths between rows of twirly green pumpkin vines and festival goers were encouraged to pick their own pumpkin! The pumpkins were good for decoration, carving, and some were even good for eating! Off to the side of the patch was a station manned by volunteers that had carving tools and space to carve one’s own pumpkin!

Suun, having observed countless autumnal traditions, found that she had a fondness for pumpkins. Orange, spherical, easy to carve and fun to cook— they had no reason to dislike them! She’d selected a medium-sized one, with splatterings of greenish colouring on the top. She pondered what, exactly, she could make out of it.

Tavek had been told that he needed to get outside with other people more. After a long while of being a forest and quarters hermit, he supposed it was time to break the habit. And.. there was a festival happening. It was the perfect time to go out. So, he’d gotten dressed. Ripped blue denim jeans, brown leather cowboy boots, a couple brown leather bracelets, a red and black flannel shirt- the buttons done halfway up with nothing on underneath, and a cowboy hat. It seemed that the only modes Tavek had were depressed, and whore-adjacent, and there was no in between. He walked around the patch, finding a rather large pumpkin and picking it up effortlessly (android privileges). He brought it to the station, selecting a few tools before cutting the top off and starting to scoop out its guts.

Brushing her shawl out of the way, necklaces clinking together as she bent down to stick a blade into the pumpkin, she watched the other carve into his own, impressed at the efficiency. “Master carver?” She joked, with a thin yet genuine smile.

He looked up for a moment, spotting the person watching him. He chuckled, stopping his work as he spoke. “Very much an amateur. I don’t even know what to carve.”

A very tall, pink silhouette appeared from somewhere in one of the far pumpkin patch rows. As they made their way closer to the carving station, one would be able to see they were a Cardassian-Romulan with pronounced ocular scales, green skin, dark slicked back black hair, green eyes, and pointed eyebrows and Vulcanoid ears. They were carrying a medium sized white pumpkin with little green flecks and splotches near the stem, and being very careful not to get any of the dirt from the patch on their outfit. They were wearing 6" creamy pink wedges (better for walking in dirt than their usual stilettos), slacks in a plum-y color with a balance line down the front, a pink knitted sweater in the same shade as their shoes, and a beret the same color as their pants. "Hello, dears." They said, pausing at the table to talk to one unfamiliar and one familiar face.

“I see. Well, a good start nonetheless.” “Hello.” She smiled up at them, “Come to carve a pumpkin?”

He looked up again, hearing a familiar voice.. and.. oh. It was him. The guy. The hot guy from the bar. The hot guy he’d drunkenly told secrets to. That guy. And.. fuck, he was still hot, even in a less.. revealing outfit, how did Xal look so good in anything? Tavek needed his secret, he also wanted to look good in everything. Heels in the pumpkin patch was.. a choice, though. Tavek might short-circuit at this rate. “Oh.. uh.. hi! Long time no see, haha! Any idea on what you wanna carve?” He asked, trying to make conversation.

"Oh I'm not going to carve this pumpkin." Xal said, their voice neutral. They sat their pumpkin down on the table and walked over, taking a place next to Suun. "I wouldn't want to get the pumpkin slime on my clothes. However, I would like to watch someone else carve a pumpkin so I thought it would be fun to have a conversation with some friendly faces." They smiled and peeked over Suun's shoulder at her pumpkin. "What is your design going to be?" They raised a curious eyebrow before looking over to meet Tavek's gaze. "Hello again, dear. I thought that was you. Are you going to give your pumpkin a spooky smile?"

Fuck.. what -was- he going to carve? You couldn’t go wrong with a classic “spooky smile”, as Xal had put it. The perks of being an Engineer, and specifically a roboticist, was that having an incredibly steady hand and an eye for detail was part of the job. He was quite good at making things look good. You had to be, for reconstructing faces and such. He adjusted his lil cowboy hat and picked up a marker to start outlining what he wanted to draw. “Ah.. I guess I will do a spooky smile. I don’t know where I’ll put this when I’m done with it.. but I’ll figure it out. Uh.. how have you been?” Fuck, he was bad at conversation.

She watched with a bit of grin, trying to hide it. She saw the panic in their fellow carver’s eyes, and opted to fade into the background, continuing to cut into their pumpkin.

“You could put it outside the door to your quarters. I believe one of the folks on the station has arranged for an old fashioned trick or treat for the children. They might enjoy seeing it.” They raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating customs, this Halloween business.”

“Oh, then maybe I will put it out there, then. I could leave candy out too that night, maybe.. I was on Earth for a bit for the Academy, but I’ve never done that trick or treating thing. Not that I ever was a child that would have gotten to do it- you know, android and all, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway since I’m not from Earth.” Being an android was kinda weird honestly, like what do you mean he just.. started existing as a twenty-year-old one day and went on from there? No childhood, no teenage years, just a dude put into the world and told to figure it out. Tavek wasn’t so sure that he’d done a good job of figuring it out. He started to draw his face, marking the triangles for its eyes and nose. He drew the mouth next, wide open, with two triangles preserved on both the upper and lower parts for fangs. They’d go with his vampire costume he was planning. “It really is.. I mean, looking at it as an outsider, it’s a bit like.. how does one come up with it? But I guess that goes for any custom.”

“Hmm, I’m not sure I’ve ever been to Earth on the actual holiday. I’ve not really been to Earth much in general. I’ve heard good things about Halloween parties and costumes, though. I love any reason to get dressed up.” They giggled. “Candy… you do like sweet things, I remember. Isn’t chocolate customary?” They hummed, considering the rest of what Tavek was saying. “Certainly. Things like this always make more sense in context. I think this festival has helped me understand a bit more. Of course it also helped that the organizers included some Cardassian and Romulan live stock and touches but it’s definitely got its human qualities too. The pumpkins are cute, at least.”

“Costumes are fun! It’s my favorite part. I mean, I have the luxury of being able to customize myself for the night, I’m giving myself actual fangs for my costume. This body’s toast as of recent events anyhow, I’ll do what I want with it before replacing it. I’m gonna go all out this year for any parties, I have alll the accessories and clothes I need!” He smiled, his canine teeth sadly not pointy yet. That would come on the night itself, no need to risk hurting himself more than necessary. He loved being an android/roboticist combo when it meant he could do stupid shit with himself like that. Complete customization was a dream organics could only dream of- surgery could only take someone so far, but Tavek could pretty much look like whatever he wanted if he was willing to put in the effort to make it happen. “Ahah.. you remember that?” His eyes widened a little bit, he didn’t really expect it. He had a good (ish) memory due to, yknow, being a computer, but he didn’t expect that of organic people. “I’m not gonna lie, I’m.. uh.. as Romulan as an android can get, and the Romulan animals here are still new to me. Such is life when you lived in the space part of Romulan space, though. I didn’t go on planets much. My only exposure to farm animals was this horse I met once on Earth.. I think she could sense my apprehension about her. But yeah, the pumpkins are cute.”

"What a life," Xal said, their voice mostly soft with a bit of a laugh behind it. They loved altering their appearance, though actually modifying their body wasn't something they had done much of. They had multiple piercings in their ears and their face but otherwise, they didn't really make many body modifications. "Do it," they said. "I'm sure you'll look amazing." They smiled. "I remember many things, Tavek." They said with a sneaky smile. "You become a galactic polyglot without having a good memory." A small laugh. "Yes, that does make sense. I lived on Romulus as a child, and then in Romulan space on various Romulan colonies later in my life but I would say I'm most familiar with Cardassian livestock." They shrugged. "Animals are... well, they're beautiful creatures in some cases but farms are not my favorite places to be." (edited)

“What a life indeed, I really can be anything I want to.” And yet.. he’d chosen to be.. this? Sometimes, he did wonder if his choices were ever his. If he’d ever made a choice that wasn’t just in the interest of his survival. But.. really, that was a philosophical question that had existed since people could think, and Tavek was no more equipped than anyone else was to answer that. He smiled at the encouragement to go ahead with the fangs- he would honestly do it in his quarters if he wasn’t allowed back in Engineering in time. “Hah.. I promise I’m less embarrassing while sober and at a full battery. At least.. I hope I’m less embarrassing.” Not like Tavek could really tell if he was or not, he was kinda stupid like that. Once the face of his pumpkin was drawn, he got his small saw, and started to cut away the parts he had outlined. It wasn’t exactly metal or skin, but he still cut with a surgeon’s (rather, a roboticist’s) precision. “I might be horrible at knowing what Romulan animals there are, but I’m great with Romulan tech, so that has to count for something. Kinda hard to find animals in the vacuum of space, but there were plenty of ship systems to work on.” He said with a similar shrug. “Me neither. The dirt will find its way inside my joints.”

"That's a unique experience, and one it sounds like you savor. I am glad you have that." They said softly. Perhaps there was something to say about wanting to be exactly like they were. How they'd longed for a long time to be someone else sometimes. They hadn't always been so secure in themself. But this was a harvest festival, not therapy. And they didn't really know Tavek that well. Perhaps one day they could talk more deeply about it, though. "You're not embarrassing at all, dear. Sober, drunk. Both times I've met you have been a pleasure. Enjoy yourself. It's not every day there's a festival on this starbase." They smiled and picked their pumpkin up. "Yours looks like it's going to turn out very nicely, Tavek, dear. You'll have to take a photo and send it to me later. Or perhaps, if you leave it outside your door I could see it when I come over for a drink?" They winked.

Mainly, it was out of convenience that Tavek stuck with his form. Coming up with a new one would be tedious. Though.. having known his creator, he did not like the fact that his face resembled his creator’s. Sometimes.. he wished to rip it off and start new. That was the plan for the new body- change it so that he would look less like the man who’d erased all evidence that he’d ever suffered from his body, who forced him to start this normalcy charade in the first place. “Hah.. thank you, you too.” Unfortunately, he remembered everything about that night, he didn’t have the luxury of forgetting stupid things said or done while drunk. He smiled, though, the pumpkin was coming along well, and it was only halfway done. “Ah.. I will! I’ll put it outside my door.. and as for the drink? Whatever you want, I’ll make sure to find it and have it on hand.” He winked as well, and if he could physically blush, he would be. Such capabilities, in that and in many other things not possible for him in his current body, would be added to the new one.

“Good. I expect nothing less.” They gave Tavek a very warm smile, a mischievous twinkle in their green eyes. “You’ll be hearing from me again soon, dear. But now, I’ve got to go. I’ve a prior engagement. Ta!” And they strode away, hips swaying as if they were on a runway.

Hiding a knowing grin, Suun still sat there carving her own pumpkin, glancing over to Tarsek with a knowing eye, but saying nothing. It wasn’t her business, but it was fun to watch.

Walking through the green field spotted with various-sized pumpkins, Tarsek approached the carving station. His robe of a rich brown color, with orange details (Garcia had insisted he dressed in the festival theme) contrasted with the black shirt and trousers underneath it, still marked by a fine layer of dust, a result of his encounter with the mechanical targ. In his hands, two small plushie versions of the beast that had dismounted him thrice.

Tavek, meanwhile, was still dressed in his (still slutty, in fact one more button of his shirt had come undone during the process of picking up pumpkins and such) cowboy-esque getup, now with slight traces of pumpkin insides on his arms. The pumpkin was about 3/4ths of the way done, the eyes and half of the creepy fanged smile already completed. Tavek was still coming down from the previous convo- fuck, Xal always made him nervous. But in a good way? He had no clue how to feel about that. He waved to Tarsek as he approached. “Oh hey, Tarsek! Uh.. why are you dusty?”

As he approached, he noticed Tavek’s presence along with another person he did not recall having met yet. “Hello lieutenant.” He would have offered the ta’al, but his hands were at the moment occupied. “I took part in the mechanical targ ridding challenge.” He made sure to greet the other as well. (edited)

She offered a nod in greeting, elbows-deep in pumpkin innards and generally not in the best position to do anything except listen as respectfully as she could.

“And I assume it kicked you right off. Well, good try anyway, I like the plushies. Maybe I’ll give it a try when I’m done here. Maybe I’m a bit overconfident, but I think I could do it!” He laughed a little, and it was clear he was probably in better shape than the last time he and Tarsek spoke. Maybe being so down bad for confident and pretty men (Xal) had fixed him a bit just now. Or maybe it was the therapy.

”Three times.” He clarified. Three times he had been thrown, gotten up and tried again. Tarsek placed the plushies on one of the tables. “One of them is for Ensign Castelo. The operator forgot to give it to him before I had my turns.” He observed the carving instruments with some interest. The art of carving into fruits and vegetables was an Earth peculiarity, as far as he had seen. “I had already seen this activity during my academy years, though I have never carved a pumpkin myself. What are you designing?”

“Persistence is key!” He laughed, and it was genuine and sweet. He hoped this would last. For the first time this month, he actually felt somewhat okay. “Oh, Ed! He’ll love it, I hope you can find him.” Tavek moved a bit so the pumpkin could be better observed, and he smiled, proud of his work. It was creepy, and he was glad it had come out well, the way he wanted it to. Everything else in his body was somewhat shot, but his hands? Steady and surgical as always, for optimal carving potential- he’d cut them off and replace them otherwise. “Ah, I’m making a face, that way when I put a light inside it later it’ll glow. I learned to do it in the Academy.. human traditions are always wild, like how’d they come up with this?”

”You seem to be in high spirits.” The Vulcan noticed. “I was told the festival might help with morale, it is gratifying to see it indeed did.” He analyzed the carvings, taking the form of a fanged smiling face. Faces designed to evoke horror seemed to be a recurrent theme. “Well done, lieutenant. It looks extremely similar to those on Earth. And to answer your question: I do not know. Humans elude my logic.”

“Hah.. yeah, the festival’s part of it alright. I am, though. In high spirits. I think I’ll be back in Engineering soon, I can’t wait!” He laughed. No need for Tarsek to know about Xal. Fuck.. what was he gonna do about that? He didn’t know the first thing about drinks.. man, he didn’t make them, he just ordered them. He was in for it, that was for sure. He just hoped Xal wasn’t allergic to cats. “Yeah, the Earth style’s what I’m going for. Humans are just a bit weird, yknow? No idea where they come up with all this, but I’m certainly happy about it. The more holidays, the better, I love any excuse to party. And I guess literally every species is a bit weird to people who are looking at it from the outside.”

”I would concur. I have had quite a few experiences in which my own culture was classified as… ‘peculiar.’” That was putting it nicely. If one thing Tarsek discovered after leaving Vulcan to explore the stars, is that there were quite enough people that were ready to judge others based on species. “It is also gratifying to hear you are recovering.” He knew Tavek had the need to finish his new body as fast as possible in order to recover further and was aware of how cruel reality was on the android by giving him an urge impossible to sate at the moment.

“I don’t think anyone should judge if it doesn’t hurt anyone.” He said simply, going back to carving. He was just happy that the repairs other people (he was still a bit miffed about having to let that happen, he certainly wouldn’t be letting anyone touch him for a good long while) had done on him, had fixed his hands enough for them to be as stable as before. Optimal for pumpkin carving. “It’s a cruel world, keeping me from my spot in the repairs bay. I’ll be back there soon- you don’t realize how much you miss your job until you’re suddenly not able to do it. But yes. I’m recovering. I bounce back relatively quickly from such things, after all.” He laughed, though it wasn’t the full truth. While yes, typically he did bounce back, like he had from the Borg Cube, this was different. It’d struck him deeper. It was less a bounce, and more a bloody-fingered crawl up a sheer cliff.

Tarsek sat then, opposite to the other, still observing Tavek while he worked and carved with precision. Eventually his eyes turned to the field in front of them. Vast and filled with pumpkins, orange dots as far as he could see. Reminded him of a specific variety of Vulcan produce his and other clans would plant. Tavek’s words did resonate with him, but it was not his job his katra missed. ”Allow your matriarch to perfom her duty. Come home, grandchild of mine.” “It is an impressive view.” He admitted. “Specially considering we are aboard a space station.”