Jalana Posted March 5, 2017 Posted March 5, 2017 (( Deep Space 26, Level 4, Conference Room 1 )) :: Jalana turned and headed off to find the reptile again. Okay that was not really hard, he was really tall. She knew a couple of reptile species, and she could keep them apart if she cut them open and looked at their organs, but she had the slight suspicion that he wouldn't like that. Once her curiosity was peaked she wouldn't stop though. Jalana headed right for the mass of white fabric and as she stood in front of him, she realized that she really was too small. Either she'd have to look up so far that she'd fall on her butt or he had to bend forward and step on the ... tunic. Yes that was a good word. So Jalana did what Jalana did. She pulled up a chair and climbed on it, being above everyone else for the second time, but at about the same eye level as the reptile. She reached out and tapped his arm, chuckling to herself as she realized that she continued the circle. :: ::With a deep nod and a smile of respect, the fifty-three year old Ferentis turned, sauntering deeper into the party. As he observed officers and crew below him, he wondered if that had been right. If Starfleet was based on anything, it was truth. Truth to oneself, to one’s organization, in all matters, whether they were scientific, or historical, or personal. And though he subscribed to this idealistic… naive… charming… fragile view of the universe, he still told a white lie once in a blue moon. Come, now- what being had six stomachs? But in all seriousness… was he not in error? In his time before Starfleet, for all those years, lying had been a skill, and like all skills, it had required constant practice to maintain. Deep space was a dangerous place. If one didn’t know how to obscure the truth, it was unlikely one could survive. But that past was behind him. Wasn’t it?:: Rajel: Pardon me. ::Several things struck him at once. First and foremost, it wasn’t many people who could sneak up on him, even if he was brooding. Excellent hearing afforded him an advantage few species could match. And yet, the owner of this effeminate voice had managed to do just that.:: ::The second thing that struck him was how she sounded. Specifically, where the sound was coming from. Rather than emanating from somewhere below him, as most noises did, this (rather pleasant) anomaly of noise seemed to be entering his ear directly, almost as if the speaker were at his height level. Highly intrigued, he turned.:: ::To his abject astonishment, he didn’t need to bend down to see who had spoken to him. She- an exceptionally pretty young Trill with hair that would have made the sands of Vulcan look pale- stared into his eyes, instead of craning her neck upwards. This was something he almost never experienced outside the comfort of his home planet. Few other species could compare to the sheer size of Ferentis’ people, and this individual did not appear to be a member of any of those races.:: ::He cleared his throat, and his reply came out in a rich baritone.:: Ferentis: ::Taken aback, but hiding it with the practice and charm of an old gentleman.:: Yes? :: Oh that Bariton. Unless the women on their planet spoke that deep, she assumed it to be a he. :: Rajel: ::Jalana raised a hand and wiggled her fingers as she looked at him with a big smile.:: Hi! I'm Jalana and you are? Ferentis: oO Confused, that’s what I am. Oo ::What was the explanation? Had his spotted superior suffered a particularly egregious growth spurt while a child? Did her culture find value in exceptionally tall heels? Another miserable possibility crossed his mind. Had he begun to sink through the floor? Someone might have laughed at the mention of such a preposterous occurrence, until Ferentis gave them one of his rare, “Do not interfere in the affairs of Pahkwa’thanh, for thou art crunchy and go well with brie” looks.” Because it had happened. As far as he knew, the poor maintenance crew aboard the El Corazon had yet to totally smooth out the warped deck plating from Ferentis’ first steps aboard.:: ::But such a kind face deserved a genuine answer, regardless of intention or position. Ferentis: I am Ensign Ferentis, at your service. ::Bowing humbly.:: Rajel: Such a pleasure. ::She looked at the outfit he was wearing a little more up close now and leaned forward.:: Lovely embroidery. Who made it? ::She just had to bring up the embroidery. She couldn’t have let it go. Not that he was entirely embarrassed about it, but still.:: Ferentis: That would be me, ma’am. ::Taking on a more informal tone.:: What do you think? ::Wizened eyes glittering with contained mirth.:: Rajel: ::She raised her eyes to his.:: Really? A little improvement here and there, but good. ::She paused and blushed.:: I'm so sorry. One of my former hosts was a fashion designer, she liked to poke her head out every now and then. :: Pause :: Actually I wanted to meet you to find out which reptilian species you belong to... that was too direct, wasn't it? :: She smiled apologetic.:: ::Poor Jalana. Ferentis was certain that she meant no offense- the sincere apologies made that clear. But besides their fearsome appearances, and even fiercer appetites, the one thing Pakhwa’thanh were known for was their manners. Even when insulting someone- a rarity in their culture- it was done politely. He used every bit of willpower he had- quite a considerable force- to keep absolutely nothing from showing on his face. His surprise, his mild annoyance, his far more considerable amusement- nothing pierced that rock solid visage.:: Ferentis: oO You could always eat her. ::Pause.:: No, too predictable. Oo Ferentis: ::Smiling kindly.:: It’s quite alright. I am a Pahkwa’thanh, hailing from Dupwa’thuv, Deena Sector, Beta Quadrant. And if I might observe, you are a...Trill? Ferentis: oO Which still doesn’t explain… Oo ::The lizard glanced down, and only then did he realize that the captain was standing upon a chair. He wasn’t sinking, and she wasn’t insanely tall. Just resourceful and quite precocious, in his elderly opinion. He liked her.:: ::He’d put Jalana’s momentary spontaneity behind him. Obviously, she was a vivacious individual, one who took hold of life and apologized rather than ask permission. It was a rather unusual trait for the Pakhwa’thanh, but one that was not entirely unprecedented in his time in space. On Dupwa’thuv, such a mentality might make a person particularly ostracised from the public. He’d lived long enough to learn how to forgive and forget. Most things, at least.:: :: He smiled, or so Jalana thought. Reading reptilian faces was sometimes a challenge. She had been able to practice just a little on the Gorn features of Nugra before his passing. But she had never met one of Ferentis' kind. At least she thought so. :: :: These names tied a knot into her brain in the first moment. But as a doctor, she had heard a lot of difficult words and had memorized them. She'd just have to hear it a few times and she'd be fine. She was also quite sure that she'd never heard about that species and in her long life that was a pleasant surprise. .oO Meeting a new species - Check Oo. A bright smile spread from her lips to her sparkling green eyes. :: Rajel: That is correct. I am a Trill, hailing from Trill, Trill Sector, Alpha Quadrant. ::She just couldn't stop smiling, it was so exciting to meet new people, especially new species in their own Fleet. :: I would just _love_ to learn more about the Pahkwa..uh.. Ferentis: Pakha’thanh. ::He was used to people butchering his name, the name of his species, and the location of his planet. When he’d been younger it had been a cause for great annoyance. Nowadays, he simply accepted it with as much poise and grace as his elderly status afforded.:: Rajel: Yes, thank you Pahkwa'thanh. If you ever have some time and we are not at a party, maybe we can have a chat if you like. And if you want to know anything about Trills we can make an exchange. ::There was that perky grin again.:: What do you think? ::Never before had anyone of so lofty a rank been so...friendly to him. His Academy instructors saw him as another student at best, and a rather terrifying threat at worst. To see a captain of so distinguished a position and so kind a manner was exceptionally new to him. Her green eyes glittered like a thousand emerald gems in the Vulcan sun. Red hair, freckled features...by any standard she was beautiful.:: ::Had he not learned early in life to hide that which he did not want to make public, he would have jolted himself awfully. He couldn’t believe what had just happened. Had he been?...no. But had he? Could he? He was a reptile, for god’s sake! Never before had anything like that happened. Was his absence from his home causing him to feel like this? It had been decades since his return- perhaps this was simply a side effect.:: ::It wasn’t appropriate, by any stretch of the imagination. And he would not allow a simple imbalance of hormones to destroy what was fast becoming a tight friendship.:: Ferentis: I would enjoy that very much indeed. :: She couldn't help but bounce and clap in her hand before she blushed and reminded herself that she wasn't 12. She cleared her throat and put her hands behind her back. :: ::Her reaction could only be described as childish. But not in a bad or demeaning way. It was absolutely adorable to his half-century old eyes. It was something that he had not seen in years. A child’s laughing, cheerful, wondrous eyes. Not to say she was a child- by no means. But she had a life about her that he hadn’t been privy to for years. He cherished it.:: Rajel: Pardon me. What I meant was that I'm looking forward to it. ::She paused, remembering something else.:: Oh and if you are ever looking for a new garb, feel free to send me a holo image, I know two people who would love the challenge. ::He grinned his toothy grin.:: Ferentis: Nothing would please me more. ::Pause:: By chance, who are the people you speak of? Rajel: Well me for one, and Georgio. Our sentient emergency holographic hairdresser, but he also is a fashion diva with some great sewing and .oO What's the right word here? Oo. unique design skills. ::A sentient...holographic...hairdresser. Those words simply didn’t go together often, and Ferentis took a few moments to allow his large brain to chew through their meaning. What poor soul had been so devoid of duty so as to have time to put someone like that together?:: Ferentis: It sounds like there is a story in there somewhere. ::Suddenly, her attention was diverted away from Ferentis for just a brief moment. It was a moment he understood well. It was the sign that things were coming to an end.:: :: Jalana noticed that Maxwell walked away from the group, that was the sign that he'd disconnect the link between Conny and this place very soon. She gave him a quick nod and looked back to Ferentis. :: Rajel: I hate to cut this short, but it is time for me to leave. If you would excuse me, please? It was a real pleasure, Ferentis. ::Despite his happy smile, he felt a rather grievous pain inside. He knew it would be some time before he spoke to this most strange captain again.:: Ferentis: Believe me, captain- the pleasure was entirely mine. :: She grinned at him and with a slight bounce jumped off the chair. :: ::As he watched the excitable captain depart, he wondered what would become of him, he in the service of this idealistic little smattering of planets. The faintest stirring within him told him that the leathery old heart of his was beginning to stir again, despite his intention to keep it otherwise. If a part the heart dies, it’s best to leave it as is. That was his thought process, until now at least. One thing was clear; he would see her again, and he would always care about her.:: ::And he doubted he’d ever forgive her for that.:: ::Smiling a sad little smile to himself, he lumbered off. He needed another drink.:: ::Or twenty.:: ---- PNPC Ensign Ferentis Engineer USS El Corazon NCC 74220 as simmed by Lieutenant Randal Shayne Helmsman USS Atlantis NCC 74682 G239202RS0 & Captain Jalana Rajel Commanding Officer USS Constitution B Image Team Facilitator A238906JL0
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