Ensign Freck - Certainly An Impression

[Dekas]

Okay, but I'd like to appreciate @Freck for unwittingly being such a good sport about the prank his Aurelian friend just pulled on him by telling him to sing his greeting and then actually doing it. In tears laughing. But also the writing here is top-quality, and it's an enjoyable read overall as well. We're extremely lucky to have Freck on Denali Station with us, tbh.

Quote

 

(( Shuttlecraft, Denali Station, Ring 42 ))

Dekas: Just remember, you have to sing your greetings as well as you can before bowing, or I’m going to look like a bad Aurelian for not teaching you the proper way of introducing yourself. I want you to make a good impression.

That made sense to Freck, when he thought about it. Dekas was the only Aurelian he’d had any real interactions with and he knew the Engineer was fond of singing. It wasn’t too much of a stretch to imagine that birdsong was engrained in their culture at a more fundamental level.

And he did want to make a good impression.

Freck: Of course! I uh…haven’t had much practice. I hope that’s okay.

Yael/Any: Response

Dekas: Marvelous. Are you ready to go? Got everything?

As far as he knew, he did. Not that he had much to his name in the first place. A single suitcase with a  few days and nights worth of clothing, hygenic supplies (nobody likes dull teeth), a PADD or two, and a tricorder he’d squirreled away, just in case things start getting unexpectedly dicey (again).

Freck: :: nodding :: I should be all set.

Yael/Any: Response

Dekas: Then let’s have a good time.

(( Time skip – One to two days later – Spacedock above Aurelia ))

It was an incredible urge to rush to the windows and plant his face to the windows like some kind of child that Freck forced himself to suppress. He could tell from here just how lush with color and life the planet was. It was beautiful and Freck just wanted to bask in it.

Dekas: ::Realizing he hadn’t said or responded to anything in a solid minute:: Do you want to grab something to eat here, or would you prefer to settle in on the planet first? My family knows you’re coming and probably have something there, too. But I figure it can’t hurt to ask what you’d like to do first. You are the guests in this situation.

Freck turned to Dekas when he started talking, but there were changes to the Aurelian’s tone than what he’d had on the shuttle that made him focus closer. Dekas’ facial expressions were still difficult for Freck to read, emotionally speaking, but from what he did know, plus the changes to his voice, Freck concluded that Dekas sounded nervous, which confused the Ferengi for all of two seconds, before it finally clicked.

Of course he’s nervous. He’s bringing his friends home, to his family and his past. To a very emotionally sensitive place. He’d be just as nervous if he were bringing someone like Dekas or Yael onboard his childhood runabout. Of course, in addition to the nerves from bringing them into his family life, he’d also be nervous about what his family would put his visitors through. Freck wondered if that was an additional concern for Dekas, as well.

Yael/Any: Response

Freck: Yeah, I’m good with waiting. I’d love to try your people’s cuisine, anyways.

Dekas: Right. Of course. That makes sense.

Freck followed along as Dekas flagged one of the station’s crew down.

Dekas: Can you check the time of day is it in the tropics right now for me?

Worker: Early morning.

Freck was watching Dekas as he received the report from the crewman, and smiled as he watched the tension fade away from his friend’s expression.

Dekas: Oh that’s lovely, thank you.

The crewman bowed before he left and Dekas looked back to them. The tension was back, Freck could see. Oh well, he was sure that it’d clear up once they were in the thick of it. Much like how heights weren’t an issue once you’d actually jumped.

Dekas: Well, I timed this perfectly if you’re in the mood for breakfast. There’s a transporter station just that way.

Yael/Any: Response

Freck: Oh, good!

They made their way over to the station and gathered up on the pad. Freck’s own anticipations were starting to ramp up. He really didn’t want to make a poor impression or accidentally say something offensive.

Dekas: Oh, pluck me, I forgot to warn you about the spiders.

Spiders? Warn them? Freck’s brain froze with the implications that he’d need to be warned about what he’d normally consider a hardy food, so he couldn’t even respond with an attempt at a gurgle of confusion before they were broken down by the miracles of technology.

(( The Tropics of Aurelia ))

Until, of course, they were reconstituted by the very same technology, at which point his gargle was immediately halted as he stood in awestruck, slack-jawed amazement. The massive trees, the sounds of animals and weather around them, the colors… the COLORS! Every part of the visible spectrum, it seemed, was represented in some form or fashion, although green was by far the most favored. Dekas and Yael both were getting a run for their money when it came to the amount of vibrancy and saturation, although perhaps comparing people to a landscape was a bit cheating.

Freck: It’s…it’s gorgeous, Dekas!

Yael/Any: Response.

Dekas: This is where I grew up. And yes. Some of us do live in trees. Just not exactly how people think we do. It’s like a birdhouse but so much cooler.

Dekas opened the door to his family home and revealed a home that looked as though it grew alongside the family which occupied it, the history of generations marking their place in the shape and function of the room and the portals Freck could already spot that revealed winding passages leading higher.

But then Freck noticed the movement from the two figures in the center of the room. The two…very tall figures. Easily a head taller than Dekas, who was already practically a giant in Freck terms. In fact, Freck began to notice…many parts of the home were built for people more than half his height again. He hadn’t noticed on the space station, but now he was feeling a bit irrationally sensitive about being too short in a world of giants.

It was perhaps with that sense of inadequacy in mind that Freck decided to take the drastic initiative and set his suitcase down before stepping forward to the two other Aurelian that were moving to meet them, put his wrists together and palms up in the formal Ferengi gesture of respect, and start to sing loudly and confidently.

Freck: ♪~ I, Freck, thaaaank youuuu for allooooowing us to visiiiiit your beaauuuuuuutifuuul hooooooome! ~ ♪

Freck bowed deeply, both to convey his deep respects, but also to hide fact that his face was turning what he could feel was a ripe shade of yellow with embarrassment. He didn’t know why he chose to end on a high note, but he did and now they all had to live with it.

Still bowed, he quickly looked around to see if Yael was about to sing his own greeting, the way that Dekas had instructed them.

Yael: Response
 

TAG/TBC

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Ensign Freck
Science Officer
Denali Station
D239911F12

 

 

[Nolen Hobart]

This is amazing. Bravo! Encore!

[Freck]

Ahh, thank you so much! That being said, he's being a good sport about it because he doesn't yet understand the depths to which his friendship has been betrayed. In other words, you realize, of course, that this means war.

[Nolen Hobart]

2 hours ago, Freck said:

Ahh, thank you so much! That being said, he's being a good sport about it because he doesn't yet understand the depths to which his friendship has been betrayed. In other words, you realize, of course, that this means war.

Even better. I love a good grudge*

 

*when I'm not involved.