Birds Of A Feather

Posted on Thu Dec 27th, 2018 @ 11:22pm by Cadet Freshman Grade R'Maia
Edited on on Thu Dec 27th, 2018 @ 11:23pm

Mission: My Place In This Universe
Location: Cadet transport, Zulubase
Timeline: 2388/08/25 0618 (August 25 2388 6:18am) during boarding

After Commander Bannerman moved further up the shuttle with the cadet named Liam, Adonai was left all by himself. He'd been instructed to find a seat to sit in. There were so many to choose from, however, and he wasn't too certain which one to pick. Finally deciding on one by a viewport, Adonai moved over to it and sat down. He placed his duffel bag in front and between his legs. All that was left to do was to wait for the shuttle to take off for Sapientia. Adonai had no idea when it would leave for the planet, but he imagined that it would probably be soon.

Having not really met any of the other cadets yet, R'Maia opted to board the shuttle after seeing Commander Bannerman get on board with two others. Stepping aside, she saw all the empty seats and then one person sat on his own. Smiling, she moved with silent grace towards Adonai, the Caitian asked "Do you mind if I sit with you?"

At first, Adonai didn't turn his head as he was looking out the viewport window. "Of course," he said, presumably to one of his fellow cadets.

"Thanks." R'Maia smiled at him then took a seat, her always wayward tail falling across Adonai's lap before she quickly grabbed it and tucked it beside her with a mumbled "Sorrrry."

It was difficult for Adonai not to notice the furry thing on his lap although he didn't think much of it at the time. That was, until he finally turned his head to see who... or rather what was sitting next to him. The Nygean's eyes grew wide with fright and he nearly jumped out of his seat. Adonai brought his knees up to his chest and tried to push himself away from the 'thing' beside him.

"Aaaah! Stay away!" he cried aloud. He quickly looked from side to side, hoping someone was nearby to protect him from this monster but he was on his own it seemed.

R'Maia felt like she had been slapped across the face from the other cadet's reaction and her lower lip quivered. Forcing back tears she uttered "I-I'm sorrrry, I'm not good at contrrrolling my tail, it won't happen again I prrromise." Her warm, amber eyes fixed on him with a look of pleading. Until the last few weeks she had only ever mixed with other Caitians back on Cait and everybody else she had run into so far had treated her as an equal so she was totally unprepared for this.

Adonai couldn't believe his eyes. So much so that he had to cover them with his hands. The mention of a tail did peak his interest and he looked through widened fingers. "T-tail?" he asked, not sure what to make of that revelation. "W-what are you?" he further prodded.

"A Caitian." R'Maia replied as if it should be obvious then peered at him, realising that she hadn't seen facial features like his before and asked "And what arrre you?"

"I'm a Nygean," replied the teenager a bit more calmly. "Are... are you a person? You don't look like any person I've ever seen before. Truthfully, you kind of remind me of a feral razorcat from my home planet. They prey on little children and eat them whole." At that thought, Adonai quickly covered his eyes again but he split his fingers open between his index and middle fingers. "Do you have fangs?" he asked nervously.

"Yes I'm a perrrson." R'Maia said indignantly, "No I don't eat small children and yes, I have fangs." she added sounding more than a little angry as she lifted the corner of her upper lip to show him, "I'm vegetarrrian just like most of my people so the only things that need to fearr me are vegetables and frrruits." she crossed her arms and hurrumphed.

A vegetarian? Whether he wanted it to happen or not, the thought of the furry person beside him trying to eat a carrot or a celery stick caused him to laugh softly to himself. At least she didn't eat children though. That in itself helped Adonai to be a little less scared. "I'm sorry," he apologized both for his behaviour thus far towards the Caitian and the fact he'd briefly laughed at her. "I was just picturing you with a huge carrot in your mouth. I-I'm Adonai. Do you have a name?"

"R'Maia." the Caitian replied then frowned, "Why exactly werre you imagining me with a carrrrot in my mouth? I don't even like carrrots." she added, thinking that this Nygean fellow was really quite odd.

"It was the first thing that came to mind," replied Adonai. "Do... do you have a favourite vegetable?" The whole idea that this... cat-thing even ate vegetables was still pretty unbelievable to the Nygean.

"Therrre's something on Cait that resembles what the Terrrans call peas." R'Maia replied, "But they'rrre sweeterrr and morrre tasty I think." she relaxed back in her chair thinking that Adonai seemed more relaxed...at least a little.

"I don't think I've ever had... peas," admitted the male teenager. "Where I come from, we used to grow vegetables in our little garden. Most of the time they didn't grow due to our lack of good fertilizer but sometimes we got lucky." By now it was evident that Adonai had become much more comfortable with his furry friend.

"Why didn't you have ferrrtilizer?" R'Maia watched him, trying to work out why his family wouldn't have such a basic item as fertilizer in this day and age and besides if you didn't have it couldn't you replicate it?

Adonai blushed a little bit in embarrassment. "We could not afford it," he simply said.

"Oh." R'Maia said, momentarily lost for words before saying softly "I'm sorrry...I guess I've grown up prrrivileged that the Federrration ensurrres none of its members wants forrr anything. I just assume that everrryone is just as lucky." she reached out and placed a furry hand on his before realising that it might freak him out again and quickly taking it away.

This time, Adonai wasn't alarmed by the physical contact although he was still a little unsure about it. He just thought that the furry.. girl was a bit strange. That was only because he'd never seen anyone like her before. "It's a bit of a long story," started the Nygean teenager. "Maybe one day I can tell you more about it. Even though we couldn't get things like fertilizer, my family and I have lived a pretty good life. Sure it was hard at times but we made due with what we had. Everyone worked together to make sure that everything worked out in the end."

"I'd like that." R'Maia smiled at him, her fangs showing just slightly as she did so. "You know, you'rre not too bad now that I've gotten to know you." she added, her smile widening as her eyes twinkled.

Even Adonai had to admit that the Caitian didn't seem so frightening. "Likewise," he offered instead. "I apologize if my initial reaction upset you. It wasn't my intention."

"It's okay." R'Maia shrugged, "I guess my people are pretty differrrent to what's considerred the norrm."

"Are there more people like you in the Federation?" Adonai wondered. He mostly wanted to know just in case he ever encountered anyone else. He didn't want to have a breakdown like he'd just had. "Not like you but I mean... other species who have a very different appearance."

"I guess." R'Maia replied, "Therrre are lots of Federrration members and we're all differrrent in ourrr own way." she shrugged having not really thought much about it.

Even though that wasn't really the answer he was looking for, it still managed to spark Adonai's imagination. He began to wonder just what other kind of aliens he would see in Starfleet. "It sounds like I'm going to have an interesting time at the Academy. What do you think it's going to be like living there, on another planet?" he asked the Caitian.

"I've hearrrd that it's rrreally beautiful." R'Maia commented, "Like parrradise." she purred with a dreamy expression on her face until the expression clouded and she added "I'll miss my family though...I've neverrr been away frrrom home beforrre."

Adonai smiled and this time it was he who placed his hand on the Caitian's... paw? "It's my first time too. It'll be okay though. Somehow I doubt that we'll have much time to feel lonely. Plus I imagine that the Academy will have some kind of way for you to contact your family if you wanted to."

"Oh I'm surrre they will." R'Maia smiled, warming to Adonai and thinking that she may just have found a kindred spirit and a new friend.

In a big way, the Caitian was lucky in Adonai's mind. At least she could contact her family. His family didn't have any way to be contact unless it was through slower channels, a process which would most likely take months. He wasn't going to tell R'Maia that though. Instead, Adonai remained smiling as he was genuinely happy for the girl.

Even though she was very strange-looking to him, Adonai had to admit that she might not be so bad of a person after all. Perhaps there was the possibility that they could even become friends at the Academy and that was certainly a good thing. Loneliness was sure to poke its head in the Nygean's direction at some point in the near future. If he had someone he could get close to then it was unlikely that he'd so easily succumb to its effects.

Everything was going to be fine at this new Academy. It was a chance for everyone to grow and become better people. If he was going to be permitted entry to Starfleet, Adonai was going to grasp this chance with both hands and give it his best shot. He really had nothing to lose.