The Spark of Friendship

Posted on Thu Jul 18th, 2019 @ 10:51pm by Cadet Freshman Grade Charlie StarPocket & Cadet Freshman Grade Teryn Sera

Mission: The First Step...
Location: Campus Dorms
Timeline: 2388/08/25 1930 (August 25 2388 7:30pm)

In a quiet and empty, dorm room, in a not so quiet hall, the doors swished open and a tail poked in. When there was no immediate reaction the tail began to wave slowly before suddenly stopping and a low growl broke the silence.

Charlie A Pocket Full of Stars, or StarPocket, huffed at her unconscious use of a custom that would mean very little to anyone without a tail. That is if the room wasn't already empty.

Dropping her small duffel bag to the floor, Charlie was pleased to see the quarter master had removed one of the beds and had the frame for her hammock setup.

It took very little time to secure her hammock to the frame, while doing so she hummed, a almost purr like noise, to herself. Feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension for what was to be the beginning of her Starfleet career.

Her uncle had made sure she understood exactly what it meant to be an Elliciean offworld, especially for one not born among the Starbred. Still, she was lucky enough to be at a campus with not only her uncle but a Eshlen, an Elliciean priest.

She wouldn't be alone, her kind was there should she have need. Some of the apprehension lessened at the thought. With the hammock set and nothing else to do, as she had been on planet for a few days already, Charlie grabbed her bedding and pushed her duffel under the hammock and slipped into it. Her tail the only thing visible in the end.

Might as well get a nap in.

Tery had walked through a good many of the halls of this particular dorm in search of this one room. It was frustrating how all of the hallways looked the same, nothing to distinguish one from another. Even on Terok Nor, she had been able to tell where she was. Here it was all just... the same. But that, she had very quickly learned, was Starfleet.

She was happy to have finally found it, though. Sighing with relief, she opened the door and started to go to the bed on the left. Something was wrong, though, and she paused to give the room a once-over in an attempt to figure out what it was.

Immediately, she noted two things. One, the other bed had been replaced with a hammock. And two, there was a tail hanging out of said hammock. Wait... a tail? Tery frowned in confusion as she put her bag on her bed and quietly, slowly moved closer to attempt to see whom or what was in the hammock.

As she did, the tail moved, catching her eyes. As she neared it, she really looked at it. The tail itself was patterned in various shades of golden to brown and shades in between. It was long and thick, but the fur was not sleek per se but fluffy. As she watched, it swung back and forth in a sort of lazy swish. She was tempted to touch it but decided that was likely not wise since the other being didn't know her or her them. Instead, she moved closer and peeked over the side of the hammock.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending upon one's point of view, this put her in the way of the swishing tail, and it thumped lightly against her leg. Tery jumped back slightly and glanced down, embarrassed to see that she had been startled by the very appendage she had been admiring only seconds before. And she still had not gotten a look at the tail's owner. But, she reflected a bit uneasily, she likely woke the person up now. She glanced back to the hammock with a look of apology on her face.

Opening one bright blue feline eye, Charlie had found herself watching what she figured was her roommate staring in surprise at her tail, from in between blankets. Then stormy gray eyes met hers apologeticly, as if she was a Sslifte. After a moments breath Charlie opened her other eye, this one the same shade of gold that teased in the mix of spots and stripes that ran along her body.

She pushed enough from out under the blanket so her head now hung over the side of the hammock next to her tail.

"Hello. Sleep friend.. Mean I do roommate you are? " She asked with no preamble, looking up at her upside down position at Sera.

Tery blinked as she watched the other being, some breed of feline perhaps?, turn upside down to look at her. The fact that the other had two different colored eyes was intriguing. In house cats, didn't that signify something? She couldn't remember. Then the words seeped through into her awareness, and she had to pause to parse them together. Then she smiled.

"Yeah, I guess we are roommates." she told the bits of feline she could see. "I'm Sera Teryn, Tery to my friends." she introduced.

"Nice to meet you Sera Teryn it is. Charlie A Pocketfull of Stars, I am. I am, by my friends called Charlie or StarPocket. Call me either you can."

Charlie sat up and stretched leisurely, her eyes never leaving her roommate's. It was all still so different. She wasn't sure how to read the other girl. Smells, body language, mood sensing meant little when she had little context to compare to. Elliciea had a steady stream of tourists but she had not much interaction with them.

Itching to flirt, Charlie reminded herself it would not be seen as it was meant. Instead she found her tail in her hands as she wondered what she should say next.

Tery smiled that warm smile again. "Nice to meet you, Charlie." she said, watching the other holding her tail as if preventing it from misbehaving. Deciding to try and break the ice a bit, she teased lightly, "Does it misbehave a lot?" pointing to the tail. Her manner and eyes showed that she was teasing, meaning it in good fun, not any cruelty in it.

Charlie cocked her head slightly, the tips of her ears flickered before she huffed a hiss in amusement. "Often it does. A trick knot is the tail, as my people say. "

Tery chuckled softly. "Got a mind of their own, eh?" she teased, glad that the other woman had not taken offense. "May I ask... what is your species? I've never seen a being quite like you. I mean, I can tell you're not Caitian" She was curious but didn't want to offend either, thus the explanation of her question. She took a few steps back now to give the other room should she want to alter her... position.

"Always a mind to do as it wants. "She replied, glancing at her own tail as if it was an unruly child. Before answering Tery's other question, Charlie uncoiled herself and slipped out of her hammock. Standing now at her full 6'6 height, she stretched and yawned. "Elliciean I am, known for tourism my world is more than for Starfleet. " She looked the other girl over good for markings. Noting her nose ridges she hedged a guess. "Bajoran you are?"

Tery paused, taking in the very tall girl. Tery herself was not short, standing at 5 ft. 11 in., but this girl was a good 7 inches taller. Was that normal for... what had she called her species? Ellicieans? "Damn, you're tall. Are all of your people this tall?" she asked before the internal censor caught her and stopped that idiotic thing from coming out of her mouth. She immediately looked embarrassed. "Sorry, that was rude. And I'm half Bajoran, yes. The other half is Betazoid." Now shut the hell up. Don't say anything else dumb.

Amused by the blunt question Charlie laughed, an odd sort of hissing. "My people are all this way, yes. Neither tall or short I am among my kind. "

She had a vague memory on Betazoids, telepaths... Difficulty reading Ellicieans. It was all that came to mind. "Rude it's not to me. " Charlie added. "What you intend to study? " She had a feeling she had worded it incorrectly.

Tery felt herself relax, relieved that she hadn't annoyed the other girl given that they had to live together at least for one semester. She smiled. "I'm glad you weren't offended." she admitted. "Sometimes the mental censor doesn't catch stuff before it exits my mouth." She chuckled softly and moved to sit cross-legged on her own bed. "My major is Engineering." she answered what she thought was the question being asked. "Not sure what minor to take though." A shrug. "What about you? What is your course of study?" Cats, which seemed to be at least part of the Elliciean makeup, were not the only things that could let curiosity drag them into places they shouldn't be.

Charlie scooped up her bag, from under her hammock, with her tail. "A minor you do not need to have as of yet." She said in a matter of fact, reminding, sort of way. She pulled out a small carved wooden box before opening it and undoing the remaining braids still in her mane of hair. She placed any beads or feathers from the intricate braids in the small box.

Glancing at her roommate, Charlie added "Going into command I am, plans for mission specialist. " Saying it out loud to someone other than family or academy staff made a thrill go through her. This was happening and she could not help the happy motion of her tail nor the apparently, somewhat scary, full grin.

The grin was infectious, and Tery found herself grinning back. "That's true about the minor; I was just... thinking aloud, I guess. As to your choice, that can be a tough field. But I suppose some of us do thrive on challenges." she said, her smile becoming one that suggested that she was speaking as much about herself as her roommate.

Watching the other girl remove the beads and feathers from her hair, Tery found herself wanting to touch the long hair to see if it was as soft as it looked, but she restrained that impulse and merely commented, "Those are beautiful." pointing to the beads and feathers... and actually the box as well. And you have beautiful hair too. she thought very privately but didn't say at this stage.

Charlie looked at the beads she just put in the box. She almost laughed as the beads were one of her first attempts. The engravings were slated odd and one bead looked a bit misshapen. She had long since thought of them as beautiful. Charlie pulled out a couple of her better beads and held them out to her roommate. "Be yours these can be. A gift to a new friendship. " she tried to mimic a warm smile, rather than something mistakenly fierce.

Tery blinked. She had not expected that, and she felt odd since she did not have anything to offer in return. But she had learned that, in some cultures, refusing a gift was a great insult, and she didn't wish to insult the other girl either, so she gently took them from her. "Thank you." she breathed as she turned the beads over in her hand, feeling the intricate etching in them. "I... I'm sorry, but I don't have anything to give you." She paused a second then moved to her side of the room, retrieving a silver chain from her belongings and turning back. "Unless you would like my hair chain." she offered, holding it out for Charlie to examine. "I mean... I didn't make it, but..." She shrugged slightly.

Charlie gently took the chain from Tery. "Thank you. What belonged to you is gift enough."

The Elliciean girl did wonder how she would put it in her hair. Never having used anything like it. Still it would be a fitting piece to represent the beginning of a new life journey.

Tery smiled but paused as she caught the very momentary look of confusion in the other girl's eyes. It was fleeting, and Tery wondered if she should respond to it. "I can show you how to weave it in if you like." she offered. "And you can show me how to make these stay in my hair." she added with a smile, realizing that she had no idea. For her, the chain was easy, but she'd never put beads in her hair, so that one was... new. Besides, the exercise of teaching each other might help them forge this new friendship further. She hoped.

"Ah. " Charlie responded thoughtfully, and opened her small box again. This time pulling out a long leather strand, a bit too long for what she intended it for. Glancing at her new friend, Charlie calculated how much would be needed, before measuring off the appropriate amount. Then she bit it, not thinking the other girl might have preferred she use scissors instead.

She looked back to Tery and held out her hand for the beads. "Place them on these we do. Then woven into hair they are. Honored, I would be for you to show me."

Tery was not really bothered by the girl's use of her teeth to cut the leather. Charlie's species resembled cats, and cats did that, so it made sense to her. She handed back the beads and watched as Charlie affixed them to the leather so that she could reproduce the act next time. "Oh, that makes sense. I just didn't see you remove leather when you took them out of your hair." She chuckled at herself. "But then, I wasn't entirely paying attention, I confess. Sorry." What she really wanted to know was... was the fur as soft as it looked. She didn't ask that though. "Thank you."

Charlie gave a nod, "Most welcome you are." She
carefully placed the chain in the box and put it back in her bag. Uncertain what she should do with her few belongings, nor where to have The Solemn Place for prayer. Would she have to make trips to the priest?

She glanced at Tery at the thought of the priest. Charlie had yet to make many friends and in an instinctual eagerness to form a new Less'ti (pack) she found herself saying.

"Go with me to eat with other of my kind in a few sunsets? At the base it would be, my.." She searched for the right term. "Uncle will be there. "

Her tail flicked with nervousness. Charlie desperately wanted both the connection to her own kind as well as to have new friends.

Tery was caught by surprise by the invitation... and warmed. She liked this girl and had hoped to make her a friend. This invitation said to her that Charlie wanted that as well, which made her smile brightly. "I'd love to!" she enthused before her brain caught up and reminded her that she knew nothing of the customs of these people, and she frowned uncertainly. "But... is there a... protocol? I mean, are there things I should do or shouldn't do?" She looked slightly embarrassed. "You're the first of your kind I've met, so I don't know the right thing."

In one fluid motion, Charlie slid back into the hammock tail lazily brushing the floor where it deposited her bag once again. She gave a hint of a smile before answering. "No need to worry. Expectations of non Ellicieans is not same as it is between my people. Many rules we have for ourselves on Elliciea but for others mostly only Federation rules. Nothing to worry over here on Sapentia. "

She yawned toothily then added, "Happy I will to explain anything about my people even so. Oh.. " It hit Charlie there was the whole flirting thing. While noone would likely flirt with Tery, unless they knew she would be appropriately receptive, they would not hold back between each other and that could seem very odd. Feeling awkward she continued. "Something there is my people might do that misunderstand you might .. It is considered polite, respectful to flirt with another. "

That was an unusual protocol, but not an unwelcome one. She had learned very quickly from Aunt Lwaxana the fine art of flirting. That thought made her chuckle, but she choked it down almost instantly. "Sorry, I wasn't laughing at you or your custom. I was imagining how very respected Aunt Lwaxana would make your people feel." Another light chuckle at the image, then she sobered. "Anyway, besides a show of respect, it's just harmless, right? I mean, I would hate to give someone the wrong idea." Or insult them by accident.

Charlie gave a hissing laugh, "no... Worry do not." To her surprise she felt relief at her new friend's reaction. "For Elliciean there is no misunderstanding. Sense we do if... there is desire not of friend or family. " she explained, her tail dancing with amusement.

Tery chuckled too, mostly at herself. "So it's like dining with Betazoids then." she half teased. "We can sense the desire or lack thereof as well." Her chuckle became truly amused as she added, "My Aunt Lwaxana loves to flirt with any eligible man, though she would never do more with most of them. It's harmless. She just loves the game, I think. Is this what you mean?"

"Your aunt i would love to meet. Fit in she she would. " Charlie grinned then explained. "Flirting shows an appreciation of anothers presence. It is respect and love, many forms of love my people have. "

Putting Elliciean social concepts into words wasn't easy, especially when speaking a foreign tongue. Charlie tilted her head slightly. "Tell me more of your two people you must. "

Tery sat on her bed and curled her feet up, getting as comfortable as she could. She then began to share bits and pieces about both Betazoid and Bajoran cultures while Charlie reciprocated with other bits about Elliciean culture. They continued for some hours, sharing and learning about one another, the sharing creating the beginnings of a bond of friendship sought by both.