[G-HOL] JP-DeVeau+Moonsong+Saveron+Greyson: Teddy Bears’ Picnic Part 4

[Sarah Eccles]

((Holodeck, USS Garuda))

::Raissa glanced around the small circle of people. She watched Saavok exploring the ‘pot pie’ Alora had given him. It was like watching a mini-vulcan experimenting without the benefit of a tricorder.::

Moonsong: Saavok does make me curious about something. Is meat from a replicator really meat?

Saveron: It duplicates the basic cellular structure and full nutrient content of living meat, but even replicated raw, the cells do not live. One cannot replicate life. ::He observed before taking a mouthful of pie.::

Moonsong: Then in so sense was it alive how can we identify it as “meat”. Since it was not harvested from a living creature.

:: Carter, from an engineering perspective, was interested in this discussion. The replicator was one of the most common systems on the ship, and he had a better knowledge of how it worked than a tactical console. ::

Greyson: Since all a replicated dish consists of is replicated matter from patterns stored in the database, it was in fact, never alive to begin with.

Saveron: Perhaps it is more correct to term it ‘imitation meat’, if one defines meat as something that once lived. But then, plant matter also once lived. We are not lithovores. ::Life might be easier if they could eat rocks.::

Greyson: That’s a good point...

DeVeau: I can imagine us offering a side of sandstone with our meal of marble.  Would you care for black marble or pink?

::Raissa took another small bite of the cabbage pie and set it aside.::

Moonsong: If I were a Horta I might feel a little insulted here, Alora.

DeVeau: If you were a Horta, I’d replicate the most desirable rock imaginable in the colour purple and invite you to join us!

::Alora laughed and jabbed her fork into another piece of pie so she could pop it into her mouth.::

Moonsong: ::she sniffed haughtily:: You can’t possibly understand the fine distinction between the taste of marble metamorphosed from limestone or dolomite. You have an uneducated palate.

::She blinked as all four stared at her. What did she know about geology, much less the different types of marble. Then she blushed. This wasn’t the first time information popped out of her mouth.::

::Many species had a tendency to speak and behave in what they considered a humourous and less and serious manner when amongst friends; Terrans particularly. He didn’t understand the impulse but in the circumstances he considered it a good sign.::

DeVeau: Speaking of food, how are the pies?  Not bad for purple, right?

Moonsong: ::taking a sip of her drink.:: Definitely something I might put in my personal logs.

Saveron: Is the colour intended to affect the flavour? ::Asked the Vulcan. It all tasted the same to him.::

Carter: This isn’t bad...interesting texture. :: He continued munching on his pie, savoring the flavor. ::

DeVeau: No, it’s not intended to affect the flavour, however, I’ve found that if someone perceives that something might taste different, it can.

::Not that she was a psychologist or anything.::

Moonsong: A valid supposition. The mind can be quite powerful in altering perceptions.

Saveron: Interesting.

::Once the meals were consumed, Alora wielded a new spatula.::

DeVeau: Who wants dessert?  

Moonsong: None for me. I think I’ve eaten all I can.

::The little Vulcan’s hand shot straight up, as though he were at school.::

Saveron: I believe that Saavok does. ::He observed dryly.:: I would be interested to try the ‘Devil’s Food’. ::Mostly because of the odd name.::

DeVeau: Devil’s food it is!

::Alora sliced off a piece for him, then then one for herself.::

DeVeau: It’s divine, so rich and just..just taste it, you’ll love it.

::As much as a Vulcan would admit to loving anything anyway.::

Anyone Else: ?

::With what might almost have been a slightly guilty glance at his father - to which the older Vulcan did not react - Saavok hoed into his cream pie with all the enthusiasm of young experimentation.::

::Saveron meanwhile sampled his ‘Devil’s Food’ pie more sedately. Food, unless heavily spiced, was not usually particularly interesting to him due to his species’ subdued sense of taste, but Alora’s effusive accolades suggested that it was at least worth sampling. Interestingly it did have noticeable bitter-and-sweet tones along with a mild flavour he was not familiar with, but which he found agreeable. He tried another spoonful.  The flavour was… interesting. Agreeable, even. It wasn’t often that he found flavours that he could perceive, let alone appreciate. Before long he had cleaned his plate.::

::As Saveron carefully tried his dessert, Alora pretty much destroyed hers.  By the time he’d gotten halfway, she was entirely through and delicately licking off her fingers.  Finally, though, he must have decided it was tasty for he, too, finished the rather large piece she’d given him.::

DeVeau: How is it?

Saveron: The flavour is… agreeable. ::He paused, and unconsciously licked a smear of pie off his lip.:: I am not familiar with it. ::He said carefully, and blinked. He was feeling slightly… odd.:: May I ...enquire as to the ingredients?

DeVeau: Wheat, sugar, chocolate, eggs, cream...more sugar, naturally derived purple colouring, butter...that’s pretty much it I think.  Good, right?

Saveron: Oh.

::The Vulcan looked down at his plate, then back up at Alora. Then he did it again.::

Saveron: No, no, no. I do not… consume… chocolate.

DeVeau: Huh?

::That was not what Alora expected.  At the very least, she would have thought he’d say it was ‘agreeable’, which meant he enjoyed it even if he didn’t want to express it as such.  His actual reaction, however, took her by surprise.::  

Saveron: It… dissssagrees with my… metabolism. ::He slurred, and hiccupped.::

DeVeau: It doesn’t?  Uh oh...did I make you sick?

::Alora fairly tossed aside her plate and crawled over to Saveron.::

DeVeau: Is it poisonous to you?  I didn’t know...I’m sorry!

::The Vulcan blinked again at the suddenly up-close Alora. There was even the faintest hint of surprise on his features.::

Saveron: Only slightly. ::He revealed.:: It… has an intoxicating effect… on my ssspecies. ::Which alcohol did not.::

::He looked down at his plate again, then back up at Alora. The cake had really been quite… agreeable.::

Saveron: I would not object to some more. ::He said hopefully.::

::Raissa quickly requested a medical tricorder from the holodeck computer. Once it was in her hand she quickly scanned the Vulcan.::

Moonsong: Oh, I think you’ve had enough.

::The Vulcan scientist glanced over at the Counsellor with what could only be considered a look of mild confusion on his face, before those upswung brows came down in a fairly impressive frown.::

Saveron: Raissa. You are… expressssing an insufficient capacity for… appreciable experiences.

::Was the phrase he finally decided on.::

Moonsong: Alora…  only you could get a Vulcan…. ::she glanced at Saavok.:: Intoxicated. ::shakes her head:: Wow.

::Hanging around Alora never failed to end up as some kind of… adventure. No other situation would wind up with her being called ‘no fun’ by a Vulcan.::

::Alora moaned deeply.  Not only had someone gotten her drunk, now she’d gone and done the same thing.::

DeVeau: I’m so sorry...oh man….

::She glanced around, her shoulders drooping as her enthusiasm deflated.::

DeVeau: Is he going to be okay Raissa?

::Raissa scanned through the readings the tricorder was giving her. While she had switched her major to psychology, she did have enough medical experience to handle the basics. Drunk Vulcans was a stretch however.::

Moonsong: I think so. No more chocolate for Vulcans. :::pause.:: Yet another reason for me not to be a fan of it.

::Alora nodded, sighed again, then scooted in closer so she could ease herself against the Vulcan and draw one slender arm around her neck.::

DeVeau: Come on you.  We should get you to your quarters.

::Saveron turned to look somewhat confusedly at Alora who suddenly had his arm over her shoulders, which resulted in him actually touching foreheads with her for a moment, before he pulled back slightly. There was a momentary flash of a feeling that would be all too familiar to her from that fateful night a couple of weeks previous. He was drunk. He didn’t seem to be finding the experience particularly objectionable however.::

Saveron: Whilst I do not... object to your… proximity, I question the… reason for it.

::Vulcans were not touchy-feely people.::

DeVeau: I’m trying to get you up so I can get you to your quarters.

::Even as she spoke, Alora tucked her knees under her and attempted to press up to her feet while dragging the Vulcan with her.::

Saveron: I do not require assistance. ::He said, despite the evidence to the contrary.::

DeVeau: Then can you assist me assisting you?

::While the Vulcan was skinnier than a nail, he was heavier than he looked and Alora didn’t have Vulcan strength.  She struggled to get to her feet and continued to tug Saveron after her.::

Saveron: Why are we leaving? ::He asked, and put downward pressure on Alora’s shoulders. The Vulcan didn’t want to move.::

DeVeau: Because you are essentially drunk and here is not a good place to be drunk.  Better to be in your quarters.

::Raissa slipped under his other arm to help Alora with the weight. He sagged between the two women.::

Moonsong: Umph! ::pause:: Carter… why don’t you show Saavok how to play frisbee? We’ll be back….

::Saavok looked from Carter to his father and the two women, trying to work out what was going on.::

::It became apparent that the two women were not taking no for an answer, and the weight was suddenly lifted from their shoulders as Saveron got his long legs under him and stood up.::

Saveron: I am quite capable… of standing on my own.

::Which he might be, but he wasn’t so capable of balancing, to judge by the arm he kept on each woman’s shoulder and the weight that occasionally rested there.::

DeVeau: I think you also forgot to feed your tribble.

::The Vulcan blinked again and frowned slightly.::

Saveron: The point of troubles is that you do not feed them.

DeVeau: No, I mean, I think you forgot and FED your tribble.  We’d better go make sure you don’t now have a dozen of them.

::She decided not to mention the slip of his tongue::

::Raissa suppressed her laugh with great difficulty. While it was funny now, he’d be no fun to tease about this later on. As it was she was doing her very best not to connect with him telepathically. She did NOT want to know what he was thinking.::

Saveron: I do not forget. ::He said stubbornly.::

::Why couldn’t they let him sit here and investigate the experience?::

DeVeau: Well then, I could really go for another cup of Theris-masu.  Please?  Pretty please?

::Other memories surfaced. Alora intoxicated and vomiting in the corridor, Ashley drunk and stoned and in need of a stomach pump. He did not know the full effects of the quantity of chocolate that he had eaten. Perhaps their intentions were wiser than he wished to acknowledge. Also he wanted to lie down.::

Saveron: As you wish. ::He allowed.:: I do have… real Theris leaves.

::But she knew that. Why did he say that when he knew she knew that? It was not logical. Much was not logical. Intoxication was not logical, and until now he had not understood why so many found it appealing.::

::It took a moment, but the three of them got faced in the right direction for the holodeck’s arch and all walking the same way.::

DeVeau: Yes, the real thing is so much better, right?

::It was only because Saveron was letting them, but with Raissa’s help, Alora began to aim for the door, which appeared at her request and then slid open to the corridor.::

DeVeau: A nice, hot steaming cup will probably do us both good.  Right Raissa?

Moonsong: ::snorts:: Yeah. Right. Cup. ::pause:: Better idea. Carter?

::Counselors were not quite as physically fit as engineers. Besides Carter was taller and better able to keep Saveron balanced.::

:: The engineer caught the frisbee again and smiled at them when he heard his name. ::

Greyson: Yes, darling. What’s up?

Moonsong: You play ‘balance the Vulcan’. I’ll stay here with Saavok.

:: Carter smirked and handed Ris the frisbee as he walked over to the drunken Vulcan, the idea of seeing Saveron drunk somehow making him dread Skyfire’s sickbay. ::

::Raissa let Carter take her place beside Saveron before she took the frisbee.::

Moonsong: You two get him to his quarters. ::she glanced at the boy beside her:: We’ll start the clean up.

::Alora nodded.  The last thing she wanted was for Saveron to pass out in the holodeck or hallways.::

DeVeau: Come on...I can almost taste that tea.

::Hopefully it would still be motivation for him to move which would require less effort from either her or Carter.::

::Carter was closer to the Vulcan’s height and indeed seemed to have an easier time maneuvering him.::

::Meanwhile Saavok, still holding the frisbee, looked up at Raissa.::

Saavok: Is father alright?

Moonsong: ::faint smile.:: He will be, assure you.

::Meanwhile the Vulcan was reasonably mobile if a bit unsteady, only leaning on those on either side of him as he needed to.::

Greyson: He’ll be alright after he sleeps it off.

DeVeau: I feel kind of like a teeter totter.

::Saveron chuckled, a deep sound like a purr that echoed in his chest.::

::Alora nearly fell over at the sound.  Was that...laughter?  From a Vulcan?  Truly?  Green eyes turned upward to gaze upon him in shock even as her lips twitched in amusement.  Although the joke hadn’t been that funny, she found it satisfying, in a way, to have made a Vulcan laugh - even if it was because he was drunk.::

:: The engineer’s brow quirked in confusion. Saveron was...laughing about his mental state? Really? Well, Carter knew that humans could occasionally be cheerful drunks, but he had no idea that Vulcans could be cheery drunks as well. ::

Greyson: We’ll get him to his quarters. Come on, Alora.

DeVeau: Coming.

::Hopefully Saveron wouldn’t resist and they could get him to his quarters sooner rather than later.

=============

JP by

Lt. Cmdr. Saveron

Xenobiologist

USS Garuda

and

PNPC Saavok

Vulcan Child

USS Garuda

As simmed by Saveron

and

Lt. Raissa Moonsong

Counselor

USS Garuda

and

Lt. Alora DeVeau

Chief of Science

USS Garuda

and

PNPC Ens. Carter Greyson

Engineering Officer

USS Garuda

As simmed by Chythar Skyfire