Lt JG Imril - There's No Rule Saying A Cat Can't Play Bancroftball!
Chris Taylor
((Kerrit Dromos - City One - Rylor))
Vailani: I had no idea you were such good friends with Lt. Bancroft?
Imril: We used to be roomies. Plus there’s the time-honored Starfleet bonding ritual of nearly dying with someone repeatedly.
K'Wara: He’s a good sort. Good at jokes, awful at roasting mush. Also plays a good game of Galaxopoly.
But an animal tamer, Roy was not. At least not so far as Imril had ever heard. Which was rather unfortunate, given the surprise third racer that suddenly appeared in a big blur of purple fur.
Vailani: What is that?
Ensign Garlonak frantically called out a new round of bets. Hands raised to answer. Others pulled holocams and padds to record the very unexpected interruption.
K’Wara: A hologram? Sabotage? Or a wayward pet, enticed by the excitement?
Half the crowd had risen to their feet, swept up in its own wave of excitement. For their part, Imril sat in flabbergasted silence.
Vailani: Lt. Imril? How big is that tank exactly?
Storm: Find your new stride.
A pair of ensigns jumped up and down, clapping like cheerleaders. They, too, were in Roy’s camp.
K’Wara: A ‘stride’ isn’t going to help much with this situation.
Vailani laughed. She’s laughed and Imril had missed it! Her scowl had returned in the instant it took Imril to turn and look at her. But perhaps there would be photos of the momentous occasion up for bid at the next round of public gambling. Taking the place of the robo-MacKenzie candids, whatever that was about.
K’Wara: Roy just can’t help but have running buddies.
Vailani: He still has a chance to pull it back. Let's not write him off just yet.
Roy lost precious time and distance to some sort of dance with the creature over right-of-way. One which the cat clearly intended to end with a collision. And/or hug. Its body language calling out that it was looking to play, not hunt.
Imril: Impossible.
K’Wara: ::grins:: It must be his social nature. But it’s certainly not helping the fact that Ava’s got a massive lead right now.
Storm: Match her pace—you’ve got the longer stride!
Vailani: He still has a few more kilometres. Munro came out strong to set an ambitious pace. That still has its risks for her.
Storm leaned Imril’s way.
Storm: How much of a chance do you think he’s really got?
Vailani: I think he needs a blessing from the Prophets themselves at this point.
Imril’s answer to both of them was stolen by a gasp of surprise. The cat had just torn off a piece of Roy’s outfit! They snapped their feet, hand slapping towards their combadge to call in an emergency. But this too was interrupted by a flash of motion from nearby. The two ‘cheerleaders’ were running out into the center of the field, intent apparently on stopping or at least distracting the animal. Another officer hot on their heels.
K’Wara: That big of a lead this early on isn’t encouraging, at least. ::looks around:: I hope he gains a bit though. There’s nothing as exciting as a close race with a photo finish at the end.
Vailani: I like a sure thing :: satisfied smugness :: This race is going exactly how I expected. Except the enormous purple cat. I didn't expect that.
Imril: ::Pointing at Roy’s rescue squad:: And the cat doesn’t expect them.
Storm: Response
K’Wara: Yeah... ::chuckles:: I wonder where that thing came from?
The sabrecat noticed oncoming playmates and rushed to greet them. One of them -- Ensign Talbot, Imril realized -- was knocked off her feet by the fluffy whirlwind, who immediately engaged in a friendly bout of play-fighting. The other two yelped and started trying to nudge the cat off of their fallen comrade to the jubilation of the remaining peanut gallery.
Vailani: Must be a friendly native species of some kind? Or someone's very excitable pet?
Pet seemed far more likely. Animals like that didn’t normally default to ‘friendly’. Fangs that large weren’t used to eat rainbows and gumdrops, after all. It had to have been tamed by someone.
Imril: Is there a petting zoo around here that I don’t know about? One with really bad security?
Storm/K'Wara: Response
Vailani: It's an unusual place. I can see why they chose to build a colony here. I might even use it for my next holo-programme.
Imril: ::Genuinely interested:: You write holos? What kind?
Storm/K'Wara: Response
She waved her hand.
Vailani: Oh it's nothing you would be interested in. Just a series of holo-walks. Boring :: points towards the track :: Look! What's he doing now?
Imril: Coming around the bend.
Too far behind.
Storm/K'Wara: Response
Meanwhile, Talbot had regained her footing and she and her fellows were luring the cat away. Leading it in the direction it had come from. The other cheerleader waving her Starfleet jacket high in the air, which it was feverishly batting at.
Storm/K'Wara/Vailani: Response
Imril: ::Squinting:: I think he just said something.
Storm/K'Wara/Vailani: Response
Imril: He’s not quitting. That’s for sure.
Imril nodded their appreciation of his resolve.
Storm/K'Wara/Vailani: Response
TAGS/ TBC
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Lieutenant JG Imril
Engineering Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240110I12