Lt. JG. Gnai - New Faces, Same Places
Lich
((Alyndra’s Quarters, Compartment 38, Section 13, Deck 3, USS Artemis-A))
There had been an odd message request on the computer terminal in Gnai’s quarters one day during shore leave. The name was someone that it had never met before, originally from another ship. But that wasn’t what made it out of the ordinary - there was plenty of cross-fleet collaboration, and meeting new faces every day (even over the subspace links, where no actual faces might have crossed paths) was a certainty in such a large and interconnected galaxy.
What was odd about it was the request.
Gnai had never heard of “Starflirt” before, and was extraordinarily confused to find that it did have a profile on the service, upon further investigation. Flirting and dating and all that was the realm of the humanoids, not something that a Galadoran like itself had any interest in. And yet, for some inexplicable reason, it had a profile on a site dedicated to (predominantly) that.
Weird.
The message, which it finally got around to reading much later (after all this thorough investigation in the first place into the strange service… still with no answers as to how such a mistake had happened) was completely innocuous. None of the strained “pick up lines” or whatever nonsense that humanoids liked to tell each other while imbibing toxins (which it had observed time and time again at the Academy, with some level of bemusement and more than a little self-aggrandizing internal remarks), just a simple curiosity about if it wanted to meet and see if they could be friends.
Risa didn’t hold its attention much, past potentially going down some day over leave to swim into their oceans, and explore underwater alone and unfettered by its tank. So there was copious down-time that it could fill, and honestly? It couldn’t think of any reason why not to try and make another friend, aboard another ship, even if it still was confused by this “Starflirt” nonsense.
So that’s how it ended up outside the temporary quarters of this one Lt. JG. Syrex, awkwardly waiting until the designated time to ping her doorbell, and actually meet face-to-tank.
Syrex: Enter, please
Gnai entered the room, not exactly certain what to expect, but glowing with just a bit of curiosity and apprehension, in equal measure.
Syrex: Lieutenant Gnai, I presume?
Gnai: Yes, you must be Lieutenant Syrex…?
Much to its surprise, she then reached down and wrapped her arms around the tank of its suit. Gnai’s filaments flashed with surprise at the gesture, confused and a bit unsure how to respond immediately, before she pulled back, sheepishly.
Syrex: Sorry, I hope that’s alright? I’m aware that I’m quite a physically affectionate hugger.
Gnai: Oh uh… This doesn’t have much experience with hugs. But that was… nice? ::longer beat:: Can this come in?
She gestured to the broader room, and Gnai followed in further, trying to not feel as out of place as it did.
Syrex: Oh, I quite agree, please make yourself at home.
It sat down in one of the seats provided within the room, looking about from within its tank at all that she had set up.
Gnai: Thank you again, lieutenant. You’ve made your quarters quite nice already…
Cutting Gnai off, the door chimed. Weird…
Syrex: Oh, I’m sorry, were you expecting someone else to be joining us?
Gnai: No? ::beat:: This supposes you weren’t either, then?
Syrex: Hmmm, Alright. ::raises voice:: enter!
Behind the door was another face that Gnai had not seen before - a very tall Andorian, looking ill-at-ease.
Tho’Bi: H-Hey ::Hides broken Padd behind his back:: I’m ensign engineering. I’m from the Tho’Bi deck ::smiles and nods:: (beat) ::stops smiling looks confused::
Syrex: Hey, I’m Lieutenant Medical, from the Starship Syrex
Neither of the two were making any sense all of a sudden, and the confusion that sped down Gnai’s tendrils only increased in pace, as it tried to establish a bit of normalcy in their conversation.
Gnai: Lieutenant Gnai… Science…?
Tho’Bi: ::puts Padd back behind his back:: I’m here to check your gravity and temperature are okay ::nods:: (beat) in your quarters (beat) that you (beat) live in.
That made sense, especially for a new arrival to the ship.
Syrex: Ah, thank you! That’s very kind. Yes, I would rather live in here than slowly die. It is a little cold now that you mention it? I wouldn’t mind a hint more argon in the air and a little less Nitrogen. But I can do without those adjustments if they’re too difficult to.. well.. get going.
Tho’Bi: Response
Lt. JG. Syrex turned back to Gnai again, sitting on her bed. It was odd being in quarters with a bed again, as Gnai had no need for one. In its own quarters, the space that would traditionally have been taken up by such furniture was instead replaced with a large tank, where it could exit its suit, and enjoy a bit more space to stretch out and relax.
Syrex: Thanks again for agreeing to meet in here, I haven’t been on the ship long and I don’t know the vibe of the social spaces. I also have bones, which I’ve heard you find interesting.
That sounded like something that it had recalled from the profile that it had found on the Starflirt page, that it was interested in bones. An odd thing for sure, and perhaps why this Lt. JG. Syrex had been the first and only person to actually make contact through the profile. It assumed most people would have been put off by that.
Gnai: Oh, this supposes it does, a bit…? It’s a bit alien to consider, at least for Galadorans, having bones. ::gesturing with its tendrils and filaments:: If that wasn’t readily apparent.
Tho’Bi: Response
Syrex: Hmm, yes. I do get that. Honestly I do think Starfleet needs to be more inclusive to the needs of different species. Including humanoids and non-humanoids. I’m forever reading about some poor Elaysian that’s gotten stuck somewhere because of the gravity.
Hearing about that made Gnai think back to the past year, and further to the Academy. There had already been countless little incidents of awkwardness that came with being a non-humanoid in a humanoid-centric organization. Not all of them had been because of Starfleet, of course, but it wasn’t going to pretend that they’d been perfect all the time.
Gnai: Oh this understands that worry all too well… ::beat:: But on the Artemis, this has found the accommodations to be acceptable. Better than acceptable, in some ways.
Tho’Bi: Response
Syrex: Actually, it’s why I’m glad you swung by Ensign. I’m glad you’re taking the needs of different species seriously.
Gnai: Yes, this agrees as well. It’s good to see.
It had had a similar visit, come to think of it, when it first joined the ship - helping it set up the tank that it rested in within the shared berth it had as an ensign, and then transferring said tank to the larger, personal quarters it had received upon promotion.
Tho’Bi/Syrex: Response
Gnai: Oh, you’re new here as well? That makes sense… this hasn’t met you before.
If it had… whoops. It wasn’t always the best at recalling humanoid faces, but as far as it recalled, there weren’t too many Andorians within the gold-shirted departments, at least none that it had any recollection of meeting before.
Tho’Bi/Syrex: Response
Gnai: As the most… experienced Artemisian here, perhaps when this recalibration is completed… this can show you both to some of the social spaces on the ship?
It didn’t often go to Elysium, but as the sort-of “senior” officer (by way of simple experience upon the ship, and not at all related to any actual seniority, as it noted the half-pip on Lt. JG. Syrex’s collar) it felt obliged to try and assist the others with acclimatizing to their new ship. Plus, there would likely be more space to sit and chat, with the three of them.
Tho’Bi/Syrex: Response
Tags/TBC :)