Lieutenant Ras El'Heem - Rasha El'Her
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((Aft Compartment, Shuttlecraft 4))
He’d made his bed and he was going to lay in it. But those sheets might as well be silk. It was the only way to maintain any amount of dignity. Ras intended to lean into it. Taking it on the chin had was doubly in his best interest. For one, there was something about being able to handle being the butt of the joke, and he had to save face with Amelia. Which, if he was being honest, was going much better than he could’ve hoped. And secondly, he really needed to fool the black widows because he didn’t want to be eaten.
El’Heem: Make me sound sultry. Ras El’Her is gonna be hot.
Talia was understandably giddy in the way only that particular Haliian could be. She clapped and revealed a device that looked frighteningly similar to the Betazed Vox-Temperance Modulator the two had seen at the museum on Dangan Prime. Ras squinted. He knew her well enough that should would not have snatched it, especially not from a museum, but he also knew her well enough that she likely reverse engineered it without a complete schematic to work from. He cleared his throat nervously.
Ohnari: Alright, one Jessica Rabbit coming right up...hold still, this is supposed to be temporary.
Ras lifted his chin, giving Talia clear access to his throat.
El'Heem: Who’s Jessica Rabbit?
He felt the device run across his voice box in repeated swipes, each one feeling like a frog in his throat inflating in size.
Ohnari: An old terran movie Nolen made me watch...a rabbit was married to a hot red-headed human, which apparently was perfectly acceptable...::shrugging:: Human media is weird. Now, let's hear it...Rasha.
Ras sucked in a deep breath and said the first thing that came to mind.
El'Heem: I’m not bad, I’m just drawn this way.
He had no idea what that even meant, but it didn’t matter anyways. The words came out far deeper than his normal voice and far more raspy. Ras stared at Talia stone faced, projecting just how done he was. He watched her laugh and she was unable to reel it in on her own it seemed, so he cleared his throat again whilst lifting his chin.
Ohnari: ::swiping the tears from her eyes:: Alright, alright! I'm fixing it! ::further adjustments:: Hold still. ::a smaller, more controlled arc:: Ok, try that.
El'Heem: Well…how do I sound?
The moment the words spilled from his mouth, his eyes grew wide. It was absolutely convincing. Nevermind, that most Kressari women had deeper voices, their hosts did not need to know that. As Talia began to celebrate a knock came from the front of the shuttle.
Semara: :: Knocking on the bulkhead to aft. :: We're comin' in. Let's all be our most charmin' selves...
Ohnari: It's go time! Give me a count of five, you deserve a proper introduction!
His eyes flicked to the opening before landing back on the chief and gave her a curt nod. Talia spun and stepped out of the aft compartment.
Ohnari: ::exaggerated formality:: May I have the honor to present...Chief of Science, Lieutenant Rasha El'Her!!
Talia’s voice came like an announcer presenting the main attraction for the evening and suddenly he felt like this was some twisted burlesque show in the smallest venue with the strangest crowd. Rasha El’Her…he’d need to commit it to memory. Ras rolled his eyes, took another deep breath, and stepped out into the shuttle proper.
Rasha’s eyes touched Amelia’s presence for a moment and immediately averted her gaze to Michaels and the notion of a smile graced the Vulcan’s lips. Then Torado, who she gave a sassy scoff at. Rasha knew the marine would be telling the story for years to come. Finally, she worked up the courage to look at the Betazoid. She dropped her head and looked up at Amelia through her lids. For a moment, the snickers from Torado, the giddiness from Talia, and the hesitation from Michaels fell away. Her hair fell in front of her face and she peered out from behind her hair, lashes fluttering as if to ask “So what do you think?” She felt the bubbly of a ridiculous giggle begin to manifest in her chest and was saved by Michaels deflating the strange tension from Amelia.
Michaels: Talia, this is an... amazing piece of work.
Rasha shook her head.
El'Her: Piece of work is certainly what I would call it too.
Her voice came out in a breathy cadence and she realized that perhaps Talia had nailed sultry too well.
Torado/Semara: Response
If reading the girl had eased up during the makeover, it had since become more difficult and she couldn’t blame her. This was not a situation that many would find themselves in. For any of them.
Ohnari: ::brushing her shoulder:: Well, if this medical career doesn't go anywhere, I do believe I have a career as a stylist. With my brilliant partner, Lieutenant Semara, of course.
Torado/Semara: Response
El'Her: Let’s hope this wasn’t all for nothing and they still eat me.
Ohnari: Just...trust us. The scan won't expose...well, you know. And I've already sworn to reverse all changes. ::sobering slightly:: Now we just can't fail at the pronouns, and hope we get Ensign Matthews without offending an entire matriarchal society in the process...::wincing:: We may be too late for that last one...unless he was gagged or unconscious...
Rasha nodded her head in reluctant agreeance. Matthews was the last person who should be representing the federation for first contact. She only hoped that since they respected men so little, that wouldn’t seriously listen to anything he had to say.
For the first time Rasha looked up through the view screen and the realization of just how large the star ship they were entering smacked her in the face. Diplomacy was quite literally the only course towards success here. They’d never survive direct confrontation. She held her breath as the shuttle crossed the threshold into the ship and they approached their destination.
Rasha hadn’t quite been privy to the exact appearance of their hosts prior to this, but after seeing the suit clad species from their vantage point, she was sure that even her tall stature would be trivialized by their towering bodies. The Ozark touched down with a dull thud and all Rasha could do was look at Amelia. For orders, inspiration, for hope, for safety.
Michaels: Ladies. It appears that we have arrived. Apparently safely. I suspect that we will soon know if we are all going to die.
El'Her: Lieutenant, informing us of a demise we already expect, does little to instill faith. But boy are you not wrong. Semara, orders? A last minute pep talk? Betazed afterlife information?
Ohnari/Semara/Torado/Michaels: Response
Rasha nodded along, her eyes glue to the woman who she was entrusting with her life. And it donned on her that she had full faith, that Amelia was get them out of this alive.
El’Her: Aye ma’am.
Ohnari/Semara/Torado/Michaels: Response
Her eyes became unfocused for a moment as she mentally steeled herself for the doors to open.
El’Her: No place I’d rather be.
Ohnari/Semara/Torado/Michaels: Response
Rasha took up the rear as the team assembled for disembarkation and from her vantage point, she had a clear line of sight over each of their heads. The hiss of decompression sent a sudden fear through her chest that she had neglected to assuage. How did they know the atmosphere was safe? It was too late now. The shuttle door flipped open ceremoniously and the quiet of their anticipation rang loudly in her ears. With the door ajar, three of their hosts stood at the bottom of the ramp. Behind them, countless others stood ready.
Rana: Response
TAGS/TBC
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Lieutenant Rasha El‘Her
Chief Science Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
K240106RE3
As simmed by
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Lieutenant Ras El ‘Heem
Chief Science Officer
USS Khitomer (NCC-62400)
K240106RE3