JP: Lt. Velaan Saa & Sachiko - The Cat's Meow
Sevantha Saa
((Velaan’s Quarters, Deck 5, USS Thor))
It was a scientific fact that men were warmer than women, at least in certain species. While that might not be true in some, in humans and Betazoids, men, on average, ran around two degrees hotter than women. This could be attributed to the fact that, on average, men tended to have more muscle mass, and thus felt warmer even if women typically had a slightly warmer internal core temperature. Perhaps that was why Sachiko had selected the perch upon which she settled after her latest jaunt through the ship.
It was a really warm perch, the gentle rhythm of breathing beneath her soothing and setting a slow, steady rhythm. Eventually, she fell asleep, curled upon the breast of the light haired man, and allowed herself some slumber.
She was, however, awake quite early, and carefully shifted herself, her light body and gentle steps easing into a new position, so that when the man finally woke up, his black eyes stared into the bright blue ones of a calico cat, who purred contentedly in his face.
V. Saa: Mmm..
He groaned lightly at the weight, still seduced by the warmth of his bedsheets to stay where he was, but lifted a hand to stroke Sachiko’s back gently with his fingertips. The purring was soothing. Velaan nearly fell back asleep to the soothing vibrations. After a few light inhales and exhales, he nearly had drifted off again before a realization dawned on him.
oO Wait… Oo
Blinking back awake, his dark eyes met the bright blue disks of the calico, who rested comfortably on his chest.
oO I don’t have a cat. Oo
He remained still for a moment, staring up at her, torn between simply accepting his fate and going back to sleep unbothered, or trying to figure out where the calico with the split orange and black face had come from.
V. Saa: Where did you come from?
Sachiko: Mrrrrrrrrr.
Despite what seemed to be an attempt to communicate, and a satisfaction with her answer, whether or not the human understood her, Sachiko’s meaning was impossible to surmise.
Resting perfectly still to avoid disrupting her, his other arm reached out to swipe and turn his clock towards him. He had an hour before his shift, but there she was, beautiful, content,and at ease, that it felt like a crime to disturb her. Cautiously he drew his hand back, attempting to check for a collar or tag.
V. Saa: I should also ask your rank, just walking into rooms like this, I suspect admiralty or.. ::conspiratorially:: DTI.
Sachiko: Mrrrow.
As if that settled the answer, Sachiko didn’t offer any further commentary in regards to any identifying information.
V. Saa: Also, just in case you’re caitian adjacent, I taste terrible for a Betazoid.
The eyes opened a bit more, no longer closed in acute satisfaction, but peered at the man with a calm, studying gaze. Then, stretching out her neck, Sachiko sniffed at the bearded chin, her head moving in tiny motions while her nostrils flared as she took an olfactory inspection of the mans furred chin. Suddenly, she sneezed.
Welp, he was up now.
V. Saa: Okay, princess, I’m up. ::tilts his head:: You must be hungry.
Cautiously, he sat up, using his arm to scoop up and under the cat to light move her off to the side.
Sachiko: Mrowow.
Swinging his legs over the side of the bunk, he stood up, and stretched upwards before making his way to the replicator.
V. Saa: When I was a boy, I tried to read the mind of a cat once. Our neighbors were from Earth. ::Shakes his head:: I heard stories, old lore that there were once families who could commune with creatures. But, animals make most uncomfortable because we just lack the capacity to understand the way animals think.
Studying the replicator, he glanced down then back up.
V. Saa: My sense of perception was scrambled for a week after. ::taps a button:: Tuna, alright?
The response wasn’t vocalised, but from the way the cat licked her lips, she must have sensed something related to food. Sitting down, she watched the man as he stood at the replicator and continued talking.
V. Saa: Mm, my sister swears by Raktajino’s but I prefer sweeter treats. Hot chocolate with two shots of espresso for me.
Sachiko: Rrrrr?
Pushing herself up to her hind legs, Sachiko settled on her haunches for a moment, as if she were about to try and walk like a human. She sat there, looking expectant at the man in front of the replicator.
As the replicated dinged, a shredded tuna and a mug of hot chocolate with 2 shots of espresso appeared, which created one of the stranger aromas he’d smelled outside the gator deck barracks.
Immediately the creature stood, her keen nosing sifting between the scents, her attention particularly on the savoury fish.
Sachiko: Mow! Mow!
Tapping a down beat to her enthusiasm, she jumped to the floor, then set about weaving her way between the man’s legs.
V. Saa: I hope I’m not disrupting any special diet but I’d be a terrible host if I left a guest hungry.
He set the plate down before turning back to the replicator. Immediately, the cat trotted over to the plate and enthusiastically lapped at the food, purring in between swallows.
V. Saa: I got duty in a little bit and my quarters aren’t the most cat friendly. ::He admitted:: So why don’t you come assist me in Ops before we go find where you came from.
Quietly he studied Sachiko for a moment, lifting his finger and thumb to eyeball a measurement before turning back to the replicator. As she chowed down on the tuna, a gold collar and small replica combadge printed out. Sachiko couldn’t go out of uniform after all.
She didn’t take long to devastated the tuna and a few minutes later, had literally licked the plate clean. Rising to her haunches, her longue swiped over her mouth before she utilised it to start grooming more of her.
V. Saa: Alright, your uniform and combadge are ready.
Plucking up the collar, he moved to fit it carefully to her neck and then secure it. Where the tags should be a replica delta hung loosely.
Pausing in her bath, one forearm hooked on her side, she looked up at the man, her eyes wide, ears pert and alert, but out of interest rather than alarm. One ear flicked, but as the encircled her neck with the replicated collar, she didn’t protest, or try to move out of his grasp.
V. Saa: Now you’re looking like a Federation Officer
Evidently fine with whatever he decided to do, Sachiko resumed her grooming, as if she, too, needed to get ready for her workday. After all, it wouldn’t do to report for duty while dirty.
V. Saa: You finish getting ready and I’ll go finish too, then we’ll head to Operations, we have Alpha Shift little lady.
Giving her a thumbs up, the Betazoid man turned to throw on one of his gold-shouldered uniforms, place his pips, and prep his delta. His hair and his beard took a little extra time to style and trim up but eventually he stepped out completely refreshed.
Approaching the replicator and the door, he extended his arm out for the cat to climb up on.
V. Saa: Need a lift?
During the time Velaan had taken to make himself presentable, Sachiko finished her bath and sat quite patiently, tail curled about her feet. While she could not speak Standard, the cat was, nonetheless, quite perceptive. At Velaan’s question, she rose, set herself into a preparatory position, then launched through the air to land upon the man’s arm. She quickly climbed up further to perch upon his shoulder, and settled down like a veritable scarf draped behind his neck, her forepaws over the front part of his shoulder.
V. Saa: There we are, Little Lady.
Before he stepped out, he did a last double check to make sure he hadn’t forgotten anything.
Sachiko: Mrrrrrroww.
Of course, as a human, he was awfully slow.
V. Saa: Sorry, sorry, I’m ready. Computer, shut off lights.
With Sachiko contently draped on his shoulders he stepped out into the hall and walked down the corridor to make his way to Operations.
****
Lieutenant Velaan Saa
Operations Officer
USS Thor
A240105SS2
&
Sachiko
Cat
USS Thor
M239008AD0