Posted Aug. 24, 2021, 11:41 a.m. by Ensign Kesh (Engineer) (Daniel Bupp)
Posted by Lieutenant Commander Dagen Thor (CE) in Holodeck Side Sim - Reia’s Birthday Party - All Welcome and Encouraged
snipDeeg stopped and called over to Kesh. “Okay your turn Kesh. I’ve embarrassed myself enough.”
Sebastian stood at the far peg, peering through his glasses and clanged his horseshoes together. Whether that was something to knock the dirt off of them or whether it was to get them going was uncertain.
A sound somewhere between a bark and a chirp comes out at Dargen’s beckon, with the felinoid tugging her pettycoat to adjust it on the way over to sinking down and scooping up all of the U-shaped pieces scattered around the peg. A gesture then follows to Sebastian to let him go first, otherwise taking her turn at it.
Sebastian threw a first shoe. It was evident that he was trying to do well and put some ‘technique’ into it, though the shoe fell short of the post with a thunk.
The end result of Caitian balancing, swaying, staring, and almost leaning over too far more than once, is one horseshoe squarely landed, and the rest no closer to hitting the target than any of Dagen’s attempts. Appropriate grumbles, puffs, teeth clacks, and the one squeal of delight certainly show Kesh is not above a bit of gutteral utterance, as if that wasn’t already clear.
Pushing his glasses back up his nose he said, “You’ve done this before, Kesh. You have good form. A little more time at it and you’ll be an ace!”
“Ah, uh?” Kesh spents a moment smoothing her coat while stepping around to retrive at least the most errant horseshoe she had tossed, “Well.. I mean… rrrmmn… Pod Toss was a rather standard playground activity on Riviera, and the.. ah.. technique for that is fairly similar to this.” Excuses.
Bat chimed in, “See, I told you she’d be a natural!”
Angel’s brow went up but she said nothing.Reia decided she would leave attempting horse shoes until after opening this last chest.
“Oh please keep playing, I just have to know what’s in this first and then I’ll join you.” she said to her group of assembled friends.
Reia unlocked the chest and slowly opened it to reveal a simple golden envelope. Her eyes widened as she pulled it out and opened it quickly.
Turning, she looked at her husband with glee.
“Is this what I think it is? Oh please tell me it is.”
Smiling, she looked back down and carefully pulled out what was inside the envelope.
Two elabor5ately printed tickets for one of the most luxurious resorts on the Risan coast and a delux travel brochure complete with exquisite color pictures. Everything was done in old glossy 2d style but Reia supposed it made the experience more memorable.
Jumping to her feet she giggled.
“And, of course, you’ve arranged the shore leave haven’t you?”
- Reia
“I have to do something to keep me busy at work,” Dagen replied with a wink. “Strangely enough Angel helped,” he continued, tipping his head in her direction.
“The facilities are optimal for seclusion and meditation away from others,” she said. “I’m certain you will find your own meditations there to be satisfying.”
Bat chimed in. “Angel said she’d bring me along next time too.”
“Which will result in a 98.4 % chance that that will not be .. optimal for mediation.”Kesh gets the horseshoes tiddied up for a moment before passing her inquisitve ears toward Dagen and Reia and Bat. Her head tilts a bit, having missed enough to not be sure what they are talking about, but she surmises it is some sort of shore leave holiday. To this, a mild chortle arises to herself. Yes, she’ll get some time off, too, eventually. Still got to actually earn that, first, but hopefully the story of it will be told to her afterward.
“So where do you go on leave, Kesh? Back home?” Dagen asked.
“Mmnnr? Oh, I will be glad to return to Riviera whn the opportunity arises, though it is in the Mutara Sector, so I do not get to be out that far often. Ah… usually I just make the most of.. rrn.. easily accessible locations that have.. appealing… options.” Kesh’s hesitation with her choice of words seems either reserve over giving details or simply being overly distracted with the situation to form a clear sentence. Maybe both.
“Which are?” Bat prodded, referring to the ‘appealing option’.
”… ah, uh.... whoops!” The sagging of the caitian’s ears and stiff twitching of her tail shows certain nervous unease, while her eyes search about, latching onto one of the kites, which was jostling in the breeze as if it might catch and fly away. Obviously, this was irrelivant on the holodeck, but it’s the perfect distraction so she can hurriedly move over to it and adjust it, hopefully letting the other conversations leave this one unfinished.
For the moment, the Caitian spends a moment pivoting her bare footpads up to brush her fingers across them to clear away dirt, holographic as it may be, with that tufted tail swinging and swaying for counterbalance.
->Kesh, Engineering
Reia couldn’t think of a more wonderful day except, perhaps, the shore leave that was destined for later. She knew there would be pictures of this day to be sent back to her parents eventually. She still had the key that would open one last chest, so she was told but, that was in their quarters. Suddenly that was exactly where Reia wanted to be. It would be unfair to leave without at least trying horseshoes though. So she got up and decided to throw a few after Kesh was done. Perhaps she wasn’t concentrating very well because only one, out of the four she had taken, ringed the pin. The others fell short which only made her, and hopefully the other party goers, laugh.
“Well maybe this isn’t my game but I guess I see why people like it.”
- Reia
“That’s a great start!” Dagen replied encouragingly, “Well at least you were not recommended by some - no names mentioned - Angel,” he said with a grin and a glance toward her, “to have medical on standby when I throw them.”
“It seemed the only logical .. precaution,” Angel replied, nonplussed.
Bat added, “It seems there is a knack at it.”
Deeg added, “What he is saying is that he cheated earlier when we were setting up and added another pitch of ‘professionals’ who gave him tips.”
“Which you listened too also,” Bat said, with an indignant grin.
“Didn’t help though,” Sebastian added. “There appears to need a kind of spin on its horizontal axis for optimal gain at the peg which you, Bat, just ignored and tossed it like a bowling ball.”Dagen and his cast of thousands ..
A soft pit of clapping comes from Kesh’s fingerpads after Reia’s attempts at the horseshoe toss, her fluttered purr vibration probably too quiet to be heard over the other conversations. The engineer’s gaze then ends up lingering on the play field, contemplating how one would improve it, understanding that simplicity is highly desired. Hmm. Maybe some sort of shallow pit of wall that prevents the horseshoes from going too far when they miss. Ponder ponder.
-> Kesh, Engineering
Reia had been thoroughly delighted by this day but she had come to realize birthday parties could become exhausting. A few more rounds of horse shoes and she would be wishing for coffee, ice cream, and, perhaps, a long nap.
- Reia
Reia looked to be slowing down, but that was not unexpected. This was after a work shift and the days could get long. Bat seemed to have an inexhaustible amount of energy despite his bulk. Perhaps it was time to slip away into the sunset.
“Time to retire, love?” Dagen asked quietly.
Dagen
Overhearing this, Kesh’s nearest ear twisted that way then back forward, still pondering the engineering principles that could be utilized to improve this game. Though, after a couple of gestures with an outstretched finger, she turns back toward the others with arms folding together across her front, stepping back over to be present for any statements of the event being concluded.
-> Kesh
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