A Lifetime Supply of Popsicles

Posted on Wed Aug 7th, 2024 @ 6:17pm by Debbie Gless & Ensign Mei Ratthi
Edited on on Wed Aug 7th, 2024 @ 6:40pm

Mission: Mean Green Queen
Location: Various
Timeline: Mission Day 1 at 1400

[Person Quarters]
[Deck 2]
[MD 1: 1400]

It wasn't a hard and fast rule passed on through generations from mother to daughter or anything of the sort, but at some point in her life- probably around age ten when she was getting clever enough to figure out how to get her own way- Mei had realized that by saying something utterly outrageous or completely ridiculous, she could short-circuit an opponent's (or teacher's or grandparent's) thought processes and reroute a conversation in the way that she wanted it to go at least half the time. It wasn't a tactic she used often, though. Use a knife too much, and it grows dull; the same was true with the ridiculous. If you were ridiculous too often, no one would ever take you seriously. So, when it counted, Mei would mentally cross her fingers, put on an earnest expression, and be utterly ridiculous when the tactic seemed like it would work best.

And it seemed to have worked well with Kaldri, lowering her defenses just enough to get her to consider giving Sojourner's crew a chance and coming with them.

The only problem, if problem it was, was this: Now that Mei had introduced the notion of popsicles to Kaldri, it seemed unfair not to introduce the Kazon woman to said icy treat.

So there she was, standing at the door of the guest quarters Kaldri had been assigned, hoping the woman would first answer the door, and then not close it in Mei's face. Taking a deep breath, Mei tapped the button to announce her presence.

Several long moments passed before said doors swished open, revealing a Kaldri was who in much better shape than the one Mei had seen on Hukatuse. Her clumpy, dirty hair had clearly been washed with soap and actual water for it hung loosely about her shoulders.

Tanned leathers and a blood-spotted tunic had been swapped for utilitarian garb from the replicator, though the Kazon still wore her heavy-duty leather belt; the holstered knife on her right hip completed the look.

"Oh it's you," Kaldri smirked, leaning against the right edge of the doorjamb. "Popsicle Girl, was it?" She folded her arms over her chest, the barb jabbed but only lightly. "Here to take me for questioning by your Captain?"

"Nope. I'm sure the Captain has plenty of questions for you, but I'm not the one to take you in." Mei tugged on a colorful bit of her uniform top. "Teal is for science, not security. I mean, I do have plenty of questions for you. I'm an anthropologist so that's a given. But that's for later if you're even up for answering questions about, like, your shoes or cutlery or something. Since I'm the one who brought popsicles up in the first place, I figured I'd take you to Debbie's so you can properly see what they're all about. So what do you say? Are you up for a culinary adventure?"

Kaldri's eyes focused on the teal shoulders of Mei's uniform as they were pointed out, then drifted back to the young woman's face as she explained herself in detail. And then explained some more. And then explained even more. With the pointiest of smirks, the Kazon said, "You talk a lot. More than I'm used to, at least. Don't forget to breathe, hmm?" While the words were, perhaps, critical, the look in Kaldri's eyes had shifted from suspicion to good humor. She was joking...though there was, perhaps, a bit of truth in her comment.

"Fine," she unfolded herself from the door's side jamb, having made a decision, "if it's not an interrogation by yet another self-important warlord," she referred to Kodak, "then I consent to accompany you." Kaldri stepped out of the door then, the panels swishing shut behind her. She gestured forward -- perhaps in the wrong direction since she didn't know where Debbie's was -- and waited for Mei to both start them walking and respond to her comment if she wished.

Mei grinned at the reminder to breathe, then tilted her head and leaned in the direction they needed to go-- the opposite direction Kaldri had gestured. She stuck her hands in her pockets and led the way down the corridor, her curls bouncing with every step. "I don't know Captain Kodak all that well, but I can assure you he is neither self-important nor a warlord. Starfleet doesn't let the warlords in, though a few self-important people slip in now and then. Not that I've met any here on Sojourner. We're mostly just curious. Sometimes overly curious. But that's what happens when you cram a bunch of scientists onto a ship and send them somewhere new to them. We like to stop and look at things."

The mention of Kodak not being a warlord drew an eyebrow. Kaldri had been about to respond but, by the time her lips parted to speak the words, Mei had already moved on to at least two other thoughts. The Kazon let the young woman get the rush of her words out -- following at her side as they now walked in the proper direction -- before giving Mei a rather pointed but still amused look.

"You do know it's very difficult to respond to things when you talk like this, don't you?" Kaldri crossed her arms as they walked, looking down at Mei from the good six inches of extra height she had on her. "Perhaps you do it intentionally, though, I think..." she peered at the scientist with narrowing eyes. "Say the thing you want agreement on first, then rush past with more thoughts so it's too much work to backtrack." With a haughty laugh, the Kazon said, "You are either very awkward or a mastermind negotiator. Which is it, Mei Ratth-hee," she extended the last syllable of her companion's name.

"Alright, alright, you've found me out. I'm a terribly awkward person who sometimes manages to be good at negotiating by talking too much." Mei's bright laughter rang through the corridor. She flicked a curl away from her face, then tapped a button to summon a lift. "I'd love to be a mastermind at anything, but I come up with it all on the fly. It comes from learning to fib around Betazoids." At Kaldri's baffled look, she explained: "They're a race of telepaths from the Federation. I spent several years living with my grandfather on their homeworld, Betazed. It's hard to tell a white lie around them, so to try get away with all the stupid things my sister and I did when we were kids, I learned to baffle the grownups with ridiculousness. It still works. Sometimes."

"Telepaths?" Kaldri's baffled face morphed into an expression of disgust as the lift arrived and they stepped inside. "Our thoughts and feelings are meant to be private. The last time I ran into a telepath, he ran into my skusskit," the Kazon hissed, reaching across her body to pat the not-just-ornamental dagger sheathed on her hip. Whether the telepath ran into her dagger or was actually ran through with it went unsaid, however, as Mei called out their chosen deck and destination.

"Your approach clearly works for you, though," Kaldri continued as the lift began to move. "Like those wasps on Shaddam, droning as loud as possible to distract and intimidate their prey." Right -- the Kazon had, indeed, been present on the fourth moon and had heard of the encounter with the wasps from the away team that'd been beset by them. "Drone long enough and people will agree to anything just to escape the noise," she smirked at Mei again, finding herself rather liking the young woman. There was more to her than meek science, it seemed.

"Pretty much. It got you out of the Welds, though, didn't it?" Mei said, her smile turning cheeky for a moment before it dimmed. "But maybe try not to be too antagonistic towards the telepaths here, would you? I don't think there are many of them, and I'm pretty sure they'd rather not be listening in to our mental chatter. I'm definitely sure they don't want to deal with my mental chatter. If you think I talk a lot, you wouldn't want to be in my head. But anyway." She brightened again as the lift doors opened. No one was on it, so she gestured for Kaldri to go on ahead of her. "How are things for you? Getting used to our oddities? Is the temperature okay? Are the lighting levels alright?"

“That it did,” Kaldri conceded to Mei, acknowledging that the young woman’s rather creative approach to brute force agreement gaining had, indeed, done the trick. As for the telepaths, the Kazon’s eyes narrowed as she looked at a few passing crew members as she stepped from the lift in Mei’s wake. Were they telepaths? Unless one had bulbous protrusions coming from their foreheads to indicate enhanced brain function, Kaldri usually couldn’t tell who was mentally intrusive or not.

To the young woman’s question, though, the hardened, would-be concubine merely shrugged. It was an honest reaction to the idea of settling in and such. “It’s too cold on this ship. And everything is so well lit. Gives me headaches sometimes,” Kaldri admitted sourly, continuing to walk alongside the scientist. “I can adjust it all in my quarters but not out here,” she waved her hands around as if to indicate everywhere else but. “Despite your warlor—Captain’s,” Kaldri changed her word choice and tone, “offer to explore the ship at my leisure, I have preferred to stay in my cabin. Until now,” she qualified. “And you? I take it this place is suited to your species’ particular needs and desires?”

"I'm mostly human," Mei said with a shrug. "We're galactic weeds. We adapt to pretty much anything. I mean, Andor was pretty cold, and Bi Xiu was really wet, but I got used to them thanks to various coats and hats. We could get you some sunglasses to help with the lighting levels and a hoodie or something to help keep you warm. I'd hate for you to feel like you're stuck in your quarters because we keep things so bright. Ah! Here we are." If it was possible, Mei seemed to get even more cheerful as they neared a nondescript door. "Debbie's! Prepare yourself for some oddities and noise. The theme's based on eating establishments from Earth's twentieth-century. About 400 years ago. People around here really like that century for some reason. I don't understand it, but here we are."

The door opened, and sure enough, a wave of noise and color washed over them- quite the change from the bland corridor they'd been in. Mei waited a moment before entering, possibly waiting to see if Kaldri would immediately turn and walk the other way.

Debbie's was as rocking as ever, not that Kaldri would have any kind of diner-activity baseline to compare it to.

The place was a charming blend of nostalgia and simplicity, with red vinyl booths lining the floor and each table equipped with a classic jukebox speaker that played oldies but goodies -- there was even a switch on the box that would turn on a red light above, which signaled servers to come clear away trays. The walls were adorned with vintage advertisements and neon signs, casting a warm, inviting glow over the space, and the air was filled with the comforting scent of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon, mingling with the sweet aroma and sounds of milkshakes being whipped up behind the counter. The clinking of silverware on plates and lively chatter filled the air, mixing with a song about a "dream lover" to create a cozy, bustling atmosphere.

Servers weaved through the crowd on roller skates, balancing trays of burgers, fries, and ice cream sundaes with practiced ease. The occasional ring of a bell signaled another order ready for pick up, adding to the lively ambiance of the diner. Despite being across the galaxy from Earth, Debbie's felt like a home away from home for its patrons, a place where they could relax, enjoy a good meal, and reminisce about the simpler times of the past. And in the wake of Hukatuse with Subrek likely at their back somewhere, thinking about anything but the current stresses was a very welcome thing indeed.

Kaldri immediately recoiled at the overwhelm of sight, sound, and pedantic nostalgia bait for the crew. "Chk!" she sounded through her teeth in angry distaste. "Where have you brought me, youngling? This place is so revolting that I don't even have words for it." The Kazon woman -- a couple of decades Mei's senior -- looked as if she wanted to spit in disgust but couldn't find a place to do it. Her eyes were wild and wide as she looked around in shock.

"We could go somewhere else, if you want," Mei said, completely unbothered by the noise and color of Debbie's or by Kaldri's reaction to it. "You'll probably think the mess hall is kind of bright, but it'll be a lot quieter. Lots of gray, though. For that matter, we could go to the arboretum. It's also bright, but again, it's quiet. And there are a lot of plants. It's up to you. We can get popsicles anywhere there's a replicator. Or get them one place and then go somewhere else, although we'd have to eat fast or they'd melt. It's your choice. I'm fine with wherever you want to go." With her hands in her pockets and a relaxed expression, Mei truly looked like she didn't care what Kaldri's answer was-- even if that answer was, 'back to my quarters. Alone'.

As Mei talked through option after option after option, the Kazon woman's eyes became less wild and more glazed over. In the sheer overwhelm of potential paths offered, Kaldri defaulted to the easiest course: just staying put and powering through the sensory overload. She wasn't happy about it, though. "If this place was your first instinct, then we shall remain here and play this out," she said, hackles lowering somewhat as she spoke of Debbie's like a strategic operation rather than a dining establishment. "What do we do, then?" Kaldri wondered, eyeing the various tables and booths and all the people sitting at them chatting and eating.

"You take a seat, honey," came the clucking of a warm voice from the side. Debbie herself -- bedecked in her normal red apron which was, itself, bedecked with a dazzling array of snarky-saying-emblazoned pins -- had materialized from somewhere. She was suddenly gesturing the Kazon and the scientist to an open table not far from the entrance, her purple hair a football helmet of curls today. "You look like you're ready to bolt, so I'll seat you nice and close to the door -- just in case," the outlandish woman joked with the punctuated popping of a very large pink bubble between her lips. "No one's gonna bite you here though, promise."

Debbie had become known as a sort of stand-in mother for members of the Sojourner family. And the way she her held arms outstretched to Mei for an expectant hug only served to underscore why. "Hiya baby," the proprietor beamed at her, eyes full of mirth, "looks like you both made it back from that station in one piece. The Exchange was bad enough. Can only imagine what it was like down in the bowels of that place. Must have been something," Deb vibrated with an over-exaggerated shiver.

"Hi, Debbie." Mei let herself sink into the offered hug and held on for a moment longer than usual. "It was definitely something. I met a lot of interesting people, but I really could have gone without ending up in their prison. I mean, I don't think I would have met the sentient tree otherwise, but I'd had the choice, I would have preferred not to meet the tree if I meant I didn't end up in prison. Also, the bar we ended up at needed a thorough scrubbing. The server was lovely. I wish I'd been able to talk to him a little longer. But I am glad to be back here. Oh, sorry." Mei glanced back at Kaldri and hid a wince at the Kazon's somewhat wild-eyed expression. "Debbie, this is Kaldri. Kaldri, Debbie. She runs the place-- hence the name. She can get you pretty much anything you want. Within reason. Including popsicles. Which is what we came here for."

As Mei's arms fell away from the hug, Debbie tried her best to follow along with the young woman's unedited stream of consciousness. Her brain could only process so much but here and there, the matron's mind could latch onto something of note. "Sentient...tree?" she half-mumbled, hoping to get more information, but the conversation had already moved several parsecs ahead and stopping to clarify made little sense, especially as the Kazon woman was formally introduced. "Kaldri," Debbie's eyes lost their slightly glazed-over look as she regarded the would-be concubine, "it's a pleasure to officially meet you. Welcome to our little abode on the Sojourner," she offered, a bright twinge of welcome tightening around her eyes.

"Such as it is," the Kazon responded cooly. "The Welds may have been cold, dark, and impoverished but at least they were not this," she gestured around her, noting all the wild sights and sounds of the raucous diner. Kaldri's nose angled upward, as if she smelled something awful, as she gazed at the rotund woman before her. "It is of little wonder that you are so large given the unending gluttony on display here." Looking around, the point might be hard to argue: everyone in the diner seemed to be stuffing their faces with all manner of exotic foods the Kazon did not recognize. "You appear to consume food as pleasure rather than fuel," she tsked.

"Damn right we do," Debbie retorted, hands going to her hips. "Life in space is hard. I can tell just from lookin' atcha that you know that," the matron said, eyeing Kaldri up and down. "Why shouldn't food help provide a little comfort as well as nourishment? Could probably use some of both yourself, by the way. Don't look now," Debbie leaned in conspiratorially, a hand going to her mouth to affect a barely modulated-down whisper, "but your gaunt cheeks are showing. With sharp cheek bones like those," she rose back up and gestured at the Kazon's severe face, "you ever poke someone's eyes out when you go in for a kiss?"

“Okay. We’ve jumped straight into an insult phase in this cultural exchange. That was not the intended outcome.” Mei raised her hands, palms outward, and without touching either Kaldri or Debbie, she stepped between them and looked the restauranteur in the eye. “Right. So. Debbie, could you kindly refrain from insulting our guest? Please and thank you, I’d appreciate it,” she said, her voice calm but firm. Then she looked up at the Kazon. “Kaldri, remember that you don’t have to go in here. You’re free to stay or go as you choose. I know it’s a lot, sensory-wise, and I didn’t consider how that might affect you. That’s my fault, and I apologize for not thinking about that. This is a place that I and a lot of my crewmates enjoy being in, but it didn’t occur to me that you might not like it. So. Let’s pause for a bit, maybe take a breath, and think about where we want to go from here, okay? Kaldri, if you want to go somewhere else, just say so.”

“Intention does not matter: only outcomes,” Kaldri’s eyes narrowed, stabbing into Debbie like the not-so-ceremonial dagger she wore on her hip. “But you are correct: the choice is mine.” The Kazon folded her arms over her chest and lowered herself into the seat she’d been offered moments beforehand, deferring to Mei’s unexpected display of dominance. Getting between herself and the hawkish proprietor demonstrated that the young woman clearly had more grit to her than Kaldri had given her credit for. “I will stay. And in staying, own the consequences,” she nodded to the scientist. “I am…sorry,” she then resentfully offered to Debbie, “for commenting on your overfed state. Food-as-pleasure is something usually reserved for fat warlords or overly self-important government officials. You do not appear to be either,” Kaldri relented.

Debbie’s arms, too, had crisscrossed over her chest but as the Kazon spoke, the head of steam the matron had been building began to dissipate. “I imagine, where you come from, peoples’ relationship with food is very different. But those cheekbones could use a little softening,” she smirked then, looking rather like a defiant hen in the face of Kaldri doubling down on her weight. “Mei here mentioned popsicles?” Deb asked then, eyes sliding over to Mei. Apparently she, too, was deferring to the youngest of the trio. “We’ve got all kinds. Red white and blue, star raspberry, banana explosion — you name it and I’ll replicate it,” she promised, once again allowing some warmth into her expression.

"Feel free to try a few," Mei said, smiling at Kaldri as she slid into the seat opposite her. "If you don't like something, we can put it in the replicator and reclaim it. There won't be any waste. For myself, I'm going to go with star raspberry. I've always been a fan of berries. Banana? Not so much. I'm not sure what flavor red white and blue is supposed to be? I've tasted things that can just be described as 'blue', but red white and blue is new to me. I wouldn't know what to expect other than 'cold'. So. What do you think? If nothing she mentioned appeals to you, I know we've got some regional fruits in the replicator we could try in popsicle form."

"No...waste?" Kaldri looked positively befuddled at this thought. "Where I am from, to take offered food and not finish it is unforgivable." This was almost spat out as the Kazon eyed the young scientist in disbelief. "To leave food unfinished is to betray your body the nourishment it needs, especially when food can be hard to come by. And when offered by your warlor--friends," Kaldri amended almost painfully, "the abandonment of a dish is to give the deepest of insults as well."

"Well," Debbie replied with a little more of her customary warmth, "I can't speak for possibly turnin' your nose up at Mei here's idea of popsicles but," the matron's hands again went to her hips, "I can assure you that if there's something you don't like, it'll get rematerialized as something else for someone else. Hell, even your body's waste gets reclamated here. We turn it into all kinds of fun food," she smirked darkly, "even poopsicles. Popsicles, I mean," Debbie mock-corrected herself, the mental image she'd offered to Kaldri perhaps a bit of a jab.

"Thanks for that, Debbie. I'll be happy to explain replicators to Kaldri if she's curious." Mei gave Debbie a somewhat exasperated look, but didn't let her smile waver too much before turning back to Kaldri. "Most of the worlds of the Federation are able to fulfill their people's needs in abundance or have ways to minimize and reuse waste to keep people from going without. So most of us-- especially those who live on starships or space stations- are accustomed to trying new foods without worrying about waste or insulting a host by not finishing something that's offered. Of course, customs vary from species to species and from place to place, but for the most part, we don't feel particularly pressured to finish something we're not enjoying. So. If you hate popsicles or any food or beverage you don't like, you're free to not finish it. You won't insult us. You won't insulte me, anyway. If Debbie feels slighted, she can live with it." Mei scrunched her nose at Debbie and gave her an impish grin. "Won't you?"

Debbie gave a throaty chuckle. "Only thing I'd be insulted by is turnin' your nose up at something without even trying it. Anything else," she offered a gracious half-bow, "is just fine by me. Now," she got serious, producing her order-taking PADD, "what have you all decided on?"

Kaldri had initially seemed disgusted by the idea of eating reclaimed-waste-as-food but as Mei explained a bit more, the angle of her thumbed nose-lift declined. "Had we such technology, many lives could have been spared. Abundance is not a concept any but the most powerful warlords are familiar with," the Kazon's icy tone sliced the air. "Fine. I will try these pop-sick-uhls," she sounded the unfamiliar word out around her jagged teeth, looking to Mei to confirm she'd said it correctly. To Debbie, Kaldri narrowed her eyes and said, "Bring me a variety of flavors. Ensure that the gamut of human tastes is well represented. Short the experience Mei wishes me to have and I will be most displeased, Deb-bee." The name was also pronounced oddly, as if the Kazon tongue wasn't adept at forming human sounds. Defiance was etched in every craggy crevice upon her face, however, as the order was given.

"Please," Debbie's face narrowed hawkishly. "I'm not an underling or a slave. I'm your diner girl," she then offered a mock-beam at the Kazon. She stood there then, expectation heavy in the air. This, it seemed, was a battle of strong personalities and the matron was giving no ground.

After several long moments, Kaldri relented some, backing down only slightly in her defiance. "Please," she finally added with reluctance.

"My pleasure," Debbie smiled back, having won that particular bout. "One flight of popsicles in varying flavors, including Star Raspberry," she noted with an affectionate shoulder squeeze for Mei, "coming right up." With a nod, she turned and made her way back to the counter.

"She is...your friend?" Kaldri asked then, turning back to Mei. She'd noticed the exchanged grins and affectionate hugs and touches between the scientist and the diner matron. It seemed the relationship between the two women had drawn her curiosity.

“She is!” Mei said brightly. “One of the first ones I made on the ship. Debbie might be a little rough around the edges sometimes, but she’s good people. I don’t come here all the time, but if I’m feeling like crap about something, I’ll stop in for waffles or maybe just some coffee. The music’s upbeat, the company’s good. It’s hard to stay upset about something for long when everyone around you is having a good time. Usually. I’m not going to say it’s perfect, but when does that ever happen? But anyway. I was hoping you’d find the place fun, but maybe not.” She shrugged and unrolled the napkin from her silverware, carefully smoothing it down. It seemed more like a nervous tic than any attempt at organizing the table setting. “Noisy places aren’t for everyone, but thank you for giving it a try.”

"I...see," Kaldri replied, visibly confused about said friendship. If she had more to say on the topic, however, it was pre-empted by yet another stream of consciousness from Mei. As the conversation turned to the diner itself vs. its culinary warlord, the Kazon's eyes narrowed. "We are very different, it would seem. When I am feeling upset or overwhelmed, I seek solace in quiet or bleed off my excess emotions with combat training. Deliberately seeking out a place such as this is...well," she huffed, eyes momentarily going wild, "not something I would do. Though it does not make your choice to do so invalid," Kaldri admitted. "And you are welcome, young one. Though I do not promise to stay," she appended with a note of tacked-on defiance.

A sudden thought occurred to Kaldri then. "Speaking of combat training, perhaps you will return this favor by finding a place for me to practice with this," Kaldri said, patting the gilded knife scabbarded on her waist. "I have grown weary of fighting against the air in my quarters. Surely on a ship such as this, there must be a place to train?" The Kazon had little left her quarters during her first few days aboard the Sojourner. That she was inquiring after other locales was, perhaps, a good sign?

“There is, indeed, a place to train,” Mei said. “We have a gym where you can work out, and you can reserve holodeck time if you want to feel like you’re spending time somewhere other than the ship. There are plenty of generic biozone programs you can pick from if you want to see some trees or mountains. If you need a sparring partner, I am not the one for that. You’d kick my ass ten times out of ten, I’m sure. We could find someone in, like, Security if you want to spar. Or there’s probably a holoprogram for that. But I can show you to the gym when we’re done here. I’ll warn you, though, people will want you to work with something a little less lethal than that,” she said, gesturing toward the glimmering blade.

"People want many things. It does not mean they get them," Kaldri replied with a toothy sneer. "I have never been one for artificial realities. They are never as good as the real thing and dull one's expectations. I would prefer to train in the gym you mentioned." At the notion of sparring with Mei, the Kazon's eyes narrowed. "You might surprise yourself. I was once like you. Unskilled and soft," the last was almost spat, "but time and training sharpen even the dullest of blades. There is much I could teach you, as you are teaching me," Kaldri gestured to the diner around them.

She slowly drew her dagger then, turning it to offer to Mei hilt-first. "A klon-thek," the Kazon named the weapon, though the universal translator had no translation. "Passed from mother to daughter, though I shall bear none of my own." The last was a lament but it was quickly moved past. "Legacy is very important to my people," came Kaldri's explanation.

“It’s beautiful.” Mei tilted the dagger to and fro, watching the light glint off the edges. The craftsmanship was remarkable. An enormous amount of work and care had clearly gone into the making of the blade. After a minute or two, she turned the blade and about and offered it back to Kaldri, hilt-first. “I’d be happy to learn whatever you’d like to teach me, whether it’s self-defense or about your people in general. It’d be an honor. Just promise not to laugh at me, will you? I’m really terrible at hand-to-hand combat.” Her cheeks reddened a little at the admission.

"Laugh...at you? For attempting to better yourself through failure's wisdom?" Kaldri's eyes widened with irritation and this time, she did actually spit in disgust, a skeet of saliva hitting the tile. "No. It is in the attempt of something new that we find out who we are. I would not stifle your attempts with derision and humiliation. Fire forges steel, not laughter." She took the dagger back, slipping it once again into its sheathe.

“I have something I could share with you, too, if you’d like?" Mei said then. "See, when we were on the moon we met you on, the one we’ve called Shaddam IV, I scanned the murals on the walls of the buildings we found. I managed to get high-resolution scans of most of them before those creatures appeared. I’d be happy to provide you a copy of them to take with you, whenever you leave. I can pull them up on a screen anytime if you want to see them. You’d have to reserve time on the holodeck to see them life-size. If you want to. It seems like they’d be part of your people’s legacy.”

"Legacy? Of the Kazon?" Kaldri laughed at that. Laughed hard and throatily, the sound not altogether unlike the squealing groan of pieces of machinery grinding against each other. "My people have no legacy beyond roaming the stars to take what isn't theirs. I do not know what you found on that moon," the Kazon's angular face somehow hardened even further, "but it would be from a time before we became what we are today. And from that," her eyes softened some, "there is no going back, I fear. But you may show me, if you wish," the Kazon assented.

"I hope that your study of the moon was fruitful beyond the murals, however," Kaldri began again, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back in her chair. "The First Maje will not be pleased that you learned one of his secrets. It will likely be better guarded in the future but, hopefully," the Kazon held up a pointer finger, "your people got all that they needed to outfit this vessel. No doubt it will help you even the playing field in your next encounter with the Kordra-Lisrit, yes?"

Before Mei could react -- much less respond -- a server on roller skates approached. "Debbie asked me to drop these by. Here you go," he said, lowering the order to the table before skating away. Sitting there on a silver tray stood a stand of popsicles (try saying that five times fast), each positioned and held straight up in its individual holder. The treats had all been arranged in a literal rainbow, each one shaped differently from its neighbor. A heavy air of sweet smells wafted up from the array.

“I think the murals and other artworks we found on that moon point to more of a legacy than you know about. Or are willing to admit to,” Mei said, unwilling to let the popsicles completely derail the conversation. “We’ll take a look at the scans later. But first, which one do you want to try first? I don’t think there’s a particular order to them, so you can just pick whichever one you want.” She gave Kaldri a brilliant smile, willing her to choose first, and obviously hoping the Kazon would enjoy the icy confections.

Kaldri eyed the tray with dismay, forgetting the scans in the face of the colorful array of popsicles before them. "Eating for pleasure is a waste. But I will try one of these pop-sick-les," she mouthed the unfamiliar equivalent in Kazon, which the translator rendered into standard, "as promised." She took several long moments to eye the available treats, finally settling one that was neon pink with glittery-blue chunks of something sprinkled on and adhered to the surface of the popsicle. They almost looked like little azure rocks embedded in it skin. As she slid the confection's end into her mouth, a faint pop-pop-pop sound seemed to be coming from her mouth.

Kaldri withdrew the popsicle then, eyes going wide as she looked down at it. She watched as the little blue bits, now coated in saliva from her mouth, popped like exploding little bombs. The surprise of the pop rocks mixed with the intense sour strawberry flavor in her mouth had caused her face to positively implode, her cheeks sucking in at the sensations rippling across her tongue. At first, it looked as if the Kazon might backhand the offending treat or stab it with her dagger. But as a few moments passed, the surprised expression faded away and Kaldri furtively returned the popsicle to her mouth. The look she gave Mei as she did so almost seemed to convey resentment at discovering a like for the sweet treat.

Mei’s smile grew wider and brighter if that was possible. “Something makes me think you could get used to eating for pleasure once in a while. Cultural exchanges are good for something sometimes. But I guess it’s my turn to try this out, isn’t it?” She laughed as she picked up her own pop rock/sour strawberry popsicle, prepared for the crackling sensation she knew she was in for, and stuck it in her mouth. Her eyes squeezed shut and her cheeks turned pink. She managed to not spit the confection out long enough that the first layer of pop rocks popped and dissolved, leaving only the sour flavor behind. “Okay, wow. That’s definitely a Debbie concoction. I can’t imagine that the replicator would have that programmed into it. I should have known she’d put together something like this. Go big or go home, right?” Mei said brightly, grabbing for one of the napkins to wipe up the lurid pink liquid dripping down her hand. “Beware the drips. They get sticky. That’s about the only drawback I know about when it comes to popsicles, but it’s worth it. Flavor is fun. And popsicles just might serve as a gateway. There’s half a galaxy’s worth of desserts out there waiting for you, and I am perfectly willing to be your culinary guide. But if you’ve decided that popsicles are your thing, we can find a few thousand recipes there, too. I guess I really wasn’t kidding when I said we could set you up with a lifetime supply of popsicles.”

=/\= A joint-post by... =/\=

Ensign Mei Ratthi
Science Officer

Kaldri
Former Kazon Concubine

Debbie Gless
Proprietor, Debbie's Diner