three ☀ video / optional action

[deshabille]

Who: Mal
Broadcast: Fleetwide!
Action: On the Caprine if anyone desires it! I'm flexible.
When: 6/20.

[As in her first broadcast, Mal can be found tinkering around in the engine room, elbows-deep in something interesting and greasy. This time, though, she seems pensive, deep in thought, perhaps about Deep Subjects and Philosophies.]

[She is, in fact, thinking about something entirely different.]

[When she speaks, it's in tones of airy contemplation, meant to disguise the fact that part of her thinks this is a terrible idea.]

Here is an interesting thing: vampires, for all their reputation for seduction, really aren't that good at it, at least where I come from. When you're always hungry, you mostly rely on people leaving windows open at the right time and then being a bit woozy from blood loss. For the really old ones, the ones who can barely stand without crumbling to dust and really hate sunshine, that's the only way they can eat, and if they tried to seduce anyone their arm would probably fall off.

[She twists at a mysterious innard of the ship with a wrench, tongue in her cheek.]

We've had enough excitement for a while, I think, so why not something boring instead: tell me about romance in your world. Describe the sorts of flowers you like to kill for love. Rate yourself on a scale of one to ten, complete dunce to Casanunda, if you like.

Actually, everyone should have to do that. That's compulsory. I will genteelly admit that I am a nine. [Liar.]

Comments

[deshabille]

[Look, sometimes it just doesn't come up. It's not her whole identity. Just . . . approximately 90% of it.]

That is what I implied, yes.

[dancingmd]

[Her brow furrows slightly, trying to make sense of this. She's never heard of a humanoid species that subsists off of blood but she supposes it's not entirely impossible... and Mal certainly doesn't give the impression of being some Bram Stoker horror.]

She shakes her head, as if to clear it.]

I'm sorry, that was rude. I just... I've never encountered a species like yours before.

[deshabille]

Not rude.

[Maybe a little rude. She can be a horror sometimes, when she puts her mind to it, though.]

I'm always glad to be a novelty.

[dancingmd]

[Beverly cheeks flush red with embarrassment.]

That's not what I meant!

["Novelty" makes it sound like Beverly is planning to put Mal on a shelf for study and nothing could be further from the truth.]

[deshabille]

[Mal smirks.]

Don't worry, I don't take offense. It's actually quite a novelty for me, people not knowing what I am. Back home, everyone knows.

[So this is actually kind of weird for her as well as you.]

[dancingmd]

So it's really not like the stories then, I take it.

[deshabille]

Depends on which stories you mean. It's not like the popular stories. Not anymore.

[They're a bit deteriorating, overall, as a species.]

[dancingmd]

I mean the kind where you're going around seducing pale fainting maidens and getting chased out of town with pitchforks.

[She may or may not have run such holodeck programs before.]

[deshabille]

Oh. Those stories, those are generally true. Yes.

[She has the decency to look a little embarrassed about it.]

[dancingmd]

[Beverly's eyebrows go up in surprise. She genuinely wasn't expecting that. To be honest, she's at a loss as to what to say to this.]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to bring up a sensitive topic...

[deshabille]

Oh, no, it's fine. That's why so many of us have left that nonsense behind. It's not adaptable, especially the pitchforks part.

[That and if she ever has to wear a lacy dress again, she'll scream.]

[dancingmd]

No... I should think not. But if you're not doing that, what do you do?

[What she really wants to know is do you still drink blood.]

[deshabille]

[Mal smiles knowingly. She's had this line of sideways inquiry before.]

Well, generally, those of us who aren't completely stupid transfer our cravings to something else. [A beat.] As I've done.

[dancingmd]

[Cravings. That's an interesting way to describe it, like it's an addiction rather than a necessity like water or food.]

So what do you crave then?

[That question is just asking for trouble isn't it?]

[deshabille]

At the moment? Engineering.

[She smirks, twirling the wrench between her fingers.]

Did a bit of a switcheroo on the planet. It's for the best.

[dancingmd]

A craving for engineering... I can't say that's what I was expecting.

[deshabille]

What were you expecting?

[dancingmd]

Oh, some sort of food or a drink, maybe. Seems like they would have a more direct connection.

[deshabille]

[She makes a constipated sort of face.]

That doesn't work as well as you might expect.

[dancingmd]

I see.

[Not really, not completely, but this is precarious territory she's in, interacting with a species she's never encountered before and she doesn't want to step on any toes here. Besides, as long as Mal isn't harming anyone else, it's not really Beverly's business.

Instead, she tilts her head curiously at the engine Mal's tinkering with.]

What are you working on right now then?

[deshabille]

Just playing right now, really. I'm trying to figure out why there's a cap speed on this thing. It's a spaceship, it ought to go much faster than this.

[In her educated opinion. Which is not actually all that educated. Dangerous mods are great.]

[dancingmd]

[She nods.] I would think so. From what I've seen, the technology here isn't too different from what I'm used to, and my ship at home can go at warp nine - that is, nine times the speed of light.

[deshabille]

[It takes a moment, but she does manage to pry the knowledge of speed of light out of the implanted database of knowledge.]

Right. Well. We should be able to do at least half that. If for no other reason than why not.

[dancingmd]

That would be great, especially if it comes down to another fight or ...

["Escape" might be a better reason, but obviously Beverly's not going to say that directly, so she awkwardly lets that hang unsaid in the air.]

Anyway, I wish I could be of more help, but I only understand the basics of warp theory. I'm much better with living systems than I am with mechanical ones.

[deshabille]

[Mal cocks her head at Beverly, smiles noncommittally. That's more or less exactly what she was thinking, but it's better to be hush-hush about it. The enemy is always watching, obviously.]

The basics are better than nothing. Remember that I come from somewhere where running water is sometimes a luxury.

. . . I'll laugh if I figure it out first, though.