mingle a little Mor tonight

[catamite]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: Sure!
Action: The wonderful world of Mor, nearby way-stations, and ships!
When: The first week or so of arrival

[this is it-- Atroma's surprise vacation stay for you all! it's time to explore, speculate, relax, and totally behave yourselves. right?

how are you all dealing with the ever-so-educational volcano? have you played around with the visual toggle on those collars yet? aren't they cool? aren't these peasant clothes rad? if you haven't had a decent meal since Abeo, maybe you could afford some of that authentic farm-raised meat they have here. historical!

I bet you're all excited and completely thrilled to be here! who wouldn't be? ...so, make some discoveries, make some friends, and have fun!]

Comments

[ino]

[ Oh ... she stops, looking back at her with a sympathetic look.

She ... doesn't have real kids (at least not at this point in canon), but she did have some sort of strange magical Paradisa baby, and it kinda hurts knowing she won't ever see her again. ]

I'm sorry. I didn't realize ...

[dancingmd]

[She stops as well, looking at Ino, offering her a reassuring smile.]

No need to apologize. He's an adult now, living his own life. I hadn't seen him in a while back home either, but there was always the knowledge that we could see one another and that makes all the difference.

Although, he's been working with this... person, who calls himself the Traveler, who, from what I understand, can travel between the various dimensions, including time. I can't help but think that maybe Wesley might be able to find me here.

[ino]

[ ... She looks a little surprised. There were actually people ... like that? Who could just hop between dimensions? She knew time travel was a thing, but ... ]

Well, I can think of a few people who'd love to get a hold of him.

[ A joke, and a pretty weak one at that. Obviously there are people here who want to leave. The way she puts it, though, kinda ... oddly makes it seem like maybe she's not one of them. She ain't in a rush to go die in a war, man. ]

A friend of mine just had his brother show up. It's not impossible for family to arrive.

[dancingmd]

[She nods.]

Cole told me his son showed up a few weeks after him as well. On a selfish level, I would love to see Wesley, but I wouldn't wish this situation upon anyone I loved. If he comes here, it needs to be on his own terms, not on Atroma's.

[ino]

[ She ... definitely tried not to make a face when she mentions Cole. It is hard though. ]

Yeah ... makes sense.

Hopefully he'll be able to find his way here on his own, then. I'm sure you wouldn't say no to a family visit.

[dancingmd]

[She raises her eyebrows. Don't think she didn't catch that look, Ino. For now though, she'll let it slide. There are more important matters to attend to.]

No, I wouldn't.

So, are we looking for anything specific for ... whatever it is you're about to do?

[Looking around at their Medieval surroundings, however, she's at a loss as to what could be much help here.]

[ino]

[ She pauses, looking for somewhere to sit. Ah, a bench will do! Especially a bench that happens to be directly facing some guy who's just sweeping the street in front of his shop. She'll gesture for Beverly to sit down next to her ]

So ... before I do this, I should warn you about what's about to happen.

[ She ... glances around, to see if there's anyone nearby who could be monitoring them. Or worse, another member of the fleet that might overhear. God this sucks having to tell this lady straight up what she's about to do, but ... she'll keep her voice low and quiet, just in case. ]

Normally I would ask someone's permission before doing this, but unfortunately that isn't possible here if we want to get this information without any trouble. But -- the gist of it is that I can sort of ... look through a person's memories. I'm just going to check really quickly to see how far back they go and if there's any evidence that they might have been tampered with or given false memories.

[dancingmd]

[She sits on the bench and leans in to listen to Ino. When Ino's finished with her explanation, Beverly sits up, staring straight ahead, lower jaw thrust ever so slightly forward as she debates with herself. To look into that man's mind without his consent goes against everything she stands for, both as a doctor and as a member of Starfleet. And she remembers the violation of her own mind by the Kes all too well.

Yet then there are the Betazoids... what would Deanna say? Most likely, "what is your heart telling you?"

That these people deserve the truth about themselves. That she and her fellow captives deserve the same.]

Will he know? That you're there?

[ino]

[ She sees Beverly's hesitation, and honestly, she can't blame her. Still ...

She shakes her head. ]

It won't hurt him and he won't know I was ever there. [ She pauses. She knows it's technically not the most ethical thing to do by most people's standards, but her time watching her father in the Interrogation Department tells her that this is the best and most direct way. Still, she tries to stay open to other options -- ] I don't know what other way there is to be sure.

[dancingmd]

I don't either.

[Still she hesitates, hands unconsciously clenching the edge of the bench seat. The man across the street finishes sweeping and gives the two women a little cheerful wave before going back inside. She closes her eyes.]

Do it.

[ino]

[ She shifts in her seat, watching the man through the window ]

Just to warn you, it's going to look like I fell asleep or passed out. But I'm fine and I'll be back soon.

[ She lifts her hands to form a square over her heart, and then after a moment, she goes limp and falls against Beverly's shoulder ]

[dancingmd]

[Instinctively, Beverly takes Ino's limp hand in hers and checks the young woman's pulse. It's still strong, if slow. Satisfied with that, she shifts her arm around behind Ino's body and lowers Ino's head gently onto her lap. A few people walking by give the pair of them strange looks.]

My daughter. She felt faint with the heat.

[She fans herself with her own hand for emphasis.]

She'll be fine in a few minutes.

[They don't seem entirely convinced but no one says anything. Good enough. She tries in vain to see what's happening in the shop through the window. She sighs.]

I hope we did the right thing.

[ino]

[ Thanks Beverly, you're a real space mom bro.

It's a worrying few minutes before she stirs and sits back up, taking in a deep breath and running her fingers through her bangs. ]

They're real. All of it is.

[dancingmd]

[She lets out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.]

I have to say, I'm disappointed. It be easier if we were right.

[ino]

You're telling me ...

[ She rubs her forehead unconsciously ]

This thing has been going for generations, though. I don't ...

[ How can they possibly hope to stir up something that's so firmly in place ... ? ]

[dancingmd]

[Beverly watches Ino carefully for any signs of stress but she seems okay so far. Beverly will want to scan her when they get back, to be sure.]

I don't know that we can do anything. My people have a directive of noninterference when it comes to interacting with alien cultures. Sometimes... it's difficult in situations like this. Really difficult. It's natural to want to step in. But we're just passing through. In a month we'll be off to the next planet, whether we want to be or not. So what becomes of the people here when we're gone? It's not enough simply to start a rebellion. They need long term support.

[ino]

[ She has a point, but it still makes her feel sick.

If only they had like ... outer space allies, or something like that. Then even if they couldn't stay, they could just call them over to help ... ]

... Yeah. I guess you're right. It just feels wrong letting it continue, but ... letting them get potentially killed for nothing would be worse.

[dancingmd]

[There's more Beverly could say on the matter but it won't help anything. Instead, she simply reaches out and rests a comforting hand on Ino's.]

Trust me, I know how you're feeling right now. Once almost lost my job because of it.

[ino]

[ She glances up at Beverly, confused ]

Your job as a doctor?

[ She hasn't quite grasped that being on a spaceship is a real job that real people have ]

[dancingmd]

Not exactly. I could have found another job elsewhere as a doctor. I meant more my career as an officer in Starfleet.

[ino]

You were in another fleet before this one?

[dancingmd]

Yes, except I chose to be in that one. Starfleet is an interplanetary, interspecies organization dedicated to exploration and if needed, the defense of the United Federation of Planets, an interplanetary republic, of which Earth is a part.

[She laughs.]

I'm sorry, I must sound like a recruitment ad. Or a textbook.

[ino]

It's okay, it sounds kind of cool!

[ Sort of like the shinobi alliance they'd formed recently ]

You must think we all look like a bunch of idiots, though. I think you and Garak are probably the only people who know anything about being in space.

[dancingmd]

[She stiffens at the mention of Garak. The smile she offers Ino is clearly strained.]

No, I don't think you're an idiot.

[She abruptly stands.]

It's about time we got back to the ships.

[ino]

[ .... Raising her eyebrows now. That ... was not very subtle ]

Uh, sure ...

Are you alright, though?