Station #69: Feelings & Assumptions

Posted on Sat Nov 23rd, 2024 @ 8:21pm by Lieutenant JG T'Pri & Taavis {SF Capt. Ret.} {UFP Intel Agent}

Mission: USS PEEL Flirting with the Unknown
Location: Club Bliss
Timeline: Current

ON:

Having found her last visit to Club Bliss to be most agreeable, T'Pri walked though the main entrance archway. She caught Manny's eye and returned the nod of greeting, seeing he gave her a pleasant, friendly grin, as if to say I knew you would be back. Approaching the front of the bar, T'Pri allowed her posture to relax somewhat, allowing her Jarok beliefs to have a bit of a release. After all, she did not try to purge her emotions she simply acknowledged their existence and kept them under control through her own discipline. For Tu'Jarok, accessing one's emotions was a part of life, to experience them and then keep them under wraps. Most especially for the base emotions of hate, anger, fear and anxiety. Emotions were a fact of life and not something to pretend to not have. The same with logic and how others of her kind viewed it. Too many saw logic as the peak of wisdom, whereas T'Pri, like Ambassador Spock, viewed logic as the beginning of wisdom, not the end. "Kali-fal, please, Manny."

"You got it," said Manny, filling her request in short order, placing the glass before her on the bar top. "We got a new shipment in the other day. Another fine vintage from Family Tovan."

Lifting the glass and bringing it close to her lips, T'Pri inhaled through her nostrils slowly, feeling the nasal passages opening up even before taking the first sip. A fine vintage, indeed. Sipping, she set the glass down and looked to the burly bar manager, since it was supper time and the club was showing to have a decent crowd. Not busy, but steady. "Manny, would it be a good time to partake of the open microphone?"

Manny gave a shrug and casual face. "Sure. Don't see why not. The patrons might like a live performance right now, it's been house music so far." He looked at her questioningly. "On the bar, or the stage?"

"We can sing while standing on the bar?" T'Pri asked, curious as she had not seen anyone do that yet.

"Oh yeah," said Manny with a grin. "You can walk from the stage end to the open end, back and forth, while singing to the crowd. Taavis does it quite often, and even sings while walking between tables to be right there with her customers. More of a personal approach, I guess." He considered for a moment. "Taavis is in back if you would like to speak to her."

"No need," T'Pri answered. "I'll gather a mic and use the bar, then." He gave her a nod of go ahead and that was what she did, mounting the bar top via the steps that led from it to the stage for a transitional performance from one to the other, once she had gathered a microphone. The room went quieter as they spotted the woman in a blue Science skirt uniform mount the stage. The lithe legs covered in black nylons caught some eyes even as they realized that her uniform did include uniform grade bikini briefs beneath the leggings. "Good evening, I am T'Pri," she said to the crowd. Some of whom had seen her sing previously, so they started a light applause, causing others to join in. "I thought I would sing a song explaining to all non-Vulcans what it is like to be raised in Vulcan society."

Taavis, hearing the introduction from the back, in her office, got up to go and see.

After setting up the song, T'Pri began to sing and perform, adding more timbre to her voice since the original vocals had been done by a male with a high tone. As she pranced up and down the stage, allowing her emotions to give a performance of better quality, her right hand would make slightly cynical gestures. Pointing up like birds in trees, tapping her temple when logic was mentioned, all that. She even gave a pseudo-stoic face when talking about having to come to terms with what her adult life would be like as a child of Vulcan.

***

"Logical Song"

{OA: Supertramp}

When I was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in the trees
Well they'd be singing so happily
Oh joyfully, oh playfully watching me

But then they sent me away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh responsible, practical
And then they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable
Oh clinical, oh intellectual, cynical

There are times
When all the world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For such a simple one {lyrical change for context and entertainment}

Won't you please
Please tell me what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
Please tell me who I am

I said now what would you say
Now we're calling you a radical
A liberal, oh fanatical, criminal

Oh won't you sign up your name
We'd like to feel you're acceptable
Respectable, oh presentable, a vegetable!

Take, take, take it

But at night, when all the world's asleep
The questions run so deep
For such a simple man
Won't you please
Won't you tell me
Please tell me what we've learned
Can you hear me
I know it sounds absurd
Why won't you help me
But please tell me who I am
Who I am, who I am, who I am

'Cause I was feeling so logical
Digital
One two three four
Liberal

***

The crowd gave good applause, some of them giggling and smiling at her song choice, what the point of it was, and how she had played into it to make it work. T'Pri said she had one more, to explain her life as a woman of duty and responsibility and how she dealt with it in her mind. Both of her choices were songs she had learned of and listened to at the Academy, that had stayed with her due to their lyrics.

***

"Come Sail Away"

{OA: Styx}

I'm sailing away, set an open course for the virgin sea
Cause I've got to be free, free to face the life that's ahead of me
On board, I'm the captain, so climb aboard
We'll search for tomorrow on every shore
And I'll try, oh Lord, I'll try to carry on

I look to the sea, reflections in the waves spark my memory
Some happy, some sad
I think of childhood friends and the dreams we had
We lived happily forever, so the story goes
But somehow we missed out on that pot of gold
But we'll try best that we can to carry on

A gathering of angels appeared above my head
They sang to me this song of hope, and this is what they said
They said come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me now
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me

Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me now
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me

I thought that they were angels, but to my surprise
We climbed aboard their starship, we headed for the skies
Singing come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me now
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me
Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away with me

Come sail away, come sail away
Come sail away, come sail away

***

Again, the crowd was gracious in their applause, many of them appreciating the lyrics and her choice to sing them. As Starfleet personnel and free traders, they spent many days, weeks, or months travelling to and from one star system to another, or were merely stationed here at M-69 and were far from home.

"Thank you for your applause," said T'Pri, handing the mic down to Taavis before she stepped down to the back side of the bar.

Taavis gave a grin. "Good choices. I never considered the Logical Song Before. I know exactly why you chose that one because I felt that way for many years of my life."

"And, now, you are free of cultural obligation." T'Pri said, her more stoic control returning. "That is not something I wish to do but stepping away from it for a small amount of time does keep me aligned."

"I am far more obligated than you think," Taavis responded. "Never judge a situation by appearance alone. You will find a great amount of disappointment for false assumptions."

T'Pri stood thinking on that as Taavis, her face having gone stone cold, turned and walked away from her. Perhaps it was time to meditate and consider what she had experienced these past few days.

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