“A Sheep in Wolf’s Clothing.” – Part 2 – [backpost]
Posted on Tue Aug 20th, 2019 @ 12:14am by Commander Doctor Farkas Vanth DVM/MD & Petty Officer 3rd Class Arilla Salvi
Edited on on Tue Aug 20th, 2019 @ 12:26am
1,463 words; about a 7 minute read
Mission:
[USS Saigon] Mission New Haven S1 E0
Location: Petty Officer 3rd Class Arilla Salvi’s quarters aboard New Haven Station
Timeline: MD001 1025
“Well I like the color, and it smells nice too. I hope it’s more relaxing to work on than aggravating.” Vanth thought for a moment. It would be polite to accept something, and s/he was a bit thirsty after their walk, but s/he wasn’t sure what s/he was in the mood for. “Hmm… good question, are you having anything?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve heard that warm milk is supposed to help humans sleep. I was thinking about trying that. With my luck, I’d find out Kriosians were allergic to it and I’d end up with all my spots red. What do you normally drink?”
“Hmm, it can vary depending on my mood. Sometimes I like a milkshake or a smoothie, but I’m not so sure I want something so thick and heavy right now. I’m not sure what I feel like. Perhaps a tea? Something without caffeine?”
Arilla paused momentarily at the replicator before deciding. She set the mug of tea down on a side table for Vanth and then curled herself into a chair and draped the blanket over her. “So… …what do you think of the room? Does it need something?”
Vanth eyed the mug for a moment. S/he hopped up into the seating that was next to the side table. S/he sniffed it. The tea smelled good; of several types of flowers and fruits. Unfortunately, s/he had no thumbs nor hands in this form. S/he didn’t want to be rude and stick her muzzle into the mug to lap it up, but s/he also didn’t want to be rude and not drink it either. S/he whined staring yearningly into the mug – observing hir reflection in it momentarily – “do you have a straw or something? I’d hate to lap this up like a common wolf.”
“Oh, sure. I’m sorry.” Arilla went back to the replicator and asked for a straw which she put carefully into the mug. “Northern Delight’s, a favorite of mine. Apparently, it’s from a region of Earth I’ve never been to, but I didn’t get to travel much outside of attending the academy.”
“How interesting. I shall strive to consume it slowly to allow the flavor to linger, so I may savor it longer.” S/he lowered hir muzzle to allow hir nose hover in the steam which wafted the delectable scents and allowed hir to sample them one more time before grasping the straw with hir maw and taking a slow drag. This was giving hir time to also mill over Salvi’s question about her décor. After a moment the wolf-like being looked over at the spotted Kriosian. “You know, I’ve never been to Earth.”
“You haven’t? Where did you study for the Academy?” Arilla asked, interested as she sat down across from hir. She curled her legs up next to her and clutched her milk as if holding onto the mug was going to warm her entire body and make it sleepy.
“The Starfleet Academy branch on Betazed. It’s light-years closer to my homeworld.” Amiri slipped off the chair s/he was in. S/he crossed over to a bare wall and regarded it for a significant moment as if contemplating a work of art that wasn’t there; before circling around to another section of all and another. Making a poignant effort to regard each one as if something were missing. S/he would head-tilt occasionally before returning to sit in front of Arilla. The Caninoid had figured out the answer to the ‘riddle’ the attractive Kriosian had proposed about her décor. “You know cloth is a good dampener of sound. (The thicker, the plusher the better.) Have you considered hanging up a tapestry, or an artistic rug or two?”
“No, but that probably would help.” Arilla nodded her approval. “I will look into it.” She blinked a few times, either the milk was already working, or she was just so exhausted.
Vanth went back to hir chair and took another swig of hir tea. “You look like you could use a nap.” Then something else occurred to hir. “You know, when I was a pup, and had to sleep in a new, strange place for the first time; my adoptive family gave me a plush animal to sleep with, or even sometimes their daughter would have similar problems, and she’d invite me into bed to cuddle together…
Arilla’s eyes snapped to Vanth. “I never had any kind of pet. Are you suggesting you should sleep here? That it would chase the feeling of unease away to have someone else in the room?” She supposed she was not objecting to the idea of hir being in the room, but not in her bed.
Doctor Vanth’s ears lay back, giving a small wine. S/he flushed red under hir fur and began to feel warm. “It sounded better in my head, I’m a doctor not a voyeur.” S/he dipped hir head trying to seem smaller less menacing. “Let’s just call it an experiment; a test for my hypothesis.”
Arilla forgot all about her milk which she clutched in both hands. She stared at Vanth while she thought about it. She guessed it would be all right; s/he was a doctor. “I guess so. If you sleep there, on the couch. Do you want me to wear a monitoring device so you can see if there are any issues physically?”
Vanth thought for a moment. That wasn’t exactly what s/he had in mind. On the other paw, perhaps it would be best to start slow and rule out things that wouldn’t work, even if just to show s/he was a trustworthy being. S/he relented. “Alright, if you think that will work; we can try that first.”
Arilla nodded. “That would be acceptable.” She sat up. “I’ll let you get whatever supplies you need, and I’ll get ready for sleep.”
Vanth looked down at her four paws. “Oh, okay, well if you don’t mind my mouth getting all over the monitor. For this experiment I thought it’d work best if I remained in this form. Plus, you might prefer it under the circumstances.”
“What does your other form look like.” Arilla felt like this was a stupid question but she had never heard of Vanth’s species before.
Vanth smiled a canine smile with hir tail wagging lightly. It was nothing anyone hadn’t asked before; after all, hir peoples were relatively new to the Federation. “Well, not all that different really, except I’m bipedal, stand around 2.15m and vocal cords that allow for speech. Some people may be able to pick out other characteristics better as well. Would you care to see?”
This caused Salvi to raise her eyebrows. “Yes, I’d like that. But. Does it hurt? (the change I mean.)”
Tail still wagging happily, s/he said, “not exactly, it’s hard to describe. I’ve been able to do it since I was the Federation Standard equivalent of thirteen. There’s just one thing. Among my people it’s slightly taboo to change in front of others. Similar to how it might be for you to change your cloths in front of others.”
“…but I want to see your full form.”
“I promise. Go get ready, I’ll change form, and replicate what I need. Then when you’re ready, come back out, I’ll apply the cortical monitor and then, change back, out here, once you’ve gone to bed.”
Arilla grabbed a couple articles of clothing and entered the bathroom feeling the familiar nervousness that this room always gave her right before bed, but perhaps the doctor’s idea would work. She returned in her pajamas and slipped into the bed, without looking at Vanth. “I’m ready,” she said.
While the attractive yeoman was in the other room, Vanth allowed hir bipedal form to emerge. S/he stood and helping hirself to the replicator, replicated the cortical monitor and a medical tricorder. Once Salvi reappeared s/he approached cautiously with an audible cue letting her know s/he was there. S/he then applied the medical device where s/he needed it – just behind her left ear – activated it, and finally linked it to the tricorder scanning it to be sure it was working. “Pleasant dreams. If you need me, I’ll be over here on the couch.”
To Be Continued?…
Commander Doctor Farkas Vanth DVM/MD
2XO/CMO
USS Saigon
&
Petty Officer 3rd Class Arilla Salvi
Captain's Yeoman
SB New Haven
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