Welcome and Well Met (Ian and S'Murr)

[Ian Galloway]

[Ten Forward]

Ian reached the bar along side S'Murr and signaled to the bartender to bring two more. As he waited, he smiled as he scanned the room.

"You know Lad, when you think about it, the Federation tis truly an amazin' thing. Time was when humans couldn't get along among themselves because of differences in culture, religion, or even because of summat as daft as havin' another skin tone! Can ya believe that? I can see hatin' a man because he'd done something to ya, but because of  the color of his skin was different than yours? It boggles the mind, but before I get too side tracked, my point was, after a background like that, here we are, you and me havin' a drink together even though we'd be hard pressed to be two different sorts of folk. And that's what's so amazin' about the Federation in general and Starfleet in specific."

Ian paused as the bartender returned with the drink order.

"So here's ta dreamin' big Mister S'Murr, chief engineer of the USS summat or another!"

[S'Murr]

[U.S.S. TEMPEST - TEN FORWARD]

"Aye, Captain!" said S'Murr with a laugh. "To the dream of the U.S.S. Summat-O'rnuther" He took a long sip of the steaming beverage. His tail swished slowly left to right.
"My own people had... problems getting along with each other. We Caitians were..." he paused searching for the word, "we were 'invited' to leave our home planet a couple of centuries ago. Odd how it is often easier to get along with friends than with family."

[Ian Galloway]

[Ten Forward]

Ian tossed back his own drink and smiled at S'Murr.

"Aye, now that's a toast I can get behind."

Ian's face clouded momentarily again as he replied.

"Tis far too true. Families are.... complicated."

However, before Ian could ask if S'Murr wanted another round, he saw the lights indicating yellow alert.

"Bollocks! There goes the celebration, looks like duty calls. My regular station is on the battle bridge. Ta fer drinkin' with me S'Murr and best of luck ta ya crewman!"

Ian then raced out of Ten Forward for the nearest turbolift.

[S'Murr]

[TEN Forward]
"An excellent way to learn how things work on Tempest" S'Murr said, dashing off to find a tubolift.

[Ian Galloway]

[Ten Forward]

Ian sat in the crew's lounge and watched the others circulating around the room. He sipped at his single malt scotch and waited for crewman S'Murr.

"Now where is that little git? He said he wanted ta learn how ta drink like a Scotsman and he's nae about ta skip out of his first lesson'."

[S'Murr]

[Ten Forward]
Ian was not difficult to find, S'Murr simply followed the "aroma" of his friend's preferred beverage. He was tired, but seeing the brash human put a smile on his face. S'Murr walked stealthily across the room, weaving past the crewmen gathered there. For a moment he stood silently behind Galloway.

"I trust you ordered one of those for me," he said at last. "It has been a day deserving a strong drink".

[Ian Galloway]

[Ten Forward]
Ian was not difficult to find, S'Murr simply followed the "aroma" of his friend's preferred beverage. He was tired, but seeing the brash human put a smile on his face. S'Murr walked stealthily across the room, weaving past the crewmen gathered there. For a moment he stood silently behind Galloway.

"I trust you ordered one of those for me," he said at last. "It has been a day deserving a strong drink".

Ian beamed as he saw the Caitian enter the room.

"Oh aye, ya can't waste drinkin' time. Now what ya have in front of ya is Glenfiddich single malt scotch. There's not ta be found a better blend in this space-time continuum. It starts earthy with hints of citrus and finishes with a caramel sweetness. Now, SlÁƒÂ inte mhÁƒ²r agad!"

Ian handed S'Murr his glass as he raised his own before saluting his partner and tossing back his drink, shuddering and smiling.

"Now that's good scotch!"

[S'Murr]

[Ten Forward]
"If you could smell as I do, you might not be so fond of this concoction," said S'Murr settling into the chair across from Ian. He exhaled, gave Ian a glance, and downed the drink. It tasted worse than it smelled, and burned all the way down to his stomach.

"Have you considered Blood Wine?" he asked with a wince. Still, after the initial shock, the effect of the drink was not all that objectionable. It reminded him of something. Excusing himself, S'Murr went to the bar ordered two drinks and returned to the table. He set one down in front of Ian.

"Irish Coffee," he said. 

[Ian Galloway]

[Ten Forward]
"If you could smell as I do, you might not be so fond of this concoction," said S'Murr settling into the chair across from Ian. He exhaled, gave Ian a glance, and downed the drink. It tasted worse than it smelled, and burned all the way down to his stomach.

"Have you considered Blood Wine?" he asked with a wince. Still, after the initial shock, the effect of the drink was not all that objectionable. It reminded him of something. Excusing himself, S'Murr went to the bar ordered two drinks and returned to the table. He set one down in front of Ian.

"Irish Coffee," he said.

[Ten Forward]

Ian rolled his eyes, sighed, and looked at his friend with exasperation.

"Are all Caitians Philistines? Blood wine? Are ya daft man? So much fer a mutual cultural exchange by a pair of learned members of our perspective species."

Ian drummed his fingers on the table and frowned until S'Murr returned with a sensible drink.

"Well, at least it has whiskey in it, even if it's associated with the Bloody Irish."

He took his cup and took a sip. Thought about what he was tasting and finally gave his comrade a look that spoke volumes.

"I've had worse. At least it's not that blood wine swill. I guess we can still be friends, even if ya are git when it comes ta scotch."

[S'Murr]

[Ten Forward]
Philistines?, he decided it was an obscure human reference - probably not complimentary, or insulting, judging by the large smile on Ian's face. He raised his mug of whiskey-laced coffee.

"To being a git," he said with a toothy smile! He took a long drink. "Perhaps next time we'll make it with Raktajino and Scotch!" He let out a laugh.
"Sorry I took so long to get here. After you left the helm station, I helped reconfigure it back to Ops. Then helped repair the real Helm station." He took another drink. "An amazing day!" he said. "An amazing ship with an amazing Engineering staff, and a pretty good helmsman. Even if he drives from the wrong side of the bridge." Tipping back the cup, he drained it.

"I have learned more this one day, then I did in all my training an practical exercises combined! I should be exhausted, but I am..." he paused. The humans had a term for this. One that made no sense, but also made sense (because it was human). "... wired? I am WIRED!"

[Ian Galloway]

[Ten Forward]
Philistines?, he decided it was an obscure human reference - probably not complimentary, or insulting, judging by the large smile on Ian's face. He raised his mug of whiskey-laced coffee.

"To being a git," he said with a toothy smile! He took a long drink. "Perhaps next time we'll make it with Raktajino and Scotch!" He let out a laugh.
"Sorry I took so long to get here. After you left the helm station, I helped reconfigure it back to Ops. Then helped repair the real Helm station." He took another drink. "An amazing day!" he said. "An amazing ship with an amazing Engineering staff, and a pretty good helmsman. Even if he drives from the wrong side of the bridge." Tipping back the cup, he drained it.

"I have learned more this one day, then I did in all my training an practical exercises combined! I should be exhausted, but I am..." he paused. The humans had a term for this. One that made no sense, but also made sense (because it was human). "... wired? I am WIRED!"

[Ten Forward]

Ian laughed so hard his Irish Coffee dribbled on his chin until eventually his guffaws trailed off to a long sustained chuckle.

"Wired? I'm tryin' not ta seein' ya look like a cat with it's paw in a power socket. Sweet merciful maker I haven't laughed that hard in along time."

Ian chuckled a couple more times, wiped his chin, then mt S'Murr's eye with mirth in his own.

"Ya got one thing right though, it was an amazin' day, but I'll have ya know. I was nae at the helm when it fried. Poor Ensign Jaeger earned the red badge o' courage fer that little action. One of these days I'm goin' ta have ta take ya fer a ride in a ground car in the highlands of Scotland. There are folk on earth who think that we drive on the wrong side of the road there too."

Ian looked a bit wistful for a moment, but didn't lose his smile.

"Ya had me until ya wanted ta add raktijino ta perfectly good whiskey. I guess ya are a lost cause when it comes ta fine drink. No matter, it's still a fine day S'Murr Lad."

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge]

As the Tempest began moving, Ian typed out a message to be sent to S'Murr as soon as he returned to the ship.

"Message starts: Since ya just got back from yer first away team, ya lucky wanker, how about we meet in Ten Forward after shift and talk about who did what. I'll have single malt and you'll have some sort of adulterated swill. Message ends. Send message."

Ian then returned to closely monitoring the liner's progress away from the rift.

[S'Murr]

he ain't back yet... But he's workin' on it

[Ian Galloway]

[Ten Forward]

Ian sat in the ship's crew lounge with a full bottle of Glenfiddich and a pair of glasses on the table in front of him, but only one was full as he waited for his companion to arrive.

"I'm sure the bugger will still nae appreciate the subtleties of fine drink, but I will nae give up. Still frosts my arse he got ta go an Away mission before I could."

Ian sighed and took a long sip of his drink and sighed again.

"Wanker."

[S'Murr]

[Ten Forward]

"My species is known for its excellent hearing," S'Murr said calmly. He dropped into the seat across form Galloway, poured himself a glass of the disgusting amber fluid, and chugged it in a single gulp.

"Next time I volunteer to go onto a Ferengi-owned ship," he said after a moment. "Shoot me." He thought for a moment. "On stun..."