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In the corner of the plasteel smoking room there is the pale, lithe and entirely naked figure of Reub James Rukais relaxing on one of the oval chairs. He has a pipe; It is long and curved and is a very /elegant/ pipe. Rukais holds it gently with one hand, occasionally giving it an idle tap, testing it's existence between his fingers. Most men pine for a pipe such as this, some are even intimidated by it, either reaction is met by relative indifference from the pilot. A haze of smoke drifts lazily around him as he stares, half way away from the universe, and breathes out the occasional smoke ring.
Rukais
This man is naked. He has a long and impressive looking pipe. It's smoking hot.
Nicholas arrives from Corridor B <MCV Alopex>.
Probably looking to enjoy his break in relative peace and quiet compared to the mess hall, Nicholas wanders into the lounge with a small plate of finger-foods, not needing too much for all the taste-testing he ends up doing throughout the day. There's a slight pause as he spots ol' James Rukais, emerald eyes blinking owlishly as a faint tinge of red comes to the clone's face, "Er..." He edges a bit closer to the plasteel enclosed room, looking like he might be debating going inside to see if Ruk's okay.
Nicholas
Tall, thin and leanly muscled, this Lunite male appears to be ranging in his mid to late thirties. An abundance of long and short layers make up his raven black hair, feathered and carefully styled in a fashionably edgy manner. His features hold an almost feminine quality to their sharp lines, high cheekbones, slender nose and the thin line of his lips only adding to the overall attractiveness of his facial structure. His eyes are a darker shade of emerald, perpetually narrowed and lacking in much emotion to their depths. His ears sport a very patterned set of piercings, two silver 'cuffs' spaced about a centimeter apart on his upper ears, two more lower towards the earlobes and a single stud in each of the lobes.
A crisp white t-shirt is worn beneath a not-so-white apron, stained with various food splatters that occur in the line of duty for a chef. Leanly toned legs are visible from the knee down, while the upper half is covered by a grey kilt with a mysteriously undecided tartan pattern.
Ikin arrives from Corridor B <MCV Alopex>.
Ikin walks in, spots Rukais, immediately turns on his heel and walks RIGHT BACK OUT. Apparently bird-boy does not want to deal with that.
Ikin
Ikin is a male Falari in his mid-twenties with round, intelligent yellow eyes that compliment his large, slightly hooked beak. Somewhat short for a Falari, he stands at only eight feet tall. He is covered from head to ankle with russet feathers, offset by the white of his wingtips and head. His tailfeathers are purely brown, and his clearly avian feet terminate in clearly sharp looking talons. Jutting from his shoulder blades, his rather massive looking brown-feathered wings with white tips are typically folded when not in flight.
Covering his upper body is a forest green shirt made of a sort of synthetic cotton material, and a worn looking chocolate brown vest made out of a material reminiscent of corduroy with numerous loops and pockets on the outside for tools and equipment, with the inside being similar. His lower body is covered by a pair of sand-colored trousers made out of a thick looking serge material, terminating at an ankle, and cinched at the waist with a worn looking hand-me-down tool belt.
Ikin heads into Corridor B <MCV Alopex>.
Rukais tests his Performance + Singing at a modifier of 0. The result is -4.
"I liked you /better/." Rukais chips into a light song of no apparent tune or rhythm, head lolling sideways as he muttrs, "...before you were naked on the holonet." He takes a toke of his pipe, pausing in his 'tune' as he holds his breath back. "...before..." he mumbles, smoke plumes streaming from his nostrils, "...with - it was..."
Apparently half remembered songs are enough prompting, heard muffled through the barrier. Edging over, Nicholas makes his way through the airlock-style door and into the smoking room proper. Well, it's actually, discounting Rukais' singing, a bit quieter in here. Of course, Nicholas has never smoked in his li- well, he never smoked in /this/ new, cloned life at least - so he finds himself beset by a coughing fit as he makes his way over to sit down beside James, though there's a bit of space left between them, "Er. Are- are you doing okay?" He asks with a touch of nerves, trying to be unobtrusive.
"Was it the million status feuh, and it - when she was. /No/ I don't seem to see." Rukais continues to spurt out half conscious lyrics, occasionally adding a random, out of place intonation. "Whooooooo. Naked in the holonet." He glances over to Nicholas and blinks through the haze. "Ah." He manages, but says nothing more. His arm extends and his pipe is offered outwards, drooping with the lazy pass.
It's either the constant encouragement to try new things, or the simple and perhaps foolish curiosity that has Nicholas setting his plate down in the space between them to take up the pipe instead. Though his inhilation is small and cautious, it still finds him coughing harshly with the substance his lungs simply aren't used to, eyes watering with the force of his bronchial spasms, and his face going a bit redder than it already had been. With an attempt at a tentative smile, the clone offers the pipe back to Rukais, free hand pounding lightly at his chest as if that will help any.
"Oh, thanks man." Rukais says after a moment where he's merely holding the pipe, "I thought I'd run out for a moment." He takes it back into his mouth, puff puff.
Cough, "Uh, sure." Nicholas says in a voice soft, but harsh from the smoke, "Uh, do- do you want some?" He nods down to his plate of food before reaching down to take a morsel - some sort of dip made of crustacean and dolloped onto a thin piece of toasted bread.
"What is it?" Rukais leans forward, raising a hand to pull hair from his face (it would seem the Pyracani army hasn't quite the same policies on personal attire as more familiar armies, but then, Rukais currently has no personal attire). He frowns, "Food? Food. Yes." He nods, waving his hand to indicate that the plate should be closer.
Ikin arrives from Corridor B <MCV Alopex>.
Ikin pokes his head into the room and says, "Erm... The Laoch says that you should..." the bird clears his throat and makes a horrific but understandable imitation of a german accent, "Get your clothing back on or she'll have your guts for leiderhosen"
It's uncertain whether they'll be able to hear you through the plasteel, Ikin! At least, Nicky doesn't seem to. He nudges the plate a bit closer to Rukais, "It's this uh... I forget how to say it's name. But it's like crab? Uhh... it's good, I promise. I made it after all, and no one's complained about my cooking yet." He seems a bit sheepish and embarassed, his apron raised up to wipe a bit of sweat from his brow.
"What? Wait. Wait. What?" Rukais stares at Ikin through the plasteel as if the Falari was malting or, well, naked. "Who fell down the well? No, I didn't see him. Oh, right. Yeah it's naked monday! /Naked Monday/!" Of course, what Ikin likely hears is; "Rrrffhhrrhffh, rrfhhhrrffhh. Rrrfhhhrhffhh. Rffhrrh, hrrmmmrrh. /Fffaked Hhonday/!" His pipe doesn't travel far from it's nest, soon the pilot returns to puffing. The food is forgotten, too, presumably because it's not in his direct line of sight.
Ikin tests his Computer + Hacking at a modifier of 0. The result is 8.
Of course you realize, this means war! Ikin pulls out his PDA for a moment and taps in an annoyed manner on the holographic output before he brings the device to his beak. Suddenly, the intercom systems on both sides of the plasteel, blare "The Laoch said to get your clothes back on or she'll have your guts for leiderhosen. Also that if she had to come in here she'd try out the commander's hotuk techniques."
"You should probably get your clothes on." Nicholas advises in a manner which is the farthest from authoritative anyone can get and probably quite easily ignored. He lifts his plate, though before he can have another bit of food, the clone is beset by another fit of coughs, leaving it to anyone's guess as to why he's keeping Ruk company in the smoking room.
"NAKED FRIDAY-er-MONDAY!" Rukais shouts sidelong past his pipe. He's currently in the semi-opaque smoking section of the lounge and he's at the disadvantage of lacking an intercom to communicate. And clothes. He doesn't look back to Ikin. "Honestly, man, I have no idea what the bird is even saying. I mean. Coo-coo, right?" He twirls a finger to one side of his head and then frowns, "Wait, that's not racist, is it? You didn't see that. Oh, wow, you bought snacks." He grabs a finger food.
The intercom blares again, "Well... You were warned..." before Ikin taps on his PDA a few times, apparently sending a message.
Shok has arrived.
Shok walks into the scene of the man devoid of any clothes and just stares a moment. Apparently that intercom message was serious. The Pyracani is rather surprised before saying "Radiance! Get some clothes on!" The other two in the room are ignored for now.
Shok
You are looking at a relatively young Pyracani. He has sleek, smooth, and well kept silver fur. This fur lightens to white on his stomach and throat. His eyes are a bright shade of blue in the middle that tapper out to a light green. He stands at about 6'2 so relatively normal in that department. On his fingers are fixed pronounced claws which are kept trimmed but still sharp to avoid them curling inward. These same claws are on his feet also very well trimmed but still sharp as the ones on the fingers. In the mouth there are many sharp teeth making him look more like an Earth wolf.
In terms of clothing he doesn't have much. On his upper body he wheres nothing but his fur and a strap from a sheath on his back designed for large weapons. On his lower body he does wear shorts but no shoes unless it is very cold. On his waist he does have a belt which is for holding any weapons he might have on him at the time.
With a blink of confusion at the thought of Rukais' expression being racist, for the poor clone has no clue in hell why it would be, or if it even is. He slowly nods, "Yeah, brought snacks."
"Why do people keep trying to talk to me through walls, eh?" Rukais asks Nicolas with an airy sense of bemusement, giving the smoke stained plastisteel a tap that resonates dimly on both sides. He folds one leg over the other, mindful that he doesn't knock his pipe (a delicate operation) while attempting to eat such finger snacks as provided by the clone. The haze of smoke that surrounds him wisps organically around his movements and he refills his aura with another few puffs on the shank. "Hey, why aren't you naked?" the pilot asks in an inquiring tone, "You know, it's naked monday."
"I don't rightly know." Nicholas intones softly, smiling gently at Rukais though emerald eyes are carefully turned away, "Uhh..." He offers nervously at Rukais question, avoiding it for a moment by taking in another one of those finger-food snacks. Gulp, "Naked Monday?"
"I have the intercom hacked, Shok... They're just ignoring it." Ikin says, scratching the back of his head with the hand holding the pda, which results in loud static-y sounds as his feathers brush the microphone.
Luftlowe arrives from Corridor B <MCV Alopex>.
The door to the lounge opens and in steps Elfriede Luftlowe.. Her neck and face are red, a vein standing out against her forehead. The kilt-clad Waldheimer reaches to her belt and unholsters her energy pistol sidearm, which emits a telltale whine as it powers up, striding towards the smoking room with a glower at Ikin. "Herr Saerin, has the issue been resolved?"
Luftlowe
This humanoid female is tall and lanky, standing at roughly six feet in height. Her figure is coltish, rangy and whipcord instead of buxom. Her hair is a mid-length mossy brown peppered with a few streaks of gray, pulled back into a severe bun. Although her neckline is elegant, her features are as severe as her hairstyle. Her nose is distinctly aquiline, her cheekbones high, and her chin too sharp for classical beauty. The eyes are an unremarkable gunmetal gray, deepset beneath expressive brows.
She is clad in the uniform of the Pyracani Navy, consisting of a well-pressed gray kilt that ends just below her knees. From her black leather belt, the slender leather cords hanging from the right side have a green feather and a small carnelian totem symbol of the Supreme One, to denote her affiliation with Dirus province. Her tunic is also gray, with two bands of crimson embroidery on the sleeves denoting her as a Laoch. Supple black leather boots grace her feet up to mid-calf.
Shok shakes his head to Lufty when she enters replying to the question meant for Ikin "It doesn't look like it if you're referring to the naked man. Just what does the scentless fool think he's doing?"
Rukais takes a drag on his pipe, tutting sideways at Nicholas as he ignores the noise in the other room, "Don't blush, man, it's not a crime to take your clothes off, it's an intrinsic right. Don't reject the natural beauty of the self, it's the kind of inhibited, mind-bogglingly conditionalized way of thinking we, as Human beings of a universe abstract to the nine hundred and ninety ninth percentile of the universes, are absolutely exceptional at." The pilot babbles. "It's a limitation you put on yourself, you know. Clothing is a mask, it's protection from the wind and cold, it's not a /dependancy/. It's not a disobedience. I'm not running around wiping my balls on things. It's a philosophy, naked monday. Nothing makes sense, really, so just get naked. You know you're naked under those clothes, anyway."
"Erm. No, ma'am." Ikin says, pointing towards the smoking room. "I believe he is claiming it is "Naked Monday." if I heard right."
Poor Nicholas! Being a clone who's /technically/ only two years old and having none of the memories he should have had implanted means he's got an awful lot to learn yet and doesn't actually know if Rukais is just spouting a load of shit or making a valid point. He looks confused, the man giving a bit of a blink before trying to look through the haze of smoke and to the world beyond their little box, but the people beyond are blurry, in no small part to the intoxicating smoke he's never indulged in before, "Oh." Is all he has to say, absently reaching for another snack.
Luftlowe opens the door to the smoking room and without any further ado marches right on in, face still unnaturally red with anger. She looks squarely at Rukais, (his face, at least, not any lower) and declares in a dangerously flat tone of voice, "Put your clothing back on. Now."
"Hm?" Rukais glances away from Nicholas with a frown, looking up and up to match his gaze with Luftlowe. That's enough to get Rukais on his feet, that swathe of smoke that was once hanging around as if only to allow a little concealed dignity is whisked away by his forward movement. He salutes. Well, the upper half of him does. "Laoch." He offers in a flat tone, "May I ask what the problem is?"
Shok seems to be debating on whether or not to follow Lufty. He finally decides he probably better and goes to stand in front of the door.
Luftlowe's composure takes a bit hit as Rukais stands up as she blanches, pallor going while and then red for entirely different reasons than before. It's a bit like watching a shuttle crash, you can't help but look, after all, right? When her gaze snaps back upwards to his face with her own mortified gaze as she sputters for half a second. "Put.. Your.. CLOTHING BACK ON!" Her normally clear alto wavers at first, but her words end up as shouting by the end. "Mein gott, man, you're NAKED!"
Ikin seems quite content to stand in the lounge and order something quite heavily alcoholic. Not QUITE a pan-galactic gargle-blaster, but close!
"Errr." Nicky murmurs, somewhat blankly watching Rukais and Luftlowe interact and curiously feeling a lot hungrier than he had coming in. A few coughs follow, "He said it's naked monday." He offers before digging into the food he brought with more gusto than before.
Rukais tests his Performance + Singing at a modifier of 0. The result is -1.
"If it makes you uncomfortable, madam, I might suggest you relieve yourself of my company - or join in! Truly, it is a most expressive and uncomplicated joy that you would only be denying yourself, should you choose otherwise. It's naked monday, by the way. Would you like a smoke, I have a pipe... or rollies? ...somewhere." He pats his forward chest a moment before stopping, pulling a taut smile and raising his hand back to the pipe. "Pockets too, friend." he comments sideways to Nicolas, "Cold, heat, wind and pockets. The rest is vanity." He drops back down into the circular chair, "Lalla, an old Indian mystic said it best." And then he starts singing again.
Dance, Lalla, with nothing on, but air. Sing, Lalla, Wearing the sky. Look at this glowing day! What clothes could be so beautiful or more sacred?
His singing isn't great. Well, it's not even particularly good. He's accurate now, at least. Another nibble is procured. "S'why I became a pilot. That and the money. And explosions. And women. Actually, mostly the women." He sighs.
Shok just...staaares at Rukais. His face of course before saying to Luftlowe "Ma'am. Permission to strike him if he doesn't get his clothes on soon?"
Rukais' song prompts Ikin to down his drink IMMEDIATELY.
Luftlowe tests her Resolve skill at a modifier of 0. The result is 5.
Bad singing helps Elfriede once again pull her eyes away from Rukais' nether no-no zone, and with that, her temper reaches the end of a somewhat short tether. The statuesque Waldheimer starts blasting energy clips into the ceiling, swearing in German and yelling something along the lines of, "I'LL SHOW YOU EXPLOSIONS! THIS IS A MILITARY SHIP, NOT A NEU DANZIG CABARET!" before her shouts dissolve once again into German swear words and epithets.
"Whoa! What the fuck!" Nicholas exclaims, ducking for cover behind Rukais while simultaneously trying to avoid staring at his arse. Good God! Snacks all over the floor now. FOR SHAME.
Rukais, in turn, pulls a serious expression. The pipe is taken from his mouth and he blows smoke from his lips with an unimpressed reply, "Madam Laoch, if you wish to have a moment of sense you should talk to an inferior with respect, that includes their cultural and philosophical beliefs. This is not a failure of discipline, nor is it a miscommunication. There are crew members on board whose lack of clothing is not found offensive; Tupai, Yoridini even a B'hiri. I am shocked that I am being singled out in my downtime when I have picked an appropriate venue and time. We are on a Pyracani vessel, in the Pyracani military, who themselves prefer to wear a sciath alone. Would /that/ do?"
Shok just staaaares at Rukais (his face of course). He then simply looks between the two not quite sure what to say.
"That's because they CAN'T wear clothes for anatomical reasons." Ikin says, taking another shot of whatever excessively strong drink he's drinking but doesn't feel like looking up the name of.
Ah, the voice of logic. Now that the ceiling has been sufficiently shot up and Rukais is still naked, Luftlowe simply issues a sigh, holstering her sidearm. "Those are customary socially accepted forms of dress. This is not. I will not argue it with you." She turns to Shok and declares, curtly, "Brig him in his present condition. This is a matter for the Laochaigh now. Hopefully he will make use of the beating stick, he's got a better arm for it than I do."
"Aww." Nicky murmurs, perhaps cowering /just/ a bit from Luftlowe and her CARAZAY trigger happy temper, "They turned out so good." He laments, kneeling down to start picking bits of food off the floor just to give Wendari a bit less to clean up.
"No, that excuse doesn't fly when you put it to the species commissioning this ship." the pilot grimaces in reply to the vice-commander, "Socially accepted? What the hell does that mean to someone from a different time and universe?" Rukais replies, "I joined the Pyracan military to protect people from the Zarists, not the indignity of bare flesh. Apparently, if they want to purge the Outversers from this 'verse all they have to do is undress us."
Shok nods to Lufty and then notes to her "Um Ma'am. I don't have any handcuffs on me." He looks to the naked man with distaste before asking the dreaded question "You aren't going to make me grapple him and drag him to the brig are you?"
Luftlowe regards Shok flatly. "Yes. Yes I am, Magaigh. You'll manage. I have to go send paperwork to the Laochaigh now." She turns her nose up at Rukais, which might be more convincing if it wasn't right after trying to be subtle about ogling his arse. "Saerin, the ceiling's messed up. Fix it." She adds curtly, before striding back towards the door.
"No one minds ruining good food at all." Nicholas mutters, heaving a heavy sigh as he finishes collecting the most of the waste from the ground back onto it's plate and stands once more. Why, he looks a little sad as he makes to move past and through to the main lounge so he can dispose of the waste.
Rukais blinks at Shok, giving him an incredulous expression. It takes him a moment before he shakes it off, "As I said, this is not insubordination." He offers, "When given an order it should be based on protocol and not cultural assumptions. Service is through duty, not fear. Ephesians 6:5. Interesting book." He takes a final draw from his pipe before offering it back to Nicolas. "I'll go to the brig. I have clothes here, too. It's up to you, sir, she /did/ say naked."
Tetran arrives from Corridor B <MCV Alopex>.
Tetran walks into the lounge, glancing about curiously at the people gathered, before sitting near them.
Tetran An average male human with a lithe build, and tanned skin. The hair of this human is black, with gentle silver highlights, and he has blue eyes. Usually he walks with confidence and is happy.
This human wears a basic black pants that go to around his ankles and are a bit baggy, and also has a black shirt that moves all the way to his hands. Also, he wears a belt around his waist that tilts to the side a bit, and holds a PDA and Commlink in one side of it, with a holster on the other side. On his hands he wears fingerless gloves made of cloth, and wears shoes made of similar material. Also, around his neck he wears a pair of black headphones.
Ikin takes some tools from his vest and reaches up to the ceiling, attempting to fix several laser-blast marks on the ceiling.
Shok looks down at the clothes then back to the man before deciding "It /is/ naked Monday. Walk." The Pyracani tilts his head in the direction of the brig and makes to walk behind him keeping a bit of distance mind you if he goes willingly.
The group seems to be gathered in and outside of the semi-opaque smoking chamber where Rukais, Ikin, Shok and Nicolas (and up until very recently, Luftlowe) are standing. Luftlowe is regaining some level of composure after an outburst that's seen Ikin fixing energy blasts in the ceiling. Nicolas is crooning over fallen finger food and Shok is escorting Rukais out, towards the bridge. Oh, and Rukais is completely naked.
Like. Completely.
You can see his tackle and everything.
With a string of muttered swears in German under her breath, a frustrated and still very red Luftlowe pushes her way out of the lounge, stalking towards her office.
Luftlowe heads into Corridor B <MCV Alopex>.
Nicholas pauses to take the pipe from Rukais, giving the feller a slight nod, "Er, i'll hold onto this for you?" He inquires with a blink, plate of ruined food balanced in the other hand.
"Yessir." Rukais offers Shok, making his way out of the semi-opaque smoking chamber and giving Nicholas a wave (and perhaps a wiggle), "Thanks!"
Tetran stretches a bit, before standing up and trying to sneak close to the others here, as to not make sound and listen to the conversation idly.
Shok nods and follows the man out looking rather irritated about having to. The wolf idly adds to Ikin "You find a chemist yet?" The Pyracani then spies Tetran and asks "Radiance, what are you doing?"
"Sure thing." Nicholas offers to Rukais before turning to deposite the ruined food in the waste, the plate kept to be brought back to Nicky's domain - the mess and kitchen.
Rukais patiently waits at the door so Shok may get a reply from Ikin before they leave.
Ikin tests his Engineering + Repair at a modifier of 0. The result is 6.
Tetran shrugs slightly, "I was simply trying to listen to what was going on. But with looks like this, don't you want to tell me what's going on?"
Ikin fixes up one of the holes in the ceiling with a torch and a wire brush and says, "No, no I haven't."
Shok nods to Ikin and says to Ruk "Alright lets get this over with. The sooner you get your walk of shame over with the sooner I can get back to my break. I swear if I end up missing my entire break for this you're joining the janitors sweeping for a week."
"Shame?" Rukais ponders, "Sir, you really didn't pay a terrible deal of attention in there, did you?" He leaves at that.