Holosuite 1: Winter Wonderland

[Amila Ra'an]

As you step into the doors of Holosuite 1, you are immediately met with the icy view of Andoria's Great Rift Range above the great subterranean city of Tarsk. The sprawling ski resort is partly protected by a shield sustained by multiple large generators to protect against the extreme weather. All manner of winter recreation locations from downhill and cross-country skiing, indoor recreation facilities and skating rinks were easily accessible on a huge well-lit resort. Borrow some skis or skates from the program or bring your own. 

At the center of the resort is a large cabin, with plenty of windows and warm lighting. Inside a variety of drinks were available, Andorian ales, liquors, cocktails, and teas were featured, though it was a tourist attraction so most anyone could find a drink of their choice from most of the major Federation worlds. A fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere in the front room which contains plenty of comfortable seating, and various games and large picture windows offer a view of the ski lifts and ice skating rink. 

[Amila Ra'an]

Amila had thrown her hair up into a messy updo, red wavy ringlets framed her face, after she changed into sparkly dark blue halter top and white wide legged paints she made her way to the promenade on Deep Space Nine to see who might be out and about. She was looking forward to seeing her crewmates out and about, but she'd also been out on tour with Titania for quite a while, and it had been some time since she'd mingled with other officers.

She walked slowly on her way to Quarks, taking time to admire the decorations as she tried to remember what she knew about each of the holidays that some of them represented.

=Open Tag=

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli had never lived in a place that had snow, so she had always found it fascinating. The cold reminded her of dealing with space, yet it wasn't nearly as dangerous. There were times when she had needed to deal with extreme cold, but more often than not, the temperatures she felt were either annoying, or they felt like a burn from something hot. A liquid that was boiling away at a few hundred negative degrees felt like a tiny bead of molten metal, like from welding. Physics could be strange like that.

Through the joy of holographic programs, she had come to find snow to be entertaining. It was rarely fun to get on you, but there was a sport that she had found very enjoyable called downhill skiing. It could be fun to go down groomed trails that were packed down and you could slalom down in a way that almost felt like a dance. You could control your speed by moving back and forth across a hill, every turn sending up a spray of snow to the side, carved by the edges of the long and thin rails attached to your feet. She had even gone in simulated warmer weather, only dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, which was a very unique experience.

For this simulation, it was a bit too cool for light clothing. Today she was in moderately heavy attire. It was well padded and windproof, keeping her cozy, but not too hot. Her ski goggles covered the upper half of her face and helped filter the light so that she could see the terrain well. This was not simulating a packed and well travelled trail. This time it was a special treat that simulated a thick layer of what was called fresh powder. It offered much less resistance and although you often were anywhere from waist to chest high in it, you felt like you were flying more than skiing, as the skis flew through the snow more than on top of the snow. She wasn't into the acrobatic sort of stunts, but when coming down the side of a mountain, like this, she sometimes would be bold enough to take a jump here or there. She didn't like falling far, but a small one could be exciting.

After finishing an exhilarating run, Kalli slid up to the lodge very smoothly and did a little hockey stop next to a rack of equipment. Using her poles, she took turns popping the bindings loose and stepping out with the heavy boots. After standing the skis up and draping the loops of her poles over one of them to keep it all together, she adjusted the boots to allow her to walk a little more freely. The boots reminded her of a heavy duty variant of an EVA suit. They almost completely immobilized the lower leg and ankle, attaching the long ski to you like a fixed appendage. It was very hard to walk in them unless you released the upper part of the boot to regain some flexibility. She then began to stomp her way over to the lodge.

Kalli had put her goggles up on top of her head after her last run, but now removed them entirely as she unzipped her jacket. She really liked how the fur collar and lining felt against her neck and face. It reminded her of her old boyfriend, but she tried not to think too hard about that. After getting a specially ordered cup of hot chocolate with just a dash of something extra in it, she ent to sit next to the simulated fire. Once she found a nice spot, she took off her boots and set them aside and even removed her jacket, revealing the relatively mundane sweater she wore under it. The final step was to untie her hair and let it fall naturally, as she relaxed for a change. The fire was a good program. It looked and felt very real. She missed having a real fire, but that would require going to a planet, and that never seemed to end well.

Kalli took a deep breath and let it out slowly as she stared into the fire. The spiced (and spiked) dark chocolate was good. She no longer celebrated holidays, but this wasn't bad.

[Arwen Qi]

Qi gripped his mug of Bajoran cider with both hands, willing the movement back into his fingers. Whoever designed this Andoria program hadn’t skimped on the cold. He’d spent the better part of the day tracing the path of one of the moon’s frozen rivers, glittering in dim blue planetlight from the ringed gas giant in the sky. Once he was half frozen and fully exhausted, he steered his cross-country skis down the hill toward the dome-like shield that insulated the ski lodge.

Once inside, he returned his goggles and skis to the replicator in the entryway and ordered his drink. He wore wearing a heavy cable knit sweater with a fur lined suede jacket and dark denim jeans. The party was beginning to fill in, with a few Starfleet officers and visiting aliens beginning to mingle.

“Kalli!” Qi shouted, spotting his friend in a cozy sweater with her hair draping down over her shoulders. “Long time no see since the Geronimo. How have you been? Any plans for the holidays?”

Qi sat down by the fire, enjoying the warmth and the sight of a familiar face from his time aboard the Geronimo.

== Tag Kalli + any/all! ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli was surprised to hear a familiar voice calling out her name. Quickly setting down her drink, she stood up, eyes wide and a big smile, "Qi!"

In a rare display of public affection, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug, "It's good to see you!"

They took seats by the fire and he began asking questions. She shrugged and replied, "Life goes on. I'm on the Aquila now and that's quite a bit of ship for me to keep running. The Geronimo would almost fit in the shuttle bay. As for plans, I'm still trying to understand some of the holidays I hear people discussing, but I mostly just wish people well and move on. I've gotten used to not having a home or family to share such things with. When I first joined Star Fleet, it was hard and I think I resented such holidays. Back then it served to remind me about what I had lost. I've managed to make peace with that particular demon and now enjoy seeing others able to enjoy those kind of moments. There is almost a sense of hope that my pendulum might eventually swing back to where I too celebrate such things, but I try not to let myself move too quickly." Knowing that he had a better view than some at her darker side, she blushed a little and grinned, "After all, I'm still a bit of a work in progress."

She then shifted to him, "So, what about you? What have you been up to?"

== Tag Qi ==

[Arwen Qi]

Qi squeezed Kalli tight. She was warm from sitting next to the fire. He didn’t know much about Kalli’s past, but he gleaned that the holidays still stirred up some complicated feelings. It was a common affliction among Starfleet officers — people with rich home lives didn’t tend to seek fulfillment in space.

“I’m doing my thing aboard the Yeager. It’s a bit of a mishmash of different parts, but it has some interesting tech. You should check out the schematics if you haven’t yet, I think you’d like it!”

Off in the corner of the lodge, an Andorian began playing an instrument that looked like a large standing bass. A rich, emotional tune reverberated dreamily throughout the room.

“My boyfriend and I are heading back to Earth to spend the holidays in Istanbul with my dad and brother. Lumis hasn’t been to Earth before, and they haven’t met him since we were in school on Trill. I haven’t spent many holidays on Earth, but I’m excited to see what it’s like.”

Qi felt himself smiling. There was a time when none of this had seemed possible. The bridge was truly burned with his mother’s family, he knew that, but it seemed he'd gained quite a bit to be thankful for.

Wow, a little sentimental tonight. What is in this cider?

“If you’d like, you’re welcome to join us on Earth. If you don’t think it would be too much of a swing, I mean. I’m sure my dad and stepmom would love to have you.”

== Tag! ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli raised her eyebrows a bit, "Oh? It must be pretty serious if you're bringing the boyfriend to a family thing. Well, good for you. Is he ready for that kind of move? That seems like a big step."

Secretly, Kalli was afraid to go to a planet...any planet. She attempted a side step, "I don't think I would get clearance of a trip that far. Getting called her after our last mission feels like we might be on a short leash. I appreciate the invitation though"

Kalli recalled when they had been abducted by those Orions and they had all been forced to deal not only with their lack of clothing, but had to fight their way home. She had initially felt embarrassed to be so literally exposed, but it also felt even more odd to display to her friends just how quickly she would end a life if given the reason to. Living through that gave them an entirely new sort of bond. The most interesting things was how much Kalli trusted Qi after they had gone through that together. He had seen her, really seen her, both physically and emotionally vulnerable like no other person had. She knew that it was a unique thing for her and she missed that.

Leaning in and her smile turning almost into a conspiratorial sort of playful, "So, is this guy that special? Come on, don't leave me hanging." She grabbed her steaming mug of chocolate based beverage and wrapped her hands around it. The fire felt wonderful and the heat from the mug complimented it nicely as she waited for him to answer.

== Tag Qi ==

[Arwen Qi]

Qi nodded, taking a long sip from his mug. A warm, comfortable fire was starting to build in his stomach. He felt close to Thorn, despite their relatively short time together. After all, she’d seen him fall under the spell of both of their Orion captors. If it weren’t for her abilities as an engineer and a fighter, he might have never broken free.

“I guess things are moving pretty quickly in one sense, but Lumis and I have known each other since we were in school together. We helped each other with our applications when we applied to the Symbiosis Commission. He was matched with a symbiont; I wasn’t. I’m sure you can guess what happened next.”

Qi grimaced. He was skimming over a lot. His mother’s family wouldn’t say it directly, but he knew that they blamed his human father for his rejection. At the time, he’d felt lost, like an alien on his own home world. Starfleet offered him an opportunity to search for answers in the stars. Since then, he’d met many brilliant people, many of whom were similarly lost themselves.

“I thought we were done for good, but some relationships are like a moon,” he circled his finger in the air, imitating an orbit. “On Pleione IV, their moon’s apogee is so far from the planet that it can’t be seen with the naked eye, and its orbit takes almost a century to complete. By the time the moon returns to the sky, the inhabitants of the planet and the moon have grown up, had kids, even died. They have a saying there: ‘like chasing the moon’, meaning to expend a lot of effort on something that was going to happen eventually.

“Lumis and I drifted apart, but now we’re back again as different people. Maybe it’s temporary, but I plan to enjoy it while it lasts. I’d love for you to meet him sometime.”

Qi smiled, feeling vulnerable but comfortable. If he had said this much to anyone else, he probably would have been embarrassed.

== Tag! ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli gave a very sympathetic look and reached over to touch his arm gently, "I'm so glad that you found each other again. My heart still misses my old boyfriend. I never thought I would find that kind of feeling, but I was wrong. I may have my doubts about lightning striking twice, but the universe has shown me that I can't rule it out. Unfortunately, in my case, I have no chance of reuniting with my old flame. It turns out that he died in an accident."

She took another sip and then added, "That has to be interesting though. I mean, you know him, yet there is a part of him that you had to learn about from scratch. Isn't that a bit like having a third person in the mix? Well, a third personality maybe?" He shook her head slowly, "How does that even work? I don't know enough about how the symbiont thing works. Do they merge and become one personality, or...?" She scrunched her face up in a silly kind of confused way that was almost childlike. "I never really gave it serious thought." Then she blushed a little and looked embarrassed, "Wait, that isn't like some taboo Trill thing I'm asking about, is it?"

She realized right at that moment that Qi was perhaps one of the few people she felt this close to. Kalli felt close enough to care deeply about him and share very personal things with, yet it wasn't a romantic sort of thing between them. That intimate sort of shared experience was a rare thing for her. She had no idea how rare it was for most people, but she felt that she could talk to him about anything. It was then that her mind decided that somewhere along the line he had become family. The realization warmed her heart and almost brought her to tears. Family? Was that the right word? She refused to let her mind try and answer it as she waited to hear how he responded to her wandering into what might well be some kind of cultural minefield.

== Tag Qi ==

[Arwen Qi]

Qi clasped Kalli’s hand. He couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling. He wanted to comfort her somehow, reassure her that sometimes things come back around in a different form, but he didn’t have the words to do it. He let her words sit heavy in the air as she took a sip from her mug. The rumbling bass tones seemed to expand to fill the silence.

“Technically, it would be four people in the relationship if you think about it like that. I was joined with an infant symbiont during our time aboard the Geronimo, though it wasn’t through official means, and it certainly wasn’t my plan. I was sick for weeks. I’ll tell you the story sometime.

“Trust me, it’s just as confusing as it sounds,” Qi added with a laugh. He forgot that joining wasn’t as commonplace for everyone as it was for him. “He’s still himself, for the most part.  Sometimes it’s like we’re back in school, then he’ll say something that suddenly makes me feel like I don’t know him at all. Then again, I have a feeling that he feels the same way about me.”

A Ferengi waiter approached. She wore a cozy knit sweater to match the holosuite’s theme. Qi set down his empty mug and selected something that smelled like a hot toddy. He handed her a slip of latinum for her trouble — a Ferengi custom known as ‘tipping’.

“If you want to tell me about your boyfriend, I’m happy to listen. Maybe that’s a small way that you can feel him with you.”

== Tag ==

[Kalli Thorn]

Kalli shook her head slowly as she tried to imagine what he was saying to her, "Wow, your world is hard for me to imagine. That has to be difficult to adjust to. I have a hard enough time with just me in my head. Having someone else in there as well, would feel crowded. Don't even try to get me to imagine what Betazoids must go through, growing up with telepathy and such. The idea makes me dizzy."

Kalli thought about what he said as she watched him get another drink. Her own had been special ordered and would actually never go empty, nor would it go cold. Once the Ferengi had left, she took a deep breath and as she let it out, decided to give it a try. Beginning slowly, she said, "Well, for starters, finding someone to become involved with wasn't even on my scanners, so to speak. I had an interest in a boy when I was in my early teens, but nothing ever became of it other than a single kiss. The life was so chaotic for so long that it had been the furthest thing from my mind until there had been a situation on the ship. I had been in Sickbay and he was laying there. He had woke up there and had no idea where he was or what was going on. I don't know what had knocked him out, but there he was, flashing lights, people all around him trying to help him, most of his uniform removed or being removed and complete chaos. They were having a hard time of it and I realized that he was just scared. I mean, who wouldn't be, right?"

Kalli seemed to focus on some distant point but wasn't seeing what was around them anymore, her mind obviously reliving that moment, "For some reason, I saw him there and went over. The med-techs were about to call Security or try to restrain him, because it can be pretty dangerous when a seven foot tall Leo Mirak starts having a panic attack in a confined space. Anyway, I went over and placed my hand on his chest. I intended to just try and keep him from getting up and killing anyone, but it was like something magical happened. First of all, I was looking at his eyes and for some reason didn't expect him to be so furry." She shrugged and continued, "There was also...like...a feeling of electricity running through my hand in that moment. He turned to look me in the eyes and calmed down instantly. For some reason, I felt calm as well. Everything else disappeared and before we knew it, they had managed to finish him up and were needing the bio-bed for someone else. We snapped out of it and stepped aside."

Finally looking at Qi again, she smiled, "We both had a bit of an awkward moment then. For some reason that I'll never be able to explain, we had formed some kind of instant connection that we both felt. That electric feeling running through us. When he had gotten up and stood to his full height, it was almost comical. He was two feet taller than me and weighed more than three times what I did. As he was putting on his shirt, I reached up again and touched his chest once more. He was no longer scared, but that electricity was still there."

She looked at Qi for a moment and then laughed as she nodded her head, "I know, right? Of all the people to end up with, I suddenly start dating a 7 foot Leo Mirak. People gave us strange looks, but...um...we found ways to make it work." She blushed a little, but there was obviously still love in her eyes for the guy in her memories. "His family wasn't very happy about me though. I'm sure they were happy when I transferred to the Geronimo."

Kalli's expression turned much softer as she then gave very genuine smile, "Thanks for that. It's been a while since I got to talk about him. He's been gone a while now and I've moved on, but it is still nice to relive some of those fond memories once in a while." Her eyes has started to well up a bit and she wiped at one with the back of her hand in an effort to keep a tear from escaping.

== Tag Qi ==