Eliot

[fawnthefae]

 Fin was supposed to be taking him to meet a friend, but when he'd gotten a job at the last minute, he'd insisted Fawn Go without him.

"Eliot's nice," his brother had said. "You'll like him, Fawn. Trust me."

And so Fawn had set off to the bar. It was nearly closing time and he moved through the dwindling crowd, heading towards the bar. He was the spitting image of Fin, a bit slighter, his hair much longer. He also dressed far more casually than Fin, favouring tunics over robes.

Nervous, he took a seat at the bar and looked around.

Comments

[fawnthefae]

"You have to be nice to yourself. If you're not nice to you, why will anyone else be?" Fawn replied, shrugging slightly.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"That is very wise advice," Eliot said, "though..." He chuckled. "Sometimes easier said that done. Though on the bright side, I do think that I am a very snappy dresser, and a very good bartender, and decent company. My shift is actually about to end, if you want to hang out."

[fawnthefae]

"Okay!" Fawn said cheerfully. "I would like that, Eliot."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Oh, great," said Eliot, smiling. "Why don't you finish your drink, and I'll just clean up quickly and we can be on our way."

[fawnthefae]

Fawn nodded, finishing his drink and looking around the bar.

It was an interesting space, but not somewhere he usually would find himself. Still, Eliot seemed nice, and the drink had been tasty.

[eliot_thespectacular]

Just a few minutes later, Eliot walked around the bar to join him. "Any suggestions?" he asked. "We could go to the garden if you like." It was the one place on the ship that didn't seem as much like a ship that wasn't a holodeck.

[fawnthefae]

"I would like that," Fawn nodded. "The garden is my favourite place here."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Ah, very good choice," said Eliot, pleased that he'd chosen correctly. "I understand that the botanicals come from a lot of different planets that people on the ship call home. Are there any from yours?"

[fawnthefae]

"Um, one. ...Okay a few, but I'm not supposed to talk about it," Fawn admitted sheepishly.

[eliot_thespectacular]

Eliot looked confused. "Why are you not...? I mean, only if you want to tell me."

[fawnthefae]

"I had to sign special papers for one and promise not to share with people. They said it not good. Um- Not okay? Allowed, that's the word. Not allowed," Fawn explained.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"A plant?" Eliot said.

Then remembered hallucinogenic carrots that had fucked him up once.

"Oh, a plant? In the garden, really?"

[fawnthefae]

"It's for a ceremony!" Fawn said quickly. "Not bad things."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Well... bad is subjective anyway," Eliot said with a little smile. "Would you show me? I mean, I'm just curious. You don't have to... but I won't tell anymore. Would you tell me about the ceremony?"

[fawnthefae]

Fawn hesitated, then nodded.

"The ceremony is near to now... A week? I think. We make the fruit into a drink and celebrate our bloodline. They said- They say, um, when you drink, if you are blessed you see a vision of your destiny."

[eliot_thespectacular]

Definitely a hallucinogen. Eliot told himself very firmly that he was absolutely not to get too curious about this plant. Absolutely not.

"Are you hoping to learn about your destiny?" he asked instead, just as they entered the garden.

[fawnthefae]

"Yes, but also... I just like the tradition. It is fun," Fawn admitted.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Traditions can be wonderful," Eliot agreed. "I mean, my parent were crazy conservative Christians who thought I was going to hell, but I still think Christmas trees are fun."

[fawnthefae]

"What is that?" Fawn asked, genuinely oblivious to the various faiths of humans.

[eliot_thespectacular]

"Oh! Well..." Eliot considered this for a moment. "Christians, hell, or Christmas trees?"

[fawnthefae]

"...Yes," Fawn replied, since he knew nothing of any of those things. "...But especially the trees. I like trees."

[eliot_thespectacular]

"I'll start with that then," Eliot said with a smile. "Because I like them, too. You know trees that are green all year round and shaped like this?" He gestured with his hands. "There's a religious holiday where everyone decorates a tree like that with shiny baubles and lights and then put presents under it all brightly wrapped and then you open them together. And it honestly has nothing to do with the religious thing it's supposed to celebrate, it's just an excuse for presents and lights."

[fawnthefae]

"Sounds bright. ...Um, pretty," Fawn smiled. "Will they do that on the ship? I'd like bright trees to look at, I think."

[eliot_thespectacular]

“I… don’t know actually,” Eliot said. “But with so many of the crew from earth I’m guessing a lot of people celebrate Christmas. So maybe! And like I said I do like trees. And you said your celebration is soon?”

[fawnthefae]

"Yes, I think. Time is hard to track here," Fawn admitted.