A Star is Born

Posted on 241511.13 @ 8:51pm by Ensign Balman & Cadet Sh'eik

=/\= USS Enterprise - Deck 24 =/\=

Sh'eik stood in front of the mirror, straightening his collar. The velour cadet uniform felt a little stuffier than the loose civilian clothing he'd grown accustomed too. Gently he tugged down his shirt to smooth it over.

"Blue looks good on you, Kitty." Ensign Balman said, poking his head around the corner.

Sh'eik felt heat rise to his cheeks, under his chocolate fur. The 2415 cadet uniforms did indeed have quite a bit of blue to them, despite the thin red stripe running directly across his chest. He smiled, elongated canines showing.
"Yes. I... suppose it does..." Sh'eik purred back, "To what do I owe the occasion?"
Balman had been on back shift since Dhej had put in Sh'eik's academy papers, so they hadn't seen much of each other.

Balman nodded, looking a bit tired, "My rotation for R and R. I'll be back on Alpha shift after this. If you need any help with your studies..." He left the comment open ended, as he regarded the youngling Cait halfbreed. He could swear the boy was taller than the last time they'd seen each other, but surely that was his mind playing tricks on him.

"I'll ask, forrr surrre. I'll definitely need some help with warrrp theorrry." Sh'eik said, tugging on his shirt again, why wouldn't it settle?

Balman flashed that smile of his, "Everyone does, it's not exactly second nature. Except maybe to Vulcans."

They shared a chuckle, as Balman disappeared back around the corner.
Sh'eik heard the whirr of the replicator as he chuffed.
"I give up!" he finally conceded, deciding to just deal with the uncomfortable velour shirt, and rounded the corner, getting a different shirt, right in the face.

"Try that, Sh'eik." The Bolian smirked as the stippled uniform top dangled off the Cait's snout.
Sh'eik went crosseyed, staring at the fabric hanging from the end of his snout, "What... is it?"
"Same shirt, but filmier material. You're not the only species in the fleet that has fur you know."
Sh'eik blinked, reaching for the shirt, then pulled the old one over his head and put the new one on.

"Ahhh. That's so much betterrr," Sh'eik purred, with appreciation. The new shirt breathed a lot better too.
Balman smiled, "Good, it looks more comfortable for sure. They make matching uniform pants to go with them, but they can be a bit... revealing..."
Sh'eik just tilted his head dumbly.
"Yea, no. I think those will be fine for now. So this is obviously your first time suiting up, what's going on?"

Sh'eik inhaled a bit, before meeting the Bolian's gaze, "It's my class one pilot's exam. It'll give me my firrrst cerrrtification to fly."
Balman nodded, "Nervous?"
Sh'eik's head tilted the other way, left ear flicking a few times, "Oddly... No? Everrr since Captain Dhej's worrrds earned me academy entrrrance, I've been applying myself harrrd. If this is wherrre I want to be, I need to earrrn the spot. Just because I'm learrrning herrre doesn't mean they'll post me herrre."

Balman's ever present smile faded a bit, "That's a lot of pressure Sh'eik. Don't burn yourself out. Starfleet makes a habit of keeping families together, and since we're your family..."
Sh'eik nodded quietly, "I still want to earrrn it. I'd hate to think I was keeping someone morrre qualified frrrom rrreaching theirrr potential." his ears tipped back a bit as he lamented.
Balman smiled gently, hugging the young Cait, "Sh'eik, you're a good kid. Just do your best, that's all anyone asks."
'Yep definitely taller.' Balman thought.

Sh'eik hugged the larger man back, "Of courrrse," He broke the hug, "Thank you for the uniforrrm fix. I gotta go orrr I'll be late!"
"Go on. Knock'em out Tiger!" Balman had a chuckle.
Sh'eik just shook his head with a smile, Balman was going to look up every Terran feline in the book, and find a way to call him it. As he reached the doors and they whisked out of the way, he turned back.
"See you laterrr?"

Balman nodded up from a PADD he'd just picked up and started reading, "Sure thing Sh'eik. Join me in the lounge at 2200?"
Sh'eik's left ear flicked a few times as he thought about his school schedule, then he nodded. "Sure. And thanks, for what you said, it's nice to have a family again."

"It's almost 1100, Sh'eik..."
Sh'eik's ears shot up when his eyes caught the chrono. 10:57! 3 minutes to get to Holodeck 2!
"Right! Bye!" And with that he disappeared, doors whishing closed behind him.
Balman just chuckled and shook his head, digging back into the technical journal he'd been reading.

=/\= End Log =/\=

Ensign Balman - APB KM
Engineering Junior Officer
USS Enterprise-F

Cadet Sh'eik
Yeoman
USS Enterprise-F

-=/\=- United Confederation of Interstellar Planets -=/\=-