Anthropology

Posted on 25 Aug 2015 @ 3:52am by Jynn & Lieutenant Oren Idris Ph.D.
Edited on on 26 Aug 2015 @ 2:06am

2,696 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 09 - Empires
Location: USS Galileo - Deck 4 - Planetary Development Lab
Timeline: MD02 - 1700hrs

ON:

An inksmith! Here on Galileo! A real, actual man of the bodily arts. And he was an El Aurian as well! Jynn would have needed three, maybe four bodies if he where to allow the near mythical lore keeper to write out his stories onto his body. And that was to speak nothing of the endless amount of knowledge he must have gathered from his fellow people! Between the El Aurian and the Trill, not to mention all the other interesting people, Jynn began to worry if he even had enough days in his life to listen to all they had to say. Better get started!

Invitation. No invitation. Either way suited Jynn just fine. This meeting would certainly be uninvited, though he was sure that the young (or old?) Chief Research Officer would be most inviting. Curiosity was a prerequisite when one was involved in any research and it made Jynn wonder if he was a scientist in a previous life. With a hop and a skip he arrived at Orin's office and poked his head in the doorway.

"Excuse me, old man," where the first words that came to mind as he stared at the incredibly young looking septuagenarian in the room, and consequently those where the first words to leave his mouth.

Having barely made it through the meeting with the other scientists, Oren was happy to be left alone for the time being. He sat behind his desk, nursing a bottle of water, careful to swallow slowly so as to not upset his bruised ribs. He startled slightly at the extra voice.

"Hello!" he said, clearing his throat to keep his voice from breaking. Oren prided himself on his observational skills (important in his line of work, after all) and a Deltan definitely couldn't have gone unnoticed. So, clearly, the man was new on board. Perhaps a new scientist?

Jynn sauntered over to the nearest seat-height object he could find and plopped himself down on it. Then, a few moments later, he got back up. How rude of me, he thought to himself, half joking. We need an introduction! He walked over towards Oren and held out his hand to him. It was less intimate than a Deltan greeting, but he had found this one to work quite nicely. "Jynn," he spoke to him with eager anticipation of a reply.

Oren stared down at the offered hand, imagining they would make quite the sight for another Anthropologist - a Deltan and an El Aurian, exchanging a human greeting.

Figuring that Jynn had his own reasons, Oren stood up from his chair, took his hand and gave it a small shake while offering a smile. "Oren," he replied, deciding to keep the introduction informal.

"You're new on the ship, are you not?"

"Indeed I am," Jynn replied. "I'm Galileo's new chief of flight, and I look forward to dancing through the cosmos with her and with the rest of the crew as well." While he was speaking he had not even thought to let go of Oren's hand. He just kept his hold on it as though it was a gift given to him. "And you must be of the sciences? Certainly more than a lifetime's worth of work even for someone like yourself."

Oren watched him curiously, but then decided that his reputation had probably preceded him, once again. "Yes," he nodded instead. "I'm the Chief Research Officer, but I am an anthropologist. Stereotypical, I know but what can I say? I love people."

"Me, too," Jynn said through a bright smile. "It is the infinite variety of the universe's sentient species that I love the most. To meet them all would be amazing, as I'm sure you agree."

"I do!" Oren said enthusiastically, Jynn's emotions rubbing off on him. "Please, sit!" On the subject of cultures, Oren had always enjoyed being around Deltans. Even when they were in a bad mood, there was always something hopeful and optimistic about them.

"I especially enjoy more isolated cultures. Like yours," Oren pointed out.

"A most unfortunate circumstance for my culture if you ask me," Jynn responded with a sigh. "To confine all of our love for everything to a single world. It just doesn't make sense to me. How can we experience all life has to offer on just one planet? Especially when we don't even have visitors. Not even one as travelled as yourself can speak of many tales of our species, which is a tragedy if you ask me."

"I agree. I've always found your culture fascinating, but I'm afraid many, myself included, have a hard time wrapping their minds around your ways of communication," Oren explained. "There's only so much theory can teach. I've always preferred a more hands on approach to my research."

"Exactly", Jynn almost shouted in reply. "To get out there and experience it for yourself. I would much rather be in the books than read them. I've already met so many interesting people and seen so many places, not to mention flown so many ships, that I would never have been able to merely read about on my homeworld." He let go of Oren's hand slowly to allow for them to perhaps get more comfortable. "You, yourself are already proving to be quite interesting as well," he said as he leaned up against something close by.

"Oh?" Oren asked, tilting his head to the side curiously. "I'll try to take that as a compliment," he teased.

"It is," Jynn exclaimed as he walked over to Oren with a mischievous look in his eye. He reached out and flicked his eyebrow piercing gently with a smirk. "I hear you're quite versed in the bodily arts. And it certainly looks to be the case."

Oren grinned, not minding the invasion of his personal space. "That's one way of putting it," he said, raising his eyebrows out of instinct at the other man's touch. "I used to have more, but they kept getting caught," he revealed. "Now I just have this," he motioned to his eyebrow. "And this one." He stuck his tongue out briefly.

Another flick, this time at the tongue piercing. Jynn couldn't help himself. At least he hadn't licked Oren yet. That would have been weird. He had managed to not do that to anyone yet, which was just as well. Suddenly, Jynn was hit with a moment of inspiration. "I want one! Just like that one. Oh, and I need a tattoo, too. Two!"

Oren chuckled, shaking his head at the Deltan. "You want a tongue piercing? It takes a while to heal," he admitted, remembering his own experience, many years ago now.

"So? It looks awesome! I don't know why I don't have one already to tell you the truth." There was a look of excitement in Jynn's eyes, like someone eager to experience something new and different. It certainly didn't look like he would take no for an answer. "I'm sure I can handle some dietary restrictions while I await its healing."

"It also hurts a lot, but I didn't really mind it. I just wanted to see how good it would look afterwards," Oren pointed out with a smile. "You could probably get it done safely in Sickbay. Just avoid the Bolian. Your best bet would be the tattooed doctor."

"Tuula? I'm sure I can trust her with stabbing me," he said with a grin. "Wouldn't be the first time we had a run in with a sharp object. And what about the tattoos? I would be ecstatic if you could help me."

"Help you?" Oren asked, curiously. "Help you how?"

"Why, to apply them of course! I've been told you are proficient skin scribing and I would love it if you could," Jynn spoke in eager anticipation. It was almost as if he was about ready to undress and hop on to anything laying around just to get it done at that moment.

Oren couldn't help the look of surprise at Jynn's words. How in the world had the Deltan known of a talent Oren had learned years ago? Surely, he must've mentioned it to someone, he reasoned, shaking his head to clear his mind.

"Well, I have to say, I'm surprised," he admitted. "I would be honoured to do it, but I don't have my kit with me. Maybe I can requisition one from the quartermaster."

"Take your time," Jynn answered with quelled excitement. "Though I am a bit impatient. You better hope their are no other needle proficient artists on this ship," He said with a sarcastic smirk.

Oren chuckled good naturedly. "Here's hoping," he said. "But you don't need to worry. The quartermaster and I are..." he paused, catching himself. "Well," he steered his thoughts into another direction. "We know each other well, so I'll try to get him to approve a kit for me. Maybe by the end of the day."

"What speed," Jynn exclaimed excitedly. "Though I do hope I am not imposing much upon you. I would just love to have someone from this ship do the honor for me. It sounds like I should be the one honored, though, as you must not do this often."

"I don't know about honoured, but no, I don't do this often. Haven't done it in years. I learned the arm over thirty years ago when I was studying the Orelben caste on Primos III. It's a big part of their culture, so I wanted to be prepared," Oren explained, motioning for Jynn to sit down as he leaned in his chair.

"I used to do it a lot more, but my tattoo's are on my back. Well," he corrected, rolling up his sleeve to reveal the tattoo on his forearm. "Apart from this one. I got it a little over a month ago. It's healed well."

"Lovely!" Jynn reached out to hold Oren's arm with both his hands, examining the tattoo as though he were an anthropologist, himself. He was quite the fan of tattoos and was learning first hand that a lot of the crew had decorations of their own. The more he could see, the better. "Can I see the others as well?"

"Are you asking me to undress for you, Lieutenant? And in the workplace! How scandalous," Oren teased, delighted with Jynn's company. There was just something so sincere and heartwarming about his enthusiasm, he couldn't help but like him. It came as a welcome distraction from his issues with Kohl and Ellsworth.

"That is what I'm asking," Jynn said with another one of his disarming smiles. Unbeknownst to Oren, Jynn had been finding it quite difficult to contain his emotions while being aboard Galileo, especially after that most personal encounter he had had not more than a few days ago, and for the last few minutes he had begun to feel that building sense of love again.

"Please," he said as he looked up from Oren's arm and into his eyes.

"Well, I don't know...." Oren said hesitantly. After all, this was his workplace, even if he technically wasn't on the clock. Deciding to take the risk, he took his hand back and smiled at Jynn. "Computer, lock the doors." With the order out, he began unzipping the jacket of his uniform. There was nothing seductive or slow in his ministration as he took his top off with fumbling, almost childlike movements. Eventually, after moment of panic caused by an elbow stuck in a sleeve, Oren finally pulled his shirt off, leaving his hair a spiky mess. Reaching up to settle it to the best of his abilities, he turned around to give Jynn full view of his tattooed back.

"Beautiful," Jynn spoke out. It was a term he was using more and more with the people around him, it seemed. He stepped close to Oren and placed his hands gently on his back, feeling the details within his skin with his sharpened senses as he looked over the tattoo as though he were studying it intently for later reference.

"It's not done yet," Oren pointed out, and the fact that the tattoo, or rather the inside of the tattoo's elaborate, floral outline, was half empty. The collection of writings and random objects tattooed inside, seemed to cut off around the middle of his back.

The entire image of the tattoo, however, was marred by a scar, still red, cutting across Oren's lower back, straight through what appeared to be tattooed corset lacing. "Don't mind the scar. It's a souvenir I got in the last mission. Along with this." He raised his arm to show off the scar across his left deltoid.

Jynn was almost mesmerized as he ran his hands over the scars and anywhere else. He had, in fact, started to become very aroused, but he was containing himself as best he could. He was immersed in the thought that he was more than just hearing about Oren's history, but he was feeling his history as well. "You've led quite the life," he said as he continued to read the scars and tattoos with his eyes and hands.

"I don't know about that," Oren admitted, standing as still as possible to let Jynn have a few more moments. He knew the scene would probably seem strange and intimate to other people, seeing as they'd only met minutes ago but Oren, despite his own aversions, didn't feel uncomfortable around Deltans. He was a man in control of himself and knew where to draw the line.

"Done?" He finally asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Yes," Jynn replied with a smile as he removed his hands from Oren's body. "And thank you," he added most happily. It was moments like this where Jynn felt as though he got to know people on a better level than simple conversation.

"You're welcome," Oren said, finally turning around to face Jynn once again. "So, what kind of tattoo did you want?" he asked, leaning back against his desk once more.

"A depiction of the Atlas, A depiction of the Galileo, of course," he spoke with a happy grin. "And I think I'm going to need one of that most alluring anomaly! I do hope you saw it," he said in a voice that should not have been so excited given the circumstances.

"It's kind of hard to miss," Oren commented, happy that his new office didn't have a view. The thing was a nightmare factory for Oren and it had a hard time wrapping his mind around it.

"The two ships I can do relatively easily but the anomaly will require a technique I can't do, I'm afraid. So you should probably snap a picture and have it done in the future."

"Certainly! I can do that. Probably a picture worth hanging on a wall somewhere, anyway. Thank you, Oren," he spoke in a sincere tone. "I look forward to our date."

"So do I," Oren replied, finally zipping up his jacket.

"One more thing," he added, remembering. "Where would you want the tattoo? I need to know for the design."

"Galileo on the left shoulder front, Atlas somewhere on my back. Small, though. I've got plenty of living left to do," he said with a smirk.

"You and me both. Though you've covered a lot," Oren observed. His own tattoos, apart from the one on his forearm, were all contained to his back. He imagined, as life went by, he would eventually expand it to his limbs.

"Then may we both live long enough to satisfy our bodies' desire to chronicle our lives in ink. To long lives," he said as he raised an invisible glass to Oren.

"To full lives," Oren replied.

"I just can't wait," Jynn exclaimed. "I bet the designs will be absolutely lovely! I'm going to have to stay occupied in the meantime so the anticipation doesn't kill me! Wish me luck," he said with a smile as he almost danced out the door.

OFF:

Lieutenant JG Oren Idris
Chief Research Officer
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Jynn
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

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