Mane Dos are Good

Posted on Fri Jan 12th, 2024 @ 2:00pm by Civillian Qaran & Ensign S'Niri

1,726 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: The Menagerie: side stories & mischief making
Location: Qaran's Barbershop
Timeline: MD: -6 Days to Launch

With all the urgency that S'Niri stalked down the hallway with one might've assumed thar she was hunting some elusive prey that'd been nimbly evading her for years. She could've sworn that she'd seen a terrified young human boy whimper in fear when she padded past him, even. Ouch. No, really, it did hurt a little bit to see that. S'Niri did quite like children, as much as she might've acted otherwise. People were likely thoroughly confused when she stepped into the barber's shop with a flick of her tail.

S'Niri patiently waited her turn in the surprisingly long line, snout buried in her PADD, before finally being called over. "I'd like my mane braided please. I feel like it's time I switched things up." She requested of the handsome Bolian man who draped the gown over her.

"Why hello there, it is a pleasure to serve you today. I would be happy to do some braiding for you. If I might introduce myself," he said presenting her with a polite bow. "My name is is Qaran. And who do I have the pleasure of serving today?"

"The name's S'Niri. Tell me, Qaran, do Bolians just like to do people's hair? Not that I mind, I just keep seeing your lot in barbershops." S'Niri flashed a catty, sabertoothed grin. "The Academy barber's Bolian, you know, sweetest old lady you'll ever meet. You lot do really, really good jobs of making my fur look good. If I had to ask for a perm, you lot are the first I'd go to..."

"Not necessarily hair no, but we do have a flare for customer service. Tour guide, restaurants, theme parks, serving people and spreading joy through what we can offer has become a way of self-fulfillment for many of my people," Qaran answered. "Tell me, this beautiful mane of yours. Are you wanting one simple braid? Braids all over and let loose? Set tight to your head? Tell me what style you had in mind my dear new friend."

"All over and loose, please." S'Niri purred. "Your people sound like Risians, if you put it that way. I think those guys spend their entire lives trying to please visitors to their planet, though I'm pretty sure I'm wrong." She settled down and relaxed her shoulders. "I won't bother you, unless you want me to, mrrr?"

"Well aren't you a spicy one," Qaran said playfully. He began to section off her long fur, and raise her stool so he could focus on the bottom first. "One last question, traditional braid, fishbone, or a rope style?"

"Traditional. You want spicy, I can give you spicy." S'Niri retorted playfully. "So. How would you like to be bothered, mister Qaran?"

"I love an entertaining conversation while I work. Tell me what's been going on in your life lately," Qaran suggested while he started on the first braid.

"Let's see. I graduated from Starfleet Academy last week, so there's that. I ate the most delicious targ goulash this morning and the best part is that the meat wasn't overcooked. This starbase does amazing food, by the way, I haven't eaten anything from the replicators since I got here," S'Niri counted off on her fingers. "I sparred ensign Tomble and won. I think he's into me, the poor guy. He tried wearing Ferasan face tattoos, would you believe it..."

"Quite an exciting week you've had," the bubbly Bolian chattered as he continued working on her braids. "Congratulations on your graduation. I'm sure you must be excited to start you Starfleet career. You should be very proud. Yes, very proud indeed. Only the best and the brightest get selected to even attend Starfleet Academy."

"I had to work my ass off to get there, damn straught I'm proud to be here " S'Niri retorted. "Tch. Too bad some people back home would rather think with their muscles than their heads. I call them boneheads. They'd rather fight over which one of them has a sharper dagger..."

"So tell me about this Ensign Tomble? Is he a cute fellow?" The Bolian asked curiously as he began working up her heads with the braids.

"Mousy human boy. Short, timid, utterly lacking in confidence, but somehow plucked up the courage to invite me to a spar after duty. What a weird combination." S'Niri snorted. "Cute, yes, like how a pet is cute, but not my type. I like my men and women strong. Being handsome is icing on the cake. I'd sleep with Tomble once but that's all. He seems lonely, the poor thing."

The Bolian clucked his tongue in sympathy for the way she described the ensign. "I'm not one to judge anyone's intimate life, why people should be free to make their own choice. You know, I always say that. But, if this Tomble boy is as lonely as you say, and bless his poor heart. It probably is better to leave that soul to find someone else," Qaran said as he continued braiding the Caitian's soft fur.

The hairdresser continued, "Only because it sounds like this young man is quite infatuated with you. Working up the courage to find a way to ask you out and all. I'm afraid you might break his poor heart. You know humans don't always know how to separate their emotions from sexual encounters," Qaran said. "They intermingle the two, and make things more complicated than they need to be I've seen."

"Emphasis on would. I don't know why humans make things so difficult for themselves. Maybe if they learned to separate the two and, you know, opened their mouths to say what's on their minds a bit more, they wouldn't need to tear each others' hearts apart by accident." S'Niri flicked a paw under the dressing gown. "I showered and changed after the spar before coming for this cut, actually. He's gone home to lick his wounds, probably, and I'll tell him that I'm not interested tomorrow after duty. The way you put it, if I tell him before we start the day he'll lose his mind. Besides. I don't think he'd last in bed with me - for his own safety." The Ferasan hybrid snickered. "What do you think?"

The Bolian responded with a heart belly laugh. "Oh yes, true. Probably not. You make a good point."

Qaran was a little more than halfway done with S'Niri's braids by this point. "You mentioned the restaurant on Jupiter station. I've heard we are going to have a few decent places to eat here too," he said with a twinkle in his voice. "There's a little cafe on Deck 7 that will have rotating chefs - a variety of dishes with different themes from different worlds depending on who is cooking that day. They should be up and running in a couple of days."

"They'd better have ludjugik. It's a Ferasan dish. Not many offworlders like it. It's made from targ intestines and some of the local spice and meats. Very fragrant, very spicy. I would eat it any day." S'Niri grinned. "Even better if the chef is Caitian. Ferasans consider it an insult for anyone but a Ferasan to cook it, so it will be so ironic. Shame there aren't any Ferasans on board. "

"I'll also go for that dish humans call ma la. It makes my mouth numb for half an hour but the spice is one of the best things I've ever put in my mouth. I only wish it didn't have lotus root. Those give me stomach cramps." She made a displeased mrowl.

"Oooo, if you like bold flavors, and meat based dishes you definitely should go when the Bolians are cooking. I think you might like what they have to offer," Qaran responded. "And they will aim to please. If something is not right, you must inform your server so that the dish may be corrected to your tastes."

"I shall. If they are remotely as eager to please and good-looking as you are I'd be pleased to come back over and over." S'Niri glanced sideways at the barber with a mischievous gleam in her amber-colored eyes. "How is the braid coming along, by the way?"

Qaran handed her a mirror and turned her chair so she could use the mirror on the wall to see her hair. "Almost done, and you look simply stunning in this style. Are you pleased with it?" he asked.

S'Niri resisted the urge to mewl like a kitten when she saw the perfectly braided, lustrous blue-black braid going down her back. "Oh, you are too good." She grinned a toothy, saber-fanged grin. So much for not needing to look intimidating. "Better than any other dresser's done it for me. I'll have to repay you sometime, somehow, and don't you give me that about the Federation needing no money or doing things just because. The best worker deserves to have his wages paid."

"Lunch or dinner. Anytime. Just ask. You can't possibly spend your entire day making perfect braids."

The Bolian did a little skip with glee. "Just seeing a happy customer's face is all the reward I need. I am so very glad you like it," Qaran said. "You made a very good selection on the style. You must have a very good eye for it."

"I insist." S'Niri grinned a sharp-toothed grin. "I will be expecting a message informing me when you'd like to go out to eat. My treat. As to my hair. Let's just say I have quite some experience with twisting my mane into whatever shape I'd like it in," She quipped. "But I don't have your hands, obviously. You, my handsome blueberry, have the hands of an artist."

"You flatter me so," Qaran responded, his cheeks blushing to a shade of purple. "The braids are finished. Are you interested in any beads, flowers, ribbons perhaps?" He asked.

"Nothing of that sort, thank you. There's only so far I'll go to keep this lovely mane looking pretty." S'Niri replied, standing to leave. "I will expect that message from you by tonight. I will make sure your time is not wasted."

Qaran let out a polite little giggle. "I shall see you soon then. Enjoy your new look," he said with a bow.




Qaran
Hair Stylist
USS Imperator

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