New Places, Old Faces

Posted on Sun Jan 25th, 2026 @ 9:09pm by Beya & Chief Helmsman Kalahaeia t'Leiya & Nollel Livaam (*)

Mission: Veils
Location: Allhallow Prime
Timeline: MD1 12:00
3458 words - 6.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Beya strolled through the festival grounds, looking back occasionally at Burnie and Nollel. The monogamy thing was still weird, but they were cute together. Burnie seemed especially happy, a big grin spreading across his face as he eyed the preparations for the bonfires. What was it about engineering that attracted pyros?

Still, Beya had to admit she was excited about the festivities too. She liked the symbolism of tossing things into the flames that needed to be left behind. More and more she had been realizing that there were limitations she'd been letting her past place on her. And the encounter with Orions who were slavers had forced some soul-searching about the prejudices she knew were out there but had avoided facing directly - which had been another limitation; shackles she'd placed on herself that kept her from trying to reach too far or too high. Even now she could feel hesitation rising in her as she contemplated it. What if the truth was that all of that was just rationalization to keep from admitting she really wasn't good enough?

She shook away the thought, refocusing on the fun of festival town. In some ways it reminded her of Hysperia. That had been a high point, and she smiled, doing a small dance turn at the memory. "Do you think we have time for shopping before the parade starts?"

"A few hours yet," Burnie laughed. "I think you might be able to shop a little."

Nollel had been quiet for most of their wander so far thanks to the subspace call she had attempted to make a few days before. She smiled and pointed out several of the bonfires that looked like they were going to be a different colour. “I need to get a few things so hopefully they have something open.” The woman said trying to add something to the conversation.

"What are we shopping for?" Burnie asked. "I could go for some sparklers for tonight. I was also thinking of finding something to toss in the fire."

“I am shopping for something you do not need to know about dear husband.” She said smiling a little at his eagerness. She was shopping for a present for him as their anniversary was coming up so she was hoping that his friends being there could distract him for a few minutes. “I have something to toss in but I left it on the ship. What are you thinking? And you Beya? Have you got something?”

"Oh?" Burnie's brows lifted, then he smiled. "I look forward to being surprised. As for me, I'm still trying to work out what would symbolize a discharge I resented, but lead to my best life," he said, beaming at her.

"I'm just looking for some jewelry and maybe some fun clothes," Beya put in.

“Maybe one of their comm badges?” Nollel suggested before she stopped dead in front of a clothes shop. She took in the dress in the doorway and smiled more as she took in the leather bodice and sheer material. “I definitely think I want to get a new dress.” She decided catching up with the pair and looped her arm through Beya’s in a friendly gesture. “I might need your help for that.”

"Guess that's my cue to move along," Burnie laughed and turned with a wave to them as he walked away with a smile so caught up in imagining her in that dress or anything Beya might help pick out.

“We’ll meet you at the bar.” Nollel called over her shoulder.

Beya dashed into the store with Nollel, grinning at the prospect of a girls' shopping spree. "You'd look great in that one in the window, but it's a lot of material. Let's see..." She pulled a dress short enough to practically be a tunic off the rack. "This has a similar bodice, but a skirt that will really show off your legs."

Nollel laughed as her her friend started going through the rails. “I want a longer dress.” Nollel laughed shaking her head as she put the short dress back where it was taken from. “Though it would look great on you.”

Beya held it up against her body. "You know, it would." Then throwing the dress over an arm, she went back to searching the racks. "Here's one! Flowy, showy, and the skirt is long." She held a dress of translucent material with a plunging neckline and long skirt in the sense of two single long panels in front and back falling between hip-high slits from an x-girdle waist.

“And it’s built for a full shift.” Nollel laughed a little as she realised she had said an Ardanian phrase. “That means it’ll last longer than most promises.” Other than Michael’s she added mentally as she picked up the dress and held it against herself. “Do I have time to try it on? I want to take Michael somewhere for our wedding anniversary and I want it to be perfect.”

"We should have plenty of time for trying things on," Beya said, having already piled five more mini-dresses over her arm. "In fact, to be sure it's perfect, we need more options. Let's see... this one is just a little more sheer, but it's in blue - which will really bring out your eyes ...not that he'll necessarily be looking at your eyes," she threw a grin and a wink, "And this one in black is dramatic ...oh, and this one is almost Orion." She held up a harem-style scarf-skirt paired with a short halter that resembled a sparkly push-up bra.

Nollel laughed at the wink and took the items to start trying things on. She had never really done this type of thing with the women back on Ardana. It was not really the done thing in her family. “You know something Beya. I have never done this type of thing before. It was not really the done thing on Ardana especially in my family.” Nollel said over the changing room as a shop keeper came to offer assistance.

“Can I help either of you ladies?” The woman said making Nollel glance around the curtain to meet the Allhallow Prime resident. She was stunning with her pale grey skin and dark clothing.

"Yes. We want to try these on," Beya said brightly, indicating the clothes, now draped over both an arm and over her shoulder. "Where are your dressing rooms?"

The shop keeper eyed the Orion, torn between the potential for a large sale vs potential for shop-lifting. "We have a policy of only 4 items at a time, but the changing rooms are back there." She pointed toward a far corner of the store. "Over near where that gentleman is standing."

Looking in the direction indicated, Beya smiled broadly. The gentleman was tall, fit, and already seemed to be holding a couple frocks. "This is a high-end shop - they even provide a man to hold our stuff. And a handsome one too!" she declared making a beeline for him before the shop keeper could even open her mouth to correct the assumption.

Arriving in front of him, Beya flashed flirtatious grin. "You can hold my clothes anytime," she said, unloading an armful at the man.

"Um..." he managed, torn between amusement at typically Orion way of asking and confusion as to why he was being asked at all. Still, he managed to catch the clothes before they hit the floor. "I'm not, that is -"

"Oh, right," Beya felt in her pockets. "You work for tips. Though I could give you better than credits," she whispered seductively, moving close enough to slip a couple credits into his pocket. She smiled at the intake of breath that elicited. Bonfires might not be the only hot event tonight.

A dressing room door opened. "Ye gods, I swear it's like you're catnip for Orions," a petite felinoid chuffed as she stepped out.

"T'Ango, I -"

"Can't say no to anyone? Especially anyone with green skin?" she teased, tail swishing, then laughed at shade of red he was turning - enjoying making him blush like that was maybe a little cruel, but it had become a bit of a hobby. Besides, she'd make it up to him later.

Beya took a step back, disappointed, but not wanting to wind up in the middle of a cat fight, especially involving someone with actual claws. "I'm sorry, I didn't know he was yours. I thought he was here to hold clothes."

T'Ango boomed a laugh. "It's okay - what I get for using him as hanger."

"You have to admit, it was an honest mistake," he chuckled, lifting the hand with the items he'd obviously been holding for T'Ango and giving her an amused smile. "You remember how Divash complained that Federation dress shops didn't have men for that?"

Nollel was frozen in place as she followed Beya as she flirted her way in and out of trouble but she took in a lot more than the Orion was as she picked up on T’ango and Divash. The woman started to chuckle as this pair had to be Michael’s friends. She had heard the names mentioned often enough. “You are Michael’s friends?” She accused them lightly as she hung up the dresses in the changing room she was going to be using.

The pair exchanged a puzzled look - the woman seemed to think she knew them, but 'Michael' wasn't a name they recognized. "Michael?" They queried almost as one voice.

Nollel looked puzzled back before she remembered that she was the only one other than his parents who called him Michael. “Burnie. I forget that most people do not call him that,” she laughed.

"Burnie!" they replied, again almost in unison.

"You know his family. I'm guessing that means you're..." the man paused a moment, trying to recall a name he'd been told months ago, "Noel? Nollel? Divash told me he was married now." He somehow managed to keep the surprise he still felt over the news out of his voice. "As you've probably guessed, this is T'Ango and I'm Gunnar. Very pleased to meet you."

“Yes… Nollel,” The blonde confirmed smiling at the way the pair connected the dots as much as she did. “He has been married nearly a year for his sins.” She grinned before glancing back. “T’Ango, Gunnar this is Beya.” Nollel introduced the Orion to the pair though she knew that that woman was more than capable of introducing herself. It made her happy to introduce a friend.

"Beya," Gunnar simply tipped his head, not that he much choice since both hands were still full holding clothing. T'Ango on the other hand clasped her shoulder in the Dosadi manner of greeting. "Pleased to meet you. No hard feelings - if I saw him standing alone somewhere I might proposition him too," she added with a Cheshire cat grin. "And Nollel, any mate of Burnie's is a friend, so if you need my t'mewt to hold clothes for you, I'm happy to share."

“Oh I'm quite capable of holding my own or hanging up why I need. I think he has enough on his plate with you both.” Nollel teased as she indicated the dresses hung up. “But I would value some opinions on dresses.” The woman said tucking a piece of hair nervously behind her ear.

"Certainly," Gunnar said, and threw a quick grin at T'Ango. "I was told that offering opinions was the reason for me to be here."

"Yes." T'Ango grinned back and did a short twirl. "So, how do I look in this one?"

"Beautiful."

"You said that about the last three," she chided, though was rebuke was somewhat marred by a slight purr. "You see why you might be more useful as a dress-holder?"

He shrugged. "You looked beautiful in all of them." Then catching the way an ear flipped, he tipped his head side to side and added, "But the black sheath dress reminds me of the one you wore the first time we went dancing. ...of course, I wound up with a black eye by the end of the night, so I gladly yield on that if you like another one better."

"I guess I'll try on the rest," she said, hanging up all but the black sheath, which was handed to him to hold in place of the others she'd yet to try on. She gave a look to Nollel and Beya as she returned to the dressing room. "You see what to expect. He's too nice to say anything critical."

"You do look lovely in that one," Beya offered, grabbing four from the pile she'd tossed at Gunnar. "You're sweet," she said, smiling up at him, then added sotto voce, "And obviously experienced at what to say."

He ducked his head. "I seem to have a habit of falling for women who could kill me, so..." he whispered back with a chuckle. "But I do honestly think she looked beautiful in all of them."

The door to the shop opened again, this time admitting Kali, who started browsing the formal dresses before coming to a sudden dead stop once she got to the section within view of the dressing areas and those currently milling around near it, and blinked hard.

"...What on Earth are you doing here?" One quizzical eyebrow raised significantly at Gunnar and T'Ango.

"Kali!" T'Ango, who had just stepped back out of the dressing room, swished her hips, making the skirt on the next dress flare. "Trying on dresses, obviously," she laughed.

"They are," Gunnar corrected, and lifted the pile of clothes he was holding. "I'm just the dress caddy."

"...Did my aunt send you because I don't answer her messages as quickly as she'd prefer?" Kali asked in a tone that was close to the verbal equivalent of a face-palm.

"No," Gunnar laughed, then gave her a more serious look. "She would like to hear from you more promptly, but we honestly didn't know you'd be here. We came for the Festival."

The eyebrow that had raised before went for a moment if anything higher now at the bizarre confluence of it all, then dropped back down and rose-and-fell in unison with the other one for a moment as she started pulling a few gowns off the racks herself, starting with a floor-length royal blue satin one that bared one shoulder and had ruching on the sides.

“I think I’ll just try on my clothes.” Nollel rolled her eyes as she stepped into the curtained off area and started trying on the picked out clothes. The only person missing from the reunion now was Michael, she laughed to herself as she stepped out in the first one that Beya had picked out for her.

"Me too," Beya agreed, doing the same. Moments later, she emerged in the dressed Nollel had rejected because she wanted a long skirt.

Gunnar glanced as both came out. "Very elegant," he remarked, and then seemed to become fascinated with the tiled floor, as casting his eyes elsewhere struck as the better part of valor here.

"Nice!" Kali nodded to Nollel and Beya, thought she continued to the latter a secondary comment. "Might wanna consider the gold one of those, though; not entirely sure blue-green is the best color for you." Kali fingered the waist stitching of her own pick, considering her reason for being leery of Beya's dress color- that on an Orion, it almost looked at first rapid glance like she might be mostly nude - was probably part of the point from an Orion standpoint; and debating in her head as to how easily it might be or not to get the one she was holding modified to make the skirt detachable as a hidden inner seam for use in an emergency; before noticing Gunnar's seeming floor obsession and rolling her eyes at it.

"It matches my skin tone," Beya objected, twisting a bit to observe how well the short skirt blended with her bare legs creating a nearly-naked effect. "Gold would make a nice contrast though. I need a man's opinion. Gunnar, what do you think?"

Gunnar glanced up, a quick look to Kali all but asking if she'd intended to instigate that. "I think blue-green is a perfectly good color for you, but you might stand out more in gold," he replied diplomatically, and shifted his eyes to study the colors in one of the dresses he was holding.

T'Ango laughed quietly, noticing that. She couldn't blame him for trying to be polite and not encourage the woman, but in her opinion he was over doing it. Stepping close, she lifted his chin. "How about this one on me?"

His lips compressed a moment, fighting a grin. "Also beautiful." Getting an eye roll, he gave in to the grin. "The black sheath dress is still my favorite."

"Progress!" T'Ango declared, and rubbed her head up under his chin before returning to the dressing room to try on the next one.

Nollel laughed a little as she went back in and changed back into her normal clothes and came out again. “We should really catch up with Michael soon,” She commented thinking he was missing out on seeing his friends.

"Somehow, I can't quite see him in a dress..." Kali smirked at the image for a moment as she handed her choice of dress over to the shop attendant, along with a note on the alterations she wanted made, then turned back to Nollel. "Which one are you getting?"

Nollel held up the ones she was getting and smiled as she headed to the check out to package them so they would not be noticed by Michael before she was ready.

"Hold on, I'm still trying mine on!" Beya called from inside the dressing room.

T'Ango felt no need to say any such thing since she was on her last outfit and felt fairly certain they'd run into Burnie eventually even if they didn't join the rest immediately. Still, she quickly secured her top and stepped out of the dressing room.

At the same moment Beya did. Wearing the same outfit - a semi-circular gold bib top with sheer gold and white patterned warp skirt.

They looked at each other, and laughed, at the coincidence and then at the 'please do not ask me who wears it better' look on Gunnar's face. Beya put a hand over her mouth, containing a giggle, but wasn't about to put the man on the spot. T'Ango on the other hand, had never been able to resist teasing him even long before they became lovers. She twirled and tossed him a grin. "How about this one? Or does gold look better on Beya?"

Gunnar shook his head, laughing helplessly. "Beya looks better in gold than in the green dress, but you in that Egyptian style..." he gave as much of an exaggerated bow as possible without dropping the clothes he was holding. "Bastet incarnate."

"Comparing me to a warrior goddess," T'Ango purred, with a slight 'I see what you're doing there' smile, but gave him an affectionate head bump. "That kind of compliment with get you everywhere."

Beya sighed inwardly. The dress did look good on her, but she wasn't going to buy the same outfit as T'Ango. Besides, it was hard picking a guy up in a group of mostly women, and she was much in the mood for finding someone tall and blonde now. She hung the clothes she'd already tried on the rack and took the rest of her choices from Gunnar. "You guys go on. I'm going to try the rest of these. I'll find you later."

“I’ll have my comm on.” Nollel assured as she heard Beya telling them to go on. Nollel did not want to break up the group but Beya was a big girl who could take care of herself. “Look forward to seeing what you have.”

"I'll just got pay for these," T'Ango said, taking the black dress and going back to the changing room to switch form the gold outfit. "Won't be moment - I can't wait to see what incendiary Burnie got for the bonfires." she added with a laugh, before re-emerging in her regular clothes and heading to front with her purchases.

"Um, I still have your credits," Gunnar said, examining the changing room door for a space to hand them over or under.

"No worries," Beya called cheerfully. "Buy a drink with them on me - you did hold my clothes after all."