Chapter Text
The Star Beagle Adventures
Episode 8: South Side of the Sky
Scene 5: Teaching Fashion
8.5
Teaching Fashion
“Okay, the robe has kind of a… maybe a vulcan air to it?”
Lance Corporal Petra Spitze was visiting Pel in her, now, slightly less sparely furnished quarters. Pel's quarters now included a large bookcase filled with a small number of very large books and a large reading stand with a very large book that was nearly as large as the small ferengi who owned it.
In response, Pel turned the pages of the large volume to find a drawing of what appeared to be a ferengi female wearing something that looked vaguely like the robe Pel was wearing. It was a rather primitive drawing.
“Okay, maybe I had to fill in some of the details…”
Pel and Spike both looked at the picture again.
“Okay… maybe all of the details…”
“I think you got the color sort of right,” Spike observed. “Charcoal number 2.”
“Beats current ferengi female fashions,” Pel rejoined. “Or should I strip?”
Spike laughed. “Snarky and ironic suits you so much better than mopey and hurt.”
Pel assumed an injured look. “What do you mean by that?”
Spike looked taken aback for a moment, then realized Pel was joking. Spike smiled. Made an amused noise.
“So what have you learned about the Teachers?”
Pel walked to the bookcase, tapped each of the books on the spine. “All mythology written at least a hundred years after my people left. More contradictions than there are sentences. Apparently they were a martial arts cult. They were the only ones in their culture allowed to use weapons, strike with their hands and feet, own property or wear clothing. Outcasts from ferengi culture. Who knows how they made it all the way to the Oulheadry nearly fourteen hundred years ago?” Pel shook her head. “More mysteries than answers at this point. They built the heart of Roundabout Station, established the Sacred Games, took thousands of slaves, gave the oeast warp technology, set up the caste system with themselves in charge of everything. Then, for no apparent reason they just... poof...” Pel snapped her fingers, then spread her fingers and raised her hands. "Vanished like smoke in a strong wind."
“And they dressed in robes,” said Spike. “So are you going to start learning their fighting style? Become the badass ferengi… um… Nun?”
Pel shrugged. “I’m trying it on. I’m trying a lot of things on. Skip seems to think I’m a professor. Song thinks I’m still a businessman.” Pel laughed again. It seemed like ages since she had felt light hearted enough to laugh. “You know why I haven’t let anyone see me other than you and Song, and Skip, and Sakura, right?”
“Because our names begin with the letter "S"?” Spike offered. She smiled. “I suppose you’re going to reveal you’ve been female all this time, since no one seems to be bringing you any prosthetic ears.”
“Yeah, I’m going to reveal myself for who I am. Who I really am.” Pel sighed. She looked up at Spike with a serious expression for the first time. “Any idea who that person might be? Because I really don’t have a clue.”
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