Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in It’s Not a Wedding without Drama

Posted by Lieutenant Cara Esmé O’Farrell (Counselor / Education Specialist) in It’s Not a Wedding without Drama

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Gravel Mardusk (Chief of Security) in It’s Not a Wedding without Drama
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)
As the last of the preparations outside were being completed, Gravel (and the targs) made the rounds and ensured everything was as it should be. A little over an hour after their departure, the Klingons returned and had a brief and happily animated conversation with him away from the others. Gravel grinned and grasped each one by their forearm and they all laughed.

Gravel (and the targs) made their way to the O’Farrell home and Gravel yelled from outside. “CARA! WE GOT EARLY WEDDING PRESENTS!” A few of the townsfolk were watchingbas the two targs sat on either side of Gravel and looked at the door.

Gravel

Sophie sat the latest stack of pictures of Cara and all the random places she had been found over the years and went to the window and SCREAMED “By the Sidhe! What are those things! No! Cara do NOT go out there!” Cara gave her sisters a long suffering look and opened the door anyway.

And paused.

It was a sight to make any woman giddy and some swoon. Gravel and two massive targs. And they had to be massive if they didn’t look tiny next to him. “Targs?! Domesticated targs? Oh thank the Sidhe, I don’t have ta make candles out of them. They are magnificent. ” Her eyes positively danced at him. “Kelly is goin’ ta string us up in the brig when we take them home with us. And they ARE goin’.” She slapped her hands together like she was dusting them off. “So what do I have ta do? Wrestle ‘em or somethin’ so they know you aren’t the only one in charge? I got bread in the oven, so let’s get ta it.”

Lt. O’Farrell, counselor

Gravel looked at her and crossed his arms on his chest. “Already told ‘em I was a boss. You gotta do you, hun.” he said with a grin. “But whatever you do, do it right now. You pause, and you’ll never get their respect.”

Gravel

As with anything it was all about momentum and knowing how the body should move and be made to move. She’d probably get bruised in the process, but Cara wasn’t worried about that.

Right now they were docile and waiting for a command. She did exactly what she knew would get a reaction, she ran straight at Gravel with a yell that left no doubt she was going to hurt him. They charged her, as they were trained to do. Cara dropped, tucked, rolled, and used the momentum to land both feet right into the chest of the first, knocking the breath put of it. She just got her feet in time to grab the tusks of the second as it bowled her over. She twisted and torqued the tusks, planted her feet into it’s belly. It followed the direction of its tusks, and with a little help from her legs, Cara flipped it, where it landed against the stone wall of the fence.

What Cara did next as the first came rumbling back toward her made the targ wary of her. She grabbed it by the nostrils and yanked. It wouldn’t cause damage, but it hurt and made it squeal and thrash about to get away. She waited till it was pulling a great deal before letting go so it stumbled. It shook it’s head and stumbled about. Cara stood and walked over to Gravel, her back to him and glared at the animals. They weren’t happy and ready to go again, pawing at the ground and shaking their heads. They approached with more caution. They were smart, working in tandem as they came at her again. They were suddenly confused though as the wind blew strongly. They sniffed their and looked from her to Gravel. “That’s right, my scent is all over him and his is all over me. Get used ta it. If ya don’a I will make ya inta candles.” There hesitation was enough, “Qam!” The targs stopped and looked at Cara. They were smart and gorgeous. “Jup’a!” They shook their heads and walked toward Cara, sniffing her. She let them and put a hand on each of them, scratching behind their horns. They became nothing but giant puppies after that.

Lt. O’Farrell, counselor

“Nice. But I get to name ‘em.” Gravel said with a grin. He put an arm around Cara and looked at the targs. “vIwov. ‘ach DaH bIHegh.” he said and the targs did a little circle of happiness and then bolted out the front yard and out of sight around the back of the house. Gravel shook his head and said “Yep. Skipper is gonna straight up kill us.” and he laughed.

Gravel

“As long as she doesn’a touch a hair on their hides.” Cara slipped an arm around him and her hand into his back pocket. “Well hurry up and name ‘em, Malachite.” As they raced around the back of the house there was a suddenly howling and alarmed barking from inside the house. “SAM QUIET!” The large Irish Wolfhound went silent, appearing in the door way. “Poor old fellow. Missed all the excitement and didn’t know it.”

Ava pulled Sam back into the house and called, “Cara, yer bread is burnin’!” Cara grinned but Emilia cut her off, “We all wanna eat Cara. Come on. Mam’s no good after watchin’ ya wrestle those targs.” Dominik walked past them and into the house to see to Sophia.

Sophia was physically fine, but she was workingbherself into a lecture of epic proportions. “Cara, that was totally irresponsible. What were you thinking? Those things could kill you! Ya’ve always been wild, but this is ta much!” It went on for several minutes. Cara got up, hugged her mother, “I love ya too, Mam. Now why don’cha tell more embarrassin’ stories while I help set dinner on the table.” She kissed her mother’s cheek and went into the kitchen. Sophie huffed, “As if gettin’ lost isn’a enough. She has ta wrestle with damgerous animals.”

Lt. O’Farrell, counselor

Gravel took a seat next to Sophie. “Now would you think for even a second that I would let her do something that would get her hurt? C’mon… you know better than that.” he said with a smile.

Sophie crossed her arms and looked at him. “No Gravel I don’a think ya would let her get hurt. Yes yer a big stong strappin’ lad, but I know no one let’s Cara do or no do anythin’. She’s worse than a stone wall.”

“And listen. they look mean and scary… well, they are… but they are also very well trained. My Klingon House is known for their targs and the training they get.” He looked at her and said “You want to touch one?”

Gravel

Sophie glanced out the window to the back of the house where the targs had run off, clearly undecided. Ava on the other hand hurried into the living room, “I do!”

Cara laughed, “Hey! That’s my line!” Emilia burst out laughing and Ava made a face at Cara. Ava looked at Gravel, “I don’a have ta wrestle it do I?” She didn’t want to do that, but she supposed she could try if she had to. Sophie shook her head with a smirk, “Cara do you see what you’ve started!?” Cara only laughed from the kitchen. “I suppose I will, Gravel, but I’m not wrestlin’ with one.”

Lt. O’Farrell, counselor

Gravel chuckled. “I don’t think you’ll need to. Wait here a sec.” He stood up and walked out of the room and to the back door. Opening it, he stuck two fingers in his mouth and a loud whistle sounded across the yard and far out the back past the wall separating town from fields. He waited a moment and soon he saw, off in the distance, two large black forms barreling across the countryside. They had gotten pretty far away in a short time, but were making up the distance obscenely fast for their size. As they came leaping over the stone wall and into the back yard, Gravel held up a closed fist and said “yImev!” (Stop!) and the two beasts slid to a stop less than a meter away from his legs. He looked down at the two and said “Jot.” (Be calm.) and then he turned and snapped his fingers once and the two panting targs walked in behind him.

The only one not curious about the targs was Sam. Recognizing them for the predators they were he growled in warning and tried to get between them and everyone else. Dominik called him over to his chair and spoke quietly to him in Gaelic. Sam quieted and sat, ever watchful.

Emilia disappeared up the stairs with Yoss, but not because of the targs.

He led them into the living room that became suddenly much smaller with everyone and the two ‘pets’ inside it. Gravel took his seat next to Sophie and snapped his fingers. The two trags moved to him and sat on their haunches, black eyes looking at him expectantly. “Contrary to how they look, they are incredibly smart.” Gravel said to Sophie. “They are also quite receptive to people… well… Klingons, at least. But these have been trained for me, so they follow my lead. Now, repeat after me… jupna’. It means friend.” As Gravel said the word, the ears on both targs stood up and their eyes widened slightly.

Gravel

Ava was practically dancing in place. “They’re beautiful.”

Sophie looked at them curiously. “Well they do seem calm now. Jupna’.” She repeated after him in her heavy accent.

Lt. O’Farrell, counselor