“Dear… no,” Sega’a clenched his jaw and tapped delete until his finger throbbed. He had not anticipated a simple, five-second task devolving into a nightmare of greetings and second-guessing. Would Kastarak appreciate ‘hello’ more than ‘to whom it may concern’? Did he prefer succinct, emotionless messages to flowery invitations? Did Vulcans even write invitations? Sega’a grappled with these questions until his mind simply could not stand to debate them any longer.

He yanked his hands from the keyboard and sank into his chair with an exasperated groan. “It’s a letter,” he rubbed his face, “not rocket science.”

Ngokav closed his eyes and marinated in his self-pity, but a disgruntled growl forced him to peek through his fingers not seconds later. His gaze traveled from the monitor to a fluffy, pillow-adorned bed and its grouchy inhabitant. A ball of unkempt fur, hooked nails and a tooth permanently stuck on her lip made the creature somewhat… terrifying. He dressed her in the finest fabrics, but even her snazzy vest couldn’t detract from her wrinkled face and beady eyes. Sega’a adored her all the same.

“Yes, Hago?” He leaned over to scratch behind her ears, earning him a ‘loving’ snarl. “Hey! Don’t talk to me like that. I know I’m being foolish, but you must understand that I need to get this right. I don’t want to scare him off.” He shot Hago an indigant look when she huffed. “He doesn’t even know about you! What if he doesn’t like–!”

Hago scooted back in her bed and promptly turned around to do what she did best: pout.

“Aww, don’t be like that. I just want to make sure your day is as special as you…” he reached out to pet her but she scooted further away. Sega’a was starting to think ‘Hago’ was something for ‘petty’, but she had a point. His beating around the proverbial bush wasn’t doing anyone any good. Besides, the party was less than a day away. If he wanted Kastarak to attend, he needed to rip off the proverbial bandaid. Ha! He was getting good at these human metaphors.

Subject: Invitation - Hago’s Birthday!
To: Kastarak
From: Ngokav Sega’a

Hey Kastarak,

I am hosting a small gathering for Hago tomorrow at 1700pm. She is turning seven! I’ll make dinner and desert, but otherwise it will be casual. I know folks have plans for shore leave, so please feel free to decline, but I figured I would extent the invitation if you’re free. Even if she’s oblivious, I’ll enjoy your company.

You don’t have to bring anything (except yourself). Let me know what you think!

— Sega’a