Reena didn't go straight back to the ship after her meeting with Doctor Bahri, despite what she had told him. How could she? To think that there could be a Sorlas environmental suit that didn't have to seal you inside was simply too unbelievable to be true. It's something that the humans would have called a pipe dream, though no human could ever understand what such a monumental discovery that could mean to her people. Wandering across the Spire lost in her thoughts, Reena stopped to stare at her own reflection in the window of yet another bar on the promenade, wondering what it would be like to see her own eyes staring back at her instead of a glass and polymer helmet.

Other races always misunderstood the importance of the Sorlas environmental suit to the Sorlas within it, a byproduct of the biological adaptability that the other races often took for granted. To a human or Tu'Veeri, a suit was just a suit, a tool used by the Sorlas to interact normally with other races. To the Sorlas, the environmental suit was a liberator, a gateway for Reena's people to travel to the stars and beyond, to achieve what the Council races could achieve. The environmental suit was everything to the Sorlas, dictating every aspect of their culture and self-image, and they wore them proudly. Still, the other races saw the suits as lamentable, a regrettable burden inflicted on "those weak creatures" so that they could survive. To hear some of those high-brow alien bureaucrats sneer about how pitiable her people were, it's no wonder most of Neera's species turned to crime once they reached the stars.

Reena stopped staring at the inky black of her helmet long enough to wander into the bar she was loitering outside of, a nice little watering hole known as the [i]Brosnan[/i]. It was a far more respectable establishment then the [i]Midget[/i] had been, mostly because the floors were actually cleaned with more then just stale booze, and since it made more sense for a Sorlas to be seen here it gave her a chance to get lost in her thoughts without being harassed. Taking her seat without much fanfare, she watched her hands as they began to reenact their familiar twitching, sealed within the red gloves of her suit. Reena did like her suit a lot, she admitted. She enjoyed being aware of her surroundings, the readouts were tremendously helpful in her research, and it was a gift from a 'dear friend' of hers, but she had not come this far by clinging to the past. She'd made a promise to herself, and indirectly to Chase and Doctor Bahri as well, that she would make something of her life. She was changing everything about herself, and what better way to change then by freeing herself from the suit that defined her past? Exhilarated by that incredibly uplifting thought, Reena felt like toasting to her future, and not just with your everyday fruity milkshake, no sir. THE fruity milkshake.

"What will you be havin' miss?" the bartender asked politely in his twangy accent.

[color=9e0b0f]"Trevelyan Nightmare."[/color] The bartender let out a low, soft whistle as he prepared her drink, a stiff one in spite of the fruity and milky aftertaste. He set it in front of her tentatively as Reena took it confidently in her own hands.

"Strong drink, miss," he clarified. "You celebratin' somethin' or forgettin' somethin'?" Without so much as a warning, Reena lifted the glass and tipped it into the induction port located where her mouth was situated that would carry the Trevelyan Nightmare to said mouth. The suits were nothing if not efficient. After a moment of enjoyment Reena twirled the glass around in her hand and set it upside down on the bar with finesse.

[color=9e0b0f]"Both, good sir,"[/color] she said strongly. [color=9e0b0f]"Get me another one!"[/color]

---

One rumor that circulates about the Sorlas species is that they never indulge in alcohol to excess, to the point that a common idiom for seeing something thought to be impossible is "to see a drunken Sorlas". In truth, the Sorlas are just as capable of getting blasted as your everyday human, they're just better at hiding it. The Sorlas generally handle their alcohol better then most other species thanks to a fortunate genetic quirk, and a lot of the telltale signs of overindulgence, such as slurring or loss of balance, are covered up by the suit and the sensors within. Thus unless you knew Reena for her cool and collected demeanor you wouldn't have been able to tell that the xenobiologist had a few drinks in her as she happily strode back onto the ship with her supplies. Depositing them in her room, the somewhat tipsy Sorlas thought it would have been a good idea to check and see if the Captain had gotten back from the council meeting, so she can find out what they said about that awesome cure she helped to develop. Maybe he would even be hanging out with the new guy, Galius...Garru...Garla...Gravy? Whatever. She still wouldn't say no to meeting him again, not by a long shot. Meandering towards Chase's quarts, Reena was surprised to see the ship's self-proclaimed science officer pounding on the door with her metal fist. It reminded Reena of the unfortunate incident with Shaso͞on and the poisoning that she walked out on. Sober Reena would have slinked away under the circumstances and prepared a thoughtful apology for later, but Reena With a Couple Trevelyan Nightmares In Her had no such inhibitions.

[color=9e0b0f]"Hey, Tymea,"[/color] she said cheerily, in a tone that was clearly not her usual one as she clapped a hand on Tymea's shoulder. [color=9e0b0f]"Just ta let you know, sorry about the incident with Shaso͞on and me walking out like a little bitch on you. Not cool on my part.I will deny saying this when I'm sober, but you're an excellent scientist and it's an absolute pleasure working with you. And your metal hand?"[/color] Reena continued, punctuating her next two words by prodding said hand firmly with two fingers extended. [color=9e0b0f]"Freaking. Badass."[/color]

There was presumably a moment of silence as Reena got off of Tymea's shoulder and straightened out her suit. [color=9e0b0f]"Whelp, that was fun. Now I'm off to polish my helmet! And that's not a euphamism!"[/color] She turned flamboyantly on her heel as she strode back the way she came, swinging her hands slightly as she sung to herself [color=9e0b0f]"Oh I'm a fancy man, a fancy man...woman...[i]renla vaas[/i]..."[/color]