A Quiet Night

Posted on Sun Jan 2nd, 2022 @ 12:26am by Commander Raiden Kosugi & Captain Callisi Verra
Edited on on Thu Jan 20th, 2022 @ 8:27pm

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Callisi Verra's Quarters
Timeline: After Tis the Season
4094 words - 8.2 OF Standard Post Measure

The trip from the lounge to the personal quarters was a long walk, but one that Callisi seemed to enjoy. Her hand and Raiden's together, never getting tired, never really shifting, not letting go. She enjoyed his company, enjoyed it enough to take his hand, to hold his hand. Oh if her parents could see her now, what would they think.

"I'm not a big fan of crowds. Especially right before they get too drunk to know the line." she offered. "If you'd rather go back, we can part ways here." Ts'usugi were famous for offering a way out, an escape clause, in social meetings. "To be honest this is mostly a spur of the moment thing. I don't have anything planned aside from having a bite to eat, pouring a drink that won't burn on the way down, and maybe watching some archived Kinetic footage." she offered.

"If, you want to join me, I'd welcome the company." the invitation. "Don't let the Captain and his band of cheerleaders get you nervous. They'll ask you a bunch of questions, I assure you, this isn't a date unless you say it is, and nothing happens on the first date." It felt less like a boundary and more something to take the pressure off. No expectations. No goal aside from a night of dinner and whatever the heck Kinetic was.

"I don't wish to part ways, and I would love to join you for dinner and a movie? Probably would be called something like that. And I'm not worried about them. And a date? I wouldn't be adverse against that either. We've not really had the chance to even talk besides our first initial meeting, Callisi." Raiden smiled softly.

Her response to his affirmation was to give his hand a gentle squeeze. "Dinner and a show it is. Though, Kinetic isn't a movie, it's a sport from home." a pause, "Though, I do have some cinema from home if you want to jump head first into Ts'usugi culture." she offered with a soft giggle. "No, we've been kept busy by the higher ups. A conspiracy." she offered with a giggle, a clear jab of humor. Eventually, they got to her quarters. Sparse interior design, just the bare necessities, and the walls had very few pictures or pieces of art or decoration on them. The bare minimum, though considering her lifestyle before the Federation, transfers and deployments, it wasn't too out of the question for her to travel light. "We're here. I'm going to change out of this ridiculous dress, can I get you a drink before, though." she offered, turning to fully face him.

"You are my guest. It used to mean an awful lot, and to a point it still does. Make yourself comfortable, we can catch up on lost conversation throughout the night." another invitation.

'"I would love to learn more of you and your culture. And I need to say one thing, you look beautiful in that dress." Raiden giving another smile. He went to take a seat while she went to change. He also noted that she didn't try to hide her eyepatch from him this time. "I can wait on the drink until you return." He took in her quarters, it was... Spartan but functional, and who wants to take a huge amount of things to have to get it lugged about from ship to ship.

She offered him a soft smile, "Well, I was the one that made the notion of admiration, look but don't touch, right?" she said with a giggle. "One last look, then." she didn't pose, but she did stand a bit taller, no slouch, no stoop. Ears up. That she held for a moment before she retreated to her quarters to change into something more comfortable, more casual. A few minutes, and she was back out in a loose top shirt and a comfortable pair of loose pants. No shoes on those broad paws, though she still wore that black eyepatch.

He certainly did appreciate what she looked like, and he wasn't afraid to show that with a smile.

True to his observation, she wasn't hiding it from him. She made her way to the replicator and conjured a pair of glasses and a small bottle of a greenish fluid that had the nerve to sparkle with what looked like light green glitter. The whole of the drink within looked like mixed green paint. "As promised." she brought the glasses over with the bottle. Not a big bottle, just enough for two to enjoy or for one to indulge. She poured the glasses, something she seemed to have a bit of patience and experience with, and then sat next to him. Big comfy chairs. "So, dangerous moment but... ask me anything. I'll put something on in a moment, and we can go from there."

"Okay I will ask a very dangerous question. Why are you so, worried about someone seeing your eyepatch? I wanted to tell you that I found you attractive with it. Even sexy. Though I don't know if that would appropriate in my saying that. However I do not think it is something that you should be so self conscious. It is a part of you." Well at least he said something this time. Raiden wasn't going to back down or backpedal on what he said. He was stating a fact.

"It's not a piece of me. It's a missing piece of me." she offered back, before reaching back and undoing the strap that held it in place and allowing it to be removed. Beneath the patch was a prosthetic eye, a beautiful piece of machinery. A soft blue piece of alien steel, a sphere set in a series of free moving rings that allowed the central eye to move with the same speed and precision as the living eye it emulated. A soft blue dot of light doubled as the 'pupil' of the prosthetic, following the glance of her living eye motion for motion, look for look. The only thing it couldn't do was blink. Though, cycle the aperture for a brief moment and you could fake that too.

"I appreciate your honesty. It's... a touchy subject to me. I lost it in service to the Empire, but if I went back with the prosthetic in view people would look at me differently. They wouldn't see the accomplishments, just the flaws. The defects. The damage. So I hid it, behind such a simple thing. It became a badge on its own, wounded in the line of duty. I've come to hate this prosthetic, but I can't get rid of it, and I can't go get a cadaver's eye. Out of the question." she shook her head. "I know, it must sound so silly, such a proud young lady I must be, to be able to fret over something as simple as being able to see." she looked back up at him. "Though, I appreciate your ki... do you really think it looks *that* nice?" she asked, returning the eyepatch to its place, covering her shame. "Attractive?" she asked, as though a simple piece of cloth covering a wartime injury invalidated the rest of her curves and charm.

"You are attractive with it. I didn't know you before that happened, so it is a part of you. You are you. Beautiful, kind, that patch it just.. well gives you also an alluring sense of being dangerous." he hadn't turned his head away when Callisi had removed the patch. Raiden reached out to pull one of her hands into his, and held it gently in his own. His hands were not the sort that hadn't done any hard work, they had calluses and a couple of scars from the work he'd done with his uncle, working on airplanes.

She put a hand into his after she secured the patch, enjoying the moment... the contact... more than she thought she would. "Thank you." she said softly. Honest compliments, freely given, intended for her. "Contact... touch... is such a common thing for others. On the streets of Ts'usu we wouldn't be holding hands. It's seen as... a display of affection. Almost taboo." she mentioned, but didn't seem to be making any moves to let go.

"Don't stop." she took a sip, a drink that certainly had that licorice scent down to a tee. "Oh, and since it might come up... we don't kiss like humans do." she made a bit of a face. "Mouth to mouth, no no. We, ummm..." she touched her forehead with her drinking hand, not taking the moment to move her other. "We touch foreheads. It's so we can show closeness, show affection, and still be able to hold a conversation."

Raiden nodded, "That makes sense, and I do appreciate the boundaries being set. And not everyone likes the mouth to mouth kissing. My father had placed his lips upon my mother's brow as a sign of affection. Giving her a kiss like that. And I have seen them converse much like you had described. Anything else, that isn't my place to even look at or ask about. For any sort of intimacy. Not that I am... seeking or asking for that..." his cheeks turning red. He didn't want it sounding like he came here for something intimate.

She gave his hand a squeeze, "First date. Remember?" she teased. "Personally I find a mouth kiss rather..." she shivered, "That's where you eat." another shiver, and she washed the thought away with another swig. "Okay, better." a smirk crossed her features now that that ugliness was past them. "So, looking. Nothing wrong with a look. I know how exotic my people look to the rest of the cosmos. Long ears, big feet, tail. I can't stop you from looking. So, look to your heart's content." she laid the offer on the proverbial table. "So there's stories of young lovers back on Ts'usu who fell in love with each others handwriting, and couldn't see each other past a wall with a hole in it just large enough to see the hands of their beloved. It's a nice story, but that was, oh gee.... eight, nine emperors ago?" she didn't even know. After all, how old was a fairy tale?

"So, here's an offer. We move this to a comfy two seater, I get some snacks, and we put something on the viewer. Either something from my home, and we watch it together and have a fun time, or something from your home... and we watch it together and have a fun time. I can't promise to have you home before Oh Hundred, and I can't save you from all the teasing the rest of the crew is going to give you for leaving the party with the best dressed Daughter of Ts'usu on the ship." she teased again, comfortable with him. "But, it's something we can do, together."

"I am agreeable with that." Raiden smiling, "And I would like to watch something from your home. " And he laughed as to her teasing. "If they want to tease it is their prerogative." shrugging one shoulder. Raiden relaxed, with the exception of the previous awkwardness, he was enjoying his time with Callisi, "A love story written by messages, that is rather romantic."

He released her hand, "I'd like to help set it up." remarked.

She gave a soft smile. "You know, as a guest I really shouldn't..." she gave a nod, "but we're a trillion miles from home, so I will of course accept your help."

Setup was relatively easy, easier with an extra pair of hands. Small little nuggets of spiced beef, veggie cuts, fried cheese chips... finger food. Every now and then, she give him a look, and a soft smile.

A decent spread for two on a small table dragged in front of the couch. "So, I've got some sports, some action movies... so let's start with a movie. Computer, load up Hero of Province."

She returned to the couch next to him, and offered her hand to him.

Raiden nodded, he was quite happy to help her out. And once he was settled into the chair next to Callisi, he took the offered hand in his. "This is really nice." he said with a quiet smile. "Oh and... "he reached over with his free hand and picked up his glass of drink then took a sip of it. His eyes widened at the flavor of the drink, it certainly tasted really good to him. "This is good."

She gave a soft smile in response. "This really is nice. Just taking the time to enjoy company." Callisi raised her glass, "It'll wake you up, that's for sure." She settled in next to him as the movie started. It was entirely in her native tongue, no subtitles, but the story was easy to follow. It followed the standard troupe of the chosen one, born into poverty, finds the long lost sword, leads an army, and overthrows an evil warlord of some form. The choreography and cinema quality was fantastic, and very down to earth. No flashy special effects, no super powers, just faith in self and the faith in a good leader.

Callisi explained the plot, which was pretty straightforward. Evil word wants to conquer the land, and enter the heir that stops him. Gets the girl, and free the people from tyranny. "I loved this movie as a child." Over the course of the movie, Callisi moved to get comfortable... not quite a snuggle, but sitting closer.

Raiden was very much into the movie, it reminded him of the stories of feudal Japan, and the movies that were made. He really listened intently to Callisi's explain the plot, smiling and nodding when she brought up the different points of it. Even though it wasn't any language he could understand just the sheer poetry of the movie and how well it flowed he loved it. He didn't move away when Callisi moved closer, still holding her hand and taking sips of his drink with the other. On occasion he'd partake of the refreshments that they had prepared together. Still not letting go of her hand.

She wasn't in a hurry to let go of his hand either. Throughout the entire movie, she sat there explaining the plot while munching on snacks, sipping her drink, and holding his hand. At pivotal moments, like the universally recognized "The Hero Almost Dies" moment, her grip on his hand tightened slightly. She had seen this movie easily fifty times, and could probably write the screenplay for the sequel, and still...

"There's some human cinema I like, and some I just do not like at all. Someone showed me one, Terminator, that I nearly punched someone for showing to me. The main villain is a robot that looks human on the outside, and over the course of the movie more and more of the robot underneath becomes visible. Guess what the first major piece of exposure was?" she shook her head, "It's eye."

"So, if you're going to date me, please don't show me any movies like that." a heartfelt request. Also, possibly the third invitation of the night. When the credits were rolling she was already in the middle of queueing up the next piece of ... call it a cultural exchange. "Computer, queue up Kinetic, first match, random season."

Raiden had a horrified expression in his eyes when Callisi told him about the movie Terminator. He didn't say anything just listened to her, he did like hearing her voice. He also heard her invitation about dating her if he so chooses. At the moment he remained quiet. He was feeling a bit of a buzz from the alcohol he's consumed so far. It would be good if he were to not, consume too much either which is why he was just nursing the drink after the second glass.

It would be nice to see an example of what this Kinetic was all about. The screen showed a desolate region, like the interior of a building that had been demolished. There were impact craters everywhere, ruin and destruction. It looked like a war zone. Over the image, there was a solemn voiceover, a male voice seemingly explaining something, perhaps the history of this destruction? Perhaps the significance of the building it once was. The narrator's voice started to rise in pitch, in excitement, and then he practically exploded with excitement near the end.

"YOKOSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KINETIC!"

It was a sporting arena.

Drone camera flew over the ruins as the narrator continued, now with the upbeat cadence of a sports announcer. Two teams were shown as graphics over the arena, one had an image of a blue creature like a wyvern from legend, while the other team's logo looked very much like a stylized explosion coming out of a fist. Callisi leaned in slightly, closer than she was before, and started to whisper the basics so he could keep up.

"Welcome to Kinetic." she started, "Where the First Law is the Only Law." she recited the sport's catch phrase. "It's like dodgeball, I think. The arena has, there... those floating blue rings over those battery platforms. That's the goal. The ball hovers at about chest level, building up speed as it gets hit. It doesn't lose momentum until it passes through that ring, and then that momentum is banked. Charge the opposing team's battery platform, and you win."

"That's the basics. Regulation matches limit the ball's momentum to a cap of ten meters per second. So if that thing hits you, two truths are known. It's going to bounce, and it's going to hurt." she explained, while the screen showed the announcer at his desk, before cutting to an interview down on the field with the teams. Even without the courtesy of translation the conversation was easy to follow. Are you ready for the match? What are your feelings about tonight's game? Do you have anything to say to the people at home?

Each captain's enthusiasm was easy to feel. They were the first match of the season, so to win the season cup they had to win, win, win. They were ready. As they took the field, each member wearing protective gear that almost resembled riot gear, there was a building tension in the music, in the broadcast. A referee came out with the Ball, a silver chrome object a little bigger than an Earth softball. He made an announcement, and both captains in front bowed in respect to the referee. Another announcement, and the two captains bowed towards each other, another sign of respect. Players took the field for a face off, and with the whistle, the match began.

Each captain rushed for the ball, and both got a hand on it. Neither actually touching it due to the intense electromagnetism in play. A power struggle started, and the audience in attendance at the arena started to cheer as the contest of wills and fundamental forces continued. Then the ball took off like a shot as it squeezed out of their collective grips, and bounced off the opposite wall, building momentum with everything it touched.

"This is Kinetic. Ts'usu's most popular sport."

Oh Raiden was into that game, feeling his heart pumping while he watched. He rooted for each success no matter who had that ball. Just the skill the players played. He almost rose to his feet during a goal that was made. When there was a lull in the game and after Calissi's comment, Raiden looked at her, a huge grin on his face. "That was amazing!" he exclaimed. "Definitely got the adrenaline and the heart pumping." he had a pondering expression develop in his eyes, then asked. "What sort of music do you like to listen to?"

At the end of the day, at the end of the match, each captain showed respect to the other. There were rivalries, to be sure, but a proper rival was an equal. With the conclusion of the match, the screen went dim, and Callisi was able to fully turn her attention to Raiden, "Seems you enjoyed it too. I've got six seasons worth of matches, we can watch them together."

"Music, now that's an interesting question." She smiled softly, amused, "Ts'usugi have better hearing than Terrans, and by that standard I think we have better hearing than most Alpha races. Higher highs, and lower lows... but, our bones are weird in that they're more crystalline than whatever structure other species have. So if the music is too low in pitch, it makes our bones hum. For some, that's half the fun. For others, it's just weird. Like feeling something on your teeth, but all over."

"When I was doing shuttle runs during my Three, I enjoyed something akin to Terran jazz. Something smooth and mellow to keep me awake. Background music for the soul. Don't get me wrong though, we have an expressionist genre close to Terran metal that just has to be heard. Once I served my Three, I went back to that. Though I did have a falling out with my favorite band." she paused, "Roughly translated, their name is Together We Are Squeezed Into An Orderly Future. Their music was all about nonconsensual conformity and honestly after my accident I couldn't really get behind the message in their music. Lucky me, a friend of mine introduced me to Issho Ne... T... Together We Break Whatever Demands Our Soul. They have a Dalacari Drone on their keyboard, and it took me a bit to get used to that, but the notion that harmony like that could come from a machine really helped me through a rough part in my life. Also, the band is incredible."

"I'll send you one of their albums, though just remember, the audio range is different for us, so try it first normal then see about having the computer compress the audio so you can hear the whole thing. It might suffer a bit, honestly. I've never tried it that way." she admitted. "Someone introduced me to Terran Western Music and I hate it. It's all about everything leaving, or how much better life was in the times before. Sure there's some mold breakers but when the exception to the rule is happiness, I'm not gonna worry too hard about it."

"Another thing I've recently been introduced to that I find very entertaining? Vulcan Industrial. I swear, first time I heard it, I thought it was digitally produced. Turns out no, Vulcans have an ear for precision beats."

It was a sure sign of comfort, that Callisi found her voice around Raiden. She became a chatterbox, and didn't even realize it..

"I would love to have a copy to listen to." Raiden replied, "And I do like listening to various styles of music. Vulcan Industrial, I've not had the opportunity of hearing that. My own collection does include some country western music, I am choosy in what I listen to. Some of the music was just so .. irritating. I also listen to some jazz, and also classical music. And meditative music as well, when I do my exercises." he mused. "I even listen to musicals, which I do like hearing if it is well written. "

A soft smile graced her features, "Then it's official, a music trade." she offered. "I've never had much luck with meditation. Can't really sit still for that long, but... willing to give it a shot. So, ready for the next few matches? I'll even give you some extra room to cheer this time." she teased.

Raiden laughed, "Okay, you are on. And I would love to see some more matches. Are we rrrrreeeaaddy???" he rolling his R's. "I know I am."

She gave him a smile. Different from every other smile she gave that night. It wasn't reserved, it wasn't polite. It was honest. She gave the computer the go ahead, and the screen was blessed once again by the scene of devastation and ruin. A battleground where dreams came to die, and where legacies were born. Rivals met on this sacred field, and while there was plenty of room for two teams, in the end there was only room for one victor. In a voice blessed by the synthesizer gods of late 80's Terra came the words that eleven billion Ts'usugi and one human were waiting to hear, were needing to hear...

"YOKOSOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO KINETIC!"