Blooming Friendship

Posted on Fri Jan 21st, 2022 @ 2:19am by Ensign Emma Walken (Walken) & Commander Raiden Kosugi

Mission: The Goddess
Location: Science/holodeck
2371 words - 4.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Raiden cleaned up his quarters which wasn't that difficult to do as there just wasn't much there anyway. He looked at the bleakness of it and decided he needed some greenery just to spruce up the place. The thing of it was, where can he get something to give the room some balance? He turned around to look the place over once more then his eyes stopped on his Christmas Sweater he had placed on a hook. Flashes of what happened at the gathering went through his mind, Then it hit him, there would be someone whom he'd be wanting to ask for advice on the greenery and that would be Kyle Walken's sister Emma. His mind even turned to that apple she had offered to him and Callisi. That apple did sure taste good. His mouth started watering at the memory of it.

"Welp, time to go visit the science labs, wonder if Emma is in." he murmured quietly to the empty quarters. Then he headed to the science labs. He was in civvies, tee shirt, slacks and runners. along with his comm badge as well.

When he neared the area, he stepped inside to see if he could spot her there.

Raiden found that Emma wasn't inside the lab, a few science personnel here and there but Emma Walken was not among them.

Raising an eyebrow at this, Raiden called on the computer to locate Emma. She was at a holodeck. He was hesitant at going there, it was something that normally one person would be involved in for their own entertainment. Curious though, he decided to go there and then contact her at the arch way.
-

Emma Walken had been inside the holodeck, a massive club-like building. Half of the people inside dressed in masquerade masks, elegant dresses, and suits. The other side was darker almost like a rave with people in all sorts of crazy get-ups.

Emma had her hair up in her classic bun, a short silk dark blue dress. Black stockings pulled up to her thighs with a garter in place to hold them up as she stands at the entrance debating on what mode she was in. She had the mask in one hand and a choker in the other.

Raiden arrived at the level where the holodeck was he got ready to contact Emma via computer. Not knowing which one she'd be in, h he heard the pulse and beat of dance club music, the sort that would reverberate through the whole body. Then he saw someone standing at the door. It took a moment or two to recognize that it was Emma, his attention having been caught by her attire. She looked hot! As he drew nearer, Raiden smiled.

"Hi, I've been looking for you, stopped at the Science labs to see if you were there." he nodded towards Emma, "You look fantastic, so... what's this program you are running? "

Emma turned around quickly, she didn't expect to see anyone here. "Oh...thanks." She shyly answers. "This, it's just something I do to relax. It's too different styles to fit what I'm feeling. Just not sure which one I'm feeling." She answers looking back at the mask and choker again.

"Well maybe you can tell me about the set up and then you can figure it out there? I don't mind being a sounding board there." Raiden giving an assuring nod.

"If I wear the mask I go to the more controlled side. Ballroom dancing, hidden identity, calming. If I wear the choker that more wild side. Rave like atmosphere, programs random cycles through any number of programs." Emma answers.

"OKay so another question, do you have some pent up stress, some sort of difficulty that you need to work off? When I've had something that seemed to irritate me I put on some metal music and do an intense workout on the heavy bag. If I am needing to settle the mind I change up the music to something more calming while I do my katas and go into zen mode. So what are you feeling right now. " Raiden asked.

Emma places a hand on her hip, "Do I give off a stressed aura? I just like to do this, nothing stressful just something I enjoy. It's just a matter of classy or chaos for the most part."

Raiden quirked up an eyebrow then slowly smiled. "Then let's go chaotic that is if you'll let me join in. This way I won't have to watch how i dance. " giving a teasing wink.

Emma places the choker on, "Computer adjust the active program, E Walken oh oh three. Full chaos, no control." Gone was the elegant side of the room, now the full program was at play. Ravers dancing to an old earth style known as EDM. Private back rooms for the more risky things that happened in places like this. A bar stocked fully with all the types of alcohol you could find back during the twenty-first century. The room now glowed in black light as neon paint lit the walls, floor, and roof. "Anything can happen, you sure you want to take part?" Emma teases knowing full well that was partly a lie since the safe programs were in place still.

Raiden nodded, as a grin scrolled across his face. "Oh this will work out great. Besides I can hide my lack of dancing skills by using my martial arts moves." giving a laugh, and giving a wink to Emma, he gestured with his head, "Shall we?" he was feeling the pulse of the music going through his body as that beat was on the level of hitting the very bones of the body.

Emma closes her eyes and walks inside, slowly pushing her way through the crowd. She wondered if Raiden could keep pace through the crowd the random element had added way more people than normally were inside.

Raiden made his way through the crowd keeping sight of Emma, pivoting and twisting out of the way of those coming near. This was something he knew how to do, make his way through a crowd. He followed after Emma finding this side of her was an interesting insight.

Emma suddenly stops and grips Raiden's hand, she pulls him suddenly against her. A bartender slips on a spill and a bottle came flying towards where Raiden had been. Emma laughs as she looks at Raiden, "Don't enjoy being this close to me yet. Got to show me you can take charge." She teased

Raiden was caught off guard being pulled against Emma, him hearing the thud of the bartender and the shattering of the glass when the bottle hit the ground. He hadn't expected that happening.

"Thanks for the save, just how did you know-" looking down in her brown eyes. He saw something reflected in her eyes, wrapped an arm about her waist and swiftly pivoted them both out of way of two people in the middle of some wild rapid dancing. "You like it when a man takes charge." quirking up an eyebrow at that, a lazy smile drifting across his lip.

"Always have to expect the unexpected down here, anything can happen," Emma smirks before booping his nose. "I do, besides it's hard to play the sweet innocent girl who needs someone's help." Emma laughs before breaking the hold and walks around him in a circle.

He watched as she walked around him, "Nah you are not the damsel in distress type. You are a Practical Princess." he held up his hand, "Hear me out. My mother had gotten my sisters a princes book which was called Practical Princesses. In it were stories of where the princesses got themselves out of a jam, they were tough they were savvy and they were smart. In one such tale, a version of Sleeping Beauty she rescued herself and rescued the man of her dreams who had been wandering around blind. Her kisses and tears restored his sight. " he gave a chuckle "My mother insisted that I read the book as well, probably to forestall any notion I'd have as in, girls can't do anything. I did like the fact that they figured out how to get out of their predicament without a guy's help. So no damsel in distress story there. "

Emma smiles, "Or, I'm a person. Someone who knows when they can do it themselves but isn't going to refuse help when I need it." She begins to dance as she closes her eyes, the music begins to pick up. "Tell me Raiden, why did you come looking for me?"

"Very true a practical person." as he watched her dancing and working out the rhythm of the music. "I was curious as to what you said, about you growing fresh fruit, I'd not been to the science labs yet and you certainly piqued my interest, both on a personal level and also professional level. Once he got the timing in his head, Raiden began to dance, merely moving in one place at first and then incorporating some of his martial arts movements, his katas. He'd not really had formal training, as he was more being groomed to take over his father's dojo. He had the dexterity and grace to not make himself a total spectacle.

"Well, when I'm not studying new species of various lifeforms I enjoy growing trees, flowers, anything really in the botany labs." Emma answers grabbing Raiden and spinning him around her before letting him go and skipping around him. "Tell me what about me piqued your interest besides my fruit? Was it my outfit from the party? Or maybe how I spoke? Know I'm curious."

"Well you certainly have a rather bubbly personality, and definitely can catch a person's attention. And your outfit looked fantastic, you looked radiant. When I first met you at the party, I was stunned. It was a hello there, moment. And truth be told.." Raiden reached out where she was skipping around him, grabbed her by the hand and spun her around, then brought her near him for a moment with a teasing smile, "I felt like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. It was Zowie you were there. And rather intoxicating." then he released her back into where she could dance more. He also went towards the bar, andl literally jumped upon it, and began shaking his hips in time to the music, then leapt off the bar in a forward somersault, landing lightly on his feet.

Emma laughs at his smooth landing before walking up to the bar and sitting on it swing her legs back and forward as she watches the crowd. "You know I miss this, when I was younger I used to sneak out and go to a club just like this. No one in my family knew a thing until one morning my dad found a bruise on my cheek." She got up and stares at her reflection in a mirror. "My dad would have beaten everyone that was there that night just to find the guy who did this to me."

Raiden frowned at that, leaning against the bar and looking up at her. "I would have gone looking for that guy as well. I do not take kindly to those who decide to be abusive to others." his thoughts going back to his friend who almost got hit by a guy. "I am not a nice person then." the scowl faded away, "You like to dance and also enjoy the energy of being involved with a dance club." giving a nod.

"No one does, but he wasn't a bad guy. In fact, it wasn't even his fault. Bad timing, he was pointing out someone to his friend and I just happened to be walking past. Bottle met face." Emma reveals as she turns back to Raiden. She brushes her hair from her eyes, "Tell me something, what are you looking for?"

"That question could be meant for any sort of answer. " Raiden responded, "If you mean what am I looking for out of life? Personal wise, the end of the anger that my father and brother have towards me. Life in general, a place to call home, but then again home is where you hang your hat. And right now this ship is my home until I have to move on once more, hopefully not for a long while." giving a slight shrug. "relationship wise? I hope to find someone who's willing to deal with my quirks. However my main big deal is I want to establish a friendship before I get into a relationship. I know that sounds corny but, hey I have seen that it is best that the significant other is a friend as well."

"That's why I ask it, I like to see how people interpret it." Emma said as she smiles softly. "But I don't see what you said as corny for the last bit. "I think most people would tend to agree with you that it's better to form a friendship and if something romantic blossoms from it then hooray, if not you still have your friend." She steps forward from the bar, "Computer end program." The holodeck reverts to how it normally looks. She removes the choker and pats Raiden on the shoulder, "Thanks for spending some time with me, it was fun."

"You are very welcome, and I enjoyed myself very much. I'd like to do this again, spend sometime with you." Raiden giving Emma a smile. "And later, I am going to have to go look at the labs, just to see what is growing there."

"Alright, but be warned. You step on any of my plants I will take one of your fingers." She joked as she walks towards the exit.

"I promise to be very careful." Raiden said with a laugh, "I've got to get some plants to spruce up my quarters anyway." as they stepped out of the holo-suite he said. "Once again, thanks. and I'll be seeing you around."

Emma waves softly as she walks away. "I will see you soon as well."