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Day 10 [2000 hrs.] Next to me

Next to me
Stardate: 57582.41
March 20, 2381
2000hrs


[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Lt. Praise Quarters | Deck 8 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy]
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att: @BZ
 

"Jasper, for real, I don't have time for this," Khorin grunted, as he leapt forward.

The nestling hissed fiercely, ruffled his feathers and sprang out of the Klingon's reach.

"Jaster, stay, you bloody rebellious furball," snarled Khorin stretched over his stomach as he scanned where the little creature had disappeared.

A new hissing sound came from beneath one of the couches, followed by a muffled tail whip.

"Get out of there. NOW," Khorin spat, snaking across the floorplates. Then he shoved his arm under the sofa up to his shoulder. For a few minutes he palpated blindly under the furniture, trying to catch the pesky pet.

His fingers suddenly closed around a feathered tail.

An outraged cry.

A couple of pieces of furniture knocked over.

"SoHvaD Qom Ha'DIbaH" muttered Khorin while he was still holding Jasper's tail. "Listen fluffbutt, I like this as little as you but you can't stay in the living' for now. I've left you a nest, food and water in the beedroom, you're going to be fine, damn it." He kept saying as he moved into the room, keeping the creature an arm's length away from his face.

Jasper simply gnawed at the Klingon's thumb more viciously.

"Listen fluffy arse, tonight's a special night, okay? All I'm asking is that you don't rampage the quarters while we are out..." Khorin hesitated for a moment, pursed his lips and puffed up his cheeks, uncertain. Finally he huffed, defeated, and he left the little animal in bed before he stood on his feet again. With his gaze still on the creature, he opened one of the cabinets, rummaged through it for a while, and extracted a frail stuffed animal from the bottom of one of the drawers.

"Let's make a deal: I'll leave Toby with you. You just... Just... don't tear him up...'Key?" he said, leaving the toy targ on the bed. Jasper squeaked happily and curled himself around the stuffed animal and begin to nip one of its well-loved ears.

Khorin grimaced worriedly. "Please don't fuck him up," he begged.

Jasper closed his eyes and kept pecking at the stuffed animal as Khorin left the room.



[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai |Hydroponics Lab | Deck 7 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy]

Twenty-five minutes later, when the clock was ticking 2000h, Khorin stormed into the hydroponics labs. His booted feet thundered against the bulkplates. His Klingon civilian suit highlighted his figure, ferociously blood red against the lush green of the frontage that filled much of the laboratory. "Zephyr! Zephyr Praise!" bellowed at the top of his lungs as a way to make his entrance into the room. A Klingon was difficult to ignore and Khorin knew very well how not to go unnoticed.

Crewman Amy Jenson made her way through the crop lines and stared, dumbfounded at that sudden intruder in her peaceful workplace. "What the..." she began to say, but before finishing the sentence she shook one hand in front of herself and turned away from Khorin's gaze. "Look, I think I'd prefer not knowing about this. Lieutenant Praise is at the back, in the research area," she explained, pointing her thumb behind her, somewhere hidden between the rows and rows of vegetables.

"Thank you woman," answered Khorin cheerfully, flashing her one of her archetypal sidewide grins. When crewman Jenson could see the Klingon's hands, hidden behind his back, she frowned at him again. "Wait. Where did you get that? "

Khorin shrugged flamboyantly. "You really don't want to know."

"Yes, I really DO want to know," said the blueshirt.

"Well, you're not going to like the answer anyway, so it's BETTER you don't know." Khorin said, clutching the plant's flowerpot more tenaciously between his big hands.

"That's also guaranteed..."

"Come on woman is a GIFT, I'm sure Zeph will love it, you can not spoil her this surprise."

Amy racked her hands through her short reddish hair. At least the lieutenant would know what to do with that specimen...


OOC:

SoHvaD Qom Ha'DIbaH. → You treacherous animal.
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Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #1 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Lab Rat | Over Working | Dedication | Hybridization]
@Numen





Zeph hummed softly as she stood in the botanical laboratory that she had commandeered as her own for the time being.  Especially, since she was working on some sensitive materials.  Merging and hybridizing some plant life, as well as, working to grow some of the Aldean and Savi samples that she had brought back with her from her various places.  She still needed to give her information on what she had worked on to Ives, but that was classified and she was rather torn if she should or not.  That was carefully hidden in a place she doubted anyone would think to look, and she hoped that it would stay that way for a while.  Even if it was found it was so heavily encrypted that she hoped not even the best of the best on the Theurgy could crack it.

Right now, she was currently working on the Savi cutting that Khorin had brought back for her from the ship.  She had taken cuttings of the planet in the office they had slept in during their stay with the Savi, and he had taken some as well.  So between the two of them she was working on six different pots seeing if she could get them to grow.  They had been unusual, spiky, and unique, it was something she kind of wanted to to grow.  See what could be done with it, what she could make of it, if she could hybridize it with anything.  But, she wasn't sure just yet.  It had only been a little over a week, and she was only just starting to see a little movement in the soil on one of the pots.  It was too early to tell if the seedling would be viable, but it was at leas promising.  She had no way to get further samples, she she could only hope that this would lead somewhere. 

If it didn't, that was just part of Science.

Suddenly, her head shot up because she swore that she heard her name being bellowed from the other room.  For a moment, she stood there, frozen for a second while she waited to see if it repeated itself.  But then, she found herself laughing at her silliness since if someone wanted her they would have just used their combadge to call her own.  There was a whole system for that kind of thing, so she didn't need to worry about someone calling her name.  Instead, she turned back to her work, and spritzed the small planters with water again before she stepped over to the computer system that was mounted into the wall and began to input her results, her research, and the varying degrees of change in the soil samples that she had been tinkering with to see what would the Savi plants respond to the best.

She also began to put more information in about the things she had collected when she had Thom had gotten stuck on the planet and kidnapped for  a brief period.  She hadn't seen him since Sickbay, he hadn't sought her out, and she had no reason to seek him out.  He didn't want to see her, and at this point, she didn't really want to see him either.  As much as she cared about him, he couldn't fit into her life the places that she had available and she wasn't interested in fitting into the one that he wanted.  So, for now, she moved on, moved forward, and kept herself busy.  Between work and Khorin it wasn't hard to keep her mind from turning down towards the fighter assault bay.  Unless, Khorin was down there, she had yet to visit him while he was on shift, but then, he was also grounded so there was no concern about him flying off into danger and getting into a very Klingon state of mind at the moment.

It was a testament to how deep into her work that she was, that she didn't actually feel Khorin coming her way.  She was busy putting in all the information about her soil chemical compositions and all the other information that she needed.  Water saturation, the other minerals that she added, soil sample types, and any kind of treatments that she was offering to the samples to see if they could grow.  It was easier with the Aldean plants because she had plenty of soil, plant seeds, clippings, and what not from there.  The Savi ones proved more difficult and she could only hope that she would be successful in at least one and from that one she could grow more and more until they could really understand the plant life that had come from the Savi ship.

A rap on the door made her sigh, her head dropping forward slightly and her neck bent forwards in frustration. I'm working! she thought for a moment and sighed, as she let her shields drop and actually concentrated on the other side of the door only to find her mate and love behind it.  The tension from her neck and shoulders dropped and the warmth of a smile crossed her lips.  She looked over towards the closed laboratory door.

“Get in here you fool.” as the door opened and she noticed he was in the civilian clothes she had only seen a couple times before.  “Well this is a nice surprise.” she said with a bright smile on her face.  “What's the occasion?”

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #2 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Hydroponics Lab | Deck 7 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy]
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att: @BZ

Khorin smiled broadly as she invited him in, his mind buzzing with anticipation. Not only because of all he had prepared, but because she had lowered the barriers around her mind and his and he had felt how much she welcomed him in there. There was something special and magical about that small act, it was as if suddenly a door had opened and the early spring sun had made its way through, washing everything aaround with its glow and warm.

His heart pounded excitedly in his chest as he moved through the lab. Although the room was quite large, he stumbled upon a trolley that contained a small seedling nursery that was barely recently planted. Nothing was damaged in the incident, but the noise was more than notorious. After all, it wasn't a place made for Klingons. It was simply too small for him. Or rather, it was too crowded with things and devices that could be easily shattered.

After a short succession of strides, Khorin reached the counter on which Zephyr worked and stood beside her, hands still hidden behind his back. His hands fidgeted over the present wrapper he had brought with him, but it wasn't the time to show it. Not YET. Soon, just some later. A bit. He still couldn't deliver it, but he was still almost unable to hold back his enthusiasm.

"Well! I think you have done more than enough work today," Khorin remarked seriously. "So I' ve come here to release you from the chains of overwork and to invite you to dinner," he continued earnestly. "If you are READY for a date. Actually I've been thinking... and I've had A LOT of time to think lately, that we've never had a date in the proper way. " He added with a wink.

Then he finally put in front of him what he had been hiding. It was a bizarre-looking plant, potted in a small vase and surrounded by bright azure gift wrap. The wrapping was clearly hand folded and, despite the bright orange ribbon and the attempt at papyroflexia on its edges, it was noticeable that the one who had handled it was more enthusiastic than skillful. And presumably had hands too big to handle anything too delicate.

The plant itself was... unusual, at least to the Klingon's eyes. It had the approximate shape of a banana, covered from top to bottom by small red flowers about the size of a fingernail. The lower part widened to form a small tangle of succulent, pale green leaves. "I saw it in the city when we were on leave," he explained. "They call it 'tower of jewels' and it seems that the Aldeans grow them to attract the melliferous hummingbirds," he explained animatedly. The Klingon had made an effort to learn a couple of interesting facts about the plant, something that triggers Zephyr's curiosity. That this knowledge had something to do with confectionary and candy had been absolutely circumstantial. ABSOLUTELY.

"I know a bouquet is mandatory on a first date, but I think this was more appropriate," he explained, placing the plant in Zeph's hands. "Well, I hope you're hungry, I've booked a really FANCY place at the station," he added with a confident smile on his lips.

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #3 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | You're Up to Something | What are You Hiding? | First Date – Never Too Late]
@Numen




He was hiding something, she could tell, he was being cagey in his mind.  Not actively, but he was all amped about something and she wasn't invasive enough to dive into his mind and get it.  One, because she liked surprises, she was one of the few girls that could admit that was the truth.  Also because it was a breech of trust and not something she would do unless she had his permission or certain circumstances arose.  Right now though, for something this small, it would be nothing that was necessary and Zeph found herself liking those unknown moments.  The ones that she could look back on in the future and remember when.  If she knew all the secrets before hand she would never be surprised, never know the art of his plans fully coming to fruition, and never know how it felt to be in a relationship where they were both equal.  No, she allowed him his secrets, but she knew that they were there.  Sitting in his mind, the anticipation so heavily played on his mind she could tell that he was about to burst.

He was adorable.

As he moved towards her, he bumped into a rolling cart of her plants and samples.  Her thoughts of his secrets flew from her mind as Zeph lurched forward to catch and stabilize her cart before all her hard work, fresh seedlings, and babies could crash to the floor.  Zeph could tell that he was a bit embarrassed about himself but this lab was full and there wasn't much room in it for him to come in and be present.  But, she was glad he was here and wouldn't have it any other way.  She just hoped that none of her plants were accidental causalities of his visit.  So far, so good.  He finally reached her fully, and Zeph looked up at him.  Now that he was close, their height difference made her need to look up quite a bit to close the distance.  He still held something behind his back and she wondered what it could be but was excited all the same.  He had not given her a gift since he had come back with the cuttings from the Savi ship.  Those were all being used at the moment and she appreciated them more than she could say, but something was behind his back and it was too quiet to be Jasper.

Khorin mentioned that he believed she had done more than enough work today.  Zeph couldn't help but feel a chuckle bubbling out of her lips and sounding in the lab.  “You do, do you?” she teased waiting for whatever was to come.  He told her that he had come to release her from the chains of her servitude to the machines and plants alike and invited her to dinner.  Her brows rose, because oddly, despite everything that had runt through her mind she had never expected him to come to hr and ask her to dinner.  Not for a real date, claiming that they hadn't had one yet and he wanted to amend that tonight.  He wasn't wrong though, they had met on the Versant, and fallen for one another there.  Moved in together immediately upon coming onto the Theurgy when he needed her heart and soul to help heal his own, and now, they were just together.  There had been no romance, no build up, nothing of the sort, and she was kind of glad that he had realized it and decided to at least give them some memories they could make together.

“I would love to ha-”

A plant was pulled out from behind his back and Zeph gasped in mid sentences.  Immediately, she was absorbed in her new found plant.  In the sway of the tall beautiful flowered limb and the long leaves, the way that she could tell already that it would get quite a bit bigger than it already was.  Already, her mind ran through with all the possibilities of what it could be, what it could do, what it was, and what she could do with it.  He told her it was called the Tower of Jewels, causing her eyes to break from the beautiful red blossoms and to the man that had made sure it was given to her as a gift for their first official date.  She took it from him and carefully turned placing it on her work station.  Releasing the bow from it's haphazard and crooked state, the ribbon fell down as the paper began to fall away from the plant.  She moved what was left of the crinkled and rushed, but sweetly wrapped paper, and put it to the side to observe the plant.

Khorin assured her that flowers was the way to go for a first date, but he had decided on live ones instead of those that would die quickly and be left with only a memory.  Zeph turned and smiled at him, giving him a nod.  “That's true.” she said a bright smile taking over her face.  He told her that he had booked them a fancy restaurant down on the station and her brows rose. 

“Well.... I'm still in my uniform, can I change first?” she asked curiously, hoping that he wouldn't mind.  She shooed Khorin out of the room and closed the door leaving it locked as she went to the replicator and got herself something simple.  A simple black dress that came down to about a couple inches before the knee.  Black heels to match.  The dress was off her shoulder and had a lace trim that accented the pale skin peeking through it.  She wore no jewelry as she didn't have any of note, and she didn't really want any tonight.  So she pulled her hair up in a quick single twist behind her and pinned it into place before she felt ready to go and looking much more like she was going on a date. 

Zeph stepped out of the lab, and closed it behind her, knowing that it would lock and her research would be safe while she was gone.  She turned to see Khorin waiting for her.  As he extended his arm to her in awe, they headed for the transportation room to  the destination he picked out.

“Thank you for coming to get me.  I'm really quite excited about this whole endeavor.” she admitted smiling brightly up at him.

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #4 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai |Hydroponics Lab | Deck 7 | Vector 2 | USS Theurgy]
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att: @BZ

Zephyr glowed like a supernova when she took the plant and Khorin grinned pleased to see it. It seemed that the efforts he had made to sneak the bush on board had been well worth it. He owed a handful of favours for the entire operation that had included, at least, another four
 different crew members. As far as he was aware. But given Zephyr's reaction it had been well deserved. Just to see that smile. A smile that only widened when he declared that he had reserved a table for dinner.

Shortly afterwards, Zephyr pointed out that it would be appropriate to change for the dinner and Khorin stood still for a short while, torn between his interest in doing things the right way and his desire to begin the date as soon as possible. However, he couldn't give it much thought, as the betazoid soon pushed him out of the lab to dress herself. Khorin, of course, opposed that treatment a bit, not because he was really against it, but because a playful struggle was always fun in his books. Finally, with a final nudge, Khorin was again in the Hydroponic Bay. Alone this time.

The only thing he could do for a while was observe his surroundings, folded arms against his broad chest. For a moment he entertained himself by pulling the hem of his jacket, adjusting the cuffs of the garment, he unpinned and pinned again the symbol of his House on the left flap and removed a pair of iridescent feathers from his attire. Khorin didn't know how Jasper managed to leave feathers in EVERYTHING, even in newly replicated clothes. Given the hidden status of the little animal in the ship, Khorin had to check his clothes six times before he left his shared rooms, and yet there was ALWAYS some Jasper feather where it shouldn't be. Zephyr did not seem to suffer from this inconvenience and Khorin was starting to believe that the nestling was infinitely smarter than he seemed and had some sort of conspiracy against him who went through this habit of leaving feathers and hair on everything that was his. Zephyr had pointed out several times that Jasper always chose his clothes because they were warm and soft and that it was a sign that the little bird was fond of Khorin. He was not so sure, and was convinced that there was some abject purpose to it all. One he was going to discover sooner or later.

All this thought distracted him enough to lose awareness of the amount of time Zephyr had invested in changing clothes and in the fact that, although the Klingon regarded vegetables as a low-grade nourishment, he was surrounded by food. And hungry. The level of hungry that only someone with multiple stomachs could understand. His time at Versant had given him a couple more than he had had since he was born, and from then on Khorin was well aware that when they all roared at once it meant it was time for supper, no matter where he was or what time it was.  And in those moments even lettuces began to seem appetizing to him.

When the pilot already leaned over one of the plants to pull out a reddish fruit the size of a fist (just one bite couldn't hurt anyone, could it? Plus there were dozens of plants like that, nobody would notice...) Zephyr walked out of the lab. Khorin turned to watch her and opened his mouth silently for a brief moment. "I didn't think you could be more beautiful, but look at you" he rumbled as he held her hand and spun her around so that he could contemplate her at his leisure. "Astonishing" added with an even wider grin that threatened to slip out of his face. He offered her his arm and she hung herself on it and, in such fashion, they left the laboratory towards the Transporter room 3.

"Thank you for coming to get me.  I'm really quite excited about this whole endeavor," she said with a smile that sparkled in her eyes like stars on a dark night. "Well" he answered seriously. "You wouldn't believe that I was lying to you when I promised I was going to court you, would you?" he asked in a falsely insulted voice. "Just that things have been... a little messy since then," he remarked without delving into the details. He had promised her that, as a joke, in the closet where they had hidden in the Versant, fleeing from Worf holographic security officers. Too much had happened after that, and for a while neither of them had even known if they would survive the next few hours. After their return to the Theurgy things had become... complicated, and Khorin had spent more days in the Brig than he would have wished. But he never, ever, forgot what he had promised.

"Are you ready?" he asked, holding both hands to help her land on the transporter pad. "I'm sure you're going to love that place," he eagerly added as their bodies vanished from the starship....



[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Andra Mari Restaurant | Recreation Areas | Aldean Office Complex | Aldea Prime Shipyards]

Both were materialized in a corridor in front of a restaurant. It was one of the Aldean sections of the station and the light and decoration left no doubt about it, delicate and soft shapes, adorned with wood and natural elements that were quite different from the Klingon sections of the station. The establishment was small and had a dim lighting, highlighted by the small white candles that decorated each of the tables, reflected a thousand times in the glasses and cups around them. The background of the restaurant consisted in a single panoramic window. Through it could be seen a section of the planet, as well as the innumerable stars that populated the sky, like a myriad of fireflies on a summer night. Down in Aldea, it was night, and the inhabited cities shone like pearls on the dark wine-colored surface of the planet.

Just seconds after they had arrived, when both were still familiarizing themselves with the surroundings, the maître went out to greet them. The serious Aldean looked at Khorin for a second, nodded when he recognized him and led the couple silently to the table in the middle of the large window. Khorin put the chair aside so that Zephyr could sit comfortably before taking his own seat, and the waiter took advantage of the moment to offer them the menu and fill the glasses in front of them. He poured into one what was obviously water, while the other was filled with a golden liquid with bubbles that emitted a soft, sweet smell. Khorin took the menu. He turned it. He turned it again and finally left it on the table. "uh..." he muttered, confused. "I have no idea what anything in the menu is" he confessed.

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #5 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | A Date to Remember | First Dates | Finally, Time to be Us | No Aliens Necessary]
@Numen




He was right, she had pretty much forgotten his closet promises.  She now remembered, thanks to him, that he had assured her that she had seen nothing until he decided to court her.  Courting was such an old fashioned word but she had to admit it sounded really nice.  Looking up at him with those lovely hazel green eyes of hers, she couldn't help but feel a chuckle escaping her lips as she did so.  Zeph and Khorin had been so busy since they had been on the ship and as hard as it was for him once they got back on board with the death of that officer, with his guilt, with her soothing his soul, with adopting and sneaking Jasper on board, with all the things that they had been doing together.  It had been impossible for romance, it had been impossible to find the time that would allow them to better build their relationship with a solid foundation.

It wasn't easy, what they had done.  Moving in together as soon as they got on board, so that she could help soothe his soul.  So that she could be beside him when ever he woke up from dreams, when he was feeling down, when his sweaters didn't replicate properly.  They had jumped into a life together without really building it one piece at a time.  However, for now, it wasn't all that important or at least it hadn't seemed important.  Not until now.

“I am looking forward to you courting me.” she smiled softly taking his arm after he finished giving her a spin to enjoy the way that her dress hugged the subtle curves of the Betazoid woman.  She wasn't busty, and she wasn't very curvy, but he didn't seem to mind any of that.

==A Skip, Hop, and Jump Later==

they materialized in front of a restaurant.  It was in one of the Aldean sectors of the station and Zeph could already inhale the smells of flavor wafting out from the doors when they opened and closed allowing patrons in and out of the establishment.  The whole atmosphere was soft and gentle, with small soft lighting that cast a nice glow around the place.  Everything was made out of beautiful wood that was carved, maybe by hand, but she couldn't tell easily.  She wasn't good that way.  But, she found it was beautiful anyway, and she walked on the arm of the large boisterous Klingon beside her.

Suddenly, a man dressed in fine Aldean robes came out to see them leading them into the building.  They were lead through the tables and towards a large table beside a window of size.  Khorin pulled out the chair for her and she sat down tucking her skirt against her legs just to make sure that it didn't get off skew because of sitting.  Once down, she crossed one leg over the other and scooted her chair into position as Khorin took his own seat.  They were both handed menus and she looked down her curled bangs falling around her face to frame it as she gave the words on the menu attention.  She wasn't sure what any of it was either, but she doubted that anything could be too bad.  It was a fine restaurant, the only thing she put a stop to, was if there were bugs involved.  She had once heard of some place on Earth that had eaten snails.  She was most definitely not interested in anything quite like that.

He admitted to not knowing anything that was on the menu and she chuckled softly looking up at him shaking her head.  “Me neither.” she admitted as she sighed, it was translated for them, but that didn't make it any easier because it was hard to tell what was meat, fish, vegetarian and things like that.  But, luckily she didn't have any special needs when it regarded foods.  She pursed her lips in thought and shrugged.  “Why don't we just order the sampler plate, and see what that gets us first.  Or well... you're here so maybe three sampler plates.” she chuckled teasing him a little bit. 

The waiter came over and they did just that, ordering multiple serving trays.  Once that was accomplished with some Aldean wine on the side, the waiter left and she was sitting there across from her mate.  Soft music was playing not too far away, there was a few men standing in fine Aldean garments playing odd  stringed instruments she had never seen before.  She looked over at Khorin and smiled. 

“Come dance with me.” she stated, leaving no room for arguments she rose from her seat smoothly, they needed time to get the food ready anyway, but she took his hand and lead him towards a small clearing in the tables where there was just enough room for a few couples to dance.  She put herself in his arms, one of her hands in his, and they began to sway to the soft music.  Her eyes staring up into his. 

“This is nice, thank you.”

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #6 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Andra Mari Restaurant | Recreation Areas | Aldean Office Complex | Aldea Prime Shipyards]
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att: @BZ


Khorin laughed in unison with Zeph, deeming impossible to find any sense in the menu. It really was not important, if there was something sweet to eat for dessert he could enjoy almost anything. Almost. As long as the quantity was substantial. Almost as if his companion had read his mind (maybe she did? Actually it mattered little to him at the time) she pointed out that maybe the right thing to do was to request three sampler plates. There was a slight mischief in her eyes when she said this, and Khorin grinned infected with her willingness to banter. "Missy, you will be able to have an opinion on the amount of food I should eat when you have several stomachs to fill as I am." He noted as he pointed at her. "Besides, it requires quality fuel to sustain a superb klingon specimen such as me," he added, leaning back as he highlighted his ample torso and muscular frame. "I guarantee that you want to keep this fine gentleman well fed, missy," he topped off the joke with an overconfident sideway grin.

Shortly thereafter, the waiter stepped forward to take their order. If he felt any strangeness about the exorbitant amount of food requested, his severe features failed to indicate it. Khorin pondered about how many Klingons he had had to serve until his capacity for surprise had been completely eradicated. Or whether the man had ever had that ability. Perhaps he had been an impassive 50-something from the moment he left his mother's womb. The image of a bald baby scolding at his mother due to the low quality of her maners made the Klingon grin even more.

However, Zeph pulled him out of his musings when she invited him to dance. Well, perhaps inviting was a gentle way of describing it, rather than the Betazoid commanded it. He, of course, complied, as he loved when she showed the hidden strength of her character. He took her hand and escorted her onto the dance floor. Few people knew it, but Khorin was quite good at dancing. He had spent more hours than he wanted to confess as a gawky teenager who was dragged to this or that embassy reception by his mother, sitting awkwardly in a corner until Heather Douglas forced him to dance with the daughter (equally uncomfortable and gawky) of some alien dignitary. At first it was all about frustrated groans, peering over to some distant point above his (also reluctant) dance partner and trying to prevent the feet of an adult Klingon in the body of a half-developed Klingon from turning the girl's tiny feet into something worth serving as a canapé. Over time, Khorin had discovered that he could really enjoy these interactions and that (once he learned not to smash his dance partner's lower appendages) the girls engaged with him in a more positive way. Something that the teenage Klingon began to see as a great benefit once his interest in women began to increase.

Thus the pilot soon displayed his hidden skills and engaged in a slow dance with Zeph, nothing too fancy, but which would entertain both of them until dinner was on the table. He took one of her hands in his, she swayed to the rhythm of the music near his chest. He led her by the waist and, for a while, they simply enjoyed each other's company. Khorin leaned in and looked up at those hazel eyes as she spoke to him. The candles in the room flickered in those beautiful eyes, thousands of stars from an unknown and unique galaxy that invited him to lose himself in them, to explore those green, brown, and dark depths that had been a vast black abyss the first time he had been reflected in them. "You're welcome" he rumbled, as a softer smile grown in his features. "It's the very least I could do," he added, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, chaste and almost timid.

"Play a little game with me," he then suggested, without ever losing the beat of the music. "Let's pretend that Versant and all the other stuff hasn't happened. That we are just two strangers who have felt attracted to each other and have decided to share a dance and a dinner to know more about each other. Tell me about you, who is Zephyr Praise, what she likes, what troubles her, from where comes her, the most beautiful woman in the quadrant"

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #7 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Let's Start Over | Back to the Beginning | It's Time to Shine, Together]
@Numen




He was a much better dancer, than she thought.

Why she doubted he would be, was slightly beyond her, but it might have something to do with how often he destroyed things.  Usually, in some kind of angry rage fit, or some kind of misunderstanding.  But, there were times that his emotions just surpassed any kind of logic.  That and she had seen him run into more furniture now that they had Jasper than ever before.  Of course, it wasn't easy being a parent to a little bird like creature.  He loved on Zeph, cuddled with her, listened to her (for the most part), but he only seemed to taunt the large Klingon.  She could not count the amount of times the two of them fought for the right to put themselves in her lap.  Khorin's head and Jasper's entire body.  There was something just frustratingly adorable about it all.  Khorin would come to lay down across the couch in the few hours they shared their home together and he would move to lay only to have Jasper fuss at him from the warmth and comfort of the lap he had claimed a good five minutes prior to the Klingon arrival.  However, Khorin felt that since he had claimed her first, he had dibs, and the two would go around and around, until Zeph was tired of the fighting and put Jasper up on her shoulder, and Khorin's head in her lap, and Jasper curling up into her neck, both of them sated, and yet still snipping at each other when they had a spare moment.

Here though, it was just them.  No one to fight for her attention, no one she had to fight for attention, it was just the two of them.  What surprised her, though, was when he asked her to play a game.  At first she thought he was being completely literal.  Afterall, they had shared many game nights between the two since they had moved in together, one of their favorites was a game where you tried to seek out the other people's small ships on a large map.  She also enjoyed card games, and others, so for  a moment she wondered if he had come across a new game of some sort that he wanted to try out with her.  The evenings laying across their large fur rug that they had decided to have in the middle of their living space, pillows under their torsos, laying siege to each other's warships was a fond memory for her. 

“A game?” she inquired.

Though a moment later, she could tell that he didn't mean the kind of game she had been expecting.  Khorin surprised her by stating that he wanted to pretend the Versant had never happened.  They were just two strangers that had been attracted to each other.  Decided on trying it out, a full date; dinner, dancing, getting to know each other.  Zeph found her brows rising in surprise, because they had kind of just slammed themselves into being mates, throwing themselves in a serious relationship without ever once actually sitting down and getting to know each other.  She wouldn't mind knowing more about him, she knew some, but she didn't know everything and it would be nice to get to know him outside the odd fuzzy sweater fetish, love for all things soft, sweet, and cute.  There was more, there was depth there, and she would like to get to know him from all angles. 

“That's a lot of questions to cover at once.” she teased him softly as they danced.  “Lets start with the basics.  My full name is Zephyr Coral Praise, I was raised on the ship the USS Assurance.  My father is human and my mother Betazoid.  I'm one of three girls.  Elysium and Olexina.  I'm the youngest of three, my mother had been a Medical doctor before she retired to raise myself and my sisters.” she said softly.  “I was the trouble maker.” she chuckled.  “Well, not really trouble, so much as I was always wondering off in the woods when we went planet side.  We eventually started to live on Betazed, and .. I was always in the woods.  I had a green house, a place that was all mine.  I would do anything for plants, and exploring the world around me.” she chuckled softly. 

“Before I continue though, tell me about Khorin, what is your origin story?”

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #8 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Andra Mari Restaurant | Recreation Areas | Aldean Office Complex | Aldea Prime Shipyards]
[Show/Hide]
att: @BZ

"That's a lot of questions to cover at once." She teased him. "Well, I never told you it was going to be an easy game... There' s still time to back out, you scaredy-cat" he jested back as their dance made them twirl in the gentle starlight. She, of course, did not shy away from him and started a brief summary of who she was. First of all, her full name. "Zephyr Coral?" he repeated baffled for the unusual combo. A bewilderment that only increased when she added the names of her older sisters. Certainly the Praises had a fondness for flamboyant names. Shortly thereafter she described herself as a troublemaker. "Of course you ARE a troublemaker, I could see that glint of mischief in your eyes from the first moment we met." he joked, a cheeky grin etched in his beared face. "So Lil' Zeph was a tomboy running amok on the wood of Betazed... I think I like you even more" he added with a chuckle.

She of course returned the questions, and Khorin let the music sway them for a while before he gave his reply. "Well, I'm Khorin Douglas of House Mo'Kai, not middle-name, I'm afraid. My mother wanted to name me Khorin Logan Douglas, but thankfully my father objected. I was named after my older uncle, Khorvan, and my name means 'Little Khorvan' or 'Khorvan the Younger'. My uncle hates it, but I'm sure he adores me deep under his skin, after all I'm charming," he rumbled. He missed the cantankerous Khorvan, he had always enjoyed his company. "My Ma is human, my father was Klingon, not sisters but i've a half brother on my father's side, Gorka.  He IS the troublemaker, I've always been a good boy... by Klingon standards, of course." He laughed. "Born and rised in the First City, in Qo'noS, between the UFP embasy and the House state. During the Civil War we moved to San Francisco, so I've spent about half of my life there. I guess you can call me a San Franciscan," he added with a shrug. "On Earth I loved to go to the beach, I used to run along the shore to let off some steam, but I rarely swam, I'm too dense and I have a tendency to sink like a plummet," he confessed, looking at Zephyr from the side. "I said DENSE not fat, okay? I had a very cranky adolescence that saved me from all my baby fat," he rushed to reassure in a frivolous way.

Shortly thereafter, the band finished the piece they were playing and Khorin made a short bow before Zeph to thank her for the dance. A quick glance at the table told him that it was still vacant and that they had time for another round of dancing before the dishes arrived. "So, tell me, what came first, Doctor Zeph, the good girl who followed in Mama Praise's footsteps, or the rebellious Zeph, who chose to make a profession out of her love for the woods?"

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #9 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Time to Remember | Making Memories | First Dates | No Awkwardness]
@Numen




He seemed pleased, by the fact that she had been a raging tomboy as a child.  Of course, Zephyr loved dresses and getting pretty as much as the next girl, but when she had her choices she preferred dirt under her fingernails, grass stains on her pants, and a wealth of work done.  It was the right way to be and Zeph had always been fairly true to herself.  When Ethan had crushed her heart, she had decided not to hide herself any longer, not that she really had but she realized how dependent on him she had become.  Now, without him, she had built herself up from the group upwards and found out that she didn't need a man beside her for anything, it was just that she wanted to share her life with someone when possible.  It was nice to have someone there to talk to, to vent to, to cuddle with, to share experiences with.  She didn't need it, but she liked it.

She already knew his name, but the fact that he had no middle was sad.  However, he was kind enough to tell her that his mother had wanted a middle name but ultimately didn't go with it.  A small smile crossed her face because Zephyr knew that she would probably use it anyway when he wasn't behaving.  There were many times she had to bring him back to normal because he was in over himself too much.  He had been named after his Uncle even though his Uncle had hated it.  She was glad that they hadn't named him Khorvan, it wouldn't have fit him at all.  She couldn't imagine him being called anything other than Khorin, and even then most of the time she called him Khor at least when he was being good.

“I, for one, am glad you're not called Khorvan.” she chuckled softly.

His mother was human and his father, Klingon.  He has a half brother who was the trouble maker of the family.  She smiled softly, wondering how precious little Khorin would have been.  He probably would have been amazingly cute, with his little ridged forehead, and his little angry tantrums when things didn't go his way.  He loved to go to the beach when he was little, but he never swam because he was too dense.  Zeph answered that with a wry smile, and he assured her he didn't mean fat.  Causing the young Betazoid to laugh whole heartedly for a moment as they continued their dancing.  The song ended but their food hadn't even been delivered yet and so they continued to dance.  He inquired about which Zeph came first and she smiled.

“Well it wasn't the doctor, that came a few years later.  I knew I wanted to be a Botanist at a young age and that was what I did.  Despite people thinking it was a useless science there is so much more to life .. to science than technology.  So I did that for a while.  I was with a guy .. his name was Ethan.  Thom introduced us back in the Academy and we had been dating a long time.  Some.. things happened.. and I decided to change my course.”

Her voice at the end had been filled with sadness that she didn't really know if it was good to talk about here on a date especially with a man that would probably hunt the universe for the asshole that had hurt her so deeply she had thought some very bad thoughts for a while.  Softly they continued to move, the music played around them, and Zeph pushed the thoughts of Ethan and his being a prick to the back of her mind again.  “So, I decided to go back to the Academy, to train myself to utilize Medicine and Botany together.  I also had some ideas of hybridizing some plants after a horrible and scarring laboratory incident.  But, I wanted to study how I could turn the plant cells into human cells to mimic the human in need of healing and so forth.” she told him softly with a shrug.  “So Doctor Praise was second.” she chuckled.

“How did you know you wanted to fly?  When was the first time you just.. knew that was what you wanted to do?”

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #10 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Andra Mari Restaurant | Recreation Areas | Aldean Office Complex | Aldea Prime Shipyards]
[Show/Hide]
att: @BZ


Khorin swung a few offended moves when she giggled at him regarding his infantile non-so-chubbiness. "It was baby-fat, I swear," he grumbled under his breath, in a quiter tone that he was used to. However, despite the dramatic performance that he was delivering, it was all acting, and the Klingon's mind sparkled with merriment, and he let hers caress that good humour so that they could share it. The young Klingon was pleased to have the opportunity to share that quiet moment with her, that unusual chance to know each other better, without anyone else around, and discover all those little things and nuances that made her who she was. That made her special, even more so than she was already in his eyes.

So Zephyr started to describe how botany had always been her lifelong passion, since childhood. There was a special thrill and fondness when Zeph talked about plants, they were really something important to her. Khorin certainly didn't understand the appeal, but he did understand what was this passionate drive to follow something that he was crazy for. The Klingon couldn't help but grimance for a second. Part of his lack of understanding about Zeph 's keenness for greenery was due to the fact that... well... living things had a tendency to die or get sick under his care. Not that he meant it, of course, but few things were designed to be cared for a Klingon. Even they, as specie, were not built to be that, well, gentle. Besides, while Khorin could be quite disciplined for some things like his training and workout, for other things he was rather scatterbrained. Or somewhat unorganized.... well certainly he was a real mess and, for better or worse Zeph had already had more than one sample about that. Like the towels issue. The Klingon was grateful that Jasper, at least, seemed to be Klingon-proof. Maybe that's why he had that temper.  For a moment Khorin wondered what would actually happened to the chick at this point of the evening and whether he would be behaving towards Toby. Just thinking about the worst case scenario made him cringe.

His thoughts returned to his dancing partner when Zeph began to talk about Ethan. She barely said a couple of sentences about him, but Khorin felt an instant dislike for the man. Not just because of his hinted relationship with Ravon, or because he had dated Zeph for a while. What made Khorin loathe the human was the sadness that filled his bond with Zeph as she spoke about him. No one had any right to hurt her as deeply as the link that bound them together snitched on him. Not if Khorin had any word in the matter. Later on, some other day, when they were cuddling up at the end of the day, she leaning on his side, with one arm on his broad chest, and he embracing her as he rested his cheek on her head, perhaps he would ask her about Ethan. Maybe he asked what he had done to her and, perhaps, Khorin would learn if he required to teach him a few lessons of Klingon diplomacy. And, perhaps, he would take revenge for her. After all, as her uncle used to say, ‘ bortaS bIr jablu'DI' reH QaQqu' nay' ‘

But that was a matter for some other day. He didn't want to ruin that moment, not that night, not that first date that had been postponed for so long. "You know what? I'm glad he's not in your life anymore, that's allowed me to meet you, as you are now... I' ve gotta thank that jerk for giving me the chance to woo Dr. Praise" he remarked with his most charming smile... and the most cocky one.

The music kept cradling them softly and when they twirled with the song's melody, she took her turn to inquire. She brought back the question of how he had chosen his career. "Well, I wasn't really interested in it at first," he admitted. "I enlisted with the idea of a career in security, you know, Dominion War had just ended and Starfleet needed muscle and people trained to fight and... well, Half-Klingon, I think you get the idea," he briefly explained, cocking his head. "But with the basic piloting training stuff, well, I had some higher than average scores, I was good at it to everybody surprise. Even mine. I was recommended for Tacc Conn's brand-new track and... I was rather 'forced' to join the program," he explained, pursing his lips. That had been a pretty treacherous movement from Heather Douglas, and although Khorin had eventually agreed with her opinion on the matter, he had a hard time trying to forgive her for signing him in without asking him about it. "As you can understand, I didn't take it very well, I began to loiter, I skipped classes... My mother and Captain Hendrick made arrangements to assign me a tutor, a cadet on the same track, a senior course. That's how I met Krystal, and well, she's the reason I ended up getting my pilot's degree, and that I got a taste for the wings. And possibly she is guilty of more of my sugar rushes than neither of us wants to admit." He chuckled heartily.  "When we got back to the starship, from you-know-where, I found out she was in the Theurgy too, it has been great to meet her again." Khorin didn't hide the fondness he felt for the Texan redhead, she had been one of his best friends for a long time. "What about you? Any close friends I should know about?" he asked casually, though he was afraid he already knew the answer to that one.


OOC
bortaS bIr jablu'DI' reH QaQqu' nay' -> When cold revenge is served, the dish is always very good, klingon variation of ‘Revenge is a dish best served cold’.

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #11 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | This is a Moment to Remember | First Dates | Falling for Your Mate]
@Numen




Zephyr didn't like to talk about Ethan.  He was someone that she was, now, glad was out of her life.  He had been a huge part of it for several years.  She had thought, many times, that he was the one that she would marry and have children with.  Little Irish children that all loved bacon and enjoyed running around with their Engineering dad and their Scientist mom.  But, all those dreams had been crushed during a Botanical accident that she had been a part of and witness to.  That had been the beginning of the downfall.  She supposed it had really started with them being transferred to different ships.  But, they had been able to handle that she thought until, until he couldn't come and it all fell apart.  Regardless, she had just wanted to put him behind her, and she had.  Over the years, though sometimes the loneliness of being on her own would strike and melancholy would follow like a shadow.  Zephyr would always come out of it, never again had she hit rock bottom even on the Savi ship, she had been strong and resolute.  She knew eventually Khorin would ask about Ethan, and likely, she would sign his death warrant by explaining what had happened.  It was a time in her life that Zephyr didn't like to think about.  It was less about Ethan and more about the abandonment she felt and of course the heartache of losing someone she needed at that moment. 

Khorin was right though, if it was not for Ethan and his leaving her, she would not be the person that she was today.  Standing there dancing in the arms of a goofy Klingon that loved soft sweaters and sweet food.  The man that would charge a battlefield but not to protect her (yes for that reason but also..) but allow for her to fight along side him.  He did not view her as weak and incapable of protecting herself.  Two fighters were better than one and the Versant had proven that he saw her as an equal on the battlefield and not someone that needed to be stood in front of and made to stay out of the way. 

“Well, I am glad for whatever circumstances lead to us meeting on the Versant.” she admitted softly as they continued their dance.  “Fighting beside you against them, was good for me.  Like a breath of fresh air, and I loved that you didn't push me behind you but let me fight with you.  It meant a lot to me.”

Khorin began to tell her how he had originally put in for Security.  The Federation had needed someone that could fill those boots especially after the war.  Being half-Klingon he fit the bill pretty well but then when he ran some flight simulations his testing scores were higher than average and now they were pulling him over towards flying instead.  He didn't want to fly, his grades began to fall and his mother got involved.  Her brow rose, because she was surprised he had done something like that after getting into the Academy.  He told her how Krystal came into his life and she got him on track with the piloting.  Furthermore, she was responsible for his sugar rushes and love of chicken wings.  Zeph couldn't help but laugh, she supposed some might have felt concerned or jealous about their man hanging out with another woman.  But, she really didn't.  Perhaps it was because they were so close and bonded that she didn't feel that kind of concern.

He asked about any of her close friends.

“Well other than the one you know about, who apparently is no longer speaking to me, I had a good friend on my first ship.  Her name was Jenny and she was my best friend.  The tattoo on my left shoulder, she drew it once for me and I asked for it to be turned into a tattoo.  It's funny because my first day on the bridge she held a gun at me because I was crying about a lost ship, one I didn't know anything about, but she had known the people on that ship.  So we didn't speak for a while after that, but then, I can't even remember how it happened exactly but.. we were friends.  We ate icecream, watched movies, did all the stuff girls do together.  It was nice.  But, I transferred of ship to be a officer on a different ship and later I went to a location that was black.” she explained, though she couldn't say really.. what happened there, or what she did there.. or that she had escaped from there... and it was hard not to tell Khorin these things.

“We lost contact.  Apparently, going off the grid like that pissed off her and my old Captain on that same ship because we were also close friends.  They won't speak to me now.  I abandoned them or something.” she shrugged.  “I guess, I don't have any close friends.  Just... just you now.”

There was a bit of sadness there, because she had lost a lot in her life.  Ethan first, then Jenny, and her old Captain.  Then there was Thomas who had been her friend since the Academy and was not speaking to her.. and.. so outside of Khorin she was very alone.  Zephyr was only just realizing this, somehow, and fell quiet as they danced.  Luckily, their food had finally arrived.

“Come on, lets go eat.” she said kissing his bearded cheek before heading to the table to sit down.  The food spread was impressive and there was still steam coming off of the various plates and bowls.  She was excited to try all the Aldean fare.

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #12 –


[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Andra Mari Restaurant | Recreation Areas | Aldean Office Complex | Aldea Prime Shipyards]
[Show/Hide]
att: @BZ


"Well, I am glad for whatever circumstances lead to us meeting on the Versant." She said sweetly as they continued their dance.  "Fighting beside you against them, was good for me.  Like a breath of fresh air, and I loved that you didn't push me behind you but let me fight with you.  It meant a lot to me."

Khorin smiled, and this time his smile wasn't as cocky as usual, but it was sincere and soft. He ran one of his rough thumbs down her cheek and looked into her eyes before he said, "How could I stop you from being who you are? You are a fighter, to fight is in your nature." Khorin leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently before adding.  "I'll always wanna protect you, because I love you, but love should be an ally, not a chain. I want you next to me, not behind"  He rumbled gently.

The conversation flowed on smoothly, swayed by the mellow tempo of the music. He told her about how he had ended up being a pilot and about Krystal and about their adventures at the Academy. In turn, she told him about her friend Jenny on her first assignment, about how the tattoo on her shoulder that he had so often caressed had been designed by that friend. How they had shared time doing 'girly stuff' (stuff that, obviously, Khorin would never classify that way because he ALSO enjoyed that kind of thing... who didn't enjoy a good icecream and a holofilm every now and then?... a madman for sure).

He laughed out loud when Zeph explained how she had met her friend, but that chuckle turned sour on his lips when she confessed that her assignment to a back location had made her lose all contact with Jenny, as well as her other friends. That she already had only him at that time.

"Well, I'm big enough and loud enough to keep you entertained for a while. And you have Jasper too," Khorin said with an optimistic tone. "I can introduce you to people on board, other Wolves and... other people. And I'm sure you'll make friends among the science nerds, how could they not appreciate someone as smart as you?" he tried to cheer her up while rubbing her nose with his. The echo of her sadness was beating in his heart like a drum and he didn't want that she felt that way. This night was for them, it was a merry night after all the trouble they had gone through.

soon the arrival of the food gave them an excuse to change the mood of the evening. The waiters had served what seemed like a feast for most people... or an average meal for Khorin. There were several dishes with vegetables of all colors served in elaborate ways, forming spirals and flowery landscapes. There were fish of every imaginable shape, and things with tentacles and creatures boiled inside their shells until they took on a rabid red hue . There were small crunchy pouches filled with the eggs of a creature that lived in the marshes, which, when opened, let their contents spill out in an avalanche of blue and green.  And there were absolutely no meat dishes, much to the Klingon's dismay.

For the next few minutes, they ate and were surprised by the new tastes and textures. They forced each other to sample what was on their plate and laughed at the disparate reactions to some foods. They bantered and said compliments to each other and overall had a pleasant and enjoyable dinner.

When they finished their meal, the waiter brought them the bill, and Khorin, unaccustomed to the use of money, doubled the amount of Stars that the establishment requested for the food without even thinking twice. While the balding waiter stuttered something about that being too much money Khorin took Zeph by the arm and left the establishment, ignoring the hurried protests of their Aldean host. "And now for the second part," said the Klingon with the smirk of a man who knows something others don't. "I'm sure you're going to love it."






[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Aldea ]



They materialized in a small dark alleyway, away from prying eyes and ears that might be paying attention to the swirling blue sparks and whirling noise of a Federation transporter. Khorin blinked a couple of times until his eyes got used to the darkness, and once they did, he looked up at Zeph, his face lit up with emotion. "Are you ready?" he eagerly said as he set off towards the end of the alley.

And as soon as they came out onto the main street they were suddenly bathed in light. Thousands of small lights, candles and modern lighting devices floated around the biggest night market in Aldea. There were street performances, and music played live, small street food stands, and thousands of shops opened their doors to passers-by or displayed their stalls filled with a thousand objects from hundreds of worlds.

"So... didn't you want to do some shopping?" asked Khorin, taking Zeph by both hands as he immersed himself in the colourful crowd.

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #13 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Who I Am | Secrets I Can't Tell | Will You Leave When You Know | Can You Handle All of Me?]
@Numen




Khorin only smiled when Zeph admitted that she loved how he hadn't pushed her to the side when they were fighting.  He had allowed her to be beside him, in front of him, and fighting in her own right.  He hadn't babied her or worried about her safety but instead realized that she could handle herself and if it was her time to go then it just was.  He told her that he couldn't very well stop her from being who she was, and a pit formed in Zephyr's stomach.  There was so much she couldn't tell him about her life.  Projects she had worked on, places she had been assigned, things that she had created, things that she tried to destroy, things that had been used against her will.  Nothing had benefited her what so ever and now there was a whole black area in her life that she was incapable of talking about to anyone.  It was hard because there was so much that happened there, and sometimes when she woke up I the middle of the night it was not the Savi that she feared were coming for her but someone from the Azurite station looking for the woman that had stolen her original research and run.

He told her that he was enough of a friend for the time being until she could find more, and he was right, they had Jasper too.  Luckily, no one knew about him even though she sometimes snuck him down to the Arboretum to let him run and play like the animal that he was.  The other Science officers and Botanists knew about him but the ship at large didn't.  Which was good for her because until they could take off from Aldea it was important that he remained hidden so they didn't have to donate him to some kind of rescue organization down on the planet.  She smiled softly and shrugged.  “I don't know, maybe I spend too much time in a lab or with a loud Klingon.” she teased.

They ate and enjoyed a little more conversation.  But, they were soon finished and Khorin paid the bill when it came around.  Mentioning there was another part to their evening.  Her brow rose curiously but he offered her no hints and she wasn't going to push into his mental space to find out.  Zephyr actually liked surprises, and it was rare to do one to a Betazoid especially now that she was full blooded.

The two materialized in a dark alley way which brought back memories of running with Bila through the alleys and streets trying to lose the Orion people that had been chasing them from an illegal purchase that went beautifully wrong.  Zeph reoriented herself for a moment and slid her hand into his so that they were close and touching, as she always liked to be.  His eyes were sweet and filled with such excitement as he asked her if she was ready.  She shrugged and then nodded.  Unsure of what they were doing she couldn't be sure she was ready but Khorin was always one to make sure that fun was had and so she knew that whatever it was, would be amazing.  They turned and stepped out of the alleyway and into an open area of a large main street which was bathed in light against the night sky.

Thousands of small lights created an almost starlight effect above the street strung across the main street from building to building a lattice work of twinkling lights.  More than just the strings of lights there were candles and beautiful colored lighted devices which hovered over the city street and all the people down below.  Zephyr's eyes didn't know where to rest, the whole thing was breath-takingly gorgeous and she almost wondered if they could recreate something similar in their Quarters over their bed.  She would have to get creative but being on a ship that would never go to dock, that was the nae of the game.  Underneath all of the lighting was a lovely night market.  Behind and in front of each stall was someone in their Aldean robes pedalling whatever they were selling.  Mostly goods, trinkets, jewelry, books, fabric, and all sorts of things.  It was an amazing amalgamation of culture and goods.

There wasn't just tangible things either.  There was a young girl and her brother standing beside an empty instrument case in between a couple stalls where she played a song while her brother danced.  Occasionally someone would throw a star into the case, many passed by, but the night was young yet.  Even  more than that were the smells of all the good foods that were available for sale.  Roasted spiced nuts, some kinds of drinks, food, meats, grilled and fried fish, so many things she was glad she wasn't hungry anymore because she would probably be drawn to them first. 

Khorin mentioned that she had wanted to go shopping, and she remembered she had, that had been the initial plan when they had come down to play at the beach.  But, it hadn't happened because he had to go back for some flying or something, and she had decided to go back as well rather than stay behind and try to figure out what to do with herself.  So, the shopping she had wanted to do had never happened.  Now though, it was apparently time to do so.

“you remembered.”  she leaned up and kissed his fuzzy cheek with a smile.  They turned and headed into the fray, Zeph had a large smile on her face.  She stopped by a jewelry stall first, only because all the bright lovely crystals and gems that they used to make the jewelry was something that caught her eye in the starlight lighting provided.  Everything seemed to be centered around the sun or nature, and it was right up her alley.  Zeph found herself a small ring that just caught her eye.  The bands looked as though they were carved metallic branches with small golden leaves coming off of them, the gold wasn't bright and shiny but more tarnished and textured.  The branches wrapped around the finger twice before they encircled a crystalline stone that was opaque in nature and yet still shimmered on it's own in the light around them. 

Zeph slid it onto her left ring finger since she was right handed it was the perfect place to try it on.  The ring slid over her knuckle and into place.  She smiled softly as she looked at it on her long digit and thought about how pretty it was. 

“It's impractical to have a ring, though, you think?” she bounced the thought off of Khorin.

Zeph's Ring;[Show/Hide]

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #14 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Ibai Besi Promenade | Aldea Prime | Aldea]
[Show/Hide]
att: @BZ


"Of course I remembered," he replied, with a gentle grin lingering on his face as she tiptoed to reach him. The kiss was chaste, brief, but it warmed the Klingon's heart and made it rush its rhythm for a while. Almost as much as the beautiful smile on her face.

The pair walked slowly into the marketplace, and Zephyr was immediately drawn to a jewelry stall. She began to snoop around the small ornaments that glowed on the counter, catching the light from the lamps in a thousand metallic reflections. The small crystals on the jewels scattered the light in a thousand tiny rainbows. Finally she picked one with a plant design and slid it into her left hand, raising it up so that the Klingon could see the effect.

"It's impractical to have a ring, though, you think?" she asked, but Khorin sensed her delight about the ring through the link that bound them together. She loved it. And although he had limited taste in jewelry, he couldn't say no to something she liked so deeply.

"Nah, I think it goes perfect in your hand," he encouraged her. A mischievous smile lit up his features for a brief second. "Besides, it'll make your punches hurt even more." he bantered as he placed a few stars in the hands of the Aldean woman who staffed the stand.

"And what about you, mister? Don't you want a nice ring to match your lady's?" She tried to lure them.

Khorin blinked a couple of times and scanned the table in search of something to his taste... or that could embrace one of his thick fingers. "Urrrrggg... I have no idea about this, what do you think Zeph?"

Re: Day 10 [2000hrs.] Next to me

Reply #15 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Shopping Like Normal People | Finishing What We Started | Supporting Local Artists]
@Numen




She was worried, considering her job, that the ring would be inpractical.  Truthfully, she would probably take it off at work, and put it around her neck or something when she was busy working with her hands.  They weren't always dirty and in the dirt of various plant life but they were often.  So she wanted to make sure that she was able to keep it clean and well cared for.  Especially since it wasn't like she could just replace it.  She liked that it wasn't just some replicated thing that was picked out of a menu, even designed in replication it was something based on other things.  This was unique onto itself and even on the table before them there was no other that looked even remotely similar to the one that lay on her finger catching the light all around them.

Khorin said it was perfect on her hand and that it would seek to make her punches hurt more.  She laughed softly and nearly punched him for it, but decided not to because.. well.. people were watching.  And it would probably turn him on.  He handed the stars over to the woman who then began to ask if they were interested in a male ring.  Khor seemed to be uncertain about the whole thing explaining he was no good at picking out jewelry and defaulted to letting Zephyr pick something for her.  She knew that Khorin liked fluffy things and so forth but a ring that he would be wearing around the ship and so forth needed something a little bit extra.  She wanted something that reminded her of Khorin when she saw it.  His strength, the steadfastness, the sturdy way that he was with her.  The foundation and home that he had become. 

In the back of the table she saw just the perfect thing.  It looked to be hammered and perhaps carved out of some kind of metal.  Similar to her own ring and the branch that made the ring.  Only his was more ring-like in shape and had mountains carved into the metal standing out against the beauty of the rest of the ring.  And, it was perfect.  She reached back, and plucked the ring out of the soft fabric it had been sitting surrounded by.

“That one doesn't have any of the crystals.” the salesperson stated.

“It's perfect.” Zeph said as she turned to Khorin and picked up his left hand.  Carefully, she slid the ring onto his finger.  She was afraid it wouldn't fit on his huge fingers but somehow, it did.  It slid into place as though it had been made for him, it was masculine and yet spoke so much about Khorin.  Things he did not believe in himself but things that she saw every day for him.  It was her turn to hand over the stars so that they could pay for the new ring.

“I have a matching set of jewelry for both of those designs.” the salesperson interjected hoping to get more sales.

“No, this is perfect.  Thank you.” she said as she linked her arm with Khorin's so that they could continue down the market place with their new jewelry on hand.  A smile on her face as they walked through the beautiful scenery.  There were so many places to stop.  Places that had drinks, food, snacks, and even some home décor.  She pulled Khorin over to a stall that sold all sorts of Klingon emblems. 

“Do you like any of these for our home?”

Khorin's Ring:  [Show/Hide]

Re: Day 10 [2000 hrs.] Next to me

Reply #16 –
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | Andra Mari Restaurant | Recreation Areas | Aldean Office Complex | Aldea Prime Shipyards]
[Show/Hide]
att: @BZ

Khorin spun the ring Zeph had chosen around his finger. The interior of the metal band was surprisingly smooth, so much so that he barely noticed that he was wearing it. The outer part, however, was coarser, as if the object had been sculpted from a solid piece of metal. The Klingon ran his fingers along the edges of the mountains that embroidered the circle. It wasn't something he would have chosen for himself, and somehow it was somehow perfect for him. The ring's weight was foreign in his hand, and yet the pilot knew that soon it will become as much a part of him as his own flesh and blood.

The Aldean lady on the other side of the stall pointed out that the ring had no crystals and was unmatched with the one his mate had chosen. Perhaps in an attempt to duplicate the purchase and sold them two sets of rings, but the Betazoid pointed out that there was no need, that they were perfect just as they were, mismatched and all. However, somehow both had the same thing in their core, the same foundation, the same material. As Khorin and Zephyr had too. "Indeed, they are perfect," he said in agreement. A wide grin grew on his face as he added. "But not as much as you" He rumbled with his more suave voice. Almost so much that it could sound like a joke. Yet there was truth in the Klingon's words, and an unconditional love that he could not hide from her.

No so long after, the couple kept walking slowly through the marketplace, hands intertwined as their gazes danced back and forth through the crowd. There was a myriad of things to see, a hundred different smells: spices, drinks, food, and desserts of every shape and color imaginable. Khorin glimpsed what looked like a candy stand at a street crossing, and despite the copious dinner they had consumed just before their transport to the planet, one of his stomachs roared at the prospect of being filled with more sweets. A further confirmation that Khorin owned a stomach made exclusively for pastries and sweets.

However, as he raised his free hand to point at the place, Zephyr pulled the other one in the opposite direction. The Klingon let out a whimper that was hardly characteristic of a warrior as he watched the sweets go away before looking where his Kyamo was leading him. It was a stall that had banners and Klingon emblems. Most of them were cheap copies of old pennants, Kahless placards, and some of the mythical trophies found in the Houses that were present in the system. Khorin quickly spotted copies of several flags he had seen hanging in his grandfather's halls, many years ago. It was odd to think of them as simple souvenirs when they are part of the History of his family.

"Do you like any of these for our home?" asked Zeph, and Khorin scratched his bristly beard as a pensive reply. "I don't think that...wait" Khorin interrupted himself and bent precariously over the stall, trying to check that his eyes hadn't deceived him. And, indeed, they had not.  "Is that a banner from the First City Skull Crashers?" Khorin asked, unable to suppress his enthusiasm.

The plump Klingon on the other side of the booth nodded with a pleased grunt. "The best ice hockey team in the quadrant." he grunted. " In the quadrant? in the fucking galaxy," Khorin replied enthusiastically after he turned to face Zeph and gestured at the banner. "Can we?"


OOC: I want to apologize for the short and poor quality of this post, and, especially, for the long time it has taken me to write it. Life is being a tsunami lately that is weighing me down badly and my inspiration pond is almost completely dry. I hope that practicing and writting will bring back some quality back into my writing and that you'll be able to forgive me for this decrease in quality.
 

Re: Day 10 [2000 hrs.] Next to me

Reply #17 –
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Kyamo Extraordinaire | Things We Do For Love | We Need a Man Cave]
@Numen




She had expected that he would find something Klingon-ish that he wished to hang in their Quarters.  She had populated it here and there with plants because she always felt that places needed colors.  Her office on the Azurite Station had been one of bright colors.  She had a wall behind her that had been filled with hydroponic bins filled with all sorts of consistently blooming plants.  When one set was not in bloom, the one next to it was, so the wall was constantly shifting with different colors, scents, and flowers.  She had bright beautiful colored cushions and chairs, and her desk had been glass and see through to allow for all of the sharp bright colors shine brightly. 

Zeph had done much of the same to the Praise Douglas Quarters as well.  The couch had been replicated to have bright colored throw pillows on it, vibrant blues and purples with hints of pink and yellow here and there.  A bright colored and very soft pieced quilt lay over the back of the couch adding to the lovely bright colors on the simple ivory colored couch.  There was a vibrant blue rug on the floor underneath their glass coffee table that separated the couch from the large view screen.  Their bedding was just as vibrant, though the main color of their bedding was a stark and crisp white meaning that Khorin had to take a shower daily if he wished to lay in her crisp bed, there was a lovely line of that same bright blue color bordering the white quilt.  Several bright throw pillows and blankets also populated the bed as but set off with a shaggy black rug for under foot.  To get dressed there was a grand tufted velvet fushia chair to the side where his boots and her own were placed underneath for the night.  She knew that Khorin loved bright colors and soft things as well so everything was thought out to appease them both.  Jasper tended to sleep on the bed between the two of them or on the tufted bench.

She figured that it was time he could put his stamp on their place figuring that he might like something that reminded him of home.  What she did not expect was the fact that he was going to pick something from the Ice Hockey League.  Her eyes widened as he exclaimed, already his excitement was boiling over their bond and into her own mind.  She could tell he was not only excited but that he was dying to ask her for it.  Not that she could say no to the face that reminded her constantly of what his child would probably look like when they walked past a toy store.  She sighed softly and looked at the garish colors of the bright flag that hung there and she could feel the man behind the stall waiting to see if he had finally made a sale.  It didn't really fit .. but then again it did.  Because this was their place and she had yet to see him really put his own stamp on it he had just kind of let her do her thing.  He even tried to water the plants sometimes...

“Okay, go ahead.” she waved at the men.

The salesman got his impressive girth off the deceptively small stool that had held him up at least somewhat while waiting for a sale to happen.  He reached onto the large display and carefully unpinned the banner from the back and handed it over to Khorin to inspect.  “Careful with it now, it's quite a rare one.”

Zeph rolled her eyes, and she reached into her pocket and placed some money onto the counter for what she thought it was worth, which apparently wasn't enough.  “You'll need to double that doll.” he said with a bit of a grin. 

“I'll give you a couple extra.” 'she said throwing two more coins on the table in front of them, but not twice as much as she had before.  The man looked down his large sausage fingers moving through the chips there counting their worth before he looked back at her.  Zeph rose a brow and waiting.  Apparently they were having a standoff. 

“You've got this Klingon thinking you're something, asking permission from a woman to buy a banner.”

Zeph gave a wry grin and picked up one of the coins from the table putting it back in her pocket.  The salesman's face paled slightly.  “I think, if you want to be good at sales, demeaning your clientele is the last thing you want to do.  We are a team.” she stated firmly and shook her head.  “So take your money, or I'll keep taking my coins back.”

He grumbled something underneath his breath she didn't quite catch and pocketed the money.  Waving them off as he returned to the stool which creaked under his impressive weight settling back down onto it again.  Zeph smiled up at Khorin and slid her arm through his.  “Come on, I saw candy this way.” she stated as they headed back in the direction they had come with his new purchase in hand.

- FIN
 
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