Dodging Nomaani's Arrow

[Kes Akiena]

In other words, nothing exactly out of the normal spectrum of daily events. It was nice to be able to have that sameness at times, and now was most definitely one of those times.

"Very good."

Kes tucked the datapad under a growing pile of other drudgery, looking back up to the Preita'rrou. A blink, and his eyes went to the box of sweetmeats.

"Is that how it's pronounced?"

He pulled the box back over in front of him, inspecting the embossed gold foil of the label.

"Baau'tai raau," he repeated, the words coming out a bit slower as he did his best to work his tongue around the Cizeri inflections.

"Interesting. Is it good?"

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

Sometimes she forgot what a stranger in a strange land that she truly was. He had no idea what Baau'tai raau was. If he were Cizeri, that would be incredibly sad.

"Verrjy!" Kiimiti gave an emphatic nod of her head. It was only by fixating on that tasty little parcel that her eyes led to the rest of the basket, which caused her ears to raise up high.

"jIt lookss l-l-ljike jyou have an adm-m-mjirrerr, and that thejy ssparred ljittle exp-pensse."

[Kes Akiena]

A rather helpless look passed over his features, fleeting in how long it stayed.

"I suppose." A still somewhat baffled expression, and he slid the box across his desk toward her with one hand while his other gestured for her to sit.

"Seeing as how I've never had any before, perhaps you could introduce me?"

Normally it was T'yeellaa that did the cultural introductions and lessons as it were, but the redhead was more than happy to allow for more than one 'teacher'.

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

Normally, modesty would rule the day. That being said, Kiimiti was happy to tell modesty to go stuff itself when her boss offered her some of his Baau'tai raau. Nevermind that whoever was trying to woo him was pulling out all the stops. She was a non-aligned benefactor of free candy.

Reverently, the Preita'rrou liberated one of the gold foil parcels from it's tray and began to unwrap it.

"jIt'ss made frrom the ssap of th-the koorraau cane."

Thank goddess for holoflix binges. She'd actually watched a documentary about how this was made.

"Thejy bojil jit down f-f-forr hourrss, unt-tjil jit can be pulled jinto a t-t-taffjy. Thejy add njineteen djifferrent sspjicess, and sslowljy add a frragrrant corrdjial, d-drrop bjy drrop."

The golden parcel in Kiimiti's hand yawned open to reveal a cube that looked like a square of well-polished mahogany. Smiling, Preita'rrou Taassaurra held it beneath her nose to smell it.

"jIt takess dajyss. Too much, and jit brreakss the emulssjion, and the batch jiss rr-rrujined. Too ljittle, and the candjy bec-c-comess harrd and unworrkable. B-but when jit'ss jusst rrjight..."

Kiimiti extended a claw tip, then pressed it to the top of the candy square. The mahogany cleaved effortlessly in silken compliance, silken to the point of ephemera.

[Kes Akiena]

He listened intently, leaning back in his seat as she described the process, and his eyes went to the clawtip she pushed into the top of one of the small squares. There was no denying the fact that the woman liked these candies.

"So then... "

Plucking a candy from the box for himself, he pulled it close to examine the morsel. Holding it up between thumb and forefinger for inspection, the redhead pursed his lips. His fingernails weren't near long enough for him to even pretend to mimic her poke.

"...do you just pop it into your mouth like a regular bit of chocolate, or is there some ritual that goes into eating it... ?"

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

"Chocolate?"

Kiimiti's expression turned quizzical a moment before dawning recollection lit her face.

"Oh! Rrjight!"

She'd only really been exposed to the dark alien confectionery on her study trip to Syragor. Kiimi and her study-mates took an extended weekend to the human quarter for an excuse to get hammered on foreign liquor and try weird food. She'd gotten sick more than once, but life was a journey and not a destination.

"L-ljike that, jI thjink. Orr jyou could jusst n-n-njibble. jIf jyou want."

[Kes Akiena]

Not exactly wanting to bungle his way through this foray into Cizerack cuisine (he was already hesitant enough around the live stuff), Kes took her words to heart, though rather than nibble his way through the sweet, he chose instead to take half of it in one bite. The taste was delicate, like some gentle caramel that held all manner of complex spices all throughout.

Chewing thoughtfully, the redhead eventually gave a nod as he swallowed.

"It's good," his tone was somewhat surprised; even moreso by the fact that he actually rather enjoyed the taste.

The remaining half was popped into his mouth, and in the midst of chewing, he couldn't help himself.

"This is very good."

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

Kiimi took the sign of the Commander's own partaking as a cue to eat her own piece. The entire cube of candy was eased past her lips, and as they closed so too did her eyes in epicurean bliss. The delicate emulsion of caramel and cordial burst upon contact with the heat of her tongue, and Kiimiti took the experience in with religious reverence.

Distantly, she was aware that the Commander had said something, but she was busy exploring the universe through means of sweet, salt, space, and schism. When at last she swallowed, Kiimi's eyes slowly opened. She glanced down to her fingertips, resisting the urge to pass the tip of her tongue over them in one last flavor hurrah. To help stay that impulse, there was still the matter of exactly who was trying to court the Commander. From the look of the spread, it seemed like a pretty solid effort.

"P-p-perrmjisssjion to assk a perrss-ssonal quesstjion?"

[Kes Akiena]

In the midst of closing back up the box, Kes looked up at her.

Ususally the only Cizerack on his staff that ventured such questions was T'yeellaa; that Taassaurra now did so as well caused him to blink in mild surprise. Most of those under his command that weren't already acquainted with him from previous postings never ventured to try and find out anything beyond the surface of their red-headed superior.

"I'll certainly not stop you," he finally smiled, doing his best to tuck the box of sweets back into the gift basket without causing anything else to spill out.

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

"Wh-wh-who gave jyou the gjift b-bassket?"

Intrigue and gossip weren't exactly Kiimi's forte, but she was a communications officer. That meant that a little friendly scuttlebutt was always bound to happen.

"jI mean, obvjioussljy jit was a Cizeri woman judgjing bjy the contentss...and wjith C'saa e Nomaani'suurra comjing up..."

She tried to imagine the Commander being the kind of demure man that would be chased after and claimed. That thought caused her tail tuft to frizz. Men were already intimidating enough when they weren't having careers and command.

[Kes Akiena]

It wasn't exactly an expected question; he figured she'd ask about what sort of sweets he normally enjoyed, or something like that.

"Well... "

How best to explain?

"It was a Cizerack woman, yes."

An idea.

"If I tell you, will you tell me what I need to do to put a stop to any further gifts?"

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

"Telljing them that jyou've t-taken anotherr woman'ss k-k-kaa'rri ussualljy doess the trrjick." Kiimi replied a bit glumly, recalling her own poor track record at courtship.

[Kes Akiena]

"Usually."

He needed something foolproof, and 'usually wasn't going to cut it.

"I need something that leaves no doubt at all."

After all, Dage had told him how things went with T'yeellaa's mother. The woman hadn't given a care that he was already 'taken'.

Then again, he supposed it also depended on the woman, and the redhead let out a sigh.

"I need something that will keep away the Madame."

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

More intrigue. Whoever was after the Commander, it was a Madame. That meant status, power, and money. Kiimi's own track record was spotty because, among other failings, she had none of those things.

"A ssham marrrjiage, jojinjing the p-p-prrjiessthood? jYou could get f-fat, that mjight help."

[Kes Akiena]

A hand went up to rub at his temple. This was not an easy problem to suss out.

"If I attend this... C'saa e Nomaani'suurra," he did his best to not completely butcher the pronunciation, "I suppose I should find someone to accompany me, then."

He could always find some way out of it, but on a certain level Kes had to admit that the Madame's words rang with a bit of truth. It would certainly help to continue repairing the damage done in the attack.

[Kiimiti Taassaurra]

Kiimi nodded.

"That'ss p-prrobabljy a good jidea."

Her ears buoyed a little as she nodded more emphatically.

"jYou sshould though, jyou'd h-h-h-have a good tjime, jI thjink."

Probably. C'saa e Nomaani'suurra was a lovely event, but she'd never quite gotten over the hump of asking anyone to go before. She was always the third wheel. The one who got as far as the food and the drinks, but never quite found a dance partner.

[Kes Akiena]

Somewhat lost in thought, Kes afforded a nod. Thankfully it wasn't any decision that had to be made now. He'd be able to mull over his options at a later time. For now though, he still had work to tend to.

"Thank you for the help, Preita'rrou."

Kes gave her a kind smile while lifting the data pad she'd brought with her.

"And thanks for the report. I'm sure it'll be a page-turner."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

The gunnery range had always been a welcome escape. The act of shooting at a target felt like a kind of meditation, and it was a simple and rewarding task T'yeellaa Meorrrei felt at home in doing. Controlled breath, eyes wide open, squaring one's stance into a natural point. Always knowing where the front post was, so that lining it on target was as intuitive as pointing a finger.

BLAT

BLAT

BLAT

It was practical, rewarding, and it allowed your mind to escape into itself in it's simplicity. Even more, it was competitive - even when done alone as T'yeellaa chose to. In shooting, the only shots that matter are the ones that hit their mark. It was a game of you versus you. Distances of inches showing a path of progression; of metamorphosis.

T'yeellaa paused mid-volley, adjusting her orange-tinted safety glasses. She took a deep breath, rolled her shoulders, and redoubled her grip on her blaster.

[Kes Akiena]

A slight cough, and a voice from behind her spoke.

"Just so you know, I think it's safe to say you killed it after the first two shots."

[T'yeellaa Meorrrei]

K'ohta'rrou Meorrrei flinched at the unanticipated voice behind her, her tail tuft frizzing in genetic surprise reflex. A muttered kosa came out as she exhaled the tension, and she turned in the shooting booth to face her Commander, though not before being mindful enough to rest her weapon on the bench.

"Do jyou make a habjit of ssurrprrjissjing women carrjyjing loaded weaponss?"