Do your people date? (Part 2 Small Exchanges)

Posted on Mon Dec 23rd, 2024 @ 2:05pm by Ensign Kash th'Kaasniik & Sub-Lieutenant Osirin Acainus

1,411 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Character Backstories
Location: Akadia (Second Contact)
Timeline: 2386 MD 6 (Summer Abroad Series)

Osirin led the alien to his world through streets that grew narrower and narrower until they game to a brick building that had no sign above it.

Osirin knocked on the door. Anria is a bit eccentric, but he has a really good collection."

"I can't wait to see what you consider eccentric," Kash commented as they waited for a response. Though the two hadn't spent a lot of time on the planet together, the people here had already proven interesting enough.

Osirin gave the man a coy grin just as the door opened. Standing on the other side of the entrance was a man short even by Akdadian standards. He was about four and a half feet tall, his face lined with wrinkles. "Osirin, my son is that you?" he asked looking up at the two men. "And who is this blue fellow?"

"Hello, sir. My name is Kash," Kash responded politely. "I'm a friend. We met, ah, a few days ago." He looked over to Osirin for direction.

Osirin shrugged his shoulders. He wasn't exactly letting Kash fend for himself, though he was letting things play out a bit before he intervened.

"Ah, my boy, if you're a friend of Osirin's you're a friend of mine. He is a pretty good judge of character. What can I do for you Master Kash, would you like something off the rack, or custom?"

Kash let out an amused laugh as Osirin simply shrugged his shoulders and had yet to say a word despite being the one to bring him here. Kash's chin was slightly tucked, so even though he was considerably taller than the shop owner he was still giving the illusion of looking up at him.

"It's just Kash. That's my given name," Kash replied. "To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I'm going to be here a few weeks. I thought it would be good to have something nice - but not too nice. What do you recommend?"

The two Akadians exchanged looks, before Osirin finally spoke. "Not custom, that's too fancy. Something a little trendy. We're going to my place for dinner."

That caused Anria to give Osirin a sideways smile. "This way," he said leading Kash and Osirin to the back where there were several racks of robes that looked like they would fit Kash, or anyone else, a little snugly.

"There you go,"

Kash looked first at one end of a rack that had a few different robes in browns and sunset hues. He looked at the two men with some hesitancy as he pulled one out that was primary a darker shade of burnt orange with dark brown and ivory detailing. He put it back on the rack and smiled coyly.

"What do you both think? You would know better what's in style here than I would?"

"I like the blue one with the rose colored flowers," Osirin suggested.

Kash picked the blue one out and held it up in front of him. "You don't think it's too much blue?" He asked. His eyes locked on Osiris's and stayed there as he waited for an answer.

"Well, it is a different shade than you. and the flowers bring out your eyes, but maybe the white one would be better."

Still holding on to the blue, Kash picked out the white with his other hand. "This would make a statement on Earth," he commented admiring the fabric. "This one then?"

"That one will do. Pay the man and we'll get going."

"Sure. How much?" Kash looked over at Anria. He counted out the proper amount as the shopkeeper packaged the robe.

As they were walking out the door, Osirin asked, "So, I'm curious. Those antennae of yours. What do they do for you?"

"That's a bit of a loaded question," Kash replied flirtatiously. "I can sense changes in temperature, movement around me, pick up on something in the air that doesn't have an actual scent." He kept to himself how vulnerable he - and most Andorians would feel without them.

"Very interesting, I don't know about any other species that has something like that. But why would you say it's a loaded question? It seems pretty straight forward."

Kash kept his head tilted forward as he listed. He smiled at the Akadian's response. "If we keep spending time together then I might share the rest of it with you. Or you might even figure it out on your own.

"Ohhh, now I get it, or I'm pretty sure I do. But don't tell me. I'd like to figure it out, like you said. How soon before we might test my theory."

Kash turned to face Osirin more fully. He lifted a hand up and let his fingers gently trace Osirin's jaw line, the blue of Kash's hand a bold yet beautiful contrast against Osirin's olive skin. "You ask questions about my race, my people. I want to get to know you."

The Akadian smiled, he liked how Kash's hand felt on his face. "I could get used to this," he said. "What would you like to know? We Akadians aren't shy."

"What's your favorite memory?" Kash asked. A simple question, but one that peered into the soul.

"That's a great question. I've got a few, but I guess my favorite is when I got adopted. Family is really important to my people. And I didn't have one. My parents, whoever they were, by bio parents anyway, abandoned me. So, it felt really special when the Acainus took me in."

Kash tilted his head to the side a little, nodding just slightly as his eyes widened. "So you wouldn't take for granted what so many of us do. It is a sad story though, that you were old enough to remember not having a family. To have a hole in your heart at such a young age."

"And I still don't know who they are, or why they did what they did. I was old enough to remember a few things, but not enough to help."

"But, I consider myself lucky to have someone chose to love me."

"I haven't told many people about that, especially my own people. Just so you know."

Kash nodded. "I would never give away another man's secrets. Thank you for trusting me. I'm now looking even more forward to meeting them."

"You'll like them, I'm sure and they'll like you too. Before we go there though, we've got a couple of other stops. Do you gamble?"

"Not regularly, but on certain occasions I might. Why, what's next?" Kash asked.

"Well, we could go home and I could fix something, or we could get some lunch out. We've only had ices, but if you're up for a little adventure there's a place I know. You should probably stay with dice games or slot games though. Most Akadians can read minds and a lot of them are not above cheating to win. Especially when money is involved."

Kash laughed and shook his head. "I suppose if you're Akadian you're on the same playing field. Sure I'm up for an adventure."

"Well, then follow me," Osirin replied. He took Kash by his right elbow and pulled him into a series of progressively twisted streets till they emerged at a three-story red stone building with the name Ollie's above the door. "After you."

Kash obeyed and walked in first, looking over his shoulder as he did so. "I feel like you are taking me to all of these places and then just kind of pushing me into the pool to see how I swim. Is this how you test all the people you date?"

Osirin smirked at him. "It kind of is," he replied, "but in my defense, I've got your back and I won't let anything go too far north."

Then feeling a little remorseful he led him to a curtained off portion of the establishment with a layer of acrid smoke floating near the ceiling. This is kind of like Terran poker, though I should probably be the one playing. You can stay here and watch, or go back the direction we came and go to the dice table."

"I'll go check the rest of the place out. You uh... well good luck or have fun or whatever," Kash stated nonchalantly as he checked out the poker room before walking back through the curtain.

~tbc~

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