STF

Dinner with the XO (Kord)

Posted March 17, 2019, 5:03 p.m. by Lieutenant Tiastri Ezial (Chief Engineer) (Melissa Aragon)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kord (XO) in Dinner with the XO (Kord)

Posted by Lieutenant Tiastri Ezial (Chief Engineer) in Dinner with the XO (Kord)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Kord (XO) in Dinner with the XO (Kord)
Posted by… suppressed (1) by the Post Ghost! 👻

SNIP

Tia nodded, “Fair enough, though I can certainly assure you that ambition hadn’t crossed my mind. Pleasure, certainly… It’s always nicer to dine with someone else. Business… well, if we talk about the ship, I suppose that would work as well. As for personal, I won’t lie and say that putting that makeshift bomb together with you wasn’t exciting.” She took a deep breath and smiled, “I like you, Kord. And while I know it’s probably not proper and won’t go beyond occasional dinners, yes… it was personal as well.” She wasn’t sure where her boldness came from, but it felt good. But then the ‘boldness’ hit her and she looked swiftly back at her plate and took another bite as crimson not only touched her cheeks, but rose up to the tips of her ears as well.

Tia

Kord smiled warmly. He was flattered.

“You like me? But you know nothing about me beyond my race being all but extinct, I can make bombs that rip sub-space asunder, and that, perhaps, I’m a lot older than what you may be used to.”

  • Kord

She looked up at him and shrugged. “I know you care enough about the people on this ship that you made a bomb. I don’t know how to make your race being nearly extinct a better thing for you. But I know you are unique in your own ways. Whether it’s your race, or your personality, or just the fact that I don’t feel crazy young and inexperienced around you. You had confidence in me with enough conviction to field promote me. That meant a lot to me. And from what I’ve learned about you, that’s not something you toss around lightly.”

Tia set her fork down and looked at him. “Ok, so there is an age gap.”

Kord was taking a drink when she mentioned age gap and nearly choked. He tried to suppress it though a couple of drops managed to find their way down his chin.

“If that’s a problem, then I understand. But it won’t affect that I consider you not just my XO but also my friend. I’m not some ‘straight from the Academy’ child with some starry eyed crush on her Commanding Officer. And I hope I get to know you better.” To her credit, she wasn’t swooning, being seductive or whining. She was merely stating that she felt a connection… and even if he didn’t, she was willing to accept that as well. “I’m sorry if that was too forward. But you ‘did’ ask.” She tried to laugh and lighten the mood.

Tia

Kord coughed politely into his napkin and smiled.

“The age gap isn’t a problem for me, I can’t let it be a problem if I’m going to have any chance at a somewhat normal social life even for a very brief time. However, when others find out how wide that gap actually is, they usually decide to keep the relationship strictly professional.”

Kord appreciated her matter of fact attitude. He’d been around too long to care about keeping unnecessary secrets anymore.

  • Kord

She had to clench her jaw to keep from giggling when the mention of the age gap had nearly made him choke. “Well… Since you brought it up… How big is the gap? 3000 years?” Her voice remained steady and calm as if 3000 was the same as five. Tia had thrown the number out there willy-nilly, but had remembered enough about time travel anomalies that after she said it, she half wondered if he’d say ‘yes’. She had no plans on running, regardless his answer, though. But he’d brought it up so now she was curious.

Tia
CE

Kord looked at her appraisingly for a moment.

“In a round number? Try over forty thousand Terran standard years.” Kord said then observed Tia’s reaction.

  • Kord

She blinked. She couldn’t help it. But she then smiled and picked up her fork. With a shrug and a wink, Tia smiled and nodded to him. “That’s funny. I never would have put you over thirty five thousand.” She took a bite of her dinner and looked at him. This time the young woman’s gaze was softer. “Kord… the age doesn’t bother me. Honest. The question is, will it bother you? To be honest, I am now vastly curious to learn even more about you. The things you have seen, experienced, and endured. I can’t imagine. And I know it’s not all good, no one’s life is. But I want to know. And if I can, add to the good side of your experiences. But… only if you want. I can’t imagine what it’s like to live that long. I’ll settle for friends if that’s all you want.”

She shut up then, realizing that, once more, she was rambling. Before moving another bite of food to her mouth, she murmured, “If you can put up with my unceasing jibbering, that is…”

Tia

Kord leaned back on the chair and looked at Tia for a long silent minute, the weight of his many myrieteris in his eyes.

“In my experience entanglements of love and lust can undo the best of us and lead to folly and pain. The younger races age, die, and fall to dust in the passing of but a breath. The very rare children with other races do not inherit our longevity. My race has decimated itself. Among the younger races, we seem immortal, never aging, never tiring. The few that remain think that it’s better not to care too deeply and have learned to do so. I don’t want to be one of them.”

  • Kord

“Then don’t…” Tia’s said softly as Kord finished.

She set her fork down and leaned her elbows on the table, one hand reaching towards him in offering. “I can’t imagine the pain of seeing so many you love, age and die while you remain as you are, as you have But I also can’t imagine the idea of exploring love with so many opportunities to learn and grow and touch so many lives that otherwise may not be touched, as you have. I would never force pain upon you, Kord. Nor anyone else. And I can’t give you long lived children if you say it can’t be done. But I can promise to fill this part of your life so it’s less lonely.”

She smiled and winked, “And perhaps I can renew some of the speak you had when you were younger and even renew your vision of us short lived species.” She laughed at him then as she promised to be more than just a pastime. And if he looked closely, she wholeheartedly believed it with all that she was.

Tia


Posts on USS Merrimack

In topic

Posted since


© 1991-2024 STF. Terms of Service

Version 1.15.9