forum OxO with @Davadio

Started January 25, 2023 by @Emmrii

tune

Romulus waggled his eyebrows at her, in what was clearly meant as a friendly gesture. "Oh, I'll try. The effort ismost of the fun." He stood and waved them over to another table, where two individuals had been half watching them, one girl, one boy.
"You two, meet Arriss and Conner." He indicated them as they walked up behind him. "They're of the same… persuasion we are. All one crew now."

(( Haha sounds good! ))

The woman— a young adult with honey blonde waves and blue eyes— seemed open to the conversation while the male— a man with dark shoulder length hair and blue eyes that matched the girl’s— was more closed off. He stood back from the conversation, watching on in silence.

“The name’s Mercy. That guy over there is Kirk, my brother.” She slid into the seat next to Romulus and smirked. “I see you’ve already met this idiot.”

“Idiot?” Arriss snorted. “I can’t tell if that’s an endearing term or not.”

“Mm… it can be both.”

Romulus laughed. "Depends on how she's using it." He glanced over at Kirk, trying to draw him into the conversation. His naturally extroverted soul hated seeing people be left out, even if that's what they preferred.

Something beeped in Conner's ear just then. Moro-12's voice was quiet.
"Conner, you're being called. ID hasn't been configured yet, so it's someone new. Might be Valiel. Tap the earpiece to roger the com."

Conner stood up from the table, a clear sense of urgency in his eyes. “Apparently, I’m being called,” he told them. He smirked over at Romulus. “Try not to flirt with Arriss too much while gone, alright?”

“Flirt with Arriss?” Mercy raised her eyebrows. “Really, Romulus?”

Kirk snorted. “Why do you sound so surprised? Sounds like something he would do.”

Conner walked out into the hallway before he tapped on the ear piece. “Hey, what’s going on?”

Romulus looked excited for him. "Hey, probably one of your crewmates! Go take that." He waggled his eyebrows again. "Oh, just waiting till you leave." He looked over at Mercy, laughing. "Oh, c'mon, you two have been onboard what, 2 weeks? I was here for a year already by then, I've not seen a woman in a while, cut me some slack." He grinned at Kirk. "Absolutely it is."
He turned back to Arriss. "Though, I'll be polite about it. If I'm crossing lines, you can tell me."
……

"Conner??" Valiel's voice was… off. Something was wrong. "Conner, I need your help." She sounded like she'd been crying. "Where are you? Can I get to you?"

Mercy burst out laughing. “I guess I’m a man, then.”

Kirk grinned. “You look like one.”

“Shut up.”

Arriss snorted and sipped her drink. “Well, so far, you haven’t crossed any lines. But the moment you do, my fist will end up in your gut.”

Conner immediately noticed the change in Valiel. She had been crying. Something had to be wrong.

“I’m outside the cafeteria.” He headed further down the hall. “Tell me where you are. I’m coming to find you.”

Romulus grinned at Mercy. "No, but you told me off right away. Arriss is at least willing to gimme a chance. Right?" he turned back to Arriss, chuckling first at Kirk's snark, and then at her comment.
"Hey, a girl with some fight in her. I like that. And if you want to touch the abs, all you gotta do is say so." He flexed, an almost obscene show of rippling muscles.
………. (I swear he's harmless. Just a total frat boy)

Valiel started to protest, when Moro-12 cut in quietly. "She's in her room, make a left here."
He guided Connor to the room, with Valiel quietly saying that wasn't necessary, she could come to them, and had Conner there in less than a minute. The door hissed open, and Conner stepped into a room similar to his.
Valiel was sitting in human form on the bed, eyes red, fidgeting anxiously. She looked vulnerable, and upset. In all their time on the ship, nothing had ruffled her like this.
"Conner… I-…" She stood shakily, before stepping forward and throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him like she would die if she let go. Her body began to shake, and muffled sobs signaled her tears.

(( I freaking love him xDD ))

“And I’m glad I did.” Mercy smirked and picked at her food. “I would rather have a long, meaningful conversation with a blade of grass than date you.”

Kirk snorted. “Ouch.”

“I’m afraid I gotta agree with Mercy on this one,” Arriss teased. “Besides, I bet Ronnie could beat you any day.”

He sat down on the bed as he held her, resting his cheek on the top of her head as he rubbed her back. Never— never— had he seen Valiel this upset. Something serious must’ve happened, but he waited for her to calm down before he tried questioning her.

He eventually pulled back slightly, wiping her tears. “What happpened…?”

(ok good. Im afraid he comes off kinda bad sometimes)

Romulus turned his flex on Mercy. "Oh, c'mon, I know you want some." He laughed at Kirk. "You're not kidding, buddy. You know how many times I've had someone turn me down that hard? Not many."
He turned back to Arriss, mischief in his eyes. "Beat me at what? In a fight, you mean? Or at chess or something? Cuz he was your engineer, right? Probably a huge nerd."
……………

"Oh, nothing bad, just…" she swallowed hard. "It won't make sense to you, lemme try to explain." She took some deep breaths, and leaned into the touch of his hand on her cheek.
"So you know how I said the Charad-ti are a unified people? It's true, and it's so true we've developed… not a hive mind, but close. Like, we can kinda feel each other's presences and we all gain emotional regulation and stability from that…" She swallowed again, biting back tears. "So, I just joined the crew here, and Charad is part of Singularity, so in a way I've betrayed my people." She looked down, though she kept her face pressed into his palm. "And honestly, I haven't done anything, so I wouldn't have really thought about it, except… the instant I signed that contract, I felt my connection to my people just… disappear." She looked up, the tears running again. "I've never felt so alone before, and my emotional regulation apparently just went right out the window too, and-… I just-… I figured you were around cuz they said you'd joined too and you were the only person I could turn to so-… I'm sorry." She pressed her face into his shoulder again. "I'm sorry."

(( I think he’s adorable T^T Cocky sure but still cute xD ))

“Want some of what?” She smirked and rolled her eyes. “Trust me, sweetheart, I don’t want any of whatever you are.”

Arriss smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Do you guys normally bicker this much?”

Kirk nodded. “They do. I think it’s a couple thing.”

“Makes sense.” Arriss rested her cheek against her knuckles. “But I’m sure Ronnie could beat you in a fight. He was apart of the military.”

“Hey, hey. Don’t apologize, Valiel. You have no reason to apologize.”

He held her close, rocking gently back and forth. He was never good at comforting people, but he understood how she felt. To feel completely alone in the world. She had had a connection with her people all her life, and now it was just…. gone.

“I’m here for you,” he said softly. “I always will be.”

Romulus looked mock offended at Mercy's jab. "Whatever I am-… Oh, you know exactly what this is. I think you're just afraid you couldn't handle this much man."
He glared at Kirk for a second, in a playful way, before registering what Arriss said.
"Former military, huh?" His voice went a bit quieter, his face kept the smile, but something sparked in his eyes. "You know what part?"
………

Valiel shook her head. "No, I do, I just pulled you from whatever you were doing to come find me so I could cry and blubber all over you, that's not fair to you…"
She swallowed hard at his words. "I know you're there, that's why I called, I just-… why? Why are you that way?"
She knew her moods were swinging, and it felt terrible, but she was going to have to relearn emotional control, apparently.

“This much man?” Mercy snorted. “Give me a break. You couldn’t even handle me if you tried.”

Arriss paused at his question, noticing the shift in his tone. Maybe Romulus used to be in the military too?

“The Special unit.” She leaned forward against the table. “He’s never told me much about his time there, though. Maybe if he gets released, you can meet him…”

Conner rubbed her arm as he tried to comfort her. He had never seen her this upset before; being disconnected from the rest of her people really threw her off. Conner could understand why. He couldn’t imagine how he would feel if his family decided to cut him off.

“Nah, I wasn't doing anything important. Just watching some dude try to hit on Arriss, that’s all.” He smiled and squeezed her hand. “You’re more important than that.”

Romulus snickered at Mercy. "You won't let me try, so I guess we'll never know."

His attention turned back to Arriss, his face still friendly. "Ah, a spec-ops guy. Well, that should be fun." Something about the way he said it sounded… off, but he kept smiling.
For Romulus, he was worried that he'd have faced off against Ronnie at some point, and that they'd have to not talk to each other about their pasts, in order to keep the peace.
………

Valiel looked up at him. "Hit on Arriss? Is she alright? Is everything ok?" Human idioms didn't always translate, and just now, Valiel was prone to worry about everything.
"And have you seen Ronnie? Does anybody know if he's really been taken care of, like they keep saying?"

“Well, Ronnie also likes everyone, so I’m sure you’ll be fine,” she insisted.

Arriss kept glancing at the door, waiting for Ronnie to show up, but had yet to arrive. She knew Valiel had most likely been released; she was likely the reason why Conner had disappeared. But where was Ronnie. She felt the knot in her stomach tighten as she thought about him, but she was quickly ripped away from her thoughts when Mercy spoke up.

“Romulus, maybe we should give Arriss a tour of the ship,” Mercy suggested. “You know, so she won’t have to use her AI for directions anymore.”

“No, no. Not hit.” He chuckled softly. “It’s an idiom. It means to flirt with. The guy was trying to flirt with Arriss.”

He smiled at this bit of their conversation. Valiel always got confused over human customs and language, and Conner found it adorable.

“And no, I haven’t seen Ronnie. Well, not in person. The AI showed me him when I asked it to.” Conner released a sigh. “Arriss is extremely worried over him. I’m hoping he gets released soon…”

Romulus nodded slowly at her. "If you say so." He noted the way she kept looking for someone, he could only assume it was Ronnie, and his smile widened.
"He'll be alright." he said gently. Mercy's suggestion made his face brighten, and he stood up, clearing away everyone's trays. "Sounds good to me!"
…….
Valiel nodded, feeling stupid. "Oh, of course. I should have known." She hung her head. "Obviously." She glanced up when Connor mentioned how worried Arriss was. "Why? He'll be alright. Was he hurt?"
The AI hadn't been granted to her before she signed the contract, so she hadn't had a chance to check on the crew.

Arriss stood up, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. With every hour that passed, she kept getting more and more anxious about Ronnie’s condition. She hoped that they were treating him well.

Mercy noticed her constant glancing at the door and raised an eyebrow. “Looking for someone?”

“My engineer. Ronnie.” She sighed. “He was injured in the attack.”

“Oh…” Mercy’s voice died off for a few moments before she quietly threw her food away. Something about the conversation bothered her, but she tried not to show it. “I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

Conner sighed softly, gently rubbing her arm. “It’s alright. Human idioms are weird,” she said softly. “And I think he is. From what I’ve heard, he may have a few broken bones, but nothing life threatening.”

Romulus noted the conversation of the two girls behind him, and wondered what was bothering Mercy specifically. Arriss, it was pretty clear, was head over heels for this engineer, so her worry made sense.
He headed down the hall from the commons. "First stop, Bridge Overlook." Seeing where the ship was run from was always neat to him.
………..
Valiel nodded slowly. "They treat humans well here." she said quietly. "I was a little worried when I saw the Commander, but… so far, it's been fine."

Arriss, while still uneasy, went throughout the Bridge Overlook and looked around. Mercy, on the other hand, stayed by Romulus’s side, still clearly bothered by something.

“I… think I’m gonna head back to my room.” She forced a small smile. “Stay with her, okay? And no flirting. She’s in love with someone else.”

“He’s a bit scary.” Conner smiled down at her. “Do you think Ronnie will choose to stay on the ship with us?”

The bridge overlook was a high balcony, with large glass windows, that looked down over the bridge. The main screen, the various desks and workstations, the command chair with all it's controls, all could be seen from up here. For a ship this size, the bridge was pretty big. At the moment it was staffed by a lot of Muwellorians, all sporting the same dark skin and red eyes the Commander had. One looked up and made eye contact, before giving a small wave and going back to work.
The overlook itself was carpeted, with a couple rows of seats and a small dais. It was designed for diplomatic meetings, and was super comfortable.

Romulus glanced at mercy, concern in his eyes. He'd only known her a couple of weeks, and didn't have much information on her background. But he could tell grief when he saw it.
"Get some rest. Lemme know when you're awake." he said quietly.

He watched her walk away, before looking at Kirk. "Where do we take her next?"
…….
"Well, maybe, but he's a lot less prejudiced than usual, so that's nice." She shrugged, before sniffling at the mention of Ronnie.
"I sure hope so. I don't know what we'd do without him…" Tears welled up again, and man did she hate this instability.

Mercy smiled sadly before reaching over and squeezing his hand, trying to reassure him that she was fine. She then turned and walked out of the bridge overlook towards her room. Her brother watched her leave, eyebrows furrowed in concern, before he turned back to Romulus.

“I dunno. She looked like a person who might enjoy reading.” He shrugged. “Maybe the library?”

He noticed the tears and pulled her close, resting his cheek against her head. “I hope he’ll make the right decision,” he whispered, “but even if he doesn’t, we can always stay in contact with him…”

Romulus nodded, before giving Kirk a long look. "You have any idea what that's about?"
He waited till Arriss had headed back towards the door, and then walked off towards the library. It was more of an archive than a library, really, with multi-screen desks built for research.
"Up next, the home of our ship's AI, Moro-12, or as I like to call him, Hal." He chuckled.
…….

Valiel nodded. "I hope so too, for Arriss's sake specifically. She'd be crushed…"
After a few minutes, she slowly let go of Conner. "I'm ok… thank you." She looked up at him, her eyes showing that she wasn't entirely fine, but better. "This is going to take some getting used to."

Kirk didn’t answer him at first, conflicted on whether he should say anything or not. Eventually, when they arrived at the library, he let out a sigh and leaned against the doorway.

“Mercy had a relationship with a man before we were captured. He had been almost killed before we were brought aboard the ship,” Kirk explained, his eyes focused on the floor. “She never saw him again after that. I’m guessing Arriss’s is reminding her of that.”

He placed a hand on her cheek and smiled, wiping the remnants of her tears with his thumb. He could only imagine how hard all of this was for her.

“Don’t worry,” he said softly. “I’ll stick with you through all of it.”

Romulus nodded slowly. "She could try to return to Earth and find him. Her identity with the governments would be changed, but surely he would know her…" He could only assume the man had chosen to go home, like his crew.
He stepped into the Library, and motioned to one of the desks. "Arriss, this place has everything. Fiction from all kinds of worlds, their media and entertainment, their versions of the internet, etc. It's got some human stuff, but we've been working on getting more. It's also got all the info you could want about species, factions, governments, all the current conflicts across the galaxy, etc. All voice activated, though you can use a keyboard if you prefer."
…..
Valiel looked at him for a long moment, before the tears were back. Again.
"That's so nice!" she wailed, before burying her face in his chest. "Why are you so kind to me?"