Katherine had a very comfortable bed, making it hard to wake up from. Some of the events from last night still had a dream-like quality to Tasha. She recalls being talked into showing off some of the features of her datapad, including the video she'd captured of Katie Kaboom leaving the raceway. She didn't go so far as to show any of the communication functions, however. Miss Necessity agreed to get a message to Hakeber that Tasha would be staying the night, and then it was Katie's turn to show off some of her personal electronic devices: ones the spun, vibrated and did other things, even massaged. It seemed less surprising that Katherine Vesuvius didn't have a boyfriend after the prolonged demonstration. There was a lot of tattoo-licking as well.
Despite the pull of the bed, Tasha's stomach is grumbling, because her nose is teasing it with various breakfast odors. Katie is stirring as well, letting out a loud yawn.
Disheveled, with her head tucked under Katie arm, the red woman can't help but catch the yawn-bug and do so as well. She's been awake for a half an hour now, doing her best to do nothing, especially thinking about what happened the night before. It's enough for her that she's found some comfort in Katie and her strange new world, far away from the near-death experiences, backwater treks through the dirt, Markers and more besides. Here, at least, she doesn't feel as important as the person beside her; here, she's lost in the crowd. It feels very civilized, a feeling tasha is finding increasingly hard to ignore -- or want to do without.
Still, she can't put the day off forever -- nor her worries, at least not without doing something to distract her. She rolls over in to the crook of Katie's arm and gives the woman a kiss on the muzzle.
"Good morning, Katie," she whispers.
"Already?" the Karnor complains. "Mr. Invention is just trying to torture me again.." she mutters.
Still, the model does eventually sit up in bed. "I don't have a dayrobe that will fit your wings!" she suddenly realizes.
Tasha smiles, thinking back to when she first met Mr. Invention; she can certainly see him being the type. "He seems like an interesting man. All of the people here seem interesting. Where did you meet them all? Is he a relative of yours?"
"He works for my agent, and takes care of.. uh.. everything I suppose," Katie says. "My schedule, diet, exercise.."
There's a soft knock at the door, and Miss Necessity asks, "May I come in? I have a robe for Miss Argentine."
Tasha nods, admitting, "My wings do a good job anyway. Thank you for thinking about me." She listens a moment, then frowns worriedly. "It's not a problem for you that I'm here, is it?"
"Come on in, Nessie," Katie replies, and pats Tasha on the cheek. "Problem? You're the most interesting thing to happen to me in ages."
More tantalizing scents pour in through the open door, and Mr. Invention's assistant enters with a fluffy (but thin) robe that's been modified for winged wearers. "Breakfast is being served," she announces perkily.
Tasha can't help but giggle at the compliment. "Usuaully I hear those words with more exasperation," she conceeds. She turns her gaze towards the door, asking, "Is Necesity also with your agent? They're such stylish, talented people."
When the robe nears, the hybrid woman accepts it, slipping in to it as she explains, "My name is a little complicated. Most people just call me Tasha, or Aldara Tasha, which is actually my second first name and probably older than Tasha, come to think of it. Argentine ... I guess it does dit as my last name, really."
"How do you like your coffee, Miss Tasha," Necessity (or Nessie) inquires politely, while helping Katie into her own robe.
Once she's figured her robe out and got it pulled around for modesty Tasha rises, answering, "Straight I guess? Coffee is a bit new to me."
"Oh? We have a lot of varieties if you'd like to sample a few," Nessie claims with a smile.
"That would be lovely, Thank you ... Nessie?" Tasha says, smiling to the woman.
"I'd like a cinnamon mocha latte with caramel, Nessie," Katie says, earning an uncertain look from the human girl. "I'll try, Miss Kate, but you know how Mr. Invention gets about your sugar intake.."
"A very daunting man, to be sure," the hybrid woman remarks.
Nessie leads them back to the dining room, where the table is covered in a veritable feast. There are stacks of pancakes and waffles, bowls of fruit, platters of ham and sausage and bacon, various breads and muffins and even sausages wrapped in pancakes that are further wrapped in bacon. Next to it all is a rolling metal cart with a complicated looked machine on top venting steam and sporting several nozzles.
Mr. Invention holds out a seat for Tasha, dressed impeccably again (but with a chef's apron as well). "I hope you slept well, Miss," he says to Tasha.
"I've never seen so much food served on Abaddon before," Tasha remarks as she takes in the whole of breakfast, clearly sounding impressed. She takes a moment to simply draw it all in before glances to her seat, ears canting back. "Oh. I did. Thank you, sir," she replies before taking a seat.
Nessie passes on Katie's drink request to Mr. Invention, who reacts by slightly raising his left eyebrow. He then serves the woman a soft-boiled egg in a cup, one slice of toast, two slices of bacon and a small fruit cup, along with a glass of orange juice. All while Katie looks longingly at the pancakes.
"Would you like an omelet?" Nessie asks Tasha, and presents her with with a fancy glass of coffee with a smiley-face drawn in cream on top and a cinnamon stick poking out.
Tasha, who had been reaching for the pancakes, pauses when she catches the model's reaction. She hesistates, then simply smiles and sits back. "I'll have what Katie is having," she tells the servant, though she does accept the coffee without fuss.
"We don't both have to suffer," Katie tells Tasha, but Nessie does prepare the same dish for Tasha - except there's a small steak to go with the bacon.
"It would be rude of me to dig in while you cannot, and besides, you've already shown me a great deal of hospitality just by inviting me here." Tasha smiles a bit more, then picks up her fork and knife. "After spending three weeks trapsing all over Sinai, I really appreciate the touch of civilization. Even on Abaddon I don't live anywhere this nice, but I do miss what I do have. Sinai isn't much for technological ammenities, I'm afraid."
"But you've got tons of water, and can grow anything," Katie notes as she picks at her breakfast to make it last longer. "It's like a garden and all."
"That's true. It is very lush and I'm thankful for it. It's just difficult to develope a technological base, and much that was has been forgotten," Tasha agrees, watching how Katie eats her egg before trying to copy the style. "I hope that some day soon we can alleviate Abaddon's water problem. We were able to make a great deal of headway in the Pit, so at least that's one area less to worry about."
"I'd love to see the Pit sometime," Katie notes. "Maybe you could give me a tour! We'll do a photo-shoot.." here she looks to Mr. Invention, who doesn't immediately dismiss the idea, at least. Nessie is clearing away the uneaten food (and looks like she's going to 'personally' dispose of most of it).
Tasha grins at Nessie when she nears, noticing the reaction. "Enjoy," she whispers before returning her gaze to her breakfast companion. "That should be fine. The JEF needs all the publicity it can get. We're painfully short on personnel, for one, and there may be other groups that could benefit from a relationship with us. The truth is, I'm the least educated of our group, but I've still had to take on many more responsibilities than my rank would normally entail."
"Do you mean I could photograph Melchior and Bellerophon?" Katie asks, looking excited. "Maybe wear some Expedition armor?"
"Well, sure, I mean, I'd have to clear it with my Gabr- ... er, with my superior officer, but I don't see why not. Your assistance should help a lot, too, so thank you in advance," the hybrid woman answers.
"We should have Tasha in some of our photos today too," Katie tells Mr. Invention. "Maybe she could wear her Expedition underwear, and you could.. you know.. fancy it up!"
"M-my undersuit?" Tasha asks, eyes widening in alarm. "Fancy it up?" then her ears cant back, too!
"A few sashes, perhaps," Mr. Invention suggests, looking over Tasha now.
Tasha ears redden as she fixates on her meal, being very careful about it. "I-is that really okay?"
"You could pose with the Comet," Katie offers, naming her racing bike.
"Oh, well, sure if that's okay," Tasha agrees, albiet with a nervous tinge to her voice. "But is it okay we're seen together? I don't want to cause any problems for you."
"I'm a celebrity, dear," Katie notes, twirling her egg-spoon in the air before her face. "We're expected to have people around us. And you're not exactly unknown yourself. But people who don't know you will wonder, 'Who is Katie's friend?' and then they'll try to find out and really be impressed afterwards."
"T-That does sound reasonable," Tasha conceeds, looking up and offering a nervous smile. "I guess I can't really say no, can I?"
"Of course not, why would you?" Katie asks. "And I'd just love if you could use tablet device to record my performance with the marching band today too."
"Well, s-sure." Eying her now empty dish, and thus lacking something to look at to help hide her discomfort, Tasha begins sipping at her coffee instead. "I'll work out the formatting with, um, Mr. Invention later." Sip, stare. "Is this a big event?"
"It's the Army Marching Band," Katie notes, as if Tasha should know who they are. "They're going on tour! This is their first performance outside of New Zion!"
Tasha tilts her head, ears flicking. "A marching band ... That could be something. I think my, um, superior officer mentioned something about marching bands and the original JEF. I'll have to take notes." Another sip and her coffee is done, necessitating the woman put it aside and finally look up. "You said you were putting on a performance? How soon do we need to be there?"
"You have at least an hour to get ready," Mr. Invention reports. "Miss Kate will, of course, be going in uniform."
"Uniform?" Tasha asks, blinking. "Oh! That's right, your ... brother, was it? Commander Vesuvius, I met him -- I mean, of course I know who he is! But are you, too..?"
A second later, it strikes Tasha she's going to be going with Katie Kaboom, simultaneously causing an avalach of both inadequancies issues and preparedness questions. "Only an hour?" She practically squeaks.
"You won't be expected to accompany her out onto the field," Mr. Invention says, noting Tasha's distress. "You can stay in the seating area."
"Oh, well, that's a a load off my mind," Tasha admits, breathing a sigh of relief. "I mean, I'm not new to taking action but this ..," she waves vagugely to the elegance around her, "is really very new to me. But, if a monster shows up, I'm who you can look to!"
Then she laughs self-conciously.
"I don't expect any monsters," Katie notes, grinning, "but I'm sure there will be a big turnout! This is the first goodwill tour to ever be invited to every nation. Even the Kampfzengruppe will host a performance - because they love them some marches, you know?"
"I'm sure they'll love trying to show up the less-than-humans," Tasha replies, then blinks as she realizes she just said that out loud. "I-I means, well, um, that wasn't ... "
After taking a deep breath, she smiles awkwardly and admits, "Alright, the Kampfengruppe don't really see eye-to-eye on things, you know? Not that I'd keep them from the JEF, or anything, but their treatment of people is ... " Her head shakes, then she offers, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."
"Pffft," Katie raspberries, leaning back in her seat. "Even the Confederates have a better reputation than the Kampies," she notes. "I don't know single human who isn't embarrassed that they're the same species as those jackbooted whackos."
"It's hard to believe they're our creators. Or, well, half-mine ... no, a third?" Tasha splays ehr ears a moment, then shakes her head. "Anyway, they're the same species as the creators of the Karnor. They're from Terra, of course, but they went off on their own a long time ago, so it's not just distaste, it's ancient distaste. They're an elitist fossil."
"The Imperials and the Silent-Ones are pretty haughty and self-superior too, but at least you can work with them," Katie claims. "They won't look down on you personally."
"No, they won't, thankfully. At least, not all of them. When I first came to this world, I, was um, well I was really new to the culture here, which wasn't helped by a Silent-One guard calling me an abomination, so for a while I couldn't stand Silent-Ones, but of course they're not all like that; meeting the Pit's Archon and several others really helped open my eyes. And I guess I can't blame them, I mean ..," she gestures at herself, "I know the history of this world now, and the wars, and a lot of people looked at me like I was a product of all that. I can see how that would cause discomfort."
"Yeah, not a lot of Abaddonians know much about Sinai's cultures," Katie admits. "Too busy with our own affairs and all. And outside of the Expedition, I can't see the other groups being really comfortable with how everyone mixes on Sinai."
"It's really a tough question, to respect the culture and its faults, or to try and change things out of hope for the better. I lean towards the latter, though I'm beginning to see how there's room for the former, as well. You can't push for change too hard, or else people push back. And, there's value in what is, and ... Well, you probably don't want to hear 'Tasha's exploration of philosophy and politics,' right? You come from an important family, don't you? I'm sure you know it all better than I do," the hybrid woman says.
"I can't imagine any of us changing after six-thousand years," Katie notes. "Of course, we didn't have outside cultures available to use as mirrors. I'm sure things will change as we have more contact with Sinai."
"I hope that it leads to a better future for us all. That's why I pushed to re-founded the JEF: for a better future and to honor the sacrifice of those who came before us. I mean, sure, the mysteries are fascinating, but we could have looked for them without public support. Instead, I wanted to use the legacy we had uncovered for the greater good. The JEF is about exploration, sure, but it's also about people and using what we have to build something better. At least, that's what we try to be. We still have a long way to go," Tasha says, for a moment seeming too intent to show her anxiety. She stares out the window a moment, taking a breath before turning back and saying, "Once step at a time, right? Maybe even after I'm gone."
"Still, not a bad mission," Katie says, smiling. "Even if you end up like the Knights, that's still something."
"Well, I do have the armor for it!" Tasha admits, grinning. "And well, I'm the JEF's muscle too, as embarasing as that can be. Um," she glances across the room, to the clock, "Should we be getting ready? I don't want to keep you and, um, I don't want to embarass you either."
"Oh, right! Should probably clean up and all," Katie says, and gets up. "Pity, I won't have time to hit the gym today," she notes, grinning triumphantly at Mr. Invention - who raises an eyebrow, and suggests, "We can do a full hour tomorrow to make up for it."
Tasha, for her part, covers her muzzle and suddenly looks very interested at her plate.
Crashlander Field is not exactly impressive. It's mostly just some light towers, two long sections of bench seating and a flat area that can be marked for different sporting events. But it's the only place in the city where five-thousand people can gather to watch something. It looks downright primitive compared to the Colosseum of Dianus (but then, the only thing bigger than that in Tasha's experience are the Vanderat racing fields in Abu-Dhabi, and the stands don't completely enclose those.) Tasha has a good seat, right in the middle of the field and just high enough up to give a sweeping view. This section is cordoned off for VIPs, which may make the hybrid a bit self-conscious - doubly so since she's wearing her 'underwear' of segmented body-hugging armored scales, fancied up with a golden scarf around her neck and a purple sash around her hips, tied off over her right leg. Despite the coverage, enough of her coiffed and metallic-sheened fur still shows. Mr. Invention sits next to her, watching the op
Mr. Invention sits next to her, watching the open north end of the field where the band is assembling.
Hands in her lap, and not the least because of her urge to fidget with and stare at them, Tasha watches the field while trying very much not to watch the stands potentially watching her. "How long has Katie been, um doing things like this?" She asks the fancy wolf.
"Five years now," Mr. Invention says. "She started in Army Public Relations, and still holds a rank but is not active in the military."
"I didn't know she was in the military too. I was under the impression the Expedition Nation didn't allow women to serve in the military," Tasha remarks as her keen eyes scan the field. She may look as nice as she ever has, but her self-conciousness lingers. In particular, her guilt lingers. She doesn't want to go home, and yet the feeling she's being judged -- no matter how absurd it might be -- makes the experience less comfortable than she would have liked.
The stands are beginning to fill up, with people tending to cluster with their own kind (except for the obvious Templar students, who stick together as a mixed mob).
"Not in combat roles, no," the Karnor explains. "Administration, public relations, recruitment, medical and intelligence are not gender restricted. It also helps being the daughter of a decorated war hero."
Risking a glance, Tasha makes note of the organization. While the national grouping is hardly a surprise, the Templar grouping is. She knew the organization was mixed, but not how mixed. seeing the students together makes her smile as she looks back to the wolf beside her.
"I can see how it would. I knew her father was a general, but not a war hero. That must be a tremendous legacy to live up to," she says, head tilting as she then nervously asks, "Will be seeing her father here, then?"
"Oh no, old man Vesuvius hardly ever leaves his home nowadays," the Karnor notes, then gives Tasha a wink. "That we know of. He may still be involved in some things. His son is part of the Special Technology and Exploration Corps, after all."
Tasha leans back a little, ears splaying at the wink. "I ... I'll keep that in mind," she promises nervously. Deciding it's best to change the subject and fearing the old man might appear if she thinks about him too much, she then notes, "I've met Katie's brother, actually. He's a nice man, very respectful and forethright. I hope our presence isn't too burdensome on him, but he seems to appreciate it."
"Not surprising," Invention notes. "That family is known for dealing with.. unusual issues. And covering up incidents involving aliens and such, if the rumors are to be believed."
Being an alien herself, Tasha can't help but grin at the possibilities. "Well, I'm glad it was someone like Commander Vesuvius. He did a lot to allay our concerns when we took the first steps in organizing. Those were stressful times, but he made us feel like old guests. And, well, it was the first time I'd really been around so many Karnors," she says.
"Don't you have them all over the place on Sinai?" Mr. Invention asks, while people are finally settling into their seats. And some others have entered the VIP area: a middle-aged Eeee woman, a Silent-Ones Archon and a medium-sized blue Naga wearing a fancy vest.. and earmuffs.
"That's true, but I didn't have a great deal to do with them before the JEF," Tasha admits, risking a glance at the people joining them. No one I know, she decides, realizing she can't decide if that's a good thing or not. "Oh look, it's really starting to fill up. Do you know any of our seatingmates?"
"Archon Seeker-of-Secrets, Lady Vellaraneta bar Rafial and Minister Hask'rachin," Mr. Invention recites. "More or less the ambassadors to Expedition City."
"Would it be appropriate if I introduced myself..?" Tasha asks in whisper, risking another glance towards the embassadors.
There was now some activity on the field, as a podium is set up, and several rows of benches before it.
"That is up to you," the Karnor notes. "I have no idea if any of them follow events outside of Expedition City or not, I'm afraid."
"I guess it couldn't hurt to be polite," Tasha murmurs. "Excuse me."
Turning to the Eeee noble, the VIP nearest to her, the young woman extends her hand and says, "Hello, I'm Aldara Tasha ..," she pauses for a second as she considers her name, then adds, "Argentine. You're Lady Vellaraneta bar Rafia, are you not?"
The woman turns to smile at Tasha. "Yes, I am. I didn't know the JEF was interested in Expedition City," she says.
"Oh, you know who I am? It's just a bit of personal research, really. I wanted to compare notes with university records and such, and, well, why not enjoy myself a little while I'm here?" She smiles, laughing a little self-conciously. "Is there anything you feel we should be interested in, here?"
"From what I understand, you are mostly involved with resource discovery," Lady Vellaraneta says. "We already have some water reclamation systems in place here, though. Most of the agriculture here takes place in student's dorm rooms I'm afraid."
"I see. Well, it's good that we're not needed, in that sense. In time, I hope we're also to take part in the dissemination of recovered technologies, so perhaps we'll have something to share in the near future, if all goes well," Tasha says. She gives the woman a smile, then glances towards the field to see how things are progressing before looking back. "At the very least, the Confederacy can expect returns in the form of irrigation and adapted plantlife."
"I've heard of the new wells sunk into Confederate territory within the Pit," the woman says. "Thank you for that." On the field, the hundred-piece band is starting to take their place on the benches. They're mostly human, with a few Karnors (the ones who could suppress their howl reflex, no doubt), and the conductor (who has a very impressive hat) is also human, but a full-bearded one. He's actually chatting with Katie it appears.
"I really enjoyed that mission. Being able to take policy and resources and put them to action in improving things is one of the most rewarding tasks I can think of, and something to look forward to in the future as well," the hybrid woman remarks as she watches the band prepare. "Have you attended other events Katie- ... um, Katherine has been a part of? This is my first."
"I don't get out much for public events," the Eeee admits. "That is Miss Vesuvius down there? Her father killed my uncle in the Battle of Twist Canyon, oh.. forty years ago now? I never knew him."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Tasha offers, ears canting back. "I don't know the General personally either, only his children. Katherine and I just met recently, in fact, at one of the racing events she attends. I'm afraid Abaddonian politics are still very new to me, so please accept my apology if I brouhgt up a bad memory."
"As I said, I never met my uncle," Vellaraneta says, waving a hand in dismissal. "On Abaddon, it is just the way things are. There are only so many nations. Sometimes we fight, sometimes we don't. There's no point in taking any of it personally."
"It seems sad to me," the young woman admits as she watches the band prepare. "Do you think things would improve if resources weren't such a scare commodity?"
"I don't know," the woman says, sounding thoughtful. "It's all we've ever known, after all. Realistically, though.. no, I don't think things would change, but they might improve for a little while. Our populations would expand to consume what was available. We'd have a population boom."
"I see," Tasha says, sounding morose about it. She watches the band in silence for a long moment, then asks, "Do you think there's a better direction, then? I guess I'm the kind of person that sees problems and tries to answer then, though my superior would have me take things more slowly, let them just happen and let people sort it out themselves. But is that all we can do? Just ... leave things as they are, because trying to improve them doesn't lead anywhere? It's such a depressing thought."
"Nothing changes overnight," the Eeee notes. "Change comes from inside, not from without.. at least lasting change. So long as we have our distinct cultures change will be slow. We in the Confederacy are very aware of change, as we have lost our capitol city and much of our military technology as a result. We are changing, because we are now no longer on equal standing with the other nations, and our central government is no more."
"If not for the recent 'disaster' at the Imperial Life Dome, the reptiles may have gone on to conquer the Confederacy completely."
"I had heard about that, but I don't really know the details. At the time, I had avoided pursuing the topic too deeply out of concern that it might raise political problems we could not afford, and that it was not a matter that we should take a stance on given our multi-national backing. Of course, that also means I never had a chance to ask about the details. I was unaware of how far-reaching the catastrophe really was," Tasha admits, lowering her ears as she watches the feeling, unable to quite shake the gloom with the festivities infront of her. And more so, unable to completely ignore the doubt that comes with knowing she could have been there for the Confederacy. At the expense of everyone else, and with a war no less, she reminds herself, but it still nags at her. "The Imperial position has settled then?"
"They are in a stronger position than before, but one which spares them the need to acquire more cropland," Vellaraneta says. "It is a small blessing. Because of their sudden bounty, they do not further pursue what others have."
"It seems like a vicious circle that only abates for a time. We need more, we take it, war happens, victims happen, one side wins, things settle, then they repeat later. On my home world, the Coalition War between Rephidim, Nagai and Babel was over political control rather than resources, at least not physical resources. It's really hard to swallow, the knowledge that whatever you do, it may just lead to more of the same." Tasha shakes her head, exhaling before she offers, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to depress you by bringing up such things."
"Dear, you only seem to be depressing yourself," the older woman notes. "You're young. You want to change the world. When you're older, you'll understand that the world has to want to change first."
From the field, the first notes of instruments tuning up flow outward, and Katie starts waving to the crowd and twirling a baton.
"Well, does it? Do you think this world wants to change?" The hybrid asks, looking over. "Maybe you're right, maybe I am young. But I can change the world, I just wish I knew I had more confidence as to how. Maybe I'm scared the world doesn't need me to change it. Then what will I do?" She shakes her head again, adding, "Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I'll probably be thinking on this long after we leave."
"Most people want change, Tasha," Vellaraneta assures. "It's just not always good change, or well-thought-out change. It is a billion small changes, not a single decision or problem to overcome."
The band finally begins to play. Tasha has heard marches in parades, but nothing quite like this. It's an actual orchestra, and the music is.. catchy. It makes you want to stomp your feet, or wave your arms.. or even dance.
"I still have a lot to learn," Tasha admits, somewhere between morose and guilt. For a moment, she thinks about the Markers, but quickly puts them out of her mind. If anything, she feels less prepared to face them than ever and decides that, for now, she'd rather just deal with what's infront of her. "I didn't used to think this way, you know. I used to live a, if not hard, then at least a rough life. A was angry, and I didn't think about deeper meanings or whys, I just acted however I felt I needed to. And I was happy, mostly. There's happiness in ignorance. It's bliss, that's what the Terrans used to say. And yet I wouldn't go back to it. Do you think that's true of most people?"
"I believe the saying is: you can't expect them to go back to the farm after they've seen the city," Vellaraneta replies, bobbing her head a bit to the music. "Sometimes though it is the small things that have the biggest impact.. like this concert. The music is popular, and they know all the classic pieces from the various cultures. This tour will be remembered for a century."
As the music plays on, the young woman feels it start to push at the darker parts of her mind. It's simple and happy, the former being something she is in short supply of these days, and the latter something she never seems to have quite enough of. At length, she finds herself smiling, though she can't say exactly why. "Thinking on what we've talked about, I can see why. I guess that's another road to happiness, catering to the small needs, and the escapisim, and all the things that seem inconsequestial in the face of the 'big picture,' and yet help keep society together. Do people dream of wells? No, I think they dream of this, and Katie," she says.