The dolphins had indeed found a pod of humpback whales out to sea, however they were too far out for the Phins to drag people to. This was seen more as an opportunity by Gabriel than a problem, however. And so the group was brought back to the harbor, and an hour later they were at sea again on a wing-sail trimaran. The craft had a wide deck that spanned the main hull out to the pontoons, along with a fore and aft deck. Instead of the rigging and canvas that Tasha may have expected, the boat had two vertical wings connected to a central mast, each covered in control surfaces. While it could all be controlled manually, there was also a navigation computer that could handle things, along with a docking motor.
Without the flapping of canvas and rigging, the craft was very quiet; the only sound coming from the water itself, and even that diminished when they picked up enough speed to rise up on the submerged hydrofoils. The side-decks were transparent, and comfortable enough to lie on. While Gabriel showed Shojo how to pilot, Tasha found herself lying belly down between Katie and Lacci on one of the decks, as dolphins sped along beneath them. From an early age, Tasha learned to suppress her urge to spread her wings when exposed to wind and movement - something Lacci was still trying to deal with. Samael perched like a gargoyle at the type of the bow, and Yue, Hakeber and Aaron were on the opposite deck. Only Liza was in the main cabin at the moment.
If Tasha's link back to the Terran wolves and dogs could be symbolized in a gesture, that gesture might be this. Laying belly-down, her head angled towards the wind, ears down, eyes half-shut and tongue panting, she has only the vaguest idea of these connections thanks to Nora. Unlike Nora's people, however, Tasha's Vartan side never really had much to do with the ocean -- and Tasha herself mostly saw the ocean as 'that blue thing to fly over and not crash in to'. The Rake never landed on the ocean, needing relatively calm lake waters. For the hybrid, this is both a familiar and new experience made all the better by not having to work the rigging or guide big, noisy, fussy animals. "Ahh. I missed a good, stiff wind. Shipboard life just doesn't have enough wind."
A swell causes the boat to lift up and splash down, sending spray over the deck. "This is amazing!" Katie claims. "So much water! And being naked without freezing or boiling! And nothing has tried to eat us yet!"
Lacci has her talons gripping the leading edge of the deck. She hasn't gotten seasick or anything, but her mood seems to switch back and forth between exhilaration an terror. She's never been to sea, despite having visited several worlds. The water is still very clear.. but that only lets you see just how deep it is, since the bottom is still invisible, blocked by the ever darkening blueness. Anything other than the dolphins that keep pace with them flashed by too quickly to get a good look at.
Tasha rolls slightly, so as to be able to face Katherine. "That's right, this is your first time on a blue world, isn't it? Wow, and your first time seeing an ocean! You too, Lacci. It's kind of weird being the 'local' for once." And then Tasha reaches over and pulls Katie closer, shifting her head to lean against the woman's arm. "Well, I hope it's memorable for you, and you're glad we came. It was this or a somewhat hellish volcanic world, I bet you're thinking 'wow I missed out on scorching fissures', so I hope this is enough."
"I grew up with volcanic fissures, I don't need to see alien volcanic fissures," Katie laughs. "Do we have a next destination yet, or going to follow up on other things? And I guess we've adopted the demon if we need him to operate the ship properly now."
"Yeah, well, you know me and demons. He can be our mascot, or maybe think of him like a pet." Tasha rolls further, on to her side and aganst Katie in a shameless display of canine affection. "As for wheer we're going, I'd like to have everyone together for that, or at least the top staff. We could head out to the Vartan colonies, or swing by Daltoona Station and get a look at things. I'm not sure how much I want to annoy House Khomen yet, though."
"Wait.. are you saying you can control how annoying you are?" Katie teases, and then noses Tasha's ear.
"Hey I can probab-" Whatever Tasha was going to say is lost in a yelp and a lot of giggling!
Liza appears from the main cabin, carrying a tray of drinks. The tray manages to stay level despite the bobbing of the boat, and despite Liza looking like she might lose her balance at any moment. She comes and kneels down between Tasha and Lacci, since there's more room (despite the sometimes fluttery wings). "I've brought iced tea," she explains. There are also straws in the glasses.
"Thank you, Liza." It's a phrase that has become automatic to Tasha, though that doesn't mean she feels it any less. She never realized how much she needed a maid slash personal assistant until she got one, at which point she realized she needed one a lot. She pats the deck between them so Liza doesn't need to stand, then scootes further against Katie to make room. "So what do you think, Liza? How does Calli compare to the, uhm, other watery world we've been on?"
"The ocean smells nicer here," the Lapi claims. "And.. the boat is much faster. Nobody sails just for pleasure like here. And having sex outdoors under the aurora is also very nice. It's much better than the fake world we went to." She hands out the drinks, which have protective lids to prevent spills (and thus the need for straws) and instead of ice there's something in the base of the glass itself that keeps things chilled. "Would you like me to break in Miss Lacci for you?" the doe asks Tasha. "I know my way around the inside of a Vartan woman." She then makes a fist before starting to move her clenched fingers around in a suggestive manner. "Although the first time I almost broke my wrist.."
"She seems so proper, and then she does things like this now and then," Tasha asides to Katie, tilting her head up. "I swear she didn't get this from me, I'm not so ... ham-fisted with my jokes." And then she rolls over completely and waggles her hands at Katherine. "Poor Lacci. She fell for our respectability act. Pet me?"
Katie sits up.. and rubs Tasha's belly instead. "Woogie-woogie-woogie!" she declares while doing it. "I think our Vartan warrior analyst is afraid of bunnies, Liza, but it's the thought that counts."
This, of course, results in even more giggling as Tasha tries to squirm away -- but not really. It doesn't lend itself well to contributing to the conversation, however.
The Vartan being talked about either hasn't heard any of this or is refusing to acknowledge any of it. She's still on her stomach, holding onto the deck with one hand and her drink with the other. She makes slurping noises with her beak on the straw.
A shadow passes over Tasha, and then Gabriel is getting in on the belly-rubs. "A bird on its back is helpless before the hunting prowess of wolves!" he claims. Apparently Shojo is handling the boat. It could sail itself, but they're following the dolphins instead of using navigation satellites.
This naturally results in even more furious giggling, whatever had been a act of hyperbole for Katherine's amusement quickly becomes helpless laughter. Gabriel is quite right, too; Vartans really aren't very able to do much on the backs against a predator, except Tasha had already been doing on and off much of last night and part of today.
There are limits to what can be done on a deck of a boat without safety railing - too much wrestling could end with swimming! "What's happening on the other side?" Lacci asks Liza, as the Lapi picks up the auto-stabilizing tray. "Yue and Aaron were rubbing Hakeber in a similar manner," the doe reports. "I need to bring them their tea now." And the doe is off.
"Whale-sign!" Shojo calls from the cockpit.
"Y-you should g-go hhhelp, Lac-ci," Tasha wheezes, sure she must have smacked Lacci around a bit during her helpless attempt to seem even more helpless. She props herself up, breathing hard, then grabs her drink for a long sip before glancing up. "I assume whale-sign ... is a sign for whales. W-whhheeell, lets get ready to say hell-ooo."
The dolphins are already fanning out, and up ahead a huge black shape humps up over the water, followed by a geyser launching upwards.. followed by several others. And then one the whales launches itself straight up to get a look a the boat before crashing back down into the water.
"Yeah, those are whales," Gabriel confirms, and hurries back to the pilot house to set the boat into station keeping mode.
Tasha spins in place, turning to face the fore with drink in hand. When she thinks one of the whales is looking at them, she lifts her free taloned hand to wiggle her fingers in a wave. "Biggest sea mammal," she recites.
"But not the biggest breed of whale," Katie notes. "They're actually sort of medium." She's also getting to her feet. "Rebreather time!"
"You'd think I'd know my giant godlike figures by now. I should make Lacci write all this down." Tasha puts her drink aside and then stands, wobbling a little from the earlier tickle-attack. She uses her wings and arms for balance, making her way back towards the main hull where she scoops up her rebreather. "This is my first time meeting one in a place that isn't in my head, or, maybe some sort of memetic or hyperdimensional space. Or something."
Rebreathers and buoyancy gear are passed around, since not everyone has natural buoyancy and Shojo would have extra difficulty if his dolphin escorts 'dropped' him by accident. Then it's just a matter of dropping over the side of the deck to a waiting harnessed escort. This time, Tasha gets Kaa.. who promises not to toss her up into the air unless she really wants him to. Once under water.. the whales look much bigger. There are nearly a dozen of them, including three babies (or juveniles.. Tasha isn't sure how to tell the age of something that grows bigger than the vehicle they arrived on).
It doesn't take long for Tasha to get a sense of deja vu. Peering at the whales as they presumably peer at her gives her a vibe that's distinctly similiar to dealing with advanced and otherworldy beings, a sense of power and majesty beyond the physical, of immense knowledge and understanding deeper than she can even speculate at. And yet, Tasha isn't sure the whales think about much at all. She's been told they're animals, non-sapient, but it's hard for her to reconcile that fact when she's looking right at them. It doesn't help that her first 'whale' -- if she ever was an actual whale -- was Nuktapai, dreaming goddess of the deep, and that may have been some sort of halucination.
Watever the case is with whales, Tasha understands one fundamental element of their storied lore: There is a deep and overwhelming sense there is more to them than meets the eye. She can see the dolphins, and after the Neo-Dolphins, saw them as godlike.
The other element that hits once underwater is the sound. One of the whales is singing, and half of it is felt in the gut due to the lower frequencies. It's impossible to tell which whale is singing, but it might be the biggest one. The dolphins without hangers-on immediately head for the children - and that's when it's clear the dolphin pod also has some calves with it. Yue is the first to let go of her escort and swim on her own (she's got little fin-things attached to her feet). The only other being that seems comfortable swimming underwater is Samael.. who does not sprout tentacles at least, so is keeping in mind the cetacean mythology at least. A few of the whales dive under the group, and suddenly Tasha is surrounded by bubbles from the blowhole.
It's really a strange kind of wind. An underwater lift by air, and the breath of 'gods' no less! It's hard to giggle in a rebreather, but she manages it along side some awkward gasping to catch up on her air intake.
Once recovered, Tasha orinets herself to face downward, leaning forward to peer at the oceanic behemoth that seems to be blowing raspberries at them.
The whale's flukes look like wings - far larger than what the Phins have, and much lighter than the upper body. "They want to get a better look at you," Kaa says over the comm-link. "Let go and float. The buoyancy kit will keep you safe. I don't think they've seen Karnors and Vartans before."
"And staring at me is like a sampler platter?" But Tasha does let go. It's easier than it ever has been, her experience with vast and ineffable things making little leaps of faith like this a kind of job skill. And it's not like she can't swim, it's just especially awkward and embarassing next to beings who live in thicker fluids than air. She sinks, arms and wings out to control her descent.
The pack on her back keeps her floating in place, and while she's used to the 'tingles' of Phin sonar, the whale version makes her teeth vibrate. Everyone else is loose now as well, even Shojo (although Moka is keeping close to him). Apparently the bull is the one who gets to examine them first. The big black eye pauses a few feet from Tasha.. and she can see that it has eyelashes.. at least a few, anyway. It doesn't linger for long before moving on to Lacci. Meanwhile Yue is already 'petting' one of the calves, with the Lapi keeping close to her - while Yue is familiar, the Lapi are probably considered children or just fluffier humans. They don't have the wings and tails that differentiate the others.
Tasha guesses she must have passed inspection, though she isn't quite sure what happens when someone doesn't pass. She does find it strangely peculiar to have the great being pass on by her without having been asked to perform a task, or otherwise engage in discourse that would make her want to drink heavily afterward. It leaves her feeling a little bit at a loss for what to do once she's left alone, silence just isn't what she's come to expect. And so she sucks in a breath through her nose and looks around. When in doubt, pet animals and hug children, I guess. And so that's what she goes withm angling towards Yue.
The cows and calves now seem to have leave to take closer looks themselves, which does involve the occasional jostle. The calves try to 'taste' the Vartan's wings, but are discouraged by their mothers. It does give Tasha a look into their mouths though, which are like nothing she's ever seen or imagined - those huge jaws are full of quills. Moka explains that she's seeing a sort of teeth meant to capture and microscopic organisms. The biggest whales apparently eat the smallest animals. There are scars on some of the whales, and the bull looks he he's had some bites taken out of his tail flukes. "Orcas," Moka says. "Killer whales. There was talk of Uplifting them, but Phins were against it. We get along fine when they're not in hunting mode, but Orcas can be cruel. They'll eat dolphins and other mammals, even humans."
Tasha isn't sure what to say to that, knowing something of the history of wolves and also that of Humans and other species. Cruelty seems, to her, to exist in all sapient species, and Nora once told her that all cats are evil -- and her adopted sister is a cat who seems very much the oppposite of cruel. If anything, Tasha would put herself as fairly cruel, especially over a year ago. At first she considers not arguing the point, feeling it might be disrespectful or gauche considering their company, but she also knows Vartans are known for their bluntness and that speaking her mind about problems that bother her is part of how she got this far. Well, the answer will be interesting, maybe educational anyway? She gives it a shot.
"Isn't that true of a lot of predators though, Moka? My sister says cats as a whole can be cruel, but I know ones that aren't. Vartans seem easy going, right? But I knew a Vartan woman that hunted people for sport. And Humans seem nice, until they aren't. And they're tricky." Like with squids, Tasha decides to give orcas their fair shake. It doesn't feel exactly right to her they're left out for the reasons stated, but maybe she's missing something.
"Orcas kill for fun sometimes, and play with their food," Moka points out. "They hunt in packs, like wolves.. but are closer to humans in terms of potential-for-dickishness."
"I heard that," Yue breaks in. "Humans are still the apex dicks of the Galaxy. Celestials and Silent-Ones can be dickish, but they have to train for it. Humans have to train to not be dicks. Phins.. well.. they're only dicks if it's entertaining."
"Hey, we are phallic looking so that should count for something!" Kaa replies, defending Phin honor.. or something.
"More Humans would be a bit much," Tasha agrees, making a show of rubbing her chin despite being underwater, hoping Yue will not only overhear but notice. "I still can't believe I have some of their DNA in my face. And hand. In my hand. Still," the hand lowers and the hybrid waves at Moka indicatingly, "Humans made you guys and Karnors, so they can't be that bad. Maybe orcas could make something better than themselves, too?"
"Sometimes I want to pee on things," Gabriel says for Karnors.
"They'd make great fighter pilots," Moka claims. "Maybe even better than Kaa."
"Don't look at me," Tasha says by way of Gabriel's desire to pee on things.
The water is filled with various Phin clicks and other noises. Some of it must be swearing, and the rest is obviously laughing. The whales don't seem to be big on such things. Aside from the song when they showed up, they haven't really vocalized much. And they let the weird creatures with fingers touch their hides.. which may be fairly insensitive to touch anyway. Tasha gets a sense of extreme thickness.
"Hi, I'm Tasha. The first whale I met was Nuktapai, she reminds me of you. I think it's neat how you're cute and tiny but still bigger than me," Tasha says in the higher pitched voice of young women with 'small' animals and babies. She then gets then squeels and "eeeeee!" and rubs the tiny whale with both hands. "Can I hug one, Moka?"
"If you can get your arms around one! But keep it above the flukes.. you don't want to be near the tail if the calf gets spooked," the Phin replies.
Thus, Tasha makes a big, slow, exagerated approach to her hugging back first making a large C and then slowly closing 'the trap' to make it abundantly clear what she's doing. The technique had also worked on Katie, she recalls, during the very first part of their adventure together and she's used it on pteras as well -- with mixed results. At least this time she cab't be flung in to a pile of steaks, because they ate them already.
The calf responds by.. rolling! It rolls around once completely.. which probably means it's happy for the hug.
This inspires another hug, because if there's anything that makes Tasha want to hug something more it's thinking they're adorable. That, and wanting to be endearingly annoying, but she saves that for family and friends, and occassionally enemies. It's also been a while since she worked with big animals, so there's a distant sense of nostalgia to boot.
The hug doesn't actually squeeze the whale any. It takes a lot more pressure than what Tasha can bring to bare. The big bull makes an rumbly-gargly sound, and the pod regroups and starts to move off again. "Back to your escorts!" Moka calls over the comms.
And so Tasha bids the little whale good bye. She'd kiss it on the head, but she isn't exactly sure where the head begins or if it even has a head in the usual sense, and then there's the risk of drowning. So she just waves, then kicks and makes (slow and ungainly) progress back to Moka.
Once everyone is collected (and one of the Phin calves bites Tasha's tail) the group is returned to rental boat. Getting out of the water is harder than getting in.. but less so for the one without a lot of fur. Everyone is soaked, and there's that distinctive wet-canine scent to deal with. And soaked Lapi look weird. But there's plenty of sun to help dry them on the return trip at least.
And so Tasha hauls herself right back to where she started from, rubbing her tail and sprawling on to the clear deck like someone had left a feathered stole on top long-pile carpet while it rained. Heavily. "Liiiii-zaaa, please fix me after you have fixed yourself." At least the wind helps.
Once back at the harbor and groomed, it was time to leave the men behind and scratch some itches. Those itches being Vartans. The preparation for this involved glitter and shimmery sarongs, and whatever could be stuck into tails. At least for Tasha's tail - Lacci was unfamiliar with the practice, but then she grew up on a spaceship, so Liza and Tasha had to weave things into it for her.
"I think you should look for a nice couple," Katherine advises once they leave Dark Horse. "It'll save time, and Lacci would benefit from someone with experience."
"Drinkers are easier to seduce," Hakeber weighs in, while Liza remains silent.
"I'd be less embarrassed with someone closer to my own age, I think," Lacci says quietly.
"Someone nice, too, but confident. But not too confident. Gentle, easy going." Tasha pauses to listen to input, then nods a little. "I remember you were less than generous about Gabriel, Lacci, so I'll keep that in mind. For me, I like women who are a little older than me, and confident, maybe even aggressive." And then the young woman smiles at Katherine for obvious reasons. "So someone in the military, a trader captain, someone like that. No drunks, though, I'm still the owner of a vessel, I can do better." Not to mention she'd rather not backslide in to old habits, which she's not exactly proud of. "No one inexperienced, either, too much complication."
"How do you tell any of those things though?" Lacci asks. "Lots of boys swagger a bit, but that usually means they don't have any experience."
"You could just see who approaches," Liza suggests. "The Dark Horse is a fancy yacht, so other ship owners or captains will be curious about the crew. Especially the odd grouping of Terrans, Vartans and.. supposed Khattans."
"It's subtle, Lacci. It's in how people carry themselves, but it's not always obvious or even obvious to me. I didn't know about you for example, because I'm not used to clan Vartans. We'll just have to eyeball things and see how it goes." And then Tasha reaches over and tugs Lacci's tail. "Come along, then! We'll do as Liza suggests and drift near the Horse. I wanted to fetch my painting supplies, anyway, so Liza can escort us that far at least."
The dock cafes are busy, as it's nearly dinner time for most people. And just to make it clearer who they are, Liza fits them with armbands with the ship's logo prominently displayed (along with a pocket for credit chips so they can pay for things). The resort will have the most people, but the boardwalk is a lot quieter. There are even Nagas about, taking advantage of the day-and-night warmth, and of course there are Khattans selling food and souvenirs. The people tend to be younger here, where things are less expensive and there's room to move in groups.
While Tasha has her interests, she's put them aside to focus on Lacci. She knows how important something like this can be, having wished in hindsight she'd have made better choices about who she spent her first time with. Compared to the people she associates with now, and the way she goes about her intimacy, the past seems crude and embarassing, when it isn't outright shameful and degrading. It's those experiences she keeps firmly in mind as she walks, wanting to use her experience to ensure that Lacci doesn't share the same regrets -- and scars. "Well, lets start with the boardwalk, shall we? Everyone seems to be younger here, except the merchants and Naga -- I'm not good with guaging Naga so I'm not sure as to their age and inclinations. Now, normally I'd say we shouldn't want too close together, but we're Vartans so we can do that without seeming to-gether. Liza is off getting my art supplies to take back to the cove, so it'll just be us. We can take things easy. No teasing."
Katie and Hakeber keep back some distance. Partly to distract the Karnors that tend to group together on the boardwalk, and also to lower the intimidation factor of approaching a group of women (especially one Katie is in). It also seems less odd for two Vartan.. or a Vartan and a Khattan Mezzode.. to be together. Lacci's nervousness makes it unlikely she'll be mistaken for a bodyguard though. They do see a few other Vartan, but they have a very different look to them than what Tasha is familiar with: thinner, and with more variety to beak shape.
"Do you know anything about those Vartans, Lacci? The ones we passed don't look like Clan Vartans, at least not active military personnel. Are they from the worlds?" Tasha keeps at the small talk, for her beenfit and Lacci's. While she's not nervous exactly, it's been quite a while since she did anything like this and her rejection by Lacci and others has helped her realize she doesn't know a whole lot about more sophisticated forms of flirting and seduction. Before, everyone she'd been around had been decidedly either unsophisticated or else direct in their interest, making things easy, and she largely knew their needs, cultures, and expectations. Out here, that's rarely the case.
"Aerie Vartans," Lacci says, then further explains, "Yes, homeworld civilians. The Clans have the warrior caste Vartans, no.. seedeaters." That last is clearly some sort of insult.
"That's a bit condescending, Lacci." Tasha almost says more, but decides the time for dressing Lacci down is not now, infront of half the boardwalk. "I didn't realize they were from the homeworld, though. Living on the homeworld isn't prestigious? Or is this a military versus civilians rivalry?"
"They're spoiled and.." Lacci starts to say with heat, before calming down. "They look down on us, even though the Battle Clans are the source of their prosperity. But a lot of them see us as the reason we're Clients. We're the lackies of the Khattans, and such."
"The 'Laccis of the Khattans'?" Tasha repeats, with a subtle shift as she tilts her head down and gives the other woman a knowing look, brows raised and head tilted down, and equally knowing full well just how coincidentally ironic that statement is given their relationship.
"Not like my name," Lacci says, looking embarrassed. "Servants, I mean."
"They're like.. how modern Karnors are, and we're like.. Gabriel," the girl tries to further explain.
Tasha is gratified to find she wans't called out on her teasing only minutes after saying she wouldn't, but she really meant about partners and performance. Really. "Well, isn't there room for both? I can see why you'd be annoyed if you're being exploited, but at the same time history shows the entry in to Clienthood wasn't peaceful, so their regret is understandable. Still, it was a long time ago, and it's almost over. Maybe looking to the future is a better idea than old rivalries?" But then a little shrug. "But I'm an outsider, so I can only say so much. Still, they weren't modified, were they? This is just the result of a long life in properous conditions?"
"We were always a divided species," Lacci admits, sounding conflicted. "The Vartans like us are expected to be in the military, because we're big and strong. The others aren't seen offworld very much. Those kids must belong to a very well-off or diplomatic family."
"I can deeply sympathize with being a divided species," Tasha sympathizes, laying a hand over her heart and grinning. She reaches over and snatches Lacci's hand, then pivots and starts towards the teens in question. "Well, time to see if they're a stereotype or not! I used to have a grudge against Silent-Ones until I met a nice Archon. People can surprise you!"
"Squark!" Lacci protests as she's dragged over. The pair of young 'Aerie' Vartans look surprised and uncertain.. either because of Tasha's strangeness or Lacci's.. lack of a uniform?
"Hi!" Goes Tasha, hoping to cash in on universal Karnor appeal by playing up her Karnorness. She grins to avoid showing teeth, being sure to per her ears and blink a few times to create eye catching motion and sparkle. "My friend here was just saying she'd never met anyone from the homeworld, and you know, neither have I. This seemed like a wonderful opportunity, don't you think? Oh and I'm sorry, I'm Aldara Tasha Argentine, and this is my friend, Lacci Erinyes."
The teenagers are dressed similarly to Tasha and Lacci: bare to the waist and wearing sarongs. They aren't wearing much in the way of shiny bling though, just some ear-clips that might also be communication devices, although the female does have a purple gemstone embedded near one nostril. They're definitely smaller, the boy no taller than Tasha herself.. and the girl significantly less mature looking despite her apparent age.
"Erinyes? They're a Command Clan," the boy says, in a tone of relief. "I'm Secoh Windstream, and this is my sister Calla," the boy then introduces himself and the girl. "We've never seen.." he starts to say, then clacks his beak as is unsure how to proceed.
"You're really shiny," Calla offers. "And have nice boobs. Did you always have fur on yours?" The latter question is obviously directed at Tasha.
"A whale? A Harrower? Lacci look comfortable around other people?" Tasha pivots her ears forward, prompting. By using Lacci's discomfort she shares it with the two equally uncomfortable Vartans, giving them a point in common and maybe an opening. She sees the sister take the bait, and so turns to her and nods. "I am as god made me, and then as someone else remade me and thought, "I bet a land mammal would combine great with a bird". And you know what? They were right." And so she wags her tail, which makes it sparkle. "Shininess is just one of my many fun and interesting qualities!"
"Can you smell things?" Calla asks next, eyeing the black nosepad. "And still fly?" Secoh still seems reticent to say anything. "Can I touch you?" his sister asks, but doesn't presume consent - her hands stay where they are.
"I've been to Varta," Lacci claims. "I had a year of Historical Studies there."
"At the university?" Secoh asks, eyes wide. When Lacci nods he looks impressed. "I'm hoping to get in next year."
"My sense of smell is about the same as a old-type Karnor, I can still fly, and yes you may touch me." Tasha even leans forward, presenting her head and folding her arms behind her back. She glances at Lacci momentarily, but then she's back to the two new Vartans. "Oh, well, she sounds like she hadn't. Lacci has taken some time away from her Clan to sign on with me, to ... " Tasha deepens her voice. "Broaden her horizons and see new things, to learn and to grow, to experience what simple education cannot teach." She isn't sure who said it -- it might have been one of Nora's instructors or it could have been something she heard watching a teen drama holovid.
"So you're not just on shore leave?" Secoh asks, while Calla carefully runs her talon through Tasha's hair. Tasha knows those talons aren't very sensitive though, so isn't sure what Calla gets out of it besides the novelty. "And you're flying around on a yacht? This is our family's first time off-world. It took forever to arrange! We had to transfer at three different stations onto different ships. Almost six days, but this planet is great! Have you seen all the Terrans? And even Celestials! No Confederates that we've seen, but I hear there's a different island set up to cater to them. I hope we can visit that one."
"Yep, a yacht. That yacht," Tasha lifts her taloned hand to point down the way, out across the harbor, to the stylized white form of the Dark Horse where it hovers serenely in the warm glow of the sun " ... in particular. I found Lacci yelling at someone for being cruel to her Clanmates, and I thought, that takes a lot of guts because she was clearly nervous and upset, but she did it anyway. We sometimes take on promising people of any species, if we think their heart's in the right place and they can handle it." She turns her head slightly, so Calla can reach her muzzle too, if she wants. "But Laccis is doing well. Mostly. She's a little shy, not unlike yourselves."
"Yelling? In public?" Secoh says, looking shocked. "I didn't think the military was allowed to yell at people. Did you get in trouble?" he asks Lacci.
"It wasn't planetside, it was on Caltrop, with an exile," Lacci says, still embarrassed.
"So it was a criminal!" the boy says, as if criminals were somehow rare - but there many types of criminal after all, so there's no telling what sort he's talking about.
"He was kind of grizzled looking, though. Are you going to pet me any more?" Tasha swivels her ears towards Calla. "I was going to step in, but then I decided Lacci could handle it."
"I didn't ask," Lacci notes. "He was deliberately goading me though."
Calla pets some more, and Secoh says, "Ah, because you're Erinyes so he didn't think you could fight."
"We can fight," Lacci nearly hisses, but doesn't say that she can fight.
Secoh bobs his head down. "Sorry, I meant that your Clan is mainly known for strategy, command and coordination, exploration and scholarship," he apologizes.
"Yes, well.. he was teasing me about that.." Lacci mutters. "Apology accepted."
"By the way, Lacci, don't you think we should practice together? We do have swords, I'm sure I can find an instructor. I have been trained." Once the petting dies down, Tasha straightens and smiles, with teeth now that (she hopes) she doesn't seem as intimidating. "And speaking of exploration, good job so far, Lacci."
"I don't need to practice," Lacci says, seemingly begging off on the offer. Her sword might be a real weapon, but that doesn't mean she actually knows how to use it. It's also a bit of a 'please don't embarrass me' signal.
"Fine, fine. Maybe I need to practice." Tasha looks around for a moment, rubs her nose, then squints. "Well, hmm. Yes? Yes, I see." Her head shakes, then she turns to Lacci. "It looks like I need to meet with a few people, owner things, you know how it is. Did you need to come with me, or has it been handled? If so, you're welcome to stay and talk."
"I.. can stay for a bit," Lacci says, still looking a bit embarrassed. "There's a music shop nearby," Secoh offers.
"Very well. You won't be needed until tomorrow, so feel free to use your vacation time as you like. Let us know if there are any problems." Tasha pats Lacci's arm, then turns to smile again. "We'll be here a few more days. If you'd like to meet some Karnors or see the ship up close, feel free to inquire with Lacci. It was nice meeting you both."
The two homeworld Vartans bow and thank Tasha for talking to them, before they seem to throw all their interest into Lacci.
Mission complete. The rest is up to Lacci, but I think it's better if I'm not around. Tasha bows in return, though far shallower as she was taught given her 'higher' rank, and then she heads off. After moving far enough out, she contacts Hakeber and Katherine. "Would you mind keeping watch? At least until you're sure of things? I'm apparently not good at not embarassing people, or maybe I'm bad with delicate types. I don't know. Is it fine?"
"I have no shame so I can't relate," Hakeber answers. "And I'm usually the one causing others to feel embarrassed," Katie replies. "We'll keep watch though," she adds.
"You are the best friends. I'll just be walking around looking to make new friends, I'll call if they try and murder me or turn out to be a god or something. Tasha out." Alone now, Tasha stretches her arms and back. Lacci can be amusing, but she can only handle so much high-strung tension, and she really does seem to have issues understanding the bird. She hopes her efforts pay off, becaue it'd be good for everyone if Lacci could relax for once.