RP: 188604 [Aashi] Look What the Stork Dragged In...

[Ametheliana]

Construction Site

The Vekimen had been working on the Foundation to the building Aashi wanted for about a day now, and it was turning out rather quickly. Several Vekimen took some time to dig up a spot for the pool, which they had explained multiple times could be made bigger or smaller at will, as well as a smaller circular hot tub area. No more than a hundred or so Vekimen were working, but they were working fast and hard to get the job completed. Everything requested by the Engineers who stood off to the sides and waited for their turns to work was being completed to specifications, despite the Vekimen often thinking the building style was wrong, pointless, or could be done better. All it took was a few harsh barks from the female Liaison to get them working on exactly what they were told to work on.

Aashi looked over them and watched from a distance as the pool was dug, then as Cyrus' men came in and laid the molding for that and let it dry. She then moved closer to the foundation to keep an eye on work being done there, by the Vekimen.

After a while, she walked to the female liaison and said to her, "I like the work they've done so far."

Zahen huffed a little, crossing her arms and grumbling a bit in her native language. "Nothing but a bunch of babies. Don't seem to understand we have plans to follow. I've corrected who knows how many mistakes some of these idiotic kiraten have made because they think their way is better. I get they are little more than stupid animals, but I could train a dog better than this" She complained, her eyes boring into the workers with a cold glare. Several armed and armored Vekimen walked around the site, mostly to keep the workers in line should any of them do anything stupid. It took one example to quell most serious problems at least.

Aashi side-eyed Zahen and nodded, "I think I understand you ever clearly. Thank you for sticking close to our set plans, Zahen. Last time I saw you, you were making plans to defile my ship. How have you been since?"

"I made no such plans, it was my weak brother who wanted such things. I more so said it to embarrass him, I did not think he, or your companion for that matter, would actually be alright with the idea. If you haven't seen him around lately, it's because I dealt with him" She explained coolly.

"That companion you speak of, Akemi, is more than alright with the matter. I would tell you to embarrass him, too, by going through with your brother's plans, but I don't actually think it would phase him. If anything, it would compel him to hire some of you." Aashi sighed, watching the work being done, before asking, "How are you finding yourself on the planet? Comfortable?"

Zahen shrugged. "It's cold. For a Vekimen at least. I'd ask one of you warm bloods if I could borrow some of your heat, but I take it that wouldn't exactly be a welcomed proposition" She said, looking down at a Datapad she had. "Other then that, the earth is good for digging, I managed to secure actual meat from Arccos, and for the most part we have had minimal casualties. However, I have discovered some females have rejected their reproduction implants, and have gotten pregnant. I am currently trying to figure out the best way of dealing with that situation. I might just old school it, tie them to a board when they hit labor and watch what happens" She stated simply. "They should have informed the Research team so we could put it back in"

"Are you implying you'll let their babies die?"

Zahen shrugged. "They will die in all likelihood, mother and child. We do not have the resources to facilitate their birth, and I will not open up USO to having to play midwife. An example must be set, and I can assure you... You won't want to be present for it" She glowered, keeping her eyes on the workers.

"Right," Aashi said, "I don't know if I can be of any help, but if you find a way for me to be, let me know."

"I will make it a priority, but I'll be honest, this is a VDTF matter. I need to fill the paperwork out for review by our Logistics officers back home. They will decide what is to happen. They will either be sent home, killed for not reporting their implants being rejected, or... God forbid they send breeding staff here. They need them on Komodo. These ones can wait if they have too" She sighed, looking to Aashi. "If this makes you uncomfortable, I am sorry. We must deal with our own, in our way though, I am sure you understand"

"As I would deal with mine in my own way. I wouldn't let anyone die on my watch, but if you want their baby blood on your hands, so be it."

Zahen huffed. "Vekimen live and die, as any creature would. Unless we took them well away from here, that baby and their mother is as good as dead. Our support staff wouldn't be able to stop every male here having gone feral due to the pheromones they release, and if we do accommodate them, we would never be able to keep a track on their implant progress. I would be doing them both a service by killing the mother now, rather than have its few moments of life be ones filled with pain" She explained.

Aashi thought for a moment and said, "Uso mentioned needing a medical ship, what if they were brought on board that?"

Zahen stopped, then held the datapad over to the Captain. "If you would like to deal with what will happen should I let this small handful of what the Vekimen would consider criminals go, then by all means I will hand over full responsibility. However, I have too much on my plate right now as it is, and so does Uram. Breeding without permit is a punishable offense, but given we are on USO land, I am willing to hand over jurisdiction to the Sraralumee to figure out what she would like us to do" She said firmly. The look on her face implied she was dead serious, and her tone was more of an overburdened aggravation than anything.

"Then consider it no longer your problem to worry about, Zahen. When the ship arrives, have all of your pregnant Vekimen board on up and they'll do a fine job of continuing to live, as that is the ideal.Hopefully Uso finds that agreeable and if not, she can always retract my offer. Now, I want to see to a few things on my own, would you mind if I disengaged in conversation to check on things as they progress?" Aashi asked.

Zahen shook her head as Aashi so quickly took responsibility for the triage of her kind's pregnant. "When you are up to your ears in Vekimen children... You may change your mind..." She said simply.

"They'll all love underground, right? Won't I be over their ears?" Aashi asked.

"Can you do me a favor?" Zahen asked.

"I'm listening," Aashi replied.

"Before you take responsibility for an aspect of a race you've just met, be sure you know what you are taking on. None of those children will be accepted by the VDTF, so I guess you will have your own Vekimen population now" She said coolly. "This isn't something to take lightly, but I will be sure to let them know, and pray people don't get lax with their implants" She said, looking up from her Datapad. "But yes, I need to do another sweep regardless. Come to me if you have ay other requests or questions on building" She finished.

The Vekimen Zahen had gone off to do other work and Aashi was alone with her familiar. For a while she surveyed the site and worked to understand the intricacies and processes being done. She stood over the work site with arms crossed and a grim expression as she felt the warming presence of someone close to her approach. She turned and a bright smile erupted on her face as she saw Ulysses. She opened her arms for a hug from him.

He smiled. "Think I would leave ya here?" He asked as he gave her a hug. He looked at the familiar and smiled. "How's my girl doing?" He asked holding out a hand to A. As he did he looked back to Aashi, arm still warped around her shoulder. "How's work going? Cyrus's crew here yet?" He asked.

"They laid the material for the pool already after the Vekimen spent a few hours digging that out. It's really nice, Ulysses, you'll really like it. I really can't wait to lounge next to it once this is all said and done." She idolized the dream for a moment before continuing, "So now they're waiting for the foundation to really be laid out to begin working with the Vekimen to lay down flooring, pipes, cables, the works. And it's great, all of the dirt they're digging out can go directly into the furnaces and all of the initial building materials are being churned out by them as we speak."

He looked to the construction site and nodded. "Good, things are finally starting to fall into place." He said as he looked on. He then looked back to her. "Have you had any rest since this all started? You looked exhausted..." He said scanning her face.

Surprised and a little distraught that it was so plainly written on her face that she hadn't gotten good rest, she asked her familiar to come close and she stroked it as she parsed out what to tell him and what to withhold. She had been having bad dreams, or at least had, before she had decided to forego sleeping for the most part, taking small naps that usually ended in an all too lucid dream playing out in her mind. She hadn't been enjoying sleep, but enjoyed the distraction of work and now, the distraction of a friend.

Not wanting to talk about the reasons behind her apparent exhaustion, she said to him, "I haven't, but it's all paying off. This is really coming along nicely."

Werner was still concerned, but he kept his mouth shut. He looked out at everything and noted all the work that had been accomplished so far, but seemed deep in thought. He stood silently for a minute before saying, "You know you can talk to me right?"

"I always do," Aashi said.

He looked at her. "Well then what is bugging you Aashi?"

"I have questions that need answers," she said. "Ulysses, what would you do without any memory after losing everything you had? Would you find yourself on a Neko's private planet building resorts, invading forts, and settling deals with lizards? Or would you go looking for what you lost?"

Ulysses looked thoughtful for a moment, then spoke. "Our memories... or past does not define who we are. However, they can provide a guide. Allowing us to learn from mistakes made. With no past you could repeat past mistakes..." He waited another moment then added. "I would go searching for the truth."

"The truth is out there," she said, casting her eyes above. Then she managed to say, "I am here for what this planet needs until I find the means to find what I have lost. For what you need, as well. When it is the right time, it'll be made obvious to me. I will know then. As of now," she said, "I hesitate."

He looked down at his friend and smiled. "Know that I will help you as well, no matter what it be. Emotional sieve, traveling companion, negotiator, what have you." He said with a grin.

Aashi's eyes stung and she looked ever further to the sky, blinking back tears.

"That means the universe to me," she said after putting her hand on his and feeling a bit more inner calm from the touch. Her feelings seeped into his and the two of them could feel one another's emotions. She let him feel the depth of her struggle as well as the close bond she felt with him and how it made her worries rise up and dissipate. "Much more than the universe, even. Oh, Ulysses, I wish you and I could see my ship right now, together. It would make a resort look like a sandcastle in contrast. The riches inside are of value, but not as much as the ship itself and, oh, the crew... such close friends. None," she said with a thought, "as close to me as you are."

Werner held her hand gingerly as they shared their emotions. He could feel the depth of her pain and sadness. He did what he did best. He poured love, hope, and as much happiness he could muster through their empathy. He moved and held her in his arms. He could feel how isolated she felt. "You will never be alone again." He said softly as he continued to pour feelings through the link.

"That..." she began before he moved in and held her. Face pressed against his shoulder, at first she was wide-eyed in wonderment at the feelings coursing through her, before she closed her eyes and pressed her face into his shoulder. "That means so much, thank you." She let him hold her close to his body and felt the care and love pulsing into her. There was happiness, too, but she could feel him grasping at it, while he had been able to pull from the well of love that he had for her. "Y-you're not as happy as you could be, Ulysses. As you should be. Let's rectify that," she said, separating from his body and holding his arm's at her own arms' length. "Let's go have a night on the town. This," she said waving a hand towards the construction site," will wrap up at sunset. They don't need me here for much longer."

He looked in shock at first, then remembered that empathy was a two way street. "I'm okay... works just been a bit stressful, but I would love to." He said with a smile. "Though... I don't have any clothes to go out with... I just own fatigues." He said looking over to her.

"Would you like to buy some somewhere? I'm sure we can get you garbed up to fit in with the locals, at least. But, honestly, I like you just the way you are."

He smiled and gave her a quick squeeze. "I will just wear fatigues and the trench coat."

Aashi's bracelet glittered in the light and she held it up, saying, "I still have mine. Maybe we'll grab you one. Paying for it will take the fun out, of course."

He stared at the bracelet he bought her. "I can't believe you still have it. Bought that for you the first day we met." He said with a slight smile. "And then we got caught and I lost mine to the justice system..." He said remembering. "We just have to not get caught again." He said looking to her.

"If Arccos knows what's good for her, she won't bother us," Aashi said with a sly smile. "Let's grab a drink, first. You want to do that?"

"Yes. That sounds nice." He said with a smile. "Lead the way."

Aashi walked off the construction site and towards Osman city, with its scrimshaw shops and boutique stores aplenty. They found a cozy little bar with lanterns strewn across the patio and hanging plants in potters overhead. Lively music came from a band while people in front of the stage danced erratically. Away from the stage and dance floor were a few small and empty tables and chairs with little glass bulbs with flickering candles inside of them. The atmosphere was high-spirited and enticing to Aashi as she picked it out of the half a dozen or so bars there were to choose from in the city.

"This one," she said to Ulysses, nodding her head towards it while she walked through the gate and onto the patio, stepping towards a table and sitting down at it.

Werner followed behind Aashi as they entered the little patio. She was able to tell that he was out of his element. He was tense and didn't quite know how to act. It was obvious that he felt at home on the bridge of a warship in battle. He moved and sat down in one of the tables away from everyone and he ordered drinks. "It's a... nice place." He said as he looked around.

Aashi tried to hide a smile as she realized just how out of his element he was. She didn't want to take glee in his discomfort, but took glee in knowing he may find himself enjoying himself in a setting he wasn't familiar with. The Cadillac Margaritas arrived, with shots of tequila next to the sweet and sour green liquid filled glasses.

"Ready or not," Aashi said as she poured the tequila into her glass and looked to see Ulysses do the same.

"Here we go..." He finished as he went and took a drink. He felt the burn of the tequila and savored it. "That is good stuff." He said softly, before taking another long drink.

"Isn't it?" Aashi said with a light laugh after she had taken a drink of her own. The mixture of flavors was perfect as it slid down her own throat. She took another, longer, drink of the concoction before setting her glass down on the table and looking around to watch the people around them. She couldn't let an adrift mood continue in a place like this and felt lighter, more buoyant, than before. "It really would be nice to know more about my closest friend and confidante, you. I guess there are things I haven't found out, yet. I know you're close to your sister, but don't know much about other people in your life. Who else are you close to?"

Werner thought for a moment. "Well, my sister and I have sort of drifted apart since she enlisted after me. Kovac and I have been pretty good friends for years..." He shrugged. "A few friends here and there." He said with a half smile as he took another drink of his margarita.

"No women to speak of? Your friend Raphael seems to have dated quite a few, would you say you are the same way?"

Werner shook his head. "Negative. I mean once or twice back before enlisting, but after that my career came first, not much time left afterwards." He said looking back at Aashi. He shrugged again and took another drink.

"Well, I don't know what I expected to hear, but I did assume your career would come first. You're a professional man, I know that much. As well as a good friend, that's also true. Beyond that, I know you're good with animals," she said as her familiar rose from where it had decided to lay next to their feet and rubbers against his shoulder.

He smiled as A rubbed up against his shoulder. "Hey my girl." He said, running across the manta's body. "It's not hard when A is so friendly." He said smiling.

"She likes you, I know that much. Personally, it's hard for her not to when I do so much, too. But that's beside the point. What are the things you remember enjoying most before you enlisted?"

Werner thought for a moment.

Aashi didn't mean to pry, but let him reflect as she took a sip of her drink and let the cool temperature affect her warm fingertips, feeling the offset of it against her skin.

He looked back up from his reverie "I used to be very into astronomy and reading." He said thinking back. "If I wasn't outside with a teloscope i was probably reading in my room." He said before adding. "Yeah I was a dork."

"Whatever you were, it makes me happy to know it turned you into the man you are today," Aashi said, tipping her glass towards him.

The music crescendoed and the dancing pairs of people inspired Aashi. Her familiar spun loop de loops in the air as she thought of what she was going to do. She popped to her feet and took Ulysses Werner's hand and motioned for him to set his drink in his other hand down.

"Come on!" she said energetically as she rushed him off of his chair.

Werner looked confused until he saw the others. "Oh no I don't... wait!" He didn't get to finish as Aashi pulled him from his chair. "I... I can't dance Aashi!" He said a she half dragged him onto the floor.

Aashi began to move with the rhythm of the music as she kept her hands clasped around his, nearly keeping him from leaving the dance floor. Her hips swayed from one side to another while her shoulders moved with the beat. Her hair swayed behind her back as she danced with him. She noticed his peculiar lack of movement and giggled before letting go of his hands and placing them on his hips.

"Like this!" she said over the music as she tried to move one hip in front of the other before it pushed back and let the other come forward. "You can do it!"

Werner looked a little uncomfortable as he did as Aashi told him. He looked like a stick moving back and forth. "Aashi I am not good at this..." He said again as he kept trying.

"You're doing it, most definitely! Now without my hands," she said as she raised her arms in the air and began clapping intermittently as those in the band did, as well. "Go on, you've got a rhythm all your own, but it works!"

Werner kept doing just as Aashi showed him. He continued... to look like a fool.

"You really have a hang of this," Aashi said after letting her hands fall and continuing to move her feet to and fro, letting her hips follow. She felt the music move her and was carried by the beauty of it as the two of them danced in rhythm with one another. For a few minutes, they enjoyed themselves, each of them dancing with one another in near-perfect harmony.

No. Near perfect wasn't the word. Werner looked more like a drowning man than someone out having a good time. He tried hard... but man did he look like a fool.

The two of them moved like that for awhile, him flopping across the dance floor while she sashayed. The both of them found themselves barely exerted, but enough so that they agreed to regain their seated positions. After they sat back down, they were given two new glasses full of the sweet drink and poured the tequila shots in, letting the liquor mix with the verde liquid.

Werner smiled as he sat and drank his drink. "That was terrible..." He said stifling a laugh. "It was just terrible."

"Not as bad as some dancers I've seen," Aashi said, beginning to describe the intricacies of the dances that would take place on The Devata. "They would get mad crazy with it, that's where I learned how to dance, not on my homeworld, no way. But on The Devata? Oh, all the time, we would be dancing. And there were some terrible dancers aboard. They make you look like a ballroom dancer."

Werner shook his head. "Nice try, but I know that was bad." He said with a grin. "But thanks for trying to make me feel better." He said as he downed his drink and ordered another.

"Should I bring three?" the waitress said, motioning to the third person entering the patio area and coming to sit by them.

"Make it three," Aashi said.

Suddenly Akemi came strolling by. He had been checking out the city to get an idea of what it already had to offer tourists from other worlds while also hoping to chance upon Van Banning's female employees. Seeing Aashi and Werner he figured he could settle with them given how pleasant the former was to look at and the fact that he had learned very little about them so far. Every social event was an opportunity to figure out how they could all work together and to form alliances in case any conflicts arose between those dividing up the planet in the future.

"Oh hey there," the Neko called as he walked over to the pair, "how's it going guys?" Besides his ever present smile he was wearing a simple black t-shirt shirt and jeans.

"Better than ever," Aashi was quick to say. "We were just having a night out on the town. Care to join us, Akemi?" she asked.

Werner pointed to a seat and took another swig from his glass.

"Sure," Akemi answered enthusiastically before smoothly sliding into a seat and taking a look around. "So what have you guys been talking about? Anything juicy?"

Aashi shared a looked with Ulysses and then smiled back at Akemi, "Nothing to speak of, though I did ask him about what he did before he enlisted, I guess I couldn't ask the same of you. You are enlisted before birth, if you can call it that. What did you most enjoy about being with Yamatai's army after that enlistment?"

"Everyone looking extremely attractive." Akemi instantly started to laugh at his answer knowing how ditzy it might make him look. "Also the fact you're always surrounded by the same people so it's easy to bond with them. And of course you've got the action of combat."

Aashi loved hearing that from the little kitten and laughed, too, letting her hand fall onto the table before saying, "It is nice being a part of a team," before she glanced over at Ulysses, thinking back to her crew for the first time since they had been at the construction site. "A team like Uso's is just as good as any Yamataian one, I would imagine. Here," Aashi said as three drinks arrived for them, "drink up."

"Thanks." Akemi took a small sip from his glass before his face turned completely blank and serious. "Just so you know I never actually let myself get drunk because I'm always secretly looking for other people to take advantage of." A moment later he was grinning.

Aashi put her eyebrows up as she took a sip and let the liquid run down her before she said, "You're quite something, Akemi. If only there were two of you, then you'd have someone that was on the level you find yourself on. As it is, I think you're going to run into trouble settling for simply a noblewoman. I think I'll have a quite a time getting to know more about you. For now, let yourself get drunk. I would say you will have no such luck taking advantage of me nor my friend here, so I'd suggest you drink up."

Akemi took a larger drink. "It's funny you mention a noblewoman. I'm totally going to marry for a title just so I can have fun prancing around while people treat me with plenty of deference. Plus it'd be nice to try to become part of the preexisting society and work within their system to get what I want."

"How long do you think that system will persevere?" Aashi asked.

"Well if it's up to me I'd like to preserve the standing of whatever family I align myself with for as long as possible," Akemi answered thoughtfully. Even if it loses any legal privileges its status might currently grant there'll still be prestige to protect. The respect people get from their noble heritage could last for centuries."

"The prestige of being a part of Uso's empire will last across systems, though, in that time," Aashi countered.

The Neko gave a slight shrug. "Well I'd like to have both and show a little respect to the guys while having fun at the same time. Besides working with instead of against people with the knowledge and experience to lead will probably be beneficial. What do you plan on doing?"

"What I am doing," Aashi replied. "Building infrastructure, making this resort happen, helping Ragnarok with their plans, and lounging about in between on the beach. I've learned that the people that think they have the knowledge to lead are the last ones you should follow. The people that show you they can lead by example are the ones you should hold respect for. Nobility is the former, by the way."

"Well I'll ultimately be doing the leading," Akemi replied with a rather confident tone, "but it's nice to have people beneath you that the natives will be used to following. Sure there'll be incompetent and corrupt ones but even they'll have things to teach me about the planet. Besides, I'll have fun seeing what trickery they try on me. The nastiest ones might be the most fun to mess with."

"Have you found that to be the case, as a captain, Ulysses?" Aashi asked with a sly glance away from Akemi.

The sound of spurs hitting the floor wafted across the bar, as the Sheriff made her rounds. Maybe it was that she'd heard that the horned alien was out and about again, or maybe she was just going in for a drink, she stepped in to the bar... And then, upon spying Akemi instantly turned on her heel and left again. Disappearing down the street.

Werner shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I haven't been around the towns people. If I'm not on the ship I am hanging out with Aashi." He said as he finished another drink and ordered another.

"Aah!" Aashi said, eyeing the sheriff. "Ah, I guess she doesn't want to settle in for a relaxing evening," Aashi said as she watched her disappear. "Well, that's a shame. Friends, drink up!" she said, downing her drink after Ulysses' margarita had arrived. "We're switching bars!"

The three of them paid and made their way out of the bar and down the street. Aashi stumbled on a cobblestone and Ulysses caught her by the elbow while Akemi offered to carry her all the way to the next destination as a result. Unlike Neko, Iromakuanhe absorb alcohol at alarming rates and get sloshed easier than most other species. Exemplifying this to the best of her abilities was Aashi Nath as she fumbled down the street with both Neko and Nepleslian help.

They found the next bar, a divey one with low lights and a pool table in the doorway. Every local at the bar turned towards the trio and begrudgingly eyed them up and down before turning back to their respective conversations and silence.

"Want to sit here?" Aashi asked as she took up a barstool and sat down, chair wobbling for a moment before she watched the other two take seats to either side of her.

Werner had to half carry Aashi to the next bar. He sat down and could feel the alcohol getting to him, but he honestly could care less. He looked to the bartender. "A shot of whiskey." The bartender arrived and Werner downed it in a single second.

"One for me," Aashi said, "but a shot of tequila. Don't mix and thrive, they say. I think they say." The bartender, puzzled, looked to the other two before pouring her a shot of well tequila and looked away as she put it up to her lips and threw her head back.

Akemi simply took a seat and watched the others drink. He was never one to let himself get wasted and he wasn't going to start now. He simply figured he'd be the responsible one ready to take care of the two if they went well over their limits.

Werner looked to the bartender again. "Just go ahead and leave the bottle." Werner said. The bartender came back and left a bottle of whiskey. He poured himself another glass. "Down the hatch." He said before throwing the shot back.

"So, Akemi," Aashi asked, looking directly at the Neko, voice wavering as she asked, "do you really see yourself leading people around? Is that really what you see yourself doing? You said you could learn from the nobles how to. Really, though? Really?"

Akemi shrugged. "Why couldn't I? Do I not seem absolutely positively the type? It's not like I need them to teach me how to lead I just meant they know the culture and customs of the land and knowing those things and its history could always be useful. Who says commoners would truly do any better educating me in an unbiased and thoroughly thoughtful manner? Everyone is equally vulnerable to vice."

"If you think you already know the ropes then that must mean they teach you how to lead in 'Neko Academy,'" Aashi said. "Do they really?"

Akemi wondered what was going on. Maybe Aashi was just getting really sloshed. "Well a big part of leading is virtue and I've got that in spades. Besides, what's with the third degree? Do you think it matters that much when we're playing with a stacked deck given our greatly advanced technology and capabilities? I learned how to lead by running a business."

"What's with the third degree?" Aashi asked, putting a hand on her chest and drawing back a little bit. "It's only that I think your deck is stacked when you're playing roulette. This is about leading the noble and peasants or locals or whatever," Aashi said, "it's about following Uso and not carving your own path above hers. I don't know why you're bent on becoming something grander than that which hosts you. Why not be content with and find pleasure in what you've already created and see that succeed, huh? What's with the third degree?" Aashi asked again rhetorically.

Werner reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "Aashi, you need to calm down." He said softly. "I think it is time for you to stop. You have had plenty."

"I'm just stating the facts," Aashi said, not realizing she had ordered another drink in between her diatribe. The bartender handed it to her and she tentatively took a long sip, heeding Ulysses Werner's word poorly, then eyed Akemi. "Sorry, sorry, you get where I'm coming from, though, right?"

"Sounds like you really care about Uso," said, to try to calm Aashi down with something positive. "I totally get where you're coming from but I'm not trying to overtake her." The Neko raised an open palm to assure her he was serious. "All I want to do is have fun messing with the nobles because I don't know of anyone else who plans on doing much of anything with them and I want to that mostly for fun. Besides, I don't owe Uso anything."

Aashi cocked her head to the side and her black then blue hair fell in tendrils against the wood of the bar. "You..." she trailed off, then regained her thoughts, "just want to mess with them? That's something I can get behind. They probably don't have too much to accomplish or do at this point, anyway. Goading them would probably be pretty easy. I think that there are better uses for your time, for a Neko, especially. There's a computer," she said, then poked Akemi's forehead and said, "up there. But I don't want to give you any more ideas than you already have. If you're happy to mess around with nobles, be my guest. Just don't plan to reign supreme when there's someone fit for that job already doing it."

"Gosh, organizing some people doesn't mean I'd try to take the planet," Akemi quickly pointed out. "I'd just be making things easier for Uso and everyone else. I want to bring greater food production, wealth and entertainment to people and turn a profit in the process. I'm not intending to raise an army and go conquering. She and Arccos are already doing that to deal with the Mishhu."

"How much do you know about that?" she asked.

Akemi hoped he could safely begin to feel some relief now that the conversation was seemingly turning towards a common issue and enemy. "Not much, just that people are stuck on what to do and Arccos is going to help supply ships but people don't know how many she can get her buddies to field and as things are now it seems there's no way to win regardless of what they try."

"It does seem to look that way," Aashi muttered, taking a sip of the half a shot she had left, knowing it to be her last one from this bar. "I don't want to sound defeatist, but it seems like a war that can't be won. But there is no way around it, is there? The I'ee need to be saved and Uso put her word forward that they would be saved. That's about all that I know and it's enough to sway me into believing that we're going to fight them, regardless of whether we can or not."

"Yeah, I tried kicking around some ideas for a bit including not helping the I'ee or avoiding a fight somehow but I guess we're stuck. I really like the adorable little guys now that I've met them though so I can see why we're helping them." Akemi had to admit their mannerisms and appearance were highly persuasive. He wouldn't be surprised if they were secretly a psionic species capable of mind control. "I'm just glad my people and resources aren't the ones being put at risk or at least direct and immediate risk. If we lose and are weakened the natives could decide to take up arms. My plans could help reduce the likelihood of that though or at least the extent of the success."

"Hmmm," Aashi mused. "Interesting. And there's really no out, you say? None? Just as I thought. It really is a shame, but in all likelihoods, Uso will pull through in a way neither of us expected and remain at the seat of power on 188604 and presumably over the I'ee themselves. I like to know that while Uso is away doing said fighting, you won't find your own powers of persuasion and choose to sway the locals against Uso at any point, which I feel like I've tested enough to know where you stand on that front. What do you two think about going somewhere else? Akemi, where are you staying these days? Or nights, rather."

That was a very good question Akemi thought. He really should develop an answer, more for himself than the Iroma. It would definitely be good to decide on a residence of his own so the natives knew where to contact him in general and in times where privacy was important. "Well I don't really need to sleep so I spend the vast majority of my time on the move exploring nonstop for fun."

"Well that won't do for too long. Most stay aboard the Queen's Slave. We could always walk back there, go yell at the ocean a bit, maybe storm the castle, I mean palace, I-" Aashi cut herself off to look around the bar, then said lowly, "think I'm a little too ~wooh wooh~" she tipped her head back with her hand to make a drinking motion, then continued, "to be out in public anymore. Ideas? Ulysses?"

Ulysses finally broke his silence. "You, too drunk? Never..." He said sarcastically. He thought for a moment then said. "Well either we go crash at the palace, or we try and get you back to your ship." He said thinking. Then added. "Or we head up to mine." He shrugged looking to the Neko. "Pick a place and let's go. I will leave it up to you." He said as he began to pay everyone's collective tab.

"Well I've yet to actually go to the palace so naturally I've gotta find out exactly how palatial it is. Is it really impressive even by our standards?" Akemi sure hoped it was. He really didn't want to find out the people they would be ruling over weren't able to come up with their own timeless marvels.

Werner shrugged again as he finished paying. "I would say it is, but I really wouldn't know. I could tell you that it is not built with security in mind." He said absently. "Come on." He said offering a hand to Aashi. "I'll lead the way."

"You'll lead and I'll f-follow," Aashi said with something akin to a hiccup.

"Alrighty." Akemi followed along and found himself feeling a little bothered by the idea of letting Werner awkwardly lead and shoulder Aashi even though he apparently knew her far better. "Hey, why don't you just let me carry her? I'm super strong compared to your average Nepleslian and I won't do anything. It'd just be easier for everyone and fun for me."

"I'm fine." Werner said looking back to Akemi with a slight smile. "I didn't have enough that I can't function. Come on, it's this way." He said rounding a corner.

"Let the Neko show his hulking strength!" Aashi said before Werner had deterred Akemi from wanting to do so. "Hmmph," she sighed like a petulant child having not gotten her way.

"Darn, no princess carrying the princess." Akemi kept on walking while feeling slightly disappointed he wouldn't get to parade around with a beautiful woman in his arms. It sure was a shame his abilities would go unused. Hopefully the palace still looked good inside and out and it hadn't been decimated or thoroughly ransacked.

"H-hey," Aashi said. "Can you really just~" she raised her hand in a motion and followed it with her eyes as she let her hand flutter about above her head.

Werner rolled his eyes. "Akemi, go ahead. I'll meet you there." He said stopping. "Go float her ass to the palace." He half grumbled.

"Oh?" Aashi said, perturbed slightly that Ulysses Werner would want to leave, but the very small portion of her brain that was still sober reminded the other very sloshed portion that she had nothing to fear when it came to Ulysses. "Oh. Okay, then. I bid you adieu, for now at least, my liege." Her familiar began pacing the air back and forth between Werner and Aashi and she nonverbally told it to relax, to come to her, but the message was just as jumbled as the words that were coming out of her mouth and it barely recognized what to do.

Werner held out a hand. "A, go with Aashi. I will be fine." He said with a soft smile.

The familiar responded to the man and flew over past Aashi's shoulder and circled the Iroma woman, a bit more contentedly.

Akemi chuckled softly and grinned. "I hope I can handle it. It's a pretty ample one. Ah, you even have A to make sure I'm on my best behavior." Ever the gentleman, the Neko carefully scooped up Aashi, starting by placing an arm behind her legs and then carefully using the other to support her back. He leaned her against him a bit and took off at a pretty quick speed since she didn't weigh much. Naturally he was very gentle with the wasted woman and tried to make her ride as smooth as possible, especially when it came to any terms.

Aashi had a giggle fit while the Neko picked her up and acted squeamish, not enough to impede his gentlemanly movements.

"Now fly!" she commanded, half-wondering if the Neko really could, half-wondering if the stories about them were just that. Uso had been the first Neko she had ever met and their relationship was much too professional to have asked something like that of her.

"Whatever you say," Akemi casually replied with a little tilt of his head. He slowed down and rose several feet in the air figuring he didn't need to try to go very high for someone so out of it to feel satisfied.

With a face full of sheer wonderment, joy, and drunken excitement, she let her mouth hang open as she uttered a simple, "Woah."

"So, is there still no way I could have a chance with you?" Akemi couldn't help but ask merely to see how she would respond given the situation. Would she even form words or would she stick to something simple like slugging him or laughing?

Quite openly, she groaned and began, "That? It's kind of sad, actually, everyone wants to but nobody can. It makes me want to open my body up for everyone just to make them happy but then, that would make me the saddest one of them all. So what's the deal with it, anyway?" she asked. "The whole deal with getting gooey eyed and slamming bodies, huh? I don't see the value in it."

"Awww. Sorry buddy," Akemi replied, sincerely moved by the sound of Aashi's frustration, "I didn't know you had that kind of problem. I just had to see if you'd do something funny if I asked. I didn't think you had the mental wherewithal to be so bothered." If only he had little I'ee feelers to stroke and comfort her with.

"Aw," Aashi repeated, liking being called buddy. "I have the mental where with something to at least state my case. Anything besides that, I couldn't say one way or the other. Plus, it's wearing off a a bit," she said, reflecting on her current state, then sheepishly added, "only a bit, to be honest."

"Well I probably got one of the best reactions possible since you frankly opened up to someone who cares or at least figures he should since he's going to be working with you and now I get to know more about where you're coming from," Akemi said, always one to try to lighten up a situation and put a rational, positive spin on it. "It just wasn't what I was expecting." A moment later he suddenly stopped. "Looks like we're here given the giant building." Then he started to gradually tilt the Iroma so she could slide off.

Her boots touched the ground lightly and she gained some semblance of footing on the ground as Akemi tilted her out of his arms. Once she was safely standing, her familiar moved over to Akemi and rubbed a wing against the cheek of the Neko boy in thanks. The palace was not too disappointing, if you hadn't seen too many palaces in the past, grand in places where it was to be expected and intricate in some that you would not. They followed the path towards it and up the steps slowly, for Aashi's sake.

A half dozen or more personnel filed out of the palace dashing down the steps in full alert. Their voices were a cacophony of sound to Aashi at first, until she had picked apart the words and name she was hearing. She turned, her coat flapping in the wind as she looked in the direction they were going.

As the men streamed out of the building, a Corona Gunship flew in fast and low, landing with a thud. The ramp opened and several Corpsmen and nurses rushed down the ramp with a gurnee. "What happened!" One of the nurses yelled over the roar of the engines.

"It looks like he was jumped! His ribs are shattered, his nose is broken, and his zygomatic bone is fractured!" He yelled back.

"Shit! Get him to the OR stat!" Another nurse said.

As the gurnee passed the pair, they saw the beaten and battered form of one Ulysses S Werner...

...Earlier...
Werner began walking as he saw the pair fly off into the sky. He sighed. “She will be fine…right?” He thought as he began walking down the confusing streets of Osman/Ragnacity. He wandered towards the palace, stumbling slightly. As he walked, he caught the eye of several some rather unpleasant looking men.

“Oi!” One of them called. Werner ignored them and continued to walk.

“Oi! We talking to you soldier boy!” Another said. Werner waved a hand dismissively.

The men moved and quickly surrounded Werner and pushed him into an alley. “Now listen soldier bo-“

The man didn’t get to finish his stamen before Werner’s hand shot out and jabbed him in the windpipe, dropping the man instantly. The men around him were stunned… then they jumped into action. “You’re gonna pay for dat soldier boy… Get him boys…” With that the men all attacked at once…

Werner fought valiantly, but it wasn’t enough. There were too many of them and he was too inebriated to fight effectively. He was able knock two more before one of them smashed him into the wall and knocked the wind out his lungs. They then proceeded to kick the crumpled form of Ulysses. One of the multiple kicks hit him square in the nose. With a loud CRACK! His nose broke and blood started to pour from his face. His body was continually battered until he was near left fighting to stay conscience.

“STOP!” Their boss called. “I think the soldier boy has learned his lesson.” He said stooping low and getting in Werner’s face. “You learned your lesson right?”

Werner voice groaned as he tried to speak. The man leaned in. “What is it soldier boy?” He said getting closer. Werner picked up his face and spit blood into the man’s face.

“Fu…fuck off.” Werner tried to say. The leader growled and kicked Werner again, hitting him in the chest with dull thud.

“Get his money and let’s go.” The gang members roughly searched Werner and took the rest of the meager amount of money in his pocket, and left him in a crumpled heap. He passed out, not able to fight it anymore...

As he passed out, one of the several Ragnarock patrols rounded the corner. Just another routine patrol, that is until one of the new recruits heard something. “Hey Sarge. You hear that?” He asked

The Sergeant stopped, and heard it to. “What the hell… He said rounding the corner, finding the battered form of one Ulysses Werner. “Shit! Corpsman!” he called rushing to Werner’s side. He searched Werner and found his ID badge. “This is Delta 2-4, I need a medivac at my coordinates Stat! VIP down, repeat, VIP down…!”

...Later...

Aashi ran towards the gurnee and pressed her hands onto the sides as it moved away from the Corona Gunship.

"Oh, no, Ulysses, oh no," she said as she looked at his limp, unconscious body. She did all that she could think to do and pressed her hand onto his, opening up an empathic link, feeling all that he was undergoing in his pained, bloody, disrepaired state. She didn't know what kind of feelings were oozing out of her, she had little control over what she could and could not contain, so he felt it all, the care, the compassion, the crushing confusion of seeing him broken and battered.

Sadly the connection was broken as a Corpsmen gently pushed her away from the gurnee, stopping to speak with her. "Ma'am you have to stay here, he is headed to surgery now." He said barring her path.

Aashi kept a disgusted and vehemently angry string of words from spewing from her mouth in the hopes that hearing her yelling wouldn't negatively impact Ulysses' health.

She turned to Akemi, stomping her booted heel to the ground once the gurnee was out of sight, "This is outright wrong! I can't stand knowing that he got," she paused coming to the conclusion, finally, then said, "beat up? He got beat up! I can't stand knowing that! I won't stand for it!"

"Well I don't know what to say," Akemi said, gradually trying to come up with safe, sensible material to put Aashi at ease. "I hope whoever did this gets what's coming to them. Does he have any Mindware? If he did he might be able to show us exactly who did him in."

"I bet they'd be easy to spot, whoever they are. I say we find them, Akemi. Find them and give them what they deserve!"

Akemi mentally put on his super sleuth hat. "Could you look in his head to figure out who they are? I mean they could have gone a decent distance by now and hid since if there was time for people to bring him here there must have been ample time to flee."

"I mean, if I laid down next to him and went to sleep then, yeah, it would work. Though at this time I'm not even allowed to see him," Aashi replied, putting on her super duper Debbie downer hat. "So, no."

"You guys should totally get little drones from Arccos or some Mindware or both so we can make dealing with this kind of thing way easier in the future or outright prevent it," Akemi pointed out. These guys needed to realize they were all high priority targets because of who they were working for and how high up they were and they certainly paled in comparison to the greatness of master race Neko like himself and Uso. "Well we can find out where they found him and go looking for witnesses. Maybe we'll find them nearby or someone who saw something that'll spill the beans since we're aliens and they might want to get on our good side."

"Let's go!" Aashi said, ready for the man-hunt. She turned on her heel and went the way the Corona Gunship had come. They perused the streets and side streets, looking down every alleyway that they could go down. "Hold up," Aashi said, spotting something shining in the light, "Is that blood?" There was a pool of it in the alley and Aashi asked, "Can you sniff out any clues from this, Kitten?"

"I wish, but I'm not a scent hound. All I've got is enhanced hearing and sight on my side. That would be pretty awesome though." Akemi easily took everything in good stride because he'd still only very recently met Aashi and Werner and they were certainly no substitute for Sammy. If the little guy got glassed the goons would get gassed. Or something else lethal. Plus despite how much he could care about people he was also very capable of being and often naturally was detached.

Aashi, on the other hand, was livid, still. Going off of some conceived notion, she said, "That way!" as she pointed back out of the alleyway. "They'll likely be spending his money, if they robbed him. Let's check the scrimshaw and glass shops. Come on!" she said, raising her arm and bringing it towards the stretch of shops in front of them. They peaked their heads in and out of each one a few times each and then, having exhausted that option, Aashi said, "To the bars!" Then, they went into bar after bar, asking if any hoodlums had passed through.

The first several people the came across refused to speak, as they were about to move on, a small child tugged on Aashi's dress. It was a small boy. "Excuse me lady..." He said pulling on her dress again.

"Aw hello," she said, bending down, "are... are you lost?"

The young boy shook his head. "I saw your friend get hurt... Is he okay?" He asked, concerned in his own childish way.

Oddly delighted and confused in feeling so, Aashi nodded her head with a sensitive smile, "Yes, he's okay, but we need to find the people that hurt him. Can you help us?"

The boy looked up at Aashi and then at Akemi, then nodded. And he took off down the street. He ran down several bends, finally stopping when several voices could be heard. "They in there lady." He said pointing around the corner.

Aashi patted the little boy on the head and handed him a coin very quickly before looking to Akemi, saying, "You ready?"

"Yup, guess it's time to make them ride the pain train," Akemi said as he took out his black Type 33 NSP with its triple power magazine and set it to heavy stun. He hoped the kid wasn't secretly luring them into a trap because of some Yamataian cartoons he had watched in the past.

"Mhmm!" Aashi nodded as she took steps forward, into the inner section of a building worse for the wear with an open door and no signage to speak of. She looked around the motley crew of five men and asked, "Which one of you hurt my friend earlier tonight, huh? I'd like to know and I'd like to know, now."

The five men looked between each other and laughed. One of them stepped forward. "Who soldier boy? He went down like a bitch!" He laughed again, his men joining in. "What you going to do about it huh? Gonna report us to the authorities?" He said condescendingly.

"Would you mind turning yourselves in so we don't have to?" Aashi demanded.

The man looked dumbfounded. "You aliens are stupid ain't ya? Get the hell out of here before we have to rough up that pretty face of yours." He said crossing his arms, his goons forming a semi circle around him.

"I think it sounds like it's time to shoot that thing, Akemi!" Aashi said, bellowing out his name as she did, "You go for the right," she managed to yell out before leaping at the two men that had formed a semicircle around their boss in the center. Aashi pulled back her fist and let it land on the cheek of the first man and wasn't so lucky a second later as the second landed his own punch, it missed her center, though, and grazed her shoulder.

"I'll tell you what I'll do," Akemi replied after first firing from behind Aashi at the chest of the one running his mouth and stepping forward. "I'm gonna give you all brain damage and sell your vegetative husks to the highest bidder." The Neko really didn't see what the point of fisticuffs was when he could simply shoot them all until they surrendered. It was too bad he didn't have a Kaserine grenade to make things more amusing. They were definitely something to look into. Anyone who tried to resist after the first shot had connected would just get one of their own. Being a nice guy to mirror his company the Neko actually chose to exclusively aim at the center of his targets so they'd only potentially develop some nervous system damage and not actually be rendered permanently catatonic.

Aashi blocked the next succession of punches and quickly landed one in the gut of the first man she had punched. She backfisted his jaw and watched his face follow with her movement and was pulled to the ground before she gave his head a good hard pounding from the heel of her boot. She sprung back from an oncoming blow from the second man and took a step back, put her front foot in front of her other, pivoted off of it, and spun backwards, turning around fully before pushing the toe of her boot into the side of his head, surprising him with the impact. She looked over to the men Akemi was after, to see what Akemi had done.

All of the thugs were on the ground, in various states of pain. As Aashi and Akemi stood back to see what damaged they had wraught, the thumping of boots could be heard behind them. Cyrus Marshal rounded the corner, in full battle rattle. "Good job finding them kidos." He said as a squad of soldiers ran past him and quickly cuffed them all. Cyrus walked up to Aashi and laid a gloved hand on her shoulder. "The Captain is out of surgery. Go. We can clean up here." He said turning and barking out orders.

Aashi nearly jumped out of her dress when she heard Ulysses was out of the OR and nodded delightedly to Cyrus, saying a quick, "Thank you so much for telling me!"

The two of them ran out of the building and into the streets, making their way to the palace as quickly as they could. When they arrived at the palace, Ulysses was lying asleep in side of the recovery wing, several nurses tending to the near lifeless form. As Aashi came storming into the recovery room a doctor stopped her. "Wooah. Hold on there miss. You know the Captain?" He asked.

"Know him?" Aashi asked, not trying to sound belligerent, but coming off so a bit so. "I'll have to insist that I do."

"Says the only family here is his sister, only family can visit him." As the doctor barred her path Werner stirred.

Akemi was content to wait outside. He'd done his bit to make sure Aashi stayed safe and figured she'd be better off without him intruding on an intimate moment with a much closer friend that gave her the opportunity to further bond with him. Plus it'd probably be a lot easier to have one person admitted to see him than two. As a result he decided to fly off and go explore the city.

"You go ahead and see him by yourself," The Neko put a hand on the woman's shoulder as a sign of support. "It'd be better for the both of you. I'll just make my graceful exit here." With that said he headed for the door.

Werner was fighting off the anesthetic and was confused. His heart rate began racing and several monitors went off at once. It looked like he was trying to say something, but his voice was so raspy from being intibated that he couldn't get the words out. "Doctor, he's coming out!" One of the nurses yelled to him. He began to fidget and spoke again, this time a nurse bent over and heard what he said. "He keeps asking for an Aashi. Who the hell is that?"

"If you would care to ask you would know that's me!" Aashi said quite loudly to the nurse and doctor. "Ulysses!" she said in a more calm manner, "Ulysses, I'm here, now!" To the doctor, she said politely, but firmly, "Let me through, please!" Her familiar swung sharp figure eight's behind her as she spoke.

The doctor looked between her and the nurse, then sighed. "Okay but you need to know some things. We went in and we had to reset his ribs, fixed his nose, and had to reconstruct his cheek bone. He is going to be in a lot of pain for a few hours. Are you sure you can handle it?" The doc asked.

"I can handle anything for Ulysses," Aashi said as she nodded, "I can do it for him. Let me be there to hold his hand, that's all I ask."

The doctor nodded softly and stepped aside, as did the nurses. "We will give you a minute." He said as he and the nurse cleared out, but were still close enough to respond to anything.

Aashi inhaled sharply as the doctor and nurse took their leave and nodded to them absentmindedly as she focused on Ulysses as he lay in the bed. She took a few rushed steps forward and put out her hand before withdrawing it and thinking it better to instead of opening up an empathic link right away, letting him focus on her being there with him, if he could. Swooping up and down the room, her familiar finally settled in the air next to his head on the other side of him, wings racing in little rivulets.

"Ulysses," she said as she put her hand next to his on the bed, not quite touching him. "I never want to let you leave my side again, this is the last thing I would want and would expect, but, Ulysses, I'm so happy to be here with you, now. And I just want to make sure you always stay safe," the words came out in smaller gasps now, as she continued, until she could no more, "and I didn't, but I will. From now on."

Ulysses stirred. He started to mumble, but it was too soft to hear. His hand twitched, as if trying to move towards the sound of Aashi's voice.

"Oh, Ulysses," Aashi murmured as she felt the strong desire to hold him, all of him, not just his hand. She inched her fingers on by one closer to him until the both of them were encompassed by their shared feelings. Pain, overwhelming pain, was all Aashi felt for a few moments until recognition of her set in and then she felt the love and care he had at the sound of her voice. It was more desperate than it ever had been, a pleading, searching type of love that she would have accepted from nobody but him. She looked into his face as she felt it, as it overpowered his feelings of pain and fear. Her feelings encompassed him, her feelings for him and of her own inner contentedness, forged from many years in a cell and growing up. She let her feelings for him, the feelings of care and joy she had at being with him and seeing him take precedent and subdue his pain. As that pain entered her, she gripped his hand and gritted her teeth, feeling it rip through her inner joy and happiness as she let those things leave her body to his.

She looked again to him, and the feelings were assuaged and tempered, lessened to the extent that they were endurable. She rested her head on his pillow, inches from his face as she looked at him, hands still holding one another.

"N...no Aa...Aashi..." Werner spoke softly. "St...stop. I...I don't...want you...to bear m...my pain." He said as his eyes fluttered open. His eye's began to swell. "I...don't wan to... to hurt you..."

As she looked into his eyes, closer to them than she had ever been, she went on to say, "You're not hurting me, Ulysses," bearing back the pain and letting his other feelings for her smother the ones of distress and torment at his physical state. "I'm not being hurt, not at all. I'm here for you. I want you to feel better. I'll do anything to make you feel better, Ulysses. Whatever that means."

Tears fell from his face, he rested his forehead against her. "I...I'm so...sorry Aashi." He said, his hand reaching over try and hug her. "Aa...Aashi..."

As he rested his head against hers, she let the tears that had been welling inside of her break free and she held his hand in hers before letting go and lifting herself off of the chair next to him and laying down on the very edge of the hospital bed. Barely feasible, she still managed it and held him in a hug, saying in between tears, "Don't move like that... your ribs, you could get hurt. You could..." She pushed her face against the side of his, into his neck and shoulder, and whispered, "Please don't get hurt. I won't let you."

He let her into his bed and tried to hold back his tears for Aashi. "N...No..." He said as he was pulled into a soft, gentle hug." I'm...I'm sorry I scared...you..." He said softly, a hand coming up and wiping a tear from her eye. "I wanted you to...to have fun with Akemi...I...I thought I was being a par...party pooper." He said softly, taking shallow breaths as to not aggravate his ribs.

Aashi wanted to laugh, if she weren't in such a tremendously sad state, as she said, "Party pooper? You? Maybe to some other people you could be, but not to me. Never to me."

He smiled softly, then felt A nudge him softly. "H...hey my girl..." He said opening his hand for the manta. His other hand wiped more tears from Aashi's face. "I wanted you to be ha...happy Aashi... That is all I ever want for... for you. To...to be happy. It's why...why I let Akemi fly you here..."

"But that's all I want for you," she replied. "I want for you to be as happy as I am when I see you. Don't think that leaving me will make me happy ever, ever again, okay?"

Werner smiled softly. "Ye...Yeah." He stammered.

"Good," Aashi said emphatically before she raised her head at the sound of footsteps.

A nurse walked in, finding Aashi laying in the bed with Werner. She was about to protestest, when she saw the death glare Aashi was giving her. The nurse sighed and walked to Werner's opposite side. Aashi slunk off the bed and regained her place on the seat next to Ulysses.

The nurse moved and began switching out IVs and checking on all his monitors. "If you need anything Captain, hit the call button." She said before nodding to Aashi and walking out.

"Shit, what happened to you?" Hazel asked, as the black coated-pilot stepped through the door way, "I heard you took a hit."

Ulysses chuckled, then coughed. "Yeah...You could say that. Or, you...could say I got my ass kicked." He said hoarsely. A nurse walked in after Hazel. "Ma'am? Do you know the Captain as well?" She asked annoyed by all the visitors.

"We're related," Hazel said, before turning her attention back to Ulysses, "So who beat you up?"

Werner shrugged. "I don't know wh...who they were. Just...a couple of thugs. They cornered me... in town." He said recalling the events of the evening.

"Names? Faces? Identifying features? Location?" She asked, sounding like she was enjoying the idea of revisiting the situation.

Aashi, finding it her time to speak up, interjected quietly, "Don't worry about them, now. Cyrus has them in custody for what they did to you, Ulysses."

Werner squeezed Aashi's hand. "Aashi, this is...is my little sister. Hazel Werner." He said looking between the two.

Feeling a bit of the post-adrenaline tiredness weaken her before she felt the tenderness of Ulysses' touch, Aashi smiled warmly and said, "Hazel, what a beautiful name. I am so happy to meet someone so close to Ulysses. Ulysses, would you like us to leave you and let you recover?"

Werner shook his head. "Go...go ahead and talk. I think...I am going to sleep..." He said, squeezing Aashi's hand one more time as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep while the others talked.

Aashi watched his face before looking up into Hazel's, wondering what the woman would ask her, if anything.

"I hope he didn't embarrass himself," Hazel said. The pilot was short and to the point, which seemed to match her aggressive physique. Though she was the little sister, she certainly had muscle tone, a stern expression, and a Short n Tight haircut that betrayed her military history. "Just let me know where to go and I'll clean up..."

"If you really want to..." Aashi trailed off.

"I really want to," Hazel reassured, sounding almost giddy.

Aashi nodded tersely, saying, "Head towards the 5th street off of the city heading East, and you'll find Cyrus's crew finishing the job there." Not trying to sound too overpowering to the woman in power, she added in a low voice, "They were up against a Neko's service pistol and my punches, so you know. They're not in the best shape."

"Neither is Werner from the looks of it." Hazel said, ".... So what is your relationship with him anyways?"

Aashi leaned back in the chair and put the heels of her boots against the edge of the bed and told Hazel, "I wouldn't say I know him as well as you do..." she trailed off, then regained her rhetoric, "...but I know him pretty well."

Hazel tilted her head to the side a bit, watching Aashi for a moment, "I see. I trust you can make sure they put him back together correctly then."

"That I can. Have a good night, Hazel. I hope to see you again under some better circumstances."

Without further words, Hazel would turn towards the exit and leave.

Aashi looked away from Hazel's back as she left the room and turned to Ulysses. After a moment's pause, she got onto the hospital bed and put an arm over his chest, pushing her nose into his shoulder and breathing in his smell as she did. She smiled, unsure of what she was hopeful of once he was awake, only knowing she looked forward to when he was better.

...A few days later...

The doctors allowed Werner to leave their supervision under strict orders that he was left in someone's care. The crew of the Necromancer would have gladly watched over their captain, however someone else insisted that he stay with her while he recovered. He was given leave and Raphael had stepped in to oversee things aboard the Necromancer in his absence.

Aashi busied herself not with the normal duties she had assumed while on 188604, but with tending to Ulysses Werner, which meant a lot of watching him sleep and sitting next to his bed with him, changing his dressings, making sure he took his medications and the like. She enjoyed the finer aspects of doing so in a way she did not presume to be only because of her Iroma nature, but because of the nature of her friendship with Ulysses, instead. She enjoyed being with him in quite a few capacities, by his side being her favorite of them. She took care of him as he had done similarly, if not to this grand a scale, before.

"There's nothing more I'd rather be doing, there isn't a thing I'd rather do." Aashi said.

Werner laid in Aashi's bed. She had just finished changing the dressing around his chest. It was still bruised and it hurt to breathe. However, the stubborn man talked, despite the pain. "Aashi, you have been taking care of me for an entire day with no break..." He reminded her. "Even I know I am too much in one sitting." He said trying to joke.

With a smile, Aashi put a hand on his and said, "You don't know anything about yourself, if that's what you think. There are so few things in the universe that I would say are 'too much' and you are not one."

Werner chuckled, then winced in pain. "You are just as stubborn as me Aashi." He said, grinning through the pain.

"I hope for both of us you're more stubborn than me; I can be hard to deal with, too," Aashi said, half-hoping he would give her examples of when she was, but knowing he would end up disagreeing.

He smiled and held out a hand to her. "Let's go sit in the lounge? I am tired of laying in bed."

"Let me help you up," she said, holding his hand more firmly and positioning her other behind the small of his back.

He stood with Aashi's help, and shakily made his way to the lounge. As he moved to sit on the couch though he tripped, pulling his helper down ontop of him on the couch. "OoOoOoOoOwww." He groaned.

Aashi, laying on top of him, pressing against him in a way she never had before, felt something odd, before a pang of sympathy and concern made her push off of him quickly, without hurting him more than he had already been hurt.

Werner took several quick shallow breaths. "I'm okay..." He said clutching his chest. "I'm good..." he lied

"Aaaaw, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry. Here," she said, putting the pillows on the couch in a better format for him and knelt next to him, putting her hand behind his head while he laid down fully. "That better?" she asked enthusiastically, then quietly to him said, "Probably not, huh? I just want you to be comfortable, but it's a little difficult for you to, isn't it? Want to watch a trashy movie with me? Would it help at all?"

Werner smiled softly, reaching a hand up to her face and moving her bangs out of the way. "I am comfortable as long as you are next to me." He said his hand resting on her cheek. He smiled more warmly. "Sure, let's watch a movie."

Aashi nodded gently and held her hand up to his against her cheek, she smiled softly as she held it there, then brought both hands back down to his side before letting go of his and getting up, working out which movie to play. She chose Herald and the Tribe and put it in to start the movie on the volumetrics display on the wall. She grabbed a few drinks for the both of them, abstaining from alcohol for the both of them and getting them fruit-flavored drinks, instead. She put them down on the table next to the couch and grabbed some eats, too. She sat down in front of the couch after looking over Ulysses, top to bottom, to make sure he was comfortable.

Werner smiled as she sat down in front of him. Before she could protest, he slid off the couch and was sitting next to her. "I couldn't watch the movie up there. It's much more fun down here." He said smiling, grabbing his drink.

Aashi moved closer to where he was sitting and grabbed her own drink, sipping on it while watching the opening credits roll through and the movie beginning.

Werner moved and draped an arm over her shoulders and slouched down getting comfortable.

"O-oh," Aashi said as she felt his arm wrap around her body and she reflexively move her hand, without thinking to, onto his leg, leaving it there even after she had wondered to herself what she was doing.

Werner smiled back and moved his other hand to hold hers. "Just like old times." He said with a smile

Aashi closed her eyes, reveling in the moment as she felt his warmth against her fingertips as he touched her, if only her hand.

Werner smiled as he gave her hand a squeeze and he leaned his head against her's as the movies started. As the movie went on Werner smiled mischievous grin. His hand let go of hers and he pretended to stretch, before he began to tickle her.

Aashi squealed in delight and excitement, not knowing why she was so overwhelmed by the sensations at first, but once she realized Ulysses was tickling her, squeamishly tried to avoid his hands, to no avail.

"I'll just have to," she said in between giggles as she brought her own hands out and began moving them around him, underneath his arms and, when that didn't work, she tried under his knees and behind his legs. "...get you back!"

Werner laughed as Aashi tickled him back, ending in a coughing fit. "Okay, okay you win." He said smiling as he leaned back into her. "I'll stop. Just no more tickling me behind the knee..."

"I knew that would get you," Aashi said with a wide grin as she gently pushed against him with her shoulder. "I just knew it. Oh my gosh, this scene is horrific," Aashi muttered as she looked away from the screen. The doctor of the film was starting to reset the bone of one of the tribes men, even though he has no anesthetic. He screams bloody murder as the doc moves the bone back in place while blood spurts everywhere. Aashi turned away from the volumetrics display and put her face against Ulysses' shoulder as she avoided the carnage from the movie.

"I-is it over?" Aashi asked.

Werner put a hand on the back of Aashi's head. "Not yet, almost." He said softly as the movie continued. The scene finished and Werner tapped Aashi on the shoulder. "It's done Aashi." he said with a soft smile.

Aashi let out a sigh of relief and turned back to watch the movie, again. She allowed herself to be wrapped up in Ulysses arm again and snuggled closer towards his body than before. The two of them watched the next scene unfold, in which the tribes men honored the doctor with a medal of sticks and twigs that represented his new position as the doctor of their tribe. Aashi watched, eyes affixed to the screen while Ulysses closed his eye's enjoying the moment.

As she was watching the movie, he poked her in the side. As she turned to him, he pretended he didn't do it. When she turned away, he did it again. As she turned back again, Werner laughed, the coughed. "I didn't do it. A did it." He said blaming the skyfish.

"I... I guess I'll believe you," Aashi said skeptically. "Maybe it was just her. Or maybe you need another tickling?" Aashi said, raising her hands into the air, fingers wiggling.

As she did, Werner's hands shot out, tickling her under her arms as she exposed them. "You make it to easy." He laughed/ coughed.

"A-ah! I didn't..." she said as he got her, "I didn't ask for this! C'mon not there!" She giggled as he continued to tickle her and he only stopped when he started a coughing fit.

"Aaagh." He grumbled. "I'm okay... Where were we?" He asked, suppressing the pain from his chest, as he tired to tickle her again, though the pain stopped him.

Aashi couldn't hep herself, she had to do something for him and wrapped him in her arms, avoiding his chest and mostly holding his shoulders and head. She said softly to him, "Don't get hurt again, not even to do something dumb like tickle me. I don't want that for you." She stopped hugging him to hold him at arms length and studied his face, looking into his eyes as she did. She smiled, contemplating, but said nothing.

Werner smiled and cocked his head. "What are you thinking Ms. Aashi?" He asked placing his forehead against hers.

"Mmmmm," Aashi said aloud, smiling and closing her eyes as she did. "You're going to have to guess, Mr. Werner."

Werner shrugged as he closed his eyes. "That I am awesome...?" He said with a smile.

"Yes sir," she said, "ding ding ding you win a prize for that."

He laughed again. "And that would be?" he asked.

"Well, first of all, my undying friendship," Aashi said. "And, you get to feel inside of my skyfish's mouth!" she said while her familiar opened its mouth wide in front of Ulysses' face. "Go ahead!" Aashi goaded him.

Werner looked at Aashi with a raised eyebrow. "I am only doing this cause..." he thought for a moment. "I have no damn idea why I am doing this..." He said closing his eyes as he held out his hand for A. The skyfish then flew forward and Ulysses could feel the slimy, sticky innards of the manta ray-like creature. It twisted and then flapped its wings before pulling back and away. There was a thin film of goo on Ulysses hand afterwards. Aashi stifled a giggle fit as she started to get up. However, Werner's hand shot out and his finger rubbed against her nose, leaving the thin film of goo on her nose.

"Now we are even." He said with a smile. "Come here my girl..." He said to A holding out a hand.

"Awh!" Aashi said out as the goo got on her. "I can tell you I've never ever gotten her insides on me before, this is a first." She had been getting up to get napkins, anyway, so she rushed even faster to go find some in the lounge for the both of them. She found them and returned back to him with them after brushing it off of her nose. She touched the napkin to his nose as he had done his finger to hers and smiled, pleased, before cleaning off his hand with the napkins.

He laughed pulling her down to the floor. "You little..." He laughed again. The fun and joy he was experiencing was overpowering the pain he was enduring.

"Ah~" Aashi said as she was pulled down and landed gently on the floor, next to him, smiling. "You were saying something about me?"

"You are going to have to guess..." he said mimicking her with a grin.

Mimicking him, now, she said, "That I am awesome...?"

He laughed as he pulled her in close to him. "Congrats you get a prize." he said, placing a hand to her cheek again. "You gift is just beyond this barrier, and you know how to see through it..." he said, hinting at her.

"I get a prize?" Aashi said, bemused, then opened an empathic link with him and felt a wealth of love and compassion for Aashi. As she explored Werner's feelings, she could feel that there was no end to it. Like a river, it poured out of him, and into her. All his care and compassion for her poured out into her mind. "Well." Ulysses said. "Is my gift good enough?" He asked.

"Oh," Aashi said as she put a hand onto his as he held her cheek. A warm, fast-moving tear fell from each eye as she looked at him with a smile. "It is more than good enough, it is great." She looked at him a moment more and before she could think about what to give him in return, her arms were around him and she was holding his neck and shoulders in her arms. Her face was pressed against his and he could feel the wet trail her tear had gone down on her cheek next to his. "Ulysses..." she said into his ear, unable to form words anymore.

"Aashi..." Werner whispered back. He smiled as he gave a quick kiss on her forehead, knowing that the empathetic link would only grow stronger with the new touch. Even more love and happiness flooded Aashi's mind. Werner's hand came up and wiped away her tear. "Aww Aashi." there's no need to cry. I am here for you." He said with a soft smile.

The new touch was one Aashi had never felt before. A kiss was something new to her and she had trouble deciphering what it would mean if anybody else had done it, but knew exactly how what it meant coming from Ulysses. It was warm and calming, like speaking to her familiar, but much more so. It was more comforting than anything she had ever felt before.

"Mmmm," Aashi murmured, "I know. I know you're here for me, always, just like I am for you. Always," she whispered, then closed her eyes and embraced the feelings of joy she was receiving from him in superfluous amounts. It was enough to make her overflow with happy tears and she smiled sheepishly as one after another came out of her eyes, dabbing her violet dress with wet dots.

Werner smiled warmly, sitting up. He pulled Aashi into his lap, his hands wiping away her tears. He wiped away the wet streaks from her cheeks and then rested his head against hers. "Oh my Aashi..." He said wiping away the tears. "There is no need for that." He smiled as he held her head to his shoulder. Aashi pushed her cheek against his shoulder as she sat on his lap, feeling the need to hold him in her arms. There was no feeling inside of her other than that of care and compassion for Ulysses and she squeezed him tightly and immediately heard him groan.

Werner stifled his groan and wrapped his arms around her. "Oh... A...Aashi." He said through shallow breaths. He dared not stop her as she held him. He softly rubbed her cheek as she squeezed the air out of his lungs. Though Ulysses did not complain in the slightest.

"Oh~Oh!" Aashi said as she realized he was still hurt and growing increasingly more so as she squeezed him. She let go of him gently and said, "Here, lay back," as she had him rest his head against the pillow of the couch and they both laid out on the couch, together.

He smiled as Aashi rested her head in the crook of his shoulder. He wished this feeling would never end. "Aashi..." He said softly. As she looked over to him he pressed his hand against her cheek again. "I am so glad that I met my nemesis..." He said with a grin

"And I am so," she said, with more emphasis, "so happy I met mine." She again rested her head in his chest and thought about all of the memories they had already shared and the ones that were to come.