ON YSS Eucharis>
Wazu saw one of the crew members run past him before disappearing into one of the crawl-ways of the ship. He had to check his datapad, trying to remember her name...
Aikiko dove into the crawl-way to squirm a few feet to a panel and carefully removed the fasteners. once the panel was free, she removed it and placed the fasteners back on the bolts.
She slipped into the little comfortable space she had carefully developed over time aboard the Eucharis. It was free from the scanners of the Eucharis, Megami, and sensors.
She smiled as she rehung the panel back on the bolts to block the light she turned on from spilling out into the corridor. Light still spilled out around the edges of the hastily hung panel.
He would end up following her to the crawlspace, looking inside, "Aikiko?" He asked, ending up with only a view down the crawlspace and a slight bit of movement towards the edges of his vision where the fasteners and bolts were being slipped back on, hiding her from sight, "You... wow she is fast...." He thought out loud, the neko seemingly having vanished.
Aikiko froze hearing the familiar voice that emanated from antiquated pressure suit back in the P.A. Bay. She had a choice of killing the light and hoping the person would go away. But it wouldn't do as the person might let slip out about her place of solitude. She reach up, slipping her fingers around the edges of the panel and took it off the bolts to see who it was. "Yes?" Looking at the human male she had seen earlier board the ship back in port. She was wearing a light purple formfitting tank top and black track shorts with UOCPF in gold running down the seam on the left side.
"I... I mean, I hi there..." He said, trying to hold back a laugh as he looked at the adorable neko peaking out from behind the panel, "I do not meant o bother you, I just wanted to say hi... and maybe talk about the Rixxikor encounter earlier..."
Aikiko gave a soft sigh, and turned the panel to allow him passage, "Come on in..." She leaned the panel against the crawl ways side and moved back into the cubbyhole with the soft light flooding into the crawl way to make the passage asy for him. "Hurry it up. I don't want the others discovering this place."
He would looked around... and once he was satisfied no one else was paying attention he'd enter into the crawlspace and join Aikiko in her little cubby hole. "Hiding from the rest of the crew?" He asked, tucking his legs in as he sat down off to one side of the limited space that was available. "Or from someone in particular?"
The space was big enough for two people and it had a few crude shelves built into the corners which rested a the light source. Once he was settled, Aikiko replaced the panel, giving him a good view of her butt in the tight track shorts. "Everyone." As she settled in the cubby space, leaning against the opposite wall to face him and straighten her legs out. "So what you want to know about them Roaches?" her tone went cold.
Yamatain uniforms were usually quite revealing, but Aikiko's track shorts were going above and beyond the call of duty...
"Nothing that can not wait if you need private time," He said, "...You ended up taking a shot from one of them right? I already had a look a the logs but I also wanted to get your perspective on it... Unfortunately I will not know what information is helpful until it becomes helpful."
Aikiko closed her eyes, resting her head back against the wall. "the rixxikor had an assortment of weapons. More designed for humanoid physique. I got curious and asked them about in a kinda insulting way to get them speaking. But it ended up in a firefight where i was out numbered. I took noticed of how well it .. the ship ...was maintained beyond the slime they deposited everywhere."
"You might have been able to get a better look at the weapons than I did. I thought they just had simple guns, rockets, that kind of thing... the plasma beam seemed out of their league.... then again they are bugs flying a star-ship.... " He replied, "... Maybe you are tired of talking about Rixxikor?" Wazu was sitting opposite of Aikiko, her feet laying close enough to him that he was able to reach down and take hold of one, pressing his thumb against the arch of her foot and applying a firm pressure as he stroked upward,
"So what is going on besides bugs?"
"I thought it strange too. the weapons." Aikiko sighed softly at the pressure on the soles of her foot. Reaching up, to one of the shelves, she pulled an electric notepad off the shelf. Turning it on and pulling out the stylist that went with it. From her recollection drew the weapons she had seen. Letting him watch her draw them. "From previous encounters and the current one." She wiggled her toes to encourage him to continue the massage on her feet.
Wazu too her right foot in his hands, holding it up a bit and more towards the center of his body, pressing both thumbs against the arch now, alternating one after the other, sliding up from her heel towards her toes, letting her talk for the moment about Rixxikor weapons. "Not all of those look like something the Rixx would put together... Maybe they have more than one source for small arms?" He thought out-loud.
"my thoughts exactly when I was aboard that slime ship..." her voice took a soft purrr-like quality at his ministrations. "But then I m not much of a diplomat in finding things out. But then I
m more used to dealing with Neplelians, Abwer and Yammies. Even Free Spacers are more respectful with a warship sitting off their bow. "
He would spread her toes next, applying a gentle pressure between them with his fingers as they applied a bit of pressure, pulling them away from her foot slightly, "It certainly is not easy... "
Specially from previous encounters with them." She finished up and saved the drawings to a file. "You know my name, yet I still dont know yours?"
"Heram James Wazu," He replied, using his hands to curl her toes, popping them before moving back towards rubbing the underside of her foot, "I think my official title here is science adviser..."
"Infantry with EOD skills," She gave him a soft smile as she pointed to some of the tech databases that were labeled "explosives," bombs manufacturing. Deployment of mines and other sundry related subject. "Which do you prefer to be called?"
"James... it sounds the most normal." He replied, "I may have to look you up later. The rixx do not wear space suits... it would make sense to have some explosively dispersed chemical thing ready to incapacitate them."
"They do have pressure suits. Our first encounter with them they had pressure suit due to there was no atmosphere or it was toxic back on Splifgen." Aikiko spoke as she made eye contact with him. He was kinda handsome as she smiled lightly, bringing a bit of warmth to her expression.
"Well... so much for that idea." He chuckled, "... I would have suggested putting suppression gear on the power armor but that will probably result in the rixx blowing themselves up.... how do you balance an aversion to killing with a species that is so pre-disposed to death?....." Wazu said, adding, "hand me your other foot."
She gave a soft laugh at that as she shifted her left foot over her right to within his reach. "They breed differently that normal. they lay their eggs all over the place and the males spray them." She blushed lightly. She recovered, leaning back against the wall.
"Yeah, but so do a lot of other species like fish...." Wazu would laugh a bit, pressing his thumbs into her other foot, "Show the Rixxikor a few pornos and they would think we reproduce by spraying our females too!"
This time she did blush a deeper red and squirmed a bit, as she gave a soft laugh. "yeah.. Ive seen a few of them." Wiggling her toes. a bit. "You permanently assigned to the Eucharis?"
"I.... uh.... I am not sure...." He said replied, just holding her foot for a moment, "I guess... ... I guess I am just playing it by ear right now..." He went back to rubbing her other foot, again curling her toes, popping the joints, "... Maybe I should just stop lingering here and move on."
"Naw stay," She blurted out, before she thought about it. She was enjoying the foot massage too much to think clearly. "Unless you have pressing business elsewhere?" Looking at him with her stormy blueish-purple eyes, studying his features. She stretched as she arched her back, enhancing her feminine physique. making them more pronounced. "Oh the shelf above you is some snacks."
"Pressing business... " He repeated, his eyes lingering over her. Wazu's eyes were a dull grey, his clothing colored but de-saturated... it certainly didn't pop like Aikiko's colors, "... maybe. Honestly, I am not certain. Things are a bit of a mess right now..."
"A girl someplace that is special to you that you miss?" She pulled both of her feet up next to her with them still crossed, giving a brief glimpse that she wasn't wearing panties as she rested her chin on her knees, looking at him. "Please keep this place a secret?" Looking up at him with her eyes a bit wider than normal.
"Oh do not worry... hiding on board star-ships is a sacred tradition." He chuckled, "Your secret is safe." He sat a bit more upright as he watched Aikiko, "I ... My personal relationships are not exactly healthy. ... I think the last woman who took an interest in me only did so because I was the only other warm body on the planet...."
Aikiko laughs spontaneously at the admission. "The classic... I wont screw you if you was the only male around syndrome? But this is to stop the hormones from distracting me?"
"Body heat... We were on Ether at the time and temperatures never get high enough to really be warm." He replied.
"Aaahhh... survival." She recovered from her laughter fading through giggle
Yeah, she made that clear when I left for the Eucharis," Wazu said.
"And shes still stuck on that iceball?" Aikiko spoke softly as she watched him.
Wazu nodded. "I am not the greatest at relationships. I think most of the people I consider friends have tried to kill me at one point or another."
"Neither am I. Usually ends up a one night stand." Aikiko straightened her legs out again with them slightly apart. "Well then we won't be friends then. Just crew to each other." Giving him a smile. "There is to many thing that could kill us to worry about each other plotting our demise." She reached out and gave his foot a gentle squeeze.
"I would like that," He said, sharing a friendly smile with Aikiko, "... I... I am really interrupting your alone time..."
"I make it up later. I'm enjoying your company, James." She spoke softly, liking the rugged looks of him in the subdued light that played off his features. Highlighting some in light and shadows, giving him a mysterious aurora about him. "It isn't often just to have a chat without business interfering."
"It is nice... " Wazu replied, placing one hand on her foot, the other on her knee, pushing her leg up and helping stretch it out, "Though I feel like my personal life is one big sore spot. How about you? Why are you out here?"
She looked thoughtful as he stretched her leg as she thought about the question. "Its expected of me and to pay back a contract for the upgraded body I have now." Spoke softly. "Sometimes I wished I stayed an independent. There are job that an Explosive Expert can get. And to get this assignment was pure luck.
"Do you not like it here?" He asked, switching over to her other leg.
"It has it moments. Not like my previous ship I've served on before." Aikiko spoke wistfully. She gave another soft smile, enjoying his ministration to her. You're quite skilled at this." Referring to his skill in massaging.
"Well, what are you looking for on this ship?" He sat her leg back down and then scooted back, "How about you turn around and scoot over here?
"I don't know," Aikiko spoke,as she maneuvered herself as directed, being careful not put any undue pressure on him as she settled between his legs if allowed to.
He put one hand on her left wrist, holding it up, and placed this other hand under her armpit, pulling her arm and gently rotating it,
"One of many talents, I like to think," He replied, his hand gently pressing against the palm of her hand and wrist in the process.
"You don't need to think that. You're the best I've encountered as a massues." Relaxing in his hands to let him really go to work as she let out a sight moan of pleasure.
He would move over to her other arm, repeating the process,
"Well, what do you do for fun?" He asked,
"I read a lot, exercise or work on my Mindy to make sure it ready when needed." Aikiko spoke thinking of other things that were much more funner, like right now. "Off ship, exploring new places."
"Just looking to meet new people? See the universe? I suppose a Yamatai ship is just as good as an independent there." Wazu said, placing his hands on her shoulders now, firmly pressing his thumbs against either side of her spine and running his thumbs up towards the base of her skull. "... maybe just enjoying having somewhere to be where you are needed?"
She titled her head forward, letting her hair slide over her shoulder to drape down her front. "Wait a sec..." reaching up, removing the tank top in one fluid motion, yet her arms held the tank top in place to keep her front side covered, yet exposing her backside and the SPINE interface and another double port horizontal instead of the vertical SPINE interface,by keeping them through the armholes as the tank top turned inside out. "With more purpose than being just infantry."
"More Purpose? Like what?" He asked, placing his hands on her lower back, his palms pushing outward, slowly working their way up towards her shoulders, "Do you imagine yourself as a star ship captain? Some elite soldier? Maybe have some kids and settle down?"
"Children? Oh no. I don't want having some snot nosed brat running around causing me all sorts of grief." She sighed as she felt her muscles loosening up. "Maybe, but never a captain I've enough troubles in keeping myself out of trouble."
"That sounds familiar," Wazu said with a chuckle, "Do you, have a family? Or were you produced?"
"I don't know my origins. But I was different from the rest of the indentured people working for a mining consortium as a hard rock explosive expert till I worked off my debt with the Mining Consortium." She looked at him over her shoulder at him. "All I know is that Awoke fully grown and with the knowledge and skill of an explosive expert. Not being a soldier." She looked thoughtful, "As for family... I dunno if I even have one."
"Sometimes it feels hard to relate to people who were created with a purpose in mind," Wazu said, one hand now on each of her shoulders, his thumbs tracing a line just under her shoulder blades, looking her in the eye for a moment, then looking away, "... So perhaps you are looking to start up your own mining company? Or am I wrong to view things through such an objective-focused lens?
She shrugged, "Its your prerogative." Giving him a smile. "I don't seeing it happening. I hated the job. Having a better time here on the Eucharis and the other ships I've served on. At least we are not always confined to the ship."
He would move his hands to the back of her neck, gently holding her head in one hand and tilting it to the side, then rotating it backward to loosen up her neck.
Aikiko let her head be moved by him, sighing softly as she let the tank top fall free to her lap. "You are really good at this, James." speaking softly.
"It feels nice to be appreciated," He replied, pressing one of his thumbs against the base of her skull, gently rubbing circles as the other held onto her shoulder to apply a stead pressure, "... You know... I am not exaggerating when I say my personal relationships tend to not go well..."
"Mmmmm.... I don't expect a relationship. If it happens it happens. If not. Oh well.. there will be other chances." Aikiko spoke softly as if she was reliving a fond memory. She leaned back against him. " I hope that the other person had a good time."
He ended up placing one arm across her stomach, holding her loosely in a warm hug.