Emotional Exchanges

Posted on Mon Jul 10, 2017 @ 8:07am by Lieutenant Colonel S'er'in'e & Major Kasia S'er'in'e

Mission: Shore Leave
Location: Cait - Temporary Home
Timeline: MD 14 ll 1120 Hours

S'er'in'e turned hearing the females rejoin them, his Father smiled at the pair not minding the welcome interruption to the conversation they were having. While it was good to catch up S'er'in'e could sense that his Father had wished he remained on the Homeworld to persue a career, as he had in the CDF.

"My Mate, I hope everything is alright?"

"Of course, Kasia and I were just talking." M'roaa spoke as she stepped off the last step of the staircase.

S'er'in'e watched Kasia follow behind. "I hope Mother was not too overbearing." Knowing full well what she could be like when faced with a challenge.

"What females talk of is nothing for you to worry yourself over S'er'in'e." M'roaa spoke as she walked past him towards the kitchen brushing his cheek with her hand.

Kasia smiled at S'er'in'e and moved over to him to slip her hand into his large paw. "Everything is okay, I promise. You don't need to worry about it," she said, though, he should know that she would fill him in about it later.

From within the kitchen vast aromas of various foods emerged, M'roaa was cooking up what Caitians would consider a light meal, for Human standards however quantity was indeed questionable.

"Shall we be seated?" S'er'in'e's father spoke as he walked to the table.

"Wow... it smells amazing," Kasia said with a smile as she waited to be directed to the place where she would be sitting.

M'roaa returned with the final plate of food before sitting down with her Mate, S'er'in'e pulled out a chair for Kasia. "Tell me Kasia, how did you first meet my Son?"

S'er'in'e straight away perked his ears, he knew the answer to that all too well and also knew his Father would not approve of it one bit. He looked at Kasia, knowing she would not lie to his Mother but hoped, to some degree, what her answer could mean.

The Marine Major sat down and made herself comfortable. She knew this question would come up at some point, but it just wasn't her story to tell. "My team and I saved him and some others. Any further details than that would be for your son to tell," she replied.

"Saved him..." His father spoke now his interest had been peaked and not in a pleasant way.

"What do you mean?" M'roaa asked. "What does she mean Son?" Now directed at S'er'in'e.

S'er'in'e explained the situation as best he could, how the mission he was on failed and they were captured. He told them of the following 6 months and the ordeals he had to endure, things he was subjected to and wished his Father had asked because he would not have to be as detailed.

"You bring the shame of capture to our home and get a female to put herself in danger to effect a rescue?" His father spoke in a louder tone. "I warned you, I told you that you would go soft, that our ways would slip, what we hold dear ignored or forgotten. It never would have happened had you stayed on the Homeworld." His Father was standing now leaning forward over the table.

Kasia was angry. That much was plainly seen on her face, but if it wasn't, then maybe her jumping to her feet and slamming her hands on the tabletop would be a dead giveaway. Her blue eyes were locked on the elder Caitian, and there was a fire burning deep within them. "You don't know what the hell you're talking about!" she snapped. "He was rendered unconscious almost immediately and had a shock collar fastened around his neck! If he stepped out of line they zapped him with more volts than you could even begin to imagine! And at one point, they did it just because it amused them!"

She took a breath before continuing her tirade. "He was locked inside a cell so small, he couldn't even stand up, or fight back against the months of torture he had to endure! He was the only one to survive from his crew. Everyone else died. So, don't you dare sit there and say he's bringing shame to anyone! He had the will to survive, and I'm not only extremely proud of him, but also think he's incredibly courageous for continuing to live through what he did when so many other would have rolled over and died! Excuse me!" With that, she moved away from the table and walked outside to the garden.

Everyone watched Kasia storm out before attention was returned to S'er'in'e. "You get a female to fight your battles now?"

"Kasia is right. You don't know what you are talking about." S'er'in'e spoke standing up to match his Father. "You sit here on the Homeworld content with what is around you. You have earned your status and position true but so too have I. I am out there doing something, putting my life at risk to safe guard others. You stood there preaching to me about matters of the Homeworld and my place amongst them in relative safety."

S'er'in'e paused before he continued. "You force Caitian ways upon Kasia when she is not Caitian. Kasia is a warrior like I but trained differently and that does not make it wrong. You sit here in the comforts you have earned consulting for the Defence Force while I am out there doing that which I was trained to do. Do not presume to lecture me about what I do when you know so very little about it."

S'er'in'e turned to his Mother. "Elder." S'er'in'e bowed and left the table to follow Kasia. As soon as he turned the corner out of the room he heard his Mother shouting at her Mate.

S'er'in'e found Kasia in the garden. "I'm sorry, it was a mistake to come here." It was not how he hoped or planned things to go.

"No," Kasia said, shaking her head. "It wasn't a mistake coming here. It's an honor for me to get to see your Homeworld, and I truly apologize for my behavior toward your Father in there. What he said... it just pushed all the wrong buttons for me. I won't apologize to him, though. He was in the wrong for saying what he did."

"Perhaps." S'er'in'e spoke still able to hear his Mother having at his Father. "It was within his right as my superior however." That didn't make it right however and Kasia was right. "They should not stay much longer, they have duties to attend to themselves soon enough."

S'er'in'e perched on a small wall as he thought about what this Father had said.

"I'm sorry he said those things to you, S'er'in'e. Everyone chooses to live their lives differently, and it's clear he's bitter because of the way you chose to live yours."

"Its alright, I knew he was displeased when I left the Homeworld for Starfleet. He believed that I should have stayed and followed in his steps." S'er'in'e replied. "You and Mother spoke for a while, how did it go?"

"I don't think she wishes for me to be in your life," the Russian woman said softly as she looked out over the flowers around them.

"If that were true Kasia, you would not be here." S'er'in'e replied looking at her. "She would have made her feelings and intentions very clear to you, but I heard no shouting or anything while you were up stairs with her. She welcomed you like any other and those we met when we exited the shuttle greeted you without any issues."

"You are welcome here, every female is. I believe my Mother only wants to see if you are worthy, which staring down a Caitian male might have just accomplished that." He added softly.

"I would do it again if I had to, but I'm sorry if it causes problems between you and your father."

"The problem is his own, I accepted my choice when I made it to leave the Homeworld, I fear he is one of those stuck in the old ways, stricter, xenophobic, cultural and traditional only type of individual." He replied. "I also suspect Mother is making her opinions very clear on the matter as we speak."

Kasia moved toward a bed of flowers and crouched down to get a closer look at the vibrant blooms. She wished she could be as optimistic as he was. "If you say so," she said softly, leaning in to smell the brightly colored flower before her. "I don't back down from most individuals, S'er'in'e. I need you to know that. I understand your culture... your ways... but you have a say in what happens between us."

She finally rose to look at him. "I understand that the female plays the dominant role among your people, and I can respect that, but if you and I are to work... we have to be equals. I know something like that won't be easy, but this is how I want it to be, and I don't think it's too much to ask."

"If that is what you want then I understand and I will try to do as you want. However this is new for me, there is much I don't understand. You have been in a relationship before so I am looking to you for guidance." S'er'in'e replied as he looked at her. "I understand a relationship is a combination of two people, cultures, ways, compromises and understandings. You wish to be equal, you want my say in things then I will try and be as you want but understand I can not change what I am, how I am quickly, but I will try."

Kasia moved over to him and placed a hand to the side of his face with a smile. "That's all I can hope for," she said, then leaned in on her tiptoes to kiss him.

S'er'in'e held her sides gently as she reached to kiss him, he smiled and lowered his height enough so that her lips could reach his own. His hold was light and gentle, amongst the various flowers and aromas of food that wafted through open windows. S'er'in'e heard the family shuttle take off from behind the house. "I suspect Mother has sent Father away back home for his actions."

"Of that's what she felt the need to do, but I wasn't going to let him or his words ruin our time with your parents. Of course, I wouldn't have any problems putting him in his place once again if it was required," she said, slipping her arms around his neck.

"Indeed." S'er'in'e spoke, his arms going around towards her back. "What do you think of our attire, our jewlery?" He asked. "My Mother wears the head piece I mentioned, it looks very nice on her."

"It's all gorgeous. Definitely not what I'm familiar with, but still gorgeous. And speaking of... your mother showed me a headpiece," she answered, smiling up at him.

"I suspected as much." S'er'in'e replied. "Females have two. One is everyday wear, the other is formal or social events. The later typically more decorated with stones and gems and finer metals." He paused holding her. "They can of course wear one or the other any time they wish should they desire to."

"She was explaining that to me a bit. She even asked me if I had been married before, or if I had children," Kasia said. "When I answered her, that opened the door to the discussion of having children."

S'er'in'e lowered his head as it seemed his Mother went far in her questioning of Kasia. "I am sorry for that, being Elder she sometimes speaks before properly thinking about who she is speaking too."

Kasia shook her head. "There's nothing to be sorry for. She's your mother, and has your best interests at heart. I'm not bothered by it, so you shouldn't be, either."

S'er'in'e nodded, he expected his mother to talk to Kasia, as he understood it all mothers did such with potential partners of sons. Fathers did the same to potential males towards daughters. "There is a glass dome on the roof, if you would like..." He paused. He remembered she wanted to be equals, hear his say. "We, could sleep under the stars tonight."

A smile formed on her lips. "I really like the way that sounds."

S'er'in'e smiled at her acceptance of his bold offer but with that offer and it being so accepted came a worry. It meant sharing bed coverings, under the glass dome there was no bed but plebty of pillows, rugs and blankets but that was not his worry. He weighed in at over 500lbs. If he rolled over and onto Kasia given his weight he could not only harm her...but worse. He tried not to think about it, maybe he would be subconscious of her presence and not move but only time would tell. "Good." His hands on her sides still as the wind caught everything causing a gentle rustling and sway.

Her hair blew in the wind, which caused her to smile once again. She was looking forward to their time together on his Homeworld. "Aside from sleeping under the stars, what else do you think we should do while we're here? You know Cait better than I do."

"There is the Grand Market in the next district, the Royal Gardens is but a short flight from here. I have one special treat for you which I need to arrange but that also, I thought you might also like to see our Academy where I was trained and also where our females train to serve the Pri'arch." S'er'in'e spoke with but a few of his few ideas for her.

"I'm up for doing whatever it is you wish to show me," she said with a smile. "When should we start?"

"When ever you wish, I am ready now or we can go later." S'er'in'e spoke. "Where do you desire to go first?" Out of the options he listed, all of them were good ones and offered many different treats.

"How about we start with the Royal Gardens, then take it from there?" Kasia suggested. "I would love to see more of where you grew up. And... you know I'll want to do a little shopping while we're here, too."

S'er'in'e replied and standing himself up he walked with her towards the family craft, from there they would go shopping for Kasia for what ever she desired, see what ever she wished and maybe sample the many foods on offer.