The restaurant is clean and quite modern (bearing in mind the local tech level) and of reasonably good standard.  Tylen and Shui are soon seated, and studying menus.

Real menus, printed (in both Anglic and Bilanidin) on paper (or a good facsimile thereof), as opposed to displayed on datapads.  While this means they aren't fully interactive, with images of items and full details of ingredients available at the touch of an icon, there is a certain degree of style to them.

The waiter leaves them alone, briefly, while they decide what they want to order...

Shui hesitates, a moment away from faltering.  In her search for appropriate clothing, she might very well have gone overboard; Mr. Orgesh obviously wasn't expecting this kind of dinner dress despite his own ensemble.  Casual but classy, he cuts a fine figure for evening dining.  But if she has overdone things, this could turn into a disaster...

...but it doesn't.  Tylen makes a perfect recovery, extending his arm, and Shui slips her hand into the crook of his elbow.  "Certainly, Mr. Orgesh.  Do lead on."

And into the restaurant they walk.

Ushered to the table, properly seated, Shui takes in the atmosphere of the place.  It matches Tylen, at the moment: restrained, a touch casual, but with class.  She can't help but smile at the comparison.  The steward touches the menu with her fingernail, running it down the list of food.  "A beautiful establishment," she murmurs, prefering the hardcopy menu to the fully informative digital sort.  Shui isn't here to examine the ingredients of the food; the dinner is merely a single part of the experience.

"Normally I would ask if you patronize this restaurant often," she continues, a ghost of a smile touching her lips as she flicks a glance over the wine menu, "but given the situation, no." The doctor pauses for a moment.  "'Normally' not really being the proper word either," she confesses ruefully.  It has been years and years since Shui has gone out to dinner with someone of interest.

Their wine list is quite acceptable, and she feels certain Tylen will choose a good one.

She lets her gaze wander around the restaurant again.  "A nice change from our last spaceport, where we picked up Ms. Taylor," Shui muses.  "I see you found the clothing stores," she notes, one eyebrow quirking slightly.  "I always thought you made a dashing figure, Mr. Orgesh, and you have certainly proved that correct tonight."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:18, Tue 03 Jan 2012.

Tylan chuckles and he feels Shui's hand anagains his elbow, and allows the arm to drop back to his side so that the pair of them can walk along together.  "Mr Ogresh still?" he asks lightly, smiling at the thought of a going on a dinner date with a girl who is formal enough to call him by his last name.  "Must I ply you with wine just to get you calling me Tylen?" he asks mischievously.

"It is pleasant" Tylen agrees with the steward's analysis of the restaurant as he joins her in looking at the menu.  "Anything special you fancy to start with or shall we ask for a plate of the mixed anti-pasta?  Perhaps a couple of Bruchetta to go with them?  I am sure they must have  meat free anti-pasta platter somewhere." he says studying the menu more carefully.

"Much better than Frenzie." Tylen agrees as the doctor talks the stop where they picked up Keryn, "But it was that stop at Frenzie that sent me shopping today.  I now have a nice set of  clothing marked up as 'SECURITY' in large letters.  It might help if we ever need to keep civilian hordes at bay again." he says casually.

Before turning back to the menu.  "A single course in the middle or shall we go for the works with pasta and then a main course as well?" he asks willing to take his lead from  her  "And red wine or white?" he continues asking her preferences.

"I saw Ash in  the work wear shop." he comments casually, interspersing everyday conversation into the discussions about dinner.  "He was looking at some sort of uniform patches for the Margin's crew ..." he says neutrally
This message was last edited by the player at 20:01, Tue 03 Jan 2012.

"Tylen, if you wish.  No wine necessary." Shui surrenders with a smile, at least for the night - after all, they're supposed to be on a date, and he might not enjoy the formality.  For her, it's a matter of culture and course, but other worlds aren't so stiff as her own upbringing.  "Hmmm..." She examines the menu again - a show, really, as this is Tylen's call.

"I would be more than happy to share the Antipasto Misto Platter with you, Tylen," she stresses on the name, glancing up with quirked lips, then returning to the menu.  "Bruscheta as well."  No cheese on either.  She can, of course, eat cheese, and will if necessary here; she avoids it for health reasons, but a little dairy won't harm her, to be sure.  "As for the main, for myself, I lack the capacity for pasta and a main course..."  A small, slightly embarassed smile.  "But the Chargrilled Mediterranean Girasole looks divine," she decides.

"You, on the other hand, need your calories, so choose what you will, 'Mr. Orgesh' - doctor's orders!"

As for the wine...she leans back, the smile fading as she taps her lips, trying to guess his own preference without appearing to do so.  "Red, I think - just for tonight," she decides.  It's not her usual, but Shui finds red palatable, and Tylen appears the sort to prefer that shade.  She'll leave to him to choose the exact kind.

As is proper.

"Frenzie was appropriately named," she murmurs in consideration.  "And yes, I believe we could have benefitted from such a uniform at the time...though mobs often seek out authority figures to bedevil."   There's a moment of concern; by putting on a security uniform, Tylen might very well make a target of himself.  Shui laughs, a touch nervously.  "I hope we have used up our 'excitement quotient' for the next few years."

"Mr. Tescali?"  One eyebrow rises.  "Really?"  She still feels badly about how his physical went, when her temper got the better of her.  Ash no doubt had only the best of intentions, and did not deserve the sharp(er) edge of her tongue.  "Well, I could certainly find room for such on my laboratory coats.  If the patches are the removable, static-hold kind, I could place one on a jacket."  Her lips twist into a thoughtful moue for a moment.  "You would prefer not, Tylen?"

The slight rise to her tone makes it a question, but only just.

"Yeah.  I'll stick one on my tee shirt." the gunner makes one of the more polite options from the suggestions that had occurred to him concerning Ash's logos.

"Oh, one course works for me.  After all we need to leave room for a dessert." he says with a grin as he scans the menu again.  "they must have Tiramisu on here somewhere ..." he says hopefully.

However when the waiter comes back to the table, he orders the anti-pasto misto along with the tomato bruschetta as a starter, followed by Shui's pasta and a fillet Rossini for himself - all accompanied by a bottle of a Barolo style wine.

"Oh I agree.  I would much rather have it quiet. When everyone is behaving themselves, I get to sit around and drink coffee" he says with a grin "And perhaps load or unload cargo occasionally." he pauses for a moment, before adding "And the company with the coffee is certainly more desirable than some bloke pointing a gun at me."

Taking a sip of the wine that the waiter brings Tylen nods in acceptance, so the waiter can fill both glasses.  "And can we have a bottle of water as well please." he asks the waiter.

Taking a proper sip at his wine he savours it for a moment, before returning to the idea of Ash's uniform patches.  "Part of the idea with the security uniform is not to look like a ships security man -  but to give the impression of something much more official than that -  where ever we are.  Ship design uniform patches don't help me with that at all." he finishes with a shrug.

"Still.  That's enough work for today.  Its rare enough to have a chance to spend time  away from  the ship socially, so we should make the most it." he says with a grin.

He pauses for a moment before continuing.  "So tell me then.  How did you go from juvenile car thief to Doctor and steward aboard a star faring vessel?" The 'juvenile car thief' is said lightly and is clearly a deliberate attempt to tease her.

Mr. Orgesh certainly seems less-than-enthused about the patch idea.  Shui makes a mental note on the issue as he moves on to discussing the menu, and hides her smile behind her own as he desperately searches through the list of food on the hunt for sweets.  At times serious, at times whimsical, at times grim...and at times boyish.  Such a mixture of a man!

Food is ordered and the wine as well, to Shui's satisfaction; Tylen is not indecisive, to be sure.  Certainly some might consider her old-fashioned, but the offer to go out was his, and she's curious to see what he makes of it.  It's far preferable to 'I'll ask you out, but you decide everything' - rather than polite, she finds that somewhat immature.

"Ah, I had a feeling the conversation would turn to coffee," she notes, "it being a thing of such import on the Profit Margin."  One corner of her mouth quirks up.  "As for the company...better than a man pointing a gun?  High praise, indeed, Mr. Orgesh."

After a quiet laugh, she tastes the wine, nodding at the flavour.  "A fine choice, Tylen."  The Scout, it seems, still has thoughts about Ash's patches idea, and she ponders them as he speaks.  Logically, yes, it makes sense; if he wants to look more official, it would take more than a show of affiliation.  "Perhaps," she ventures, "one could add the patch to the uniform.  It makes sense in that case, does it not?"  And provides a good compromise, to boot.

She can't help but try to seek a peaceful solution.

The talk turns from business, and the Steward nods to Tylen's suggestion.  This isn't a time for discussion of work; he asked her out to a restaurant for entertaiment's sake, rather than to discuss their employment, and the day to day life aboard the Margin is something both of them experience.  But that means...

"How did you go from juvenile car thief to Doctor and steward aboard a star faring vessel?" 

Shui snorts - delicately - an obligatory laugh at the label. "Oh, that."  Another sip of the wine, and she waves her hand in a meaningless gesture.  "Spur of the moment decision, really."

The park bench is cool beneath the young woman, the breeze playful as it strokes her hair.  Leaning back, she enjoys the warmth of the sun on her forehead, a counterbalance to Autumn's chill.  But beneath her sunglasses, her eyes focus on the small family playing on the grass.

Her gaze skips over the boy, crying out and running in circles, waving a toy starship in the air.  She pauses for a moment in consideration of the father and mother, sharing a tender glance as they lay out the containers of food.  Looking further, she notes the surrounding men in dark suits with their earpieces - security, linked to the air-car high above, constantly scanning the surroundings for threats.

Finally she studies the older man.

He sits hunched around his granddaughter, toying with her hair, a silly smile on his craggy face, obviously completely besotted with the solemn young girl.  His leathery lips press against her forehead for a moment, his granite-hard eyes softening as she murmurs something in his ear.  Roaring a laugh, he holds her in the air with spade-like hands, gentle despite his strength; she squeals in delight and her parents - his son and daughter-in-law - glance over with fond smiles.

The young woman looks down at the plastic pass in her lap; a security clearance for a maid in the house of a high official of the government.  Her own face stares back.

She closes her eyes.  Smells the breeze.

Standing, the young woman quickly walks away from the happy family, leaving the high official with his grandchildren.  Behind her, the photograph in the pass stares blankly up at the sun; then the automated lid of the trashcan slowly lowers to cover it in darkness.

Shui purses her lips, considering how to explain.  "I wanted something...different than my family.  Without their support, though, I was forced to take positions on freighters that other people wouldn't wish.  Cleaner, general assistant, environmental technician - waste disposal, really - that sort of thing.  Fortunately, I had a rather...broad education, and found it easy to adapt.  On these trips, I studied with the crew - apprenticeship, so to speak - and was lucky enough to fall in with people willing to train me.  Eventually, my education was sufficient enough to pass the proper tests to achieve certificates; with them, it became a simple matter to find better-paying employment and official training."

She offers a bright smile.  "And here I am."

"I would ask the same of you, Tylen, but we already have the answer to that question."  Shui considers a moment, then nods.  "A simple one, then.  Why the Profit Margin?  As an ex-Scout, certainly you could have had your pick of vessels.  Was it luck?  Happenstance?  I would understand these things. Or did something draw you to the ship itself?"     

Tylen listens as Shui speaks and can't but help grinning as she teases him gently for comparing her company, even though in her favour, to that of a man with a gun.

Shui speaks of her wish to progress, and  her preparedness to start at the bottom and work her way up, and that resonates with Tylen's own desires to move away from 'ell, as
Lopiengeta had been affectionately known in his youth.  However a couple of points caught his attention.  Without the support of my family  begged the question of 'why not'  and the pause before broad education implied a deeper explanation would be interesting.

However, Shui's question deserves an answer first "Why the Margin?" he'd never really thought about that before and he needs to pause slightly before answering it.  "Chance, I suppose." he answers finally.  "I never was one for pursuing a career.  I just bounced around from job to job, decided I didn't like desk jobs or administration much and always went back into the field.  Then, after the accident, they didn't want me for field duties anymore." and, just for a moment  a strained look passes across his face, but that is quickly followed by a shrug of the shoulders and is replaced by his normal grin.

"Margin came along, she takes me to different places, shows me different things and doesn't ask much of me in return." he says with disarming honesty.  "And of course, the company is enjoyable." he adds, pretending it is an after thought.

"You said you had a broad education ..." he probes as he reaches for one of the pieces of Bruschetta
This message was last edited by the player at 14:39, Thu 05 Jan 2012.

"No great revelation?  It wasn't Captain Lanza's spiel?  He shall be most disappointed."  Shui raises her glass, smiling.  The expression fades when Tylen revisits his painful separation from the scouts.  "You have never seemed like much of a desk worker," she murmurs, reaching across the table to briefly touch his hand.

She knows how much it eats at him, from observation and previous discussion.

"At least the Profit Margin provides you some excitement," she murmurs.  Her smile is a touch sad, though it brightens as he makes another quip regarding the company.  "Better than a man pointing a gun, hm?"

But, like all scouts, he's perceptive, and returns to something she let foolishly let drop.

"Education," Shui sniffs.  "My parents were set upon myself and my brothers carrying on the family business - tea, you might recall.  At the same time, they wished for us to be able to move through any level of society, to brush shoulders with the educated and the high without embarassment."  All true, though there was more to their decision than that.  "And thus, their children were extensively home schooled on a vast breadth of topics, from the physical to the scientific, and all things between."

She makes a little moue of irritation.  "You might have seen me poking around all manner of places, Mr. Orgesh, or volunteering to pilot the ship in times of low stress.  I am...capable.  Sufficiently so, and only in part due to my time aboard many different ships.  My education created...ah...a 'system' in my mind, where it easily takes on the necessities without true mastery of a skill.  I would never be as adept as Mr. Tescali, not in a dozen years, but I could bring the ship into spacedock, for example."

Shrugging, Shui snags a piece of bruscheta for herself.  "Nothing terribly impressive, though."

"And yourself, Tylen?"  She cocks her head to the side.  "I have seen the Gunnery Officer and Security Man, but what do you do for entertainment?  Hobbies?  Did the Scouts teach you other skills?  So many questions, but I shall start there."

”I never was good at desks.” he agrees with a smile as Shui reaches across and touches his hand.  ”And the  company is much more pleasant than men with guns.”  the smile broadens into a grin.  ”You take me for what I am.  While I can do admin work well enough, I get nothing from it.  Nor have I ever really had any long term plans.  Well not any detailed long term plans anyway.” he  snags a piece of cured meat on his fork and then eats it quickly before continuing.   ”A bit of a drifter, I suppose.  Taking the opportunities that come along, rather than chasing them down.” the fork is twiddled gently, but unconsciously, between his fingers as he speaks  ”And not all that good at sitting still either.” he says almost apologetically as he realises what he is doing and reaches for an olive.

”And I never really developed any hobbies either.  Always too many things to see, places to go, books to read …” he  pauses for a moment to take a sip of the wine.  ”… but nothing I ever settled to.  I suppose that is why the scouts suited me. “ he  smiles ruefully.    ”I am a qualified pilot and engineer and have tickets for computers and comms as well – and even held down a post in liaison for a while.  Oh, and I also rate as a senior gunner as far as the scouts are concerned. he shrugs and lets it tail off as his fork starts to twiddle again.

”But what about you?  Did you manage to bring any hobbies along on your journey?” he asks.

Shui slowly takes in Tylen's explanation.  Most people wouldn't consider it a detailed one, but it gives away a great deal.  There are reasons people drift - they don't simply drift because it's their nature.  Something drives them, either tugging them along or pushing them from behind.

'Places to go.'  'Books to read'.  No real hobbies.  The signs of a man searching for something.  Then a position in the scouts, and more damning evidence couldn't be found.  And when he lost that, hopping on the Profit Margin for a lot of one-way trips around the galaxy.  Tugging, she decides.  Or, upon reflection, running away from something he doesn't want to face.  Hard to say which.

Or, of course, I could simply be wrong about it, Shui reminds herself.

"An impressive resumé, Tylen."  The scouts have trained him well, and hardly surprising.  "It's good to know we have so many redundant systems aboard the Profit Margin."  Her eyebrow rises slightly.  "So to speak."

"Hobbies."  She smiles, rolling her eyes in an ironic expression.  "My jobs are my life, I fear - how tremendously dull.  I research the latest medical tech and discoveries, collect recipes for those dishes the crew might enjoy...I suppose keeping odd arthropods alive and well in my office might be a hobby.  Collecting trinkets from wherever we dock?  Exercise?"  A sniff of amusement, and she takes another sip of the wine.  Carefully.  Shui isn't a big drinker, and doesn't want to become The Tipsy Date™.

She glances about the restaurant.  "I am so used to travel.  I half-expect to hear Mr. Tescali speaking on the intercom about a small problem in our way, Ms. Crow making a jibe about us sitting together, or Saskia commenting on the state a particular frelling piece of the engines causing the ship some distress."  Her gaze slips back to Tylen.  "I am curious, Tylen Orgesh.  What did you plan when you first stepped off that planet, with its beaches and work you thought so dreadful?  What was your idea for the future?"

Understand the boy, understand the man.  Some of her father's philosophy, taken and twisted slightly to be more palatable.

”Planned?” he asks, almost surprised at the question.  ”I didn’t have any plans really.” he pauses as the waiter clears away the starters and prepares the table for the main course, acknowledging the work with a simple ”Thank you.”

The fork gets twiddled again as he thinks back to the day he joined the scouts.  ”Have you ever been to Lopiengata, Shui?  No of course you haven’t.” he asks the question casually, but then answers it immediately.  ”Hardly anyone has.” he says with a resigned smale.  ”Ell” he says using the local nickname for the planet, ”Is a failed project.  Well actually, it failed twice. It was developed initially tom try and open a trade route … that no one wanted.  When that failed and the developers went bust, it was bought by a man who wanted to develop it for luxury big game fishing.  His very first expedition was lost at sea and the whole project was quietly shelved.  Now it is a sort of  Company world … but the company  is the space port – and that is jointly financed by the Darrian  and Imperial government contracts.” he stops and looks down at the fork between his finger and thumb and carefully puts it back down on the table alongside the plate that the waiter has delivered.  ”It limps along.” he says sadly describing the planet of his youth.

Before that, of course, we had lived on  Darrian.  Cramped in  a small  apartment, hardly ever going outside -  Dad working on a contract that meant we had a minimum income – unless there was lots of work to do at the port. The opposite of Ell it was all high tech and for me, nearly all indoors.  But there are similarities.  If you are at the bottom of the pile, it is hard to climb to the top.” he shrugs as he makes the explanation.  Dad took the chance to step up.  Regular pay, his own house, just had to move planets.  They sold him Lopiengata.  They mentioned all the good bits.  Property Ownership.  Regular work.  Solid base.  But they forgot to mention quite how primitive it was ... the thoughts aren't really bitter, just a recognition of the situation.

”On Ell, there were  five options.  Try and get a regular job at the spaceport ..  but most of those went to the kids of people who were higher up.  Get some sort of casual work, either at the port or working for yourself, but those all depended on the good will of the port management, and no-one ever really made much of themselves.  Or you could hang around the port and see if you could get a temporary contract on one of the ships that passed through.” the smile is faint as he recalls that option ”And many of those finished up coming back Low Berth, because that was all they could afford.  I always wondered what happened to the others.  How many made a career and how many tried to come home ‘low’ -  but didn’t quite get there.”  The fork is back between his fingers again.

”Which left either the Darrian Army or the ISS.  The ISS hardly took anyone one -   after all we were all Darrian. So, I was on my way to join the army, when I suddenly decided to try the scouts after all.”  he looks up and smiles at Shui, slightly embarrassed as he realises that he has been talking for such a long time.  ”So I suppose you could say the plan was to leave Ell.” which is followed by a light shrug of his shoulders.  ”Anyway.  Enough of that.” he says more positively.

”What about you?” he says turning it around ”What were your plans when you left home?  You told me it was a spur of the moment decision, but somehow I had you down as more of a planner than that.  So was there a spur that dug in at that moment of decision?” he asks curiously.
This message was last edited by the player at 14:19, Sun 08 Jan 2012.

She bows her head to the waiter when he arrives, allowing Tylen to address him, as proper.  Then the gunner breaks into his story.  The Steward sits quietly, listening to the depressing tale.  From the sound of it, Lopiengata is a miserable place, trapped between owners and history of failure.

Not the best place to grow up.

Not the best situation for his family, and certainly not his father, who no-doubt carried guilt.

"I'm sorry, Tylen," she whispers, after his description of his family's situation.  His fiddling with the fork hasn't escaped her attention - this is painful to revisit, but he's trying.  "People often leave their planets with...sub-par jobs on starships."  She knows - she saw it, she experienced it.  And Shui was one of the lucky ones; she had a small amount of money tucked away, and was trained well enough to (mostly) pick out the safe ships.  Ships that had good safety systems and decent crew, despite offering jobs like 'cleaning out the waste systems'.

She remembers some of the others she saw lurking in the alleys of spaceports, the young men and women with the bruised spirits and desperate eyes.

"The scouts were difficult on you," she muses, "but the best choice." He gained a great deal from them, regardless of the injuries that eventually sidelined him.  "Your plan worked," Shui concludes, again touching his hand, "though the road was a long one."

She's going to have to watch her questions from now own, given his habit of switching them around on her.  "My plans?"  Shui glances down at her empty plate.  "I...my parents trained me to take over their tea business, yes?  Planning and preparation, long-term goals, all of that was part and parcel of the education."  She shrugs, a helpless gesture, and gives him a weak smile.  "A spur...my parents sent me out on a 'graduation' assignment, as it were.  Closing a deal on my own."  Her finger taps her lips for a moment.  "Upon my arrival on the client's planet, I found myself staring my future in the face - a future planned and mapped out by my parents, with no choice for myself.  I had an epiphany, I suppose you might say."

She meets his eyes directly.  "This was not for me."

The Doctor shoots a quick glance toward the kitchen, but no salvation is yet forthcoming.  "With the 'wisdom' of youth, I knew that any kind of argument with my parents would lead to tears, recrimination, disappointment, and much, much pain on both sides.  And so I chose the coward's route, and fled - no discussion, no argument, but certainly still a great deal of pain on both sides." She sighs.  "It is not a decision of which I am proud, but looking back at that confused girl, I can understand."

"It was a long time ago," Shui finishes, and takes another sip of her wine.

It's really quite good.

"So." She taps the glass.  "An easier one.  Do you prefer red or white?"
This message was last edited by the player at 14:01, Mon 09 Jan 2012.

"That's life." Tylen shrugs as Shui apologises for his earlier life   "There are worse ways to grow up, and everyone who left made that choice for themselves." he comments with a grin, alluding to her own decision to leave home.

"Oh the Scouts weren't difficult." he grins "I don't mind a bit of discipline, and I got to be my own boss a lot." the smile dims slightly as he recalls the end of his career in  the scouts "Without the accident I would probably have stayed in a for a good few terms longer.  Even the best suit, fully checked can fail.  I was unfortunate enough that it was a corrosive atmosphere at high pressure.  I don't even remember it hurting for all that long." he says with next to no emotion "And they managed to put me back together almost as good as new." he says pushing the smile back onto his face again.  "Just not quite good enough for field duties tough." he adds with a slight moue that betrays his feelings on the matter.

"Have you ever been back?" he asks after Shui speaks of her leaving  "And red generally.  You?" he continues as he  switches things again.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Fri 13 Jan 2012.

Tylen's feelings regarding his cashiering from the scouts are well known to Shui, and she makes a small grimace, bowing her head for a moment to hide it.  Silly of her; discussing his job would no-doubt bring up the sadness of loss.  She should have aimed for something less dangerous to discuss.

Fortunately Tylen comes back with a double-barrelled set of questions.  "No," Shui replies with a heartfelt sigh.  "That time of my life is behind me, and I doubt the Profit Margin will be anywhere near my homeworld in my lifetime." A smile quirks her lips, and she cocks her head.  "Would you visit your own homeworld again?"

Raising the glass as the waiter moves in, platter in hand, she salutes the gunner.  "If forced into a choice?  White, to be truthful, but this is a very fine red."  She laughs quietly as the waiter sets up on a small stand.  "What do you think of Ms. Taylor, our newest resident?"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:40, Sat 14 Jan 2012.

Tylen nods as Shui speaks of Margin not travelling close to her home world, "Oh, I have been back once or twice." Tylen offers "Not for long,  though." for a moment you can see the affection in his eyes as he recalls the sea,  rocks and beaches "The place itself is OK, and the people are as honest as the day is long." he pauses for a moment or two as the thoughts come "But perhaps that's because everyone else gets off planet as quickly as they can." he adds with a grins.  "Yeah.  I would go back for another visit if we were close, but I won't be spending my credits on all those jumps to do it." he says candidly, recognising that either of them could, probably, afford to return home if they chose to.

"Keryn?  To be honest, I haven't had much to do with her." the gunner responds with a shrug "So I don't know her circumstances." he smiles weakly almost as if he is recognising something in himself  "I am a bit old fashioned, I suppose.  I tend to think babies a should be in families and pregnant women should be with husbands.  You know what they say, well perhaps you don't ..." and now the grin is back "You can take a boy out of Lopiengeta, but you can't take Lopiengeta out of the boy ..."

As he waits for her thoughts, Tylen spears a piece of meat and carefully rubs it in the gravy making sure that it is fully covered in the rich sauce, before  eating it with relish.

"It's a good thing you had the opportunity to settle your memories of your world," Shui quietly notes, testing her pasta with her fork.  It seems perfectly cooked.  "Now it can be your old home, rather than 'that place from which you escaped'."  She takes a bite, and nods her head appreciatively. "Exceptional; you chose the restaurant well, Tylen."  The chargrilled flavour is a nice switch from the norm, for pasta.

"Perhaps," she muses, "we will pass close and I will have the opportunity to see these beaches firsthand.  You must inform me if this will be the case...I likely will not pick up on it, myself."  She grimaces.  "I fear I am rarely 'on the ball' as to our exact location in the galaxy, due to my rather hectic schedule."  A line appears between her brows for an instant. "Not...not that I am overworked," the doctor hastens to add.  "But there always seems to be something to do - meals to prepare, issues to..." She shakes her head, dropping the list. "And that is work, is it not?  Something not to discuss at this dinner."

Tylen moves on, fortunately, and Shui considers his thoughts.  "I have no issues with an unwed mother, but...perhaps that, in iteself, is a cultural thing I have picked up during my travels."  She offers a lopsided smile.  "All our homeworlds put a stamp upon us, 'Mr. Orgesh'," the steward stresses with a self-deprecatory wave.  "No doubt I will continue to name you that when on duty...but as to my point?"

Her smile balances itself.  "If it is Lopiengeta we see in 'the boy', then that world has done a fine job."

Tylen chuckles slightly as Shui gets her self in a bit of a pickle with workloads, expectations and understandings of where they are in the universe.  "It is not something that is important in your scheme of things." the ex-scout acknowledges  "Where as for me, it is almost second nature and, I suspect, for Ash an absolute necessity."

Tylen takes another mouthful of wine before picking up the comments about Keryn  "Don't get me wrong.  I have nothing against Keryn and her unborn child." he says earnestly "I learned a long time ago that I don't have a monopoly on the right way to do things, and that everyone  is entitled to make their own choices, for what ever reasons they want.   Just so long as it doesn't hurt me or those who are close to me." he adds, almost as an after thought.

"So have you been keeping up your unarmed combat practice?" he asks with a grin.  "I suspect Yas thinks we should all be practising every day."
This message was last edited by the player at 11:39, Thu 26 Jan 2012.

"Priorities, priorities," Shui agrees, sipping at her wine in turn as Tylen explains his feelings on Keryn and other people's philosophies.  "It seems a very flexible and, dare I say, wise decision on your part to allow others the benefit of being themselves," she decides.

Very in keeping with what she knows of Tylen, to date.

"Unarmed combat?"  Shui shakes her head, a crooked, thoughtful frown passing across her visage like a shadow.  "Lacking a regular training partner makes it impossible.  I am not familiar with the use of a knife, submission tactics, defensive postures and the like, as I believe became obvious during our sessions." She recalls her mishap with Saskia, and the frown becomes a smile.  "Practicing them 'in the air' would no-doubt prove pointless."

The smile quirks.  "I suppose the short answer to your question would be 'no, I have not had the chance'.  Yourself?"

"No, me neither." the ex-scout responds with a grin "And for me it just aggravates the chest." he grins apologetically "Since the accident, I am not as fit as I used to be ..." he tails  off with a shrug.

Ah, yes.  The injury.  "There are some exercises..." Shui shakes her head.  "But that is business.  Apologies, Tylen."  Letting out a light laugh, she returns to her food.  But her plate is nearly clean; how did that happen?  "Excellent quality," the steward murmurs, taking another sip of her wine.  The heady drink is far too good as well; it has perhaps loosened her tongue a little too much.

She leans back in her chair, studying the former scout, a quiet appraisal that lasts several heartbeats.  "A pity," she finally states, a small twitch at the corner of her mouth.  "I was going to ask for pointers, and possibly assistance with practice."  The doctor drains her glass.  "But if you are not up to the task..."

"Well only if you are gentle with me ..." he really can't help it as the quip slips out without any forethought.  His smile is genuinely reflected in his eyes, but there is a slight hint that there might be something else behind the offer .....

With a  nod, Tylen signals the waiter for the dessert menu.  "So what can I tempt you with?" he asks Shui.  "Tiramisu? Gelati? Zabaglione?"

Shui sits up a touch straighter when it becomes apparent Tylen's off-hand, innocent comment has sparked a few thoughts in his head.  A sip of the wine gives her time to think.  She isn't certain where to go with it; in the past, deflection was simple.  Now?  Less-so.  For one thing, she genuinely enjoys Tylen's company.  For another, she isn't sure where her own feelings lie.

"I would be willing to partake in classes with you, Mr. Orgesh," she assures him, buying herself more time to consider the hinted offer.  "Tylen," Shui corrects herself with an apologetic smile.  "I have little doubt I would be no danger to you..."

Her voice trails off, and Shui studies his face for a long moment.  His question regarding desserts receives an inclination of the head.  "Tylen," she begins, avoiding the choices for the moment.  "I am...curious to know where this is going."  The words are serious, but a small smile takes any weight out of them.  "But I have always been one for the journey - I would not be on the Profit Margin were I not - and feel that will reveal itself.  And certainly I don't need there to be a destination in mind; sometimes, one merely travels, and that in itself is the point."

"It appears it will be an interesting trip, in any case...I will pass on the dessert, I think," she decides, proving she has been listening as well as considering. "But I would be more than happy to sit and enjoy the atmosphere, should you wish to partake."

Tylen’s smile remains as Shui talks lightly about practicing their unarmed combat skills together.  However, the smile fades slightly when she takes a more serious line, and asks where ‘this’ is going.

Thoughts flash through his mind quickly.

First there are the memories of various unarmed combat classes, not so much the ones that Yas had run for them, but other classes from longer ago.  The techniques hadn’t stuck, but some of the ground fighting techniques he had been taught had similarities to sexual positions -  and had always caused giggles when he had been fighting a girl.

Then there were thoughts about various women whom he had been with.  Either someone he had met in a port when he knew he would be lifting again shortly, or someone assigned to the same vessel or base as him.  Everyone knew it could only be short term.  Sometimes it might be a matter of days, other times weeks and on one or two occasions a few months.  But there was always a clear understanding that jobs and careers came first, there had never been any great commitment. One night stands, short relationships, friends with benefits  -  but little else.

But The Margin was a closed ship.  Neither Shui nor he were intending to go anywhere soon and that made things very different. And that really wasn’t something he had thought about up until now …

Then he falls back on a wisecrack to cover his hesitation.  ”Well, I was going to mention those cheap hotels on the way back to the ship,” then pauses as he fakes looking at the time on his data glove, ”but you have to be back on duty soon.” However, it is clearly said in a light hearted way.

Then he half shrugs and a wry look comes over his face ”Seriously?  I don’t know.”  he drains the last mouthful of wine from his glass and look across at the waiter to indicate they are ready for the bill, before turning back on her. ”Where do you want it to go?” he asks with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Shui doesn't miss the change in his expression when she begins her new line of conversation, and curses herself silently.  Fool.  Not exactly the best thing to talk about, given their desire to keep things light and easy.  She can almost feel him shutting down, and can see the thoughts shuttling through his eyes.

And there it is - a joke, to keep from making any dangerous commitment.  Or what he might see as dangerous; Shui, herself, hadn't been expecting anything.  Oh, she has dropped the ball indeed.  It's a mild joke, of course; not the sort of thing one would expect from younger people, but they're both adults who have seen a great deal in their lifetimes.  But it's still a mask, a cover for concerns.

His face shifts, and Shui blinks in surprise when he speaks his mind.  She studies him for a long moment as he puts the ball back in her court.  As answers go, it's not a great one, but it's better than the mask, and to be fair, she hadn't actually asked a question, had she?

She could, of course, make assumptions based on him requesting the bill, here and now.  But that would be too easy, and unfair.  Better to respond in the proper spirit, the spirit she would have liked him to ask, and assume it is so.  Tylen Orgesh, Shui feels, is a good man.

Shui tries a smile, and to her surprise it holds. "I...as I said, the journey, perhaps.  I have no idea where this is going.  I..."  Pausing, she glances away, suddenly uncomfortable with platitudes and half-truths.  But 'I did this because you seemed to want it' is a horrible thing to say.  It's also not entirely true, if she's going to be honest with herself as well.

"I don't know what I want," the doctor blurts out, at a loss.  "I haven't known for a long time, Mr. Orgesh."  Taking refuge in formality?  Frustrated, she corrects herself.  "Tylen.  Regarding important matters, what I desire is something about which I have not thought in...a long time."

Closing her eyes, she lets out a slow breath.  "My apologies, Tylen.  I fear I look the fool."  Her eyes open again.  "I would not be..." I would not be adverse to continuing, another horrible thing to say, another dodge, another way of not considering what she wants.  Biting her lip, face flushing with embarassment, Shui fights against her habitual way of thinking and turns her gaze inward.  For a moment, she succeeds.  "I would enjoy seeing where this goes."

It almost hurts to say the words, so much they go against years of habit, years of practice even.  But it does feel so much better to have finally said them.  Of course, she dryly muses, now he believes me insane.

”Me neither.” the ex-scout replies sympathetically to Shui’s comments. ”Somehow, I doubt any of us on the Margin really know what we want, or else we wouldn’t be happy drifting around the universe, just to see what happens next.” he continues, somewhat philosophically, as he lays his open hand face upwards on the table between them, a clear invitation for her to lay her hand inside his.

”I bet your coffee is better than the stuff they serve here.” he says with a wink.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:18, Fri 10 Feb 2012.

Rather philosophical of the man, but she has come to expect that; Tylen Orgesh is an odd mélange of 'pragmatic' and 'questing'.  Hence, the followup comment about coffee.  And the hand.

Happy?

Reaching out, Shui lays her fingers atop his.

Is she happy?

"I should hope my coffee is superior," she dryly observes.  "I purchase the best beans I can find, store them properly, grind them just before using, clean my machines assiduously, brew at the correct temperature..." The steward waves her free hand dismissively, conscious at the feeling of Tylen's rough fingers.  "A mere restaurant cannot compete."

Callouses - gripping tools, weapons, equipment.  A strong hand, worn by time and use.

Content.  A better word, Shui supposes, for what she has felt over the years, especially with her time in the Profit Margin.  Happiness, she considers, was never the goal.

But does that make it impossible?

"Would you like some of that superior quality coffee, Tylen?" One eyebrow quirks up.

Tylen allows his thumb to caress the top of Shui's hand as she  explains why her coffee is so much better than any restaurant's, and then smiles broadly at the irony of being invited back to the ship 'for a coffee'.

"I would like that very much." he says, when a  muted noise attracts his attention to his data glove.  With a slight frown of surprise, he detaches his hand from hers and selects the options that will let him read the message.  His eyebrows quirk upwards at the phraseology of the message, but he relays the message to Shui the grin is back in  place.  "Although Jago says the watch rota has been cancelled and he doesn't need us back until the morning." it is clear that he is trying hard not to chuckle at the implications.

After a moment or two he can't  hold the chuckle back  I'm sorry." he says "The wording and the timing ....  it is like one of the 'Awkward Moment' things that they plaster all over those  Real Life vid shows."

"Oh dear." Shui puts her forehead in her free hand. "Dear, dear Jago.  I must have a talk with that man."  She slowly shakes her head, laughing quietly. "Awkward moment, indeed."

"Fortunately I have stumbled through my share of those as well," she admits, "and have grown somewhat inured to them over the years." The steward bites her lip for a moment, then nods.  "And so...I would like to see where this is going, Tylen.  To begin with, coffee, if you wish."  Her smile is lopsided, and a touch concerned.  "I have had a wonderful evening, thus far, and would not wish to spoil it with misunderstandings." 

The doctor shoots a narrow-eyed glare at the dataglove.  "They abound, it seems."

"So coffee then." the ex-scout says with a grin as he pays the bill, and rises to his feet.

And I am glad you have enjoyed the evening so far, because I have as well." he comments as he leads the way towards the restaurant's door and holds it open for the steward to pass through.

"Let us just hope that the rest of the evening is just as enjoyable and devoid of any mis-understandings." he says wondering quite where this is leading.

"Oh, I can assure you Tylen, that the pleasure was also mine," Shui laughs, following him to the door, and slipping out onto the city street.  She adjusts her short coat, smooths out the cheongsam.

I might actually have use for these again, the doctor considers.

Taking Tylen's arm, she begins the walk back to the ship.  Wine and coffee tonight.  Who can say what tomorrow will bring?