A small run down town at the base of the Wytoka Mountains.  Very little to do or see, just a small main street and a few homes located outside.  Paul Lascer's home is one of these.

Kyoko settles the shuttle down in the coordinates she was given, flaring the ship enough to dust off the location. She powered the shuttle down into idle and stepped out of the hatch as it irised open.

Dressed in a silk sarong of black with gold threading she looked around to ensure that she hadn't damaged the shuttle, as she waited for her client.

Paul was dressed in his nicest shirt ... which wasn't all that nice, but it was the best he had.  He had considered fixing his hair but figures, what the hell.  He wasn't some pretty boy.  If that was a turn off to this lady then it was probably for the best that she knew now what she was getting into ... vaguely Paul wondered whether he should be worried about what he was getting into.

He heard the shuttle touch down before he actually saw it.  Stepping out of his small house he saw the companion silhoutted in the light of her shuttle.  Kinda like an angel in the dark. he mused before walking forward.  He had a basket in his hand containing a meal for the two of them.  Paul actually prided himself on his cooking skills so that was one thing he was not worried about being up to par with.

"Miss Monroe." he said, inclining his head, "It's a pleasure."

Kyoko smiled as she approached and offered her hand to the clearly nervous Pual Lacser. "Just Kyoko, Paul." she says with a gentle smile as she leads him into the shuttle. "I thought, we'd try dinner someplace.. unique." She says as she motions for him to take a seat in the copilot station as she goes though her preflight check list.

"Kyoko - right." he took the seat beside her, setting the basket with food down on the floor of the shuttle.  "So, someplace unique?  I don't know whether to be scared or intrigued ... I suppose the fact that you've raised any emotion in me is a gem all in itself though..." he said, watching her as she worked.

"Believe me, it's a view that is most assuredly out of this world." Kyoko says as she pulls up on the yoke and the shuttle rises into the sky.

Minutes later she has the craft in place, tapping in commands as she settles on the orbit, waiting for the sun to barely crest the curve of the planet below before hitting the command and sitting back. The ship's thrusters shudder under the command and the shuttle keeps it's course, holding station just on the edge of a sunrise. Kyoko lowers the glare sheild to take the edge off the brilliance but the view is still specatular.

"So, if we go by the time of our position it would be breakfast we're having." she says with a smile as she points to the view. "Not that it will change anytime soon, we're in synch with the planet's rotation."

Paul smiled and it was probably one of the first genuine smiles he had had in a long time.  The sight was literally breath taking.  He just sat there, staring out at the horizon for a good long while before finally letting out his breath, "That is quite something there." he said, he glanced over at Kyoko and suddenly realized who he was with and felt slightly out of place, "Um, dinner.  I brought it ... you want some?"

Kyoko smiles as she lets him savor the view. "I find when you feel things are unchanging and .. dull that it merely means you need to see them from another angle." she pulls out a sheet and spreads it so they can see out of the cockpit from where they are eating. "And yes, Paul, I would definitely like some dinner."

Paul grinned at her, "Okay, one thing I can do is cook.  So I expect you to like this ... an' if you don't, well, you should probably pretend to.  Might hurt my feelings." he said with amile.

He pulled out the pasta he had made, his own sauce with rich tomato and seasonings, home-made bread, and a salad with a light vinegrette.  He'd also brought some wine.  He began serving up the meal and then waited for Kyoko to take the first bite.

Kyoko smiles as she takes a bit, smiling broader as she does so. "Pretty good, you sir.." she waves her fork at him. "need to see the value in Paul Lascer more." she finishes as she continues.

Paul gave her a relieved smile and winked.  "Well, miss, you see... the problem is, I've been cooped up wtih Paul Lacser for probably a bit to long to appreciate him...

He smiled as he poured them both some wine and filled his own plate.  He tried not to think how pathetic it was that he had paid her to come here and eat his cooking.

Kyoko sighs and leans over, kissing him lightly before sitting back. "No more doubts Paul. I chose to be with you over my other choices, because you needed me. I see a strong, vital skilled man, who has let self doubt cloud his self image." she sips her wine and eats a moment before continuing. "Did you see the charge I put to your account Paul?"

Paul gave Kyoko a wry smile.  "Well thank you Miss, but I still think that if you spent more time with my, you'd see how annoying I can be... Trust me.. I've had to live with me far too long..."

He watched her as she ate and was awed by her grace and bueaty, but even more by her comfort with herself.

When she asked about the charge he shook his head.  "No, to be honest I was afraid to..." he admitted, but at her prompt he checked and then just stood there, in shock.

He looked at her and then shook his head in confusion.  ".... but..."

"You're paying for the flight fuel, nothing more." She says as she gets up and slips behind him, her hands easing off his jacket as she starts to rub the tension in his back and neck. "I'll be a bit honest with you. I am well off. Enough so that I could easily buy off my contract with the guild. I'm out here.. on the rim because I enjoy helping poeple. And you, Paul Lascer, need to see that you're that bad a person." She whispers in his ear as she rubs his next till the tension melts off of that. "Companions are more than lovers of convience, you know that. We try to give people what they need. Itimicay is part of that, but not all."

Paul stopped.  As she spoke, and rubbed his shoulders, he simply stopped.  For all his life his mind had moved at a million thoughts a second.  Every waking moment was full, it was as if it never shut off, or turned down, and at that one moment... he finally managed to stop.

There was no paperwork to review, no reports to mull over there was here and now, and a beautiful woman, treating him kindly.  He looked at her, simply stopped.

Then he smiled with a gentle laugh.  "No, not a bad person, annoying, overly analitical, and a bit boring... but not bad" he agreed.

"There is a point when self-evaluation becomes self-criticism. One must always know the difference Paul. That is why I took your appointment. I bet you're far easier on your subordinates than yourself. Aren't you?" Kyoko says as she gently eases him to the bed, to lie down on a proper surface for the massage.

She smiled, this was the part that she enjoyed. The physical intimacy was nice, but without the point where you give the client solace and confort, it was merely a blind eager coupling. To help them renew and grow, to heal themselves, now that was the essence of being a companion to her. "You need to learn to have a moment, or more, of Paul time. To simply find a moment of serenity and peace, to renew your focus and center." She says as she eases him on his belly and starts working on his back. "Sometimes you have to find that thing that let's you be free for the moment. Some silly nonsentical moment. I have mine, you need to find yours."

Paul tried to reconcile his overactive mind, with his ... exaustion.  He was tired, tired of himself and the world as he knew it.  It helt nothing for him and yet... here was this beautiful woman... a trained companion no less who had not only accepted his invitation but given him back his money--

But he would gladly part with it if he could find one thing that was new, and exciting.  She eased the tension in his body, but there was no stopping his mind.

Even as he lay there, relaxing into the massage, his brain was bouncing everywhere.  "Sometimes I think what I really need is... not me time... time away from myself.." he said softly.

"No, simply let yourself have fun from time to time. Don't analyse everything." Kyoko smiles as she cues her display screen. "What do you know of animations from 'Earth-that-was'?" She asks as she wonders how he'd like a little humor in the night.

Paul rolled over and shrugged.  "That Ma'am, is where I really need help-- I don't know how to not analyze everything..."

He sat up slightly at her question and shrugged.  "Little to nothing I'm afraid..."

He gave her an intrequed look.
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 20:15, Thu 27 Apr 2006.

Kyoko smiles as she motions for him to roll over and watch the vid screen. "We'll see. Just remember these are from simpler times. Some of the nuances are cultral elemnts from the era it was made, but the slap stick is as immortal as punch and judy." She says as she sets about getting the popcorn and lying down on the bed beside him before starting.

OOC: Duck Dogers, and a variety of 'toons o' daffy from that era.

Paul watches Kyoko with an odd smile.  He has never met a person who was so much themselves around him.  Everyone was always after something when they talked to him.

He smiled as she brought popcorn back and the movie started.  He wasn't sure what to think but as the story progressed he found himself actually laughing.

Kyoko smiles as she watches Paul unwind, enjoying himself. She'd message him the vid files, she had decades of Warner toons as well as hundreds of others. Enough that he'd have something to enjoy for a while. Her agent would have a fit at the fact she was giving away so many priceless files, but it wasn't like she couldn't afford them.

She settles back and lets him enjoy the moment, feeling the serenity of their evening, and considered perhaps taking up the captain's offer after she was done.

Paul rolled over, still laughing as the movie ended.  IT took him a few minutes to simply be able to sit up and shake his head.

"I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard... if ever..." he said, smiling at Kyoko.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:49, Sat 29 Apr 2006.

"I'm sure of that. You needed it." Kyoko says with a smile, looking at him. Wondering if he needed more laughter or if he could finally open himself up for another step. "Paul, do you dance?" she asks as she stands up.

Paul smiled at her and shook his head.  "Not in a very long time," he told her.  "I doubt I even remember how... he added laughing at the tought of just how rusty he was.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:50, Sat 29 Apr 2006.

Kyoko pulls him to his feet and smiles. "Tonight is about positive things, I don't expert an expert Paul. But you should try."

Paul paused and then held his hands out for her.  This was why he'd called her wasn't it?  Something different...

He moved a little stiffly at first, as if trying to remember what to do.  "I apologize in advance for any toe stomping that might occur..."

"Well promise to practice for my return visit sometime and we'll call it even." Kyoko says as she lets him lead and eases him into the dance, keeping close to him and maintaining eye contact, to give him assurance.

PM

Paul smiles and does his best not to step on Kyoko.  As the dance progresses he relaxes slightly, thought its clear he's still feeling a bit awkward.

Kyoko smiles, but keeps quiet, letting him gain his confidence.

Paul felt something he thought he had forgotten as they danced.  It was an odd sense of serentiy as the dance took over and, at least for a moment all that existed was the dance.

As the music ended, he gave Kyoko a peaceful smile as he bowed.

Kyoko returns the bow, smiling in turn as she looks up. "Feeling better I hope?" she asks curiously as she stands upright.

Paul smiled and nodded.  "Despite my best efforts," he said with a laugh, then tilted his head and gave her a peaceful smile.

"You are a remarkable woman, Miss Kyoko Monroe....remarkable."

"Not really, just perceptive." Kyoko says with a smile. <blue>"Feel up to facing the world yet? Or would you like some more Daffy and popcorn?"

He gave her a tender smile.  "I think I can face the world-- but I think I'd rather watche more Daffy Duck and eat popcorn... still too much of a good thing...   He paused looking at her.  "Is still a good thing..."

"Possibly," Kyoko says with a sincere smile. "But I doubt anything you are wanting to do this evening won't be too much of a good thing."

Paul smiled and gestured towards the couch.  "My turn to make the popcorn..."

He made sure she was seated and the proceeded to work on the popcorn, and some tea.

Kyoko lets Paul do his share and settles back to enjoy the envening, letting him set the pace.

Finally though it ends and after she drops him off, she pulls up the other's location after some rest in orbit to see if they are ready to depart.