Posted by Lieutenant Jarred Alindor (Chief Engineer) in Alindor’s Quarters

Posted by Ensign Kalani Kāne (Scientist) in Alindor’s Quarters

<snip>

Jarred stared, unsure how to broach Kalani. While he had been single for nearly two years, the return of Cori even if it was’t the kind he expected was still fresh in his mind. They hadn’t gotten together, not like they were when she died the second time. He was still he friend but in many ways her return left them both come to closure and understanding of what they needed.

Still, Jarred hadn’t had a lot of chances to be romantic, either shot down or burn and disastrous. He often took chances, even silly ones but part of him wondered if he took too many chances right now. “I… no… Ralph is fine. ” he said as he looked down at the small fox. “God you are cute....” he finally blurted, almost as if by accident as his eyes got wide. He didn’t know what to do, he drank feelings way but he had no booze. “I mean, well you are but…” he said trying to regain balance as his cheeks flushed.

Alindor, CE

“But” she said feigned a frown. “Wow but. Conjunction junction whats Jarred function. To fix the utterance with something to get him very far,” she sang the children’s grammar song leaning back and against his arm. Well right now his arm was stretched more behind her than around her but that could change in a heartbeat. Kalani couldn’t help but think how easy flirting could be when you had an intellectual sitting beside you and not the athletic hunk with a low IQ score. Jarred so far was meeting every requirement for a second date but the night was still young. Nuzzling her back into the couch, Kalani wiggled just enough to make sure the back of her neck as laying on his arm.

Jarred felt a flow of relief, he used to be so much better at just being himself. Part of him felt like he lost that side of him, knowing how to just be normal was in many ways a foreign concept to him when it came to manners of affection. When everyone burned and fizzled when you got close to them, you became cautious. Cori’s return just shined in some ways to him how broken he had felt, so keeping his disastrous flirtation with Saterya in mind, and not trying to rush too much Jarred felt far more at ease.

“Hey do me a favor,” Kalani said leaning her head over towards Jarred. “Okay so ever since I can remember, whenever I watch this someone reads the words out loud. Want the first and third paragraph or all of it?”

“I will do you one better, I will read it all in Wookie!” Jarred said, smirking as he did. He remembered as a kid trying to imitate the Wookies from Star Wars, their guttural growls always a charming highlight to the film.

“Wrrhwrwwhw huurh uugggh uughghhhgh wuuh aarrragghuuhw uuh uughguughhhghghghhhgh huuguughghg hnnnhrrhhh uggguh uughguughhhghghghhhgh uughguughhhghghghhhgh raaaaaahhgh huuguughghg aaaaahnr wrrhw aaaaahnr raaaaaahhgh uughghhhgh aarrragghuuhw huuguughghg huurh uughguughhhghghghhhgh.”

Kalani could not manage to read her part. She was laughing too hard. Not the gentle chuckle or delicate female snort huff with a slight grin but a full-on belly laugh that shook her entire body. The series of gargles and growl like sounds would have had the directors back in the 1970’s shaking their head’s with a solemn face saying no for the sacred role of Alindorbacca but Kalani loved it. Partially because this guy did not seem intent on impressing her at all. He was laid back, happy, fun, light. If this was what movie night was like she would be over every night.

As his turn came up for the third, with grin in place trying to hold back the laughter he began again.

“Huurh uuh uughguughhhghghghhhgh aaahnruh uughghhhgh huuguughghg raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh raaaaaahhgh uughghhhgh huuguughghg awwgggghhh aarrragghuuhw uughghhhgh wrrhwrwwhw huuguughghg wrrhw huurh uggguh uugggh aguhwwgggghhh huuguughghg aarrragghuuhw aaaaahnr huuguughghg wuuh huurh uughguughhhghghghhhgh”

Kalani said nothing when Jarred finished. There was no congrats or deep discussion on the use of his Wookie vernacular. Kalani just clapped in appluase. “I gotta tell you Jarred if we were on Kashyyyk you would have all the Wookie women swooning over that accent. Including me. Well not over the accent but simply because it was so freaking adorable,” she silently added.

As the last of the words were read, laser blasts began to fill the screen with a loud pew pew sound erupting in thte room. It was then Kalani and Ralph learned Jarred liked surround sound. Ralph let out a small mewling sound before looking at the screen. The image of a man in head to toe back sparked a series of low growls fom the small canine. Ralph’s ear dropped until they stood lateral to his head instead of straight up.

Ensign Kalani Kane, science

Jarred looked down at Ralph, “He’s Vader, big old meanie… for now… but he can’t hurt you little guy.” he said, as he gave some comforting pets with his free hands as he looked over and smiled softly at Kalani. “Everyone is afraid of the Darth the first time they see him aren’t they?” he says as he found himself feeling more at ease in this moment, there didn’t seem to be much pressure. It was a movie with a girl and her pets, what’s strange about that?

Alindor, CE

“Not everyone and while all the girls I grew up with looked to Wonder Woman for inspiration I just pulled out my inner Leia when times got tough. I mean if you can stand up to a guy that requires you to wear a neck brace because he is so freaking tall who can’t you handle. Crag was just lucky,” Kalani said cockily. “You want to know what I would have done if you were there helping me get my needed plastic Aluminum to my people?”

Ensign Kalani Kane science