Second Dates: Enjoy the Now

Posted on Wed Sep 21, 2016 @ 3:18pm by Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin & erie'Riov Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian

1,506 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Rumours
Location: Diana's Arrow->Pangea
Timeline: MD01 1400

::ON::

There was electricity in the air on Diana's Arrow, the planet was finally open for exploration and Rianni and Klia had a camping trip planned to a particularly beautiful area Rianni had selected. As she went over her gear one more time, just to make sure she had everything, ~Okay, so backpack, check, hiking boots, check, food for the trip, check, present for Klia, check.~ She paused and nodded happily, "Okay, we're good to go."

"Perhaps your Klia would like a job doing holo-programs for our cruise line?" Gregori Monteros asked his granddaughter, "She doesn't want to create the racy stuff anymore, maybe some more family friendly fare? I'll give her full benefits and a good salary."

"Well, don't pressure her, Papa." Rianni replied, "And she's not my Klia...."

"You mean she's not your Klia yet." Gregori shook his head; poor Rianni never could quite recognize the splendorous miracle of a rose for what it was, always with too many doubts and too many damn questions. She also never could grasp the idea that Papa usually knew what was coming before it came, "You know, old men, we peek at the back of the book sometimes to see how it ends."

"And granddaughters should always listen." Rianni said from memory, she'd heard this speech many times. The part that was such a pain in the ass was that the old man was usually right.

"That's right, child!" Gregori began, "And that's because Grandfathers always have their best interests in mind. Remember that!"

"Of course, Papa." Rianni answered, her back to the old man as she rolled her eyes.

"And stop rolling your damned eyes at me, girl." Gregori ordered, he could see straight through the back of that girl's head as though it had a view slot, ~So like her mother.~

"Speaking of Klia..." Rianni began, standing at the transporter controls, "Where is she?"

As she spoke the transporter came to life, and in a whir of shimmering light, the little orion materialised, dressed in her usual overalls. Her white bob had a handful of braids in them ending in beads made from turquoise and lapis lazuli. She had a stuffed kitbag at her feet. "Hey I'm here. Ready to seek out new life and new civilisations"

"Hi!" Rianni smiled, stepping over to hug Klia and help her with her gear, "So, I'm sure you remember the old girl." She said, gesturing around her, noticing Mittens running to Klia's feet, "And I'm sure you remember the little girl, too." Rianni smiled sweetly as Mittens rubbed herself all over Klia's lower legs, if there was anyone that cat loved as much as Rianni, it was Klia.

"Hey kitty," Klia gave the cat a quick scratch behind the ears. "So, you have a place to land?"

Mittens replied with a contented meow, continuing to rub itself on Klia's legs, marking the Orion as hers.

"She loves you." Rianni smiled, "And, yes, we do have a place to land. We're going to take a shuttle down and explore this high mountain region.... here." Rianni said, pulling a picture up on her padd to show Klia, "Looks like we could find some great stuff here."

"Sounds good. Lets get started!"

Rianni took Klia's hand, practically pulling the little Orion along, her excitement was overwhelming her so much, "This is going to be great, we're taking a really small shuttle down, but it's going to give us more places to land so we can do a little more exploring." The shuttle's barn door lowered as they approached and they entered through the back, taking their seats quickly, "I just realized, this is going to be your first time flying with me."

"yes it is. Well, you're not dead yet... so..." Klia teased

"Don't worry, I'll try not to fly you out from under your wig." Rianni said with a playful wink, lifting the shuttle off of the deck as the bay doors opened, using the maneuvering thrusters to push the shuttle, which bore the name Eleni, into the void before punching the afterburner to put distance between Shuttle Eleni and the Arrow. As the Arrow became smaller and smaller in the proverbial rear view, Rianni brought the Eleni to one quarter impulse power, "I was thinking we'd maybe take an hour or so to orbit the planet, take some orbital images, kinda get a preview of the place, you game?"

"Bring it on," Klia told her, and then spent a happy hour taking pictures of the planet from all angles, and watching the scanners feed the data into a 3D image, already for studying. And putting into holo-programs.

The orbit completed and highly satisfying, ~So peaceful~ Rianni thought, as she began the procedures for atmospheric entry, "Hold on tight, this can be a little bumpy." And it was a little bumpy, but Rianni's steady hand, honed from years of practice at the controls of her beloved and now retired Midnight, kept it from being too bad and the landing was perfect as she set the Eleni down fifteen meters from a beautiful crystal blue lake in a clearing in a stand of tall, shady trees, "Well, we're here." She smiled to Klia, "What do you think?"

"That," Klia decided looking at the vista, "Is very nice."

"Yeah, it really is." Rianni smiled contentedly, playfully stroking Klia's 'hair' as she did, "And your wig is still on, as promised. Probably only because shuttles don't maneuver like fighters, but still...."

"Lets get set up, have a fire, roast some marshmallows. Then we can decide where we want to go tomorrow"

"Okay, marshmallows it is." Rianni nodded, laying out the equipment she'd need to make a fire. A few minutes later, the fire blazing, she pulled out two chairs for them, setting them side by side across from the fire, "I've also got some nice Greek dishes from the Acropolis for us to eat for dinner, today's specials."


"Dolmades!" KLia squealed, and fell on the box of neatly stuffed and rolled vine leaves. "Is there Kofta? and Falafel?"

"Do you really think I would come without the staples?" Rianni laughed, "I've got Kofta, Falafel, Gyro meat, souvlaki, baklava, everything your taste buds desire."

Klia made a dive for the Skordalia, the garlic dip, and started pushing the fallafel into it. Then she nudged Rianni with her shoulder. "I'm hungry. I can't eat everything. Dig in."

"Okay." Rianni smiled, grabbing a piece of pita bread and tearing hunks off to dip into the Skordalia; it was exquisite, Uncle Theo had outdone himself. She rolled her eyes skyward and, with a nearly orgasmic smile on her face, said, "How did people ever live without this stuff?"

"its dip, not oxygen," Klia pointed out. "And trillions of people do it every day." she stuffed her mouth with it none the less, and made a happy blissful sound. "Your uncle is a great cook." she mumbled round the garlic slathered falalfel.

"See, you're talking about surviving." Rianni laughed, "For me, life without my Greek delicacies, that just isn't living."

Klia nodded, and checked another piece of wood onto the fire. "Much as I love your food. your food isn't living." She looked out at the gathering dusk. "But this is pretty close. No walls, no pressure, beautiful night, beautiful scenery. Peace and quiet. Serenity."

"Well, you know we can do this any time you'd like." Rianni offered, "I mean, I've always got access to the Arrow and her shuttles, plus I've been looking at salvaging a ship of my own. Maybe a Miranda like the Arrow, maybe even a Bird of Prey, I don't know yet. Just know we could go wherever and whenever we wanted. You know, if that was something you'd like to do."


"you always do that." Klia said. "You're already rushing into the next time, and what might be, and offering something more or again. You need to relax. take time to enjoy....now. You might not get a then. but you always get a now."

"You know what? You're right." Rianni said, moving closer to Klia, "The past is gone and tomorrow may never come, so here's to now." With that she pushed the tiny Orion's 'bangs' aside and kissed her softly, but passionately, on her lips, ~Hope this doesn't turn into a disaster on me.~

It was soft and warm and gentle. The little orion didn't shy away, kissed her gently in return and sat back. "Yes. like that." She turned away to watch the sunset, shifting so she was tucked in close to Rianni's side. and put her head on Rianni's shoulder with a satisfied sigh.

With her free hand Rianni took Klia's, lacing the Orion's green fingers through her own, silently enjoying the sunset as Klia's rested her beautiful head on her shoulder, softly whispering, "This is nice."

Klia laced her fingers into Rianni's. "Enjoy the now."

::OFF::

Rianni Monteros
Pilot/Explorer/Warrior/Lover An all around good Greek.

klia N'Shahdra
Still finding her way

 

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