I'd Rather Fight a War than a Wedding - 9.099 [Archive]

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Cirrsseeto Quez

May 22nd, 2012, 07:48:54 PM

Everything was perfect.

Novgorod was assigned to temporary port at Dac, which allowed plenty of time for a furlough, which Cirr had snapped up for him and Lyanie immediately. He called his mother and told her the news. She had been predictably happy, and was looking forward to seeing her darling son and Lyanie joined in union. All they had to do now was break the good news to Lyanie's family, on Dantooine.

The Captain secured his old personal shuttle the Black Cat from a rented storage unit on Dac, so to ferry his bride-to-be on a ship a little nicer than a military dropship. After a brief trip to the market for a few things to wear, they were nearly ready to go. Cirr stood by the shuttle, enjoying what was actually nice weather on the ocean planet for a change. He wore a linen Ithorian bushmaster shirt with slacks to match, and a pair of Corellian sunglasses.

"You rready to go?"

He took Lyanie by the hand, escorting her into the ship.

Lyanie Quez

May 27th, 2012, 10:59:14 PM

She smiled as Cirr took her hand and she squeezed his hand, a joy in her eyes as she did, the squeeze hiding an undercurrent of nervousness. Lyanie nodded an affirmative.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

She went along with him on to the Black Cat, tipping toward him a moment as they did and briefly nuzzling her face into his shoulder. It was nice to be planetside on just about any planet considering how often it didn’t occur – and Dac was nicer than some places she’d been, for certain – but nothing beat home. She was looking forward to it, even though it felt more and more alien each time.

“I mean… certain members of my family, I think, are convinced I’m secretly a lesbian objectophile and would actually get myself hitched to some pretty little ship.”

She laughed a little laugh.

“Are you ready?”

Cirrsseeto Quez

May 28th, 2012, 12:15:43 AM

"Rready."

He kissed her, laughing at her admission, and adding his own to the pile.

"And therre arre a few of my famjiljy that thjink jI'm brrjingjing scandal to the house by marrryjing twjice, and to a fo...err...to a human."

He kissed her again to double down against the naysayers.

"So let's prrove them all wrrong. They'll come arround to the fact that we'rre perrfect, rrou'aiha. Mama alrready loves you, no?"

He led her into the ship and began the warm-ups.

Lyanie Quez

Jun 14th, 2012, 06:10:44 PM

“She certainly does!”

Lyanie beamed, watching him begin warm-ups for a moment before casting her eyes about the humble space within the Black Cat. Even the Knightfall was bigger than this. It’d been a while since she had been in or under something this small or smaller – she had never touched the starfighters during her time at the Wheel and the same could be said for her time thus far aboard the Novgorod. Sleep, Cirr, the Engines and Tink had kept her, for the most part, entirely too busy to idly tinker with anything.

On the subject of things d’Lyanettea Meresco Quez had not done in a long-ass time was bring a boy home. And it had never been a man. The last time she’d physically introduced someone of the male persuasion to her parents, it was in high school and the boy came out of it wary, if not on the larger side of terrified of her father. Like the boy before him and the boy before him and so on.

She was certain that after so many years, things would be drastically different. She knew that papa would approve. The engineer broke the calm, occupied silence with a honest, heart-filled statement.

“I wish Sanis could be here for everything. I mean, not for me, but… I know that would mean a lot to you.”

Cirrsseeto Quez

Jun 15th, 2012, 12:00:51 AM

"Don't get me wrrong, jI mjiss hjim a lot, and therre's not a day that goes by that jI don't thjink about what he's up to..."

Cirr grimaced.

"...but thjis sorrt of thjing was neverr somethjing he was jinto. Marrrjiage, jI mean."

The grimace on his face turned to a little smile as he finished his check-down, sealed the hatch, and lifted off.

"Of courrse, that wouldn't stop me frrom jinsjistjing that he attend. He'd be my fai'arr'uuhai forr surre."

That thought gave him pause, as if he was uncovering something he hadn't considered.

"Uh oh. Now who wjill do jit?"

He nervously scratched behind his ear as he tucked the thought away to be sorted out later. Abarai? He'd never ever. No way.

Changing subjects, he glanced over at his fiancee, ears perking in curiosity.

"So, you haven't told them, then? Brreakjing jit to them all on Dantoojine?"

Lyanie Quez

Jul 29th, 2012, 01:37:19 AM

The question caught her utterly by surprise for no reason she could later fathom and a blush dutifully crept up her cheeks and cut into a run up her ears.

“Yes… That’s it. I, um… am going for the element of greatest surprise. In fact, as much surprise as possible.”

Lyanie settled into a seat as the Black Cat lifted off and sunk into the back of the seat as far as she could go, her hands flopping into her lap. She sighed.

“I’m such a chicken for saying this, but I’d rather not talk to anyone at home until I absolutely must. With my sister in for a month-long visit to home, I’d rather be able to deal with any… issues that arise, due entirely to her, in a proximity which I am capable of slugging her one or several if she deserves it. It’s not worth it to ruin what could be a nice, relaxing transit by my getting all worked up over something I could guarantee she might say if she overheard any conversation pertaining to our news.”

Cirrsseeto Quez

Jul 29th, 2012, 01:54:54 AM

A few tweaks of the controls, and Cirr too leaned back in his seat.

"Courrse lajid jin."

The hypers spun up, and within a minute, they were in the maelstrom, at light speed. Now they had time to really talk.

"You sound ljike jit's an arrduous experrjience to see them?"

Were they estranged? Did something happen? Even through all of Cirrsseeto's own struggles, he managed to keep up with his family. Despite not being able to return to the Cluster, you don't lose that link. Talks with Mother every other day. With his sisters at least once a month. Even Ty'eella.

And then curiosity bit, and his right ear flicked.

"What would yourr sjisterr say?"

Lyanie Quez

Oct 6th, 2012, 10:24:50 PM

She deflated further, like a balloon, losing more helium.

“Either that I could do better or you’re what I deserve.” Lyanie frowned. “Both of which mean practically the same thing.”

The usually cheerful engineer reached up and raked a hand through her hair.

“Or she could be a complete bitch and…”

Lyanie shook her head. She looked through to Cirr and offered a smile.

“No, not gonna let her screw things around. Otherwise I’m gonna love to see papa and mama again. And I know papa will love you. And mama will dote… though she might not know what to think. She’ll be happy no matter. Happy that I’m happy. That’s all that matters.”

Cirrsseeto Quez

Oct 8th, 2012, 05:28:54 PM

"Nothjing to fearr, Lyanjie. Not a thjing."

He leaned in for a kiss, sharing a moment to bolster each others' confidence.

"Of courrse, jI say that beforre ourr famjiljies get togetherr. Oh Sanjaarra. Maybe we should just elope?"

Lyanie Quez

Oct 9th, 2012, 12:18:57 PM

She smiled thankfully, relieved at his confidence. She was focusing on the wrong things, far away from the key purposes of going home. Benita was an unavoidable circumstance and it generally would not be of advantage to be anything less than civil. Worrying it over would help nothing. As for Cirr's other comment...

"I wouldn't suggest that... though I'm certain mama would forgive the transgression by the time the Empire is long lost in the mists of time."

A fuller smile pulled forward on her face.

"She has been dying for the chance to fawn over every detail of the planning of my long hoped-for nuptials that she could possibly get her hands on since the moment I showed an interest in Jorith Hennock when I was ten years old. Benita most hesitantly tolerated the barest minimum of mama's involvement in the planning, so mama's felt slighted ever since, though she cares for her relationship with Benita and I too much to make a kerfuffle about it. But I could always tell it bothered her."

Lyanie pursed her lips.

"Still, the prospect of eloping appears very appealing, nonetheless."

Cirrsseeto Quez

Feb 18th, 2013, 01:48:01 PM

The flight went by quickly, as Cirr and Lyanie were both in a haze of expectations and fears both spoken and internalized. Cirrsseeto somehow resisted asking too many questions about the ceremony. He kept his own expectations to himself. This wasn't Carshoulis and they probably had their own ways of doing this sort of thing. Knowing humans, the wedding party probably wore clothing.

After a few hours, the hypers cut loose, and the Black Cat began the descent to Dantooine. Even from space, you could easily get a glimpse of the wide open expanses and farmland below. Bucolic easy living, er, or something. A bunch of big, slow, stupid, tasty cattle. Uh, wait, focus.

"Porrt masterr's gujidjing us jin. Surrprrjised they need one out herre."

The shuttle headed through the atmosphere, coming to rest at a settlement a bit away from one of the larger cities.

Lyanie Quez

Mar 5th, 2013, 12:26:13 AM

"Believe it or not, crop dusters... and their hijinks. Horror stories of the wrecks that came eons before when it was thought that, no, port master wouldn't be needed. We live, we learn." She said, pulling her eyes away from the long lands, dotted only with a settlement here, a home there, a cluster of structures 'out thattaway somewheres' and miles in-between - it made the nights a sight to behold that most would not see on a different world. Even with windows to see out to space, seeing stars all the time, being out in them, there was still that something majestic, wholly breathtaking about seeing the alignment of the stars, standing on soil.

The smell of cattle dung, notwithstanding, Dantooine was a long, fair rest for a weary mind. Even if she never let herself be tied down to the homestead, it would always be home. Even if home still became somewhere else.

Even if it was and is somewhere else.

"Well, I don't think we could be anymore here than we are now, aside from headin' out, headin' in and scaring the bejeesus out of my poor mother."

The sound in her voice was vaguely mischevous. Lyanie stole a look out the 'porthole' again, squinting. After moments, she leveraged herself out of the seat she had occupied for most of the entire trip, plucking her own sunglasses from the careless place she had tossed them and setting them on the bridge of her nose. She turned and looked back at Cirr, a fierce grin on her face. Who cared what 'Nita would think, or ever thought? To hell with her haughty opinions! Seeing family was a few parts fun, at least, no matter how many parts serious were tacked on to it, as well.

"It's still about the time-a-day that papa would be out bossing around the help and what else, if years and years of experience in watchin', helpin' and being yelled at myself are any indication."

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 5th, 2013, 12:51:21 AM

"Well, once we hjit lowerr atmo, jI'm yourr fajithful steed, m'lady."

He shot her a wink, knowing exactly from what sort of parts the phrase barnstormer originated.

True to form, once they'd coursed the inbound lane the port master veered off and wished them a pleasant stay. Cirrsseeto let their course hold steady for a few beats, then gunned the thrusters, letting them close distance with the terrain to have a bit of fun with their entrance. The coords for the Quez homestead were already laid in, and it took just a little tweaking to make sure they didn't bullseye a grain silo, and the Black Cat shot across the pastures, kicking up a bit of dust and raising a little hell.

He wasn't Sanis by any stretch of the imagination, but he could fly with a little zazz at least. True to form, a throng of ranchers could be seen beyond a creek, and Cirr gave them a buzz.

Lyanie Quez

Mar 5th, 2013, 01:14:42 AM

The particular look on Cirr's face, the wink of his eye - it had her back in her seat in no time. When he laid it on, he laid it on thick and it pulled a long string of laughter out of her as they zipped through and buzzed what was unmistakeably her father and the ranch hands.

Her head lolled from the window over to Cirr, her face bright and refreshed at such a short, yet exciting gesture.

"Well, if they didn't know we're here, they do now!" Lyanie exclaimed, entirely bemused. "Only short of knowing just who they're expectin'."

She flipped her head back over to look out, as they circled around for a place to settle. Peering, carefully scanning about, she remembered something mentioned in one of the last missives she had received from home.

"There should be plenty of space to bring 'er in over at the spot of land the old barn stood on." The former farmgirl pointed out the forward view, to an untilled, unplanted area of earth not too much of a ways out from the main house. "There, you see? Supposed to be a new greenhouse there at some point to replace the old monstrosity out in north field, bring it closer to mama, but not until after harvest. It'll go up right quick, then."

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 5th, 2013, 10:25:06 PM

Cirr was quick to put down on the plot where Lyanie indicated, bringing the Black Cat to earth with a gentle hand that contrasted his earlier showboating. The skids touched down, buffeting the occupants just barely as the shocks absorbed the craft's weight. The felinoid quickly checked down the systems, and powered off, tossing the back hatch open just in time for a surprised and mildly perturbed group of day workers to make it back to the homestead.

Cirr grinned widely as he donned his shades, stepping out into the sun with Lyanie.

"Guess you'd betterr do all the explajinjing, hahaha."

Lyanie Quez

Mar 9th, 2013, 03:34:29 AM

Lyanie looked sidelong at him, her shades not offering coverage at the edges of her vision. Fortunately, the sun was on the other side of her face and she could see more than the outline of him, this feline being she loved so clearly.

"Yeah, s'pose I should." She shifted her gaze to the group of workers, picking out her father amongst the bunch. She lifted one hand and waved to him, walking slowly down the ramp. A wide smile spread on her visage, as her father approached, horsed, with little more than a tip of his hat toward her.

"Well, ain't this a surprise." He said, approaching the Black Cat, halting his horse. His eyes shifted to Cirrsseeto, holding the Cizerack in his gaze for moments, before turning his attentions away, back to his daughter as he unhorsed himself and handed the reins off to one of the ranch hands."My little girl, as free of machine grease as I ever saw her."

Joanes approached his daughter as she left the bottom section of the ramp and connected with the dirt, the each of them enveloping the other in a tight embrace.

"Papa..." Lyanie said, wrapping her arms around the much older man. "...I missed you so darn much."

Joanes held his youngest daughter close, merely nodding in acknowledgement of her sentiment, his eyes once again on the being that had accompanied his usually grease-stained little princess, looking over her shoulder at him with curious, piercing, examining eyes.

With this greeting, a voice sounded out.

"Aaaaaayah, d'Lyanettea!" Mureen cried out, rushing her way down from the porch, the screen door almost slamming behind her, except for a figure that stopped it, leaning in the doorway, in shadow.

Lyanie cringed at the sound of her proper name being used, releasing her father from the embrace, looking over her shoulder at Cirr.She shrugged. Joanes still looked in the same direction, his eyes now narrowing.

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 9th, 2013, 03:56:21 AM

Just as Cirrsseeto was getting ready to brace for being sized up by Lyanie's father, a sudden noise caused his ears to snap-swivel to the left, towards the big farmhouse. What did that woman call Lyanie?

"d'What?"

The look he got from his fiancee was strong enough to melt him to a puddle. Right. Burying that one.

And that was about the time that the second shuttle descended on the farmhouse. One decidedly larger than the first.

Lyanie Quez

Mar 13th, 2013, 01:30:00 PM

Lyanie's fists clenched at the use of her full and proper first name and the look on her face reduced itself to nothing by the now-thin line of her mouth as she watched her mother approach. This stance went on for less than thirty seconds more before the engineer came to her senses and remembered that she couldn't broing herself to punch out such a sweet woman as her own Mama. Blowing out a long sigh and relaxing her fists, flexing the joints in her hands and pushing out a slightly more than civil smile, she elected to use words instead.

"Mama..." she began, the exasperation clear in her faint Dantooine drawl, "...how many times have I gotta..."

But her admonishment of her mother was drowned out and subsequently cut off by the arrival of a larger second shuttle that caused all of their eyes to shoot skyward. Lyanie only took the quickest of glances at the decidedly unfamiliar craft before leaving the proximity of her parents and heading back towards Cirr. She looked at him with a look of half confusion, half concern, as the other shuttle turned and began readying to land. Then she stopped and half-turned to look back at her father.

"You weren't expecting..."

But he wasn't there. Her eyes tracked back to the farmhouse where Joanes Quez had wasted no time in going, and was wrangling into his hands and loading a worn, yet very well cared for DC-15x sniper rifle, the look on his face very cross.

"...No." He snapped, hefting the rifle in both hands once ready.

He turned, his eyes focusing on what he could see from his vantage point of the not-so-near other shuttle, moving closer at a sprint, passing Lyanie and Cirr. He stopped near the far side of the Black Cat, hugging close to the smaller shuttle. He moved no further, save for dropping to one knee and bringing the DC-15x to bear, peering through the scope at the as-yet unopened bay of the other shuttle, around the corner and further back from the Black Cat.

"I wasn't even expectin' you, sweet-pea." He gruffed. "Now can it."

Taataani Meorrrei

Mar 13th, 2013, 11:58:42 PM

The larger shuttle braked downward for a soft landing, its thrusters cooling down within seconds. The side of the craft unfolded in a series of interlocking hatches, and a gangplank unfurled to the sodden ground below. A few men stepped out, a mix of Cizerack, Human, and at least one Zeltron. After those followed a half dozen Cizerack women, including one that wore a costume that tried too hard to appear both chic and outdoorsy, with a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses to match. She paused for a moment in the sun, and upon spotting figures in the distance, shouted to them.

"jIss thjiss the Quez homesstead?"

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 15th, 2013, 01:29:38 AM

His mother's meddling had advanced to the point where it was faster than the speed of light. He'd known that she would be getting involved in all of this soon, he just didn't figure that she'd be travelling to Dantooine this quickly. The thought of worlds...colliding...made his tail...twitch.

Had he made a tactical error? Cirr's brain struggled to try and keep pace. There were things that he'd hoped to ease into. Lyanie's family were salt of the earth from what he'd seen, and he knew he could explain his mother away at some point to make sure she didn't come off as a capricious, egomaniacal aristocrat. It was possible, with a few explanations, maybe a multimedia presentation, and some alcohol.

"Uh..."

He noticed the rifle barrel Lyanie's father had trained on his mother. With a careful hand, he reached out to ease it down towards the ground.

"...she's not a thrreat. Prrobably not."

Cirr's worried glance flicked to Lyanie, hoping she had some bright ideas.

Joanes Quez

Mar 17th, 2013, 01:35:36 AM

"That doesn't sound like a guarantee, boy." He muttered, though having seen now what had emerged from the unknown vessel and comparing it ino his mind to the other very similar being that had emerged out of the other shuttle with his grease princess, he lowered the weapon. The older man continued to watch the new group with a discerning eye, aware of the reaching for his rifle. His shoulders tensed.

"And I wouldn't touch that if I were you."

Deciding to take this acquaintance of his daughter at his word, he stood slowly and turned around, sparing a barely kind glance toward Lyanie who was making her way closer to him before settling stern, hole-making eyes on the nearest Cizerack, a male.

"Explain. And make it quick."

Lyanie Quez

Mar 17th, 2013, 01:35:43 AM

Between the time she'd began rushing to intervene between Cirr and Papa and the time Papa had looked at her, Papa had elected to fall into a certain vein of dealing with things that she had learned a long, long time ago to not interrupt. Looking Cirr in the eye and seeing he was worried, she felt terrible for shrugging and giving him the only answer she could - a look that said he was on his own - before quickly making her way over to Taataani and her ensemble. She plastered on a decent smile, wondering at the reaction the Matriarch would have to not, for once, seeing Lyanie in a grease-stained jumpsuit or even anything remotely homey-looking. Lyanie considered the fact that she might be the only one that wouldn't be shocked over the unusual fact that she wasn't normally found so decently attired and found herself unsurprised.

"Yes, yes it is!" She replied.

Lyanie waved back as she approached, worrying over what she would say about... well, everything. Her eyes flicked over the assembled around Taa, taking stock of the other bodies as she came to stop in front of Cirr's mother and returned her attentions to the woman, her hands folded in front of her.

"It's good to see you." She said, mostly in earnest, though a small part of her thoughts worried at the fact that she wasn't expecting to have dealt with their parents meeting quite so soon, while another part concerned itself with her father and Cirr. "And a pleasant surprise, I might add."

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 17th, 2013, 12:01:11 PM

"Well, jI'm..."

He wasn't quite expecting to be put on the spot so soon, and without Lyanie there to run interference. You didn't have to be clued in to human nature to understand how awkward this was, and honestly, it would've probably been far worse if the surprise went the other way.

"...Cirr. Cirrsseeto. Captain. Captajin Cirrsseeto, wajit...no...Captajin Raurrssatta."

Pull up pull up pull up!!!! His tail jerked in clear panic.

"Cirrsseeto Raurrssatta."

He reached a hand out to Mr. Quez, thought the better of it, and quickly wiped it against his pants to ensure there was no tell-tale perspiration before offering it again.

"jI'm engaged to yourr daughterr, sjirr."

Taataani Meorrrei

Mar 17th, 2013, 12:29:55 PM

Taataani didn't waste any time, embracing her future daughter-in-law and planting a wet kiss on each side of her face.

"Ja'irra korra nai, rrou'aiya, we'rre nearrljy famjiljy arren't we?"

The Matron drew back from the embrace, taking a look at Lyanie and impressed at how well she cleaned up.

"And loveljy to ssee jyou off of a sstarrsshjip forr once. The naturral ljight, jit ssujitss jyou. jYou've been sslavjing awajy overr engjiness too long ljike an ugnaught, and keepjing ssuch charrm a ssecrret. Poorr Cirrsseeto wjill have hjiss worrk cut out."

Fortunately, Taataani also had planned for that contingency. One of her mates, Naitaano, carried a fairly massive vanity case, while Ruulathaai hoisted two large wardrobe cases, apart from the others that were being carefully stacked onto a grav sled.

Joanes Quez

Mar 23rd, 2013, 09:49:47 PM

The elder Quez motioned for one of his men to come and free him of the rifle, handing it off without so much as relieving the Cizerack male from the intensity of his eyes bearing…not down, but level on him. He crossed his arms, which only seemed to set his shoulders out broader than they already were and served further to accentuate the musculature in his upper body, overall.

In effect, ‘I am bigger than you and you had best not fuck with me’ is what this said.

As the male explained himself, the way he tripped over his words and the discernible panic in his voice made the neutral set of his mouth morph into something that might have been a scowl if the panic didn’t also amuse him to a degree – though not nearly as much as it almost made him tune out. Almost – but this had to do with his daughter some how, and…

What? Engaged? My…

His eyes flicked down to the hand thrust out to him, then back up at the face of the nonhuman man who had almost so casually announced to him that he was marrying his little girl. The face of Joanes Quez went blank as unused canvas. He blinked, accepted the hand and gripped it tight, shaking with one, two, three pumps and freeing himself of the action beyond that. He chewed back one corner of his lower lip, as if he were going to gnaw it right off. He had to think about this.

“Joanes Quez.” He said, finally. “You’re a captain. You’re marrying my daughter. “

He glanced over his right shoulder, to where his aforementioned daughter should be, then back at Cirrsseeto, posing his hands on his hips.

“And if I’m not mistaken, that is your mother.”

He blew out a long breath, turning enough to be able to easily monitor the goings-on between Lyanie and the other Cizerack. He had met encountered many species in his time, and the Cizerack – especially the females - were very cunning. It almost would have brought a telltale smile to his face, that cunning, if his mind were not on other matters of import.

“Well, I don’t know how you managed it, roping my daughter in - I swear she is damn well-near married to her work, already. I can understand, though, why I haven’t heard hide nor hair of any of this until now.”

Joanes turned his head again to look at Cirr.

“What are you a captain of, Mr. Raurrssatta?”

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 24th, 2013, 09:04:39 PM

Captain Raurrssatta, but Cirr didn't dare interject. Lyanie's father carried himself like a woman. Er, like a Cizerack woman. It was bizarre and unnerving, and he had forgotten how nervous it made him.

Being wrapped up in these thoughts nearly caused Cirr to miss the question, and his ears skewed when he realized he hadn't answer it.

"Oh. A shjip? My shjip. We, ah, Lyanjie and me serrve on a corrvette."

Finding a bit of a perch to let his ego rebound, Cirr's ears bobbed upwards slightly.

"She's the Novgorrod. Fastest shjip thjis sjide of the galaxy."

Lyanie Quez

Mar 28th, 2013, 11:39:45 PM

Lyanie was almost not expecting the suddenness of Taataani’s embrace, but loosening after the brief stiffening reaction her body offered. Despite the fact that Taa was almost her mother-in-law, they had hardly spent any discernible amount of time together and thus, Lyanie didn’t know her fiancé’s mother all that well, yet. She hoped there would be more opportunity for that, as time went on. Family was family, after all – you don’t ignore them, without darn good reason.

“Yes, yes. Just about!”, she replied, laughing lightly.

Being released, and releasing her as she had returned the embrace, the former farmgirl smiled somewhat shyly, then proudly and confidently, followed by the slightest hint of confusion at the mention of Ciir having his work cut out. Clueing in after a second, she nodded in earnest, the thought furthered by the cases other members of her entourage were toting.

“It’s nice to be planetside – I don’t think I could tell you how long it’s been, to be honest. But I am wanted and needed where I am wanted and needed and…”

She shrugged.

“…it makes me happy to be useful – and to have majority control over what I’m doing. Though if you’re thinkin’ all I do is lather myself in grease… well, I got other things up my sleeves, Mama Taa. Always have.”

Taataani Meorrrei

Mar 28th, 2013, 11:56:48 PM

"Hmm? Well, oh. jYess naturralljy!"

Taataani couldn't possibly understand what Lyanie meant by that. It must be some sort of blue collar platitude. Not that a woman couldn't settle for tinkering with an engine, but ambition was a blessed virtue. Wouldn't Cirrsseeto be better taken care of by a woman who commanded ships, not fixed them?

Things left unsaid. At any rate, Lyanie was gobbled up by the entourage, walking in stride with the Matron as they approached Cirrsseeto and an older man that must be...

"...and jiss thjiss jyourr fatherr?"

Cirrsseeto was practically blanched. It must be.

Joanes Quez

Sep 21st, 2013, 02:54:31 AM

With the answer to his question, the Quez patriarch silently watched the myriad (though subtle) transformations in expression that the face of this man who claimed to be his daughter’s fiancé was going through. At the proclamation of his vessel, and the boasting of its speed, one of his eyebrows crept upward in a vague fashion and the stern line of his mouth did not change - not because he was unimpressed, but because he was trying his darnedest to not quip if this ‘Novgorod’ was any faster or, Force forbid it, slower on the other side of the galaxy.

It wouldn’t do to actively terrorize the young man, particularly not with his princess coming their way with Cirrsseeto’s mother - Lyanie was not afraid to confront him about being overbearing. She never had been and secretly her stark independence, that ‘take no bullshit’ streak in her personality was something he could be proud of, like everything she had done with her life. She was like him in so many ways and he could see them all.

Now, he had been about to open his mouth and give Cirrsseeto a reply, but then the young man’s mother barged in with her words and that was that. Conversation over, for the time being. Joanes’ other eyebrow joined the first one and he turned his attention to catlike woman, taking in her entire form for a moment. Thereafter, his eyebrows settled and his face resumed its usual stance, stern and intense.

“Well, that would depend...” At those very words, he could swear he felt his daughters’ ears perk in the drawing of her attention and the wary beginnings of a cautioning scowl twitching onto her face. “...on who is asking. I’ll have you know we aren’t too keen on unannounced visitors…”

His eyes slipped briefly to Lyanie, who was standing there with arms crossed and her mouth screwed shut. There was laughter in his eyes, looking at her, and he wanted to shake his head and chuckle at how she always reacted to his handling of people he did not know, personally. He had, after all, succeeded in unsettling and scaring off others without much in the way of trying.

“...for the most part.” A small part of a grin nudged at one corner of his mouth and he had the sense that Murriel was probably all worked up and absolutely dying to come out and throw herself on the the guests. He had better cut the crap, then. “I am Joanes Quez. Now, who and what might you be, aside from…”

He gestured to Cirrsseeto.

“...this young man’s mother?”

He had a very good idea of what she was: a Cizerack woman, a matriarch - that was obvious enough. Not that he let on, preferring to act oblivious and see how the woman answered the question.

Taataani Meorrrei

Oct 4th, 2013, 05:15:40 PM

He was a sight, wasn't he? Not just physically pleasing, as that was a common enough aesthetic, but the way he held himself, the way he spoke in that fashion that would be such a scandal back home. A melange to the senses to both please and to outrage, but never to bore. There were few sins beyond forgiveness in Taataani's eyes, but being boring certainly rated especially despicable. He worked in the field like a man should, but there was an intangible scent of exotic authority that mingled with his sweat and that sickly-sweet bouquet of fresh-cut hay that seemed to hang over the valley like a cloud.

A glint of sunlight off something golden on one of Joanes's fingers cut short any lecherous daydreaming. A bit too exotic, sadly. Still the view itself was lovely enough.

"Taataani Fai'sheea Igaarrai Meorrrei, Rrou'fai of Housse Meorrrei, Barronesss Executorr of MeorrreiCorrp."

Normally she offered the olive branch 'Orr Taa forr sshorrt' but seeing as playful intimidation was in season no such mercy was needed at the present. Carefully, she removed her sunglasses, handing them to her left where one of her men suddenly appeared to receive them.

"jI onljy jusst rrecentljy hearrd the good newss mjysself, and asss jyou can ssee jI barreljy had enough tjime to pack. jI do hope jI'm not jimpossjing."

Joanes Quez

Jan 17th, 2014, 05:43:53 PM

At Taa’s words of how she had only just heard the good news, he shot a very clear and very stern look at Lyanie, as he had been put in the same position, and the whole thing made her glare back at him for a few very short moments before she looked away from him, her eyes tracking to Cirr, which seemed to soften her expression He didn’t even know that she was seeing anyone, let alone that it was serious. Part of him, against his knowledge of his daughter, wanted to question her judgement, but he knew full well that she had spent a lot of time being in one position or another where regular communication was difficult to maintain, or was a risk… not to mention that she had a good head on her shoulders, to boot. It was a strange thing, her protecting him in a way.

“You aren’t the only one, Miss.” He said, looking back to Taa. “If anything, I’ve been kept entirely in the dark.”

He didn’t hold it against them. Having been in similar positions in the past, he could accept it. He would still have liked to have known long before this, but… he could accept it. Clapping his hands together once, thunderously, he put on a charming smile that seemed to soften his features entirely.

“Well, my wife probably thinks I’m being as inhospitable as Hoth and is dying to take you all off my hands!” At that, he cracked a chuckle. “Hows about we do something about getting all you folks set up?”

Taataani Meorrrei

Jan 17th, 2014, 09:52:48 PM

Taataani put on a smile that could charm a gundark, her ears perking as she dipped her head ever-so-slightly in deferential appreciation.

"That would be jusst loveljy. And jI am ssurre jyourr wjife'ss rreputatjion prreceedss herr hosspjitaljitjy, sseejing herr sskjill jin makjing ssuch a handssome crreaturre herr own. jI'm cerrtajin sshe would not djissappojint forr companjy."

The matron offered her hand to Joanes.

Cirrsseeto Quez

Jan 18th, 2014, 11:48:04 PM

Cirrsseeto watched his mother and Lyanie's father move on ahead of them back to the ranch house, and it only just occurred to him that he'd been holding his breath the whole time.

"Gah..."

His eyes met Lyanie, and he took a deep breath to stay his frazzled nerves.

"Why djidn't you tell me about yourr...f..."

His voice dropped a bit, and he had no idea why he was whispering, but here he was nonetheless.

"...fatherr."

Lyanie Quez

Jan 22nd, 2014, 10:23:13 PM

Her shoulders sagged slightly as her father and Mama Taa went on, and she let out a long, relieved breath with the vaguest hint of amusement before her eyebrow creased inward, making a soft dint of wrinkle above her nose as she looked at Cirr apologetically.

“What could I have said? ‘Just a heads-up, my dad’s imposing and scared off all my other boyfriends?’” She allowed a small smile, then. “It could have been worse.”

Lyanie meandered closer to him and reached one hand up, giving his left shoulder a gentle squeeze, before sliding her hand onto his back and laying her head against the same shoulder.

“Come on, let’s get a move on.” She said, rubbing lightly at Cirr’s back. “My mother has been spying on everything from afar this whole time, and probably can't wait to meet you. She’s sweet, and I think you’ll like her.”

Cirrsseeto Quez

Jan 22nd, 2014, 10:52:37 PM

"Yeah, he could've shot me. That would be worrse."

There was still a twitch in his tail, despite Lyanie's reassurances. Still, she had a way of melting through his neuroses. Cirr brought his hand around her back to rest on her waist and they walked together, taking in the scenery. There was one silver lining in all of this. They were on a farm...heading to a farmhouse.

"Please tell me yourr motherr jis the type who puts out a bjig sprread forr company. jI could eat a whole..."

In the distance, an unidentifiable farm animal bleated in the midst of grazing.

"Well...whateverr that jis!"

He was kidding (mostly), but comfort eating seemed like a good way to deal with the stress that was bound to come from the next few days. As they approached the farmhouse, the door swung open wide and a woman that Cirr could only guess was his future mother-in-law stepped into the light.

Lyanie Quez

Jan 24th, 2014, 09:44:10 PM

She’d watched her father usher Mama Taa and entourage into the home she had grown up in, and lingered inside the door to have a brief few words with her mother, before rejoining the others and helping them get set up in rooms within the farmhouse. Compared to other family-held farms in the local area, the Quez home was one of the larger ones that sparsely dotted this part of Dantooine, a telltale sign of lifetimes past, when families were larger and there was little such thing as hired help. Lyanie couldn’t imagine having as many siblings as her mother, and her grandparents, and so on. The one sister she did have instilled in her the thankfulness that there was only one of Benita… but that was all part of a tale for other times.

“Mama…” She said, her face infected with a beaming smile pulled into existence on her face by the smile on the face of her mother. She bounced up the three steps, and embraced the woman who had brought her into this ‘verse. “...I missed you so much.”

Murriel didn’t seem to want to let go after several prolonged moments, her eyes stinging with the start of tears of joy, but she was at odds with her excitement over the new faces, and this young man who walked glued to her daughters’ side. Lyanie understood this - it was the nature of her mother.

“I missed you too, sweet pea. Ohh, It’s so good to have you home!” Murriel gave her daughter one last, deep squeeze before releasing her, and giving her a once-over. “My, you look so much like your gran, sweetie. More and more, every time I see your beautiful face.”

Lyanie blushed, and turned slightly, glancing back at Cirr, with a fond smile. Murriel couldn’t hold herself back anymore and sort-of marched right up to Cirr, having to look up slightly to see him in the face.

“Well, who is this charming face I see before me?… with such lovely ears! My, my.” Murriel held up a hand before Cirr could get a word in edgewise. “Better yet…”

She placed one hand on each of Cirr’s shoulders, and gave him a keen once-over.

“...you look famished, dear. Why don’t we go talk in the kitchen? You can tell me all about you, in between bites.”

Cirrsseeto Quez

Jan 24th, 2014, 10:08:04 PM

Murriel lead on, a force of nature in her own fiefdom, hauling Cirr along with her by the wrist as she slathered on the compliments and salutations. He couldn't even get a word in, and as he passed Lyanie, his ears popped upwards and a big goofy grin appeared on his face as he mouthed wordlessly 'She ljikes me!". This definitely made up for the moments of terror before. His tail arced nearly over his head as she lead him to the epicenter of whatever the amazing smells he was smelling were coming from. The kitchen itself was rustic but expansive, stacked with who-knew-what in preparation for what had to be some kind of religious rite of gluttony. Giddy, Cirr wondered if somehow he could convince Lyanie to let him take her mother back with them!

Lyanie Quez

Mar 2nd, 2014, 08:01:28 PM

Lyanie stifled a giggle with one hand as Cirr was (willingly) dragged off, the other hand already at her chest from the gleeful joy at how her mother had so quickly taken to her would-be husband. The hand lowered, she stared after them as they disappeared within, and she bent over as the laughter overtook her to tears, alone, and thinking that it couldn’t have gone better. She moved over to the banister alongside the few front steps and leaned against it, enjoying the pseudo-silence of the outdoors with everyone inside. She didn’t get to be alone all that often, and as happy as she was with the things that had just transpired, any change could elicit stress, no matter how good or bad.

“Well, I’d better not keep them waiting.” She said to herself, turning to head up the three steps and in. Yet when she raised her head to look to the door, moving from the middle step to the topmost one, her smile faltered and fell, along with the joy she felt, as the doorway was blocked by the slim form of a certain personification of conformity.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in… or, rather, look what dragged in the cat!”, the figure drawled. “How unusual.”

Lyanie looked on her older sibling, her brow knitting tensely, her eyes narrowing. The engineer crossed her arms, in absolute defiance.

“Get outta my way, 'Nita...” She said, sternly.

The blonde’s nose wrinkled at the nickname, a dainty sneer lightly twisting her lips.

“...Please.” Lyanie gritted out.

Nita’s left eyebrow rose in a soft, controlled way, the sneer dissipating to leave her face in its fine lines of haughty beauty. She stepped aside, bowing graciously.

“Yes, your majesty.” Nita muttered, with a mocking airiness. Lyanie stared at her, then went to slip past the half-bent form of her sister. “Anything for the almighty queen of the cat-people.”

Lyanie tensed at the words that were said as she passed, but kept on walking, making her way to the kitchen, Mama, and Cirr. It was all she could do to keep herself from turning right around and socking Benita right in her stupid, pretty mouth. She could hear the faint laughter chasing her down the hall.

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 2nd, 2014, 09:56:23 PM

"Well, jI'm a Captajin of a..."

Cirr sat down, trying his best to talk between bites as Murriel Quez brusquely rammed a spoon full of something in his mouth. He'd just barely been able to hork down the pocket pie she'd pressed into his hands while still hot. And this? It was...well he didn't know, but his eyes partially rolled back as his ears lay slack in ecstasy.

"Om...nom...mmm..."

He caught sight of his fiancée, and his ears perked up.

"Lyanjie, jI..."

Murriel once more planted a fork full of something in his unprotected mouth, and his eyes went wide. Was this heaven or hell? If he stayed here and gained a hundred pounds, would Lyanie have a problem with that?

Speaking of Lyanie, she looked a little mad. Uh oh.

Lyanie Quez

Mar 23rd, 2014, 09:10:57 PM

She more than looked a little mad. She was furious. She marched right into the kitchen, hands balled into fists, and it was almost like one could see steam rising out of her ears. She heard her name, but ignored it, going right for a cupboard where there was a dinged-up looking durasteel tumbler and squeeze wordlessly past her mother, going right for the sink tap, filling the tumbler with water, which she promptly gulped down, mouthful after mouthful until she needed to come up for air.

"I wanted to hit 'er." She gasped, the ire heavily apparent in her voice as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "An' I woulda. But I didn't."

Taking another deep breath in and out, she tackled the tumbler to finish off the water within. Again, swallowing, she continued, looking sternly from Cirr to Murriel.

"What in the hells is she doin' here anyway, ma?"

Murriel, for her part, had another spoonful of... well, Lyanie didn't care what it was, at the moment... but the spoon lowered, landing before its destination.

"You aren't the only child of this house, sweetie. Isn't Benita allowed to come visit?" Murriel remained calm, and gestured to the counter, where several different items were laid out. "Now, thank you for holdin' back, for what it's worth, D'Lyanettea. Now why don't you have a little something to eat? It'll help cool your mood."

Murriel lifted the spoon again and looked at Cirr with a soft smile. Lyanie looked full of objection, but just huffed, and grabbed a pastry, stuffing a bite in her mouth more to keep herself quiet than anything.

"Now that I have both of you here, why don't you tell me how you met?"

Cirrsseeto Quez

Mar 23rd, 2014, 09:46:06 PM

Glad to temporarily be relieved of the task of being the Quez family taster, Cirrsseeto leaned back in his seat, unconsciously tugging down his belt to make room for his belly's growing assertiveness.

"We both jojined up jin the Alljiance to Rrestorre the Rrepubljic. Both on prrjivateerrs. Lyanjie serrved aboarrd a shjip called the Knjightfall, and jI serrved aboarrd a shjip called Layla. We prrotected the same convoy."

Cirrsseeto was reticent to explain the exact nature of those convoys, and he shared a knowing glance with Lyanie before continuing.

"We werre frrjiends forr a whjile. Djidn't rreally become anythjing morre untjil..."

He couldn't stifle a bashful grin looking at his belle.

"...ourr convoy came underr attack once. We fought off the enemy, and Lyanjie and jI werre assjigned to help rrepajirr the shjips."

Cirr sighed wistfully, his tail tuft poofing a little.

"jI fell forr herr completely."