Interlude – Date
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian
Post Details
::ON::
Checking his reflection self-consciously in the reflective panel by the door of Ma'erlit's quarters, Maiell finally pressed the chime. He and the Bajoran had been going out almost every night for over a week and he had to admit it, he was really enjoying it their time together.
Ma'erlit had spent over an hour getting ready in anticipation of her date with Maiell, and gave herself the once over one more time before going to the door and opening it, "Well, hello." She smiled.
"Hello," he said back, matching her cheerful tone before leaning over and giving her cheek a kiss, which is about as much as he'd done so far.
"You look great." Ma'erlit smiled, he was without doubt only getting better as they saw each other more, "So, you ready?"
"Of course. And you look quite lovely yourself," he complimented back. "I've reserved us a holosuite and set up a picnic under the stars for us," he told her.
"Oh that sounds so romantic." Ma'erlit grinned, taking Maeill's hand and laying her head against his arm. She made a point to show him her French braided hair, "You like it? The CAG... Rianni did it for me. She was here for like three hours doing it for tonight."
"Three hours?" he asked in surprise. ~The things women go through...~ he thought, remembering how long it sometimes took Arrienye to do her hair. Sometimes he wondered why she didn't just cut it shorter. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble. But it looks absolutely stunning," he told her, leading the woman down the corridor to the turbolift. "Promenade," he ordered.
"I don't have to do a lot of things, but I choose to." Ma'erlit giggled, she still found it so funny the way Maiell just didn't get non-Romulans, "I wanted to look good for you, and it gave me an excuse to spend some time with Rianni. We really miss her...."
Maeill frowned and put an arm around her shoulders. "Well, I'm sure you can see her when you want. She seems like the type who would want to spend time with her friends. I don't think she's made any in the Consulate."
"That's a shame, people don't know what they're missing with her." Ma'erlit shook her head, "She's one of the best people I've ever known."
"She's also half-human and while some of my people don't mind, there is still a lot of stigma there," he explained.
"Well, I understand that, I suppose." Ma'erlit sighed, "It's hard for some people to let past issues go sometimes."
"It's got nothing to do with past issues between humans and Romulans. It's just...the way we are," he explained.
"It doesn't seem to affect you." Ma'erlit noted, "You are, after all, with a Bajoran woman."
"Well, I wasn't like this when I arrived on DS5," he revealed. "And that was...almost two years ago."
"Well, then you evolved, so your people can, too." Ma'erlit smiled, "And that's a good thing."
"I suppose," he allowed, though he didn't exactly like that she thought his people needed 'evolving'. But he was sure she didn't mean any disrespect, so he changed the subject. "Come on, our holosuite is this way," Maiell smiled, taking her hand and leading her to one of the doors. Taking out a holosuite chip, he slid it into the proper place and pressed a few buttons. "I hope you like it," he told her, leading her inside.
As the door closed around them, Ma'erlit felt a soft, warm breeze wash over her. The smell of the air carried the scent of the sea and it's source was seen quite clearly in under the soft moonlight. In front of them was a small rise with a blanket and some picnic items set up for them. A few well placed lights were around so they could see each other, of course. Just under the rise, there was a long strip of beach, bordering what seemed like an endless body of water that seemed as clear as crystal even in the dark indigo hue the night painted it in.
Ma'erlit found herself breathless, both at the beauty of the scenery before her and at the touching romantic nature of what Maiell had set up for them.
Maiell stood to the side, looking at Ma'erlit hopefully. "Do you like it?" he asked at last, unable to wait.
"I love it." Ma'erlit squeaked, her eyes misty from the joy of the moment, "This is so beautiful! Where is it?"
"It's near the Apnex Sea on Romulus," he replied. "I grew up a couple of miles from here," Maiell told her.
"What a place to grow up." Ma'erlit sighed with some envy, it was a damn sight better than the labor camp where she had grown up, "I love it."
"So do I. Especially at night like this. Would you like to sit down?" he motioned to the blanket. "I hope you don't mind me springing this on you. I wanted it to be a surprise." He knew she probably hadn't expected to eat outside like this, so he doubted her attire would match the occasion. Still, he wanted to surprise her.
"Mind?" Ma'erlit laughed, "Maiell, sweetheart, this is better than anything I had dared to dream."
"Good," he laughed, motioning for them to sit down on the blanket. Once they were settled, he said, "After we finish here we can take a walk down the beach," he offered.
"That sounds terrific." Ma'erlit smiled, it was like he could read her mind or something. "Tell me, do you have this program all the time? I mean, in case we wanted to come back for some reason..."
"Sure, I have a copy of the data chip in my quarters," he told her before reaching for the basket. He took out two porcelain plates, setting them in front of themselves. "I know it might look strange, bringing actual plates for a picnic, but it's a habit I picked up from my mother, I'm afraid and it's hard to shake off," Maiell laughed.
"That's fine, I like it." Ma'erlit smiled, "It's classy." So far she hadn't seen much about this guy she didn't like, tonight was proving to be no different.
He smiled. "Okay, so tonight I think it's my turn to show off my culture's food," he said in a jokingly-smug manner before taking out a few platters. Uncovering them, one was revealed to be a bowl with what looked like a vegetable dish, very colorful and juicy, by appearance. There was also some fish and other meats on the rest.
Ma'erlit got closer so she could sniff the food, her olfactory senses had never failed her, "Oh, that smells so good!" She smiled, "I can't wait to try everything here."
"Well try this first," he told her, pointing to what a Terran might mistake for an artichoke. "But before that, a drink," he told her, pulling out a bottle of rhennish. He poured the purple liquid for them in tall, crystal glasses before lifting his. "To an absolutely amazing 10 days," he toasted with a smile.
"The best ten days I remember." She agreed, raising her glass to him. When the time came to taste the drink she found it absolutely intoxicating, "Wonderful."
Maiell relished his own taste of the wine for a moment before smiling at her. He placed one of the vegetables he'd pointed to earlier into her plate before taking out a small dish which was filled with sauce. "You just kind of take one of these fleshy leaves off," he told her, doing so himself. "Be careful of the sharp end there," he warned, taking off his own with a practiced hand. "You dip it, and then you scrape all of this," he motioned to the tender flesh of the leaf, "with your teeth."
"Okay, kind of like eating an artichoke." Ma'erlit nodded, following his lead, "Oh, that is good! What's the sauce? I love it."
"It's a mix of ryllh which is like a fruit and telhlke which, in this case is only mildly spicy, but I've toned that down with some ihor berries," he explained, dipping another leaf.
"Well, it's wonderful." Ma'erlit grinned, she hadn't been lying when she'd told him how much she loved trying new foods, "I might just have to let you do the cooking in our relationship."
He laughed. "Well I'm afraid everything here is about as far as my cooking talent goes. Except that, I actually got my cousin to make that. It's divine!" he said.
"Wow, I'm really looking forward to meeting her now." Ma'erlit laughed, "Seems like an amazing woman."
"Yeah, she is," Maiell admitted with a nod though didn't want to admit that Arrienye had no idea Ma'erlit even existed. If she did, he doubted they'd be sitting here now. "She's the one person I could probably say is fearless. Since we were kids. There is nothing she runs away from, it's...unnerving," he chuckled in the end.
"Sounds like my sister." Ma'erlit sighed, "Hopefully they'll both turn out okay and not meet the horrible end that usually comes with being 'fearless'."
He nodded, understanding. "I'm sure they will. But come on, you *have* to try this," he told her, taking the stuffed, grilled fish closer to his date and handing her some utensils. The fish itself was a pale golden color and was stuffed with vegetables.
"That smells fantastic." Ma'erlit cooed, taking a bite of the vegetable stuffed fish, "Yep, I was right! Fantastic!"
"I told you," he said. They carried on for what seemed like hours, with Maiell pointing out things she should try and commenting how he couldn't believe she looked as fit as she was with her appetite.
"Well, I work out pretty hard." Ma'erlit admitted, "For instance, I have run the entire station three times."
"That's a lot of running," he told her obviously. "Want to add another lap and switch to dessert?" he asked with a grin, taking out a large bowl of chocolate mousse. "I wanted to pick a Romulan dessert, but I like chocolate better," Maiell admitted.
"Well, it's really hard to do better than chocolate." Ma'erlit giggled, "Yeah, let's have dessert."
Taking up a spoon, he scooped up some of the mousse and held it up to her with a mischievous grin on his face.
Ma'erlit giggled and took a bite, finding it to be simply splendid, "That's beautiful." She smiled, filling a spoon and placing it to his lips, "Your turn."
He smiled, closing his lips around the desert and closing his eyes in ecstasy at the burst of flavor. "Mmm..." he let out softly, licking his lips of any chocolate that may have found it's way there.
"So, can we do this a lot more often?" Ma'erlit sighed contentedly, "I mean, a girl could get used to this."
"Good," he smiled. "And of course we could do this as often as you want," Maiell told her her, scooting closer to her now that they'd pretty much eaten almost everything but dessert.
Ma'erlit smiled as he moved closer, then kissed him softly on his lips, "Yeah, a girl could get real used to this."
He smiled against her lips before kissing her back just as gently, his hand reaching up to caress her jaw and neck with his fingertips.
"Yeah, definitely get used to this." Ma'erlit cooed, falling into Maiell's arms helplessly.
He held her gently before slowly lowering her down onto the soft blanket, his lips never leavings hers. He continued to caress her face and neck with his hand, nipping gently at her lips as they kissed. He could feel that familiar rush of being this close to a woman, especially after such a long time. But he didn't push his luck and after a few minutes, he pulled away, though kept his eyes on hers.
She wanted to ask him why he'd stopped, but she knew why, he wanted to take things slow after being so long alone, ~I have to respect that.~ She reminded herself, smiling softly at him, "All in your own time, darling."
He smiled back, grateful that she wasn't the pushy type. He leaned down and kissed her a bit more firmly this time, with an actual passion behind the kiss that hinted to what he had in him, behind that sweet exterior she knew him for. Breaking the kiss, he took a moment to regain his breath. "You want to go for that walk?" he finally asked.
"I'd love to." Ma'erlit nodded, extending her hand for him to help her up, "And next time we'll bring more appropriate clothes and go for a swim, I bet that water feels as great as it looks."
"It does. Especially in the summer. We could go the day after tomorrow," he suggested, grabbing her hands and pulling her up easily before putting his arms around her waist.
"Beautiful." Ma'erlit beamed, "I'll clear the day so we can have it all to ourselves."
"Your new boss won't mind?" he asked her.
"I don't think he will." Ma'erlit giggled, "After all, if Rianni taught him one thing it was to keep me happy so I can run the wing for him. I'll get it, don't worry."
"I'm not worrying, it's just surprising how un-disciplined it all sounds," he said honestly, leading her down the beach, the saltiness of the air becoming stronger.
"Well, I can imagine it's pretty loose by military standards." Ma'erlit agreed, "But by human standards it's tight and right. It works out very well in the end, trust me. You'll find that out serving under the CAG."
"Well yes. But, I am hoping she will learn to adapt as well," he said.
"Like how?" Ma'erlit asked, she had been more than a little curious about what sort of learning curve Rianni was facing but had never found the right way to ask her former CAG, now here Maiell was with the information right there at her fingertips, literally as it were.
"Like learning to control her temper," Maiell explained, walking with her on his arm. "Learning the language. Learning our customs, our culture, just...learning everything. I'm not sure how much knowledge she has already though."
"Give her a little credit." Ma'erlit laughed, "You'll be surprised by how quick she catches on to things and how smart she is. She's a lot more than a pretty face, Maiell, she's also a brilliant tactician and an amazing pilot and the best boss I've ever had in my life. If Romulans appreciate those sorts of things, you're all going to love Rianni."
"Love is a bit strong," he laughed. "Respect is more important," he told her. At least that's what he believed. "Don't get me wrong, I truly want her to do well, but it's my job to make sure everything she does is according to the best interests of the Empire. And, as much as I hate to admit it, it's not rare for the Commanding officer and the Political officer to be at odds with one another."
"Get to know her first, okay?" Ma'erlit said, stopping to look directly into Maeill's eyes, "Promise me you'll know her before you make any decisions. To know her, really know her, will make you understand her and any action she takes, trust me. While I can pretty much guarantee you that she's not going to do everything the Romulan way, I can also promise you that everything she does will be in the best interests of the crew for the goal of getting everyone home alive. I know this, I served under her and wish I still did."
He looked back at her, meeting her eyes as he listened. "Armalia," he said, using her first name. "I will try to get to know her," he promised. "But I've been taught, from when I was a small child, that one has to put aside their personal feelings in order to objectively do their job. And yes, I know she won't do things the Romulan way, but that's not a good thing. She's Romulan now, despite what some people think. She now serves the Galae, and if her crew has to give their lives in order for a mission to be accomplished successfully, then that is how it will be," Maiell told her.
"Then there's going to be a problem, Maeill." She sighed, "Because to Rianni Monteros losing her crew makes a mission a failure. You're just going to have to trust in her, all of you will, just as we did and still do."
"Well she will need to earn our trust," Maiell stated. "And I didn't say she should just give up her crew's lives. I'm saying that, there may be a situation when it is necessary. And her reluctance to do so for mere personal beliefs and reasons is where the problem lies. Each Romulan is taught from a young age the principles and beliefs our society is built on. She wasn't so she may have a hard time accepting the differences between our two cultures. But now she has no choice but to accept as she has become a citizen."
"Okay." Ma'erlit nodded, she would concede point that Rianni would need to adjust and that there would be a culture shock for everyone, but something else was on her mind, "What if her way is the right way, though?"
"It may be, depending on the situation, but if she relies too much on her own way and too little on the Romulan way, she'll get herself executed," he told her seriously.
Ma'erlit's eyes went wide with shock at that statement, "Wait, executed? For what?"
Maiell sighed. They were getting to that moment he'd been dreading, aside from her meeting Arrienye. "Ma'erlit, listen to me." He stopped walking, and looked at her calmly. "My people put a very high value on loyalty, to the Empire above anything else. A sign that shows a lack of loyalty is not taken lightly," he simply said in a serious tone.
"From everything I've seen of Romulans results are pretty prized." Ma'erlit said, "And Rianni is a results person."
Maiell sighed once again, looking over at her. "Okay," he just nodded. "Let's just drop this. You wouldn't understand what I mean until you've spent enough time around my people." Before she could point Rianni out, he added, "full blooded, brought up in the Romulan Way type of people."
"And you won't understand until you've spent more time around Rianni and our people, by which I mean those of us who've served under her and love her." Ma'erlit sighed, squeezing his hand, "But, it'll all work out. In the mean time, this night is about us, not about Romulans or Greeks or even Bajorans, it's just about the two of us, let's enjoy every second to the fullest."
He smiled. "I couldn't agree more," Maiell said, bringing her hand up to his lips for a kiss before continuing down the long strip of beach.
-OFF
Maeill & Amalia
Too Cute Together
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian
Post Details
| Title | Date | |
| Mission | Interlude | |
| Author(s) | (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & (G) erie'Riov - Sub Commander Rianni Monteros-t'Khellian | |
| Posted | Thu Jul 15, 2010 @ 4:41pm | |
| Location | Holodeck | |
| Timeline | SD27 - Evening |
Checking his reflection self-consciously in the reflective panel by the door of Ma'erlit's quarters, Maiell finally pressed the chime. He and the Bajoran had been going out almost every night for over a week and he had to admit it, he was really enjoying it their time together.
Ma'erlit had spent over an hour getting ready in anticipation of her date with Maiell, and gave herself the once over one more time before going to the door and opening it, "Well, hello." She smiled.
"Hello," he said back, matching her cheerful tone before leaning over and giving her cheek a kiss, which is about as much as he'd done so far.
"You look great." Ma'erlit smiled, he was without doubt only getting better as they saw each other more, "So, you ready?"
"Of course. And you look quite lovely yourself," he complimented back. "I've reserved us a holosuite and set up a picnic under the stars for us," he told her.
"Oh that sounds so romantic." Ma'erlit grinned, taking Maeill's hand and laying her head against his arm. She made a point to show him her French braided hair, "You like it? The CAG... Rianni did it for me. She was here for like three hours doing it for tonight."
"Three hours?" he asked in surprise. ~The things women go through...~ he thought, remembering how long it sometimes took Arrienye to do her hair. Sometimes he wondered why she didn't just cut it shorter. "You didn't have to go through so much trouble. But it looks absolutely stunning," he told her, leading the woman down the corridor to the turbolift. "Promenade," he ordered.
"I don't have to do a lot of things, but I choose to." Ma'erlit giggled, she still found it so funny the way Maiell just didn't get non-Romulans, "I wanted to look good for you, and it gave me an excuse to spend some time with Rianni. We really miss her...."
Maeill frowned and put an arm around her shoulders. "Well, I'm sure you can see her when you want. She seems like the type who would want to spend time with her friends. I don't think she's made any in the Consulate."
"That's a shame, people don't know what they're missing with her." Ma'erlit shook her head, "She's one of the best people I've ever known."
"She's also half-human and while some of my people don't mind, there is still a lot of stigma there," he explained.
"Well, I understand that, I suppose." Ma'erlit sighed, "It's hard for some people to let past issues go sometimes."
"It's got nothing to do with past issues between humans and Romulans. It's just...the way we are," he explained.
"It doesn't seem to affect you." Ma'erlit noted, "You are, after all, with a Bajoran woman."
"Well, I wasn't like this when I arrived on DS5," he revealed. "And that was...almost two years ago."
"Well, then you evolved, so your people can, too." Ma'erlit smiled, "And that's a good thing."
"I suppose," he allowed, though he didn't exactly like that she thought his people needed 'evolving'. But he was sure she didn't mean any disrespect, so he changed the subject. "Come on, our holosuite is this way," Maiell smiled, taking her hand and leading her to one of the doors. Taking out a holosuite chip, he slid it into the proper place and pressed a few buttons. "I hope you like it," he told her, leading her inside.
As the door closed around them, Ma'erlit felt a soft, warm breeze wash over her. The smell of the air carried the scent of the sea and it's source was seen quite clearly in under the soft moonlight. In front of them was a small rise with a blanket and some picnic items set up for them. A few well placed lights were around so they could see each other, of course. Just under the rise, there was a long strip of beach, bordering what seemed like an endless body of water that seemed as clear as crystal even in the dark indigo hue the night painted it in.
Ma'erlit found herself breathless, both at the beauty of the scenery before her and at the touching romantic nature of what Maiell had set up for them.
Maiell stood to the side, looking at Ma'erlit hopefully. "Do you like it?" he asked at last, unable to wait.
"I love it." Ma'erlit squeaked, her eyes misty from the joy of the moment, "This is so beautiful! Where is it?"
"It's near the Apnex Sea on Romulus," he replied. "I grew up a couple of miles from here," Maiell told her.
"What a place to grow up." Ma'erlit sighed with some envy, it was a damn sight better than the labor camp where she had grown up, "I love it."
"So do I. Especially at night like this. Would you like to sit down?" he motioned to the blanket. "I hope you don't mind me springing this on you. I wanted it to be a surprise." He knew she probably hadn't expected to eat outside like this, so he doubted her attire would match the occasion. Still, he wanted to surprise her.
"Mind?" Ma'erlit laughed, "Maiell, sweetheart, this is better than anything I had dared to dream."
"Good," he laughed, motioning for them to sit down on the blanket. Once they were settled, he said, "After we finish here we can take a walk down the beach," he offered.
"That sounds terrific." Ma'erlit smiled, it was like he could read her mind or something. "Tell me, do you have this program all the time? I mean, in case we wanted to come back for some reason..."
"Sure, I have a copy of the data chip in my quarters," he told her before reaching for the basket. He took out two porcelain plates, setting them in front of themselves. "I know it might look strange, bringing actual plates for a picnic, but it's a habit I picked up from my mother, I'm afraid and it's hard to shake off," Maiell laughed.
"That's fine, I like it." Ma'erlit smiled, "It's classy." So far she hadn't seen much about this guy she didn't like, tonight was proving to be no different.
He smiled. "Okay, so tonight I think it's my turn to show off my culture's food," he said in a jokingly-smug manner before taking out a few platters. Uncovering them, one was revealed to be a bowl with what looked like a vegetable dish, very colorful and juicy, by appearance. There was also some fish and other meats on the rest.
Ma'erlit got closer so she could sniff the food, her olfactory senses had never failed her, "Oh, that smells so good!" She smiled, "I can't wait to try everything here."
"Well try this first," he told her, pointing to what a Terran might mistake for an artichoke. "But before that, a drink," he told her, pulling out a bottle of rhennish. He poured the purple liquid for them in tall, crystal glasses before lifting his. "To an absolutely amazing 10 days," he toasted with a smile.
"The best ten days I remember." She agreed, raising her glass to him. When the time came to taste the drink she found it absolutely intoxicating, "Wonderful."
Maiell relished his own taste of the wine for a moment before smiling at her. He placed one of the vegetables he'd pointed to earlier into her plate before taking out a small dish which was filled with sauce. "You just kind of take one of these fleshy leaves off," he told her, doing so himself. "Be careful of the sharp end there," he warned, taking off his own with a practiced hand. "You dip it, and then you scrape all of this," he motioned to the tender flesh of the leaf, "with your teeth."
"Okay, kind of like eating an artichoke." Ma'erlit nodded, following his lead, "Oh, that is good! What's the sauce? I love it."
"It's a mix of ryllh which is like a fruit and telhlke which, in this case is only mildly spicy, but I've toned that down with some ihor berries," he explained, dipping another leaf.
"Well, it's wonderful." Ma'erlit grinned, she hadn't been lying when she'd told him how much she loved trying new foods, "I might just have to let you do the cooking in our relationship."
He laughed. "Well I'm afraid everything here is about as far as my cooking talent goes. Except that, I actually got my cousin to make that. It's divine!" he said.
"Wow, I'm really looking forward to meeting her now." Ma'erlit laughed, "Seems like an amazing woman."
"Yeah, she is," Maiell admitted with a nod though didn't want to admit that Arrienye had no idea Ma'erlit even existed. If she did, he doubted they'd be sitting here now. "She's the one person I could probably say is fearless. Since we were kids. There is nothing she runs away from, it's...unnerving," he chuckled in the end.
"Sounds like my sister." Ma'erlit sighed, "Hopefully they'll both turn out okay and not meet the horrible end that usually comes with being 'fearless'."
He nodded, understanding. "I'm sure they will. But come on, you *have* to try this," he told her, taking the stuffed, grilled fish closer to his date and handing her some utensils. The fish itself was a pale golden color and was stuffed with vegetables.
"That smells fantastic." Ma'erlit cooed, taking a bite of the vegetable stuffed fish, "Yep, I was right! Fantastic!"
"I told you," he said. They carried on for what seemed like hours, with Maiell pointing out things she should try and commenting how he couldn't believe she looked as fit as she was with her appetite.
"Well, I work out pretty hard." Ma'erlit admitted, "For instance, I have run the entire station three times."
"That's a lot of running," he told her obviously. "Want to add another lap and switch to dessert?" he asked with a grin, taking out a large bowl of chocolate mousse. "I wanted to pick a Romulan dessert, but I like chocolate better," Maiell admitted.
"Well, it's really hard to do better than chocolate." Ma'erlit giggled, "Yeah, let's have dessert."
Taking up a spoon, he scooped up some of the mousse and held it up to her with a mischievous grin on his face.
Ma'erlit giggled and took a bite, finding it to be simply splendid, "That's beautiful." She smiled, filling a spoon and placing it to his lips, "Your turn."
He smiled, closing his lips around the desert and closing his eyes in ecstasy at the burst of flavor. "Mmm..." he let out softly, licking his lips of any chocolate that may have found it's way there.
"So, can we do this a lot more often?" Ma'erlit sighed contentedly, "I mean, a girl could get used to this."
"Good," he smiled. "And of course we could do this as often as you want," Maiell told her her, scooting closer to her now that they'd pretty much eaten almost everything but dessert.
Ma'erlit smiled as he moved closer, then kissed him softly on his lips, "Yeah, a girl could get real used to this."
He smiled against her lips before kissing her back just as gently, his hand reaching up to caress her jaw and neck with his fingertips.
"Yeah, definitely get used to this." Ma'erlit cooed, falling into Maiell's arms helplessly.
He held her gently before slowly lowering her down onto the soft blanket, his lips never leavings hers. He continued to caress her face and neck with his hand, nipping gently at her lips as they kissed. He could feel that familiar rush of being this close to a woman, especially after such a long time. But he didn't push his luck and after a few minutes, he pulled away, though kept his eyes on hers.
She wanted to ask him why he'd stopped, but she knew why, he wanted to take things slow after being so long alone, ~I have to respect that.~ She reminded herself, smiling softly at him, "All in your own time, darling."
He smiled back, grateful that she wasn't the pushy type. He leaned down and kissed her a bit more firmly this time, with an actual passion behind the kiss that hinted to what he had in him, behind that sweet exterior she knew him for. Breaking the kiss, he took a moment to regain his breath. "You want to go for that walk?" he finally asked.
"I'd love to." Ma'erlit nodded, extending her hand for him to help her up, "And next time we'll bring more appropriate clothes and go for a swim, I bet that water feels as great as it looks."
"It does. Especially in the summer. We could go the day after tomorrow," he suggested, grabbing her hands and pulling her up easily before putting his arms around her waist.
"Beautiful." Ma'erlit beamed, "I'll clear the day so we can have it all to ourselves."
"Your new boss won't mind?" he asked her.
"I don't think he will." Ma'erlit giggled, "After all, if Rianni taught him one thing it was to keep me happy so I can run the wing for him. I'll get it, don't worry."
"I'm not worrying, it's just surprising how un-disciplined it all sounds," he said honestly, leading her down the beach, the saltiness of the air becoming stronger.
"Well, I can imagine it's pretty loose by military standards." Ma'erlit agreed, "But by human standards it's tight and right. It works out very well in the end, trust me. You'll find that out serving under the CAG."
"Well yes. But, I am hoping she will learn to adapt as well," he said.
"Like how?" Ma'erlit asked, she had been more than a little curious about what sort of learning curve Rianni was facing but had never found the right way to ask her former CAG, now here Maiell was with the information right there at her fingertips, literally as it were.
"Like learning to control her temper," Maiell explained, walking with her on his arm. "Learning the language. Learning our customs, our culture, just...learning everything. I'm not sure how much knowledge she has already though."
"Give her a little credit." Ma'erlit laughed, "You'll be surprised by how quick she catches on to things and how smart she is. She's a lot more than a pretty face, Maiell, she's also a brilliant tactician and an amazing pilot and the best boss I've ever had in my life. If Romulans appreciate those sorts of things, you're all going to love Rianni."
"Love is a bit strong," he laughed. "Respect is more important," he told her. At least that's what he believed. "Don't get me wrong, I truly want her to do well, but it's my job to make sure everything she does is according to the best interests of the Empire. And, as much as I hate to admit it, it's not rare for the Commanding officer and the Political officer to be at odds with one another."
"Get to know her first, okay?" Ma'erlit said, stopping to look directly into Maeill's eyes, "Promise me you'll know her before you make any decisions. To know her, really know her, will make you understand her and any action she takes, trust me. While I can pretty much guarantee you that she's not going to do everything the Romulan way, I can also promise you that everything she does will be in the best interests of the crew for the goal of getting everyone home alive. I know this, I served under her and wish I still did."
He looked back at her, meeting her eyes as he listened. "Armalia," he said, using her first name. "I will try to get to know her," he promised. "But I've been taught, from when I was a small child, that one has to put aside their personal feelings in order to objectively do their job. And yes, I know she won't do things the Romulan way, but that's not a good thing. She's Romulan now, despite what some people think. She now serves the Galae, and if her crew has to give their lives in order for a mission to be accomplished successfully, then that is how it will be," Maiell told her.
"Then there's going to be a problem, Maeill." She sighed, "Because to Rianni Monteros losing her crew makes a mission a failure. You're just going to have to trust in her, all of you will, just as we did and still do."
"Well she will need to earn our trust," Maiell stated. "And I didn't say she should just give up her crew's lives. I'm saying that, there may be a situation when it is necessary. And her reluctance to do so for mere personal beliefs and reasons is where the problem lies. Each Romulan is taught from a young age the principles and beliefs our society is built on. She wasn't so she may have a hard time accepting the differences between our two cultures. But now she has no choice but to accept as she has become a citizen."
"Okay." Ma'erlit nodded, she would concede point that Rianni would need to adjust and that there would be a culture shock for everyone, but something else was on her mind, "What if her way is the right way, though?"
"It may be, depending on the situation, but if she relies too much on her own way and too little on the Romulan way, she'll get herself executed," he told her seriously.
Ma'erlit's eyes went wide with shock at that statement, "Wait, executed? For what?"
Maiell sighed. They were getting to that moment he'd been dreading, aside from her meeting Arrienye. "Ma'erlit, listen to me." He stopped walking, and looked at her calmly. "My people put a very high value on loyalty, to the Empire above anything else. A sign that shows a lack of loyalty is not taken lightly," he simply said in a serious tone.
"From everything I've seen of Romulans results are pretty prized." Ma'erlit said, "And Rianni is a results person."
Maiell sighed once again, looking over at her. "Okay," he just nodded. "Let's just drop this. You wouldn't understand what I mean until you've spent enough time around my people." Before she could point Rianni out, he added, "full blooded, brought up in the Romulan Way type of people."
"And you won't understand until you've spent more time around Rianni and our people, by which I mean those of us who've served under her and love her." Ma'erlit sighed, squeezing his hand, "But, it'll all work out. In the mean time, this night is about us, not about Romulans or Greeks or even Bajorans, it's just about the two of us, let's enjoy every second to the fullest."
He smiled. "I couldn't agree more," Maiell said, bringing her hand up to his lips for a kiss before continuing down the long strip of beach.
-OFF
Maeill & Amalia
Too Cute Together