nexus_crossings | Back To School Special

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Storm? What storm? The inside of the library is as cozy as ever, comfortably warm and dry. In one corner of the study area, two aliens have commandeered a low table and some kind of soft, squishy seat that looks much like a couch made out of a giant bean bag. The table is heaped in books and datapads of various academic flavors, and Chanath holds another one of the devices, scrolling slowly through an introduction to warp physics. Unlike her typical manner of dress, the Shontin is wearing a red synthetic outfit tailor-made for her body shape, the golden delta of Starfleet perched on her collar. Her quadrupedal symbiont is sprawled out next to her on his belly, his long tail loosely wrapped around her waist, and between his forepaws is a hardcover book on the subject of basic intergalactic diplomatic techniques. Unlike his host, he wears no uniform, but there is a red band around his neck made of the same material, with Starfleet's symbol on it.

Studying from printed text instead of learning through song and speech is tedious, however, and not at all what they are used to, so it does not take long for Faris' attention to wander, finding people-watching to be of greater interest.

"If given an opportunity to study a new subject, would you take it?" he asks, of those who seem interested in conversation. "What would you wish to learn?"

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Adia smiles at her friend's optimism. "Anything you've tried so far that you really like?" What do the humans at Starfleet Academy enjoy, anyway? Is pizza still popular? She hopes so.

"I don't think it's possible for anyone to completely eliminate disease," she remarks as she resumes knitting. "Many diseases are caused by pathogens, and they're trying to survive like any other species. The best you can do for some of them is manage the symptoms." She sounds rather philosophical about it, but that's due to her background in microbiology. She's studied viruses long enough to understand their true nature, which is to multiply by any means necessary.

The look she gives Faris is a little weary, although it's not directed at him. "He would. And he wouldn't cheat, although he likes to win. He keeps his distance with the other Cylons. Not all of them, but..." She sighs. "I don't know if that's because of them or him."

Oh, this question requires some thought. There have been so many dishes they have tried since their arrival on Earth, many of them delicious. Chanath considers it for a moment, humming in her throat. "There is a type of spiced soup with meat and noodles that I have enjoyed, called pho. It is difficult to eat, but tingles pleasantly in the mouth."

"Not as difficult to eat as the taco we tried," Faris says, a teasing note in his voice, and Chanath pushes his hip in good-natured retaliation. "I am afraid we created a sizeable mess," he adds to Adia. "The crunch of the shell was satisfying, but the structural integrity was compromised at once."

Of all the things Caspar's fellow Cylons might be wary of him for, cheating in a sport was not particularly something Faris would have considered. Particularly since it seems that fear is entirely unfounded, for multiple reasons. "It is good that he has you with him, though you do not play his sport."

Adia has never heard of pho before, but from Chanath's description alone, it sounds highly appetizing. "I'll have to try that... in the Nexus, anyway. We don't have the flour for noodles yet. But they're building a mill on the river right now, so maybe soon."

As for tacos, she has heard of them, which only adds to her amusement in Faris's retelling. "That's how they are with everyone who tries to eat them," she replies reassuringly. "They're tasty but those taco shells crack way too easily. My mom told me once never to eat tacos or spaghetti on a first date, because you're liable to make a mess with either."

It sounds a little ridiculous to her now that she's said it out loud. There are plenty of humans who continue to give Caspar a wide berth, but she has a feeling that he'd get along better with his siblings if he lowered his defenses a little. "Yes," she agrees soberly, before her mouth quirks into a smile. "I think if we tried boxing, he'd cheat in the opposite direction so that I'd win every time."

Faris has heard of spaghetti, though he found it to be rather plain in flavor, even with the red sauce and lumps of meat on top. But the topic of food has suddenly entered much more interesting territory. He has learned much of human courtship through observation, and several conversations that have occasionally caused his human friends to change their colors, but there is still so much more to learn. "I did not realize there were inappropriate foods for courtship. A prospective mate might disapprove of this?"

Speaking of courtship, Chanath smiles in the Shontine fashion as Adia speaks of her mate. "Are there similar activities you do perform together?" she asks curiously, much less versed in the intricacies of human relationships than her symbiont is. "Oh, what is the word... hobby?"

Humans can be so strange about courtship questions, can't they? Adia, at least, does not seem to mind the inquiry at all. "It's more that you want to make a good impression on a first date, and eating foods that can make a mess doesn't help." She shrugs a little. Her mom's advice was probably more appropriate for dates with relative strangers, but she always befriended her boyfriends first. "There's no, um... inappropriate food for courtship. Unless you're eating something the other person objects to for religious or moral reasons, I guess. What about for your species? Is food involved in courtship at all?"

Oddly, it's when Chanath asks her question that Adia blushes faintly, her mind still on physical activities, namely ones that she and Caspar engage in. No losers there, only winners. "Um..." Oh, she means hobbies. Haha, okay then!

She thinks it over, her needles pausing when the answer doesn't come to her immediately. "That's kind of hard to answer. There are a lot of things we do together, like cooking and gardening, but I wouldn't call them hobbies. We have fun, but we need to do them for our survival... maybe flower gardening? Caspar helps me plant all our annuals."

Why a person would be blamed for the inherent properties of their food seems bizarre to Faris, but then, humans can be so charmingly odd. "There are times when a courting pair may share a meal together, but it is not part of the process as it seems to be with humans," he explains. "For those who intend to bond for life, there is usually a great deal of conversation before commitment, and social activities for recreation. It can be complicated," he admits freely, though his ears flick back in mild embarrassment for his more unfortunate fellow K'da. "There are sometimes occasions where two K'da have great affection for one another, but find the other's host objectionable for whatever reason. Or perhaps the hosts themselves do not get along."

Chanath has seen this happen, and she bows her head slightly in both agreement and sympathy. "It is easiest for unbonded Shontine, I am certain. We have yet to face this issue, ourselves, but perhaps one day."

The Shontin has had blushing explained to her, but it is still fascinating to watch. Like a human equivalent of a K'da's battle-black, except with less danger involved, or so she hopes. What prompted this, she wonders? The eventual answer, however, is a deeply satisfying one. "If you have images of your garden, I would enjoy seeing them someday. I know little of gardening, but planting seeds in earth must be far more satisfactory than water gardens."

It is interesting to hear that food does not play as large a role in courtship for K'da. Maybe the dinner date has become too cliché? Anyway, she's curious to hear more about how K'da find their partners, although the problems caused by mismatched hosts was terribly sad. "Oh, that's unfortunate," she agrees sympathetically. "I'm sure one day you'll meet the right person, though, if that's what you want."

She can't comment on their relative attractiveness to members of their own species, but they are both such warm-hearted people. Surely the right K'da and Shontin are out there waiting for them!

The blush fades as quickly as it comes now that the topic is on gardening. She sets aside her needles entirely so she can pull out her PINpoint, a device similar in appearance to a smartphone. "I can show you now," she says eagerly, pulling up her photo app. She flicks through her photos until she finds a few from the past spring. "That's my house," she explains, pointing to a cabin in the middle of the frame. Surrounding it are several beds of tulips, mostly orange ones. "It is very satisfying. I've never cultivated a water garden, though. What do you have to do for that?"

"Perhaps," Faris agrees easily. "I was not of age to be concerned about these things when we began our duties as scouts. Now that those days are past, who can say what is to come?" In truth, he is still on the younger side to be thinking about having cubs of his own just yet, but there is no rule that states them to be necessary for romance, surely.

Chanath leans forward eagerly to see the image on the screen, admiring the colorful bouquet that frames Adia's home. "Oh, they are lovely! Such brightness and warmth, like a sunset. And you may see them every day!" What a delightful novelty that is, even now. "I am afraid I do not know much about them," she says, apologetic. "It is a technique for growing food and flowers without a need for earth, and was highly monitored aboard the colony ships to ensure the most efficient growth."

His comment on his duties has her looking at him thoughtfully. "I didn't think about that," she admits. "That would have kept you away from other people for long intervals." She smiles, a little shyly, and fusses with her knitting needles. "I wanted to do more traveling, so I wasn't exactly thinking about settling down, either. That's why I took the position on the Chiron. And then I met Caspar..." Her smile quirks at the corner. "There's a saying about love finding you when you least expect it. Maybe there's some truth to that."

It is Adia's nature to be modest, but there is an obvious pleasure she takes in hearing her friend gush over her choice in flowers. "Not every day," she points out. "Well, not the tulips, they're only in season in the spring. I try to have some kind of flower in those flowerbeds so long as the weather is warm. Orange tulips are my favorite, though."

She shakes her head. "No, it's okay. It sounds like an interesting style of gardening, but it's not one we need to pursue currently. And I'm guessing it requires quite a bit of water, which we couldn't really afford to spare. Our purification tanks were already running at their limits, and we had the algae vats that needed constant upkeep."

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