FSE

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formerly SoFurry search engine

Chakat Serenity, daughter of Braveheart and Marathon, watched as the Human engineer assigned to hir team left for his train. Shi bade farewell to Ardiz before sighing in consternation. Hir day had been interesting, frustrating, and bewildering at the same time. A new engineer in hir division had made hir giddy with excitement. Shi enjoyed their conversation during lunch. And shi didn't even mind that most of hir afternoon was taken up with troubleshooting, as it was valuable time for Travis to learn. No, the frustrating and bewildering part of hir day was the feelings shi kept receiving from hir new charge.

Travis was an enigma, one who kept secrets close to the chest. Shi found out a little about his past, and it just made hir want to know more. Shi could tell that wherever he grew up, he had understated just how bad it was. Shi originally thought of a non-aligned world but tossed that out almost instantly. It just didn't seem to mesh with who he was. He'd have been a lot more skittish if he was born outside of the Federation. He was not completely shy talking to hir, knew the customs of both Chakona and Chakats, and seemed to be acquainted with Federation policy. Shi wished he would open up more, but shi remembered another adage that applied here.

Patience is a virtue, Ren, shi told hirself as shi boarded hir train. _ _He'll come around. Oh, I do hope I can coax him to lower his guard. He seems like he needs a friend.

The train ride back to Azure Beach was the same as every day shi returns from work, but shi didn't enjoy the view like shi normally would. Hir thoughts revolved around the Human who had captured hir interest. His walls had minute cracks that allowed small glimpses into his psyche. Shi noticed that talking about his past allowed for the most to come through. When shi spoke about hir family, the largest crack formed, and for a split second, shi felt his deepest desire. He wanted to be loved, to have a family of his own.

Shi loved hir family. Always had them supporting hir, which shi was grateful for. To know that this man didn't have a family bothered hir, and shi couldn't understand why. Shi knew that differences could cause a family to crack. Shi's seen that happen a few times in hir twenty-six years of life. But Travis didn't show the signs that were indicative of that type of person. His bearing was one of being useful, to not rocking the boat. Serenity guessed that he had been forced into perfectionism by his parents. Maybe that's what caused the difference of opinion between him and his father? No, there was more to it than that. Much more. There was something darker there, something more heinous. But what was it? It was buried too deep. Shi'd have to work that out of him.

Shi'd must tread lightly, however. While he wasn't exactly skittish, he was very closed off. It seemed close to an abused person's reaction. He had been burned, and from the tight mental walls he had erected, it was often and was profound. Shi could feel his mental state slowly tear itself apart, put from what, shi didn't know. Shi could only feel small parts of it that leaked from those cracks. If what shi felt was only tidbits and minute glances, then his mind must be so close to unraveling. Shi guessed that one bad trigger could send him into a pit. Whether he would be able to pull himself out would be entirely dependent on how bad that episode would be. Shi shivered in fear. Once he snapped, it may very well be too late for him.

Hir mind was pulled from hir thoughts as hir train stopped. Shi gathered hir backpack and water bottle before stepping off the train with the other passengers. Shi took a deep breath, letting the sea air fill hir twin set of lungs. Shi loved living so close to the beach. One of hir family's adventures was walking from their house to the beach for a day of fun. They'd usually play in the surf for a while, picnic for lunch, play some more, then head home. They still would do this every summer, even after Serenity and hir sister left home. Now that they were living close enough, they still went every so often.

Speaking of hir family, shi always walked past hir parents' house on hir walk to and from the train station. Usually, hir sire would sit on the porch and greet hir as shi walked past. Hir little sisters would then come running out of the house to say hi. Then Serenity and Marathon would discuss how the day went, and plan for the next get-together. After spending some time, the usual routine would be for the kids to run back inside, and Serenity keeps walking to hir home across the street and down a bit. And it seemed like today would be roughly the same.

Marathon was calico patterned but had one anomaly that came up that made hir stand out. The left side of hir face was still calico patterned if more orange than normal. Hir right, however, was solid black. Even hir eyes were different, as shi had heterochromia. Hir calico side had a bright blue eye, while the opposite side had a light green eye. Luckily, none of these genetic defects constituted any health risks. It was just something that occurred from Chakat genomes being free to change their coat patterns, and the calico pattern gene doing its usual thing.

“Serenity!" hir sire called out. Serenity waved, a smile growing on hir muzzle. Then came hir youngest sister (for now) bolting out the front door. Lapis Lazuli, or just Lapis, bounded down the steps from the porch and pounced on hir older sister. The blue and silver tiger-striped kitten always had near limitless energy, until shi passed out from exhaustion.

“Big sis, big sis, guess what!" the rambunctious seven-year-old kitten yelled rapidly from hir sister's arms.

“What, ya little monster?" Serenity chuckled out while tickling the kitten. Lapis squirmed and giggled as shi tried to escape the probing fingers.

“I presented my science project, and I won best overall!"

“Oh, really? Good job! Did you enjoy it?"

“It was a little scary, but mama was there to cheer me on."

“Of course! I'm really sorry I couldn't watch. Maybe I can take you out for a treat?" Lapis giggled. Lapis knew that hir older sisters worked very hard in their career fields and couldn't be there for every event. But Serenity was always good at spending time with Lapis, even if it meant using a weekend

“Shi did very well, for a little troublemaker," another voice said from the doorway. Diamond stood on the threshold, leaning against the frame. The teenage and completely white-furred Chakat grinned as Serenity approached the front porch. Quick hugs were given around before Diamond took Lapis inside. Marathon and Serenity stayed outside to quickly chat.

“So, my dear daughter. We still on for this Seventhday?"

“Barring anything going sideways, I'd say yes. Sequoia and I will be here, as will the others. Do you want us to bring anything?" Marathon thought for a bit, seeming to go through hir mental list.

“No, I don't think so. Just hungry bellies." Serenity laughed and agreed to the conditions. They chatted for a few more minutes before Serenity ambled off towards hir home.

Serenity opened the door to the smell of something cooking. Shi took a quick whiff and found hirself salivating. The combination of smells and gentle humming from the kitchen indicated that Sequoia was already home. Serenity quickly made hir way to the kitchen, peering inside before entering. There, shi found the love of hir life hard at work with dinner.

Sequoia was a Stellar Foxtaur of the Forest Breed. Shi had the normal colorations of the Forest Breed if being slightly lighter than hir sisters. The grey that dominated hir back had a slight blue tint, making it close to a hale navy color. The secondary grey was much lighter, approaching a smoke or steel grey. The red that bordered the two greys was a lovely shade of candy apple, offsetting the darker colors. The real distinguisher for Sequoia is hir mop of brilliantly white hair. It was the same shade as freshly powdered snow, with dyed tips of an ice blue to give an almost ethereal nature. The charcoal black stripe along hir tail matched the same markings that were on hir muzzle. All in all, a lovely Stellar Foxtuar, and Serenity loved hir with everything shi had.

Sequoia wore nothing but an apron as shi hummed hir merry tune. Shi most definitely heard hir guest, as one of hir ears flicked toward the approaching Chakat. Shi smiled heartily as the aforementioned guest wrapped strong arms around hir.

“Welcome home, love," Sequoia murred. They nuzzled each other, basking in the glow of happiness. “How was your day?"

“It went well, in my honest opinion," Serenity responded. “We have a new team member. Human male, little skittish, slightly mysterious."

“Skittish, and mysterious, eh? Bet he's got your curiosity all buzzing. Tell me about him over dinner? It should be ready in a bit."

“Sure thing. I'm going to check our mail and pull the trashcans up." Serenity gave a quick lick-kiss before heading off. As shi was heading for the door, it opened to reveal hir younger sister.

Amethyst was considered the twin to Serenity, but only because they were born days apart from the opposite parent. The leopard patterned Chakat worked as a therapist, aided by hir advanced empathy and slight telepathy talents. The light pink blouse shi wore went well with the purple spots covering hir body. Hir purple hair was left long and flowed almost to hir lower torso. They both smiled at each other before embracing.

“Hey, sis," Amethyst greeted, before adding in a lick-kiss to Serenity's muzzle. “Have a good day?"

Serenity returned the kiss before saying, “For the most part, yes. I'll tell you more over dinner. Where's Kairen?"

“Right here," a voice said from outside. Another Chakat, this one being dark Oncilla patterned, also stepped through. This Chakat was more normal in coloration, besides the near blood-red hair that was kept in a braided faux hawk. Hir halter top showcased most of hir midriff, while a black chain choker necklace held a pendant at the hollow of hir throat. Another set of greetings was given, then Kairen asked, “So, something happened at the Spaceport?"

“Nothing bad, I assure you," Serenity responded. “Again, during dinner. I'll be right back, just need to check the mail and get the trash cans pulled. Be right back." Serenity went through the front door, leaving Amethyst and Kairen inquisitive of what possible events may have happened. They stepped into the house, greeting Sequoia as shi finished up dinner. A long talk would soon be in order.

Dinner was some Stonecloud's Tuna over rice and veggies. It was delicious, as most of Sequoia's cooking usually went. It was a very rare occasion for a failed meal to come out of their kitchen. They made some small talk as they enjoyed their meal, talking about each other's day. Sequoia's job as part of the Department of Environment of Chakona was not as arduous as being an engineer but had lots of monotony. Death by paperwork, as many would say. Amethyst's job as a therapist was both rewarding and depressing at the same time. Several clients shi has had over the years have gotten better, but there were still a few that required more time with hir. Kairen was the most mundane of the four, but shi enjoyed hir work just as much as the other three. Shi was a barista at a local coffee shop in Azure Beach and is now the manager of the store. It was after the small talk was out of the way that the topic of Travis came up.

“So," Sequoia started, being hir usual blunt self. “This Human that's on your team. Tell us about him." Serenity paused in hir bite of rice and thought for a bit. Amethyst and Kairen also stopped, eyes wide and ears perked. Serenity took the bite, thought some more, then finally answered after swallowing.

“Different," shi mused. “He tries to be genuinely nice. Composes himself well and with class. Not too bad on the eyes, either. I have no complaints about him. There are some things about him, though, that just doesn't make sense." Amethyst was now very interested. Hir training and natural curiosity came out.

Shi asked, “Like what?" Serenity closed hir eyes and contorted hir face as shi tried to bring words out to describe what shi remembered.

“He's a paradox. Closed off, yet yearning for companionship. He wants to open up but can't seem to allow the walls to come down." Serenity paused as more thoughts hit hir. “He's definitely had a hard life. He has no family support, and I don't think he has many friends to rely on. He may very well be alone." Serenity paused before looking at hir denmate, then to hir sister and hir denmate. “He's like a kicked puppy; starving for attention but doesn't want to get close in fear of getting hurt. It's kind of sad."

Kairen responded with, “I see. And we should expect that you will try to be his friend, then? Try to coax him out of his shell?"

“I'd like to try, if nothing else, to make a new friend. His reaction during the meeting really bugged me, however." Serenity took a sip of lemonade. Amethyst was starting, hir purple eyes never leaving Serenity's.

Hir eyes narrowed, and inquired, “How so?" Serenity finished hir sip and set the glass down.

“The minute I caught him looking at me, he turned away in a blush. I'd find that normally if that was it. It was when a dark cloud started to form in his mind that I knew something more was up. I'm pretty sure he was starting to get angry or frustrated with himself, but I tried to calm him down to avoid a scene." Kairen blinked hir green eyes owlishly, before taking hir own sip of lemonade.

“So, it wasn't gawking, or leering?" Serenity shook hir head vehemently.

“No, not a bit. He was more enamored with me. His feelings kept returning to how strange and alien I was to what he was used to, but in a beautiful way. Like he was seeing something wonderfully new and liked what he saw." Sequoia hummed in acknowledgment. Serenity took very good care of hir body, so being attracted to hir physically was easy. Shi knew that from experience, especially when they were first dating. However, just physical attraction was not enough to make a relationship work. There had to be more. They both knew how much more personality meant than physical attraction.

Sequoia continued the interrogation with, “And what was your impression when you got to talking to him?"

“Inquisitive, deferential, and hard working. He treated me like a new person to a group should, and his feelings during those times were professional on the outside, yet curiosity was right underneath. When we talked over lunch, he tried to be sociable, but those dark thoughts came back. It was especially apparent when talking about his family."

Amethyst grimaced. “How bad?"

Serenity also cringed slightly, responding with, “His mother is dead. He hasn't spoken to his father for nearly two decades. He didn't give me much more, other than he and his father had strong differences of opinion. What that opinion is, I do not know, but it was enough for them to stop speaking to each other." Sequoia nodded and took a thinking pose. Shi pondered the new development, trying to use hir analytic mind to observe all possible connotations and scenarios.

“He is most definitely a paradox. What's your plan to talk to him?"

“Start with the basics," Serenity shrugged. “Be his friend, team lead, and teacher. I'll let him decide how far this arrangement will go." Everyone else nodded in agreement.

They quickly finished their meal and were deciding on what they wanted to do tonight. Board games, video games, movies, TV shows, cuddling, and other activities were usually on the table. Today's entertainment would be a movie that they had wanted to see for a while. An action/adventure story based on deep-sea exploration of some exoplanet that had one of their favorite actors as the protagonist. It had been on their watchlist for a while, and this was the first free moment they had to watch it together. Serenity and Sequoia made themselves comfortable on one of the couches and cuddled together. Amethyst and Kairen took the other.

Serenity spooned against hir denamtes back, holding hir close. The other love birds leaned against each other in a mutual embrace. They settled in for the movie as Amethyst pushed the play button. Soon, all four were engrossed in the story of a Chakat marine biologist trapped on an ocean planet after the company shi worked for betrayed hir. Shi used the planet's natural resources to find a way off the planet, then shi confronted the company, and ended up becoming the new head. Overall, it was a good movie in their eyes, and one they would probably rewatch at some point.

It was getting late, and Serenity had an early day tomorrow. They did their nightly ablutions, set up the sleeping mats, and settled down for the night. However, Serenity found hirself hard-pressed to sleep. Hir mind wandered to Travis and the few tidbits of his past he relayed to hir. Shi wanted to know more. Not only that, but hir desire to see him happy was overwhelming. Shi didn't know why, and possibly could never explain it, but something was drawing hir to him. And from what shi could tell over the day, the feeling was mutual on his side. Shi would have to be careful, however. Shi needed more time to see who he is as a person and learn more about his past. Shi fell into a somewhat restless sleep, hope and doubt waring in hir mind.

May tomorrow shine bright on hir, for the path shi desires to undertake will be hir greatest challenge...

The next morning, Serenity woke long before the sun had risen. It was a normal day for hir to wake up long before hir bed companions. Shi did hir best not to disturb them, easily extraditing hirself from Sequoia and Kairen's embraces. Shi started hir day with a morning shower, followed by some breakfast. By the time shi was done eating, Kairen was just starting to get up as well. They exchanged pleasantries, Serenity gave a “have a good day", then shi was on hir way to work.

The path shi always took gave hir both ease of travel and views of Amistad. As hir train took hir from the station down the street to the Spaceport, shi could watch as buildings and greenery passed hir by. However, hir thoughts were just as muddled as yesterday. Shi just couldn't shake the fact that Travis was someone shi needed to get to know. This wasn't some desire or passing fancy. There was something about him, something deep within him that called to hir. Shi wanted to find out what that was.

Fortunately for hir, shi was not so consumed in hir thoughts that shi forgot to call into the maintenance meeting. This conference call was meant to ascertain all status from each subsystem, specifically for equipment and support from maintenance. From what Serenity picked up, maintenance was still working on that launcher issue. The engine checkouts went relatively okay, but there was something off when they went through the warp field simulation. Something about the field destabilizing with impulse engines on idle. Turning of impulse allowed for the field to stabilize, so something between the two was interfering. Maintenance was taking a look at that today. Warp Core was still on schedule, and SI install was scheduled right after the core was ready. Maintenance would pass off the starship to SI during that time. There were a few other areas that got to brief on their specific topics, and the itinerary for the day was set. With that, the call ended. Business as usual.

Shi stepped off hir train exactly on time, as per usual. This time, however, shi wanted to wait to see if Travis would show up. Shi tooko a spot off to the side of the SI tram entrance, half people watching, and half searching for hir teammate. The throngs of people were still as large as ever, so finding him may be slightly difficult. Luckily for hir, he was a Human. They were very rare on Chakona. Besides, he had that stylish hat that he wore yesterday. If shi can find that hat, shi would most likely find him.

However, he was not the first person shi saw. Shi identified multiple people from both hirs and other SI divisions, including the big boss for Orion SI, Gearbox. They greeted one another and Gearbox went on to the trams. Valardiz and K'Rissir ended up being the first of hir team shi saw. They both also decided to wait and made small talk. During their conversation, the topic of training for Travis came up. It was decided that Serenity should put all hir focus for now into getting Travis up to speed while the other two focus on maintaining the timeline for installation of equipment. Luckily, the final Operational Compliance and Acceptance Procedures (OCAP) were in the final stages. Two people could easily go through with the tests. Serenity agreed and was about to ask another question when hir empathy felt that familiar dark cloud approaching.

For Chakats, distinguishing individuals was considered a feat, as the combined emotions of a crowd could easily mask a mental signature. However, certain bonds and an amount of familiarity adds something akin to a beacon. Normally, shi'd probably just wave off the negative cloud as someone having a bad day. The difference this time was that Serenity knew this dark cloud. Shi had felt it before and knew vaguely some of its causes. Shi turned hir head around and easily picked up the hat from the crowd. There he was.

“Travis!" Serenity called. “Over here!" Shi also allowed a little bit of hir happiness at seeing him reach out and engulf his mind. The dark cloud recoiled but didn't entirely go away. Shi knew it would take more than this. Shi steeled hir resolve and flashed him an award-winning smile. Challenge accepted.

Travis approached and timidly said, “Morning, everybody. Did you all wait here for me?"

“I did," Serenity answered. “These two decided to wait with me."

“Of course I'd wait," Ardiz said firmly. “You're part of our team, our little family. We go in together, we leave together." Travis smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. Shi could feel his nerves coming up, but by some miracle, he was able to push them down.

“Jeez, thanks, guys. I appreciate it. Shall we head over?" They agreed, and Kris motioned to the gate and the guard.

They entered building One-One-Five and began their day as usual. They went to their desks, took care of a few things, and made their way to the briefing room. The meeting went similar to yesterday, with Rainsky leading the meeting, and different team leads answering any questions that came up. All in all, the day was starting out to be pretty much the same, sans the storm. There was another storm scheduled to hit sometime later in the week, but that is neither here nor there.

The Warp Core team exited and went back to their cube to do a team huddle. They still had to go through several other OCAPs and had to decide which was pertinent to do today. Serenity made the executive decision that Kris and Ardiz would work on the video buffer boxes that they had in the engineering cabinet. Travis and hirself will work on the drawings and block diagrams and explain how the system communicates. They agreed and broke for their assigned tasks.

“So, you think you got this down? If need be, we can go over it again." Several hours had passed as both Travis and Serenity went through each system, subsystem, and part. Recorders, data acquisition units, control panels. The whole gamut was explained in detail.

“I think so. The system looks complicated, but once broken down to basic elements, seems easy enough to keep track." Serenity agreed, but shi knew how complicated it could get, especially once shi introduced how they interacted with the other systems.

“We'll see how that goes. By my reckoning, it's lunchtime. Let's head down." He got up and followed Serenity.

As they entered, Serenity asked, “You brought food this time?" Travis sheepishly brought out a plastic bag with a sandwich inside from the fridge. It seems that he maintained having fruit and veggies as part of the meal just as religiously as Sequoia does if the bag of carrots and a banana were any indications.

“Just a sandwich. I don't exactly overcook." Serenity shrugged in acceptance before pulling out the leftover tuna from the night prior. “I recognize that. Stonecloud's Tuna?"

“Yep! My denmate made it last night." Shi felt the hints of wonder and slight longing. The longing wasn't for hir food, shi found. Shi couldn't quite place it, but shi suspected it had to do with having someone to come home to.

They sat at the same table they had yesterday, in the corner to the right of the entrance. It sat right below one of the screens showing off the local news channel. Travis took a bite from his sandwich and sighed. Sometimes, he wished he could cook better than this. Throwing stuff into the oven and microwave was easy. Actually making something was difficult, and Travis knew he had no skill in those arts. The most gourmet item he cooked was a tie between frozen pizza and the cordon bleu he made yesterday. However, he could make a really mean chili-mac when he had the ingredients. T'is the life of a bachelor.

“So, in continuation from yesterday: you were picked up by contractors and educated by them. What was that like?" Travis finished the carrot he had, and chuckled.

“Intense. They didn't do anything by half measures. They had me up at five, in school by six, then lunch at noon on the dot. Couple more classes after that before physical training in the afternoon. After I got my homework done for the night, I had some free time until taps at eleven. Wake up, wash, rinse, repeat."

“Sounds somewhat like a standard day. I guess you took the hardest classes?"

Travis huffed out, “Understatement of the year. I had passed several university-level courses by the time I turned eighteen. I decided to go for gold once I got the opportunity. Received a bachelor of science in electrical engineering, then a master, all by the time I turned twenty-five." Shi whistled in amazement and surprise. Shi knew how hard it was to get a bachelor's in electrical engineering, let alone a master's. Depending on where he went, those programs would have been on par with New Bletchley's Dewclaw. That was where shi got hir degree. Those classes were taught by some of the most brilliant minds on Chakona, and to hir, failure was not an option. Shi was glad that a kindred spirit was hir coworker.

“Wow. That's quite amazing. What was your focus?"

Travis puffed up with pride as he said, “Digital control systems."

“Hey, that matches well with my electronics engineering focus on microprocessors. Who knew?" Travis had to agree with that. Microprocessors and digital communication did, in fact, go well together. And both were needed in their career field. “So, other than academic prowess, what other skills do you have?" Travis had to stop short. He never really told anyone of his hobbies or interests. While reading was pretty basic, it was mostly used when he had nothing to do and couldn't do the one thing he really enjoyed. Most people would have laughed at him, as he didn't fit the stereotype, but he didn't care. He loved music. It was a passion for him to bare his soul in the melody of songs.

He looked away, and whispered, “I play some bass guitar." He braced for the embarrassment that was sure to come his way. When shi spoke, it couldn't take hold. Like yesterday, the negative feelings he had kept losing their grip on him. It was slightly disconcerting.

“That's neat. Do you have a specific genre you play?" Travis was still off-balance at hir casual acceptance and increased interest in his hobby. The lack of the usual shame that came with talking about himself also was failing to come out. He decided to push on and answer the question with as much bravado as he could muster. He was on a roll and wouldn't stop now.

“I play a little of everything. Modern, classic, country, rock, alternative, Chakonan. I usually freestyle, but I do know a few songs."

“How far back does your classic go?"

“Early twentieth-century or so," Travis responded. “While I was in school, a friend of mine showed me a stash of old music sheets that were from Terra's ancient history. Millions upon millions of digital copies of music and their sheets dating from the nineteen twenties to about the twenty-two sixties. I'm still trying to go through all of it. Most of the ones from the twenty-third century I know well enough, but the stuff from before that can be a little tricky. Especially going back to the twentieth and twenty-first era." Serenity's eyes went wide. Shi listened to music often enough to be relatively up to date with the current trends. But shi can't recall if shi had heard music from that long ago. That's way before the Gene Wars.

“That's quite a collection. I'm surprised it made it out of the Gene Wars in one piece."

“Yeah, I was, too. Apparently, my friend's family was big into music, and they had gone through great lengths to preserve as much of the music of that time. They stored all of it on storage drives, and the family kept adding new songs over the years. I learned how to play bass guitar from him using all that music. We eventually had a little band going on during that time." He felt the hint of nostalgia hit him. He remembered those times. Taking the weekend on the town, performing for the local pubs and breweries. Or even just playing in a park or public square. He's even played near the First Landing Museum once.

“Sounded like that was your release from the stress of school. Do you still keep in touch?"

“Eh, not anymore. We kind of had to split up and go our own ways." Shi could tell he was slightly lying, but it was too small to say what exactly he was lying about. Shi decided to let it slide.

“Well, I'd like to hear you play at some point."

He chuckled, “That may be arranged. What about you? What do you do in your spare time?"

Serenity put hir now empty plate back into hir cold box, and said with a smirk, “Digital artwork. Specifically, illustrations." Travis nodded in understanding. For some reason, he could talk to this Chakat without any of the shame or his insecurities taking root. He wished he could talk like this with hir forever.

“That's really neat. I'd like to see what you've done."

“Then how about a trade?"

“Oh?"

“How about one day, we trade what we've worked on. You play me a song, and I'll show you my artwork. Sounds good?" At that very moment, an idea popped into Travis' head. He immediately tried to dismiss it as futile, but it returned almost instantly. He had to try if just to get it out there and be shot down. He just couldn't place why he was so confident with hir.

“You wouldn't happen to have the next Seventhday or Eighthday off, would you?"

“I do have some free time, actually. Why do you ask?"

“I, uh..." His confidence was running low. He could imagine what the response could be, and it wasn't positive. He caught himself catastrophizing, and he couldn't pull himself out of it. But he had to press on. “I would very much like to play for you. But I also want to get to know you more. Do you...Umm...That is..." His panic was rising, and his words started to fail him. He was losing it. Stalling out. Bailout, man! Eject, eject, eject!

“Deep breaths, Travis. Relax. I don't bite unless you want me to," shi with a saucy wink. A blush grew over his face. He was done for. Damn it, he was losing his cool. Brave face, steel your nerves, face your fears, and all that jazz.

“Would you like to come to my place for dinner next Eighthday?" Oh, no. Now he'd done it. His mind was burning out. Shame bubbled up from his insecurities. He looked away in both disgust at himself, and to avoid the rebuke he was sure would come. He had to back pedal. “It doesn't have to be my place. We could go out, or something. Umm...I'm royally screwing this up, aren't I?" He resigned himself to giving up. At least he tried.

Serenity seemed surprised by his request. A tilt of the head showed curiosity, yet Travis didn't notice the slight grin on hir muzzle and the twinkle in hir eyes. Shi opened hir mouth, and Travis dreaded what would come out.

“Sure, I'd love that." Travis' mind went to a screeching halt. Of all the things shi could have said, that was furthest from what he thought it would be. He just couldn't get his mind to realize that shi had actually agreed to go with him. His head snapped up to look into hir dark green eyes.

“Really?" His hopes were rising, and he nearly chided himself for being so foolish. Serenity saw the inner turmoil he had and just smiled softly at him. He was a silly Human.

“Of course. I really do want to listen to you and get to know you. I think it'll be fun. Besides, I find you very interesting." He blinked and grinned nervously. A hand went to scratch the back of his head as his awkwardness seemed to take hold slightly.

“Oh, I'm very much not. I'm just a simple Human, really."

“Travis, don't lie to me. I'm an empath. I know when people lie to me, and I despise it when people lie to themselves. So, please, just don't." The severity of hir words stopped him short. He never really heard hir get tough before, but he could tell shi wasn't angry at him. Shi was angrier about putting himself down, which he found odd.

“But…"

“No buts. I find you an interesting person, and I love getting to know you. I'd love to have dinner with you. I'll bring my collection." All his fears, all his doubts, were swept away in the joy that sprung up. He felt energized enough to take on a full marathon and beat the standing record.

“Great. I... uh... guess we should get back to work?" Serenity just laughed.

That evening Serenity returned home in much higher spirits. The workday was completed without any difficulties. Gearbox was happy with their progress and was expecting good results from their testing in a few weeks. Not only that, but shi finally got Travis to open up a little, and asked hir to come over! Shi was excited and just a hint nervous. Shi hoped that things would work out well. Travis deserved it.

Kairen, Sequoia, and Amethyst were happy for Serenity. They told hir that at some point, they want to meet him. Shi heartily agreed and made a promise that once he was comfortable enough, shi'd invite him one evening to have dinner with them. And maybe in the future, he'd join them for family dinners as well. While it was very optimistic, Serenity was confident that he may very well end up a Companion in short order. They seemed to mesh well, which was a little surprising but welcomed at the same time.

After dinner, they decided to play some cards. This was to both offer some entertainment and allow for my conversation to flow. They decided on a version of Texas Hold 'em to offer a challenge. They added some additional betting rules, which increased the fun for all four of them. They were going to enjoy the night by having some good clean fun now, and maybe some more later before bed. For now, they were just happy being a family together.

Travis stared at himself in the mirror. He couldn't believe what he had done. He was surprised at himself. He didn't think he had it in him to ask someone out, especially a Chakat. He didn't think it would happen the way it did. To him, it seems way too fast.

“What is wrong with me? You should know better," he scolded himself. It didn't matter that shi had accepted the dinner date, he mustn't get his hopes up. He had to keep it strictly platonic. They were coworkers, and he had to observe proper decorum. Granted, Chakona was laxer with relations in the workplace. All that was offered was that productivity and professionalism should be maintained and observed. Travis was sure that they were going to remain platonic. At least that was what he thought.

That night, Travis pulled out his bass and sat on his balcony. He hooked up some of his equipment, including a PADD to record and tune. After making sure everything was to his satisfaction, he made sure to have the headphones in so he could hear himself play. He started with some basic scales and exercises to get the blood flowing. Once he was warmed up, he forced his mind to still and let his heart speak. Soon, he was enveloped in emotion, and he let that emotion flow.

When he was done recording for the night, he saved it for later. What he didn't know was that his emotions were open and bared for the world. His neighbors could feel the emotion that he had, the hope and dread that wore on his soul. Normally, they would ignore him, as his mental control was tight enough to not even register to a Chakat. Tonight was different, as his blocks and shields were starting to crumble. This time people could feel him. They could tell that this was just a catharsis and stress relief, not necessarily anything bad or constituting an emergency. By the end of his recording, those around him wished him the best in his life.

That night, his dreams were about this new world, and the feeling of home it provided. He wished it would stay with him till the end of his days.