ENS Chevalier - LOVE STORY (but it’s in MINOR KEY), part 1
CPT Arianus
(( Dalaria,
Betazed ))
Day
was nice and sunny. Sea warm, perfect day not any worse than one on
Risa. Damien smiled, stood up and waved into the crowd.
Black:
Here, we are here!
Jaseb turned around with a voice, smiled as
he recognized Damien in a yellow engineering uniform and waved back.
He made his way through the crowd to the cafe. Damien stayed
standing, they exchanged the hug and kiss, before Damien turned to
his companions.
Black: Mom, dad, let me introduce you to Jaseb
Chevalier. Jaseb, my dad and mom.
Chevalier: So, Dami, this is
a famous Black parents… ::turned to Black’s parents:: Believe me,
I already saw You thousand times, as a holographic picture.
::laughed:: And let me say - I’m honored to finally meet you in
person. :: extended his left hand to shake with the
parents::
Black’s dad: Honor is mutual, Mr. Chevalier.
::shaking hand with Jaseb:: I’m Irad.
Jaseb smiled, nodded.
Damien’s father had a firm and strong handshake. They looked into
each other's eyes, caught in the battle of wills for the awkward
moment. And then, Damien’s father let Jaseb’s hand go without a
word. Jaseb turned to Damien’s mom, hands shaking, a smile still on
his face, like nothing happened.
Black’s mom: Nelen. Nice to
meet you, Jaseb. Damien never said you are…
Black: Mom…
it's 25th century. ::laughed::
Black’s mom: I wanted to say handsome,
dear. But how could I ever doubt you, you always had great taste
with boys. I believe this is my fault, but as you can see, Jaseb,
this couldn’t come from Damie’s father.
Chevalier: Don’t
be harsh on yourself, Mrs. Black… Nelen, I wanted to say Nelen. You
are beautiful too. Your husband was a wise man to choose You over any
other.
Damien’s mom: Aren’t you a flatterer? No, no, I was
the one who picked him. Believe me, I grabbed him and never let him
go. ::laughed together with her husband::
Black: Mom! C’mon,
do not embarrass me. We agree we leave this line of bed topics
out…
Chevalier: I’m okay with that, Dami, I will not think
less of you, even if your mom will show me your toddlers’
pictures!
Damien’s mom: And you can believe, I have many!
::looked at Damien with a call for a protest in her
eyes::
Chevalier: I believe when time comes, Nelen.,, ::let
Damien’s hand go:: But if you excuse me for a moment, Mr. Black, Mrs.
Black, I will just wash my hands, make an order for myself and will
be right back.
Damien’s mom: Go, Jasie, and prepare yourself
for an approved line of questioning!
Both laughed, and then
Jaseb left the table and disappeared inside the cafe. With him
leaving, the temperature around the table dropped rapidly under
zero.
Damien’s father: Are you crazy, Damien? Do you want us
to get arrested or worse? How in that little brain of yours was THIS
even idea? ::gesturing affectedly:: In the whole galaxy of
possibilities, you find just that one perfect dung to throw into our
faces…
Damien’s mom: Irad, no. Not here, in public. They
are watching, they always do.
Damien’s dad: It’s your
fault, and how did you always spoil him. You know, I was the one who
cleaned his mess. But you didn’t want to see...
Damien's
mom: Please, don't you dare to accuse me of your own political
ambitions, dear. It was you, who wanted to dine with the wolves, so now you'll have to eat what they serve on your table.
Damien's
father: Yes, I remember your complaints that we always had food on
our table, and a roof over our heads. And no, I didn't
forget all of your
complaints about those flamboyant balls
you
organized, your
tea parties and overpriced jewelry on your gorgeous neck, my beloved
and
only...
Black: Mom, dad, stop. He’s coming back.
Damien's
parents turned their quarrelsome faces into sweet smiles with the snap
of a finger.
Damien's mom: Ou,
you are so fast, dear. So, is everything okay? What did you
order?
Black: Yeah,
I forgot to tell you, Jasi, they are out of motor oil. ::his tongue
stuck out::
Chevalier: Funny, as always, my love ::kissed
Damien's cheek:: No, just milk coffee, with two tons of
sugar. ::sat down::
Damien's parents were obviously dismayed over
the discussion which happened on the opposite side of the table. Damien
turned to his mother.
Black: Yes,
mom, Jaseb is transhumanist. And I still love you anyway. ::turned
back to Jaseb and booped his nose::
Jaseb kicked Damien under
the table.
Chevalier: Don't worry, Mrs. Bl...Nelen... I will
leave your son untouched. You made a sculpture of perfection for the
first time. ::turned to Black and bopped him back:: Of course, some
tattoos here and there, but those are his own creation and
initiative, with them I have nothing to do.
Damien kicked
Jaseb back.
Damien's father: Transhumanist?
Damien's
mom: You have tattoos, Damien?
Chevalier: So, I guess I will
not need this...
Jaseb picked the small box from the pocket
and laid it down on the table. He unscrewed the cap and reached into
his eye to remove the contact lens.
Black: One, mom. Small and
hidden. We, with boys from the boot camp, wanted a memory for our
training camaraderie. It's nothing obscene...
Jaseb nearly
gouged out his eye when he suppressed the sudden burst of laughter.
But he tilted his head back so that the smirk on his face could not
be seen.
oO One small tattoo, Damien? Oo
He blinked and returned back to Damien's parents, and this
time he managed to get out a contact lens. His bionic eye gazed
into Damien father's eyes. Something
worried the father.
Damien's father: Jaseb, we have no problem with
you being... religionistic.
It's
just... you
need to understand, not everyone would understand and accept the
specifics of your fate.
Chevalier: It's understandable, Mr.
Black. Paths of my people are specific and I understand some people
consider transhumanism to be... unnatural.
Nelen slapped her husband on the shoulder and frowned.
Damien's mom: Boys,
enough politics and religion. Jaseb, they brought you your coffee.
::pointed on the waiter behind Jaseb::
Jaseb turned around and
took a cup of coffee and a glass of water from the waiter.
Chevalier: Thank
you. That will be all for now.
Damien's mother leaned against
the chair and reached out to the boys.
Damien's mom: So, boys,
tell me, how did you two meet? Who hunted whom?
Damien laughed
and started the story of how he firstly met Jaseb. Jaseb leaned against
the chair, and enjoyed his coffee. The atmosphere cleared, and
finally, after almost another hour, Jaseb began to feel that maybe
this meeting with Damien's parents wasn't going to be the disaster he
expected...
TBC
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