Private Synthetic Connections

[Liin Terallo]

This is the most unusual thing ever. Pitting historical figures against eachother in a laser sword fight? I suddenly felt as though I were a century old. Is this really what kids do these days? I could not imagine how any teacher from a proper school would accept such a wild concept.

Saul still tried to sell me on it though. And with that look on his face I could not just sit there and not give it a try. Doing so would only give the same kind of disappointment that I got from Judah Dashiell when I was hesitant on the very idea of shopping for food and learning to cook.

"Okay, I will try. But go easy on me." I started pushing buttons one at a time to see what they did. One made the figure jump up. Another made him kick. Another had him swing his laser sword. The last one had him duck. A joystick of sorts moved the figure forwards and backwards. It seemed simple enough at least. So I moved the figure closer to his and hit a button. Unfortunately it made the figure jump up. So I hit another one and it sent a kick towards the other figure.

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

Maybe her tutors would not approve of this game but it was one of the things Saul used to relax and have fun. He often plugged games like this on displays shipboard on his trips as crewman on various starships. It was one of his ways to pass the time in the endless black and maybe he could make it Liin's too.

Not really touching his controller, he was letting her get her hits in like he had promised, letting Obi-wan's health get within acouple of hits of fainting as he was pressed to the of the map . It was then that he pulled out of his trump card as he leaned over to kiss Liin's cheek, using the shock it would cause to jump on one of the floating platforms and come down in one sweeping downward thrust, turning the tables on her as good ol Obi-Wan cut Anakin's health down in a flurry of combos as Saul finally focused on winning. It only came down to one last clash of the two combatants blades as they locked together. It was anyone's game. It was time to see if Liin could rally to win this match.

Liin Terallo

 

[Liin Terallo]

All seemed to have been going well for the most part. I was hitting the buttons at near random intervals at first. But then I began to just use patterns. Kick, laser sword, kick, laser sword, kick, laser sword. I have never been a soldier or anything of the sort. I had never even thrown a punch. So this game is quite a bizarre thing.

The unthinkable happened next! He kissed my cheek! My jaw dropped out of shock as I sat there frozen in place. I did not press any buttons at all as I was easily beaten and the match was over. I was too busy trying to process that he felt the need to cheat on a beginner. Perhaps he is not as good at the game as he lets on.

I found that I had to clear my throat before speaking. "Is that a common game strategy? To misdirect to secure a win? I have not been in any battlefields to witness such a thing. Yet I can see that such a shock can have a deadly effect on an opponent." I rest the controller on my lap and take hold of my glass of wine with a free hand. The sip that I took was a slow one, for I needed the time to try to figure out how this turn of events had happened. Of course I could be looking far more into it than is needed. Afterall it could have just been a means to an end.

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

He raised an eyebrow at her reaction, winning the clash as Obi-Wan's virtual blade slashed through Anakin's body, and the screen had the words "Obi-Wan Wins!" flash over the screen and the avatar says "You're a great warrior, Anakin, but your need to prove yourself is your undoing.". Maybe that could be said about himself, too. Trying way too hard to prove himself to Liin. He was always being impatient with Liin to think in a way like himself or in a way he would perceive as normal. He was going to get used to thinking like her if he wanted to charm this ice queen.

He thought he would make her blush like he had at the Gala, not induce her into a full blown panic a full-blown panic attack. She clearly had no idea how to react to a person liking her. He was going to have to land this shuttle nice and easy if he was hoping to get anywhere...

When she asked if that kiss was a common game strategy, he just shook his head and let out a chuckle. "Misdirection, yes, kissing people's cheeks no. I just kissed your cheek because I wanted to. And I think you may have liked it too, but let's do an experiment to check." Reaching out, he put two fingers on the pulse point on your neck, feeling an elevated pulse. "Seems like your heart is beating overtime for me, even if that rattling wine glass in your hands tells me you're too nervous to say it to my face. But anyway..." He backed out of the dueling game into a vast catalog of titles to choose from. "how about you choose the next game we play, and after that, I'll go out for groceries and make dinner for you. Sound like a plan?"

Liin Terallo
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[Liin Terallo]

It was all happening a little too fast. He kissed my cheek because he wanted to. Well no doubt that was so that he could cheat and beat me.

The fact that he touched my neck caused me to stiffen somewhat. And it came at no surprise that my pulse was racing due to my not knowing of what he would do next.

I had another sip of my wine; although this one was smaller. Surely that would help me. Saul suggested that I choose a game before he runs off to shop and cook. At first I was going to remind him that there is no need for him to worry about making me a meal because I had house staff here that do so for me. But then I changed my mind. Why turn him away from doing something so harmless? However there is the chance that he is a horrible cook. Much like I would be. So I would have to suffer with that if it ended up being the case.

After setting down my glass, I picked up the controller again to go through the game list. I could hardly pick one title over another; for I knew nothing about any of them. "Is there a game that does not involve fighting?"

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

It is clear that by the twisting of Liin's face as she sat thinking that she was alittle overwhelmed by the attention, which was fair. She wasn't the most emotional person and he couldn't imagine what was going through her head right now. He should have known better by pushing it. At her request though, Saul found a title that would probably satisfy her. Here, you'll like this one, I think.

Block Rush was a game where different shapes came down both player's chute and you had to fill the bottom of the chute to clear the blocks out. You won by outlasting your opponent and keeping the number of blocks below the cut line with the backgrounds changing each level. While Saul was fast with a controller, he hadn't played this game before, and it showed with the Android making plenty of mistakes in his placements. It was more than likely that Liin was going to pull out a victory and hopefully it would put a smile on her face again.

Liin Terallo

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[Liin Terallo]

I set the wine glass down and picked up the controller once a new game was chosen. It looked like a bit of a puzzle. I was not quite sure of how to control it, yet there seemed to be less buttons to push. How wonderful!

In no time at all I had gotten the hang of it. The game reminded me a little of genome sequencing. That too is a puzzle to solve. Yet this required less math and more along the lines of shapes. It was color-coded too, I am certain. For the shades varied slightly. Although some looked the same.

Not all of the blocks disappeared. Yet my tower of them were smaller than his were. "I had no idea that there were genome sequencing games. How wonderful!" This is much better than the dueling historical figures. That is for sure and certain!

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

Well, at least she liked the game. Seeing her face light up made his day, just like it always did. Though who knows what she meant by the game being like genome sequencing but maybe she would tell him what she meant in time. Her having fun was all he wanted, even if he didn't know half of what she meant.

Giving off a heavy sigh of playful disappointment as the screen flashed, meaning that Saul's screen couldn't hold anymore blocks and that Liin had won the game. Leaning back against the couch, he turned to Liin with a smiling, telling her "See, video games aren't all that bad. We just needed to find the right one." Getting up, he stretched his arms out over his head and then twisted his waist, trying to relieve his stiff muscles. Usually, he didn't have the luxury to have time to play video games between him moving around and making mechanical ladies purr. Without Liin being here, he probably wouldn't be sitting down period, walking on to the next destination. Maybe she was making a proper man out of him after all.

Unless she wanted to go another round, Saul would get started on dinner. Knowing it would take alittle bit to make and seeing the sun slowly start to set. he washed his hands and rolling his sleeves up, the Cyborg would get ready to cook. If these pots and pans were going to get their first use tonight, he might as well make her the best meal he knew how to make. He didn't have any idea what the scientist's preferences were so he decided to go with something simple that he could make in his sleep, Tatooine Tacos with a bowl of chili as a side. Hopefully if he could please her with meal, Liin would be willing to keep him around. At least, that's what he hoped in his heart.

Liin Terallo

 

[Liin Terallo]

I had never said that videogames were all bad. I had merely just assumed that all videogames were of fighting or shooting at people. It was great to see that scientific concepts and techniques had also become a part of that.

"This one could be used as a teaching tool for future micro-biologists."

Saul had risen to his feet. To me it seemed as though he was finished with the games. And just what he had intended to do next, I was uncertain. That is until he walked into the kitchen. I furrowed my brows in curiosity. Was he going to get himself a snack? Or something else? No, there seemed to be pots and pans involved. He was going to cook. I only hope that there is enough food in the kitchen for whatever it is that he is cooking. The house staff tend to prepare my meals for me; but in their much larger kitchen that they have in the building.

Given that Saul was busy and I did not want to interupt him; I returned my attention to the game and started playing it on the one player mode. Now my only competition was myself and whatever blocks came down.

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

Saul chuckled as his head was in her fridge and cupboards, trying to salvage this poor excuse of food selection into a meal. At least he had found some ground nuna to start cooking with. Most of the seasonings and toppings he could probably get delivered while the nuna cooked. "Something tells me your students would love you if you had their homework playing that all day, Professor. Ever thought about teaching?" The Cyborg thought she would be an alright teacher; she could look incredibly stern and take no nonsense if needed. Additionally, it seemed that she might have shared the same passion for teaching that she had for science. Who knows, she might be able to teach even his small brain something and have it stick. For now, he only had enough brain power to order what he needed.

Liin would hear the sizzling of the meat as he heard Saul call out from the kitchen. "Hope Tacos and Chili are alright. I ordered some of the things that should be showing up in a couple of minutes." Smirking as he watched her play the game, he wondered if she had it in her to put up the galaxy's highest score on that game. Now that would be something to see.

Liin Terallo

 

[Liin Terallo]

I managed to get the game started on my own, and found myself able to play it while conversing. It is not as though I am unused to multi-tasking. Yet this game playing is still very new to me.

Saul mentioned me becoming a Professor. And he is not the first to suggest it. Judah Dashiell has done so as well. My answer remains the same, however, as circumstances have not changed. "Becoming a Professor would expose my location. I cannot do that. Nor do I have the credentials to teach. But perhaps some time in the distant future if I live that long; I may do so."

Another three rows of bricks were gone in an instant. Yet the fourth looked like it should have disappeared as well, but it did not. I can only hazard a guess in that I did not match the colors correctly. I know that some of them appear the same to me; and yet others tell me that they are completely different. I find those times to be quite confusing. But it is better to not let them know of my condition for I do not require their pity.

I could smell the food cooking, yet it did not quite smell very familiar to me. That does not mean that it will be bad. It would only be bad if I had attempted to cook something. "I am not a picky eater. It is fine." Being a picky eater would be impolite at any rate.

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

"Liin, if you were really worried about your location being exposed, you would be in a bunker a hundred feet under ground. Not in a penthouse full of windows. As for the credidentals, I don't think any school or univesity would turn you down with your experience in the field." Its not Saul doubted the danger she could possibly be in, but their was healthy vilegilence and then there was paranoia that stopped people from living their life. Liin was edging into the latter... "Look, I'll get a custom security system set up for you if you want. You shouldn't stop living your life." Putting the sizzling Nuna strips onto the greased pan, she would soon smell the cooking meat for the tacos. When it reached her nose, hopefully she would like enough to eat the whole meal.

The Cyborg watched her play out of the corner of his eye, raising an eyebrow when she had trouble matching the colors together. The thought that she was colorblind did cross his mind and it would make sense that she wouldn't tell him about it. She was probably trained to hide her faults so the mean business men could grab at their weaknesses' handels and tear her down. Still, he holded she would know that she wasn't the only one with weakness after seeing him fall that night at the gala. His train of thought broke at the ring of the door bell, signaling their food delivery. Filling his thoughts away as he went to the door, he wondered if he could make or get something to make her life more colorful.

Ploping the bag of groceries on the table after leaving the doorman a tip for bring them up to Liin's floor and to make forget about him carrying sleeping beauty through the spinning doors, he went about cutting the veggies and putting the pot of chili together, eventually making up trays of food and hauling them out to the dining room table. Poking his head out to the living room, he said "Foods ready. Do you just want water or do you want me to mix up something special for you?" He expected the answer to be more of that wine but who knows, maybe the Scientiest would be brave and ask for a new creation tonight.

Liin Terallo

 

[Liin Terallo]

For a moment I had lost focus on the videogame. And the recent loss of the level proved it. Saul had no idea of what I had gone through while living on the run. He had no idea of how traumatizing it has been for me to have all types of people invading my laboratories to either stop me, detain me, or steal my research from me. Living here on Bastion without the constant need to pack up and go elsewhere was a big step for me. Not to mention the fact that I am a workaholic and have hardly lived like most others have. My work is my life. And I am quite certain that I will visit my laboratory and do some work once Saul leaves for the evening.

I returned my focus to the game in a bid to try to reclaim the level. However when the door chime rang I paused. My body tensed up while I waited to hear for signs of trouble. I sat there still and poised; ready to flee at a moment's notice. But no such warnings of danger came. And so I let out a held breath ever so quietly.

The level was just beaten as Saul signalled that dinner was served. I was not quite sure of how to turn it off, so I just set the controller aside while I rose to my feet. I allowed myself a small stretch of my muscles before turning to the dining room.

"Wine will be fine, please," I responded while approaching the table. Afterall with new kinds of foods, it will be nice to have something routine and familiar to hold onto. I sat myself down and unfolded a napkin onto my lap. "And a small portion of food will be fine for now. I am still working on rebuilding my appetite. Any leftovers will not go to waste, I assure you. It smells lovely, thank you."

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

Saul raised an eyebrow when he turned to see Liin slowly pull herself out of her. Either she was in her head or she actually did have a bounty on her. I'm going to have to tear out the ceiling to install the ground buzzer, and install the new power source... The Ones only know all the plaster and wiring are going to have to be pulled apart and put back together again.. And that's if I can get the penthouse schematics from Liin. It's going to be a job... Shaking his head, he managed to focus on back on making the meal he would need to put on the table soon.

He smiled as she came into the dining room, pulling out the scientist's chair for her just like he had at the gala and pouring the wine from the picnic into her glass. He then sat down himself, grinning at the praise Liin laid upon him. "Hopefully it tastes as good as it smells." When taking the first bite, she would definitely feel a kick of heat, but not enough that it was overwhelming. Just enough that you could tell it was there, all amongst the other flavors of the cheese and other toppings. The last thing he needed was for Liin to burn her tongue off. She didn't talk enough already.

It took him a minute to think up a line of conversation while he enjoyed his food. He could only hope she was enjoying it as he asked. "So... besides the artifical force you demonstrated, what other projects do you have up your sleeve?" It was an open question, letting the researcher pick and choose her answers. The Cyborg was interested in what she was capable of if she could make the force, but this was Taco Tuesday, not an interrogation cell.

Liin Terallo

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[Liin Terallo]

At least he knows how to be a gentleman. That certainly goes in his favor.

The first thing that I go for with this prepared meal is a small spoonful of chili, for I am not quite certain of how to cut into the taco just yet. I will need to observe how he eats it first before I make the attempt myself.

The chili has a kick to it, and I can feel it tingling the sides of my tongue. The cheeses help to mitigate the flavor somewhat and prevent the spice from being overpowering. Do they not say that cooking is a science all of it's own? I can imagine that being the case with all of the different spices and seasonings involved. Each of them are chemical compounds in their own right.

But my particular field of science lays in microbiology. It is a natural fit for the Covie. Afterall, our main resource is biomolecules which are themselves very, very tiny.

Saul brings up a question about projects that I may have underway. I take a small sip of the wine before responding. "There are no other projects, currently. This one takes up more than enough of my time. And it should take years to complete. So there is little need for anything else at the moment. Why do you ask? Are you one of those types of people that always has a series of tasks on hand to complete?" Some people were great at multi-tasking. Whereas when it involves any of my research; I am not.

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

Well, she wasn't throwing up yet, so he would put that in the win column. As Liin took spoonfuls out of the chili, Saul took the tacos hands on, trying to not to make a total mess as he chewed them down like a stray dog who had some food put out in front of them. Because at the end of the day at his core, that's what he was, a lost boy just trying to get through life.

The cyborg wasn't sure if he fully believed it that the invented force was Liin's only real project. The woman desired to be the best in her field and she probably had some medical or pharmaseutical projects on the side to take breaks from the difficult slog the force project most likely was. But he didn't touch the subject more, he even when not when to poke the nexu.

Thinking on the question, he gave the best answer he could between bites. "Well, you don't get paid well without taking on all the jobs you can but yeah, I like trying to get jobs done fast because people need their ships for their livihoods. Faster I get done, faster they can get on with their lives." Taking a napkin and wiping his face, Saul gave her a smile as he contuined. "Plus like you probably, I like the challenge of going into a used and abused ship, figuring out its history and making it like new. But I also like having a life outside that." Right now, Saul was enjoying this little break now, getting to know someone that he might actually like and might actually like him. Maybe it was wrong to think of Liin like a the starship's he worked on but she defiently had her own interesting quirks to work out. The Cyborg hoped he could help give her that normal life to help her relate with other people and other people relate to her. Sipping his water, he let her take lead in the conversation or just let them eat in happy silence. Either way, he wouldn't complain.

Liin Terallo

 

[Liin Terallo]

I quietly listened to him as he responded to my question. Yet I had also paid attention to how he ate the taco. No utensils were used. Just his hands. How bizarre. For me to attempt such a thing; it might create such a mess. So I work on the chili first. All the while my mind ran through a number of different options to mitigate a mess wherever possible.

But I paid attention to his response as well. Doing what one could to make credits when credits were scarce was wise. Although for me right now I have no need for such things. I am given free room and board here. And all because I had helped to fund the Diarchy in it's infancy. So there was no reason at all for me to look for work.

He touched on having a life outside of work. That is something that I do not really have. My life is my work; and I do not mind that at all. But such a thing is bothersome to other people. So much so that they try to change things for me. At first I would always put a stop to it straight away. But that is until I had learned that doing so hurt them. I find it to be quite strange that being different was such a problem for them. Maybe they all think that I need fixing. So in order to not hurt them as much; I have just decided to placate their efforts instead of turning them down. It is probably easier for them that way.

"I like my laboratories. They are nice, safe and controlled environments. Just like the domed cities are. No politics, no corporate interests, no danger, no nothing. It is just me and my project." However this project cannot be rushed, sadly. And it is because of that that distractions do not hinder it's progress. They have no affect on it at all.

"Would you please pass me a spare napkin?"

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

Liin wasn't exactly a risk-taker then. The Cyborg clearly was the opposite, needing to move and take risks, just so he could say his life was worth it, even if it was just to himself. Feeling the wind in his hair as he jumped from building to building, that feeling gave him a reason to stay alive. Maybe she got the same feeling with the breakthroughs on her projects.

Saul chuckled as he passed the napkin over, savoring the view of her increasingly messy face as she tried to figure out how to eat his creations. "Don't be embarrassed. I know you probably aren't used to peasant food." Liin probably either grew up on a special diet catered to her, at least that was the cyborg's best guess. The parents of a medical corporation would like their daughter to grow big and strong.

With Liin's lack of external activities, it didn't leave him a lot of topics to hold onto to and it seemed like she was too focused how to hold the food to keep the conversation going. So he asked the one question he thought might get her to perk up. "What do you think is the most important mechanical invention in the field or for your work. Aka, you can't use bacta as a cop out." It would be interesting to hear her answer. Maybe it would be something he could help her upkeep. Who knows if she would let the Cyborg near her work for the fear of him breaking some precious petrie dish that she found dear to her.

Liin Terallo

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[Liin Terallo]

I take hold of the napkin and wrap the taco inside of it, allowing for just enough to peek through to have a bite. The differences in textures of the crunch and the soft insides is quite satisfying. I cannot help but feel a little like an animal though, while eating something large with my hands. It is a very odd thing to do. Normally finger foods are just that; something small, easily picked up and eaten with one bite. It makes me wonder if there are tinier versions of tacos that can be made.

I was going to stop eating the taco halfway through, but then thought better of it. It is probably easier and better to just eat it all in one go instead of putting it down, only to pick it back up again. I know that there are bits falling inside of the napkin. But at least they are not falling out onto the table.

Saul poses a question to me that perhaps seems to be a difficult one to answer. But on the contrary; I find it to be a simple one indeed, and respond after taking a sip of my wine. "The microscope is my answer. With it we have been able to explore many different fields at the microscopic level. Most people tend to only think of medicine and microbiology; yet there are many other scientific breakthroughs that would not of happened without a microscope showing us possibilities and results."

Tag: Saul Whesai

 

[Saul Whesai]

The cyborg, on the other hand, definitely wasn't being neat and tiddy. Hunched over, he took a bite into his creation, letting the excess meat drip down onto his plate. It was like saving an extra meal for later.

Maybe he ate like this because an alley cat, loving to eat the scraps that fell between the cracks. Thats what his own life had been up to their point and it would be hard to change his nature. Its why this situationship with Liin was going to be so difficult to maintain, is that they didn't have anything in common, not really. Their personalities were so different too... If they were gonna make this work, it was gonna to take a massive effort on both of their parts.

Saul gave a half smile at her answer. It made sense. A Microscope for her must be like a hydrospanner for him, he could never work without it. "You can't know what you can't see. And here I thought you were gonna answer with a something that makes you look like a mad scientist." As they finished up their meal, he got up and picked up their plates, going into the kitchen to wash them by hand. As the microbioligist followed him back out into the main living space he said something that would make her mind turn. "You probably not be able to answer this right away but if you could ask me anything, what would it be? I've been asking you questions for most of the evening. You must as well ask me something too. Get as crazy as you want." It would be the only way he would know where her head was at after all.

Liin Terallo