Chapter 9: Meeting Up: Beginning Discovered

As the hours flew by, the C'tarl C'tarl was growing restless, even with her chosen sitting before her, since she knew that chatting wasn't his strong point, she made it a moot point and spent most of her time stroking through his hair. She still wanted him to know for a fact that it was she in charge and the one leading them on their path.

"Hao, what do you think of my decision to bring us back to the Outlaw Star?" she made it a light question, holding her tone so that she didn't sound too demanding the answer from him; she'd figured out a little more about her significant other, just that much further of his reception to her through calmer speech.

"I think that it was a very wise decision, this may sooner bring our current dilemmas to a rest if this current rest time there is spent wisely." He'd answered her eloquently, much to her own annoyance.

So she responded right back in a way that was direct and to the point, "And that means in English?" she painted the last word with her irritation, providing him with a clean clue of just what he'd started to do to her. Much to her own enjoyment, he'd blushed lightly and moved to correct himself.

"In short, we'll be able to help me shake off my nightmares, and maybe understand each other more clearly." That answer was simply rephrased; he knew that her efforts were focused about entirely on her, and that she wanted him to loosen up; speech and all.

"Good Hao, you are getting better at understanding already." She expressed her thankfulness for that, she didn't want a scared kitten however; she'd hope that through her mass of signals she was giving off that he'd pick up the right balance.

To this point she was amazed at his reactions to her, he knew so well how to handle C'tarl C'tarls in general, she'd wondered if he'd been dealing with them before her, though there was nothing common about her. She was glad that she was able to relay the message that she wasn't common and if it hadn't been for that fateful meeting in the bar; however tiny it was there was that small need to understand this oddly dressed feline and she was glad that she followed her curiosity.

"You know something Hao; you've been one of the surprisingly better things to stumble across me these past few years…I mean honestly, the men that have hit on me have been either stupid or ballsy. Though none went anywhere except to the gutter, it's you who've gotten through without perhaps the intent of it. Even while our meeting was small and you avoided any pursuit of conversation, you had this aura of 'enigmatic one' all around you." She said this with a little grin; it was that which led her to him, to up and leave her job at the moment and to follow him.

Though the thought had come to her that moment, she rubbed the back of her head a little bit, "Well I did happen to owe them a bit of money actually; I don't think it was the brightest thing for me to leave, but eh…you win some and you lose some." She said idly again as she pet along the top of Hao's hair once more; continuing just the motion she had been for the past few hours.

"There's no need to worry, my family too care of your payments at the restaurant you were working, there will be no kind of-" he found himself cut off entirely, as Aisha's hand wrapped around his throat and gripped him hard as she gave a hiss of sudden anger. Her hands had come swiftly towards his collar and gripped it, while the anime rage ensued.

"Who told you to pay off my debts hmm?!" reaching that rage of the C'tarl is what he'd done, he'd forgotten to explain the circumstances but either way he'd broken a key rule, disturbing the honor of a C'tarl C'tarl was a big no no, and that he'd find was what he'd breached.

"Aisha, a moment if you please." he said as he calmly raised his palm in front of them as she got mad, while he blushed a little bit, some in embarrassment and some else at his own foolishness. He'd forgotten to explain to her just what the entire case was and just why she was no longer in debt. But her anger at least subsided as she gave him a keen eye.

"And just why should I stop hmm? Got something to explain all of this messing with my personal honor stuff huh?!" the heat of the moment seemed to amuse him slightly, though he offered a gentle stoic face to her as she released his color but still remained upon him, hovering over him closely with an annoyed eye.

"Now I know you have reason to be angry, but the explanation is rather valid I'd have to say-" she cut him off and had pressed her finger to his throat lightly, he knew the warning all to well from just earlier it meant "your wasting my time" and to get to the point.

There was a brief moment of silence between them during this moment; she looked down at him with that look of annoyance, until it became more of a smirk from her now. He waited to see her action, that same feline curiosity that had led him into trouble often as a child.

"Well if you won't talk...well I can always make you talk Hao, either talk or face a...penalty." her gaze traveled down his body, and well had settled upon her raised knee, pressed to his vital points...enough to make him jump, he just nodded and cleared his throat.

"Well what happened is first, my family came into note of you when we had gone to the planet of hot springs some time back; during that time my family was making you an honorary traveling member of my household because you went with me, that places you within our rights to treat you with respect." with this point taken, she began to loosen up her threat just a little bit.

"While this was in notice, my mother made message you were record, this just after the Pseudo King incident when we were aboard to Outlaw for the short time. And shortly after that well, my cousin Tomoe came into the picture...she was prodding at you to test your nerve. A lot of the way, testing your reactions." he was stopped by a sudden growl from Aisha, and felt the knee press against him.

Aisha's eyes had become a little clouded, the beginnings of just maybe a little possession coming into play; just a little tinge of it. "Well she's a pain, especially for a family member of yours. But she was smart enough to comply with me; otherwise I'd have torn through her little ship, with her opposing me or not." the words spoken with pride that he could indeed understand and admire.

Taking the silence as a clue to continue, he moved on before Aisha could give him another 'reminder' of the penalty for not talking of course.

"Tomoe saw you kiss me in the bay area, and she was so happy that she made the call to my parents and family, she let them know just what happened; and so you know my family considers a kiss the seal to a deal of being a significant other. And from there our rules of tradition are clear and strictly adhered to by the families. It is as the tradition reads and I quote 'A significant other is tied to that chosen of the family, any affairs of the significant other becomes the business of the family; and it is up to them to honor that other by ensuring all affairs are set in order.', so...following tradition they fixed the debt." his words recieved a soft grin from her.

The grin had made him blink a little bit, he wasn't sure whether to be defensive, surprised, ready, or lax...he just blinked in a mixed state of each just about. Taking notice that her grin grew into a Cheshire grin as she tapped his nose with her claw tip, moving her leg to his side as she sat on his stomach.

"Well in that case, I suppose its okay then, but you'd better tell me these things ahead of time. I mean honest, I almost had to hurt you because of your not telling Me." she stated things to the fact that it was his fault, and to her expectation, he'd prove to her again he was the right choice.

"As you are right partway Aisha, it is my lack of telling you that is foolish, but also your lack of asking that lead to our misunderstanding. However I do apologize for this extending to the point it has." He did speak one last word, before she cut him down and just kissed him.

The kiss was short notice and what she planned for him, a surprise to the feline samurai, his intent was to speak even more words; while Aisha was simply planning to have him quiet and enjoying the sweet pressure of their lips being together. Something that she'd pressed just a little further than most kisses, the relationship was progressing at a fair pace in her eyes, and for Haomaru it was...more unknown to him as was the path he walked.

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The Computer's voice spoke up and had awakened Tomoe, whom was in the captain's chair sitting back in the seat. Her eyes had half opened and then opened the rest of the way, "The Outlaw Star has been located, opening channel to the Outlaw Star as we speak captain Tomoe." the mechanical voice spoke with the cold emotion, that had so annoyed her to no end.

"Computer, remind me to refit your personality chip, it seems you've burned your other out." her answer came as immediately as she'd finished speaking.

"Negative Captain, the Emotion chip is working in all setting and parameters, it has been enabled it's quite simple, this interaction didn't require an emotional response." the computer cold hard fact again had annoyed Tomoe.

"Right, gonna fix that and that stupid attitude right quick and in a hurry." she uttered as she rose and moved to the communication station.

She'd pressed every such numerous button required to open a channel, which was another pain for the lazy feline; whom wanted to return to her catnap quite soon. She gave a soft grin and had tapped on the keypad, switching monitors to focus in on Aisha; who she had no doubt was with Haomaru.

"This should be a hoot." she told herself, well knowing and hoping to piss off the C'tarl one last time, just before they'd separate here.

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The timing couldn't be anymore perfect, Aisha was resting on Hao's stomach still, but surprisingly tame for the moment. As she idly played with his hair and continued to stroke a line along his chin with a softer smile on her face, it seemed in this moment of infinity she was getting to realize how much she did care about the fool Samurai beneath her now. "Hao...don't even think about cutting your hair, I love your hair's length and the longer...the better." she said with a hint of amusement in her voice.

"You look pretty enough to be a girl, but still with that chin line are handsome enough to remain a man, just enough of both that I can enjoy it." though the moment of ruin was right upon her...

"Wow, same for me too Aisha, I have to agree he does look like a little girl sometimes with that hair." she held back a giggle, as she saw Aisha's hair almost stand up on end, felt the anger fuming off of her as Aisha's eyes turned, with a feral rage in them that was a little chilling.

"Goddammit! I told you not to do that didn't I?! Popping up on a moment like that, I should rip your head clean off!!" Aisha's rage and fuming threats had been slightly animated, the graphics well in open continuing as she continued without the benefit of intelligent speech, and Tomoe was just cracking up on the other side of the monitor, rolling about the floor while her tail had frizzed in amusement, her dark skinned cheeks painted with laughter of the moment.

Though the moment's rage even as Aisha attempted to rise and march to the bridge to carry out her threat, Haomaru had gently stopped her stride by placing a hand on her own, just to stop her from rising entirely from his form. She'd feel both arms sweet around her waist as she sat on his lap for the moment.

"I apologize for my cousin Tomoe's foolishness, but...please don't let that ruin what you've created. I've never quite felt such...feeling from you Aisha, I hope only with the time that I'll be able to show you...to reflect this feeling that lays within my heart as well." the words spoken from the often enigmatic feline had for once been clear as day, none of the philosophy interfering with his heart's message back to her.

And just during that moment it seemed to be factual that she was touched, her eyes glittered for a moment as what it was her heart being open to him. Aisha's fingertips just rose to his cheek and cupped it lightly a moment before leaning into his embrace, while Tomoe's ranting had just faded away soon enough; since even she knew terminal moments of such importance. Finally...the start of a firm beginning and so in Aisha's heart and mind, she knew the secret was being back with her friends.

(End Chapter)

Thanks for the kind review there, gave me the will to write faster heh. So here you are friends, have another fun dosage of fun.

The next chapter they'll be completely aboard now that the trips over, till then stay tuned.

Till then R & R