After Dinner, Tali and I watched the sunset. She looked so happy and peaceful with the tangerine glow reflecting off her perfect skin. Her small and genuine smile seals how perfect this moment is. There was a time I used to hate sunlight. It hurt my skin, made me feel warm. I forced myself to go outside more and more until my body adapted. Hard to believe anyone could dislike this ray of serotonin. Afterwards, I showed Tali how to start a fire. She was afraid I would burn down their home. She forgot rocks can't catch on fire. She loved the radiating energy warming her skin. The logs popping scared the crap out of her. I told her it was safe, but I will be teasing her about that. For a while we curled up in a chair next to the flame and I put a blanket over us. Each pop had her jolt. I softly chuckled each time she tightened her hold on me.
It was getting late and time for bed. I sleep in the boy's room and Tali in the girl's room. Honestly, I would have preferred to stay in the chair with Tali, however it was their rules. I was so sleepy I didn't even care I had three roommates who I didn't know less than ten feet away from me. My sleep was deep and recharging. Let me tell you, after having times where I slept for 14 hours and still woke up exhausted, the gratitude from a good night's sleep is immense.
My body easily synchronized to Rannoch's rhythms. I woke up approximately half an hour before the sun start to rise. I thought about waking up Tali, but she needs her rest. Without waking the boys, I use my ninja walking skills to sneak out of the room. The sunrise is beautiful. I can feel everything around me slowly start waking up. Nature's alarm clock slowly rising the grass, the birds, and animals out of slumber. I have to enjoy it while it lasts. My dream was to be able to give Tali something like this after the Reaper war, but I get the sense it won't be an option. In the game, Rannoch was free to all quarians to settle if you made the right choices, here however, would the migrant fleet be able to settle? Oh, wow what are they going to think? Rael was shocked to learn there were surviving quarians and he is an admiral.
"Good morning" The glass door slides open, and Karla pops out.
"Good morning. Thanks again for letting us stay. The bed was super cozy" I stretch my arms and shoulders.
"You're welcome extra fingers" she teases with a motherly smile. I tried to return one, but the stagnant energy in me prevents it from being real. Karla notices this.
"What is wrong?" she asked.
"... I'm thinking about the future" I said.
"You and Tali?" Karla said.
"Yeah. I had a plan… well… more of a wish and now I'm not sure it is going to happen" I said.
"I didn't plan on having so many kids and I wouldn't trade it for anything" Karla said.
"Are you guys trying to get the population back up?" I asked.
"HA! No. We live our lives the way we see fit, and others do the same. No pressure" Karla said.
"You make it sound so utopian" I said.
"It's not perfect. Some people let their ideas blind them and they need to be reined in, but as long as no body hurts no body it is all good" Karla said.
"And those who can't be convinced?" I asked.
"Flash them with your silver hip and they back down" Karla said. Violence lowers the vibe but is sadly effective.
"Am I intruding? Do you want to be alone?" Karla asked.
"It is nothing to worry about. Why are you up so early?" I asked.
"Gotta make first day meal for everyone" Karla said. She returned inside and began making breakfast for everyone. The family has goose like animal for laying eggs which she scrambled. Instead of pancakes, she made 'morning bricks.' It looked like giant French toast sticks with syrup and butter. The smell woke everyone up and rushing into the kitchen were the seven children, the husband, and my sweetie with her first case of bedhead. Tali is embarrassed but I think it is cute. I help set the table. Tali was about to dive in before the family joined hands.
"What is this?" Tali asked.
The eldest daughter answered "A prayer circle. We say thanks to the one who watches over us all."
"Why are we holding hands?" Tali asked.
I answer, "it forms a circuit." I doubt the law of attraction is usable in this universe with the concentration of special stuff being so low, but I'll act as an amplifier just in case.
Raon leads the family "Thank you for this delicious meal cooked by the greatest woman alive. Thank you for returning the geth to us and bringing new friends. Please allow us to live another day in peace." The circle is broken and a sprint for the food starts. Tali is fierce when she is hungry. Never seen her so determined to get a slice of space bacon.
"Who were you praying to?" Tali asked.
"The protector. Our religion believes in a guiding sentient force that wants what is best for us and all it wants is our thanks in return" Raon said.
"You don't worship the ancestors?" Tali asked.
"Not really. We respect those who fought and died in the morning war and freed us from your… you know' Karla said.
Tali asked me "Is it real? Do you think what they said is true?" Oh no, I am not accidentally starting another crusade.
"I have no idea at this point but don't want to anger anything that could exist. Tali, how are the eggs?"
"They feel kind of funny in my mouth, but I like them. This pancake loaf is good but not as good as yours my cherished" Tali said. The food is giving me heartburn. Hold on, I didn't eat anything. This is love in my chest. It feels pretty good. Yeah, I have the best girlfriend ever.
I ask "how was your first night sleep on Rannoch?"
"Good but odd. I got so sleepy all of a sudden when it got dark and just crashed. Normally it takes me a while to fall asleep. I woke up feeling so good. My dreams were super vivid" she said.
"Your body is getting tuned to the planet's cycles and your internal clock was telling you it is time to rest" I said.
"That is so amazing. Will I feel anything else?" Tali asked.
"Probably. I never had to explain to someone what it is like living on a planet. Just is" I said.
Raon asked "if you guys want, I like to take walks after first day meal. We have a trail that goes to a small waterfall."
"You have a waterfall on your property?!" I love waterfalls.
"What? Aren't those common?" Tali asked.
Raon answered "No they are not. It is actually artificial. I wanted one and dug one. Then used the water for the fields. It isn't far. Get cleaned up and we can head out. Boys you want to come?"
"Nah we are good. His stick legs will probably slow us down. How do you even walk with those?" he asked.
"Just fine. How do you walk with those things? Don't those two knee joints get sore?" I asked.
"If you overdo it, they can but we don't have anything to worry about. The path isn't steep and covered in sand" Raon said.
A chime sound comes from the doorway. All but Tali instinctively looks over. Raon said his eldest son is here. He yells to come in. The front door opens and a black mass runs across the hall. Did I see that right? A new voice tells for Muca to come here. Oh, it must be a dog. I hope Tali likes dogs. I had several growing up and loved them. They were my best friends growing up. After a while, it became too hard to own them. I couldn't extend their lifespans. They died too soon. If Tali would want one, I'll consider it. I wonder if it would be a good Christmas present. Hopefully this Muca can have a litter.
Muca turns the corner. It has a glossy pure black coat on huge white paws. It's thick whiskers and small snout makes its large circular yellow eyes pop out. A long tail with short hair makes circles around the air. The beast is huge. Much bigger than a normal dog but smaller than a great Dane. My danger sense kicks in. Tali is eager to pet it. I pick up a knife from the table and hid Tali behind me. This thing is a panther. I have next to no experience with these animals. The beast purrs and slowly makes its way further. I slash the knife in the air in an attempt to scare it. The owner yells at me to put the knife down.
"Is that thing dangerous?" I yell.
Karla kneels down to it, giving it a big hug and kiss. "Oh Muca is a good girl. She won't hurt you. Do you not have these on your world?"
"We have something like it, but we never domesticated them. Will that thing hurt us?" I ask.
"I'm going to if you don't put down that knife" the owner said. I look to Raon. He nods, signaling it is ok. The little kids run up, tugging at its fur and ears. Muca clearly doesn't like it yet lets it occur. My instincts still tell me to be cautious as I put the knife away. Tali stays close and gestures for Muca to come over. If anything happens to my sweetheart, that animals will get knocked out instantly. Tali holds out her hand. Muca sniffs it before running her face through her palm. Tali instantly falls in love with her.
"I can see why you love animals so much. Muca is so soft" Tali is a cat girl. Who knew?
I kneel down and pet her. I used to volunteer at the animal shelter when I was very sick to keep up my stamina and give me purpose to keep going. I'm more of a dog person, but I like cats as well. We couldn't have any as my brother was allergic and I never got one in any of my lives. Just never happened.
"Father is this the one from the fleet?" he asked.
Tali takes a break from playing with the cat, holding her hand out to introduce herself "Hi. I'm Tali Zorah Nar Rayya."
...
"Boy I know I taught you manners. Greet our guest" Raon said. The son's face flashes a brooding look. He very tightly shakes Tali's hand.
"I'm Jude. Will you be leaving soon?" His aura is radiating dislike. I think he is a bigger threat than Muca.
"We are going to the waterfall" Tali said.
"And afterwards?" Jude asked. Tali realizes he does not like her.
Karla scolds him.
"What is the deal?" I asked. Jude looks up and down at me. My Tall frame and obviously strong and unusually slim muscles do the talking for me.
"Father, may I have a moment alone with you?" Jude asked.
"Boy we talked about this. Don't judge a person until you hear their story. Sorry Tali and *********. He recently became a dad and is still in the overprotective phase. Lasts forever" Raon said.
"Did I do something to make you not like me?" Tali asked.
"I just don't want your people coming back and ruining our way of life" Jude said with venom in his voice.
I said "Jude, I get you being protective of you kid and I applaud that but understand that women is my girlfriend. Don't try anything I'll make you regret" I send a bit of my energy through the air to make his skin itchy and hot. Raon stands between us, preventing anything from escalating.
"Boy I raised you better than this. ********* and Tali we should head out. The cool air will help" Raon escorts of out of the house. The closes the front door and apologies.
"Why doesn't he like me?" Tali asked.
"I should have told you this. Most of our people are afraid of migrant quarians coming back" Raon said.
"Why?" Tali asked.
"They think your kind will try to enslave all again. We obviously won't let that happen again, but it is a genuine fear. To be honest, I was afraid of having you here until the geth spoke highly of you. I know it has only been one night, but you seem like a sweet young lady who won't hurt nobody" Raon said.
"Can't you tell him that?" Tali asked.
"Jude has always been a stubborn one. No amount of talking will change his mind. Especially since he volunteers for the planetary defense network" Raon said.
I ask "what is that?"
"They are the ones who work alongside the geth to defend our star system and are supposed to fire warning shots to scare away anyone who gets too close to our system, but there are rumors" Raon said.
"My father is an admiral. He told me never to return home because the geth would destroy our ships. Are you telling me quarians killed our scouts in the past?" Tali asked.
"Don't know and don't want to know. Look Karla will talk him down. He's just here to pick up some essentials for his bondmate and kid then he'll be on his way. Nothing worth throwing a fiss over. Let's head out. The trail is this way. Come on people let's move. Hang on I want my gun just in case" Raon grabs a chair, moves it to the edge of the exposed roof rafter, steps and pulling a vintage looking firearm. I know it isn't the best way to store firearms, but I love secret hiding spots.
"Why do we need that?" Tali asked.
"In case of Ursa. Animals three times as large as Muca with the strength of twenty men. Better safe than sorry" Raon said.
Tali gulps.
"Nothing to be worried about. They don't usually attack people and I haven't seen one on this land in over ten years. It is thought they hate our scent. We'll be fine" Raon said. This relaxes Tali. She still holds my hand tightly in case. Raon takes the lead. We have to go through a field first to reach the old gate. The wood is so rotten only the top hinge is still bolted. Raon picks it up and moves it to the side. The trail leads into the forest. Tali is like a little kid, looking everywhere. Pulling my attention to small ferns, cool looking rocks, we come by a stream and can see some small fish. Large trees provide protection from the sun.
"Look at all this wood. You must be super wealthy" Tali said.
"Yeah, I got a lot of blessing. Good house, good wife, good kids. Can't ask for much more" Raon said.
"Even your house is made of wood. Are you a king or noble?" Tali asked. We both give her awkward looks. Raon turns to me with the most confused dull eyes.
"I should explain. In the galactic civilization, asteroid mining has become so efficient, wood is now a luxury product" I said.
"Weird. Quarians aren't very materialistic. We've seen what happens. My place is pretty standard for a normal family" Raon said.
"Seriously? Even with half a dozen kids your house is huge and you have all this land. The mortgage must kill you" I joke.
"What is a mortgage?" Raon asked.
"A loan on a house to buy one" I said.
"We don't have one" Raon said.
"Lucky old man" I said.
"No, I mean no one has loans for houses. We just find a spot we like and build what we like on it" Raon said.
"You're kidding. Are taxes high? You must work alot to afford all this" I said.
"Hehe. No. You will be surprised how cheap things are when we don't have to spend resources on forever wars or support a bunch of useless eaters" Raon said. Oh my god these people are the smartest ones I ever met.
"Then how does the government get funding?" Tali asked.
"We ain't giving them any power. People take care of themselves. We meet twice a month to discuss anything that needs to be done around the community like bridges or roads and volunteers take care of it. Our politicians are also volunteers. They are really just there to make sure things don't go bad and if they somehow screw that up, we replace them immediately" Raon said.
"How do I apply for citizenship? I need to live here. This is the greatest place ever. Please let me live here. You can adopt me. I'm basically an orphan. This here is an oversized child who wants to live in a functional civilization. Please I want to live here" I said.
"You can't even eat here" Raon said.
"I'll find a way" I said.
"Yeah, I bet you will. We are close to the falls. Can you hear it?" Raon asked.
Tali listens closely. "I think so. I hear something like a high RPM engine that way. Is that the waterfall?"
"The whoosh sound. That's it. We are almost there" Raon shows us a beautiful 10-meter-high waterfall. The actual fall is very thin, less than two meters across and it is gorgeous. If Raon didn't tell us, I thought it would be natural. Something about waterfalls just calls to me. Lush green moss grows and boulders near it. There is a bench we can sit at and enjoy the cold humid air. Tali reaches out for the water. She cups her hands to form a bowl, filling with water. Splashing it up into the air or letting it fall to the ground. She brings a cup of water up to her mouth. Raon and I scream "NO!"
"What? Can't we drink it?" Tali asked.
"There are probably swimmers in there. It will get you sick. You need to at least boil it first" Raon said.
"But you said the water from the kitchen comes from deep in the ground and that is safe. Why is this different?" Tali asked.
"Because the sediment filters most things out and we have additional filters just in case. Do you want little worms growing inside you?" Raon said.
"NO!" Tali is disgusted by the water; she wipes her hands dry on my shirt. Rude, but I can't help and laugh.
"Are worms going to grow on my skin?" Tali asked.
"You'll be fine sweetie. Just enjoy nature" I said. A small red bird lands on my shoulder. My favorite ability. Animals love my protective and positive energy field around me. Nearly all animals will come close. Raon is surprised it landed on me. I cautiously reach up and hold the little birdie in my palm. I ask Tali if she wants to pet it and my literal wingman is kind enough to let her. I need to come back one day and build you the most luxurious birdhouse ever, with a hot tub bird bath. I think Tali is becoming a nature lover as well. She looks so happy. I hope one day we can live here. Maybe it is an unachievable dream, but I've done the impossible more times than I can count. I'll let future ********* worry about the future. I'm going to enjoy the present moment with Tali.