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dragoongfa wrote:And there, finally sat my ass down and soldiered through the final part.

Are you sure you want to do this? Ember eyed the brown liquid warily. It slid smoothly around the glass as she swirled it.

Windfall grinned wolfishly at the orange-haired Loroi.

Thirty-two jumps, three of which were scoped. I'd say that deserves a drink, alien or not. Besides, she waved the scanner at her compatriot, it says that nothing in here will kill us.

Ember rolled her eyes. There's a lot of horribleness short of dying. Tell you what... you go first.

You've got to learn to take more risks if you want to be in this line of work, the free trader scoffed. Tucking a strand of dark emerald hair behind an ear, she downed her glass.

The whisk-ee was far smoother than she expected, though the taste was nothing like the spirits her crew had brought to trade. Windfall had nothing to compare it to, so she simply passed the taste as best she could through sanzai to her partner.

Ember's relief was palpable - she really had thought it would cause some sort of adverse reaction. Well, it hadn't... yet.

The ex-Listel tentatively sipped her drink, only to pull a face as she tasted it for herself.

You expect to sell this back home?

Windfall shrugged. Someone will pay well for it. If not us, maybe one of the other races. The rarity alone will fetch a good price.

And to think we traded good leinmemal for this.

Well I like it, Windfall retorted, taking Ember's glass and downing it. Her partner's eyes widened in surprise, but she didn't object. Besides, we got a good deal.

Now it was Ember's turn to roll her eyes. We don't know how valuable their spirits are. That bartender could have given us his cheapest fare and we wouldn't know the difference.

It was true, but between her gut and the circumstances, Windfall didn't think she had been cheated. The Stray Sheep was hardly a location for inter-species trade, which was her entire reason for coming here. The bar wasn't even the largest in the Esperanza colony. Once the bartender got over the shock of bonafide aliens walking into his establishment, and the further surprise that they both spoke his language, he proved to be very pliable when it came to negotiations. Three bottles of Loroi spirits (the first in the system, if not all Human space) in exchange for a sampling of nine bottles of Human alcohol, along with complementary drinks for the traders, was more than fair.

A crowd had gathered at the bar to marvel at the alien bottles, but other than obvious glances in their direction, none of the locals had mustered the courage to approach the table the Loroi had taken in the corner.

So what happens next? Ember asked.

Stick to the plan, the captain replied, get in, barter for a good sampling of trade goods, and get out before Union bureaucrats start setting up red tape around everything.

How long do you think we have?

Windfall sighed. Not as long as I had hoped. You saw that governor. You would think that a border world would be more... relaxed... but I bet he was sending messages to his superiors the second we showed up on their scanners.

Ember's nervousness was palpable. I bet the only reason he's giving us the liberty we have is because he thinks we're some sort of official envoy, and he just didn't get the right notification. Should we plan to depart early?

The trader nodded. Yes, that's probably a good idea. I had hoped for three local days, but now I think we'd best leave in two. I have no idea how long it takes them to get a message to their central government. Any updates from the crew?

Everyone else had split up to go after pre-assigned trade targets. The other Loroi glanced at her comm. On or ahead of schedule. You know, we could depart as early as tomorrow morning if we gave up...

Not a chance, Windfall interrupted, venting frustration at Ember. How do you think I got most of the crew to agree to this insanity?

Ember sighed. I am just saying that if anything will land us in trouble, it will be a dozen or so Humans brought back to the Union. I've said it from the beginning. A little trade and profiteering may be overlooked, especially considering that we mapped and validated new jump routes, but people?

Maia is not like the rest of the Union, especially among civilians. Look, you were military... I don't expect you to understand.

The other Loroi winced, and her anguish at the thought was palpable. Windfall immediately sent placating thoughts by way of apology.

My point is, she continued, you've had what, two... three children?

Two, Ember confirmed.

Someone like me, or anyone else on The Donei Runner may never get a chance to mate. Meanwhile, these Humans just pair off like it's nothing. Imagine... your own male for life.

Ember wrinkled her nose. They'd had this argument before. She viewed Humanity in the same way the Barsam viewed the Nibiren.

If you're into that sort of thing, she scoffed.

Oh come on, Windfall grinned roguishly at the younger Loroi, you can't honestly look around and tell me there's nothing here you like.

She felt the ex-Listel start to object, but relent mid-way through. Ember knew she couldn't hide the truth of the matter.

They are just so... large. And their appearance varies so... so... She couldn't put any specifics on the mental images that followed.

I don't disagree with you there, Windfall replied. They age so rapidly, and it shows in a variety of ways, but still, there are so many of them. It is just a matter of choosing well.

You assume we can even engage in this 'marriage' practice in the short amount of time we have. May I remind you that while I know it exists, I know almost nothing about the practicalities of it.

Ember was right, but even so the captain was hopeful. Stumbling across this disgraced ex-Listel was perhaps the biggest stroke of luck in all of Windfall's thirty years of trading. Had it not been for those last few close jumps, she would have thought that Ember had consumed the rest of her luck. Though she was still far too rule-oriented to fit in on The Donei Runner, the knowledge she brought with her on Humanity was invaluable. Without her, Windfall would have never contemplated such a risky venture. Sure, Ember's memory of the jump routes had been limited to what had been shared among her caste before the First Expedition had arrived at Humanity's homeworld and the war ended, but it was enough to get them safely in the neighborhood. The Runner's crew was practiced enough in making scoped jumps to get them the rest of the way. Additionally, the orange-haired Loroi had been able to learn the Human common-lingua before she left the fleet, and had spent the majority of the voyage teaching it to the rest of the crew.

The language was difficult to learn, but Windfall had made it a rule that anyone who couldn't speak it would not be allowed off the ship come planetfall. Given that the entire crew was set on acquiring a 'partner,' it had served as a powerful motivator.

Look, she continued, we all knew this was going to be a do-or-die venture. If the Union wants our asses for it, they're going to get them regardless of what we do. I'm betting, though, that in the oncoming rush to assimilate the Union's newest member, no one is going to notice a single trader that happened to beat the rest by a week or two, or a dozen humans that may have showed up a little early. If we happen to corner a few markets, we'll be set for the rest of our lives.

Ember sighed, mentally conceding the point. Well, if we are going to convince some of these people to come back with us, we'd better start now. We don't have much time.

That's the spirit! Windfall glanced around, then mentally nudged the other Loroi. And hey, you may be in luck... look over by the entrance, it seems they make their males Loroi-sized after all.

Surprise registered on the other Loroi's pale blue eyes as she saw what Windfall had seen. Sure enough, there was a male Human who had just entered the bar. He was maybe two-thirds the size of the rest, and built very similarly to a male Loroi.

A wave of disappointment almost immediately followed from Ember. Unfortunately, we may be too late. Observe, it appears he is already partnered.

Windfall turned to look. Sure enough, the male approached one of the wait staff, a brown-haired woman with gray highlights. They appeared to know each other well, and she seemed displeased with the interruption.

Ah, but look, the captain sent back along with a wave of hope. There are no rings on his fingers, she noted, highlighting the one custom that had come with Ember's knowledge on the subject. It is a convenient practice, is it not?

The ex-Listel was not convinced. Still, I don't know if it is wise to...

But Windfall was already rising from her seat. Well, if you are unwilling, then I will make an attempt. Fortune favors the bold, after all.

The captain knew she was pushing her luck, but after three unproven jumps that nearly killed her crew, she was not going to fear a matter of mere selan. Ember's protests faded into the background as she approached the male and the server.

dragoongfa wrote:LOL @orion1836

I have a feeling that you were going for a teenage boy running errands for his mother/aunt but I would be half tempted to write him out as a 'friendzoned' short stack finally getting lucky.

EDIT: Let me put it like this: I am about 183cm tall (6 feet), not attractive per se but I dress well and show affluence. I have friends who are around 150+ and their dating prospects are so bad that they used me as 'bait' for them to get even some passing attention.

Seriously, being a short man makes it ridiculously harder to get some romantic attention from women.

Werra wrote:My money is on the ephebophilia.

Making moves on somebodies kid is a far bigger taboo. It activates some really deep rooted defense mechanisms. Doing it in the face of the mom is very brave. But since it's being done by "women", the men might keep out of it.

orion1836 wrote:a metric shit-ton of cultural selan.

How come, whenever the grownups think something to be a 'good idea', it means more work for me? Melvin groused.

Of course he knew that his mother barely makes ends meet, and him earning some money would help things along, but still... there must be easier jobs around than cleaning tables in a dive on an orbiter at the ass end of colonized space.

He just couldn't imagine what sort of job that might be. It wasn't that hard in itself, but it was the endless mind numbing drudgery that bored him to no end.

He had seen it all by now. Pilots on their leave or on the way to their next detachment, characters who had the looks about tham as if they're up to no good, drunks, lowlifes who got washed up and trying to drown their problems... but the thing is, those suckers can swim.

Sure now and then there had been some freaks and paradise birds, people so garishly outside the norm that they had become memorable in their own right.

And, speaking of which, those two women surely fell into that latter category.

Melvin blinked on having a first good look at them. They were ... blue. Not their clothing, that one was sort of remarkable in itself, it seemed to be some sort of body armor, on both of them, but their skin was blue. Topping it off, one of them had dark emerald hair, and the other a garish orange, as if taken right out of an anime.

And... both of them had pointed ears.

Okay, must be some sort of performance artists or rabid anime fans, he shrugged. They must've paid a fortune for their body mods and their costumes.

A pang of envy rose up in him. We have to worry to have enough money at the end of the month, and those two floozies can burn it like it's nothing. It's not fair.

"...and that's all for to day, now chop chop! The tables won't clean themselves!", his mother finished and turned away, pulling Melvin out of his daze and back into reality.


Windfall was ready to approach both the male and the server, but stopped short when she turned away and strode towards what seemed to be some office space. So she had to decide - follow the server or approach the male?

Going after her, I may enter a restricted area, looks like the male would be the best bet, she reasoned.

"Excuse me, but would you be interested to come with us?"

Melvin jerked back, startled, as he heard that voice coming from his right side. She - it was a female voice - spoke with an odd accent and in a rather stilted manner, as if English wasn't her first language.

Turning to the owner of the voice he involuntarily took a step back.

It was one of them. The green haired one. Yep, still blue skin and pointy ears., Melvin added in his mind. And the other one two meters behind.

Of course, an entree like this rose all sorts of red flags in Melvin's mind, but he decided to play along. After all, it wouldn't help if he ticks off someone who may be a paying customer, after all.

"May I ask what for?" he hedged.

Green Hair turned to her companion for a short moment, and some sort of silent exchange must have happened, before she focused her attention back on Melvin.

"You do know that there is a dearth of males in our society, and you look very much eligible to..."

He couldn't help it. He burst out laughing.

"May I ask what is so funny about this?" Windfall prompted, completely confused and not just a little ticked off.

"Oh, that's rich. Lemme guess. Arthur put you up to this? No, Fred. Or both of them."

"I don't understand." Windfall added. 'This turns out more complicated than I thought', she sent to Ember.

"Do you really want me to believe that you came looking for men? C'mon, that's so C-rated porn movie plot. And with you looking like this, I'd wager C-rated porn movie plot for complete sci-fi nerds. Nope, not gonna fall for it. Now buzz off and tell Arthur he can do better than that." Not waiting for an answer Melvin turned away towards the nearest table to start scrubbing it with added gusto.

Windfall blinked as she tried to process what just happened. As inexplicable as it sounded, she just got spurned by a male. And she had not a clue why, because half of what that male said was way over her head.

To add insult to injury, she heard some chortling that sounded suspiciously like Ember was trying very hard to not to burst into laughter.