BTDR 0: Practice Engagment and a Date

[18:37]	Akram	Akram lounges comfortably on a bench across from the western-style restaurant Irina agreed to meet him at; today was a simple but very well-fitted black suit, accented with a white tie.
[11:13]	Arkalest	Irina: "Irina? Irina?"
[11:13]	-->|	Akram (Shinaobili@3D214BEF.D1524608.EA3735D1.IP) has joined #Adeva3IC
[11:14]	Arkalest	McKenzie knocks once again on your doorframe. "We have a summon."
[11:15]	Irina	pulls the door open. "Right, how fancy?" she asks "I need to get dressed up or what?" She gestures to herself, shorts and a tank top.
[11:16]	Arkalest	He's alreayd in his flight suit, oval RIO helmet shut down on his face. "We got a surprise sortie."
[11:17]	Irina	blinks. "Right, give me a minute. She shuts the door and scrambles into her own flight-suit, emerging a minute later, helmet tucked under one arm. "There a reason why I didn't get a alert?" She asks, jogging down the stairs.
[11:18]	Arkalest	"Cuz it popped five minutes ago." There's a slight hint of drowsiness to his voice even as he kicks the door to the parking lot open, your hovercar's doors flipping up with a hiss.
[11:20]	Irina	slides into the seat and waits just long enough for McKenzi to buckle in before sharply accelerating to the hangars. "I'm going to ram my foot up someone's ass if this is a administrative fuck up."
[11:22]	Arkalest	Irina: Surprisngly, it isn't.
[11:23]	Arkalest	The mech is at the center of one of the hangars, being loaded- If not overloaded- With weapons. About 15 Pawns, 5 Bishops and 5 rooks are slowly being filled up with their own equipment.
[11:24]	Arkalest	A blue helmet in PA slides up to you, gesticulating and bowing. "I am terribly sorry, but there has been a sudden-Ah, a sudden decision to have the VF sortie."
[11:24]	Arkalest	Her tone is apologetic, and she joins her armored hands. "The Omani section of the UN has called for backup in a...Noctunral exercise."
[11:24]	Irina	"It's fine, I'd just like to have been told as well, what've happened inf I was out on a jog or something? I wouldn't have known."
[11:27]	Arkalest	"There has been trouble with the usual chain of command.." And yet McKenzie is already climbing into his cockpit, body swallowed by the turquoise shock-liquid.
[11:29]	Irina	"I understand, just make sure that I'm set to get these alerts as well alright?" She says from the ladder before settling herself into the cockpit. "So, McKenzie, any idea what's going on here?"
[11:31]	Arkalest	"Receiving data.." His voice comes muffled over your shared comm-channel. "Alright."
[11:32]	Arkalest	"Looks like a stress test. We are going to join an UN battlegroup over Omani airspace to simulate a nocturnal battle. Simulated rounds."
[11:33]	Irina	"I see it." She pulls lose the connectors and starts to slot them into her back. "Starting system check. . ."
[11:35]	Arkalest	Irina: [SYSTEM: START]
[11:36]	Arkalest	And all at once the cockpit turns ice-cold, frostbite bitin at your limbs as pressure builds up inside your eyeballs. It last for all of a glorious second- A glorious second in which you can feel every single rivet, every single piece of plate- Every round, and even MckKenze.
[11:36]	Arkalest	Then it's over, and you are your VF.
[11:37]	Irina	takes a deep, shuddering breath. Her fingers twitch and flex, the control surfaces of the NF shifting in sync with the motion. "Plugged in and ready to go. All systems green."
[11:37]	Irina	*VF
[11:37]	Arkalest	"Drones online." Your RIO's voice scythes through the air, crystal clear- With a dreamy undertone. "At your signal, pilot."
[11:38]	Arkalest	In front of you, the night-sky lighs up with holographic signals, a skyborne route inviting you.
[11:43]	Irina	starts the engines, and slowly roles the fighter out of the hangar, lining it up on the runway. "Echo-1, taking off." The engines flare, and even through the shock-liquid the G-forces still press the two into their seats as the craft screams down the runway, and into the sky.
[11:44]	Arkalest	Five more screams- Five more streaks behind the two of you in the night sky. McKenzie breathes in deeply, and you feel him slip deeper into Echo. "Tracing position."
[11:44]	Arkalest	"Permission to use the afterburners."
[11:44]	IcePickLobotomy	"Permission Granted. We're running a bit late afterall."
[11:45]	Arkalest	The whole of Echo thrums as it shifts its wings backwards- Armor panes sliding and clicking into positiong.
[11:45]	Arkalest	An unnatural shriek pierces the night, then a moment of utter stillness...
[11:46]	Arkalest	And then G-forces slam onto you, burying you into your seat as Echo goes supersonic- Shortly followed by its cadre of drones.
[11:46]	Arkalest	Irina: Your AR draws the contours of islands, fishing ships and trawlers below you, the walls of the fighter transparent- And Echo decelerates only as you see four oblong shapes at the horizon. "UN battlegroup sighted- Standby for.."
[11:47]	Arkalest	"......Enemy contacts sighted. 10 of them...."
[11:47]	Arkalest	":........No."
[11:47]	Arkalest	"11. "
[11:48]	Arkalest	His breath hitches in his throat. "One is moving six times faster than the others."
[11:48]	Arkalest	[ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ok2369YY2P8 ]
[11:48]	Arkalest	Akram: [TARGET LOCK]
[11:48]	Irina	smiles.
[11:48]	Arkalest	El-Muhaq draws a large rectangle over one of the whale-shaped, bulbous UN airships.
[11:49]	Akram	The lead unit accelerates further, and Akram exhales, sending the mental command even before he says "Fire."
[11:50]	Irina	[Disengaging Level-2 Limiters. McKenzie, prioritize the targets by threat level, lowest to highest. Cut out the chaff then deal with what's left.]
[11:50]	Arkalest	Irina: That's when half of the contacts suddenly just  turn  in a perfect swoop, and McKenzie  activates the jammers. [Bishop 1 through 3 lost.]
[11:50]	Arkalest	Behind you the sky lights up with orange flames and-
[11:50]	Arkalest	[Battleship 1 through 3 lost.]
[11:51]	Arkalest	Three massive purple streaks lance out of things that were barely dots.
[11:51]	Arkalest	[Slaving all drones.]
[11:51]	Arkalest	His voice hitches up once more. [Limiters...Releseaed.]
[11:52]	Arkalest	Irina: There's a sharp prickling at the base of your neck, slowly spreading to your eyes as you feel the sky contract to a point before expanding into infinity.
[11:52]	Arkalest	Akram: "Priority targets destroyed, sir. We will take care of the remaining airship."
[11:52]	Arkalest	"Now...It is up to you."
[11:54]	Irina	grins as targeting icons drift over the target icons. The low beeps merge into a throaty growl of the target locks. "Fox-3, Fox-3." Missles pur out of the VF, streaking across the sky, their radar's screaming to the world a they attempt to run down their targets.
[11:54]	Irina	*targets
[11:55]	Irina	*pour
[11:55]	Arkalest	Irina: One of the missiles finds its target- And for a split second you see the mech through the missile's own camera.
[11:57]	Arkalest	It's an angular thing- All sweeping, sleek wings filled with heat vanes, arms holding onto a payload rifle the height of the machine. It's aloft on a half-circle of thrusters- And the las tthing you see before the world turns orange is it shouldering and firing.
[11:57]	Arkalest	The surface of the airship blossoms with a dozen explosions- Shrapnel- And the whole thing gracefully banks down, descending.
[11:57]	Arkalest	Akram: "Actualizer 01 down, sir."
[11:57]	Akram	"Roger. Engaging," he says, before mentally sending the command to El-Muqah to release the rest of the drones. As they fly away armor seems to peel away from the lead unit until it is nothing more than a skeleton of its former self, with odd...tentacles waving languidly in the air. Its acceleration doubles again.
[11:58]	Arkalest	Irina: [Contacts clinging....11...16...26...35. Drones.]
[11:58]	Irina	[You recognize that McKenze?] She banks, pouring more power to the engines as she climbs.
[11:59]	Arkalest	Echo punches through the clouds, and the Moon fills your eyes for a split second.
[12:00]	Akram	From its back it unlimbers a heavy rifle, which it points upward to a point ahead of Irina's path and fires, a lance of deep orange piercing through the night and forcefully announcing its presence.
[12:00]	Arkalest	Akram: You feel as if your consciousness is ripped apart for a brief but intense moment- And then you can feel the drones set out, hungrily tugging.
[12:00]	Arkalest	Irina: the cloudbank explodes, accompanied by a dozen warning claxons as you feel a immense heatwave pour over your Echo. [DEW detected]
[12:01]	Arkalest	Below the two machines, the sky is criss-crossed by orange, red and purple beams. It's an endlessly reconfiguring fractal, filling the night with the shrieks of energy weaposn
[12:01]	Irina	[Let's try this instead then. McKenzie, shift the drones to ECM mode, mask our signature.]
[12:02]	Arkalest	Irina: [Negative, enemy unrecognized. Shifting to ECM.]
[12:02]	Arkalest	Then all of your screens blur out for a moment, only to reappear- Fuzzier, more sluggish.
[12:02]	Arkalest	[They have their own ECM and stealth setup. Airship....Pinging]
[12:03]	Arkalest	Akram: "Sir, we have lost Actualizer 1 through 3. "
[12:03]	Arkalest	Below you, the airship is opening fire into the clouds with its railgun turrets- Punching large holes into the rolling white mass with ease.
[12:04]	Akram	"El-Muqah; shift drone priority, form a perimeter around the stealth ship."
[12:05]	Akram	He grits his teeth and reminds himself to keep his breathing steady, lifting the rifle again and taking another shot at the ace, trying to hold it down.
[12:06]	Arkalest	The sky goes silent, only to blossom with the screams of lasers once again.
[12:06]	Irina	[Now, to deal with those drones of theirs.] Targeting lasers activate, seeking targets down bellow. "Fox-6, Fox-6." A pair of larger missiles, faster with a heavier warhead, and laser guided, drop down and orient to the target before screaming down at the Omani airship at hyper-sonic speeds.
[12:06]	Arkalest	Irina: [Enemy airship detected. Own drone perimeter.]
[12:07]	Arkalest	Akram: You feel a soft stab of pain at the base of your neck. [Drones 1 through 10 lost.]
[12:07]	Arkalest	Below you, a massive fireball engulfs a portion of then-empty sky.
[12:09]	Akram	"Enough of that," Akram hisses, eyes narrowing as he opens up the throttles and charges directly toward the ace, firing once more.
[12:09]	Arkalest	Irina: [Not the airship controlling the dr-]
[12:10]	Arkalest	Irina: Echo screams, its wings engulfed in fire as the fighter banks hard to the left.
[12:12]	Arkalest	Irina: [nng- Systems operative...Anti-heat coating done. Another hit like tha.t.]
[12:13]	Irina	[Roger.] Her eyes flicker at the approaching target. [So eager to play, let's indulge him." The VF dips down sharply, Accelerating down to meet the target head on.
[12:14]	Arkalest	Akram: You see the VF roar towards you- And it's...Fairly bigger than a fighter.
[12:15]	Irina	[Launching Chaff Rounds.] Several small missiles streak out from Echo, dispensing radar chaff, flares, and decoys along the projected flight path between her and the enemy mech.
[12:16]	Arkalest	Akram: You can feel your senses dull- The clouds losing their edge., the moon becoming fuzzier- Yet..
[12:16]	Arkalest	Akram: [OPTION: MELEE- AVAILABLE.]
[12:17]	Akram	"Option select," he says, pushing through and fighting to keep his hold on the drones protecting the stealth ship.
[12:17]	Arkalest	Irina: You are so close to the mecha- Too close almost...
[12:18]	Arkalest	Below the two of you, the UN airship goes down- IFF deactivating as it bows out of the fight, one ballast tank blow wide open.
[12:19]	Irina	[Shifting.] The VF shifts into the bipedal mode, her momentum carrying her forward as thrusters flare, shifting her out of the way. She opens fire, aiming for the mecha's energy weapon with inhuman accuracy.
[12:19]	IcePickLobotomy	*herself out of the way
[12:21]	Arkalest	Akram: [DEPLOYING CQC PACKAGE- MALAK SUBROUTOINE.]
[12:21]	Arkalest	Irina: Akram And the night sky blossoms with a red nova.
[12:21]	Arkalest	[ ACTIVATE]
[12:22]	Arkalest	What little armor left on El-Muhaq shatters- Black glass turning into smoke turning into something curved and wicked. What little distance between the two mechs there is disappears in a red flash.
[12:23]	Arkalest	Irina: What little chance of dodging there is vanishes the moment the jet stalls- It's like the sky punched you all at once- As the enemy machine drives all of its tentacles into your frame- Delivering an electric shock.
[12:24]	Arkalest	Irina: You hear McKenzie scream as the machine slashes at his cockpit with the scimitar- Its free hand sinking into your- No, Echo's chest.
[12:24]	Irina	wastes no time. The left arm rushes out, Pile-Bunker primed and ready as she attempts to lobotomize the mecha with the weapon.
[12:27]	Arkalest	Akram: Your right eyes burns with white-hot pain-A nd the whole world becomes a fuzzy moment the moment the pile-bunker slams onto El-Muhaq's head.  You can feel the drones fading- Falling outside of your control range.
[12:27]	Arkalest	Irina: The spike punches through the angular head of the mecha..
[12:27]	Arkalest	And a cloud of black liquid pours out of the exit wound.
[12:28]	Arkalest	That's when the mech grabs your arm with clawed fingers and  pulls  and oh god your left arm oh god it /hurts/
[12:28]	IcePickLobotomy	[McKenzie! Stay with me.] She raises the railgun in her right hand and opens up into the enemie's chest at point blank range. A scream of ecstasy and pain pushes part her lips.
[12:29]	Akram	hisses and kicks, actually coming out slightly ahead on awareness with the loss of the connection to the drones; the railgun goes wide as it fires.
[12:30]	Arkalest	IcePickLobotomy: And crack goes your- No,  Echo's arm and you see it careering off into the void, trailing connection fluid. McKenzie sucks on his teeth. [Activating turrets...]
[12:30]	Arkalest	Akram: A hail of ineffective rounds peppers your chest- Like bee stings, but duller.
[12:31]	Irina	[No effect on target!] She drops the rail gun, draws the heat-hatchet, and lunges at the mecha.
[12:35]	Akram	She catches El-Muqah out of position, and as it digs into what remains of its armor he grits his teeth through the biting pain and reaches out to grab the arm holding it so that he can apply the scimitar one more time.
[12:35]	Arkalest	Irina: And your arm is  gone.
[12:36]	IcePickLobotomy	[Jack pot] She flares the thrusters for all they are worth, pushing off and away from the enemy mech as it
[12:36]	Arkalest	You feel the thing's tentacles dig right into the Echo's turbines, and there's a thunderbolt and then the cockpit of the mecha goes silent.
[12:36]	Arkalest	The VF falls backwards into the sky- Away from Akram.
[12:37]	Irina	[Come on, Come, on!] She tries to coax a little bit of life out of Echo {Come one just one last thing!]
[12:38]	Arkalest	The whole mecha sparks and sputters and groans for a split second- Your HUD flickering for the tiniest of moments.
[12:38]	Arkalest	But it's enough for McKenzie.
[12:38]	Arkalest	A finger pulls a manual release.
[12:38]	Irina	[Fire everything! We ain't going softly!]
[12:38]	Arkalest	And four cluster grenades explode out of the canopy, propelled by tiny rockets.
[12:39]	Arkalest	They slam onto the enemy mecha hard enough to make it flinch- Then Irina feels another hollow roar- And Echo is suddenly lighter.
[12:39]	Arkalest	Much lighter.
[12:40]	Arkalest	McKenzie's cockpit slams onto the mecha hard enough to send it hard head over heels.
[12:40]	Arkalest	Akram: But not hard enough to prevent one last move.
[12:40]	Akram	They're too close, and as well as El-Muqah's weathered the punishment it's taken thus far, Akram is not quite so tough; his consciousness dims.
[12:41]	Arkalest	Akram: You feel something on your shoulder. Pressure, light- Like a grip.
[12:41]	Arkalest	Your hand touches the control stick, and that's enough for the mech.
[12:41]	Arkalest	Irina: The last thing you saw before Echo forcibly ejects you is the scimitar, arcing through the air almost too fluidly.
[12:43]	Arkalest	The red light that wreathed El-Muhaq's right arm dies, and the mech slumps- Tentacles going limp as it starts tumbling down. Echo follows it suit, torso split in half by the weapon.
[12:45]	Arkalest	Akram: In and out of consciousness- Watching the sky spiral. Everything is a blur, but you can make out red lights- Like falling stars, rushing to your falling form..
[12:46]	Arkalest	Irina: Everything darkens as the last dregs of your connection with Echo darkens- As your pod fires its descent thrusters, as a Rook swoops in, waldos hooking into your machine and plugging it into the airframe.
[12:47]	Irina	pants, out of breathe. She closes her eyes, resting them, as she starts to mentally go over the flight.
[12:48]	Arkalest	---
[12:49]	Arkalest	Akram: Waking up half-buried inside blue gel is quite the experience. What's more, the gel is oddly warm- And oddly comfy.
[12:49]	Arkalest	The ceiling above you is metal and neon lights, with status holograms clouding the edges of your vision. You hear someone move about- You hear SOlomon cough awkwardly. "Akram?"
[12:49]	Arkalest	THe worry in his voice is real- And so is the tension.
[12:50]	Akram	As he comes to awareness he grunts something like confusion, trying to shift around to find purchase within. "Mmrgh. Solomon?"
[12:50]	Arkalest	"Oh. Oh you are..:Awake. How do you feel?"
[12:50]	Akram	"I uh...not concussed. Yes. Not concussed. How'd we do?"
[12:51]	Arkalest	"You, uhm....I'll let her explain. Miss...Irina, was it?"
[12:51]	Arkalest	Irina: Of all the people that could potentially pilot an engine of mass destruction, a 17-something Omani was the last one you'd expect.
[12:51]	Irina	shoots Solomon a dirty look.
[12:52]	Arkalest	He shrugs. "Forgive my ignorance, miss."
[12:52]	Irina	"Captain Bishop." Her tone frigid.
[12:53]	Arkalest	"Of course, of course- I am...Actually sorry."
[12:53]	Arkalest	He nearly sounds like it.
[12:54]	Irina	Takes a breathe, her face losing some of the sharpness to it. "Forgiven then, but I suggest you don't make that mistake again, to me or anyone else in uniform."
[12:54]	Irina	*breath
[12:54]	Arkalest	"Madam? With all the due respect, but I was about to lose my charge /and/ a multi-million dollar prototype."
[12:55]	Irina	"And I understand you are under a great deal of stress sir, so I'm fine letting bygones be bygones. I was just poinitng that out for future interactions with military personale."
[12:57]	Akram	Pointlessly on the ball, Akram flashes a winsome smile at the so-named Captain. "Captain Bishop; Akram El-Ghazzawy. A shame our first meeting was so rough. I promise, I am usually a 0x1dmuch0x1d more enjoyable companion," he says, flirting aggressively to remove some of the tension.
[12:57]	Irina	gives the boy a half-feral smile.
[12:57]	Irina	"Oh? And I had quite a bit of fun as it was."
[12:57]	Arkalest	Akram: SOlomon nods in your direction- Muttering something in Arabic.
[13:01]	Akram	"What a relief," he says, a quick couple of glances dismissing Solomon to wait outside. "I hoped I had made a good show. Come see me once I'm out of this and I daresay we'll have even more fun, you and I. But wonderful pleasure aside; how well did my allies do?"
[13:02]	Irina	"Better than the usually do considering I wasn't running wolf among the sheep."
[13:02]	Arkalest	The man trudges outside.
[13:03]	Irina	"And you were quite impressive. The number of people who can shoot me down one on one is. . . exceedingly small."
[13:05]	Akram	"Truth told I do not think I could do it again, at least not without more training; I was an out-of-context problem for you, and managed to stay that way until the end. And in the end you still knocked me out doing it," he finishes, chuckling a little.
[13:06]	IcePickLobotomy	"How much training have you received?" She takes a nearby seat.
[13:06]	Akram	"Ah--do not worry; out of battle my endurance will not flag; I'll keep up with you all the way until the satisfactory end."
[13:07]	IcePickLobotomy	quirks a eyebrow
[13:07]	Irina	quirks a eyebrow
[13:09]	Irina	"And I was speaking in-battle." Irina can't help but smile in amusement.
[13:10]	Akram	A saucy grin, and a salacious wink in response, before he actually answers the question she asked him. "A little under a month; admittedly a good deal of that time was spent hashing out and practicing the details of the plan with my allies. It could be that their support made me seem more effective than I really am."
[13:10]	Akram	"And out of battle I cannot imagine anyone who would shoot you down; or at least, not anyone with any taste."
[13:13]	Irina	"Echo was never created to go toe-to-toe with Contact Engines or the like. It's role is more suited to conventional opponents." She closes her eyes for a moment "Given time to reach your potential, I would say you would have the advantage over Echo all things equal."
[13:15]	Akram	"Mm. You have the superior eye; I will keep that in mind."
[13:16]	Irina	"So," She withdraws a small notebook. "What are your thought's on the engagement?"
[13:18]	Akram	He considers making the obvious joke, but after a slight effort of will, refrains. "Could you give me a bit more structure? I am not sure what particular sort of feedback you are looking for."
[13:19]	Irina	She nods. "Let's start with the beginning. Walk me through the engagement from your side, what you saw, why you acted the way you did, that sort of thing."
[13:22]	Akram	"Ah; initially, I was out ahead primarily to attract attention, and mark targets; I released the drones a little bit early, but you were moving much faster than expected, and my role was to hold as much of your attention as I could; if I waited you could plausibly scythe right through my allies."
[13:23]	Irina	nods, letting Akram continue without interruption
[13:24]	Akram	"As the battle continued I shifted the drones back to protect the stealth ship; that was our real ace in the hole, at least for achieving our objectives; as well as it could be, I needed to protect it; when those missiles you fired knocked out ten of the drones I realized I needed to charge you directly, to occupy more of your attention."
[13:25]	Akram	"You were too good for me to simply try and keep you locked down with bombardment, and if you kept attacking the ship I imagined that you would manage to get a disabling shot in sooner or later."
[13:26]	Irina	nods again
[13:27]	Akram	"For the battle itself, I...I cannot provide you with a lot of valuable input, I think, it is sort of a blur. El-Muqah carried a lot of the weight; it was the one who acted to hit you with the ah...EMP."
[13:30]	Irina	"I see. Thank you. On my end, once i identified you as the drone controller, you became my primary target. I intially though you were a long-range fighter due to the DEW, so I had hoped the closing in to disable it would give me the advantage. Your reaction was not entirely unexpected, however what you actually did was. If that had been anyone without a MMI,
[13:30]	Irina	you would have ended the fight there."
[13:31]	Irina	"While disabling my arms wasn't a bad move, aiming for my torso or head would have resulted in a faster incapcitation. The head carries a large number of sensors and would have left me somewhat blind and unable to trasnform back into Strike or Intercept modes. Torso damage would have almost certainly hit something critical or even killed me outright."
[13:31]	=-=	WolfieBed is now known as Pale_Wolf
[13:32]	Akram	He nods, remaining silent to let her continue speaking.
[13:34]	Irina	"It's a rather tricky situation going against you. Echo lacks the armor to fight at range, and the DEW is too fast to reliable dodge. Close in I do have a edge in speed and maneuverability, but your Engine is tougher and more suited to close in work. My intial plan, and the one I would still stand by, would be to disable the DEW and then make use of hit and r
[13:34]	Irina	un attacks to wear you down."
[13:35]	Akram	"Without a way to reliably control your movement, sooner or later my armor would give way," he adds, following her logic.
[13:36]	Irina	"Exactly, so if you find yourself in a similar match up, make sure you don't lose your weapon, or find a way to force them to you."
[13:43]	Akram	He nods, accepting her advice.
[13:44]	Irina	slips the notepad back into a pocket.
[13:45]	Irina	"That covers things pretty well for now. If you'd like I can send you a full debrief document to write out later. Though I don't blame you if you'd rather avoid the paperwork."
[13:47]	Akram	"Please do. Ah--on more pleasant avenues; does Wednesday evening sound good to you?" he asks, smiling invitingly.
[13:48]	Irina	"My, you are rather persistent."
[13:51]	Akram	"What can I say? You are a charming woman, Captain Bishop."
[13:53]	Irina	"I don't normally go on dates with squadmates." She smiles "But we have not /officially/ working in the same unit yet."
[13:54]	Akram	His smile brightens.
[18:37]	Akram	He takes a breath in through his nose, enjoying the smell of the sea that drifts in on the wind.
[18:40]	Irina	A hovercar, edging over the speed limit, slides to a stop on the street. Irina steps out and gives Akram a wave, wearing a black cocktail dress with a set of tasteful pearl earrings.
[18:46]	Akram	Her date stands up and waves to her, smiling brightly. He runs a hand through black hair tied fashionably backward. As they close the distance between each other he speaks. "Ah! Even more dazzling when you dress up! I am a lucky man, indeed."
[18:48]	Irina	"Thank you, and you wear the suit quite well if I don't say so myself."
[18:53]	Akram	"Flattery will get you anywhere you like," he responds with a wink, offering an arm to her. "Would you accompany me? Our reservation awaits."
[18:53]	Irina	takes the offered arm. "Of course."
[19:01]	Akram	The two of them enter the restaurant and take their seats.
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[19:05]	Irina	"You are a rather confident young man."
[19:09]	Akram	He smiles. "I need to be, yes? I have employees of my own, and if I cannot even manage confidence I daresay they will not have a great deal of confidence in me."
[19:10]	Akram	"And besides," he smiles again. "Demure has its appeal, but I would not have been able to capture your attention with blushing shyness."
[19:11]	Irina	She nods "True, it's much the same with morale. And my attention was captured during the exercise."
[19:17]	Akram	"As you say," he acquiesces, conceding the point. "Though with any luck I will be able to hold it for a good while yet.
[19:17]	Irina	"We shall see." She says through half-lidded eyes.
[19:18]	=-=	Azra is now known as Waitress
[19:18]	Irina	"So, have you been in Thalassa long?"
[19:19]	Akram	"About...a year now? Give or take; I set up an office here, to try and get in on the ground floor of the up-and-coming trade city."
[19:20]	Irina	"You like to keep your finger on things I take it?"
[19:23]	Akram	There's a beat of silence, and he winks at her, but leaves the joke unsaid, instead responding properly. "It is a good feeling, to be moving forward. I feel like I am living well. And I admit I have always found a certain enjoyment in studying people and the trends they follow."
[19:24]	Irina	"Oh, how so exactly?"
[19:26]	Waitress	A pair of wine glass appears on the table along with a bottle of red
[19:27]	Akram	"Well...one of the ways I keep the day-to-day money flowing is by tracking local market trends. My company has proprietary software tracking the local exchanges, and it is actually precise enough to track individual traders, even within firms."
[19:29]	Akram	"I actually have a contract with local law enforcement; if someone suddenly starts trading much differently than expected, 0x1dand0x1d they make money from that change--that sounds a lot like fraud, you know?" he says, before looking down at the wine.
[19:29]	Akram	"Huh. Was I rambling? I don't remember ordering wine for us."
[19:29]	Irina	"The waitress dropped it by, I thought you'd set that up ahead of time or something."
[19:34]	Akram	He shakes his head, frowning thoughtfully. "No sense putting it to waste," he says, pouring them each a glass and offering one to her.
[19:35]	Irina	takes a sip. "Mmm, well they certainly have some good vintage, that's quite good."
[19:36]	Akram	"I wonder," he jokes. "At this rate they might well deliver our food to us before we even order it."
[19:36]	Irina	"That would certainly make for a interesting dinner."
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[19:42]	Waitress	"Your starters sir, ma'am." The black suit clad waitress said as she appears off the side of the table placing the order cocktail on the table. "Enjoy your meal."
[19:43]	Akram	"...Huh."
[19:44]	Irina	"Impressive service." She helps herself to a cocktail with preamble, saving the wine for the food.
[19:44]	Irina	*without
[19:47]	Akram	Akram mirrors her, wondering idly how prescient this restaurant could be. Will they know to serve him the filet mignon, medium rare?
[19:50]	Irina	". . . So. . ." She says over the cocktail
[19:52]	Akram	"How long have you been in the city?" he picks up smoothly. "Do you know how long you will be staying?"
[19:53]	Irina	"About 3 weeks thus far, and I'll be staying for a while. The current project doesn't have a projected end date so. ." She shrugs "as long as brass want me here I suppose."
[19:53]	Irina	*wants
[19:55]	Akram	"Mmm. Beyond the demands of...battle I suppose, do you usually travel often?"
[19:57]	Irina	She nods "Yeah, we've been testing Echo in all sorts of environments, and before that I'd get bounced between peace keeping deployments, training and field exercises and garrison duty. I haven't been to either of the poles, but that's about it so far as continents go."
[19:59]	Akram	"A lot of experience learning different languages, then? Besides your lingua franca do you have any favorites?"
[20:01]	Irina	"I'm partial to my mother's tongue, Russian. There are few languages that curse as well. Chinese has some good bits as well." She ticks off her fingers "I speak English and Russian fluently, I know enough Chinese to get around. I picked up some Arabic as well, enough to get around in a pinch but not much more. And I can curse in most major languages."
[20:04]	Irina	"Uh, and some French as well, though that's pretty rusty."
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[20:06]	Waitress	Before long the main course arrives, and strangely enough, exactly what you would had ordered
[20:08]	Akram	"This restaurant is almost as amazing as you," he says in awed tones, though evidently not so awed that he can forgo flattery.
[20:08]	Irina	looks over the food.
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[20:08]	Irina	"It looks quite good."
[20:09]	Irina	takes a bite of the lamb and nods. "Oh, yes that is quite good."
[20:13]	Akram	"Prepared just right, too," Akram notes between bites of his steak. "What were you doing before you joined the military? Do you have anything you want to do after your commission runs out, or do you want to make a career of it?"
[20:16]	Irina	"I joined right out of school." She ponders the wine glass a moment. "And as for after, I'm not really sure. I love flying, so I don't think I could stand a desk-job, but at this point this is all I know, so what else could I do that let me fly like I do now?"
[20:19]	Akram	"There's always the air racing leagues; considering how well you fly I'd be floored if you didn't already have contacts that could help you transition into the professional leagues; and you've certainly got the skill to make a successful go of it," Akram suggests.
[20:22]	Irina	"Yeah, that's true. Though you can't fly like that forever." She shrugs "But that's a worry for the me of a few years down the road. I'm  sure she'll work it out."
[20:28]	Akram	"Mmm. Your confidence is quite fetching," he compliments.
[20:28]	Irina	"You are relentless. Hoping to wear me down?"
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[20:33]	Akram	"With any luck you will wake up next to me tomorrow morning, happy, satisfied, 0x1dand0x1d feeling deeply appreciated."
[20:33]	Irina	"Are you always so forward with your dates?" She can't help but respond with a amused smile
[20:34]	Waitress	showed up out of nowhere again, this time bringing in the dessert and another round of alcohol
[20:36]	Akram	"Sometimes a little more, sometimes a little less," Akram says, inwardly thinking once more that the timing of the staff has been 0x1dutterly impeccable0x1d. He figures idly that the only one who could possibly be this good was Azra, but dismisses the idea. She would have told him if she had a part time job as a waitress.
[20:36]	Irina	"Oh, so it's a matter of tuning it to the sensibilities of the date then?"
[20:40]	Akram	"Quite so; some prefer a more circumpsect flirtation; some others prefer me to be more ribald still. What is crucial, I feel, is that I offer myself up honestly; if a woman does not want what I am offering, that is fine. If she does, that is much better; either way, no one leaves hurt or enraged or offended; simply satisfied, or not."
[20:40]	Irina	"Refreshingly forward."
[20:42]	Akram	Refreshed enough to retire with me?" he winks, finishing the last of his meal and washing it down with another glass of wine.
[20:42]	Akram	*another sip
[20:42]	Irina	taps her chin with one finger, silently considering the prospect.
[20:44]	Irina	"Neither of us are interested in anything but some casual fun. I get the feeling you'd rather not be tied down, and my work precludes any sort of serious relationship even if I was interested."
[20:45]	Akram	"Astute," he compliments.
[20:46]	Irina	smiles
[20:46]	Irina	"Well, I /am/ curious to see if you're all talk or not."
[20:49]	Akram	He smiles in return, and once they work out a satisfactory split for the bill (which has somehow appeared unobtrusively waiting on the edge of the table while they talked) he leads her back to his apartment.
[20:53]	Akram	He leads her the short distance to his bedroom, and then leans in to kiss her, hands circling around her waist.
[20:55]	Irina	returns fervently, pushing Akram onto the bed.
[20:57]	Akram	He pulls her down with him, shedding his clothing on the way and letting his hands wander across her toned frame.
[20:58]	Irina	She slips out of the dress. "Well, you certainly seem to know your way around so far. Why don't we test things a /further/ hmm?" She growls
[21:01]	Akram	"The results will please you," he purrs, pulling her flush against him.
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[21:01]	Irina	"You talk too much." She doesn't give him a chance to say much more.
[21:03]	=-=	Waitress is now known as Azra
[21:03]	Akram	-------------
[21:05]	Akram	is curled up against Irina after having spent himself, kissing and massaging her languidly.
[21:06]	Irina	is lazily sprawled out on the bed. "Mmm, if anyone says you're all talk send 'em my way. I'll set them straight."
[21:07]	Akram	"I'll keep that in mind," he murmurs, most of his bluster faded into exhausted affection.
[21:10]	Irina	rolls to the side and sends a quick message to McKenzie. "I don't feel like moving, and someone needs to feed my cat."
[21:11]	Akram	"That's thoughtful of you," he murmurs, settling himself down to rest.
[21:12]	Irina	"Don't adopt anything you aren't able or willing to care for."
[21:13]	Akram	He doesn't respond, save pulling the blanket upward a bit to cover them both better.
[21:14]	Irina	gets the message and settle in for some less intensive cuddles
[21:14]	Irina	*Settles
[21:28]	Irina	------------
[21:28]	Irina	The next day. . .
[21:31]	Azra	The first thing you smell was the scent of freshly brewed coffee and the unmistakable aroma of fried bacon with scrambled eggs being wheeled into the room.
[21:32]	Irina	blinks and looks over at the new comer, then back to Akram, then the new comer, then finally to herself. "This isn't going to be a problem I take it?"
[21:33]	Akram	"Oh; Irina, this is Azra. She is my maid. Quiet by nature, but she is really very sweet."
[21:34]	Azra	"Master"
[21:34]	Azra	curtsy
[21:35]	Irina	gives a wave, at ease in her state of undress
[21:35]	Azra	"And to answer your question, this is more like a routine really. One could almost call it a chore ..."
[21:36]	Irina	nods
[21:36]	Irina	"Well his quite charming, so I can see how that happens."
[21:37]	Azra	"Oh yes, master here is very much the ladies man"
[21:37]	Akram	"Sounds like somone needs a huuug~" he singsongs at Azra, getting up to get some clothes.
[21:38]	Irina	steps off the bed and stretches, a series of cracks and pops accompanying the action.
[21:38]	Azra	"I would prefer if you take a bath first master. Even if I did not know what you did yesterday, i can still smell it."
[21:40]	Akram	pouts at Azra, but he dutifully trots off to take a shower, grabbing some clothing as he goes.
[21:41]	Irina	"So, how long have you know Akram miss?"
[21:42]	Azra	"I been serving master since he was still a boy. Although I was only official appointed into the role 4 years ago."
[21:43]	Irina	nods, stepping back into her clothing. "If you've been doing it that long I'm going to assume you enjoy your work?"
[21:45]	Azra	nods
[21:45]	Azra	"It's a matter of pride."
[21:46]	Azra	"Would miss want to take a bath as well?"
[21:46]	Irina	"Yeah, I think I get that." She cracks her neck "Mmm, after Akram's done. A quick shower would be nice."
[21:47]	Azra	"I'm sure master would not mind if you join him."
[21:47]	Irina	"Eh, sex in the shower is a good way to break something."
[21:47]	Azra	"The shower has been reinforced for that eventuality."
[21:47]	Irina	blinks
[21:48]	Irina	"Ok wow, I'm actually impressed that the debauchery and foresight there."
[21:50]	Azra	"It pays to be prepared."
[21:52]	Irina	glances to the bathroom.
[21:53]	Irina	"Yeah, it'd be good to wash up at least." She steps in a joins Akram.
[21:53]	Akram	She receives a warm morning welcome, though it takes them some time before they actually start cleaning up properly.
[21:55]	Irina	finds her way to the kitchen, and a mug of coffee, shortly after finishing. Now dressed in a spare bathrobe
[21:56]	Azra	is in the kitchen, preparing coffee and tea
[21:56]	Akram	Coming out after her, Akram catches Azra between chores and gives her a warm hug, nuzzling her briefly before letting her get about her work.
[21:57]	Azra	looks slightly annoyed at his interruption but returns the hug
[21:57]	Irina	"Mm, thank you for the coffee." She takes a long drink from the mug.
[22:02]	Azra	nods "Thank you."
[22:05]	Akram	"I have no idea what I'd do without you," Akram compliments, drinking the tea she prepared.
[22:07]	Azra	"Probably still stuck trying to tie your shoe."
[22:07]	Akram	He sighs theatrically. "I love you too, dear."
[22:07]	Irina	giggles into her coffee
[22:09]	Azra	"That would be unprofessional my master."
[22:10]	Akram	"It's platonic!" he protests. "Like agape. Love for a treasured friend!"
[22:11]	Azra	"Is it the same platonic love that ends in your bedroom?"
[22:11]	Irina	just watches the pair with a amused grin.
[22:12]	Akram	"Azraaaaaa," he whines.
[22:12]	Azra	"You're not three anymore master."
[22:13]	Azra	"Whining doesn't suite you."
[22:14]	Akram	"You were so sweet when we were younger," he mutters with mock dejection, sipping on his tea.
[22:15]	Azra	"We all grew up master. Well at least one of us did."
[22:15]	Irina	"I dunno, she made you coffee, and did your laundry, and mine for that matter. She's pretty sweet I'd say."
[22:15]	Irina	coughs into her fist
[22:17]	Akram	He looks at Irina with jaw dropped in stunned betrayal.
[22:17]	Irina	has no shame
[22:19]	Irina	takes another long drink from her coffee
[22:23]	Azra	"I'm only simply doing what is expected of me."
[22:32]	Irina	shrugs
[22:32]	Irina	"Sorry Akram, but anyone who makes me coffee is a friend in my book."
[22:32]	Akram	"Can I win you over with a kiss?"
[22:34]	Irina	"Nope!" She takes another drink "Mouth is busy with coffee."
[22:37]	Akram	"Hmmmmf," he grouses once more.
[22:37]	Irina	sets the now empty mug down.
[22:37]	Irina	"Well, I should get going. Akram, was a lot of fun, Azra, was nice meeting you. Thanks for the sex and coffee!"