(no subject)

[truth_is_cold]

[Text | Public]

I'm now staying somewhere else. But if necessary, I can still be reached by the communication system. [If Dylan wants to announce where they're living, he can. But Mr. Paranoid Bastard isn't about to publicly give a location.]

As an aside, does anyone here know how to play chess or any other strategy games that might be available? Are there any musicians from the ship?

[He very desperately needs to learn about the local culture. There must be more than "the Authorities are terrible people and want to render us impotent". Survival situations or not, these people have lived here for a very long time and must have something unique and exclusive to them. They're obviously not barbarians or savages.]

Also, do either of the pilots of the ships that have crashed need assistance?

[Nietzschean style proclamation of friendly interest. He wouldn't offer if he didn't like them.]

Comments

[truth_is_cold]

[He's still amused by "frakking"]

I'd love to see you try your hand at slipstream. As for the place, a lot of the work is Dylan's. I'm mostly the, "hold this down while I do this" type for him in this case.

[And to his room. Where there's a sleeping mat and a wooden flat converted to a futon, he puts the board in the middle of it.]

[buckingauthority]

What's slipstream? Is it how you pilot your ship? And hey, that's still an important job, holding things down.

[Kara's a tactile person so she's already running her fingertips along the walls and any edges that come within reach. Touching any personal items he has lying around. It's clear that she's a snooper, but still manages to do it lightly, moving on quickly to the next new thing. She watches him start to set up the board on the bed. That makes her smirk again.]

That's some strategic placement there, commander.

[truth_is_cold]

It's whatever placement you'd like it to be. [Even if to keep from sitting on the floor.

He doesn't have much yet. Some guns and some ammunition from the soldiers (homey, that). Parts of his uniform folded up, as well as some clothes all stacked neatly. And a replica of a metal vertical sculpture that he found, tucked decoratively into the corner of the room.

All in all, despite wanting to return home, he is doing his best to remain comfortable here.]

Slipstream is our faster than light travel and how we pilot. The drives are fragile, but with the right hand at the controls it's incredibly fast and reliable. A ships AI can't navigate it correctly without an organic's hand at the controls. One supplements the other.

[buckingauthority]

[Kara's got guns, ammo and salvaged parts for a still stashed in her room, Rhade. Plus a single military cot and sleeping bag. This is luxurious by comparison. She notices the neatness. It fits with what she knows about him so far.]

Sounds like fun. More hands on than how we do it back on Galactica. With us we have to make the mathematical calculations to be sure that we're not gonna end up inside a star or planetary body, plot a course, spin up the drives and then make the jump. It's pretty much instantaneous. No piloting required. At least, nothing that requires finesse.

[truth_is_cold]

Finesse is definitely something that's required to navigate the slipstream, or you do end up in the middle of a planetary body or anomaly.

[He arranges the pieces, darker side toward him (his usual preference).]

LMAO You did not see that. XD

[buckingauthority]

Not so fun, obviously. But it sounds like a challenge. Vipers are small single person combat aircraft. Fast, maneuverable, may not look like much? But they've got plenty of teeth.

[She moves to join him on the bed, sitting on the opposite side of the board.]

Why do I get the feeling you're forming up two sides of a battle?

Why hello thar!

[truth_is_cold]

They sound like slipfighters. [The name of which, he guesses, should make them obvious.]

That's the game. The two sides are equal in number and even in position, and the different shapes of pieces have specific directions they can move to. The object is to take the king of the other side- [He holds up his king.] -by moving him from his place with one of your pieces.

Not an especially physical game, but a good way to get to know how someone thinks.

sorry again for all the lateness XD

[buckingauthority]

Sounds about right.

[She glances down at the board, noting that there's a line of pieces in the front row which look all the same. She points to them.]

Infantry?

[There's always a frontline. Having grown up with her mom in the Marine Corps, she knows the value of a strong ground-force. Cannon fodder, maybe, but sometimes that's all that's preventing the other side from winning.]

[truth_is_cold]

[He's pleasantly amused by the observation.] Indeed. The usually a pawn can only move on space, but in the first move, it can move two. [Like in a charge.]

[buckingauthority]

What about the rest?

[She points to the back row. It's pretty clear that there are some pairs but the two in the middle are singles. One was the King, so she taps her finger on the one next to it.]

Queen, right? What can she do?

[truth_is_cold]

[He smirks.] When she's free, she can do anything.

She can move as far as possible either in a straight line or diagonally, only stopped by another piece. [He makes motions with his finger to indicate what he means.]

[buckingauthority]

Anything, huh? I like the sound of that.

[Starbuck gives him amused look in return, then starts unzipping her flight suit and shoving the top half down to her hips, tying the sleeves around her middle. She's warm, okay? She tucks a strand of her pale blonde hair behind her ear and leans forward, peering at the other pieces he's carved.]

Why do I get the feeling this is the kinda game that goes on for hours.

[truth_is_cold]

Not if you become very good at it. [But yes, it can.

And he looks over her, because she is attractive, but otherwise doesn't say anything because it is hot.]

Go takes longer. But there is only one type of piece and innumerable strategies in that game. If you play chess enough, you begin to pick up patterns.

[buckingauthority]

I'm not sure if I'll have the patience for it. But hey, I'll try anything once.

[She flashes him one of her more wicked grins. The kind that's unapologetic of who or what she is. Yeah, she's no scholar. Not a lady at all. She's wants to stay free and not tied down to anyone or anything but her duty.]

So...come on, teacher, teach.

[Time Warp Comment!]

[truth_is_cold]

[And it is a long game, that requires slow build up and doesn't exactly lead to immediate gratification. But Nietzscheans have an unusual perspective about games, that everything distantly evolved from competition for survival, breeding, and resources, so even a minor game should be treated with the same reverence.

And Rhade is one to flirt while playing games, whether it throws the opponent and makes them uncomfortable, or holds their interest. Even subtle flirting, like trailing his finger around a piece as he contemplates a move, or finding excuses to touch her hands.]

I think you've gotten the hang of it.

mmmmmmm

[buckingauthority]

[Starbuck had clocked every flirtatious move and responded in kind. She wasn't the subtle type, but Rhade had set the tone and she'd rolled with it.]

I still lost.

[She shifted her focus from the board to the man she'd been playing with.]

Better luck next time, huh? Remind me to teach you Pyramid so that I can have the advantage.

[truth_is_cold]

I don't think I mind you having me at a disadvantage. [He leans back, and smirks slightly. That's a huge compliment, coming from him.]

[buckingauthority]

That so?

[She makes a bold move, shoving the board aside and climbing onto his lap. Her arms clasp loosely around his neck as she looks down at him.]

Let's just get one thing straight. I don't want to be your wife. I don't want to have your offspring. But, I'd like to see more of you, Commander.

[She grins down at him and then dares to dip her head down to kiss Gaheris' lips. It's a test, a challenge, a throwing down of the gauntlet.]

[truth_is_cold]

[He tips his head up to meet the kiss, cupping her jawline and tilting his head to better accommodate it. He breaks it after a moment.]

Understood.

[Those terms are more than agreeable to him, and he playfully flops back with her.]

[buckingauthority]

[Since she's been given permission, Kara starts trying to rid him of his layers of clothing. He has a damned fine chest, she discovers. Straddling Rhade, she leans down to kiss his chest, running her tongue across his exposed skin.]

[truth_is_cold]

[He enjoys her mouth on his chest for a little bit, and breath tickling his skin, before he grapples for handfuls of fabric to get her own shirt off. Not enough skin touching yet for his satisfaction, especially since he's feeling comfortably warm.]

[buckingauthority]

[Kara's tops consist of a grey sleeveless tee and a black tank top, they come off easily, leaving her topless. But her dogtags stay hanging around her neck and between her breasts. She never takes them off, it's a reminder of who and what she is. She reaches between her body and his, checking to see if he has the equipment and if he's revved up to go. She's more sober than she planned to be, but it doesn't stop her. She wants this. Wants him. And if there's someone else on her mind, she's gonna do her best to forget him.]

[truth_is_cold]

[Continued here.]