Chapter 38
Peony
Alien restaurants were awesome. At least, this domini one was.
The tables were low, surrounded by the lounging cushions she had already become accustomed to using.
They didn't order but, instead, all the food on offer today was brought out on trays and placed on the table for their enjoyment.
Apparently, the menu changed by the day, there was no choice on the part of the customer, but they were brought one of everything at a flat cost.
Aside from the bloodshake complimented with bright blue fruit slices – that Atem apparently enjoyed – it was all delicious. He offered her the shake, but the heavily metallic scent made her grimace. Which made him laugh. Which made her smile.
They took turns feeding each other morsels from the selection.
The food had already been cut and plated to make that very thing easier, telling her that catering to couples was a staple of this place.
She wasn't really concerned with looking at the other patrons to make sure she was doing it right to be sure though.
Atem looked happy and that's all she needed.
“Tell me about your planet,” he said as they leaned back together on the same cushion. His position was such that he was almost on his side. With only a small shift of gravity, he would be able to cover her body with his.
It was so easy to forget they were in public and to wish for that to happen.
“What do you want to know?” She asked, playing with the open collar of his sheer shirt. She really appreciated the see-through clothing styles of his people.
“What was your favorite thing about it?”
She laughed, surprised at the question. She didn't have an answer ready to give. “My favorite thing? Er, that's a hard question. What's your favorite thing about Turv?”
“The battles.”
She burst out laughing, quickly covering her mouth to smother the loud sound. “The battles?!”
“Combat is a fun way to release energy and it brings people together.”
She thought of all the small skirmishes that had broken out in the market. How people had fought with genuine ferocity and then made up immediately after.
“You'd think it would create hard feelings,” she said, playing with his fingers. “How does all the fighting not lead to a lot of violence?”
“The Omoni Otorsi teaches a great deal about fighting and it's many forms.”
“Forms? Isn't there just one type? A fight is a fight, right?”
“Friendly sparring isn't the same as competition which isn't the same as true combat which isn't the same as a berserker rage. And what you're fighting for is just as important. Motivation can change the strength of your blows and a hollow purpose heralds defeat.”
Peony blinked, surprised. “Was that, like, a direct quote?”
He smirked proudly. “To impress First Scholar, you have to prove a near perfect knowledge and understanding of the Omoni Otorsi. It's the first thing younglings study and we spend our formative years understanding each chapter.”
“Your people have made an entire culture on the philosophy of combat. That's so weird,” she laughed. “You'd never see fights break out like that on Earth.”
“Why not?”
“Someone could get hurt!”
He hummed thoughtfully, running the backs of his fingers up her arm. “You are quite a delicate female. But surely your males are sturdier?”
“I mean, yeah, in general,” she mumbled, watching the slow movement. “But it's just not something that we do.”
“Such a peaceful species,” he grinned, nuzzling her cheek with his nose.
“We're really not,” she chuckled.
“So? You didn't tell me your favorite thing about Earth.”
Turning the question on him had given her some time to think. “My favorite thing, hm? I guess, I'd have to say... the people.”
He frowned. “You're lonely?”
“No!” She rushed to reassure him, realizing how that sounded.
“No, I love it here. And I love the girls. And, er...” She hesitated before saying 'you'.
Clearing her throat, she continued. “You asked me what my favorite thing was.
And I really love how people interact with each other.
I mean, we have some terrible people sometimes, but the majority of people are so nice.
And I love how people would come together and help each other and enjoy each other's company.
We're a very social species, you know, and I loved watching us be together.
I loved being part of it. I guess you can say I'm a bit of a social butterfly.”
“What's a butterfly?”
“It's an insect.”
“Ah. A social one?”
“Actually... no? I don't think so.”
He looked confused. “Then, why...?”
“I don't know. My language is full of a bunch of weird things like that. The point is: my favorite thing about Earth is the people and the relationships we made between each other.”
“I see.” He brought her hand to his mouth and gently kissed her fingertips. “That is a wonderful thing. And it just makes me want to show you to my people more.”
“Please do,” she beamed. “I want to meet everyone. I want to know what you do with your day. I want to be part of everything.”
“Then, it will be so,” he declared decisively.
And she actually believed him. The completely sincere look in his eyes didn't seem like the sort of mindless agreement that a man would do.
The romantic kind of empty promises that were said just to be said without any real intention.
She could practically read the thoughts in his three, gleaming red eyes making plans to adjust himself accordingly.
Realistically, she knew that his day wouldn't be all excitement and cool planetary ruler things.
From what he described to her, a great deal of it was paperwork, negotiation, and talking to people.
But besides the paperwork – datawork, he called it – she actually enjoyed those things.
Negotiating was a game as much as the fun mean girl stuff she had done with Quvi, and talking to people, acting as a go between for conflicts or checking on those with needs, was just part of being caring and attentive. She could do that all day long.
They continued talking through dinner, with her describing all her favorite things about Earth – the variety of food, movies, the internet.
They had all those things out in the greater universe, though they were all unfamiliar.
Being from a highly dedicated, story enjoying culture, the domini had movies – though Atem described them more as historical retellings instead of the fantasy imaginings that human stories tended to be.
They also had something like the internet.
It took her a moment to explain it to him, mostly because she had never needed to explain the internet before.
But he eventually understood and explained that they had something similar that connected the universe called the subnet.
The way he described it seemed more like virtual reality to her, but it worked by operating in quantum space such that distance wasn't a factor in its usage and connected entire planets across galaxies.
It was an information superhighway, but it wasn't identical to the internet.
She made a mental note to mention it to the others, in case they were interested. She was barely getting used to domini, she didn't want to add literally the entire universe to that yet. But it was fun to know that, if she wanted, she had access to the cosmos at the touch of a button.
After confusing her with descriptions of the science of subspace – Atem had to prove himself knowledgeable to the First Scholar on more than just the Omoni Otorsi – they changed the subject to what she could expect during the Hortii Kristivar.
It was an all-day festival that would last long into the night.
Though Atem's position as dominani would be secured come sundown, partying would last past midnight.
They would spend the morning at a traditional breakfast feast, then he and his clan – i.e.
, Peony and the others – would go the arena where they would spend the rest of the day down on the floor enjoying entertainment between any challenges he might face.
He expected at least a dozen. Which worried her about his stamina, which made him groan at her lack of faith in him.
Then, just before sunset, before he was declared dominani until his death or he chose to willing give up the name, his Firsts would gather around and challenge him to combat themselves.
And it was all real combat. With real consequences.
That he seemed completely blasé about. His lack of concern had her trapped in a place where she didn't know if she should feel secure in his confidence or worried about his nonchalance.
He spoke of the possibility of a dozen challenges, at minimum, before his Firsts all challenged him as though it were nothing. He wasn't scared at all.
“Peony,” he fixed her with a look as they walked back to the hover, full from delicious food. “You have that look on your face again.”
She grimaced. “I'm sorry.”
He sighed. “At this point, I have no pride left.”
“No, no! I know you're a great warrior. You did so great fighting those ratchi.”
He winced, that assurance not helping at all. “Ah. My female trusts me to fight a group of cowardly ratchi males that aren't even considered fully mature yet. I am humbled.”
“No, I believe in you.” She leaned against his arm. “If I could bet, I would put money on you.”
He gave her a look before opening the hover that unlocked at his touch and handed her up inside. She grimaced, guilty about her own misgivings, but she couldn't stop it.
Within moments, they were back in the air. Peony hadn't asked where they were going, she just assumed that they would be finished after dinner, but he didn't turn them back towards the palace once they crested over the canopy. Instead, he turned the hover towards the lake.