First date jitters

[stealth_andsecrets]

Purple stood infront of an open closet, tossing away selection after selection of tops and pants, blouses and shirts, and biting her lower lip nervously.

She was going on a date with Niverian (Cipher Nine), and she just wanted to look her best. And she had never had a real date before, so felt a little lost.

Finally, she selected a blue and black dress, and selected a few accessories like a half-dozen bracelets, her gloves, and a skull pin for her hair.

Then after finally feeling ready, Purple used her PINpoint and accessed the coordinates that Cipher Nine had sent her. She wasn't sure where she would appear... but she couldn't wait to see Cipher Nine again.

Comments

[nonvillainouscipher]

He smiles over at her. "I'm glad I have," he replies. "And it seems you've opened up a few for me as well. If I can help the Initiative in any way, I'd be glad to lend a hand." It's in his nature to be helpful; that's one of the reasons he takes so much time away from work to help out April, Clark, and Ed. "And I think both of us have several things to teach each other as well."

((When you have a moment, and assuming you still have them, would you mind dropping the full-sized image files you used to make Purple's icons into our shared Dropbox folder? They might come in handy for me at some point :).))

[stealth_andsecrets]

Purple leaned in to gently kiss him, so happy that he has offered his assistance. "That would be nice."

((can do))

[nonvillainouscipher]

He happily returns the kiss, resting a hand on the back of her head. "I live to serve," he replies, smiling.

((Thanks! Just finished copying them over :). Also, I should now be back up to my usual pace for tagging. Mom and Sky just left.))

[stealth_andsecrets]

She resists the obvious line that is right there, with a soft blush and a giggle. This is a first date after all. And it is about getting to know each other.

"So besides the dangers of the life of a spy, anything I should know about you?"

[nonvillainouscipher]

He laughs a little, then considers for a few moments. "I'm not quite sure where to start," he admits after a bit, with a somewhat sheepish chuckle. "Is there anything about me you're particularly curious about? There's not much that I'd consider 'off-limits'." A brief pause, then he smiles over at her a little. "Not to you, at any rate."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"How did you get the scars?" She might as well start with that question. She has a few concerns with her cybernetic implants. And figures, they might as well get the awkward conversation out of the way.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Except it's not awkward for him. His scars don't bother him. "Well, when I was eleven, I was caught in the middle of a terrorist attack on the Imperial colony I grew up on. They set thermite-based explosives in various places around the town. Primarily the economic, administrative, and military structures. I was standing beside one of the buildings that was wired to explode, near one of the windows. Thermite burns very hot—hot enough to melt the glass in the window I was standing beside. The molten glass and thermite were propelled outwards by the shockwave from the other explosives they used, and I got splashed by it."

[stealth_andsecrets]

She is glad that he didn't seem bothered by the question. And she gently touches his cheek, the side with the scars. "Any other scars, unseen?"

[nonvillainouscipher]

He smiles a little, leaning his cheek into her hand slightly. He was fortunate; nerve damage from the attack was minimal, and he still has full feeling on that side of his face. "Some," he answers. "Mostly from the earlier portions of my training, when I was still learning the basics of fighting. I've got a couple from vibroknives, and a few blaster burns. Most of those are somewhere on my torso."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"Sounds intense..."

[nonvillainouscipher]

"Very," he agrees. "The training for Imperial Intelligence is even more rigorous than for the military. Though I was also being unofficially trained by one of their elite operatives for seven or eight years before I even entered the official training."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"Sounds like you had an advantage to help you though it all."

[nonvillainouscipher]

He nods. "I did, yes... And the source of that advantage still brags about me to everyone else, too. I was his first protégé. In fact, his only protégé, at least as far as I know."

While they're talking, the waitress comes to take their (presumably now-finished) appetizers and replace them with the main course. Again, Niverian thanks her, before promptly returning his attention back to Purple.

[stealth_andsecrets]

"What was it like... being a protege?" Purple nods her thanks to the waitress too. The main course looks good. And she is excited for a new taste sensation.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Nerf meat tastes very similar to beef, though not exactly the same. The seasoning isn't the same as on Earth either, though neither is it starkly different. Niverian waits for her to take a bite before starting on his, and in the meantime, answers, honestly, "It was like having a parent. My mentor and his husband ended up adopting me, after all."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"And they became your family." Purple enjoys the Nerf meat. And it is cooked exactly as she had requested too.

[nonvillainouscipher]

He chose this place for a reason. The service is excellent. He and the rest of the Empire's Finest ate here once or twice the first time he was on Alderaan. "Yes they did," he agrees. "His husband had a role in my training as well. He helped me get back in touch with my people's culture, since I grew up rather detached from it." He pauses and adds, by way of explanation, "My mentor is human, but his husband is Chiss."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"I am glad you had a chance to get to know your people's culture."

"I know a little about human culture..."

"But not the Nitobe. The demon part of me."

[nonvillainouscipher]

"Nitobe," he repeats pensively, trying the word out. "Maybe finding out more about them could be something we can work on together," he suggests, after a brief pause.

[stealth_andsecrets]

"What I do know is they were a race of warrior demons. They had a code of honor that they respected."

"And they are the credit for my purple hues."

[nonvillainouscipher]

He smiles and brushes a hand through her hair. "It's definitely your colour," he notes. "Very much suits you. Even without taking your... I suppose it's effectively your code name, isn't it? Even without taking your code name into account." He makes a pensive sort of humming noise. "If you want to find out more about them, I'll do whatever I can to help you with it."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"Yes. Code name."

"I would like to learn more about my demon culture."

[nonvillainouscipher]

"Like 'Cipher Nine' is to me." He takes her hand and nudges her gently on one shoulder. "I'll be there to help you find out about them, whenever you decide to go looking into it."

[stealth_andsecrets]

"I definitely want to know what special abilities the Nitobe had. Maybe I can activate them..." She reaches up to take his hand in hers.

[nonvillainouscipher]

He laces their fingers and squeezes gently in reply. "Well then, the next time I get a chance to visit Los Angeles, we'll do some digging, see what we can turn up." A small pause. "And I certainly intend to come visit you often."