Just in Case/The Pond [Backpost]

Posted on 24 May 2019 @ 7:58am by Gunnery Sergeant Kyle Walken & Lieutenant Commander Iria Taltos

Mission: Hahai i na pilikua nui - Hunting Monsters
Location: Deck 8 - Holodeck 5
Timeline: Shortly before the Battle of Canterra IV

[ON]

[Deck 8 - Holodeck 5]

Kyle held a large wooden box in his right hand, he had arranged to meet Lieutenant Taltos at Holodeck five. He had already entered checking out the program he had spent some time on, he planned to get Iria something back since she had gifted him that lovely Harley. He disengaged the program and then leaned against the archway as the unsuspecting Taltos made her way to Holodeck five.

Iria wasn't sure what Walken wanted, she was very Curious mostly though, and hoped he hadn't already had a crash on the Harley. Working with him and his team for the Gornification of the Marines battle armor had been an interesting challenge besides getting the Aubrey ready among the rest of her regular duties and side projects. She walked to the doorway of holo-deck 5 grinning cheekily, "Alright Walken I am here now, what's your game?"

"Welcome Iria." Kyle got off the wall and smiled. "I know what you are thinking and no, I didn't wreck the Harley. I've been thinking about how to do something nice for you." He turns. "Computer begin program Walken dash zero zero two."

The holodeck activated and soon the two were was now just outside a snow-covered cabin. About twenty feet away was a frozen lake, "I remember seeing you ice skate a few times and you looked like your really enjoyed yourself so I whipped up a little thing for you."

Iria eyed him a long moment as the program loaded, at the sight of the cabin and frozen lake beyond it she stood still just taking in the view then she looked up at him her cheeky grin wide, "Well glad you didn't crash and this place looks really nice, don't have my skates right now though."

Kyle scratched the back of his neck, "I had one other thing." He holds up the foot-long sized box. "This is the real gift for you, a close friend left it with me and to me, they said I would know when to give it on." He opens the box and reveals a combat knife about ten inches long. Engraved on the blade was 'Aiga', the Samoan word for 'family.'

"I served with a man named, Akoni Kealoha. We were as close as brothers, he called me his laitiiti laitiiti...little brother. The two of us ran through basic together and climbed the ranks together. He gave me this knife and told me when you find someone you consider family, pass it on so they have something to protect themselves with. Iria you are my closest friend out here and I want you to accept this knife." Walken explained.

Iria blinked her expression flickering through several things, she eyed the blade and handle of the knife, it was a very deadly looking but elegant too. She looked back up at him her expression a funny mixture of sadness and humbled delight. "Hell's bells Walken I give you a rebuilt bike and you go offering me a masterpiece of a knife because we're friends." She shook her head offering him a cheeky grin, flashing a hint of her dimples, "Seriously I am honored but I don't know much about knife defense, guess I'll have to get lessons if I'm going to be worthy of it."

Kyle smiled at her reaction, "It seemed like the right gift to me, you gave me something you worked hard to put together. Mine may never be too useful but you can never go wrong with having a back-up plan. Well, I can teach you the Marine basics on it but I'm more of an unarmed fighter myself." Walken waits for Iria to take the blade, "It's not about being worthy of the blade, Kealoha gave it to me simply because he considered me family. The only person before him I was that close with was my twin sister, but since we met on the Wyoming I felt you fit this position as well so I figured it was time for me to pass it on for your protection. Not that you will ever have need to use it but you never know."

"Okay, Walken, Thank you." Iria said softly as she accepted the knife. she gave him a cheeky grin even as her eyes watered, "I will take good care of it."

"That's all I ask." Kyle smiled as he closes the box. He sits down on a small bench that looked over the frozen lake.

Iria lifted the knife carefully, and looked at it, it was a very well crafted blade but she really had no idea how to fight with it. She knew a few hand to hand moves, which was part of the defense taught at the academy, she also knew how to fight dirty from all the 'cat fights' in her youth. She set it back in the box and set it carefully on the bench beside Walken, she turned grabbed a double hand full of snow and pitched it at him, "If you think of me like a sister that means I get to treat you like one of my brothers. Tag you're it!" she said as she took off running through the snow, towards the frozen lake...

"Of course I do thin..." Walken was interrupted by the packed snow hitting him in the face. "You have made a grave mistake Taltos!" He shot up from the bench and took off after Iria, chasing her towards the lake. While making his way through the snow he took the time to prep a snowball of his own to return the favor to Iria.

Iria laughed as she ran, it was a lucky cheap shot that any other time she would have missed. As she reached the edge of the lake she hopped and started sliding across it, she shot a look over her shoulder as Walken lined up his return throw. She was an easy target on the ice even if she was moving.

Kyle planted his feet at the edge of the ice, with Iria on the ice she was more or less a sitting duck. He took aim and launched his return volley at Iria aiming for her center of mass.

Short of just dropping to the ice beneath her there little to do but cross her arms to let them take the brunt of the impact from the snowball. So Iria did so with her eyes closed because getting a puffed up of shattering snowball in the eyes was not her idea of fun. The snowball connected and she let loose and indignant Yelp but shook off the snow and laughed at Walken, "Nice throw!" She pushed off the ice with her boot heels and made a face at Kyle as she started an awkward glide. She knew better but she loved skating even without her skates.

Kyle watched Iria begin to skate along the ice, he, however, stayed on the edge of the lake. Walken had never been ice skating before so he cleared out a little spot of snow and took a seat on the ground watching Iria as she glides across the ice.

Iria glided across the ice and slid to an awkward stop a foot away from him, "Okay 'big brother' anything else I need to know, and won't your sister Em have an opinion of the uncommon sibling adoption?" She was grinning cheekily at him more than happy to treat him like her own older brothers. She had five of them after all one more adopted one wasn't going to be that much of a stretch.

Walken laughed aloud before he dug out his flask and took a sip from it. "None of that big brother stuff." He holds out the flask offering her a drink. "Emma will be happy to finally have another girl to talk too. It's me and our little brother against her, two to one."

"Ha, not so sure about that but I don't mind!" Iria knew very well about being out numbered in brothers department with her five older ones.

"Glad I can relax a bit before this combat drop, it's not going to be pretty down there," Walken mumbled softly.

Iria nodded, "Well don't do anything stupid down there and I promise not to prank anyone unless they really deserve it."

"Can't promise I won't do anything stupid, but I will take care of myself and my people down there," Walken stated.

Iria nodded, she gave him a cheeky grin, his only warning before she launched another snowball at him and took off running, as she laughed, if nothing else she'd make sure he had a moment to enjoy before the crap hit the fan.

Walken was happy to forget about what was coming, at least for now as he got up a fresh scoop of snow in his hand as he chased after Iria.

After a few more snowballs Iria laughed softly as she walked with Walken out of the holo-deck, "Okay that was fun, thank you again for the knife and on a more serious note, be careful down there."

Kyle smiled as they walked, "It was fun sometimes Jarheads can think up so fun and relaxing things, you don't need to thank me for it. I promise I will be as careful as I can."

[OFF]

Iria Taltos Lt ACHENG

Kyle Walken, Sgt, SFMC
3MSOT/TL