Strange Fish (Kali)

[Kali Reyes]

She took one long look at him. "Not in a physical sense," Kali agreed with a purr. "You're young, you're a cadet, you have overreaching telepathy, I'm calling you a kid. Or wonderboy. Haven't decided yet."

A tiny turtle swam up to the glass to say hi. Kali turned back around to pet and coo at it through the barrier.

[Rosiuh Aviad]

Rosiuh blinked and tilted his head in confusion. What did she mean, 'not in a physical sense'? Wasn't the physical aspect a large part of species maturity? He was young and rather gifted at telepathy for someone who was not full Betazoid, but he didn't see what that had to do with anything either. He was seriously tempted to try and read her in order to gain some clarity to what exactly her meaning was. Why couldn't other species just plainly say what they meant like the Betazoid did? It saved so much time and misunderstanding.

"My name is Rosiuh Aviad, Ma'am. Not 'wonderboy' or 'kid'. Would it not be considered rude to refer to me as other than my name or rank?" He asked trying to regain some kind of foothold in a conversation, that like so many with none telepathic species, had suddenly gone spiraling out of hand on him. Perhaps it was the fact she was Human? He'd heard they had a tendency to be fractious when dealing with other species. "I am a cadet and physically mature for one of my particular genetic hybridization. I do not see how calling me otherwise alters the facts."

[Kali Reyes]

Kali deliberated for like half a second. "Hmm... I like wonderboy better. It's got a personal touch to it." She tilted her head back this time. "You can read my emotions, can't you figure me out?" People can be so... technical when interacting with people. She often wondered if it was an actual social barrier or she just simply looked like an attractive piece of machinery.

What was she feeling? Utter amusement. Humor. Optimistic tease. That was kind of her schtick, but hell or high water, any alien was going to figure out one day that she was completely pulling their legs. Sometimes even all four of them!

[Rosiuh Aviad]

Rosiuh narrowed his eyes as she spoke again. "I thought you didn't want me to read you? That it was too easy." He pointed out as she took him to task for not reading her emotional state. "Do you want me to read you or not, Ma'am?" He asked pointedly. "I have been trying very hard not to," Rosiuh explained feeling rather exasperated that she expected him to both read her and not as she chose.

"You're amusing yourself in trying to confuse me." He pointed out with a wry frown.

[Kali Reyes]

"Hey, just because I said it was easy didn't mean you had to be a boy scout," she laughed. "Don't worry about it." Honestly, she wasn't sure whether she was fine with telepaths or not. And dating one didn't help much that category either. She's long since decided there was more interesting to challenge telepaths head on than try to tell them to politely stuff it.

"Ding, ding!" Kali chirped at his final answer.

[Rosiuh Aviad]

"Hey, just because I said it was easy didn't mean you had to be a boy scout," she laughed. "Don't worry about it." Honestly, she wasn't sure whether she was fine with telepaths or not. And dating one didn't help much that category either. She's long since decided there was more interesting to challenge telepaths head on than try to tell them to politely stuff it.

"Ding, ding!" Kali chirped at his final answer.

Rosiuh blinked and shook his head. "I do not understand why you find amusement in confusing others to your intentions. Isn't it better to state them clearly and avoid confusion?" He asked seeking clarity. "And what is a 'boy scout'? I am not scouting for boys, I am not sure what the point of that activity would be."

[Kali Reyes]

Kali hopelessly shrugged and spun about the aquarium until she disappeared behind a corner. "Where's the fun in being straightforward? Do I look like a Vulcan to you?" She nearly jumped out of her boots when an Andorian shark swam just close enough to nose at the glass.

"So boy scout, what do you do here? Are you the janitor?"

[Rosiuh Aviad]

Kali hopelessly shrugged and spun about the aquarium until she disappeared behind a corner. "Where's the fun in being straightforward? Do I look like a Vulcan to you?" She nearly jumped out of her boots when an Andorian shark swam just close enough to nose at the glass.

"So boy scout, what do you do here? Are you the janitor?"

Maybe 'boy scout' was a translated term from her native language for cadet? Rosiuh considered that option but felt considerable doubt for it being true. He narrowed his eyes at her when asked if she looked like a Vulcan. "No. Not purely so." He told her as he sensed a fleeting moment of panic from her, easily equated to the large piscine predator that bumped the glass of the aquarium she was in front of. While the glass walls made it easy to see in and through the tanks, it was not difficult to think of them as walls.

He could see her distorted shape jump as the shark nudged the glass by her head. She was distracted by her game of him and the silent approach of a large predator was enough to startle anyone when realizing how close the creature was even when separated by two different elements and a thick layer of protective glass.

"Why would a cadet be a janitor?" He shook his head. "No, this is more of your 'fun'. I am a medical officer, recently assigned to the Starbase Columbus. Do you require medical assistance?" He inquired dryly.