Sitting in the dark of the warship's war room, the captain watched his lieutenant sulk in the dark as they made their back to safe harbor. "It will get better, trust me." he said as Caliban stood up and just shrugged. Leaving his captain in the room Caliban passed everyone in the corridor. Ever since the battle for Thogonia 10 and death of his girlfriend, he has been in a emotional black hole. No one could get him out of it, not even the ship councillor. 'No one can help me.' he thought as he reached his quarters. Entering and dropping on his bed, Caliban stared into the pillow. 'Enter the darkness.' he pondered, then fell in to a dreamless sleep of darkness.

Four months later

Caliban walked through Old DC, stopping at his old haunts to reminisce about the better times. Coming upon his old dojo he went to when he was fifteen. He a crush on his sensei who was female, and wondered if she remembered him. 'Why not.' he thought, as he entered. The attendant bowed as he saw Caliban entered. "And how are you doing?" he asked. Caliban shrugged and slipped off his duster, sighing as something came back to his mind. 'I shouldn't be entertaining the idea, but I can't help it.' he mused. Seeing her getting the class ready to go, he felt that small humming feeling he hadn't felt in weeks come back. 'Hope I remember the steps.' he thought, placing himself in the back of other students. As it started, everything came back to him. He had been coming here regularly for three years, till he joined the military. Caliban had always wondered if his teacher liked him than just a student. Because she always seemed let him off while others were knocked down. 'I was just dreaming.' he thought, shaking off that notion. But he didn't notice that she did see him. As the class went he got that feeling back he felt when she smiled at him. He never considered how much he missed it. The class ended two hours later, sitting down in his old corner Caliban rolled his shoulders. "You looked rusty Cal." he heard, smirking. "I know, out of practice. Military remember." The attendant just smiles and leaves him to his privacy. "Sensei, who's the giant in the corner?" Nagate asked as he saw Caliban. "A former student." the attendant replied as the sensei watched Caliban sit there and cooled down. 'Caliban.' was all she thought as she watched her former student.

Nagate also stared at Caliban, but for different reason. He was very suspicious of him, 'Who is the pest?' he thought with an inward snarl. Going over, he decided to put Caliban in his place. But as he started to speak, Caliban surged up and decked him. Sending him flying across the floor and into a wall. The sensei came over and stood in front of him. "Cal, come with me to my apartment." he heard her say in that pretty Asian ascent of her. Which he always found alluring, even when he was young. Nodding, he watched her head for her office. 'What now?' he thought, sitting back down in his corner. "Guess I just wait." he says.


[pm if you want play the female sensei]

(Sorry, the posts will get longer when we get started.)

Kim Lee sat down in her chair across from her former student and gave him a warm smile. She hadn't seen him for what felt like a long time. She didn't know what made him come back, but she was glad he did.

"So, what made you come back? I've missed you here." she said, trying not to let him know exactly how much she missed him.

She knew it was odd for a teacher to have feelings for her student. It didn't feel like it should be odd, since it was Caliban, but maybe that was just hw he made her feel.

"On leave from the military, they seem think I need to see a shrink." he says sprawling himself on the couch barely long enough to accomadate his six foot four frame. 'Which might true, but I refuge to.' Caliban thought glancing to the ring on his finger. "I missed coming here sensei." He gave a half smirk to many called his trade mark. "So tell me what you've been up to since I'm away." Caliban really had missed her, it was one of reason why he went off with Lin. And he knew that she knew that she wasn't in his heart.

Kim smiled at the fact that the military thought he neededd to see a shrink. Even if he did, did they really expect him to actually do it? She watched as he got comfortable on the couch. It had been a long time since he had set foot in here. At his last question, she had to pause and think. She hadn't done much at all since he left.

"I haven't really been doing anything but working here." she said in realization.

She thought about what he said about being on leave. How long was his leave scheduled for? However long it was, it wasn't going to be long enough for her. She wished he would just come back and stay. He had crossed her mind a few times when he was gone. She would wonder if he would ever come back, even to just visit. She thought about how she could take his leave to her advantage. Maybe they could go hang out together.

Caliban stared up at ceiling and thought aloud, "Who was the idiot I decked? Don't think he liked me very much." Then he felt his com go off; checking the name he just chuckled. 'I'll call him later.' he thought to himself. Caliban sat up and says, "Wanna go wander the streets?"

Kim was just about to answer his first question when he asked if she wanted to go wandering the streets. She shrugged and then smiled at him.

"Sure." she said.

She stood up from her chair and opened the door. Once she was halfway through it, she turned back to Caliban.

"By the way, the "idiot" you decked was Nagate. Try not to cause too much trouble." she said with a light smile.

"No promises." he said following her out. Minutes later he was holding her hand and watching a news report. 'Hm, might go off the grid.' he thinks while sighing. "Cal!" Turning to see his sister Sabriel he said, "Sab." As she flung herself at him, Sabriel buried her face in his shoulder and clung. "I missed you bro." "Miss you to sis." Putting his free arm around her and kisses the top of Sabriel's head.

Kim rolled her eyes and sighed. Typical Caliban. She rested her head on his shoulder as they watched a news report. A voice calling "Cal" distracted her. She turned to see a girl flinging herself at Caliban. Apparently she went by Sab. Kim smiled at the girl as Cal kissed the top of her head.

"Sensei this is Sabriel, my half sister." Sabriel turning her head, recognized her and says, "So you're teacher that Cal talked about, nice to meet you." Holding her hand out, while still glued to Caliban's free side, Sabriel smiled at Kim.

Kim shook Sabriel's hand and tried not to blush at the mention that he had talked about her to his sister before. She chuckled.

"Apparently so. My name is Kim." she said.

Kim looked at Cal again.

"You can call me Kim, too." she said.

Sabriel enjoyed the her half brother slight blush that he had, but she that he wouldn't admit it. Caliban just sighed inwardly and nods; 'Thank sis, you pain in my ass.' he thought. "So bro, how long will you be in town?" "Till I see a shrink." She chuckled and says, "Chance in hell of that, but given what you went then, it'll be good idea to." He knew that, but it just wasn't what he wanted. 'It's Kim.' he mused as noticed the recent war report. 'Yeah, I'm differently going off the grid' he thought.

Kim tried not to laugh again at the mention of him having to see a shrink. It probably was a good idea. The military was a tough job. She smiled when Cal had a slight blush. At least she wasn't the only one. Siblings always seemed to be pros at causing that to happen.

"And how long will that be? I'm sure that it would take more than one session." she said.

She started to wonder if she was being a bit too hopeful.

"If I went, it would likely take months to work the shit I've been through." He crossed his arms and looked over his shoulder to see Lin's sister. She came and says, "Hi Cal-an." "Hi." Tsue then looked at Sabriel and hugged her, "When did you get in?" "Two weeks ago." Tsue glanced at Kim nodded, "Want to go to get something to eat?" "Yeah." Sabriel said as she look to Caliban. "Alright I'll come to, was hungry anyway."

Kim nodded.

"Sure, I'm up for food." she said.

She didn't know who the other person who came in was, but they all seemed to know Cal. She glanced at him and then looked at Sabriel again.

"Where do you all want to go?" she asked.

She wondered if she should call up her brother and have him join them. It might be a bit weird, though, so she decided against it. Her brother would have just embarrassed her anyway.

"Chinese?" "Sounds goods."

Later they were sitting in booth and eating, Caliban wondered why Tsue came. "Cal-san I just want you to know that my parents for Lin." He twitched, "I know." Caliban looked at the ring, took it off and gave it to Tsue. "I don't want it anymore." Tsue took it and gave him a necklace with a locket. "It's what she wanted to give you. She cared even through she wasn't the one you held close to your heart." 'I know she did. Maybe I shouldn't have hooked up with her.' he thought with an inward sigh.

Kim cast an awkward glance at Cal. What was she talking about? Who was she in the first place? She leaned toward Cal.

"Who is she?"she asked.

There were more questions she wanted to ask, but she didn't want to make Cal nervous. People asking questions always made her nervous. She looked at the menu as she waited for an answer.

"She's the sister of the girl I hooked up with after basic training. And the girl remnded me of you." 'Shoot me.' he thought as sighed heavily.

Sabriel added, "He's had a crush on you Kim since he was in your class."

Kim bit her bottom lip to refrain from smiling. So he liked her, apparently since he was in her class. She looked at Cal and allowed the smile to appear on her lips.

"Cal, you've liked me that long? If I would have known..." she said.

She really liked Cal too. She wasn't sure how to say it though.

"Yeah, it started with you ascent." he says as he slouched in to the corner. He didn't noticed Sabriel slip out to another booth with Tsue. Caliban grabbed Kim's hand held to his cheek.

Kim smiled as she blushed. She didn't know anyone that liked her accent that much. Time seemed to be going faster. The next thing she knew, the two girls slipped out and Cal had placed her hand on his cheek. She blushed even more.

"I suppose that I should admit to you that I have been feeling the same way about you." she said shyly.