[ussbansheec] Chiromancy
- From: Andy Maluhia <CaptainAndy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 18:38:02 -0400
_ Chiromancy_
by Aylin t'Sen, Gabriel Wagner, & Senek Menkara
***warning***adult content***
So they weren't queuing round the corner, it wasn't the end of the
world. Aylin kept telling herself that as she opened the shutters on
her booth with a flourish. It didn't matter that a spineless jerk she
rented her little shop from had upped the rent, nor did it matter that
the only reason she was eating at the moment was because the
hru'Airifvir was staying with her. It was fine. A bright, breezy smile
lit her face as she swayed around the small space, tidying everything so
it was perfect for the fictional customer to enter.
Gabriel still had no idea what to really make of Izzy's uncle. He
wasn't as plainly logical as other Vulcans yet that didn't seem to mean
that he wasn't capable of it. He seemed rather at ease with his mix of
peculiarity and for that, if nothing else, Gabriel found himself liking
him. He had to admire anyone so at ease with himself. He just wondered
what he'd missed before he woke up, what had put that odd sadness on
Nan's face. He dismissed all that as they rounded the corner onto the shop.
"There," he said as he pointed with one blue finger. "Aylin t'Sen, the
lady who so very much amused Isobel."
"Then, by all means, take me to her. I don't believe I've ever had this
done before."
Tea. The thought appeared in her mind that she needed soft Vulcan mint
tea and some soft harp music. Picking out two... no three mugs, one
blue, one softly green and the third a bright, vibrant red. Perhaps
today she would have some of the mint instead of her normal earthy teas.
Senek followed Gabriel in, looking about in curiosity. It smelled
pleasant enough as if there were herbs burning or tea brewing. He had
no idea what to make of the place, of its decor, other than it seemed
oddly familiar, almost like one of the places he'd visited in Egypt.
"Miss t'Sen," Gabriel called softly.
Aylin turned around, the tiny bells attached to the bottom of her skirt
tinkling pleasantly and she smiled at the man she recognised as the
station commander. "Good morning, rekkhain. How may I serve?"
"This is Captain Menkara, Miss t'Sen. If you remember Major Ecitsuj,
he's her chosen uncle and he's come to visit the station. She suggested
your place be on the list of places he see," Gabriel said with a smile.
"Lhhei," Senek said simply with a slight bow.
"Ah of course I remember Major Ecitsuj. How is your lady, Captain
Wagner? The pregnancy goes smoothly, I hope?"
"If you please, ma'am, that isn't quite public knowledge yet," Gabriel
said carefully. He had nothing against telepaths, having grown up among
them, but they could be so unnerving at times. He smiled again,
though. "But thank you for asking. It's a boy and he's named already."
"He'll be a good boy," she assured him. "Can I get you both some tea?
I just made a pot of Vulcan mint."
"That would be appreciated," Senek said, looking around at the small
place, fancying for a moment that the ceiling was a bit low for his
comfort.
"Please," Gabriel added. "I think I need to cut down on the caffeine."
"It would help you sleep better," she observed as she flowed away and
poured out the cups. She handed the blue one to Captain Wagner, the
pale green one to Senek and kept her bright red one. "What may I show
you of my wares, rekkhain? I am afraid I have little in the way of
charms. I've been wiped out of them and haven't the time to make more."
"Ach, I don't use charms. They're against my beliefs," Gabriel told her.
Senek raised a brow at that. It seemed the young man was a rather
orthodox sort even if he was living with Izzy. "And what wares would
those be, ma'am?" he asked. Alright, he would admit to curiosity if not
belief.
"Crystals, mostly, and incense which I make myself," she smiled up at
him. Tall, she thought. Interesting man, he feels... sad. She blinked
once but carried on as smoothly as she could. "I can brew you a potion
for any purpose you need, read your future in the leaves at the bottom
of your cup, though I prefer palms - more accurate." After another
moment of simply looking up at him, she added in a careful tone, "Do you
have a chakra set, rekkhai?"
"I'm not quite done with the tea which, may I say, is rather good,"
Senek said. "I mean you no disrespect but I don't quite believe in the
sort of potions you refer to, unless they're medicinal in nature. As to
the chakra set, I would have to say I don't have one because I don't
know what it is."
"A small set of stones, seven in total, one for each energy centre," she
explained. "They keep you safe, grounded and healthy, even if you don't
believe in them. Would you... I could make you a set if you like."
He heard Gabriel mutter something under his breath in German about
blasphemy but Senek shrugged. "Ah now I understand. As the saying
goes: what harm could it do? Certainly, make a set up," he told her.
"After all, I don't believe in luck yet I carry a good luck charm."
Aylin peered at the station commander with a wary guard in her eyes.
More prudent to ignore the man, she decided. She gave Senek a warm
smile then turned to the small box of tiny crystals, skilled hands
finding the right stone for each chakra point: amethyst for the crown,
lapis lazuli for the third eye, blue chalcedony for the throat,
malachite for the heart, citrine for the solar plexus, red jasper for
the sacral and finally a special stone for the base. With a smile, she
lifted the tiny piece of jasper up. It was a dark red, shaped like a
tooth and with a white tip. When she'd found it, she'd laughingly
referred to it as a dragon's tooth. Now she knew who it belonged to,
she plopped it in the small chakra bag with the other stones.
"For you, rekkhai," she said softly as she pressed it into his hand.
"Wash them in fresh water when you can, at least once a month. Keep
them with you."
"I have a small fountain on my desk. I think I can do that," he said
easily. "I cannot say that Vulcans subscribe to any fortunate telling
at all but there were quite a few of them in Egypt in the markets. I
think the word my daughter used was 'sham artists'."
"Oh?" Aylin smirked as she chuckled softly. "Would you like to test the
theory?"
Senek set the tea down and held up his hands. They were a musician's
hands with long fingers that could just as easily coax music from
anything with a string or settle a found child's fears. "You did say
palm reading, did you not?"
"I did," she beamed, setting her own tea down and lifting his hands on
hers so she could peer at them. She turned them one way, then the
other. "Long life goes without saying," she mused, almost to herself.
"It ends," she pointed to a make halfway up his hand, "then starts
again, changing direction. You have a lot of love in your life for a
Sundered one. It's what breaks life but brings it back..." Her gentle
fingers drew up the middle of his palm then froze. Very carefully, she
let his hand go and felt green crawl up her cheeks. How... She shook
her head as if clearing it then lifted his hand again for another look
before dropping it like a stone. "Out," she snapped, her softness
gone. "Leave, now. I don't know how you..."
"Excuse me?" Senek asked while, at the same time, Gabriel said, "I knew
this was a bad idea."
"I asked you to get out," she whispered in a small, dangerous voice.
"Who are you? What are you? You have the dead in your life. People
who died long, long ago. You hold her like she's precious to you. How
did you know my mother?!"
"Go, Gabriel," Senek said. "I'll be fine." Without waiting to see if
the younger man would actually leave, he turned his eyes back to Aylin.
"Madam, I do not care for puzzles and riddles so speak plainly if you
will. The only Sundered one in my life is my daughter and she is not
dead." The last four words were enunciated very slowly and carefully,
as if he were getting angry. " And I don't think I know your mother."
"Your daughter lives," Aylin retorted in an off-hand way. "And she's
coming home. My mother is dead, I watched..." Taking a deep breath,
she continued, "You hold her in your life. From when it ends the first
time to when it ends the last. She's there, with you. I can see her in
you, like some... Ghost... Please, go away."
It was highly illogical but she'd piqued his curiosity. Now he really
did want to know what was going on. "Please," he said in a softer, more
placating tone, "I truly do not understand what you're saying. Explain
it to me?"
Closing her eyes a moment, she forced herself to centre then opened them
and nodded. "Give me your palm again." With it in her hands once more,
she drew up along one of the lines. "This is your life. Do you see how
it cuts in one place and goes off at a tangent? That's the first
death." A secondary line that had followed his life-line ended there
and she pointed to it. "One love ends. But here..." It hurt inside to
see it, the flow of her mother's life in his hand. "Another starts.
I've seen it, this line, on one palm before. It was her life-line, her
core and now it's here, on your hand. You have my mother's life on your
hand."
He sniffed softly at the mention of a love ending. The bruise had long
since disappeared but the bruised feelings had not. It was over
alright. "I was born and raised on Vulcan, in the city of T'LingShar.
My mother is Vulcan and my father was Human, from Earth's Egypt. How
can any of what you say be?" he asked.
"I don't..." she sighed as she kept his hand in hers, stroking down the
line she believed was her mother's. "She's dead, I know she is.
They... the Tal'Shiar beat her until she could barely breathe and then
they cut her throat. I watched. There is not 'if she is alive', there
is no 'maybe'. There is just what I know to be true and what I see in
your hand. You will know her, rekkhai, and very intimately. She will
touch every part of you, be with you for the rest of your life. You
will love her. When..." Aylin bit back another sigh, leading him
through to the back of her shop where a small seating area was. "When
you see her, tell her..." She hadn't let his hand go, couldn't bring
herself to as if touching him touched her mother somehow. "When you see
her, tell her I've gone out of my mind. How can I see dead people in
your palm? Why?"
"I mean no disrespect, lhhei, but if one is truly gifted, the gifts
often have a price. It's unpleasant sometimes, though," he said
quietly. "I did not intentionally cause you distress."
"Up til now, that price has been being seen as nuts or a freak," she
whispered, clearly devastated. "Maybe... I think it's time to shut up
shop and move on."
"Begging your pardon but a lot of people think I'm among that first
group you mentioned," Senek said with a soft sniff of amusement. "It
would be a shame to shut down just for proving yourself true. And I
offer my apologies for something. I misunderstood you before with your
use of the word 'sundered'."
"I didn't notice. What did you think I meant, other than Vulcan?" she
asked, almost trying to change the subject yet holding onto his hand
still, one slim finger tracing up and down the life-line.
"As I said--my daughter. It is a myth that Vulcans have no emotions.
It is more that we choose to master them with logic but you were right.
I do have a lot of love in my life: from my parents, my daughter, and
from my chosen brother and his family," he admitted, carefully leaving
out one particular person because it would have been a lie.
Without thinking, she added, "She loved you once, rekkhai. And you
loved her. She just... got scared. You're scared too, you're like many
of them who come here, their fear beating around them like a blanket.
Smothering. But you're different. You believe. There's very little
doubt in you. All you fear is for others, not for your daughter."
He opened his mouth to protest but thought better of it. He didn't
question how she knew things if, as she had demonstrated, she really did
have the gift of second sight. "You are most likely right about her and
are definitely right about me. I want my daughter home and I know she
will be. Not everyone else has such strength of faith."
A slight smile touched her lips as she nodded. "Most are safe," she
whispered, her eyes losing a little of their focus. "I pray some never
come here to ask. I can't lie."
"Then please do not even tell me because I find it hard to lie when
asked direct questions," he told her. She was still holding his hand,
he realized, and wondered if that was part of the ritual. "And forgive
me my lapse of courtesy if you will. I did not mean to ignore what you
said. I grieve with thee for thy loss."
"My loss?" she blinked, her eyes coming back to the room. "You mean my
Ri'nanov? It was long ago, rekkhai. No one remembers but myself and my
sponsor."
"Time does not, as the Humans like to say, always heal all wounds," he
told her. It was the truth when he considered that there wasn't a day
that went by when he didn't think of his sister.
"No, it really doesn't." She let his hand go and placed it on his lap.
"I think I've been holding that far too long, you should have it back.
I don't know how but you'll know her. She was a great lady. Powerful
but loving. I died when she did."
He looked at the hand for a moment. Other than T'Cerys or his mother,
the only one to touch it as of late had been Nan and his children. To
be touched unbidden was usually something of a huge faux pas among
Vulcans but he found himself...unoffended? Pleased? He didn't know but
he definitely found it not unpleasant. "And no words of advice as to
what I should do when I meet her?"
"Don't piss her off?" Aylin let out a small laugh. "I was maybe
thirteen or fourteen when she died but I can remember she had a
formidable temper and little patience with persistent people. I begged
her for months to let me read her palm. I'd been to the Temple, spoken
to a priestess who had read mine. I was fascinated. She said I'd have
a life full of adventure and I wanted to see how Ri'nanov fitted into
it. She... she didn't. I read the palm and it all ended. Two weeks
from then they took her."
"That sounds not unlike my own temperament. I do not tolerate stupidity
very well and I refused to discipline my daughter when she threatened to
drop a fellow cadet out a window. I said she should have done it," he
said with an almost smile. His eyes sobered though as he thought
further. "That particular group of people is known, to this day, to be
profoundly ruthless. I doubt anything you did had to do with her ending."
"You don't know," she whispered in horror. "They asked for things from
me. They said they'd let her go. She wouldn't let me help her."
His face went even more still than it had been as he thought about what
'things' she could possibly mean. "Did you do as she wished?"
"Of course," she whispered harshly. "She died, didn't she? I killed her."
"Or you were a good daughter who did as her mother asked," he said
gently. "Our cultures are quite different but I have spent many years
in Starfleet and have familiarized myself with the Rihannsu. Would she
have been dishonored if you denied her wishes and she lived, knowing
what price you had to pay for her life?"
"Yes," she said, sounding like the lost fourteen year old for the first
since that day. "But she'd be alive. I don't share some of the more
orthodox beliefs of my people. Life is life, no matter the cost."
"Believe me, lhhei, I share that belief but take what small comfort you
can if that is all you can take. She would have been pleased at that
choice even if you were not," he told her. "I should think that she
would be pleased with how her child turned out, orthodox or not. She is
true to her nature it seems."
Her cheeks coloured lightly in sage but she smiled. "Hann'yyo,
rekkhai. Call me Aylin? I've invaded your privacy enough that you
deserve my name, don't you think?"
"I'm honored, Aylin," he said soberly with a nod of respect but that
soon turned into something akin to his usual odd humor. "It is hardly
an invasion when I allowed you to do what you did. Plus there is the
fact that the use of names has changed between us on Vulcan and our
cousins. It hardly helps, either, that I am half Human."
"You're a nice man," she observed as she rose. "At least let me make
you some more tea. It must have gone cold by now. I think I scared
away our rather skittish station commander."
"The tea would be appreciated, Aylin, but, if I were you, I would not
worry too much about Captain Wagner. He is," Senek said with obvious
amusement in his voice, "considerably more orthodox in the faith we
share. Do not take it personally but he no doubt finds you a witch and
me a blasphemer now."
"A witch? As in with a broom and a black cat?" Aylin smirked, offering
her hand for him to take. "I adore that stereotype, I'd live it if I
could. I chose the Hevam gypsy instead though."
"It suits you," he said without thinking. "I have even seen such people
in Egypt but they, as I said before, were sham artists and not
particularly aesthetically pleasing."
"You find me aesthetically pleasing?" She took his hand herself and
stepped a little closer to him. "High praise from a Sundered one."
"It is quite the truth, though. Unlike certain people whose names I
shall not deign to bring up, I hardly see it as illogical to admit to
beauty if beauty is there. That is not being illogical, it is telling
the truth," he told her, his hand unconsciously folding around hers.
"Are there many Vulcans with such an easy nature?" she wondered idly.
"There can't be many who are also so handsome." Ah yes, she thought
with a sigh. Flirting with a customer is such a wise move. But it
continued to surprise her as she moved a little closer. She had never
been so interested in a man, nor anyone, until now.
Are you insane, Senek, he asked himself. You're a married man. Even
amongst Vulcans this would be looked at askance. But then he thought
about what he'd told Izzy. Kaiidth: what is, is. Still holding her
hand, he said, "Far be it from me to pass judgement on my own people but
I would have to say no, that most of us are stiff necked and
inflexible. Even if I were not half Human, my parents were considered
what the Humans used to call hippies." Again he gave that almost
smile. "As for the 'handsome' part, I do not look at other men so I
have no idea."
"I see men," she told him softly. "Many who consider themselves
handsome are ugly inside. You have a sweetness, purity in you. It's
attractive and refreshing. Come, let me make you tea."
"I think I would appreciate that," he said quietly, humbled by her
honesty. Even with the bond, T'Aaya hadn't been so honest with him in
quite some time. "The mint has long been a favorite."
"I know," she smiled. "I have a knack of knowing what people's
favourite tea is. I like more earthy ones but mint is refreshing."
"And cool if one considers the temperature on Vulcan. When on Earth, I
will usually try what's called English breakfast tea. A friend, the
father of my daughter's young man, remarked that I was the only person
he'd ever met who could play darts while drinking tea," he said with a
slight smile finally showing.
Gorgeous, she thought, and well worth the wait. Her own smile lit in
response to his. "I don't think I've ever played darts. You throw
projectiles, do you not?"
"Projectiles at a target labeled with progressively higher numbers as
they get smaller. I do not generally indulge in games of chance or
gambling but it fit the situation. I won a sizeable amount of credits
that evening," he said with a smirk.
"Good," she said airily. "Means you have the money to pay for the
reading." Then she grinned, drawing him further into the back area of
her shop, into a recess where she kept her teas and kettle. "Or it's on
the house. I don't often get the chance to meet someone with such an
interesting and disturbing palm."
He reached into his jacket to fish out a credit voucher. Dropping it on
a table he said, "The entirety of what I won that night. If it isn't
sufficient, I have more."
"I can't take that, rekkhai," she said softly, placing it back into his
pocket then brushing down the front of his jacket. She let her hand
linger on his chest. "I'm doing alright, besides you might need it."
"I would prefer you take it, Aylin. It would only be fair to pay for
services rendered," he told her, dark eyes following her hand. Catching
it , he added, "Believe me, I have enough."
She felt something inside flutter when he actively touched her hand.
"Oh dear," she whispered, her cheeks darkening as she stared into his
eyes. "And here I thought I was immune..." She drew him closer and
reached onto tiptoe to place a delicate kiss on his cheek.
It was the cheek he'd been struck on and it felt as though the sting of
that fateful slap had finally been eased. "Immune?" he asked softly,
the smile warming again as her cheeks flushed. "Dare I ask to what?"
"Attraction. Liking someone enough to even want to touch them, let them
touch me, hold me..." One slim finger touched his lips to trace the
smile that flashed so briefly. "You should do that often, rekkhai. It
suits you more than I care to admit to."
He hmmphed softly even as his arm rested at her waist. It wasn't the
touch of psi points but he still felt a brush of something and the part
of his mind that it touched very firmly squashed the part that tried to
remind him that he was married, at least legally. "Public smiles are
rare for us. I usually save them for family or things that truly amuse
me ," he admitted. "Or aesthetically pleasing ladies who read my palm."
"Perhaps I should find you more so I can continue to see that smile,"
she observed. "Do Vulcans kiss those they find aesthetically pleasing?
Or do they prefer to simply watch?"
He pretended to mull it over but then the smile slowly spread across his
face. The hand that had been resting at her waist drew her closer and
he leaned to press his lips to hers. "It is not a usual custom but one
that my mother came to enjoy from my father," he said, his mouth a
breath away from her cheek.
Okay, not good... That felt far too perfect. Too lovely. "I don't
remember if Ri'nanov and Di'nanov kissed. I was very young when he
disappeared." She found herself pulling him tighter so she could enjoy
being held. "Such a sweet man," she murmured before brushing her lips
against his.
Deeper and warmer. He held her closer as he kissed her. ~~I don't
believe anybody's ever called me that before~~
~~Rekkhai?~~ She blinked once then grinned as she touched his mind
again. "This feels..." ~~Right. What is it?~~
His face flushed as he realized what he'd done. ~~I beg your pardon,
Aylin. I did not mean to intrude. It is what your people so often fear
from us: the mind touch. We are touch telepaths and it seemed only
natural. My apologies for the intrusion.~~
~~Don't stop! Oh please don't stop~~ She bit her lip as she held him
tighter, as if simply holding could stop him withdrawing from her mind.
~~Stay~~
~~As you wish but there is a small condition~~ It was only among those
he truly cared about that he allowed the mischief and playfulness to
emerge and he felt it arising with her. ~~My name is Senek and I would
be more than pleased if you chose to call me such.~~
"Senek," she murmured before placing a soft but passionate kiss on his
lips. ~~Can I touch your mind as easily? Is this because you touched
mine first?~~ She could feel the beginnings of emotion stir, feel them
twist inside and between them. It was intoxicating and enthralling
beyond any other sensing she'd managed before.
~~Rihannsu and Vulcan are not so different as many believe. This~~ and
he smiled again~~is all a matter of training~~
~~Teach me~~ "First..." Her smile grew for him as she stepped back but
danced soft fingers over his face. "Do you still want tea?"
Mentally, he almost sighed at the loss of contact. How very refreshing
and vibrant she was! "That is entirely up to you," he murmured as he
lifted a thumb to brush her lips, smiling crookedly at the ring in the
lower one. "I am a patient man."
Darting forward, she placed a soft kiss on his palm before he moved his
hand. "Are there many Vulcans with piercings?" With a purr, she added,
"Do you wish to see how many I have?"
"Women who are married or engaged have one ear pierced and wear either a
diamond or ruby stud there but it is not a usual practice," he replied.
He was certainly old enough to know better, to know how to control
himself, so he knew damned well that what he was feeling was stoppable
if he wanted it to stop. He didn't want that, though. One hand cupped
her face under the chin, the touch as soft as a whisper. "I am a
married man, Aylin, for a little while longer in any case. Can you deal
with that?"
"Do you love her?" she asked, knowing the answer already. "Will you
return to her after you are with me?"
"I did once but perhaps you know that. She has blamed me every day
since our daughter joined Starfleet, saying that my example stole
T'Cerys from her." He absently reached to hold her closer and twine his
fingers through her hair. "I do not love her any longer although I may
respect her as my daughter's mother. I will not live with her ever again."
"Living with someone and having intercourse are two different things,"
she whispered as she let herself be held and relaxed in his arms. "If
you want this then stay. If it's something to be had once then leave."
"Understand something then," he said carefully. "To be bonded is for
life unless the bond is broken mutually. Until I can see to it that the
one I have with T'Aaya is so broken, she will be present in my mind. Do
not fear that she will sense you, though. I've already cut her off from
all but knowing I exist."
"I care not if she senses me, I don't even care if she sees me with
you," Aylin said honestly. "I only care that you're here. I get to
hold a piece of you for a while, at least."
"I am here at least until Banshee comes home, Aylin, and then... well, I
would ask you to return to Vulcan with me," he said soberly. "I will
not hide you."
"I don't believe you would," she mused with a slightly astonished
smile. "But I'd hide anyway. Not too terribly prudent to have a
Rihannsu mistress. Especially one that could be seen to have broken up
a home. I'll stay with you, if I may though."
"Not mistress, Aylin--wife," he said firmly with a gentle smile. "One
does not bond otherwise and you will not hide. It is not unknown to
have bond with two, especially when a man is not prone to the one thing
all purely male Vulcans are."
Wife... wife? WIFE! She tried the word from so many angles that it
made her dizzy but she liked it no matter which angle she took. "What
is that, Senek, e'lev?"
It never did embarrass him since he had no need to be. "I understand it
does not effect the Rihannsu but among male Vulcans, one must mate at
least every seven years or die. It came about, we're taught, because
emotion was so tightly controlled. Some have made comments that my
mother was less a Vulcan woman for choosing my father, so that she would
not have to deal with that from a Vulcan mate."
"What tosh," she snorted, smirking. "Why does a woman have to be
defined by the man she chooses? What total twoddle."
"She agrees with the sentiment," he said with an equal smirk. "So now
that you know all this, know what could happen, do you wish to change
your mind?"
"About..." ~~About this? Are you insane?~~ She let out a bright laugh
as she pushed herself up onto her tiptoes and kissed him soundly.
~~This is so perfect, e'lev.~~ She felt like dancing but instead kissed
him deeper, harder.
He caught her up easily, lifting her slightly so that he wouldn't have
to lean to kiss her. ~~Where do you live, Aylin? This is no place to
learn about any sort of touch~~ he said with that mischief again.
Her cheeks darkened once more and she broke off the kiss. "Somewhere
I'd rather not take you, e'lev. You're too fine a man. Maybe...
Perhaps we should wait."
"I don't think I want to," he said warmly. He held out a hand to her,
the first two fingers extended. "This gesture is the one public gesture
of affection that any Vulcan couple will make, the equivalent of other
species' holding hands. Come, my fortune telling lovely lady, I have
rooms assigned to me by now."
She placed two fingers on his tentatively, unsure as whether it was the
right thing to do or not. "You do not mind being seen walking to your
rooms with me? Like this, people will at least suspect."
"The only one who can make me feel ashamed is me and I definitely do not
feel that way," Senek told her, smiling slightly as her fingers touched
his. "Do not be upset, though, if I seem different to you. I have to
maintain that Vulcan mystique in public after all."
"How do you wish me to behave?" she asked as they stepped from her
shop. She paused briefly to lock everything and make sure the sign said
she would return in the afternoon and then she placed her fingers back
on his with a gentle smile. "I do not wish to embarrass you, e'lev.
Not for anything." ~~I'jol'au~~ and in the moment she said it, she knew
it to be true in all sense of the term.
"As yourself," he said matter-of-factly. "To do anything else would be
disingenuous and I prefer the real you." ~~Wani ra yana ro aisha, Aylin,
and just as you are~~
~~All of those words to say you love me?~~ She smirked as they wound
their way through the station, all the while her fingers on his.
~~It is said of the Vulcan that he either talks too much or not enough~~
he said with a straight face.
She peered up at him, trying not to laugh. ~~How am I meant to be
dignified when all you make me want to do is giggle?~~ "I'm not going
to make a good consort," she observed out loud before she felt the first
laugh bubble up. "I'm sorry, I'm just not going to be good at this."
"When you are ready, I will introduce you to Major Ecitsuj's father. He
and I have been friends for almost fifty years and, in that time, he has
never ceased to--and I quote--'get me to lighten up'," Senek replied,
clearly amused even if it didn't show. "I never had a brother yet I
would have chosen him for one, even if he still tries to make me laugh."
"Not so stuffy then if you have a chosen brother like him," she giggled,
feeling the start of tears in her eyes from holding the laughter in.
"Please take me somewhere where I can have you back. This hurts too
much to laugh."
They were somewhere in the visiting officers' area. Gabriel not doubt
had found him rooms even if there were none. Apparently the younger man
wasn't holding his interest in blasphemy against him. He pointed to a
door just ahead. "There. Captain Wagner may be miffed about my
interest in blasphemy but he is apparently not vindictive," he said with
a slight smirk.
"No, he's not the vindictive type. Anyone who could be with someone as
interesting as Major Ecitsuj would have to be a special kind of a man,"
she observed as her laughter abated, replaced by quiet wonder and a
little trepidation. ~~Show me your temporary home, e'lev. Then teach
me what you will.~~
He tapped in the code that showed up on his PADD then led her inside.
For all the fact that there was more room because it was an officer's
quarters, it was still Starfleet boring. "Not aesthetically interesting
in the least. My office on Vulcan is more welcoming."
"We'll decorate it later," she said as she took his hand fully in hers.
"For now..." Up on her tiptoes again, she kissed him deeply and
lingered over it.
His hands were reaching to caress her back but he stopped. "Come,
things should be explained and done properly," he said as he led her to
the low sofa. Graceful for a man his height, he sat then held his hand
out to her. "I would not want you leaping into the water without
knowing what's inside."
"What's inside..." She almost tripped when he stopped so suddenly but
she followed him to the sofa and curled her feet up under her long
skirt, not quite touching him but close enough to feel the heat from
him. "Tell me?"
"A bonding is so complete that we say the pair is never and always
touching and touched, parted yet not. If a bond is broken without
notice, it can be fatal, as if you would have lost half of your life,"
he said as he reached for her hand. "Once bonded, you would feel my
presence even without me being nearby and you would be able to 'speak'
to me if I were close enough."
"But you love me and I love you and this is how we have to be if we wish
to be together, na?" she pushed, drawing his hand into her lap. "I
don't even know if I'd want to live without you." In that moment the
meaning of what she'd seen earlier hit her full force and she gasped.
"My life," she whispered. "You're going to bond with me, I know it, I
can see it already."
"I want to but may I ask a question that may or may not upset you?" he
asked, the smile reappearing at the clear affectionate gesture.
"You are free to ask me what you like but I can't promise I'll answer,"
she chuckled. "Have to preserve the mystique after all."
He actually snorted out loud in amusement at that. "Very good point but
I refer to the reading you did. You said I would love her for the rest
of my life and that she would touch every part of me. That, Aylin, is
what a bond does. Is this what you meant in that?"
She nodded, her eyes glowing. "The life-line was mine, is mine. It's
my life that you hold. I couldn't see it. So similar to my Ri'nanov's,
I just couldn't read that. Besides, I am all that is left of her so it
is like you hold her also." ~~I want this. Please, Senek, I do want this~~
He lifted her hand to his face, settling the fingers on the psi points,
then placed his hand on hers in the same position. ~~These are the
strongest touch points, the ones that must be touched for a bond or meld
to be initiated. You will see all of me for I have nothing to hide.
Look where you will except for one thing. If you encounter that which
is walled off--stay away because that would be where I've shut T'Aaya
from me. I cannot break the bond without telling her so I've set her
aside so to speak. Alright?~~
Taking a deep breath, she nodded only slightly so she wouldn't disturb
his fingers. ~~I hide nothing in me, see and go where you please~~ She
held his eyes for a long time. ~~Show me what to do~~
He showed her a place he could describe with his eyes closed but it was
from a different perspective, as if it were from a child's point of
view. They watched as a Human man cuddled a little girl to his side
while his Vulcan wife sat playing a stringed instrument. ~~My parents
and my twin. We were three at the time. If you watched this further,
this was the first day that I picked up one of Mother's instruments.
I've yet to let them go~~
~~Your twin...~~ Deep sadness for his loss welled up inside her. In
that moment, she didn't want to share parts of her life with him, didn't
want to show the darkness.
~~Aylin, don't be sad for T'Kay. I miss her every day of my life but I
know she wanted it to be just that--life. A bond means to share it all,
my love, good and bad. We take strength when we need it and give it in
return. You cause no harm by looking at things I welcome you to see~~
Her eyes had closed and tears started but she sniffed in amusement as
she showed him a scene of her life. Her mother held her on her lap,
there was a book on the table in front of them and the little girl was
sniffling gently. As the woman rocked her, she was clearly holding back
laughter. 'She comes back, little io. Look, a happy ending.' When all
the child did was continue to cry, the mother gave in and laughed. 'My
sensitive little girl.'
He smiled at the scene even as his other hand brushed away a tear. ~~A
beautiful woman your mother. She would be proud of you~~ He led her
about through his life, and two things were always present: his love of
music and his love for his family. ~~I need to write you something. I
don't know what but it will suit you~~
~~Play it to me often~~ She grinned as she drew him into her life as
well. Slowly, they wound through it, everything just the two of them,
her and her mother. Suddenly and quicker than she'd expected, the
darkness came. Aylin stopped the images, froze them the moment the
ground car came into view. ~~You don't want to see this~~ she told him
honestly. ~~Perhaps I can just summarize my life from here~~
~~Show me what you wish, Aylin, but you need not cause yourself pain.
You've already told me what happened. Don't show me if it hurts too
much. In fact, let me show you something funny~~ An office at the
Starfleet Academy. Five young cadets and five sets of parents or
grandparents. One of the cadets was a lovely young Vulcan woman. And
there he was, barely reigning in amusement as he said 'You should have
dropped him, T'Cerys-kam'. ~~My daughter and her friends. Except for
that little bastard on the end~~
~~That's not a very Vulcan word~~ She laughed brightly then leaned
forward to kiss him softly. ~~This is a bond then?~~
~~My father was quite Human and a teacher of language as well as music~~
Here, it was natural to allow the amusement to flow. Even T'Cerys had
learned some interesting words from her grandfather. he dropped his
hand from her face then gently removed hers. ~~Do you feel me still?~~
~~Like you're meant to be here, a missing part of me~~ "Yes, e'lev, I
feel you."
~~'Never and always touching and touched'~~he quoted as he approached
again. "Thee are my bondmate then, Aylin, for you are as a part of me
as my own soul."
"What do we do now?" she asked softly.
~~Whatever you want~~ he said simply as he slid his arm around her waist
again.
~~How long until your cycle, e'lev?~~ She toyed with a strand of her
own hair, twisting it round her finger then letting it go to spring back
to straight.
The mischief was back as he said ~~I don't have one because my father
was Human. In that respect, I am very much his son. Had an idea, did
you?~~
Carefully, she pulled herself onto his lap and settled her arms around
his neck. "Perhaps..." ~~Something like this...~~ Her kiss was deep
and smouldering, it left no doubt as to her intention but if it did, her
hands as they moved to start undressing him did not.
She was wearing so little to begin with but as what little she wore fell
away under his touch, Senek had to catch his breath. No, no Vulcan
would mark herself so but it seemed too entirely right for her.
"Beautiful," he murmured as his eyes looked at her unclothed.
"A trade for services rendered," she told him as she brushed at the
dragon that curled up around her left breast. Shaking her hair made the
small chimes at nipple and belly-button tinkle and she lifted herself up
so her skirt would drop away as well.
Even as he easily kicked off the boots he was wearing, a habit after
wearing them for so many years, he watched her with Fire in his eyes.
~~I imagine, e'lev that this~~ and his fingers gently traced one pierced
nipple ~~must have hurt ~~
She grinned as she kissed him then showed him the piercing in question
being done. 'Both?' the huge artist said, gaping at the slight girl in
front of him. 'You want both done at the same time?' The sixteen year
old nodded firmly as she removed her top. 'Like me, you have little
money, so an exchange for the tattoo I designed for you.' The man gave
her a most dubious look but ushered her to a table where he carefully
and as gently as he could shot the ring through her left nipple. There
was no sign of pain from the girl so he shot the belly-button piercing
in as well. 'Hann'yyo' the girl said evenly as she flowed out, her top
back in place. Once alone, she hissed so loudly that it rang in her
ears and small tears started to gather in her eyes. A string of
interesting Rihan nouns and verbs flowed from her mouth.
~~Oh yes, it hurt, but one has to keep up the mystique~~ Her hands
found the catch of his pants and started to unzip them slowly. ~~And I
won't remove it, it's been with me for a long time~~
He smiled at the memory she showed him. ~~That poor man~~ Strong sure
fingers traced the tattoo's edges then he leaned to kiss one pierced
nipple. ~~but his discomfort is my pleasure now~~
~~Touch as you choose, play as you like, e'lev~~ She smirked at the
look in his eyes when he touched her. "You've never had someone with
all this before, have you?"
"Mmm...no. Extramarital activities are beyond rare on Vulcan,
especially when most men are incapable of it until they are of age." He
slipped out of the rest of his clothing even as he pressed himself
closer to her. "She was my first and that on our wedding night."
"I will wait..." She let a deep husky breath as she pushed closer to
him as well, feeling him touch just inside her. "I don't want to...
But I will..."
~~Wait for what?~~ He slowly slid into her, pressing his mouth to hers
in a deep kiss. ~~Whatever for?~~
~~Marriage~~ The initial tightness of him being her first quickly died
away, replaced by a glow that spread up and through her body in a warm
rush. She kissed slowly from his jaw down to his shoulders as she moved
her hips in time to his, slowly increasing the rhythm. ~~What if this
gives us a child?~~ she thought suddenly.
~~To a Vulcan, the bond is the marriage.~~ He flushed with just a tinge
of shame at his own impatience, not realizing until the moment that
she'd been pure. He made very sure to move at her pace. The last thing
he wanted to do was hurt her. He slowly ran his tongue up her neck,
almost smiling when he reached her ear and the studs there. ~~If it
does, the child would be loved and welcomed~~
"You did not know," she whispered in his ear, feeling his shock and
shame almost like it was her own. "I did not tell thee." Her eyes
closed as she shuddered a little against him.
Even as he moved deeper within her, he touched her tenderly, kissing her
face and neck. ~~I would not want to hurt you.~~
~~I stayed pure for thee~~ Even as he created deeper warmth, she
smirked and added ~~not that I know it was thee, e'lev~~ She set her
forehead against his and danced her fingers along his hairline.
Fate or Kismet. Those were the words that Humans would have called it.
He rarely believed in such things but there was that old Vulcan word,
kaiidth: what is, is. He opened his mind to her feelings and they
nearly took his breath away. The pleasure she felt was deliciously
intoxicating. ~~Thee are mine~~
~~For Always~~ Her fingers found the pressure points he'd showed her
earlier and she carefully placed them there to deepen the connection as
she felt her peak tickle then explode through her body.
~~Yes!~~ He refused to lose himself in the passion, wanting to share it
all with her. With a loud groan, he pushed into her a few more times
then felt his own release as he clung to her. "Oh, yes..."
In that one moment, all of her melded with all of him and they were
one. Life, love and meaning flowed from one to the other, mixing and
reforming until the beings left were new and changed. Aylin felt
herself fall against him, only vaguely aware of his being a separate
entity to her.
~~This.~~ He lifted his head, the hair plastered to it with sweat, and
smiled gently. ~~This is why we treasure the bond and why I will
treasure you~~
~~That was... Out of this world~~ She let out an exhausted laugh.
After laying her head on his shoulder for a while, she asked, "Senek,
may I ask something?"
"Hmmm?" he asked lazily, moving just enough to hold hr to his chest.
"Why did you not know I was a virgin? Did you assume..."
"When you said the Tal'Shiar made offers and you refused, I assumed they
took liberties any way," he said soberly. He reached to caress her
cheek gently. "I did not mean to imply anything."
"Oh..." She flushed a deep emerald, all at once horrified that she'd
even doubted his integrity. "Forgive me?"
"You caused no offense, Aylin," he said gently as he her stroked her
spine. "Nor did I wish to intrude on your privacy that way."
"Do you wish to see it as it happened?" she asked, shifting so she
wasn't straddling him but laying across his lap. ~~I would show you, I
dream of it often enough anyway~~
~~Only if it causes no distress, lovely one~~ He stroked her hair,
enjoying its silken softness. ~~and when you are ready. As I said, I
am patient~~
~~Then we start back here~~ A ground car approached a young woman and
her mother as they walked home from the girl's school. It barely paused
as two sets of hands pulled the two inside. Unconsciousness closed
around her mind. It faded slowly, revealing a large room with seven men
in it. One, a tall, thin man, was sat behind a desk. The other six
held her Ri'nanov. 'Do you wish to save her, little io?' the tall man
asked, his face seeming kind. She nodded and so did he. 'You can do
one thing to save her. Do you see those men?' Again, she nodded.
'Remove your clothes and let them have you.' Aylin flushed emerald at
her Ri'nanov's hiss. Her mother lifted eyes already puffy from being
hit. In those eyes, Aylin saw the need for her to not do it. 'No,' she
whispered.
'So be it...' The sharp man nodded toward the woman. All six men beat
down on her heavily. Each blow brought tears to Aylin, each sound of
something broken, broke her. When her Ri'nanov was limp in their arms,
the thin man took out his kaleh and slid it slowly across her throat,
emerald blood pouring out over the floor. He took his knife and wiped
it down her face, smiling when she flinched. 'You wouldn't satisfy men
anyway.' He back-handed her once then stepped back. The six men
approached and suddenly they were on top of her. They tore her clothes
and hit her over and over so hard that she couldn't think.
There were tears in her eyes when she closed the memory down. ~~They
did not touch me~~
"Shhh..." he murmured softly. He was horrified at the violence and
revolted at the thought that any one could be treated so. Yet it was so
obviously true. He'd gathered her into his arms and cradled her head to
his shoulders. "No one can hurt you here, Aylin. She would be proud of
you, my lady. You are a good daughter."
"I know," she whispered, settling herself in his arms. "I'jol'au. She
would have liked you very much."
"Then perhaps there in whatever shared afterlife they might both cross
through, she and my father are discussing us as we discuss them. Father
would have definitely approved of you. You make me smile," he said
brightly.
She touched his lips in wonder as she smiled for him. "How could I
not? You make me giggle."
"He always said that my sister got the better sense of humor. Like Nan,
he was always trying to get me to crack," he said, smiling under her touch.
"Have you ever been tickled?" she asked innocently.
"Hmmm....not in a very long time--no. Not since my daughter was very
small," he said with a smile at the memory.
She didn't pause, she attacked, tickling without mercy. She knew, from
his mind, where all his most sensitive spots were and she used them
without stopping. ~~Laugh or I'll keep going~~
It felt so good to just as she said. His was a rich and merry laugh,
sounding with joy for the first time in a very long while. "Silly
woman," he teased as he tried, not too hard though, to escape her.
Since she decided she loved the sound of his laughter, she kept going.
"Silly am I? Has my mystique slipped a little?" She grinned as she
pinned him against the sofa and kissed him hard.
"I think not. You are silly yet wise, innocent yet knowing. You are as
you are, Aylin," he said as he looked up at her. Her skin was still
damp from their lovemaking so that it almost shone in the cabin
lighting. Playfully, he reached to tease a nipple. "I would not have
thee any other way."
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