[ussbansheec] Re: Civilized Barbarians
- From: Debra Mosqueda <mightymidgie@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussbansheec@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 9 Feb 2008 12:29:20 -0800 (PST)
Heh...gotta love Tawa ...nothing if not honest....
I wonder how long it would take for Frankie to get him to take a swing? ;)
Andy Maluhia <CaptainAndy@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Civilized Barbarians
by Tawa Pax, Silver Knight , Ellia Ren, & Eis Sidhe
?Anyone can be a barbarian; it requires a terrible effort to remain a civilized
man?--Leonard Sidney Woolf
**takes place directly after 'Nightingale and Frog'
To say she could have danced all night would be an understatement. Silver had
never enjoyed one of the parties as she enjoyed this one. It was thinning but
there were still a number of people milling about as she stood chatting to a
Captain about his mission to the GQ. Her eyes, though, were fixed on her
perfect man. She smiled at Tawa from across the room.
"Damn it, Pax, you have the damndest luck and the greatest taste," Kenny
muttered as he caught the look Silver gave.
"Don't I though?" Tawa said with a grin even as he watched the room.
"Yeah so get lost if you're off duty. I got it til morning," his partner said
with a shooing motion.
"Excuse me, Captain," she said with a soft smile for the man. Slowly, she
wound her way over to Tawa. "Anyone dangerous here, Imzadi?"
"Just Kenny here," Tawa said with a chuckle. "I told him a long time ago to
change his last name but he won't do it. Ready to take a walk, my dear, and
get away from the walking target?"
"I promised you an introduction if I remember correctly," she said with a smile
for Kenny as well. "Unless you mind me taking your comrade with me, sir."
"Get him out of here," Kenny teased. "He's being so nice that it's revolting."
"Say goodnight, Kenny," Tawa warned.
"Good night Kenny," the man snickered in an old joke. "G'night. ma'am."
"Good evening," she said with a grin as she took Tawa's hand and drew him away
from the party. Once they were outside, she visibly relaxed. "You enjoy
having me on your arm?" she teased as she kissed him soundly.
He smiled down at her, folding his hand over hers where it rested on his arm.
"I do," he told her. "Did Zha Thernavretha chew your ear off while I was evil
eyeing the guests?"
"She says very little but she is very fond of you," Silver said softly.
"She's good people," he agreed. "Did those folks bore you to death? Most of
them are so busy patting themselves on their ambassadorial backs that I can't
see how they don't have broken arms."
"Oh no! They're all very interesting, lead such fascinating lives," she
chimed. "They tell such interesting stories. Could almost make one wish one
could write songs."
"Too bad the aquatics weren't there. They'll love you," he said again. His
free hand brushed her mouth as they walked. "I'll bet you can talk to them
underwater."
She lifted her right fist and nodded it up and down with a laugh. "Of course I
can. Though I doubt they know sign."
"I really should've paid more attention in all the bio classes they made us
take in the Academy," he said with a wry snort. "Forty years later and I bet
some old retired lieutenant is laughing his or her head off right about now.
There's one group, though, that might be able to. They have fingers, unlike
most of the others. Skateraw are interesting but you don't see them much."
"Where do they come from? I don't think I've ever heard of them," she said.
~~Mother... Do you mind company?~~
Ellia's eyes lit up as she felt her daughter's happiness across the bond.
~~Not at all, little one. Not Graeme?~~
~~No, Tawa~~ She bit her lip as she suppressed another bright, smug smile.
~~He's gorgeous~~
"Skateraw are from Skateraw," he said with a shrug. "The first one I ever met
was a Fleet officer. His quarters had a huge pool inside. Interesting guy
that Commander Napeague."
"We're just around the corner now. Mother has tea on," she told him. "You
know so many people!"
"Only because I've been in the Fleet since I was eighteen and then because of
the lady's detail. That was one of the reasons she picked me she said--long
memory," he explained.
"That and you look so very pretty together," she teased, reaching up to kiss
his cheek before the door in front of them opened of its own accord. "Mother!
This is Tawa."
Ellia offered the man a winning smile just as charming as her daughter's.
"Come in, Tawa. Make yourself at home."
"Thank you, ma'am," Tawa said easily enough as he held out his hand. "I'm
pleased to meet you."
"And I you, to put such a flush on my little girl's face," Ellia smiled. "And
call me Ellia. I'm not old enough to be a ma'am."
"Hard habit to break," Tawa said with a smile. The lady smelled of clean linen
in the sun, fresh air the same way her daughter was. "It's easier to change
than to offend with things like that."
"Now that's true, but I've earned my right to be familiar with my daughter's
choice of Imzadi," Ellia said with an easy smile. She waved them all in then
ushered them to the sofa. "Be comfortable, snuggle, do whatever, I'm easy."
"Mother," Silver sighed with a wink to Tawa.
Tawa chuckled as he sat down, undoing the top closure on his uniform shirt as
he did. "I hate these stupid things. I don't care how good they look, they
choke after a while."
"Don't they just?" Ellia laughed. "Silver doesn't quite get it. Though I
doubt I'd swap one of my dress whites for her boned dresses."
"These are perfectly comfortable," Silver said smugly.
"Only because you're under weight," her mother countered.
"She's perfect the way she is if you ask me," he said warmly. "She looks like
a princess in that dress."
Silver grinned then stuck her tongue out at her mother as she cuddled up to
Tawa. "Isn't he perfect?"
"Oh yeah," Ellia smirked. "Very smooth. If you're good for her, Tawa, then
you're always welcome here."
"Thanks," he said quietly. It almost made him wistful at times when he saw
happy families. He'd never been part of one before. Well, maybe now. "Ma'am,
there's one thing I have to ask you, that I want your permission for."
Ellia glared at him for a moment as she huffed loudly. "I'll stop answering to
that word, if you're not careful, young man. Awful thing. My people call me
Doctor, my children call me Mother and their loved ones call me Ellia."
"Understood and I'll readjust again as soon as I get an answer to this
question. Do I have your permission to marry your daughter?" he asked
steadily, his arm still around Silver.
"Well now, I don't know..." Ellia teased, her black eyes shining brightly. "I
should think so. Do you want to marry him, little one?"
"Of course I do!" Silver kissed Tawa's cheek gently. "He's perfect."
"Then I guess I have no problems." She sat back for a moment then clicked her
fingers. "Silver, darling, could you fetch me something from my bedroom? It's
in the chest at the end of my bed wrapped in some lace. Please, sweetie?"
"Sure," she beamed, bouncing out. ~~What're you up to, mother?~~
~~I need to show you something I've been saving for you~~ Ellia sent innocent
thoughts at her daughter, making the younger woman smirk at her. Once she was
gone, Ellia lent forward and tapped her lips. "You're one hell of a hybrid,
young man. Part Orion... part... Vulcan, part Trill and... Human?"
"My mother, may she be rotting somewhere, is Orion and Trill. My father, who
I've never known, was supposed to be Human, Vulcan, and Orion," he replied
carefully. He smelled something vaguely like suspicion, like living fish.
"All I know is that they met on Nisus."
"I'm deeply curious about other races, hybrids in particular. Like, what each
person can take from a species' natural abilities. Take," she mused, "for
example your Orion heritage. Are you still sensitive to pheromones? Is it
latent or active? Can you even control it or do you project your pheromones
without control or awareness?"
"Oh, the pheromones are there alright," he said wryly. "I am extremely
sensitive to scents even when people don't realize they have them. It's very
irritating when scent doesn't match with words."
"Then let me be straight with you," Ellia said softly but kindly. "Are you
manipulating my daughter in any way? Even unconsciously?"
"No!" he said fervently, holding up both hands as if to show he had no weapons.
"I have complete control over them. You have to believe me, I wouldn't do
that to her. Goddess but the only time I ever really purposefully emit certain
pheromones is when diplomats misbehave or somebody well and truly pisses me
off."
"And when you make love," Ellia observed with a wide grin. "Oh, trust me, I
know what an Orion man is like. Besides, no one has complete control during
sex, especially if it's between two people who love each other very much."
"You do?" he asked without thinking. "I mean...I can't say as I've ever heard
of anyone wanting an Orion man on purpose. Most of them are slobs." Shaking
his head, he realized just how blatant that was. "Ah, sorry, that was pretty
rude, wasn't it?"
"Just a little bit," Ellia laughed brightly. "This one was a little different.
We're consorts of a kind. We see each other every so often and we enjoy each
other's company. He's a very sweet and unusual man. Not at all what you'd
expect."
He hmmphed softly. "I'd like to meet him one day. Maybe my mind will get
changed about them." He looked up at her, his face still flushed a bit emerald
at talking so frankly to her when they'd just met. "To comment on what you
said before, though, Ellia, I told your daughter that she inspired me like no
else ever has. I don't know if that was me or her but it's the truth."
She reached forward and took his hand in hers, giving it a small squeeze.
"Then be happy, young man, and make her happy. Give her a long and wonderful
life with many children to keep her full of life. Welcome to our family."
"Mother," Silver huffed as she stomped back in, "I can't find it!"
"Oh?" Ellia blinked innocently as she suddenly snapped her fingers again.
"Darn, it's on top of the wardrobe. Why don't you sit back down and I'll get
it."
"Come sit with me, beautiful," Tawa invited, holding his arm out in invitation.
"You know, I can't remember the last time I felt this good and it didn't have
anything to do with work.."
Silver curled back up at Tawa's side and kissed his cheek as her mother
disappeared into her bedroom. "What did she say?" she whispered.
"Just like you mentioned before--curious about my mix of hybrid," he said
simply. "Wondering about the pheromones and all. She also said I should give
you a long, happy life full of children."
Silver blushed deeply and huffed. "My mother is embarrassing."
"Oh?" Ellia laughed from the doorway as she carried a wrapped parcel in her
hands. It was covered in brown paper and tied with string. She set it on the
coffee table before Silver. "How about a little bribery then?"
"Bribery..." Silver leaned forward and undid the ties on the package. With a
gasp, she slid out a long, cream dress of silk and lace. "Oh Mother! It's
beautiful."
"That's...wow, that is some work of art!" Tawa exclaimed. Bright blue eyes
looked up at Ellia, adding, "I've seen a lot of fancy clothing but this is just
stunning."
Ellia smiled as she seated herself and clasped her hands in her lap. "I know
my daughter very well, Tawa," she said with a fond smile. "She's not going to
want a traditional Betazoid wedding and she does look beautiful in cream."
"She'll be beautiful," Tawa agreed. "I'm thinking dress uniform unless you
have another idea. I have no traditions."
Both mother and daughter automatically said, "Tux."
Silver laughed brightly as she added, "I warned you, didn't I? And don't think
we won't be insistent either. I want to see you all done up to your best, my
handsome man."
With a shrug, Ellia said, "It's either that or I refuse to let you marry her
unless you, at least, observe her maternal traditions. Given how nice I know
your heritage can be, I bet you'd make one hell of a handsome nude."
"Makes me no difference," he said, grinning. "To quote Zha Thernavretha, it is
the marriage and not the wedding that matters."
"Nude it is!" Ellia laughed.
"Mother!" Silver blushed even brighter as she folded her dress up and sank
down next to Tawa. "Can I disown her?"
He reached over to kiss the side of her head. "No but if she insists on that
particular tradition, I'll get a ladder and we can elope."
"Tux then," Ellia said easily. "That's my final offer."
"It's a conspiracy," he grumbled good naturedly, prodding Silver slightly.
"You snuck that in, hmm?"
"Please," she asked with an innocent smile. "You'd look beautiful. Just this
once for me?" Leaning forward, she kissed him softly as she batted her eyes at
him.
He shook his head with an amused snort. "You are the only person who has ever
gotten away with that look, Silver," he said finally. He held up his hands in
mock surrender. "Alright. I give. Tux it is."
Silver let out a small cheer as she hugged him tightly. "You'll be beautiful,
Imzadi, I swear."
Rolling her eyes, Ellia pointed her chin at the replicator. "Either of you
eaten today? My little girl needs to eat more."
"We just came from Zha Thernavretha's reception but Silver can tell you I won't
eat at those things. Too busy keeping an eye out," Tawa replied, mentally
adding 'especially for Graeme.'
"Hungry then? Silver won't have eaten either. Not since..." she stared at her
daughter who just shrugged. "Uh-huh, well I know you are last night because
you had toast with me. Did you have lunch or breakfast?" When all she did was
shrug, Ellia huffed.
"Silver," Tawa said with a gentle chiding tone, "if I have to eat to stay
looking like this then you have to, too. It's not healthy."
"You don't think I look good? Healthy?" she whispered, staring into his eyes.
~~You thought I was beautiful~~
~~You're gorgeous but your mother's making it sound like you don't eat. Is
that a mother thing? Mine hardly ever cared~~
~~It's something she fixates on~~ Silver gave her mother a withering look. "I
eat fine, I'm just focussed at the moment. We had a big concert tonight, you
know. Not every day I get to sing for my Imzadi. Oh and the President." She
winked at Tawa as she snuggled closer.
~~Glad somebody took care of you then. I have mother issues, in case you
haven't noticed~~ He nodded strongly at that last part. "And Zha Thernavretha
was rather pleased with the performance and that Silver came to the reception
afterwards."
"She liked that?" Silver asked curiously.
Ellia smirked at her daughter, the girl who believed she was worthless.
"Something sweet then. Maybe some tea and cookies?"
"Well, yeah, she did, especially because you came of your own accord rather
than as soon as she arrived. The lady is very genuine for a politician and
doesn't care for the...what is the word she used--ah, yes--sycophants and suck
ups," Tawa said plainly. With a smirk, he added, "I taught her that last one."
"I bet," Ellia grinned from the replicator. "And I bet you know more colourful
words for it too."
~~I like the President, she's a nice lady~~ Silver cuddled even closer to him,
playing idly with his shirt front.
"More colorful and arrest causing on some worlds," Tawa said, trying to look
innocent and failing completely. "The lady did wonder if being civilized was
going to make me more dangerous than I already am. Scary thought, isn't it?"
"Not at all, dangerous men are always useful to have around so long as they're
dangerous to other people and not us," Ellia laughed, bringing over the pot of
tea and crumpets she'd replicated.
"I'm only dangerous toward people who don't behave when I tell them to. Equal
opportunity, too, because I've gotten in some decent fights with women before.
There was this Klingon lady who almost bit my ear off once..." he said with a
chuckle.
Silver traced his ears carefully then smiled. "No scar though."
"Thirty years ago and a dermal regen does wonders. Vanity isn't one of my sore
points but I like my ears to match," he told her. ~~That feels nice~~ "Then
afterwards, I think she and I tossed a few blood wines back and busted up a
different fight."
"Just so long as she didn't think it was the start of a mating ritual," Ellia
laughed brightly. She poured the tea and buttered three crumpets, setting the
plates out for everyone. "Eat, little one."
"Yes, mother," Silver sighed.
"Grilka? Ah, no. no way," Tawa said, shaking his head rather emphatically.
"Beautiful Betazoids with lovely voices are more my type--not targ ugly
Klingons who can probably still beat my head in."
"Eat," Silver prodded him. ~~It's good you don't want a Klingon. I could no
more bite your ear off than walk in space. I'm not the hard and heavy kind~~
~~No, you're soft, sweet, and pretty and the only one I've ever wanted~~. He
dutifully picked up the tea first and then added, "I once had the idea that
ears made good souvenirs though. My then lieutenant nixed the idea."
Silver made a face at him and shuddered. "Disgusting."
"And too much dripping blood," Ellia shook her head. "Besides, can you imagine
the smell?"
"Tanning would've solved that," Tawa said deadpan.
"That's true, but there's nothing as fiddly as ears," Ellia continued. "The
mess and the hassle."
"Yuck!" Silver cried, poking Tawa. "You're both disgusting!"
"Civilize me," Tawa said, grinning as he leaned his head on her shoulder. "I'm
a barbarian you know."
Letting out a dramatic sigh, Silver wiggled a finger between them and started
tickling his ribs furiously. "It'd serve you right if I didn't."
He yelped in surprise, not able to recall the last time he was ever tickled,
and bent over to try and fend her off. "Hey! Not fair," he wheezed in a
suppressed giggle. "Barbarian Orion hybrids don't get tickled."
"Then you're not a barbarian, are you?" Silver declared, leaning forward as she
increased her tickle.
"Still love me any way?" he asked, his face flushed from the effort.
"Love you more!" Silver grinned, climbing onto his lap and kissing him soundly.
Ellia just smiled softly to herself as she watched how happy and easy her
daughter was. A brush against her mind made her smile deeply and she turned to
the door, waiting for it to chime.
"Not a barbarian and not a frog," Tawa hmmphed. "Guess I'll have to settle for
that knight and charger idea after all." He wrapped strong arms around her.
"You know, I definitely have to introduce you to the Marine I'm working with.
He says I'm too tense."
Silver opened her mouth to say something but the chime cut her off. With a
frown, she started to climb off but Ellia waved her to stay.
"Come in," she purred, her whole face lighting up when a green, chiselled face
appeared at the door.
A sweep of black hair crowned a pair of charcoal eyes that danced merrily.
"Hello, my lady," the Orion said smoothly, those eyes taking in the company.
"You have company, do I intrude?"
Tawa froze, blue eyes taking in the newcomer with their usual threat
assessment. Orions, any of them, made him twitchy. He very deliberately
emitted nothing more than a neutral scent. Just in case.
Ellia practically beamed as she ushered him in and shook her head. "Of course
not. Eis, this is my daughter Silver and her fiance Tawa."
Staring at the man, Silver watched him sweep her mother into a deep hug and a
peck on her cheek. "Good to meet you at last, Mr..."
"Sidhe," Eis said easily. "But I never stand on ceremony."
The blue eyes still studied without a word. Not a threat, he gathered, but
something wasn't entirely safe either. Well, it wasn't his place to say
anything. Yet. "Sir," he said with a simple nod.
"What's with the 'Mr' and 'sir'?" Ellia huffed. She stared at her daughter and
the way the pair of them watched Eis with deep suspicion. ~~What's wrong,
little one?~~
~~Tawa is wary~~ Slipping easily off his lap, Silver unfolded from the couch
and flowed to the replicator to make another cup for the visitor. "Do you take
sugar, Mr Sidhe?"
Eis grinned but shook his head. "I'm fine, lady. I only came to tell my
beautiful woman that I'm here on business. Just wondering if she could spare
me some of her time was all."
"You won't have tea with us?" Ellia asked almost sadly.
Turning his dark grey eyes on the other Orion - no, hybrid, he realised - Eis
shook his head. "I've got meetings to be getting to. More cloak and dagger
stuff that I could do without."
"Ditch the cloak and leave the dagger in plain sight," Tawa mused. "It's much
more straight forward and usually more interesting."
"If only it were that simple," Eis said with a sour expression.
"Unfortunately, these people have a tendency for flight if one is too obvious
with them."
"What kind of people?" Silver asked softly.
"Informants," he admitted easily and with a shrug. "That's what I do: I gather
information. Currently working for some french Ambassador. They all like to
keep their noses in it."
"I bet he or she was just at the lady's reception then," Tawa said. "I'm Zha
Thernavretha's chief guard and Silver was the lady's chief delight this
evening."
"Who Picard? Nah, he retired about ten years ago," Eis laughed deeply. "He
just likes knowing what's going on. Wily old man, that one."
"Ah, no, then, he wasn't there or Kenny was watching him instead. I'd know
that old man anywhere considering he nearly chewed my head off about forty
years ago," Tawa said with a snort. "Silver, I was a rotten cadet and officer
once."
"Just like you make a rotten Barbarian now?" she teased.
"I still think the ear thing would be interesting but..." He gave a mock sigh.
"I think you're right but only because you made me less uncivilized."
"Women have that effect on us, don't they?" the Orion observed as he wrapped
his arms around Ellia. "Thirty years ago one woman did that, made me less
uncivilised, and she's still doing it, bit by bit."
Still, he observed the other man, even without the scent of threat in the air.
He trusted Ellia but no Orion male was completely trustworthy in his
experience. "Thirty years, eh? Silver, you're going to have a hard road of
it. I'll bet you anything I'm more obnoxious and harder to tame."
"Got a decent respect for women already?" Eis asked idly.
Those blue eyes locked on Eis and didn't look away. "That I've had all my
life," he said steadily. "That was the one intelligent thing my mother ever
taught me. With the absolute exception of her, most women are a better class
than me and I know it."
"Then you're leagues ahead of where I was," Eis admitted with an easy shrug.
"Ellia would tell you that I was obnoxious and sexist. I was made to be,
crafted by my father. I'm not proud of it..." He snorted with a smile. "But
I don't apologise for it any more."
Tawa hmmphed with satisfaction. At least he didn't smell of dishonesty. "I
only apologize and mean it to very few people," he admitted.
"Three times in my life," Eis said, settling himself on the arm of Ellia's
chair. "Once to this lady, once to her Chief nurse and once to my mentor,
Captain Tane."
"So far just to the lady and to Silver but I think I might still follow through
and tender one to a certain Fleet captain before he takes my head off," Tawa
said with a smirk. "I can ruffle even Vulcan feathers after all."
~~You trust him?~~ Silver asked, her dark eyes still wary of the man across
from her.
"Oh, I've ticked off one or two of them." Saved one once, he mused, but
decided that was still between him and the former slave. "They're easy to
irritate."
~~I don't know if I do~~ he admitted. ~~He's not lying but...all Orions make me
suspicious, more than usual.~~ "Yeah but this took less than five minutes to
back the guy want to slug me," Tawa said aloud.
"Now that, my friend, is impressive. Maybe we can swap notes, eh?" Eis laughed
deeply. He smiled at Silver though, inclining his head to her. "I'm going to
leave you to finish introducing your man to your mother, Lady."
"Oh no!" Silver sighed. "It's fine..."
He shook his head as he flowed to his feet. "I have too many people to meet,
Lady. I'll see you again though. Good meeting you, my friend," he said to
Tawa.
"Watch you back and keep your eyes open," Tawa said simply, the greeting being
something many of the presidential guards gave.
Eis smiled in acceptance and inclined his head again. "You too, friend. Keep
them both safe for me."
~~Somehow I think your mother's not too pleased about how that went~~
~~No kidding...~~ Silver tried for a smile at her mother but she got raised
eyebrows.
"What can I say?" Ellia said softly but sadly. "I'm so glad you like him."
"All Orions make my skin crawl for some reason. They always have," Tawa told
her. "It's probably not fair but it's hard to grow out of. At least he didn't
stink of guile."
Ellia bit back her sarcasm as she started piling the tea things on a tray.
"I'm no child to be manipulated and I'm certainly old enough to know what I'm
getting into."
"Mother," Silver said quietly. "He seems like a nice man. I'm just..."
"Not used to seeing me with someone," Ellia finished. She nodded and gave her
daughter a smile. "I have known him a long time, little one. He's never come
when you're here. It makes me wonder..."
~~I'll ask a few of the bigwigs about him, Silver. They'll just think it's for
the lady~~ "What he's up to?" he asked, finishing the thought as he would have.
Ellia gave him a half shrug and smiled. "Yea, something like that."
"He seems nice. He's very handsome," Silver observed ruefully. "Can't say my
mother doesn't have good taste."
"Kind of like her daughter," Tawa teased.
-- `Onipa`a (Stand firm.)--Motto of Queen Lili`uokalani.
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