<USS Meridian> "A Bonded Flower"
- From: Elizabeth Bethell <ejbethell@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: ussmeridian@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2005 22:40:31 +0100
A Bonded Flower *Oridian Starfire and Rini Midorikawa*
Rini reached out and ran her fingers over the petals of one of the many
beautiful flowers around her. It released a gentle aroma, making her giggle
as it tickled her nose. People wandered the garden, those off-shift or on
their lunch-breaks, just as somewhere to go that wasn't grey. Sighing
softly, she brushed through the plants and walked on.
The science lab turned public garden was always a peaceful place to enter.
Those who wandered through it always maintained a sort of silence or hushed
conversations, almost so that one would feel alone, surrounded solely by the
flowers and beauty. Oridian wandered slowly through the paths, dressed in
his kimono with his hands behind his back. He spotted Rini down a little bit
of the way and made his way towards her. "Lovely place, is it not Ms.
Midorikawa?"
Turning, she smiled shyly and nodded. "Almost a little bit of home.
Although, I miss the winding paths and flowing water of Tokyo's gardens."
Playing lightly with another flower, a rose, she let her fingers dance all
over it. "Where are you from, Counsellor?"
"Mars, though I spent a good portion of my time in Japan. My father had
business there." He smiled and looked across the gardens. "It is a different
type of beauty than that of the Tokyo gardens, but beautiful none the less,
I do believe."
"Oh yes, very beautiful." She followed his gaze, her eyes picking out all
the myriad colours. "There are more than just Earth species here, are there
not? I'm sure I saw some Rissan breeds somewhere as I wandered."
"Yes, actually I believe they have just over 40 different worlds represented
here. Since this is a science lab they have been testing to see which
flowering species react the best with others. These are so far the results."
He motioned around and then turned his attention back to Rini. "You have
quite a knowledge of plants to be able to pick out the different species,
not a common skill especially among the security officers, though not rare
either."
"My brother is a botanist," she said, wrinkling her nose as she smiled
fondly. "What he knows, I know and vice versa."
"And how does that work out?" He spoke quietly as his hands moved among the
nearest flowers. He had read Bryon Matthews report on her, time to touch
upon the surface a little.
Giggling, Rini started to wander off, smiling when Oridian followed. "It's
simple enough. I am a security guard, Toshi is an artist and Ryu is a
botanist. And yet, I can paint as well as Toshi, as can Ryu, and I know as
much about plants as Ryu, as does Toshi. And both of my brothers know all I
know about being a security guard. Does that make sense?"
"It doesn't make sense in a normal fashion, considering you were never
formally trained as a painter or a botanist. However seeing as you all are
triplets it could be quite possible." He smiled to himself quietly. This
would a subject for further discussion. "Do you miss not having them here
with you?"
"Yes," she said sadly. "I miss Maro, I don't feel quite complete without it.
Perhaps that is why I am so odd," she asked as she glanced over to him.
"This is your first assignment and your first time as far distance from them
I imagine." He smiled over at her as he picked a flower and held it up in
the sunlight. "When you spend your entire life from birth with someone, it
would feel odd not being with them. They are part of who you are, but only
part," he added simply as he looked back down at her. She had a very
interesting childhood, and perhaps this mission would help her to be more on
her own. Then again, it could make her bond with them stronger.
"I am not me without them." She reached over and touched the flower in his
hands. "Like that is not a flower without its plant to give it nourishment.
Now, it will wither and die far quicker than it would have done if it had
been left where it was. Just as I will wither quicker without my brothers to
complete me, to keep me whole, to make me," she shrugged, "to make me *me*."
"Hmm... very interesting." He looked at her and smiled. *So then, it is
quite possible they failed that test after all*, he thought silently,
thinking to himself. "I personally think that you have not withered one bit.
From what I hear you've been temporarily running the security department
until Mr. Armstrong stepped in."
This time she laughed, rather than giggled. "No, Ensign Saunders has been
running the Security Department and dragging me along for the ride." Taking
the flower off of him, she kissed it lightly and gave it back. "Put it in
water before it dies."
Oridian put the flower in her hair gently and smiled at Rini. "I leave that
task to you. Just as this flower needs to learn how to live without the
plant, you will learn to live without your kin, though only to return to
them and feel your bond ever stronger." He bowed quietly and turned to
leave. "I enjoyed our conversation Rini. Hopefully we will have more of
these in the future." He headed off quietly down the path, looking around
him as he went.
Rini reached up to touch the tiny flower, her eyes losing focus as she
reached for the bond that was not there. Glancing out of the view port, she
sighed. "I miss you," she whispered before she, too, walked away.
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