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CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

[Lt. Zephyr Praise |  Lose Yourself | Time Away | Making Time to Talk, To Heal | Quiet Places & Quality Time]
@Numen

Zephyr had been completely able to walk.

Yet, the Klingon that held her to his chest would not hear of it.  No matter how many times she protested that her legs had not been shot and were still working he only held her tighter giving a rough grumble ever time she mentioned it.  It wasn't that she felt she was heavy, she knew that Khorin could lift her easily enough, and she was tired.  The blood loss hadn't been to the point where she was going to pass out but she had lost a bit and that wore the body down.  It would take time before her body recreated all the blood cells that she had lost.  That coupled with the art of her body trying to fight off any infections and being an open wound in an alien environment, she knew that was why she felt so tired.  Yet, she wasn't weak enough to need someone to carry her. 

He had to be tired too, having fought hard, broken his arm, had it only mostly healed.  And she could feel some kind of pain.  But it only happened when she felt a throb on her own shoulder from the wound that sat bleeding.  She was curious about that.  Either it was an echo of her own pain, or something else was going on.  She had never felt a pain like this.  It was almost 'second hand' as the best way to describe it and she could not imagine where.  She kept looking at Khorin's shoulder and found that there was nothing there.  Not a single wound to describe the pain and yet each time her own wound ached, she could feel the echo.

Is it... our bond?

The stairs, was what she most worried about.  It was hard enough to force their tired bodies up to the higher tiers of the Bridge and yet he was doing so while carrying her body weight.  Secretly, Zeph was glad for the respite.  The fight with the Savi, and being outside the field, had sapped a lot out of her.  She could use a good mean, something to drink, and a long nap.  None of those were on the menu at the moment so she was going to have to make use of the medical kit that Khorin had retrieved from the wreckage earlier.  She could tell the casing was damaged a bit but the internal compartments should be fine.  It was made of durable plastic that was made to with stand a great deal of damage before the internal contents were damaged.  Otherwise, it wouldn't make it past basic missions.

On the way he mentioned that she had wanted to tell her something, but she didn't want it to be something she said in passing.  She wanted his full attention.  “At our destination.” she said softly, promising that she would tell him just.. not on the staircase.

The office itself was plain, boring, but she was quite surprised to find a corner there was a metallic square planter in the corner of the office that stood some kind of odd spiky tree.  The leaves didn't have thorns or anything but ended in points that could be considered sharp.  The leaves themselves were so deep a green they were almost black and some sort of odd sap ran down the trunk of it. 

Immediately, she wanted samples and to take some with her, but she only had a medical kit.  Though she could probably work with what she had in there and get a little bit.  Khorin sat her down on top of the desk that was in the room.  It was pristine and cleared of any and all work.  She sighed softly as he put the medical kit beside her, the damage was evident but as her thin nimble fingers worked the clasps it popped open proving that once again nothing had been damaged.  She picked up the scissors and hissed slightly as she pulled the cloth of the Savi clothing away from the wound and she cut the fabric a bit before using her hand to rip it the rest of the way.  Now she only had one sleeve, the other was discarded on the floor, and it showed a large portion of her shoulder now too because of how she had cut the fabric.

Zeph checked the wound with her fingers, and twisted a bit so that she could brush against the back as well.  She grimaced at the pain that radiated in her shoulder because of it.  The hole on the back was just slightly bigger than the front thanks to the beam dispersal and the eviscerating muscles.  She used her good arm to look through the medical kit and she injected herself with an antibiotic and then grabbed up the dermal and muscular regenerator.  Using one, then the other, she fixed her shoulder and the pain ebbed over the time of her healing before her shoulder was as flawless as it had been before.

Now that it was out of the way she readied a hypo and injected herself with some adreneline because she knew as worn down as her body was she was going to want to pass out.  She couldn't afford that as the only doctor, that she knew of, on duty at the moment.  She sighed softly as she felt the pep coming back to her step.  Tossing it all back in the medical kit, she slid down and rotated her newly healed shoulder, with her free hand on top of the muscles to make sure that it was healed properly before letting it drop.

Oddly, the pain echo was gone now.

She moved and took his hand softly bringing him to the side so they could sit together.  They sat on the floor and leaned against the wall.  Her head rested against his shoulder legs stretched out straight.  Her arms slid around his arm holding it against her, a bit of cuddle time, just what the doctor ordered.

“What I was going to say down below was....” she swallowed heavily.  “That, Klingon aren't telepathic, at all.  Yet you and I can speak to each other as though you are.  With a Betazoid, that usually means one thing, that … that you're my Imzadi.  The only person my soul moves for, my.. soul mate.” she said softly her fingers brushing over the skin that she could reach on his arm.  Fingers dancing slightly there just soothing him and being in contact with him.  “If you're uncomfortable with that, let me know, I'm sure there is a way to break the bond.  If I get corrected, maybe, I don't know.  But, to be honest, I'm terrified to lose it... if you did want it.” she whispered softly confessing her fears to him.

She bit her lower lip, unsure if he would be wanting that kind of all encompassing emotional bond with her.  Right now, he seemed to enjoy it and they got along really well.  Her heart beat, and she swore that his likely beat in time with it.  She looked up at him, those dark eyes of hers boring into his.  They had once been hazel-green, but now, they were the black of a full betazoid.  She hadn't seen herself, but she knew they had to be the black that her mother had always had.  Zeph had inherited her father's eyes somehow.  A rarity, even among half breeds.  Her hand rose up, from his arm, to stroke over his face.  They were both blood spattered, battle hardened, and yet in the center of their beings there was a cry for one another.  A bond that neither could turn from, and yet she gave him this option if he so wished to sever the bond.  She would find a way, as hard as it would be, she could do it.

Once he answered, for good or for bad, Zeph would rest her head on his shoulder again.  A long sigh escaped her lips.  She wanted to know more about Khorin.  There had been no time for either of them to know about each other.  Problem was, there was a large portion of her life, she couldn't tell him about.  Many men would likely not be okay with that, she wasn't sure about Khorin.

“Hey so... which ship are you from?  The Endeavour, the Theurgy?  Somewhere else?” she asked softly looking up at him with curiosity.

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #1
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | The planter office | Upper levels | Bridge Module | The Versant ]
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Khorin watched in silence how she took care of her wound. Every time his dark brown eyes landed on the battered skin of her shoulder, a worried snort escaped his lips and he had to look away to avoid hovering over her trying to help. He knew that if he did, it would only mess everything even more. Like every Starfleet officer, he had received basic training in first aid, but it was far from his area of expertise. He could make a tourniquet or use a dermal regenerator without killing a patiente or himself in the process. A sloppy work to get by and nothing more if he was honest with himself. Also, since his Correction, he had more strength than he had ever had which was awesome for most occasions but contraindicated for such a delicate job. So he simply observed her doing her job, walking through the small office like an animal locked in a cage. From the spiky tree to the table, from the table to the door and back to start. He wasn't nervous, or worried. He trusted her. He wasn't worried at all... Each time the reflection of her pain radiated from his shoulder, he growled quietly, cursing himself for allowing her to be hurt. Ok. He WAS worried.


Finally, that strange reflective pain dulled to disappear and the Klingon found Zephyr's hands holding his. Guiding him to accommodate them both in the best possible way on the whitish floor. It was far from an ideal situation, but at least for that moment, they were mostly safe. It must be enough for him, despite his primal instinct was protect her, keep on guard. Still with everything, he made sure to sit facing the door, so that if an enemy found them he could use his body to cover her. He kept the savi rifles close to him, one over the floorplates in his right, the other on his lap, ready to be hold in any second. Satisfied with that few defensive measures, he had been able to plan, he let himself leaned his body against hers. The light brush of her fingers on his jumpsuit, the weight of her head in his shoulder and the subtle heat of her body managed to relax him slightly. It simply felt right.


When his eyes almost closed, she began to explain what she should confess, her words hesitating. " Imzadi " He repeated after her, savoring the strange cadence of the word on his mouth, almost as strange as the concept itself. For a while, he remained silent, frowning deeply, while she clarified how that link between them could be severed if he wanted to, even though she didn't like the idea. No, the notion of undo it, terrified her. He rested his head on hers, rubbing his bearded cheek against her disheveled curls.


"I ... I don't know if I understand this ' Imzadi ' thing, this bond." He confessed. "As you said, we, Klingons aren't telephatic. In fact, we are taught from childhood to distrust and despise telepathic species." He explained sternly. Khorin was proud of his heritage, but he knew that Klingon's perspective in some matters was quite biased. Even when he tried to not acknowledge it most times."I can not know if I'm this thing, this 'soulmate' for you, most things in my upbringing told me that I need severe it as soon as possible, that it's a weakness for me." He knew that she could interpret what he was explaining in the wrong way, but she must understand his headspace. How that situation would be seen among his people. Among his House.


"But what I DO understand is a Klingon heart. You know, I've always had a Klingon heart, even when I was a half breed. And that's why I know THIS heart." He said while pointing to his broad chest. "This klingon heart beats together with yours. They share their rhythm, their fire and steel. I can't deny it. It belongs to you" He chuckled, surrendering himself to the obvious. "I may have to give a lot of explanations if we can get back to Homeworld someday. Possibly i'll have to rearrange some faces too... But i want it. This ... thing, this bond, it's yours. And mine, it seems. And it's the only thing that really matters." He admitted. Khorin kissed the crown of her head, without caring about the dust that cover it. He wasn't at his best either, covered in Nerina's and Scion's blood, probably also his own... and whatever it was that he had rolled over in the corridor a few minutes before.


"I'll try to be your Imzadi thing, the best I can," he promised with the assurance that only ignorance could gave. "And I hope that, one day, you will do me the honor of becoming my parmaqqay " he whispered with unusual shyness. He had never expected to find a heart that beat like this, so close to his own. Something that pulled of him so strongly, so quick. Someone that completed him somehow as she seemed to do. Maybe it was due his new body, full Klingon, with that violent emotions raging just under his skin. Perhaps she was his soulmate too. Maybe she had bewitched him. He didn't know, and he knew that he wasn't smart enough to find an answer. So he simply embraced it. And hugged her. "Just told me I won't need to kill your father. Probably not the best way to introduce myself to your family. And for sure my mother would hang me from the thumbs for that. She's frightening"


She looked at him with those black eyes, those eyes in which he seemed to lose himself every time he looked at her, that absorbed him every time their gazes intertwined. Khorin smiled at her, with that half sideway grin that was so typical of him, chipped tooth and all. She caressed his cheek and he left his head leaned in her palm, trusting her, surrended to her touch. She sighed and snuggled against him and the pilot passed his arm over her small frame, keeping her close. They stayed like that for a few minutes, just enjoying the silence and contact of their bodies.


Finally, Zephyr broke the silence, asking him what vessel he came from. "I'm ... or, i was Wolf-02, callsign 'Hardtop', AC-409 Mk III Valkyrie's pilot from the Lone Wolves Squadron, assigned to USS Theurgy" he recited in a military tone, before shaking his head. "So, by all Starfleet records, a renegade to Federation. I could explain that, more or less" He kept saying with an apologetic tone in his voice. He rushed on change subject "You came from the Endeavour, as Cross, are not you?"

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #2
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Waiting for Answers | Connecting Deeper | Secrets and Truths]
@Numen

He sat beside her, curling his long frame against the floor next to her.  She was so tired, the kind of tired that came from within and encompassed all that there was to you.  The kind that spoke of the week she had spent on this ship, the fact that she had been here a long time and not even taking account of the fact that she had been on the run before then.  She had been taken because of her hybrid nature as had everyone else.  The Savi and their sick sense of correcting what people voluntarily did to the gene pool.  Whatever it was, her body was worn out but the adrenaline was going to keep her up for a while.  Otherwise the moment that she sat beside him on the floor she would have put her head in his lap and taken a long nap.  Knowing that he would watch out for her because that was who he was in the core of his being.  She could sense the heavy protectiveness that encompassed his entire being.

There was a gun beside him, and there was on in his lap.  Protective measures, always protective.  Her head rested against his shoulder and she enjoyed the fact that they just 'fit' together.  There was something in the way that they rested together, the way they leaned together.  The way that her head fit on his shoulder as though it was made for her in some way.   She knew that wasn't the case, though her soul.. her heart... felt very settled when she was next to him.  When he was out of her sight she worried for him, her eyes subconsciously searching for him when she couldn't see him.  She had never felt a bond this strong in her entire life.

He repeated the word and she smiled.  Hearing the sweet sound from his own lips was something special to her for some reason.  Still, she continued to explain what it meant and how it was something that the both of them would share.  The fact that they were so connected was unusual.  She sighed softly relaxing against him even more.  Now that the truth was out she just had to wait to see what his reaction would be.  She was a little afraid but if he felt the way that she felt, she knew that he would not react negatively.  It wasn't as though she needed someone to stand beside her in her life it was only that she would like to have someone there.  Someone to share her life with.  Her triumphs and her failures.  She didn't think she could ever really tell him everything but she would like to at least be able to have the option.

He began to speak, and slowly her heart sank down into her stomach.  That their bond would be seen as a weakness for him.  She didn't want him to be seen that way, for the Betazoid love made you stronger and it was something to put as much effort and thought into as possible.  However, she knew that the Klingon were very different.  But he had called her his Kyamo, which in her mind seemed very much like an Imzadi and she hoped that she could tell him that at some point and he might see the similarities. 

She perked up when he told her that he knew the Klingon heart, and specifically his.  Whether it was half Klingon or full he knew how it felt.  She smiled brightly, at him and she gave a quick nod.  He mentioned that their hearts beat the same, and she leaned against him more fully again.  Wrapping her slender arms around his larger one.  Just wanting to be as close to him as she could.  There was a gun in his lap or she would have slipped in there without a second thought.  He told her that he would have to explain things if they ever made it back to his homeworld, and she would stand beside him strong as ever if that were to happen.  Zeph was not fearful of many things, but the acts of the heart were always a scary proposition.  So, that was the only time she truly feared for anything these days. 

He kissed the top of her head, and the smile on her face brightened it significantly.  She looked up at him with those dark eyes of hers that still seemed to sparkle brightly as she did so.  She had no idea what the Klingon word he used meant, she didn't know Klingon only how to fight with a Bat'leth because of many hours of training and cutting herself.  But, she was wishing that she knew more.

“What does parmaqqay? Mean?” she asked him curiously looking up at him.  The Klingon words were harder to work her mouth around but she felt pretty proud that it at least resembled to how he said it though it was lighter and softer.  Still, she was wondering if it meant what she thought it meant, which was girlfriend.. or wife.. or something along those lines.  Though, she didn't want to push him, because being pushy only pushed people away at some point and that was the last thing she wanted from him any time soon.  She wanted to keep him as close as possible to her.

Zeph realized, suddenly, that she loved him.  She didn't think it was possible, they had only known each other a little over a day.  Most of it spent apart, fighting with enemies, or saving each other.  But there was this bond that was so strong she felt drawn to him.  A moth to the sun, a bee to a flower, breath to lungs.  He was something she needed now, to know, to be with, to sit beside.  She needed him all the time and hoped desperately that it would never change.  That she could count on him and he could count on her.  They could lean against each other when they were weak and stand beside each other when they were strong.  She wished for nothing more than to know him, all of him, and to continue her life forward being able to share it with him.

He mentioned hoping that he didn't have to kill her father, which caused Zeph to laugh softly and shake her head though it never left his shoulder.  “No no, my dad is pretty open.  He's human, and married my mom, who is Full Beta.  Sooo, I think he'll be fairly open except for the whole like.. this guy is trying to steal my precious innocent baby away from me.....'” she laughed looking up at him with a smile.  “Actually, I haven't talked to or seen them in years so... I don't even know what he would do if I suddenly called.” she admitted her voice took a softer turn.  It hurt for her not to be in contact with her family at least a little.

As she stroked his cheek he surrendered to her touch in the most beautiful way.  She sighed softly because it was just the most beautiful moment.  He really was a beautiful person.  She leaned in and kissed his brow, reaching up and craning her neck so that she could reach the right spot.  She lay her lips there for just a moment before she asked the question and he answered her. 

He was from the Theurgy after all.  So many of the officers downstairs were from the Theurgy and so she figured that he was from one or the other.  She was pretty sure that she was the only lone wolf in the room.  Still, she leaned against him as he told her that the Theurgy was a renegade form of the Federation.  She had been locked up on the Azurite Station and so she knew nothing of the Theurgy or any of the recent stress, pressure, or even the recent parasitic outbursts.  She had just been working hard until she realized what she was there for and had escaped.  He assumed that she was from the Endeavour.  Not an assumption that didn't make sense, in fact it made all the sense in the world.

“Ah, actually, no.” she said as she pulled her head off his shoulder.  She looked down at her hands, covered in her own blood and blue blood of the Savi.  She would love a shower right about now but that probably wasn't in the cards at the moment.  Right now she was just glad for the time together.  “I escaped from a .. undisclosed location.. due to circumstances I can't talk about.. anyway.  I'm solo here.  I don't know anyone except you.... now.” she looked over at him and smiled softly.

She chewed on the thumb nail of her right hand as she shifted slightly unsure of what to say and how she should talk to him about what happened.  “I was on a shuttle.  We got pulled in by the Savi.  Both pilots were recycled and I was.. changed.  I was surprised to see the Endeavour and the Theurgy here.  I was only here a couple days before they pulled you all on board.” she admitted softly.  “I don't want to go back.” she whispered softly, her voice full of worry.

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #3
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | The planter office | Upper levels | Bridge Module | The Versant ]
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At Zeph's question, Khorin looked away for a second and cleared his throat. He wasn't used to speak about thakind of stuff. He had never felt the need to do so, he was more used to one-night stands.  "... the closer meaning is ... 'romantic partner' or" one's mate', it loses nuances in the translation" He answered her question with a soft smile etched in his face. He was spared her further explanations. Telling her that the most appropriate translation was 'the one that made me feel the opposite of hate' was possibly not very romantic from the perspective of other species. He neither explain the most aggressive or violent undertones in the word, they weren't endearment terms for humans... But, with everything, the full concept was a big deal for a klingon. The simple fact of hearing the word on her lips, with that soft and musical cadence so different from tlhIngan-Hol, made his heart tremble.


Maybe that was how to parMach felt. He was not sure. He hoped it was.


He preferred not keep pondering on that, so he simply continued talking. After his joke, she told him about some snippets about her family. Her father was human. Her mother, a betazoid, just like her now. She hadn't talked to her family for years, which saddened him a little. Maybe he felt her sadness though that bond that linked them. Maybe he missed his family too. His loving and frightening mother. His ever angry uncle. Even his half-brother. Well, not, he didn't truly miss him. He was a nuisance, mostly.


Her kiss in his brow took him out of those dark thoughts. She placed her lips just in the right spot, just between his eyes, right at the birth of his ridges. The pilot snorted happily. He'd loved that little gesture, that little display that he mattered to her. At that time he only wanted to cuddle with her there. Forget about their savi captors, about the danger outside. Just, relax. But he knew that he can not. He could not but wish it. In the bridge main section, there were still sporadic shots sounds, although they seemed far from where they were. He looked at the door for some time, head tilted to hear better. It seemed like the abductees on guard managed the situation. Hesitantly, he took the rifle from his lap and left it next to the other. Close enough, but in the floor. It was a small risk, a small delay if problems show on their door,  but possibly that way he could make her feel more confortable. After done that, he stretched out and settled in as best he could. And he hugged her, holding her tightly against himself.


Few time later, she told him that he was wrong. She didn't come from Endeavour, as he'd suspected, but from a disclosed location she couldn't share. He frowned deeply, hearing her. Feeling her distress, if that was the weird feeling that drummed in his mind. Even when she explained him little, was more than enough to paint what had drove her there. She escaped from 'that place'. She had been was alone there since she'd found the Theurgy crew. She told him that those who had been abducted along with her had been liquefied by the Savi just before she went through her 'Correction.' That she didn't want to go back to... whatever place she'd fleed from.


When she stopped talking, Khorin still wasn't sure what had motivated her to escape. Or who. But he knew that if he met them face to face he would cut them to pieces. His upper lip curled, showing his now sharp teeth. There were a thing clear in his mind. She would never came back to that place again. He would protect her. He would give him a new place to live, even if it was a deserter starship for the moment. Theurgy was fleeing from half of the Starfleet's vessels, so another fugitive in the crew wouldn't worsen their situation. "Worry not, Kyamo. I don't care where you fled or why. You'll be safe with me, I'll protect you. I asked you to come with me to my starship and I haven't changed my mind." He growled fiercely. He buried his face in her hair and kissed her head again. "We'll talk to the captain when this is over, he... she ... well, Captain Ives will admit you in our crew. I'll make sure of it. I'll protect you, Zeph, no matter what we faced. "

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #4
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Truth Comes Out | Protection Squad | Klingon's are the Best Cuddlers | This One is Mine]
@Numen

Romantic partner, or mate.

Zeph had to admit that sounded nice, and similar to her own thoughts on the matter.  Though it was hard to say it, they had only just met yesterday.  But already, she couldn't understand how she was going to say good bye to him.  How she was going to walk to her Quarters, if she ever had one again, and leave him alone.  How she wouldn't desire to see him every day and talk to him.  Look at his goofy smile and those eyes that seemed for her alone.  She hadn't seen him look at any of the other women the way that he looked at her.  The mental connection alone, was something to behold for her. 

After she kissed his brow she watched as he relaxed a bit further,  She smiled up at him, he was.. for the lack of a better phrase, her world.  There was something about him, he was her other half.  He completed things inside her she did not know had been missing.  There was something to be said for the heartbreak of the past.  It had been a very long time since she had thought about Ethan, and furthermore felt any pangs of pain because of him.  She didn't miss him, and didn't wonder about him any longer, he was off her mental radar.  However here, sitting next to Khorin she was quite glad that he had destroyed the happy go lucky sweet and naive Zephyr that he had been engaged to all those years ago.  It had set her up to find .. in the most strange place of all... fate had truly stepped in and finally given her the one that completed her soul.

Khorin shifted and she watched him as though he was trying to listen for whatever was happening outside.  Finally, he seemed to hear whatever he needed to and he put the gun that had been in his lap over to the side.  He relaxed more and pulled her closer hugging her to his massive body.  She felt so small when she was standing beside him which was odd for her.  Being five feet ten inches tall meant that she towered over most of the women that she met.  But here she was, feeling dwarfed by the massive Klingon and finding that it was something she actually enjoyed.  She looked up at him and smiled, because he was just... he was just amazing.  How he had barged into her life, how they had just snapped together like two halves of a whole that had been searching for one another all these years.

His face when she explained a little bit about her life, was not surprising.  He was worried for her, she could tell, but she was also surprised.  She was surprised he didn't press her for more information and surprised that he didn't seem to care about the rest of it.  That he was just taking it as she told him and not really paying much mind to the fact that there was a large part of her life that she couldn't talk about.  She might, at one point, when she was less scared of him running off.  She supposed that she shouldn't be.  He had seen her kill an alien, they had made out in a closet, there were so many things they had already done.  But, doing the work she was known for, in a way,

He told her that he hadn't changed his mind.  She was still welcome to follow him to his ship and he would talk to Captain Ives and see if she could get a spot on the Theurgy.  She didn't know about the ship, like the others did.  No idea that it was on the run from the Federation because she had been locked up and kept on the Azurite Station doing the Federation's Dirty research.  Still, she was glad for the hope of a new home.  Whether it worked or not was up to a lot of different factors, ones that she didn't really want to entertain just yet.  But, here, in the office with Khorin, she found herself relaxing and enjoying the quiet. This was the first quality time they had together.  She loved the way he looked at her, the way he protected her, and the way he promised her a future without having to deal with her past too much.

“I would appreciate having somewhere to go.” she admitted softly.  “And honestly, I just want to be where you are.  I've never felt this way, and it isn't like I haven't dated before.” she admitted with a slight shrug of her shoulder.  She looked around the office, the black sapped plant was the only thing eye catching in the whole boring room.  But, she kind of found it rather cool and still wanted to do experiments on it.  Though she didn't have the kind of time she wished she did for such a thing.  Looking back over at Khorin she smiled and patted her lap down.

“Come.” she said softly. 

She shifted a bit and pulled away before she guided him down so that he could rest his head in her lap.  His head was huge, and she was lithe and firm, but she didn't mind the size difference what so ever.  She softly brushed her fingers through his hair.  It was matted with blood, and sweat, and lack of care.  Her fingers took a small section and gently began to sort and separate the hair with her fingernails slowly combing it a little bit, careful so she didn't pull on it and hurt.  A deep rumble resonated from inside his chest and Zephyr smiled softly as she let her fingernails brush against his scalp here and there to scratch it but lightly.  Knowing it was a sensitive spot.

“I wasn't always a Doctor.” she told him softly just feeling like talking a little bit while they had the chance and he was calm and in her lap.  “I was a Science Officer, a Botanist.  I guess I'm still a Botanist.  But some things that happened to me when I was in training … changed my view on the world.  I wanted to use my Botany to make new medications, things that could clone our own skin cells to heal wounds faster.” she told him quietly her fingers never stopped her ministrations to his hair.

“So I .. chose to go back to the Academy and retrain myself.  So I have a Science background and I am also a Medical Doctor.... I have never worked so hard in my life to go back to school and change my entire career.  I don't regret it though, it was.. the right choice and I have enjoyed being able to help people here.  On the ship it's been so nice to just channel my inner doctor and be helpful.  No research, though I love my research too.” she chuckled.  “I am always trying to hybridize plant life to see what I can make.”

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #5

[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | The planter office | Upper levels | Bridge Module | The Versant ]
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Att: @BZ

When she told him that she was glad to have somewhere to go and that it was better just because he would be there, Khorin puffed. He puffed because Ihe was so happy that he felt his chest could explode. And knowing that she felt the same way through her words and their bond only made everything even better.  He didn't have words to describe it. So he just enjoyed it. He wanted this. This feeling, this thing between them, forever. She did too, se said, and she smiled, patting her lap. And then, she told...'that'. Casually.


He tried to not show what he felt. He tried really hard. He though he made a nice façade showing that he really didn't mind. He leaned until with his head rested on her legs. He had smiled at her all the time, but when their eyes parted, Khorin frowned, smile erased from his eyes and his lips. Obviously she had had a life before they met. He didn't mind that she had worked in covert operations. He didn't mind that she couldn't tell him part of what she had done for Starfleet. But to know that he had dated other men? He mind that. It wasn't like he'd been chaste and  pure but.. He have never feel like this for anyone else. He knew he shouldn't feel like that. But a burst of jealousy began to burn in his chest. It was such a strong, fierce and sudden feeling that it surprised him. A really klingon feeling.One he wasn't used to.


Like so many times in the last days, he found himseld with the lips curled, showing his teeth, and a low growl growing in deep of his chest. Only when her fingers began to untangle the tangled mass of his hair, he fell silent. And he remained silent for long, simply feeling as her fingers wandered through his thick mane. The grunt soon transformed into a soft purr. Then into a resounding rumble. Into a loud sound that reverberated like an old combustion engine. She was just touching all the right spots and he laid there, surrendered under her touch.  Melting in her hands.He kept his head as still as he could, not wanting to interrupt such a pleasant massage. At some point, he stretched how tall he was. His feet reached the wall that held the door. His arms wrapped around her legs, and he closed his eyes.


Her voice cradled him like a lullaby, soft and musical. He could get used to this. "So ... you like plants. And studied plants-science " Khorin buzzed. "I've not idea about plants, to be honest. We had a garden in the backyard, in San Francisco. Ma got plants from the Homeworld and she told me to water them when i was a teen. She said that chore would help me to relax a bit or something like that. That maybe that way I'd give up in my endeavour of shatter the house into pieces. " he explained in a sleepy voice. "It worked... for a time... Until they all died one day.  Too much water or too few or dunno, Earth not being Qo'noS. That pissed me off even more." He chuckled, remembering the argument they had kept. It still surprised him that his mother hadn't killed him that day. He deserved it. And a kick in the butt. He was such a brat. " She planted more plants later. Terran plants. But I wasn't interested in them anymore. Earth-things wasn't home. Not yet. Eventually it became home, but at that moment i was an angsty kiddo" He fell silent, listening to how and why her career had changed.


Even without opening his eyes, he nodded slightly. Despite the reluctance of his father's people towards doctors, he understood better why she decided to dedicate her life to healing. It fit with what little he knew about her. And in some way, it made her just the opposite of what he was. He had dedicated his life to fight, to destroy, because that was why Klingons existed, or at least that was what they were taught as children. It was as if each of them were on one side of a scale. She balanced him.


"I didn't want to be a pilot, at first. I wanted to be in security, kind of form myself as a klingon warrior, but in Starfleet standards. Academy professor thought differently. I don't regret having accepted that choice that was imposed on me, but, I don't know. It wasn't my path. So... I think I understand what it means to reshape your career from a point. " He turned to face her and grinned. "And despite that, you still think about plants. In 'hybridize' plants nothing less ... you haven't thought about hybridizing.. dunno, animals or, maybe humanoids. Ridged and black-eyed. I've hear make them is the funny part..." He teased, a cheeky spark in his eye. He laugh, loud and sincerily, and pointed the door. "I've had more than enough with people trying to play god-mode with hybrids, but ..." He rolled until he rested on his stomach. "Maybe we can keep a ... what's the name... a cutting of that spiky thing. Maybe you could get something good from this whole situation. I mean, I hope you don't consider it better than me, of course. " He added with a fake pout, staring at her eyes. Without knowing why, he found himself grinning at her. "We can learn together how to keep it alive, or at least how to survive klingon care. Whadda you think?"

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #6
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | Grooming a Klingon | Odd Bonding Times | Knowing Each Other]
@Numen


Her fingers brushed through his mane of hair.  He had more than she did and it was thick and lovely.  Though matted with a lot of blood and tangles from their duration on the Versant, she found that with gentle nimble fingers she could manage to part some of it.  Her fingers worked to braid his hair gently into small braids that enabled her to keep it tidy and she hoped it would be easier on him if they had to go back into battle at some point before this was all over.  She had nothing to tie the braids with but she used some of his own hair to wrap around the ends to secure them as best as she could.  Zephyr was the youngest of the three Praise sisters, but she found that she could recall moments when she and her sisters sat on the floor messing with each other's hair from time to time when they were much smaller and younger.

He mentioned her plant sciences, and she smiled giving a nod.  “Yeah, basically.  I've always been into plants and growing things.” she admitted softly.  He began to tell her about his mother's garden and how they had tried to grow things.  It was his job as a child to take care of it and when he had failed his mother had been extremely angry with him.  It was an adorable story, she could almost picture a small long haired Khorin trying to tend his mother's plants and fearing her wrath as they slowly died despite his efforts to water or not water.

“You sound like you were adorable.” she admitted a slight blush dusting her cheeks as she pulled more hair from the larger fold and began another braid.  It was nice, relaxing, and he seemed to be rather enjoying it.  The sounds in his chest when he wasn't speaking was as close to a loud purr if she had ever heard one.  He was so adorable, and she found her heart skipping a beat occasionally.  Klingon were supposed to be all brave and tense and badasss.  But here was one, that was all those things, but even more because he surrendered to her touch, smiled at her, laughed with her, and listened to what she wanted to say.  Honestly, she was waiting for the bubble to burst, it had to right?  It had with Ethan, and she had been engaged to him for months.  Planning their wedding and everything.  She had met his parents, he had met hers, it had been a long thing involving years, and he had walked away like she had never meant a thing.  Here was a man she had only just met yesterday, but there was something about the way they worked together.. she was so terrified to count on it.

Her fingers worked his hair gently carefully braiding the strands so that they fit together in braids, shifting him around slightly to get at the hair she hadn't been able to get at.  He began to speak about how he hadn't wanted to be a pilot initially.  Instead, he had wanted to be in Security.  A smile broke out on her face.  “I can see that, the way you fought, the way you protected everyone out there” she admitted, giving him the praise that he deserved.  He was a good fighter and she knew that he was the sort who would lay his life down for just about anyone.  She hoped it never came to that, as she was growing rather, frighteningly, attached to him.

An Academy professor had steered him towards being a pilot and he was good at it.  He never looked back with regret, she was glad for that.  There were some things in her life she regretted and those things tended to weight on her heavily.  There were nights she didn't sleep, not because of nightmares she had long since lost most of those, the few that still plagued her from time to time didn't have the impact they used to.  Still, regrets were something that only made things difficult.  As her fingers worked he told her that she still thought about her plants, and how to hybridize them.  But then mentioned that she never talked about doing so with people.  Her brow rose, and then a smile broke over her face as he mentioned seeing what could become of a black eyed ridged head child.  She leaned down and pressed a soft kiss right between eyes eyes just underneath his ridges.

“I think, my sweet Khorin, that you are thinking very far ahead.  I think, before we start hybridizing ourselves, we should get out of this hole and spend more time together.” she teased with a smile on her face.  Her fingers brushed over the bridge of his nose and teased his lips softly.  His hair was fully braided down, the small braids were all over her lap and she kind of liked the look for him.  It was definitely a lot tamer than it had been earlier when it was just matted and tangled.  Since she was still bent over she softly brought her lips to his for a little bit of a sideways kiss.  Letting her lips and his play with one another's in the awkward angle before she pulled back.

He mentioned the spiky plant and she looked at it with a nod.  “Up.” she said softly as she waited for him to move.  Once he did she slid across the room to the plant and opened her medical kit.  She extracted a few seeds from the pod that was hanging low under the spiked branches.  She took some soil as well, and some of the sap because she was curious to do some testing on that as well.  Labeling it all carefully with the in kit pen that she found, she tucked them away hoping that she could still have access to them when they got to the Theurgy.

“There we go, once we're over there, I'll see if I can get the seeds to germinate and we can grow our own Savi plant.” she beamed over at him with a sparkle in her eyes.  “You can name it if it sprouts.”

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #7
[ Khorin, son of Margon, of House Mo'Kai | The planter office | Upper levels | Bridge Module | The Versant ]
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Att: @BZ


When she said he must have been adorable as a child, he snorted and tried to shake his head. But only slightly, as he was afraid to interrupt her work. "Oh no, I wasn't adorable, I was an irritating bugger" Khorin remembered that time with a slight grimace on his face. "I was bigger and stronger than the rest of the kids and the human children were too... fragile for me. And I liked to show that I SHOULD go back to Qo'noS, where I BELONGED, along with my father, not... on Earth.  But with the Civil War, my father's death and everything else... Well, I don't think I would have survived that tumultuous period. Klingons aren't very affectionate with orphan hybrids... nor with ones with parents to be honest. So I was stuck in San Francisco and I hated it. I don't know how many times I ended up in school detention." Khorin chuckled a bit remembering it. It were rough times, full of angst and Jak'tahla struggles. "You CAN'T imagine how many times 'Mister Douglas, stop right now!' my teachers had to scream. At some point they learned that a simple 'Khorin Douglas' or 'mevyap!' did the job better."


The Klingon fell silent for a moment, simply enjoying the contact of her fingers in his hair and scalp. The rumbling sound in his chest grew louder and deeper, reflecting his fondness for that display of... affection? Maybe. He didn't trully know. But it showed that she cared for him. And he was glad for it.


The conversation flowed for a few more minutes, naturally, as if they had known each other longer than they really did. As if they hadn't met barely two days ago... or had they met jus one day ago? Time made no sense on that starship, and he had stopped measuring it with his Correction. He wasn't sure if they had been in that shithole for a week or just a couple of days. Not that it mattered too much.


What really mattered was that he had found her. So when she praised him about his initial decision to join security, he grinned broadly, and when she teased him, almost chastising his bad attempt of a dirty joke, the Klingon raised his hands, feigning his surrender. "Joking, joking, just joking" hastened to say, with a bad attempt of frightened voice.
 

Shortly after, she finished of take care of his hair, and kissed him. He met her lips eager, enjoying the little play and the unnusual angle. Sadly, the kiss lasted too little for his taste. But he never seemed to have enough of her caresses. When she walked away from him, Khorin ran his hand over his temples, appreciating her work. His wild mane was tamed, somehow, and now he could place it behind his ears, pulling it comfortably away from his eyes. And surprisely it remained there. He knew that, sooner or later, the battle would take over the bridge again and that hairstyle would be handy. Usually, in the cockpit, he limited himself to tied his hair in a dishevelled ponytail to push it aside og his eyes. This was clearly and improvement.


He rumbled, appreciating her work, as he watched as she approached the spiky plant. She worked around the thorny bush with firm hand and studied movements. It was clear that she knew what she was doing, and why. Khorin, on the other hand, had no idea, but he liked to look at her. So he did, unexpectedly silent.


When she finished collecting samples, Zeph bounced back to him, her face all shinny eyes and bright smile. He grinned back, due he couldn't rein in his smile when she was around. Her cheerfulness was contagious, she transmitted it to anyone who was around and he found that extremely charming. So when the betazoid claimed that he could name the plant if it developed, Khorin was not prepared to answer. "Errrr... i dunno... that thing could be called... qaD chIS poch? Maybe?" he answered anwkardly. Suddenly, inspiration came to his mind. "Nononono, naD poch , Zephir's plant" he explained, smiling proudly at his own wit. "Then everyone know that you discover it, that you submitted it and make it yours" It was a really klingon way to look at it, but he couldn't avoid to think about her in klingon terms.


With a sudden impulse, he approached the plant and cut off one of its sharp branches, damaging the plant. Thick sap dripped from the wounded branch, leaving a sparkling stream in the bark. He proceeded to fasten the slip to his Savi suit, as he would have made with a brooch or with his House emblem. "Here, since it'll be yours, due i trust we'll make it bloom, i'll carry it with me, so i'll have a part of you with me in the battlefield, even if we part." He rumbled. Little did he know that Zephyr had used her own hair to tie his new braids, or he would have speak differently.




Jak'tahla →   a phase in a Klingon's maturation roughly analogous to puberty
mevyap! → That is enough! // Stop!
naD poch → praise plant
qaD chIS poch → Plant of the white faced

 

Re: CH04: S [D06|1045] Pockets of Paradise

Reply #8
[Lt. Zephyr Praise | No Rest for the Weary | Botany Never Dies | Live On Spiky Devil | Paradise Has An End]
@Numen


He returned her smile, and hers in answer, grew exponentially.  His smile was contagious too, at least for her, though some might think it was intimidating.  She found it comforting and it melted her heart in all the right places.  Her eyes shifted to him as she sat down again, and they spoke about the plant they would try to grow after harvesting all the things she could from the room here.  The soil, seeds, leaves, and cells.  Everything she would need to investigate before she actually tried to grow one.  The soil was the most important part, because it was what the seed would flourish in the most and she was lucky that she had been able to do it.  Still, she had never seen a plant like like this before, the black sap, and the odd spiky leaves that actually poked anyone that touched them.  It seemed fitting for these people to have such an unwelcoming and invasive plant life to care for.

Zeph sat down beside him as he went through the various names that he could come up with.  She wasn't sure if any of them would be the final name but, it was nice to talk about them.  Still, he suddenly rose and she did too thinking that he had heard something.  Instead, he seemed to cut a bit of leaf off of the spiky plant.  He somehow pinned it to his garment that he wore and seemed to be rather proud of it.  Stating that now, he would carry something from her into battle.  Her brow rose and a grin crossed her supple lips for a moment.

“That's so sweet.” she admitted, as she stood there in front of him.

He didn't know that she had already used some of her own loose hair to tie off his braids so they couldn't easily come undone.  But, that was okay, she didn't need to tell him and it hadn't been the purpose of using her hair to begin with.  While it was sweet and adorable, she hadn't really needed him to carry her with him into battle.  However, if he saw it that way, she was fine with it.  For now though, she could only enjoy their moment.  Pulling him into a hug, Zeph found herself nuzzling into his neck feeling the purr like grumble that exited the great lungs of the Klingon that wrapped his arms around her.  Her smile deepened.

All of a sudden, shouts started coming from the other room.  She reached out with her mind, not to connect to anyone, but to hear their emotions.  The surprise, the danger, the battle like mind sets were clicking into gear.  Over the din of people deciding on the different jobs they wanted to accomplish before they were done with this ship.

“Another attack, we should go.” she said as she picked up her things and slung them over her shoulders.  Khorin lead the way with Zephyr close behind as they descended the stairs to jump into battle.

-Fin-

 
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