Post by Lt Commander Marcus Aquila on Jan 26, 2021 16:06:06 GMT -5
Citadel
Terran New Year's Morning.
The waters of the holographic Magna Roman ocean beat against the shoreline below the villa. Niaev lay on the beach directly, the soft wet sands caressing her toes at the apex of the surf. She looked up, the twin orbs and distant orange glow looking back at her. She felt a presence approaching, the footsteps sounding against the grains.
“I do not remember Magna Roma having a sky like that,” The voice belonged to Ragnar, a friend of Zhaixe’s, someone she’d consider an acquaintance having met several times but never going far behind pleasantries. The large blonde man sat down in the surf beside her. “I wondered where you went, Sara and Freya are touring the house.” She continued to look at the moons.
“Pirek, Elvreng and if you squint between them you can make out Kaur'el Tennahrex, our orbital defense platform that used to sit over Ki Baratan. Veldras is on the other side of the planet and the orange dot is Remus. It has been awhile since I’ve sat beneath this sky, Eirene was kind enough to indulge me.” Her voice was sullen, somber, and nostalgic. “Can I help you Ragnar?”
The man seemed to sit quietly as if truly pondering her question, then he answered. “Maybe, we can usually all help each other somehow. What exactly you could do for me, I am not sure at the moment. Perhaps answer a question? Why are you alone tonight?” She glanced at the man, his body covered in artwork not unlike her own and she did not think his question was some misleading pickup line. That question had been on her mind all night, since well since before the show and the conversation she had with Solvak. Why was she alone tonight? He had asked her if she was busy and she had told him yes, then came up with something to do. Spending the Terran new year with a friend was not a bad way to do it. Shay was likely with Dame and should be. Her lip curled into a small smile thinking about that success story. Truthfully she wanted to spend the night with Zhaixe though not intimately, just being a friend. Then it clicked and she remembered that Ragnar was also one of Solvak’s band mates along with Bren.
She pursed her lips and turned to look at the large Izarian with a suspicious squint. “Asking for your own interest or someone else’s?”
His face didn’t change; he simply looked on the water and then responded in a measured voice. “Perhaps both? Though I do not think you would enjoy a night with me as much you seem more like the kind to apply the bindings than receive it.” Niaev felt her face blush green slightly caught off guard by his candor, she would be lying if she didn’t admit to find the man attractive but no there was something about him that did tell her they were not compatible. Still she subconsciously brushed her hair to the side and canted her neck leaning back slightly at the hint of interest even if a fleeting boost to her self esteem.
“Sometimes it is good to try new things though are you certain you could restrain a Rihannsu?” Fvadt that's not what she wanted to say, sometimes the Rihan Id was more controlling than the ego. “But yes not tonight. I assume you are speaking for Solvak?”
“Bren may have messaged me that he was unclear as to how he had failed.” Ragnar laughed and she smiled. “I simply assumed it was because he said the wrong thing, Vulcans are not exactly known for their seduction skills.”
Niaev sighed, she traced her arm over her husband’s name, remembering V’Lira’s offer when she last saw him, was that what had stopped her? Was it because Solvak was Vulcan that she had not entertained the invitation? Was she truly so bigotted or was it that Darok had settled with a Vulcan and had a child, was she getting too far ahead? Her mind raced until she felt a large warm human hand against her cool vulcanoid skin lightly rubbing her back, her body seemed to relax at the touch. “No, he did nothing wrong, I just.. I was afraid.” The hand maintained the comforting position, a stranger’s tenderness. “Do you think it is too late?”
“Probably not, he is a vulcan they don’t sleep much.” Ragnar’s joke made her smirk. “I can tell Freya you had to go, that you forgot about a meeting.”
“She won’t believe you, I have an eidetic memory. Just tell her I will fill her in over a cup of tea later.” Niaev stood up brushing holographic sand from her barely clothed body before putting her dress back on. Ragnar stayed on the sands. “You aren’t heading back to be with Zhaixe and Sara?”
“No, I actually did intend to be alone for a few moments, with memories.” Ragnar turned to look on the skyline and the water took on a purple hue. Niaev decided to ask for the arch and leave him to whoever he was remembering.
After a walk through the citadel as the new year's celebrations had shifted to those after the new year’s greeting she arrived at a door to a citadel apartment, the one given to her before the show. She chimed the door, not bothering to fix her hair, and waited. After a moment the door opened and the Vulcan man stood before her, he was in a vulcan meditation robe, his hair was down the long black locks seeming to be at odds with most vulcan sensibilities.
“Apologies, I had thought you were not interested in spending time together, I am not dressed for it.” Solvak’s words were calm.
“That’s alright, neither am I.” Niaev smiled, wanting to say a thousand different things but saying nothing more than that.
Solvak stepped to the side gesturing his hand to invite her across the threshold. “Would you like to come in? I can make some tea.”
She crossed the threshold of the door and headed toward a lounging bench. “Tea would be lovely.”
The apartment door closed.