As Time goes By

Posted on Sat Mar 24th, 2018 @ 4:21pm by Ka'see 'Cassie' Anderson (*)

Mission: Mission 6 - Azzia
Location: Vulcan
Timeline: pre-Ishimura, 2241
3454 words - 6.9 OF Standard Post Measure

Days had all but flown by. Tevir had no idea how much time exactly had passed since first taking Ka'See home with him. His normally reasonably perfect sense of time had gone askew thanks to Pon Farr. The drive was finally satiated, and though he still liked to linger in bed, he was starting to return to a more normal sense of self.

Today, he had gotten up early to watch the sunrise from his garden. He wore a thin cream coloured robe which fluttered in a light yet warm breeze. Closing his eyes, he let the first rays of the sun warm his face as he listened for any kind of sound.

Cassie had awoke confused at the not being in her own bed or her old Academy dorm bed, it had taken moments to adjust to the realisation that she was alone in bed for the first time in what must have been days. She found that feeling strange after the man had been so close to her in everywhere since they had come here. Slowly she sat up and looked around spotting a familiar satchel and pulled it open finding some familiar things in it that her Father must have packed.

She padded out to the window and saw the man stood in the garden watching the sunrise whilst she stood there in just an old ragged Academy shirt.

Sensing her proximity, Tevir turned and admired her silhouette for a moment. "Fair morning," he greeted softly, his voice holding the tone of warmth that had been there since their first union. "I had not expected you to wake yet, have I woken you?"

"Only cause I was cold." She whispered looking up at him as he looked her over before speaking. She was surprised at the tone of his voice, it still bore the warmth that Pon Farr had brought him. It was a known fact she slept more than Vulcans but she didn't care, she adored sleep.

"Cold?" Arching a single eyebrow Tevir came inside and looked her over once more. "Perhaps you need to dress warmer," he suggested, "or you can turn up the heat. This is your home too, you do not need my permission to change the environmental controls. Or to put more blankets on the bed."

The woman blushed as she realised he hadn't caught what she had meant at all, he had thought about what she had said with logic. She had been cold because she had been alone in bed, she looked away disappointed. "I guess you are right about the clothing." She agreed.

Seeing the look in her eyes, he reached out to make her look at him again. "Have I said something wrong?" he asked quietly.

“Yes.” The word had torn from her throat, raw and distraught as she looked up. Unlike him she didn't control her emotions, she had, had barely any training from 13. "I woke because I have already grown accustomed to your heat next to me in bed." She whispered forcing herself to look away.

"I see..." He sighed softly, chiding himself for missing it. "Then why did you not say so? Why not call me back?"

“Because when I woke you were outside so I came in search. What made you get up?” She wondered softly turning away to head back to the safety of the bedroom. It seemed like a good idea when it was still only just dawn.

"A desire to see the sunrise, and some fresh air," Tevir responded. Like many Vulcans he was a pathetic liar and considered it dishonourable to do so. "I like to watch the sun rise, I consider it a good moment to just sit and think. Allow my mind to wander on problems I face at work. I cannot let my mind wander out in public, I cannot appear anything other than focused. To lose focus, even for a day, could be disastrous. But here, at home, I can do what I please."

“I understand.” She understood his need to appear perfect to everyone else. The sun was a good meditation tool to use, Cassie used it often herself when she faced trouble with her studies and theories. It made her wonder more about him and his work. There was so much to discover and learn about each other. “Of course this is a safe space to do as you please.”

"Will you come outside with me?" Tevir asked suddenly, grasping her by the hand. "Sit with me and watch the sun rise?" If it was just his warmth she needed, surely they could sit together somewhere?

The woman paused as her hand was grabbed and turned back to her new husband, unsure. “I can. But maybe I need to put more clothes on?” Vulcan was hot but this early in the day it would still be cooler.

"I thought you missed my warmth?" Tevir replied, the tone in his voice almost suggesting he was teasing her.

Cassie looked down at herself and then back at him. The shirt barely covered her and certainly left her tanned legs bare and a nasty looking bruise visible on her. ““I assumed you wouldn’t want anyone else to see me quite so...” the words was left in the air between them.

"Exposed?" he supplied softly. "Ka'See, there is no-one here who would see. This garden is very private and Vulcans do not pry in the private affairs of others. Here in the privacy of our home you can dress as you wish. Outside, I would expect you to dress as properly as you normally would." He paused, looking up at the sky. "Today is going to be a nice day, would you like to go somewhere?"

The woman shrugged, it was as good of a word as she could think of. “I don’t really know where we are or how or when we got here.” She admitted blushing again at the fact the fires had left her vulnerable enough that she couldn’t remember much.

Tevir permitted himself the small smile he reserved only for her. "It is fortunate then, that I do know where we are," he teased, "come, I will show you where we are, and when we are dressed I will show you around the area."

Cassie nodded at his gentle teasing. He had slipped so easily into the role that Johnathen had filled less than a week before that she found herself wanting to respond the same way she had to him but found a barrier in the way. “Well you are better trained.” She pointed out softly as she slipped out into the garden in the dim light of pre dawn.

"I do not believe training has anything to do with this. I have lived here all my life, I grew up here." He watched her slip away and just stood there for a moment. "We will go out after morning meal," he stated calmly, before heading back inside.

“I meant in...” she called after him but he was already gone inside leaving her in the small walled garden. "regards to controlling pon farr." She sighed and saw the bench that was positioned not far from her against the wall. She sat down and started to take in everything now that she was clear-headed and didn't feel like she needed to feel the need to drag Tevir back to the house.

Tevir stuck his head around the doorframe. "This was my first, I have no idea how to control this. Besides...I do not believe I can fully control it. Not with you by my side. Jealousy is a very strong emotion Ka'See, it should not be challenged."

The woman jumped at the voice when she had been thinking so deeply about nothing and everything. "Jealousy?" She questioned softly.

The man nodded. "Jealousy. If I so much as thought someone else was trying to win you, while you are bonded to me...I cannot say there will not be consequences, for the other male. While in the throes of pon farr, we have no control. Equally, I would suspect that if another woman were to try and win me, you would respond with equal force. I am yours, and you are mine, we are one."

"Outside of Pon Farr?" Did he mean just at the time of bonding that he thought that or permanently? Did he suspect that she had, had a lover before?

"No. Though I would not appreciate another man trying to win you. It is not the Vulcan way. I would not keep you from having male friends, however. But during Pon Farr...I would kill them if they laid a hand on you." He spoke calmly as if were an everyday conversation. Despite their bond, he was not privy to her private thoughts, and he considered it rude to pry. "Under normal circumstances, I do not believe I would be so prone to jealousy. But I cannot know for certain, as I explained I have never been in this situation before."

He gave her a curious look. "What would you do?"

"I don't know. I am a lot more emotional than you normally without Pon Farr." She reminded softly not catching his gaze despite feeling his gaze on her.

"True, but that does not make my question any less valid. I would not ask you to control as I do. You are you, your emotions make you who you are. But that still does not answer my question. If, a few days ago, another woman would try to win me...how would you have responded?"

"I don't know." She admitted. "Has a woman ever challenged before?" Cassie wondered tugging her shirt down her thighs a little trying to not squirm under his questions.

"You mean at the bonding ceremony?" Tevir nodded. "Yes, it happens. As I have explained, in such instances the male must fight the woman's champion. It is a fight to the death so he is fighting for his own survival. If he wins, he may claim the woman, or release her. If he loses, obviously, the woman is free. If he wins, however, then pon farr has been satiated." He shrugged. "This is what I know, only because of what I have been taught."

"I mean another woman challenging Koon-ut-kal-if-fee?" She wondered only ever having heard about men challenging. She was pretty sure she would have been annoyed at anyone interrupting that moment.

Tevir shook his head. "Not to my knowledge, nor has any male ever challenged for the female's hand. As far as I know, only the betrothed female may challenge if she desires a different husband." The questions were making him feel a little uncomfortable and filled him with dread. "Did you desire another male?" he asked carefully, "did you not know you could challenge? Would you have done so, if you did?"

"I knew I could challenge. I have no one who would have challenged you." She assured softly looking at him finally. Her brown eyes looked him over still just stood there in a robe whilst she sat there barely dressed. Johnathen wouldn't have survived the challenge and Tevir would have taken her anyway so it wasn't worth it, why she had sent him away.

"I am grateful you did not," he said once again, and it was the truth. "I owe you my life." The gratitude in his voice was genuine as he walked back out towards her. "Please, come inside. Let us get dressed and go for a walk. I want to show you around, I desire to make you feel at home. This is your home now. That which was mine is now also yours."

"You owe me nothing Husband." She said softly lowering her gaze as she stood up. She would come inside but she wasn't exactly sure she had any clothes to wear. "I feel bad for our home and the mess we have made it." She whispered noticing the overturned sofa.

"Then we shall clean it up and make it ours." He gave he a faint yet encouraging smile. "It is only furniture, we an replace what we need, if needed. There are fresh clothes for you in the wardrobe. It is traditional robes I fear but for now it will have to do. We can get you anything you need later."

The woman nodded the house could be cleaned that once they were comfortable. Maybe she would grown accustomed to robes much like she had grown to like human clothes. It was only a matter of perception to her, it felt very much like she was coming fall circle back to Vulcan again.

Watching her look around, Tevir just watched her for a moment, allowing a moment of silence to settle. Leaving her to decide whether she was going to get dressed or not, he disappeared into the remains of the bedroom and started to rummage around in one of the closets, looking for something to wear. In the end he settled for light brown pants and a cream coloured tunic.

The woman slowly joined him in the bedroom with a shy smile. It was easy to see her clothes against the simple colours of his. Her father must have had robes done for her in preparation for her bonding and marriage. She sighed a little and stripped off the t-shirt folding it on the bed before she moved to grab some that would cover herself more.

Hearing the sigh, Tevir turned and resumed watching her. It was one of the things he seemed to enjoy doing, just watch her putter about. "That looks very well on you," he suddenly complimented, "it brings out the colour in your eyes." He picked up a brush from the nightstand and held it up. "May I?"

“A complementary Vulcan?” She wondered teasing him just as suddenly as the blush appeared on her face. She had much longer hair than most female Vulcans. “Sure.” She whispered not sure about what he would want with her brush.

"You must be rubbing off on me," he commented lightly as he guided her over to the bed, sitting her down on it. Then, he sat down next to her and gently started to pull the brush through her long hair. "And you are beautiful Ka'See, I am very fortunate that you would have me. It is my duty to care for you, and this is something I would like to do for you if you will permit me."

“After so little time highly unlikely,” Cassie commented on as he took her long hair and started to brush it. “I find you handsome as well.” She found herself saying without even thinking about it or questioning it.

"We are bonded," he answered, as though that said it all. He carefully disentangled her long soft hair, pulling the brush through strand by strand. When he was done he gathered it all in his hands. "How would you like to wear it?"

Cassie said nothing in regards to his simple statement, it obviously explained everything to him and that was enough. "Um just up in a ponytail." She said hoping he knew what a ponytail was. "Maybe I should cut it short to fit in better here." She mused watching his reflection in the small mirror.

A ponytail, unfortunately, was not something he was familiar with so he simply stood there, thinking what to do with it instead. "I like your hair long," he answered, "and why would you change who you are? People here need to accept you for who you are, you would be lying to yourself if you change for their benefit. And you certainly should not change for my benefit. I like you as you are, for who you are."

"Tevir... I don't know why I exist... I am the only one who has made it to this age. I am pretty much a taboo among our people." She reminded him thinking she had heard of other hybrids but they were a lot younger than her. It had been one of her reasons and focuses on why she wanted to be a geneticist to discover what she was. "Fitting in is important. I do not want to bring shame on you." For how much her heart longed for a human who by now would be on his main transport back to earth she didn't want to shame a good man.

"You will not shame me for being you. You are both Human and Vulcan, why not be the best of both worlds?" Releasing her hair, he drew his arms around her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "I like you as you are, emotions and long hair." Straightening, he pulled a strand of hair from each side back and twirled them deftly into a loose braid. "There..."

Cassie was surprised by the affection he offered her regularly if it was left the leftover fire she didn't want it to burn out and leave her with a cool man. He was such a different man from what she was used to in regards to Vulcans, the ones at the Academy never accepted her leaving her isolated or bullied her with cold remarks about her status. "Thank you." She said smiling as she saw how he seemed to play with her hair easily. "Do you have sisters?" She wondered not remembering his family well.

"My parents took in a little girl who was orphaned when I was younger, while not a sister in essence, she was treated as one. And she enjoyed it when I brushed her hair." He ran his hand through the remaining loose strands. "She had beautiful long hair, just as you."

“I’ve always liked long hair. I just... you just don’t often see people on Vulcan with long hair.” She reminded softly turning to look at him from sitting on the end of the bed.

"Most Vulcan women do their hair up, out of practicality. Intricate braids and knots. I am not deft at them, but I can assist if you like. Or we can have a proper hairdresser come in to assist you." He was clearly making an effort to make her feel at ease. "You should not cut it off simply because another may not like it."

Cassie turned a little more and touch his hand softly. "I will simply chuck it up in a ponytail." She said softly. If he didn't mind her having long hair then she would settle for it. It wasn't the be end of everything when she had bigger issues like settling back on Vulcan and learning about her husband.

Turning his hand over so their palms were touching, Tevir cast her a look of mild amusement. "Why are you so uncertain Ka'See?" he queried, "why do you feel you require my permission to do anything?"

"Because that was how it was with anyone I knew when I was on Vulcan as a child." Or at the very least how it had looked to pre-teenage her. It had seemed that her mother was controlled and neglected at every turn which had led her to leave Vulcan and raising Cassie on earth.

"You are not a child anymore. You are a skilled geneticist, you have earned respect among your peers. The Vulcan science academy would be thrilled to have you if you choose not to return to Starfleet. And I will be at your side."

"I am not sure what I will do yet." She said quietly looking away again thinking of the mocking she had, had at the Academy. "What is your field?" She wondered thinking she was sure her father had mentioned him being well matched in brains.

"Cosmology," he answered without pause, "I study spatial anomalies. At least, I will be when I finish my studies. I do not know yet what or where I will go when I finish."

Cosmology? She hadn't expected that one at all. He wouldn't always be on Vulcan in that case. He could leave on a science vessel for the Vulcan Science Council to study them far away just like she could be recalled to Starfleet from her Leave of Absence. "Well, maybe I can follow you if needs be." She said softly moving away from him to finish getting ready.

"Or I can go with you from time to time," he offered in return, withdrawing his hands to let her get up. "I have some time left to finish my degree, but then we can go wherever we want."


OFF::

Tevir
Civilian Scientist
Vulcan
(PNPC Sommners)

Ensign Cassie McAvoy
Geneticist
Starfleet
(PNPC Gregnol)