trans_9 | Between Time and Space

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Between Time and Space

She had no idea how long it had been since that day she had come upon Sietch Tabr with her Sister Sheeana. Part of her had been worried it would be gone, although she knew that was a fairly baseless fear: the place was hidden well, much like, as Sheena would have told her, anyway Sietch built by a Fremen. It was still here, next to the building that looked like a precursor to a skyscraper: the same limestone build, the same precarious steps to reach it. This was, as Sheeana had told her, the place where the original Muad'dib had hidden, where the Fremen had taken shelter before the days of the Tyrant.

It was where she went now, to reclaim a piece of herself.

The Tarot card reading had not been her first indication. After the death of Ozai, she had thought long and hard about where she'd been not long ago: she had accepted that there were people who lent themselves to chaos, to discord, and that they signed their own death warrant when they infringed themselves on others. It had been here Sheeana had attempted to have her delve into the mysteries of the Bene Gesserit, here where she had first partaken of Spice.

One cautious step, two, and then the caution was gone once she remembered that day: the Nightmare King had had her in his grip, or at least her fears were getting the best of her then. Somehow Sheeana had picked the right time to bring her down this hallway, past the treasure hunter bodies to the chamber. There she entered the place where the water was drained, all moisture kept, and she felt herself stumble only a little. It had been Sheeana's second time coming here too, and one mistake would keep her lost.

Quickly she made her way through each trap, just as easily as Sheena had the first time, since Kaya had been itching for a chance to use her limbs again, to dart quickly around a corner or to sidestep another obstacle before coming to THE chamber, where the ancient writing had been before. She could already smell the cinnamon waft that was the remainder of the Spice, the drug the Fremen used to travel through space, to heighten their awareness, to give them the ability to see the future.

Here, Kaya remembered, she had strengthened her mind against the Nightmare King once. Now, in this familiar place where many had gathered in celebration, in orgies, in reverence to the one that would triumph over the Harkkonans in time, for a time.

Kaya, however, was not here to get misty eyed about the loss of her teacher and many like her over time. Nor had she come here to take Spice to enjoy herself. She was here, mainly, to reclaim that part of her she had bravely taken a time before, when she had traveled the stars and seen the future, seen herself. This was a journey she knew she had to take again, if she thought she would be the girl she had strove to be once before.

She took the Spice from the floor, sniffed, then took it into her mouth again, and once again, tasted bitter cinnamon.

Kaya remembered herself, and regained. She endured, and she pulled into herself. She was here a long time.

Several hours would past before she emerged from the Sietch, but those that saw he would say she looked different: she stood straighter somehow, but she looked in a trance, one induced, and her eyes were bluer than they had ever been in the time they knew her. Her hair was loose around her, her feet bare, her clothes dusty and smelling faintly sweet, What was unmistakable was the look on her face: it was silent, accepting, but with a reserved joy that only one who asked would know.

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A crooked smile affixed itself to his face with news of her confession; there were many ways he could take it, though he wasn't sure which would be appropriate. 'Falling for'. was a phrase that Humans used to describe love, wasn't it? It would take a conversation with Ronnae or Nehaalista to be certain.

The water quickly rose up over most of their forms when he stumbled backwards into the spring, and Fontaine hurriedly paddled out of their path, though it wasn't enough to avoid the wave of water that splattered the creature. The wolf snorted but went about his business, none too concerned about the mortals frolicking before him. Not that the suggestive positioning would have bothered the elf anyways; it hardly rated as something worth noticing for any who might have chanced by.

With an appreciative purr, his lips parted beneath hers and he brought both hands up to smooth along her slender back. The manner in which he worked over her mouth was unhurried, lazy even; taking his time in a manner that would last. He wanted to see her face flushed and lips swollen with kisses...and maybe a mark--his mark--along her neck.

There were many ways it could be taken, and Kaya, truthfully, had no intention of saying love just yet. There were too many people who took that term and threw it around. When Kaya said she was falling for him, she meant that she was honestly feeling more and more enamored by him with each passing day. If he thought she meant love though, he wasn't too far from where her feelings were going.

Kaya wrapped her arms around his waist, modesty forgotten, and though it looked like she was straddling him, she didn't press herself more forcefully than he was willing to give. The gesture, however, was enough so he got the message that Kaya, even being the girl, had it in her power to be the aggressor.

His own feelings were a lot harder to pin down, if only because actual reciprocation of interest was some shiny, new, fantastic thing. So was all the physical attention associated with it.

Her message received, Nokosi dropped his arms beside his head, intent on being subservient and for once, not fighting back. It was a bit difficult for him when he could see her above him, wet hair hugging her face and the warmth of her body against his chest. Luminous silver eyes stared up at her, waiting to see what she would do.

Kaya, of course, could only keep this up for so long: he WAS still naked, and while she was perfectly content to keeping him pressed there, she knew she would have to let him up, so he could gather himself.

And yet....

There was no doubt, even to Nokosi, how there was a look of hesitance in Kaya's eyes: not because of what they might do, but because of how hard Kaya had to fight to not take him now. Yes, SHE felt it, and the Spice, if anything, made those feeling all the more prevalent. It was one of those moments she was very lad not to be a guy.

She ran her hand over his chest, then cupped his face in her hands, reaching down toward him, her bluer eyes shining. Words seemed lost to her. and for the moment she just marveled his skin.

It was easy enough for him to read her reluctant expression, and for a time he remained silent.

The pale light shining on his face winked out when his eyelids slid shut and his breath came low; shallow. Nokosi was too entranced by the sensations sparked by her wandering hands along his flesh. Never could he recall having such an intimate moment that was both as simple and sweet as this.

His eyes fluttered open again, though only halfway. "Does this situation make you uncomfortable, Kaya?" he finally said, addressing her previous hesitance.

Much as she knew that she should have, Kaya shook her head.

"Normally it would be. A year ago, the idea of being on top of a naked man and still feeling his skin would have had me jump several feet away! But I've changed a lot since then, and I know now there's really only one reason I hesitate."

Her hand reached over his foreheadm moving some stray strands of hair to the side, then moving back to his neck, settling on his collarbone.

"It's because I know I might be tempted to do more." And here, where she would have blushed, she was simply watching Nokosi's reaction.

Nokosi's chest rumbled with a chuckle at her words, amused. The imagery alone was enough to bring forth a warm smile that lit up his face.

"I am flattered to know that you desire me in the same way I do, you. It is...for many more reasons than physically so." He lay his hand over the one on his collarbone and slid his fingers between hers, locking them. "But I also believe there is nothing overtly sexual about a nude body, so I am able to enjoy this small moment with little thought of anything else disturbing it."

"Well," Kaya said, "You're really lucky not to have those feelings. I'm still fairly young, and, well, you know my situation. There was Aang, and then there was Matt. Now there's you, with you making me feel all these feelings that I never even felt with them. It's all still new, and guess I'm still adjusting to what I feel."

And her hand moved to his lips. "And what I feel is...is like I'm bursting, whenever I'm near you. How you make my heart flutter, how you have a way of being the most important person in the room, even when I'm surrounded by other people. How you have a way of being reckless and me. who's usually sensible, would be reckless right along with you."

She laughed. "I must sound pretty intimidating, huh?"

"Intimidating? Perhaps just a little, as the sharing of mutual emotions is something new to me as well. But I am also a Hunter." A wide grin split the elf's face, flashing the white points of his fangs. "I do, so love a challenge."

Nokosi nipped at the hand against his lips and pushed out his tongue, sliding it alongside the pads of her fingers. He was tempted to drag his tongue over her digits and suckle on the slender things, but he was fairly certain it would have been seen as unquestionably erotic. Considering her confession, he supposed he had to be a bit more thoughtful of his carefree attitude concerning these things.

"It is enjoyable when you allow yourself to abandon some of your inhibitions and take a route you do not usually consider...even if it is reckless. It gives you insight, I think." He'd been hesitant to lay a hand on her, especially with Kaya's precarious positioning, perched atop his lap as she was. When he finally brought a hand up to rest against her thigh, it came with a tentative and curious touch.

"Being told that I am 'the most important person in the room' when with you does make my heart swell with an odd sense of both pride and relief."

If Nokosi was looking for something that got Kaya equally as shook up as he had been only several minutes ago, he found it: the flash of those fangs coupled with a smile brought out a shudder in her she was careful enough to suppress.

Of course, there was also something to be said about a lack of subtlety, and Nokosi's tongue darting out to meet her palm definitely brought about a very noticeable reaction: she definitely trembled slightly here, and her hands flexed around his shoulders a little more roughly than she had been before.

The hand at her thigh, however, brought that blush that Kaya had usually been suppressing with Nokosi: she was glad, at least, that she did it much less than Katara. "You can say that again...and I understand the pride, but why the relief?"

Noticing the crimson color that bloomed along Kaya's cheeks, the corners of his lips raised slightly in a small, reassuring smile. "I will not be inappropriate." Although he had the perfect chance to return her earlier mischievousness, the thought didn't even cross his mind.

"To answer your question, it is because I always feel as though I must be wanted and needed by those I care about. If they have use of me, then my feelings of the worth I have to them can be validated."

Nokosi had began idly playing with locks of Kaya's hair as he spoke, twisting them around his fingers and tugging the strands straight. "Likewise, I really can not stand to be told to 'go away', 'leave', or similar such things."

If there was a small part of Nokosi that was feeling proud of making Kaya bush a little, he had every right: Kaya had been training herself to not do that very thing, and he had finally been able to coax it out of her, just being himself. As far as she was concerned, that said quite a lot about him.

"I'm surprised," she said, "because you always seem to have an air of being so carefree, being able to go from one place to the next. I always thought that was because you viewed life as an adventure, and so the people in it as parts that eventually play out. I know you live a very long life, and course people matter to you, I just sort of thought this in the back of my head."

She leaned over and kissing his fingers. "I think I'm incapable of tell you to do that, Nokosi. Even now, if I actually thought what we were doing was inappropriate, I'd be the last one to tell you to leave or go away."

"I do view life as an adventure. You could say that those people who mean something to me are the keys to that adventure. The most precious of loot, trinkets, treasure; whatever it is you want to call your bounty. Artifacts, perhaps. They constantly move, add, subtract and change the story of one's life in a way that no other event can."

The small, appreciative smile never left his face and her reassuring words were enough so that it would linger there for some time. "You must also remember that I was a very lonely child for quite some time. And useless, even to my mother and father. I can deal with being alone. It is not so bad, not really. There is a difference when one is asked or told to leave. Then...then I get the feeling that I am not wanted anymore; discarded. And I think about all the time I spent in the forest. Alone."

He didn't seemed bothered to talk about this matter at all; in fact, he was speaking fairly casually about it, though one could certainly tell it was a sobering subject. "Being alone is not that bad; not when you do it from a day-to-day perspective. But when you think about it in the scope of decades...half-centuries. It is..." Nokosi paused. He didn't really know what it was. It just felt bad.

"It is quite a bit more painfully obvious, isn't it?"

So there was still a lot about Nokosi that had Kaya had to keep in mind, As an adventurer, he viewed things much differently than most people would: though interesting enough, even if that view was unique, it still fell with how most people tried to treat friends on the ship anyway.

She nodded, and, without thinking consciously about it, had gotten behind him and was now gently rubbing his back, using her ability to create steam as a way to warm the massage enough where it was more soothing. She even added a little bit of sweet smelling extract to her hands to cause a tingle on his skin.

"I couldn;t imagine doing it myself," she said. It's one thing to be secluded on a cold continent by yourself with your family, but its another to have your family make you believe you were useless like that. Rest assured, I will always make sure you feel wanted around me."

Silver eyes trailed behind the girl as she rose and took a seat behind him. He didn't speak, only sighed, though it was not of exasperation or melancholy, but of that small little burst of joy that seemed to occur when one least expected it.

"I would not say they made me to believe it; I came to my own conclusions about such a thing. It is only natural after believing one thing for so long and then finding out that it was not so. Only an excuse to keep one's conscious clear. Even still, I cannot find it in myself to hate my parents. Not because I lack the capacity to do so." He'd killed plenty of Orcs that he completely loathed without a second thought. "Nor because they do not deserve my animosity; they do."

"I cannot hate them because...I was able to see the siblings that I never knew I had." Granted, his younger sister had all the loathing for him that his mother seemed to harbor. "They have given them fantastic lives in all this time. I am envious, but I am also glad that my siblings were provided a life in which they never had to want for anything."

Kaya continued moving slowly up and down his back, carefully easing her fingers around his spine, making sure to hit the spots where there were the most tension.

"Parents aren't supposed to do that for their kids," Kaya said, and she couldn't keep some of the tension out of her voice. "What you make of yourself and who you are is helped along by your parents. Their love is supposed to inspire you to be better than you are. Sure, you can learn it by yourself, and I admire you for that."

And she seethed quietly. "Yet they couldn't do anything for you? Well,I never met your brothers and sisters, but I think you turned out amazing, even without your parents."

"You are very good at this," he suddenly remarked, then slid most of his wet hair over his shoulder and out of her way.

"I know they are not supposed to. I cannot believe with one-hundred percent certainty that they thought that was the best course of action. At least, not my father, or there would be no reason to spin such a convincing tale before leaving me to the forest. That, alone, did inspire me to be better than I was because at the time I knew nothing more than 'Father and Mother are awaiting my return. I must show them how far I have come."

It was a pleasant thought at the time, and the many years he'd believed in it. Time passed so strangely, though; he was so different now than he was less than a decade ago. The city had changed that.

"There are many more who are just as bad, if not worse off than I was. There are many Azerothian orphans due to the back to back wars, you know. They have never had their parents' presence and love to help them along. A memory? A memento, perhaps? To remind them of the days past and times they never knew. We even have a week every year to show our appreciation for them. To show them that they loved by someone, somewhere. That even during our busy schedules of warmongering and pillaging, there is time for them, too."

He hummed in appreciation as she worked out a particularly tight knot--limber as he was, sleeping in trees did have its downfall. "I do not need to focus on the past and what they could not, did not do for me, or carry feelings of loathing, despair, jealousy and the like. Not when there is so much more in the world. Not when I can still be happy, smile honestly, and do so many things for myself and those orphans. Even as one whose people live for thousands of years...life is too short to waste on such things like that, don't you think?"

"That's the part of the 'whole training like a girl' I can be grateful for," Kaya commented, pounding on his back, which actually felt good rather than horribly painful. "That was really the worse I could say happened to me, which is to say you had it marginally better than I did. I could have lost a parent myself, like my teacher Katara. Her mother was killed in a Fire Nation raid, and I was lucky enough to have my parents. So maybe the both of us are still lucky."

She nodded. "Yes, and besides, you've taught me that lesson time and again: you wouldn't be able to without believing it yourself, of course. And besides, we have each other to make happy, right?"

Kaya said this, of course, as she cracked his neck.

Nokosi glanced over his shoulder at her as she worked, in an attempt to see just how her hands were doing such wonderful things to his back.

"'Training like a girl'? Ah! You mean the duties of a woman you spoke of, yes? This was part of it, then? Interesting." He supposed one would need to know such a thing to service others after particularly long days or weeks. Not only that, it was relaxing as well. Tonight was going to be one of those days where he slept forever, he just knew it.

"Yes, we do have each other to mak--" His words were interrupted by a loud pop and a crack. A quick exhale of air left his lips, surprised as he was about the 'finish' to her massage. "Ah! That hit the spot! My thanks."

Kaya knew she was doing a good job: she could feel how relaxed Nokosi was getting, and she was getting to the point where she didn't really need to press and prod anymore. And now that the worst was over, she supposed she could confess something to Nokosi.

"It was important to know the human body so you knew how to heal," Kaya said, finishing him off with some of the water pouring over his back and having it give him a boost of energy: something she could only do when having the Spice.

"No problem," she said. "Um, I did see Elistree before she went though. I was curious about what men and women did, when they were alone. You know, in preparation for later."

"I see. That was a man's job in Night elven culture, assuming they knew their place." He knew his. "I look forward to such things one day."

Nokosi closed his eyes and leaned back against Kaya. Sliding a hand along her throat, he pulled her down to press a thankful kiss against her cheek. Once he was comfortably situated, arms folded over his lap, he finally replied to her sudden confession.

"Yes? I hope her answers to your inquries were suitable."

"I still have to get used to the idea that in your culture, it was reversed for the men," Kaya mentioned, giggling a little. "even in the Southern Water Tribe, where there was more freedom, Katara was still expected to do a lot of things considered women's work. But I don;t mind it, I just hate the association that I should do it simply because I'm female."

Kaya was more than happy to just lay here with him like this. Her awkwardness was mostly gone, and she felt like she could talk with him abut anything. When he asked that question, she laughed lightly.

"She was very patient and kind, yes. She was also very gentle with me. I'm pretty sure I could do what was needed, if you and I were to ever be that intimate with each other."

Truthfully he'd already known since then--her scent was all over Ellistree when they had their little spar.

"I am not surprised to hear that; she is a fantastic woman. You did not have to go through such trouble on my behalf, though." On the other hand, it meant she had considered the possibility. "I am a very patient man, even with instinct spurring my desires. I think Ellistree would have laughed at me for that, though."

"She is, very amazing and quite beautiful, and knew much more than I would have thought possible. But I'll be honest with you Nokosi: I don't WANT you to be a patient man. I'm not going to throw myself at you, of course, but if something like that were to happen, i'm not fighting against it, I care about you, more than I have for any people on this ship, and it was important to me that if we ever did anything like that, I wouldn't need guidance. My teacher Sheeana tried to instruct me in the way of sexuality, but I was still very skittish about it then. That was why I went to Ellistree."

She paused. "Wait, why would she laugh at you?"

He didn't quite understand what she was going on about. She didn't want him to passively sit by, waiting until it happened, but she wasn't just going to initiate it? So. Passionate but restrained? He supposed. Understanding these little nuances of relationships were just as difficult as he would have thought.

"Because we both feel same way about the same thing but we are both are also hesitant to do anything about it. She would have laughed at you, too."

Between Time and Space

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