Judgement – Room for another foot?
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton
Post Details
::ON::
Ai'lani stepped into the Box of Delights, the bar looking less crowded as the evening only just began. He smiled sweetly at the people he recognized as he made his way over to the man he'd been looking for, Edward Stapleton. He approached him casually, his usual easy smile fixed on his face, looking at the human with honest blue eyes.
"Hello, do you need help with anything?" he asked.
Hearing the voice, Edward lifted his head from counting the playing chips on his Dabo table. "Oh. Ai'lani. Hi." He smiled awkwardly, recalling the discussion with his wife from the middle of the night. And he did his best to ignore the physical reaction that the alien's presence initiated.
"I don't think I need any help, but thanks for the offer. Besides, I'm not allowed to let patrons count chips unless they've purchased them."
He didn't have any patrons at his table at the moment - it was too early for the Granny Brigade. "Have a seat?" Edward invited, being polite. He gestured toward the empty stools around the circumference of the Dabo wheel.
"Thank you," Ai'lani said with a smile. "So, how've you been?" he asked, knowing it would be rude for him to just jump into the topic he wanted to discuss.
"No complaints," Edward decided to say. It was neutral enough. "How about you?" He looked at Ai'lani, wondering what the Deltan wanted. God, I hope he's not interested in me, he thought.
"I can't complain. Well, I can but no one would listen," the Deltan replied. "Actually, I came here to see you," he said.
Edward had started to chuckle companionably about no one listening to Ai'lani's troubles; but when the Deltan said he had come to the Box specifically to see him, the Dabo Boy choked on his chuckle and it came out in a cough.
"Excuse me, tickle in my throat," he said, covering his reaction. "What did you want to see me about?" Maybe it wasn't him that Ai'lani wanted? Maybe Ai'lani had enjoyed himself so much the previous night with Bridget, that he wanted a more intimate relationship with her? Edward didn't know how that kind of thing worked with Deltans. Maybe they had to ask permission from the spouses or something. No way in hell was he going to grant that. He forced a smile to his lips so as to appear casual and unconcerned.
"Calm down," Ai'lani said, noticing his emotional distress. "I wanted to talk to you about Bridget."
"About Bridget," Edward repeated, feeling as though his previous private thoughts were going to be confirmed. "What about Bridget?"
"Well, we had fun last night. And, I like her. I'd like to see her again. But I wanted to make sure it was okay with you. You are her husband, after all," Ai'lani explained. Knowing his and Bridget's troubles, he didn't feel comfortable pursuing a friendship with her if Edward protested. He'd learned humans could get the wrong idea easily, for instance, Bridget's idea that Edward wanted Yolanthe.
Damn right I am, Edward clamped his lips shut into a thin line so the thought wasn't spoken. He couldn't believe this guy was actually asking his permission to date his wife! Even so... He had no cause for being rude, and didn't want to say something he'd regret, no matter how satisfying it would be in the short run.
"I don't make Bridget's decisions for her," Edward replied. He hated saying that. Because it's exactly what he wanted to do in this case. "But I want to know what your intentions are."
"My intentions?" Ai'lani asked. "I just want to spend some time with her. We get along. We have fun together. We share some interests. Sure, we don't exactly have the same views on things so we argue a bit, but there's nothing wrong with that," he explained, crossing his legs as he sat back on the chair. "Like I said, I just want to spend some more time with her. But I wanted to ask you if it was okay, since I know humans can be sensitive and insecure."
"Sensitive and insecure." Edward's monotone repetition was accompanied by raised eyebrows. "Buddy, you aren't winning yourself any points with that one."
"I didn't know points were being handed out. I didn't know we were playing at all," Ai'lani told him, tilting his head slightly in confusion.
"You're asking if it's okay with me for you to date my wife. And you follow that up with the crack about human sensitivity and insecurity. I would think that if you really wanted my agreement, you'd refrain from insulting my race."
"Date your wife." Ai'lani's tone mimicked his. "You think I'm trying to date your wife?" With that question, Ai'lani let out a small chuckle, humor filling his blue eyes. "That's what you think this is about?"
Edward wasn't amused. "Isn't it?"
"Well, it's not. I don't want to date your wife. Because A. She's human and I don't romantically pursue humans, and B, she's your wife, and I know humans value sexual and romantic monogamy," Ai'lani clarified. "So, it would make me a real jerk if I swooped in and tried to get with your wife, wouldn't it?"
'You were certainly looking that way," Edward said, slightly mollified. He still didn't get this Deltan's way of thinking, but the explanation helped. Especially the part about not romantically pursuing humans.
"I just want to be friends with her," Ai'lani continued. "But, and I don't mean this to be insulting like you might think, in my experience, humans, especially males feel threatened by Deltans hanging around their spouses. That's why I wanted to talk to you to make sure you were okay with me and Bridget being friends."
"I see," Edward replied thoughtfully, after a brief pause. He had to make a choice about whether or not to take this alien at his word. But Bridget didn't seem to think that either of these people were a threat to her or to their marriage, and that carried some weight in Ai'lani's favor. His hackles were smoothing down, and he adjusted his shoulders a bit.
"Well, in that case, I guess I don't have a problem with you being friends with her," he said at last. He had an urge to give Ai'lani a 'be nice or else' warning, and 'if you make my wife cry, you will regret it' kind of thing. But he knew that kind of overprotective machismo wouldn't sit well with Bridget. And to a certain extent, it really wasn't his style, anyway. But that didn't prevent the unspoken thought from coming up.
"Good," Ai'lani said, finally letting out his normal pheromone levels. He'd kept himself subdued during the talk, not wanting to manipulate Edward into agreeing. But now that he'd agreed, he felt himself relax. "Thank you," he told him, unable to resist the urge to give his hand a grateful squeeze, the action very natural for him. Ai'lani wasn't an overly emotional person, but was incredibly physical in showing how he felt. "Maybe next time Kaelin and I ask Bridget out you should come too."
Edward dropped Ai'lani's hand like a scalding hot horseshoe. Looking at it in amazement, and then at his own hand expecting to see something wrong with it, he exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! Don't do that!" He broke out into a sweat at his hairline, and wiped his now-moist palm on his faux leather pants. "How'd you do that?" He asked, as if it were some parlor magician's trick.
As Edward dropped his hand, a flash of hurt went off in Ai'lani's expressive blue eyes. "I-I'm sorry," he told him, taking his hand back and wrapping his arms around himself. It wasn't an unusual reaction for him to get, but he hadn't been expecting one so passionate from Edward and it threw him off. The guy seemed a little uncomfortable, but he didn't think he'd react so passionately to an innocent touch. "I can't help it. I'm sorry. I'm gonna go. Thank you, again," he managed to tell him, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, chastising himself for a slip up like the one he just had. 'Of course Edward would react that way! Sure, he's a nice guy and everything, but he's still human,' he told himself, standing up from his chair and slipping his bag over his shoulder again.
Edward was confused, and it showed in the expression on his face as he mutely watched Ai'lani hurriedly apologize and thank him, and then leave. The Deltan was in obvious embarrassment, his face showing his consternation. Patrons who had turned to look when Edward had exclaimed, were whispering as Ai'lani passed them.
Edward hadn't missed Ai'lani's reaction, either. First the guy gives me some sort of sexual electric shock or something, and then he acts like he didn't know that was gonna happen? I don't get it. He shook his head side to side. A tangle of emotions and lingering physical sensation, from his belly to his knees, didn't make the confusion any easier.
As the evening wore on, Edward continued to think about what had happened. A part of him wanted Ai'lani to return. He didn't know why, and he didn't know what he would say. But he found himself slightly disappointed every time the main doors opened, and it wasn't Ai'lani crossing the threshold.
Around midnight, a Deltan walked into the Box of Delights, but it wasn't Ai'lani. He wore a Starfleet uniform with teal trim and gave a warm smile to a few people as he made his way to Edward. He looked younger than Ai'lani, his features a bit more symmetrical than the journalist's, making him appear more beautiful than handsome. He waited until the Granny Brigade left for the evening before actually making any contact. "Hi, Edward," he greeted him with a warm smile. None of the physical attraction Edward felt towards Ai'lani was present when Kaelin walked up to him.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen Ai'lani today?"
Recognizing him from the previous night, Edward asked, "Kaelin, right? You work with my wife?"
He paused for the confirmation, and then stammered a bit as he continued. "I... well, uh..." He blinked rapidly a few times and then started over. "He was here, yeah. I talked to him about four o'clock, just before the dinner crowd came in. You, uh... looking for him? I haven't seen him since then."
Edward was expecting Kaelin to give him the same kind of abdominal tightness that had accompanied talking with Ai'lani; but to his surprise, Kaelin didn't seem to affect him much at all. He was pretty. But kindof like Ahjess was pretty. Just another handsome guy was all. He wondered why there was such a difference.
"Right. Did anything happen? I can't find him. His communicator is in his quarters but he's not there," Kaelin explained. He had wanted to drop in on Ai'lani in his quarters after his shift but, the journalist wasn't inside. And leaving his communicator behind wasn't like him.
"Yeah. Um, that's not good," Edward said, stalling a bit, consternation and concern for Ai'lani's welfare clearly shown on his features.
"We... well see, he had come to ask me if it was okay with me if he was friends with Bridget. And after he explained a bit I said it was okay. And then he shook my hand..." he paused, not sure whether or not to tell Kaelin how strongly he'd reacted to Ai'lani's physical contact. "... and then he left."
"That's it?" Kaelin asked, then sighed in concern. "Okay then. Well, if you see him, tell him I'm looking for him, okay?" he asked.
"Wait.." Edward called as Kaelin turned to go. "Wait. Please sit down? I want to ask you something."
Kaelin stopped, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Glancing around, Kaelin finally nodded and sat down. He didn't know what to say, so he just sat there, waiting for Edward to begin.
Edward sighed, unsure how to ask Kaelin about the reaction he had to Ai'lani's touch. He was uncomfortable with talking about this at all. It would have been awkward enough talking about it with Bridget. It was particularly unnerving talking about it with a stranger. But since Kaelin was a Deltan, he was the only one to ask who could give him a first-hand answer.
"So... eh, when Ai'lani shook my hand... it..." He stumbled looking for the right words to describe his reaction. "I felt like I'd gotten zapped by a conduit panel. But it was more than that, it was..." How do I say that he really turned me on? For the love of Pete, I can't say that!
"It was...okay, so why don't you affect me like that?" He ended his question with asking something related to what he wanted to know, but without coming out and saying what he really felt.
Kaelin watched him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was talking about before a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh..." he said, nodding a bit. "Well, I take drugs to suppress my pheromones. My touch still feels pleasant to others, but not nearly as much as it would be when combined with the pheromones."
"And Ai'lani doesn't take the drugs?" Edward looked off in the distance a bit, thinking. "Well, that explains it, then." He returned his gaze to Kaelin, this time meeting his eyes as he let his guard relax, knowing that Kaelin wasn't going to zap him or anything.
"You guys have something pretty... uh, interesting there. Bet people have asked you if they could bottle it. Some Ferengi would love to make a fortune on Deltan pheromone perfume." Edward chuckled at his little joke, the laughter sounding a bit forced in his nervousness.
"Huh..." Kaelin just said, not really finding that joke funny. Deltan pheromones were dangerous if someone didn't know what they were doing. He felt there should be a point to this conversation. "Is there a reason you're asking this? Did Ai'lani do something to you?" he asked, unable to believe his friend would actually misuse his pheromones on Edward, of all people.
Edward's chuckle died immediately and he looked away, unable to meet Kaelin's eyes. "He... I..." Edward sighed and lowered his head. After a moment, he looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, and then he leaned forward so he could whisper.
"When he shook my hand, it was like I saw stars. And there was.... okay, so I'm not interested in men, okay? But if I was.... that guy would have... had... me drooling. And I can't get it out of my head." Edward pulled back and raised both eyebrows, surprise once again registered on his face, and in his normal voice said, "Know what I mean?"
"You're attracted to Ai'lani," Kaelin guessed.
"No!" Edward hissed, and leaned forward again to whisper, his eyes darting around the room looking for potential eavesdroppers. "No, it was all his touchy feely pheromone thing. It wasn't me, he made me feel that way. I'm not attracted to him at all," he added with finality.
Kaelin looked a bit taken aback at his outburst. "Okay..." he said, raising his hands up as if to defend himself. 'Damn, humans are touchy about their sexuality. No wonder they're so screwed up!' he thought to himself. "I apologize. I meant no offense," he told him. "So...can I ask you a question? Did you react like this to Ai'lani touching your hand?" he asked, already guessing what may have happened.
"Sorry. No offense taken, I guess." He lowered his voice, but refrained from leaning forward, not wanting to put the Deltan on the defensive. "And yeah, it didn't happen until we shook hands as he was leaving. I mean, I know you guys carry a sexy scent trail around with you, or whatever. And I noticed the effects, but I was able to basically ignore it. Then he shakes my hand, and it's like, ka-pow." He slightly emphasized the last word, but not enough that he raised his voice.
"And then what happened? What did you say? What did he say?" Kaelin asked, feeling annoyed at Edward at that moment.
Edward looked off into the middle distance, remembering. "I ...don't recall what I said, exactly. I think... I asked him what he did, or told him not to do it, or something like that. He got really embarrassed... and acted as if he didn't expect that to happen. And then... he apologized, and ran off like I was going to chase him out of the casino or something. And that's it."
Edward shrugged, his confused look having returned. "Does that always happen? Because if it does, I don't think I want him touching my wife."
Kaelin didn't look pleased, but appeared to be trying to hide it. Unfortunately, much like Ai'lani's, Kaelin had a very expressive pair of eyes so his annoyance was obvious. "Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, touching your hand, that's like sexual assault of the first degree," he said sarcastically, standing up. "Heaven's forbid the day comes when he might hug someone."
Edward didn't catch the expression in Kaelin's eyes, but the tone of voice wasn't lost on him. The fact that Kaelin hadn't answered his question with any assurances, didn't help either.
"Please don't tell me you're dismissing my concern, like it sounds. I can't believe you would think it's okay for you Deltans to just go around messing with peoples' hormones, whether they welcome your attention or not. You can't be that irresponsible."
"Irresponsible? And what exactly has Ai'lani done to you except stir up a few feelings you wouldn't be able to act on?" Kaelin asked, crossing his arms.
Edward saw the expression in Kaelin's eyes now, and coupled with the defiant stance of the Deltan's arms, realized the discussion was clearly deteriorating into an argument. But Kaelin's sarcastic remark needled him, and Edward didn't heed his own internal warnings.
"Somehow you aren't having the kind of affect on me that Ai'lani had, so either you are taking the medication out of deference to other people, or you are being forced to do it. Either way, that wouldn't be happening if you Deltans didn't cause problems with your pheromone thing."
"Thing? This *thing* is what makes us Deltans. Our way of communicating with one another. And I take this medication because of xenophobes like you who are so insecure about themselves it makes you completely intolerant of my species while preaching acceptance, despite the fact that we've never hurt anyone. It's also the reason why my people, for all their worth to the Federation, isolate ourselves to our planet in the hopes that that might convince the rest of you that we're not out to molest you." Kaelin wasn't an angry person, but he could feel the rage and frustration bubbling inside him.
"I take injections every day, cutting myself off from my nature just so that people might change their mind one day. Ai'lani is brave enough to be himself. He's never hurt or taken advantage of anyone. He's the most responsible person I know. And what does he get for that? He gets people like you reacting to him like he's diseased because of your own ignorance, self-doubt and paranoia."
"Think whatever you like, Kaelin. But it doesn't make you brave, when what you do affects someone else's body without their permission." Edward sighed through his nose. They were getting nowhere. "If I see Ai'lani, I will tell him you're looking for him. Now if that's all, I have work to do."
"You might not want to tell Ai'lani anything. You don't want the big bad Deltan to get you," Kaelin said, shaking his head at him in disappointment. It was pointless to argue his point with other species, humans especially, he decided. Ai'lani was right. With that, he turned around and walked out.
"Jerk," Edward muttered under his breath. It rankled him that this alien seemed to think his assumed superiority gave him the right to pass judgement on others, just because he considered them less evolved.
::OFF::
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance photojournalist
and
Ensign Kaelin Niers
Clinical Pathologist - Resident
and
Edward Stapleton
Dabo Boy
Box Of Delights
by (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton
Post Details
| Title | Room for another foot? | |
| Mission | Judgement | |
| Author(s) | (G) Arrain - Lieutenant Arrienye t'Merek & Lieutenant Bridget Stapleton | |
| Posted | Sun Aug 21, 2011 @ 9:38pm | |
| Location | Box of Delights | |
| Timeline | SD38 - 16:10 |
Ai'lani stepped into the Box of Delights, the bar looking less crowded as the evening only just began. He smiled sweetly at the people he recognized as he made his way over to the man he'd been looking for, Edward Stapleton. He approached him casually, his usual easy smile fixed on his face, looking at the human with honest blue eyes.
"Hello, do you need help with anything?" he asked.
Hearing the voice, Edward lifted his head from counting the playing chips on his Dabo table. "Oh. Ai'lani. Hi." He smiled awkwardly, recalling the discussion with his wife from the middle of the night. And he did his best to ignore the physical reaction that the alien's presence initiated.
"I don't think I need any help, but thanks for the offer. Besides, I'm not allowed to let patrons count chips unless they've purchased them."
He didn't have any patrons at his table at the moment - it was too early for the Granny Brigade. "Have a seat?" Edward invited, being polite. He gestured toward the empty stools around the circumference of the Dabo wheel.
"Thank you," Ai'lani said with a smile. "So, how've you been?" he asked, knowing it would be rude for him to just jump into the topic he wanted to discuss.
"No complaints," Edward decided to say. It was neutral enough. "How about you?" He looked at Ai'lani, wondering what the Deltan wanted. God, I hope he's not interested in me, he thought.
"I can't complain. Well, I can but no one would listen," the Deltan replied. "Actually, I came here to see you," he said.
Edward had started to chuckle companionably about no one listening to Ai'lani's troubles; but when the Deltan said he had come to the Box specifically to see him, the Dabo Boy choked on his chuckle and it came out in a cough.
"Excuse me, tickle in my throat," he said, covering his reaction. "What did you want to see me about?" Maybe it wasn't him that Ai'lani wanted? Maybe Ai'lani had enjoyed himself so much the previous night with Bridget, that he wanted a more intimate relationship with her? Edward didn't know how that kind of thing worked with Deltans. Maybe they had to ask permission from the spouses or something. No way in hell was he going to grant that. He forced a smile to his lips so as to appear casual and unconcerned.
"Calm down," Ai'lani said, noticing his emotional distress. "I wanted to talk to you about Bridget."
"About Bridget," Edward repeated, feeling as though his previous private thoughts were going to be confirmed. "What about Bridget?"
"Well, we had fun last night. And, I like her. I'd like to see her again. But I wanted to make sure it was okay with you. You are her husband, after all," Ai'lani explained. Knowing his and Bridget's troubles, he didn't feel comfortable pursuing a friendship with her if Edward protested. He'd learned humans could get the wrong idea easily, for instance, Bridget's idea that Edward wanted Yolanthe.
Damn right I am, Edward clamped his lips shut into a thin line so the thought wasn't spoken. He couldn't believe this guy was actually asking his permission to date his wife! Even so... He had no cause for being rude, and didn't want to say something he'd regret, no matter how satisfying it would be in the short run.
"I don't make Bridget's decisions for her," Edward replied. He hated saying that. Because it's exactly what he wanted to do in this case. "But I want to know what your intentions are."
"My intentions?" Ai'lani asked. "I just want to spend some time with her. We get along. We have fun together. We share some interests. Sure, we don't exactly have the same views on things so we argue a bit, but there's nothing wrong with that," he explained, crossing his legs as he sat back on the chair. "Like I said, I just want to spend some more time with her. But I wanted to ask you if it was okay, since I know humans can be sensitive and insecure."
"Sensitive and insecure." Edward's monotone repetition was accompanied by raised eyebrows. "Buddy, you aren't winning yourself any points with that one."
"I didn't know points were being handed out. I didn't know we were playing at all," Ai'lani told him, tilting his head slightly in confusion.
"You're asking if it's okay with me for you to date my wife. And you follow that up with the crack about human sensitivity and insecurity. I would think that if you really wanted my agreement, you'd refrain from insulting my race."
"Date your wife." Ai'lani's tone mimicked his. "You think I'm trying to date your wife?" With that question, Ai'lani let out a small chuckle, humor filling his blue eyes. "That's what you think this is about?"
Edward wasn't amused. "Isn't it?"
"Well, it's not. I don't want to date your wife. Because A. She's human and I don't romantically pursue humans, and B, she's your wife, and I know humans value sexual and romantic monogamy," Ai'lani clarified. "So, it would make me a real jerk if I swooped in and tried to get with your wife, wouldn't it?"
'You were certainly looking that way," Edward said, slightly mollified. He still didn't get this Deltan's way of thinking, but the explanation helped. Especially the part about not romantically pursuing humans.
"I just want to be friends with her," Ai'lani continued. "But, and I don't mean this to be insulting like you might think, in my experience, humans, especially males feel threatened by Deltans hanging around their spouses. That's why I wanted to talk to you to make sure you were okay with me and Bridget being friends."
"I see," Edward replied thoughtfully, after a brief pause. He had to make a choice about whether or not to take this alien at his word. But Bridget didn't seem to think that either of these people were a threat to her or to their marriage, and that carried some weight in Ai'lani's favor. His hackles were smoothing down, and he adjusted his shoulders a bit.
"Well, in that case, I guess I don't have a problem with you being friends with her," he said at last. He had an urge to give Ai'lani a 'be nice or else' warning, and 'if you make my wife cry, you will regret it' kind of thing. But he knew that kind of overprotective machismo wouldn't sit well with Bridget. And to a certain extent, it really wasn't his style, anyway. But that didn't prevent the unspoken thought from coming up.
"Good," Ai'lani said, finally letting out his normal pheromone levels. He'd kept himself subdued during the talk, not wanting to manipulate Edward into agreeing. But now that he'd agreed, he felt himself relax. "Thank you," he told him, unable to resist the urge to give his hand a grateful squeeze, the action very natural for him. Ai'lani wasn't an overly emotional person, but was incredibly physical in showing how he felt. "Maybe next time Kaelin and I ask Bridget out you should come too."
Edward dropped Ai'lani's hand like a scalding hot horseshoe. Looking at it in amazement, and then at his own hand expecting to see something wrong with it, he exclaimed in surprise, "Hey! Don't do that!" He broke out into a sweat at his hairline, and wiped his now-moist palm on his faux leather pants. "How'd you do that?" He asked, as if it were some parlor magician's trick.
As Edward dropped his hand, a flash of hurt went off in Ai'lani's expressive blue eyes. "I-I'm sorry," he told him, taking his hand back and wrapping his arms around himself. It wasn't an unusual reaction for him to get, but he hadn't been expecting one so passionate from Edward and it threw him off. The guy seemed a little uncomfortable, but he didn't think he'd react so passionately to an innocent touch. "I can't help it. I'm sorry. I'm gonna go. Thank you, again," he managed to tell him, wanting to get out of there as soon as possible, chastising himself for a slip up like the one he just had. 'Of course Edward would react that way! Sure, he's a nice guy and everything, but he's still human,' he told himself, standing up from his chair and slipping his bag over his shoulder again.
Edward was confused, and it showed in the expression on his face as he mutely watched Ai'lani hurriedly apologize and thank him, and then leave. The Deltan was in obvious embarrassment, his face showing his consternation. Patrons who had turned to look when Edward had exclaimed, were whispering as Ai'lani passed them.
Edward hadn't missed Ai'lani's reaction, either. First the guy gives me some sort of sexual electric shock or something, and then he acts like he didn't know that was gonna happen? I don't get it. He shook his head side to side. A tangle of emotions and lingering physical sensation, from his belly to his knees, didn't make the confusion any easier.
As the evening wore on, Edward continued to think about what had happened. A part of him wanted Ai'lani to return. He didn't know why, and he didn't know what he would say. But he found himself slightly disappointed every time the main doors opened, and it wasn't Ai'lani crossing the threshold.
Around midnight, a Deltan walked into the Box of Delights, but it wasn't Ai'lani. He wore a Starfleet uniform with teal trim and gave a warm smile to a few people as he made his way to Edward. He looked younger than Ai'lani, his features a bit more symmetrical than the journalist's, making him appear more beautiful than handsome. He waited until the Granny Brigade left for the evening before actually making any contact. "Hi, Edward," he greeted him with a warm smile. None of the physical attraction Edward felt towards Ai'lani was present when Kaelin walked up to him.
"I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen Ai'lani today?"
Recognizing him from the previous night, Edward asked, "Kaelin, right? You work with my wife?"
He paused for the confirmation, and then stammered a bit as he continued. "I... well, uh..." He blinked rapidly a few times and then started over. "He was here, yeah. I talked to him about four o'clock, just before the dinner crowd came in. You, uh... looking for him? I haven't seen him since then."
Edward was expecting Kaelin to give him the same kind of abdominal tightness that had accompanied talking with Ai'lani; but to his surprise, Kaelin didn't seem to affect him much at all. He was pretty. But kindof like Ahjess was pretty. Just another handsome guy was all. He wondered why there was such a difference.
"Right. Did anything happen? I can't find him. His communicator is in his quarters but he's not there," Kaelin explained. He had wanted to drop in on Ai'lani in his quarters after his shift but, the journalist wasn't inside. And leaving his communicator behind wasn't like him.
"Yeah. Um, that's not good," Edward said, stalling a bit, consternation and concern for Ai'lani's welfare clearly shown on his features.
"We... well see, he had come to ask me if it was okay with me if he was friends with Bridget. And after he explained a bit I said it was okay. And then he shook my hand..." he paused, not sure whether or not to tell Kaelin how strongly he'd reacted to Ai'lani's physical contact. "... and then he left."
"That's it?" Kaelin asked, then sighed in concern. "Okay then. Well, if you see him, tell him I'm looking for him, okay?" he asked.
"Wait.." Edward called as Kaelin turned to go. "Wait. Please sit down? I want to ask you something."
Kaelin stopped, looking at him with a raised eyebrow. Glancing around, Kaelin finally nodded and sat down. He didn't know what to say, so he just sat there, waiting for Edward to begin.
Edward sighed, unsure how to ask Kaelin about the reaction he had to Ai'lani's touch. He was uncomfortable with talking about this at all. It would have been awkward enough talking about it with Bridget. It was particularly unnerving talking about it with a stranger. But since Kaelin was a Deltan, he was the only one to ask who could give him a first-hand answer.
"So... eh, when Ai'lani shook my hand... it..." He stumbled looking for the right words to describe his reaction. "I felt like I'd gotten zapped by a conduit panel. But it was more than that, it was..." How do I say that he really turned me on? For the love of Pete, I can't say that!
"It was...okay, so why don't you affect me like that?" He ended his question with asking something related to what he wanted to know, but without coming out and saying what he really felt.
Kaelin watched him for a moment, trying to figure out what he was talking about before a look of realization crossed his face. "Oh..." he said, nodding a bit. "Well, I take drugs to suppress my pheromones. My touch still feels pleasant to others, but not nearly as much as it would be when combined with the pheromones."
"And Ai'lani doesn't take the drugs?" Edward looked off in the distance a bit, thinking. "Well, that explains it, then." He returned his gaze to Kaelin, this time meeting his eyes as he let his guard relax, knowing that Kaelin wasn't going to zap him or anything.
"You guys have something pretty... uh, interesting there. Bet people have asked you if they could bottle it. Some Ferengi would love to make a fortune on Deltan pheromone perfume." Edward chuckled at his little joke, the laughter sounding a bit forced in his nervousness.
"Huh..." Kaelin just said, not really finding that joke funny. Deltan pheromones were dangerous if someone didn't know what they were doing. He felt there should be a point to this conversation. "Is there a reason you're asking this? Did Ai'lani do something to you?" he asked, unable to believe his friend would actually misuse his pheromones on Edward, of all people.
Edward's chuckle died immediately and he looked away, unable to meet Kaelin's eyes. "He... I..." Edward sighed and lowered his head. After a moment, he looked around to see if anyone was paying attention, and then he leaned forward so he could whisper.
"When he shook my hand, it was like I saw stars. And there was.... okay, so I'm not interested in men, okay? But if I was.... that guy would have... had... me drooling. And I can't get it out of my head." Edward pulled back and raised both eyebrows, surprise once again registered on his face, and in his normal voice said, "Know what I mean?"
"You're attracted to Ai'lani," Kaelin guessed.
"No!" Edward hissed, and leaned forward again to whisper, his eyes darting around the room looking for potential eavesdroppers. "No, it was all his touchy feely pheromone thing. It wasn't me, he made me feel that way. I'm not attracted to him at all," he added with finality.
Kaelin looked a bit taken aback at his outburst. "Okay..." he said, raising his hands up as if to defend himself. 'Damn, humans are touchy about their sexuality. No wonder they're so screwed up!' he thought to himself. "I apologize. I meant no offense," he told him. "So...can I ask you a question? Did you react like this to Ai'lani touching your hand?" he asked, already guessing what may have happened.
"Sorry. No offense taken, I guess." He lowered his voice, but refrained from leaning forward, not wanting to put the Deltan on the defensive. "And yeah, it didn't happen until we shook hands as he was leaving. I mean, I know you guys carry a sexy scent trail around with you, or whatever. And I noticed the effects, but I was able to basically ignore it. Then he shakes my hand, and it's like, ka-pow." He slightly emphasized the last word, but not enough that he raised his voice.
"And then what happened? What did you say? What did he say?" Kaelin asked, feeling annoyed at Edward at that moment.
Edward looked off into the middle distance, remembering. "I ...don't recall what I said, exactly. I think... I asked him what he did, or told him not to do it, or something like that. He got really embarrassed... and acted as if he didn't expect that to happen. And then... he apologized, and ran off like I was going to chase him out of the casino or something. And that's it."
Edward shrugged, his confused look having returned. "Does that always happen? Because if it does, I don't think I want him touching my wife."
Kaelin didn't look pleased, but appeared to be trying to hide it. Unfortunately, much like Ai'lani's, Kaelin had a very expressive pair of eyes so his annoyance was obvious. "Yeah, you're probably right. I mean, touching your hand, that's like sexual assault of the first degree," he said sarcastically, standing up. "Heaven's forbid the day comes when he might hug someone."
Edward didn't catch the expression in Kaelin's eyes, but the tone of voice wasn't lost on him. The fact that Kaelin hadn't answered his question with any assurances, didn't help either.
"Please don't tell me you're dismissing my concern, like it sounds. I can't believe you would think it's okay for you Deltans to just go around messing with peoples' hormones, whether they welcome your attention or not. You can't be that irresponsible."
"Irresponsible? And what exactly has Ai'lani done to you except stir up a few feelings you wouldn't be able to act on?" Kaelin asked, crossing his arms.
Edward saw the expression in Kaelin's eyes now, and coupled with the defiant stance of the Deltan's arms, realized the discussion was clearly deteriorating into an argument. But Kaelin's sarcastic remark needled him, and Edward didn't heed his own internal warnings.
"Somehow you aren't having the kind of affect on me that Ai'lani had, so either you are taking the medication out of deference to other people, or you are being forced to do it. Either way, that wouldn't be happening if you Deltans didn't cause problems with your pheromone thing."
"Thing? This *thing* is what makes us Deltans. Our way of communicating with one another. And I take this medication because of xenophobes like you who are so insecure about themselves it makes you completely intolerant of my species while preaching acceptance, despite the fact that we've never hurt anyone. It's also the reason why my people, for all their worth to the Federation, isolate ourselves to our planet in the hopes that that might convince the rest of you that we're not out to molest you." Kaelin wasn't an angry person, but he could feel the rage and frustration bubbling inside him.
"I take injections every day, cutting myself off from my nature just so that people might change their mind one day. Ai'lani is brave enough to be himself. He's never hurt or taken advantage of anyone. He's the most responsible person I know. And what does he get for that? He gets people like you reacting to him like he's diseased because of your own ignorance, self-doubt and paranoia."
"Think whatever you like, Kaelin. But it doesn't make you brave, when what you do affects someone else's body without their permission." Edward sighed through his nose. They were getting nowhere. "If I see Ai'lani, I will tell him you're looking for him. Now if that's all, I have work to do."
"You might not want to tell Ai'lani anything. You don't want the big bad Deltan to get you," Kaelin said, shaking his head at him in disappointment. It was pointless to argue his point with other species, humans especially, he decided. Ai'lani was right. With that, he turned around and walked out.
"Jerk," Edward muttered under his breath. It rankled him that this alien seemed to think his assumed superiority gave him the right to pass judgement on others, just because he considered them less evolved.
::OFF::
Ai'lani Elley
Freelance photojournalist
and
Ensign Kaelin Niers
Clinical Pathologist - Resident
and
Edward Stapleton
Dabo Boy
Box Of Delights