Deception: The lesser part of Valour – Competition
by Commander Rakka
Post Details
Rakka lingered in the narrow hallway outside the side entrance to Qe', the Klingon restaurant. She was more than a little nervous as she hadn't been near yInchu' in several days, although she much appreciated him giving her a little space. Normally he would be playing his trying game of showing up everywhere she went in a desperate bid to steal some time with her or bring her this and that to gain her favour. His distance over the last few days had perhaps endeared him to her even more than he realized.
yInchu' stepped out after finishing his evening cleanup in the restaurant and was more than a little surprised to find his reluctant parmaqqay waiting for him.
"Rakka!" he exclaimed. "Are you hungry?"
She found that the comment stung a little. Was that the only reason she ever went to him willingly? Carefully she wrapped her arms around his neck, finding herself in the unusual position of desiring some sort of physical comfort.
He crushed her against his chest. "Ah... it has been terrible to be apart from you. BomDI' 'IwwIj qaqaw!"
While she did not speak Klingon, Rakka was certain he had said something nice. "Thanks... for giving me space."
"Is that all I need to do to earn your good will?" he laughed. "The humans may have discovered something useful in this 'playing hard to get' concept." He stepped back to have a look at her. "You are sad. Come--accompany me to my quarters."
She allowed yInchu' to sling an arm about her shoulders and lead her on.
[yInchu''s quarters]
His quarters were quite small compared to her own, but rather lavishly decorated. Many surfaces were littered with ornamental things, the walls covered with pictures, mostly from operas. Everything about his living space suggested a life spent on the more artistic side of Klingon culture.
One wall, however, was hung with weapons and uniforms.
"They were my father's," yInchu' said, noticing her attention. "He was a fine warrior, though he was killed young."
"How old were you?"
"My mother had not yet become aware of her pregnancy."
"Oh... so you never knew him."
He came up behind her and fiddled with her hair. "Only by reputation."
She turned to face him, feeling that things should be said, but not knowing if saying them would be for the best.
"You are troubled," he noticed, pulling her to his couch, and they sat. "It is your officer, Riley, that occupies your mind. He, too, was a fine warrior."
"Yes... he was."
"You are burdened by his death?"
"Yes."
"He died with great honour, as I hear."
Rakka leaned down and rested her head on his lap, mostly to avoid having to look him in the eye during this conversation. "Yes... and it makes me proud. But his absence... it is difficult to... get used to."
"Hmm... he would have been a worthy opponent. I can't say he didn't have me concerned. The time you two spent together...."
"Opponent?" Rakka breathed, her stomach twisting up. "What do you mean?"
"Ahhh...... I, at least, had found it quite obvious the way he felt about you. But I suppose you are rather blind to these things--even when I tell you outright, you refuse to believe me," he chuckled. "Did you really not know the man was foolish for you?"
Rakka sighed. "I found out from his personal logs. I thought you would be... angry."
"Why should I be angry for the way another man feels? It's not as if you were romping about with him behind my back. He obviously never found the toDuj to say anything to you."
"What if he had?"
"Well... you tell me. What would you have done?"
Rakka swallowed. "I don't know."
The hand that had been gently stroking her hair tightened around it, causing her to tense a little.
"What does that mean, Rakka?" he asked in an odd tone of voice.
"It... it means I don't know. I just don't know."
"So you would have considered him?"
"yInchu', what difference does it make now? He's dead."
He pulled on her shoulders, forcing her to sit up and face him. "Rakka, it makes all the difference!" he exclaimed. "Tell me the truth! Would you have left me for him?"
Rakka turned away, not wanting to answer the question. He reached out to try to forcefully turn her chin to face him, but she slapped his hand away.
"Don't ever touch me like that!" she snapped.
She could see him struggling with his anger, and finally calm himself. "Tell me," he said, more softly this time. "Would you have left me?"
"I might have."
yInchu' got up abruptly from the couch and paced. "Tojo'Qa', Rakka!" he exclaimed. "Do you not see how much work it has been for me, just to convince you to let me come near, to let me touch you? You would just treat all that like it was nothing, and go to someone who has done NOTHING for you?"
"You don't even know what you're talking about!" Rakka snapped, staying firmly planted on the couch and crossing her arms. "The whole time I knew Riley he made an effort to get to know me, to know who I am, to know what troubles me and search for a way to fix it. What have you done, after all? Devoted perhaps two minutes to trying to get to know me, but otherwise you have solely tried to win me over with food, and panted over me like some dog in heat! It's quite clear that your ultimate goal has been to soften me up until such a point as you can get me into your bed!"
yInchu' glared at her, not knowing how to take all this. "Rakka... I'm a Klingon. I'm not a human. All I can do is try to win you over the only way I know how. Yes, I want you for a mate, and I don't think that's something I should be scolded for."
"Just try to understand what I'm saying, will you?" Rakka pleaded. "There needs to be more to all this. Shouldn't we be friends first? You've told me things about you, but you have spent so little time really trying to talk to me... about important things.... I feel as if you don't even know who I am."
yInchu' threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "If there are things you want me to know, then why don't you just tell me?"
Rakka tore at her hair, equally frustrated. "You're missing the point!"
"Qu'vatlh!" yInchu' cursed. "Well, what is the 'point'?"
Rakka swallowed hard and drew her knees up against her chest. The room was suddenly very quiet. "yInchu'," she whispered, "do you love me?"
"Love?" he repeated, stepping closer to her and kneeling on the floor in front of her. "Rakka... why are you trying to fit us into this human mold? What we have is like nothing else. Do you suppose a Nausicaan and a Klingon have ever attempted this before? We can't assume it is so simple as to fit human terms."
"I know the human language is inadequate, but it's the only one we share," she insisted. "I don't understand the things you say to me in Klingon, and Nausicaan is helpless to express anything... tender."
"Be that as it may... I cannot tell you I 'love' you. It is a meaningless term."
"I don't think it is."
"But it is meaningless!" he exclaimed. "Do you listen to humans talk about love? They love their mates, their friends, their clothes, and their dinners with the same terminology and enthusiasm. How can I use a word like that without knowing what it means when you say it? I care about you, Rakka... I desire you... I crave your presence. Do you not already know this?"
Rakka sighed. "There's just... something missing."
"Well, how can I be expected to fulfill it if you don't even know what it is? Rakka... we come from different worlds, and nothing can change that. But inter-species relationships can work, we see that every day, especially in places like this. The thing that frustrates me most is that you think a human can do a better job than I can!"
"yInchu'... I criticize humans as much as anyone else. But they have a special place in my life. It is their culture I tried to fit into when I left my own. I never did a great job of it... but I still feel somehow that I connect with it. You need to accept that about me."
"But you cannot expect me to a be a human for you."
"No... I can't expect something like that."
"What can I do, Rakka? Do you not want anything to do with me unless I can use that accursed four-letter word?"
"I'm not ready to give up," she admitted. "I guess we just need to work on understanding each other better."
He nodded his agreement. "For now, shall we have a drink?"
"That, I think we can agree on," she assented, leaning down to press her forehead against his.
OFF:
Rakka & yInchu', still, sort of, just barely, kind of an item.
by Commander Rakka
Post Details
| Title | Competition | |
| Mission | Deception: The lesser part of Valour | |
| Author(s) | Commander Rakka | |
| Posted | Sat Jan 10, 2009 @ 11:24pm | |
| Location | Main Promenade | |
| Timeline | SD6 - 2300 hrs. |
yInchu' stepped out after finishing his evening cleanup in the restaurant and was more than a little surprised to find his reluctant parmaqqay waiting for him.
"Rakka!" he exclaimed. "Are you hungry?"
She found that the comment stung a little. Was that the only reason she ever went to him willingly? Carefully she wrapped her arms around his neck, finding herself in the unusual position of desiring some sort of physical comfort.
He crushed her against his chest. "Ah... it has been terrible to be apart from you. BomDI' 'IwwIj qaqaw!"
While she did not speak Klingon, Rakka was certain he had said something nice. "Thanks... for giving me space."
"Is that all I need to do to earn your good will?" he laughed. "The humans may have discovered something useful in this 'playing hard to get' concept." He stepped back to have a look at her. "You are sad. Come--accompany me to my quarters."
She allowed yInchu' to sling an arm about her shoulders and lead her on.
[yInchu''s quarters]
His quarters were quite small compared to her own, but rather lavishly decorated. Many surfaces were littered with ornamental things, the walls covered with pictures, mostly from operas. Everything about his living space suggested a life spent on the more artistic side of Klingon culture.
One wall, however, was hung with weapons and uniforms.
"They were my father's," yInchu' said, noticing her attention. "He was a fine warrior, though he was killed young."
"How old were you?"
"My mother had not yet become aware of her pregnancy."
"Oh... so you never knew him."
He came up behind her and fiddled with her hair. "Only by reputation."
She turned to face him, feeling that things should be said, but not knowing if saying them would be for the best.
"You are troubled," he noticed, pulling her to his couch, and they sat. "It is your officer, Riley, that occupies your mind. He, too, was a fine warrior."
"Yes... he was."
"You are burdened by his death?"
"Yes."
"He died with great honour, as I hear."
Rakka leaned down and rested her head on his lap, mostly to avoid having to look him in the eye during this conversation. "Yes... and it makes me proud. But his absence... it is difficult to... get used to."
"Hmm... he would have been a worthy opponent. I can't say he didn't have me concerned. The time you two spent together...."
"Opponent?" Rakka breathed, her stomach twisting up. "What do you mean?"
"Ahhh...... I, at least, had found it quite obvious the way he felt about you. But I suppose you are rather blind to these things--even when I tell you outright, you refuse to believe me," he chuckled. "Did you really not know the man was foolish for you?"
Rakka sighed. "I found out from his personal logs. I thought you would be... angry."
"Why should I be angry for the way another man feels? It's not as if you were romping about with him behind my back. He obviously never found the toDuj to say anything to you."
"What if he had?"
"Well... you tell me. What would you have done?"
Rakka swallowed. "I don't know."
The hand that had been gently stroking her hair tightened around it, causing her to tense a little.
"What does that mean, Rakka?" he asked in an odd tone of voice.
"It... it means I don't know. I just don't know."
"So you would have considered him?"
"yInchu', what difference does it make now? He's dead."
He pulled on her shoulders, forcing her to sit up and face him. "Rakka, it makes all the difference!" he exclaimed. "Tell me the truth! Would you have left me for him?"
Rakka turned away, not wanting to answer the question. He reached out to try to forcefully turn her chin to face him, but she slapped his hand away.
"Don't ever touch me like that!" she snapped.
She could see him struggling with his anger, and finally calm himself. "Tell me," he said, more softly this time. "Would you have left me?"
"I might have."
yInchu' got up abruptly from the couch and paced. "Tojo'Qa', Rakka!" he exclaimed. "Do you not see how much work it has been for me, just to convince you to let me come near, to let me touch you? You would just treat all that like it was nothing, and go to someone who has done NOTHING for you?"
"You don't even know what you're talking about!" Rakka snapped, staying firmly planted on the couch and crossing her arms. "The whole time I knew Riley he made an effort to get to know me, to know who I am, to know what troubles me and search for a way to fix it. What have you done, after all? Devoted perhaps two minutes to trying to get to know me, but otherwise you have solely tried to win me over with food, and panted over me like some dog in heat! It's quite clear that your ultimate goal has been to soften me up until such a point as you can get me into your bed!"
yInchu' glared at her, not knowing how to take all this. "Rakka... I'm a Klingon. I'm not a human. All I can do is try to win you over the only way I know how. Yes, I want you for a mate, and I don't think that's something I should be scolded for."
"Just try to understand what I'm saying, will you?" Rakka pleaded. "There needs to be more to all this. Shouldn't we be friends first? You've told me things about you, but you have spent so little time really trying to talk to me... about important things.... I feel as if you don't even know who I am."
yInchu' threw his hands up in the air in frustration. "If there are things you want me to know, then why don't you just tell me?"
Rakka tore at her hair, equally frustrated. "You're missing the point!"
"Qu'vatlh!" yInchu' cursed. "Well, what is the 'point'?"
Rakka swallowed hard and drew her knees up against her chest. The room was suddenly very quiet. "yInchu'," she whispered, "do you love me?"
"Love?" he repeated, stepping closer to her and kneeling on the floor in front of her. "Rakka... why are you trying to fit us into this human mold? What we have is like nothing else. Do you suppose a Nausicaan and a Klingon have ever attempted this before? We can't assume it is so simple as to fit human terms."
"I know the human language is inadequate, but it's the only one we share," she insisted. "I don't understand the things you say to me in Klingon, and Nausicaan is helpless to express anything... tender."
"Be that as it may... I cannot tell you I 'love' you. It is a meaningless term."
"I don't think it is."
"But it is meaningless!" he exclaimed. "Do you listen to humans talk about love? They love their mates, their friends, their clothes, and their dinners with the same terminology and enthusiasm. How can I use a word like that without knowing what it means when you say it? I care about you, Rakka... I desire you... I crave your presence. Do you not already know this?"
Rakka sighed. "There's just... something missing."
"Well, how can I be expected to fulfill it if you don't even know what it is? Rakka... we come from different worlds, and nothing can change that. But inter-species relationships can work, we see that every day, especially in places like this. The thing that frustrates me most is that you think a human can do a better job than I can!"
"yInchu'... I criticize humans as much as anyone else. But they have a special place in my life. It is their culture I tried to fit into when I left my own. I never did a great job of it... but I still feel somehow that I connect with it. You need to accept that about me."
"But you cannot expect me to a be a human for you."
"No... I can't expect something like that."
"What can I do, Rakka? Do you not want anything to do with me unless I can use that accursed four-letter word?"
"I'm not ready to give up," she admitted. "I guess we just need to work on understanding each other better."
He nodded his agreement. "For now, shall we have a drink?"
"That, I think we can agree on," she assented, leaning down to press her forehead against his.
OFF:
Rakka & yInchu', still, sort of, just barely, kind of an item.