ANCIENT CHINESE SECRET
by shokabuku
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Set during the series before "Starcrossed" and "It Makes a Lovely Light" All standard disclaimers apply.me, poor, have computer, have cat, that's it, man. Rating is probably G, which is pretty freaky if you ask me.
Feedback rampantly appreciated (PLEASE!!): shokabuku@aol.com ________________________________________________________________
"Oh great," Beka sighed dramatically.
"Come on, Beka.read it out for us," Harper wheedled, rocking back and forth excitedly. "You know it's bad luck if you don't." He pulled his can of Sparky Cola up from between his crossed legs and guzzled some down.
"Okay, okay," Beka said. She tried to make her voice deeper and affected a way strange accent, "You will acquire great skills through life."
"IN BED!" Harper, Trance, and Beka all shouted at once, laughing loudly. Rommie looked from one to another of them, not quite understanding how the extra two words amounted to such amazing humor.
Harper giggled at the look on her face. "You see, Rommie, it makes every fortune fun, regardless of how esoteric, weird, or downright frightening is sounds normally. Nothing truly bad can happen if you.ah, you know.poke fun at it a little." His brow furrowed for a bit, and he added, "Well, mostly.it's fun, ok? Go ahead, you try it now." He handed Rommie a fortune cookie and then subsided back to his cross-legged position on Beka's bunk, still rocking happily.
Rommie cracked open the cookie and pulled out the small strip of paper. She frowned down at it, looked around at the others who were waiting both patiently and expectantly for her to play their little game. She sighed, knowing it was no use to hold the line.
She tried to use the same kind of vocal inflections that Beka and Trance had used to present their fortunes, lowering her voice and using an accent of some sort. "Great sorrow always follow loss of great love," she intoned.
"IN BED!" Everyone happily chorused together, Rommie included.
She frowned down at the little strip again, and then looked back up at them. "You know that this doesn't really apply to me, right? I mean, I am a warship. Warships generally do not fall in love." She appeared happy with her conclusion.
Beka just smiled and said, "And that's precisely the reason why one day it will happen to you, Rommie. Out of the blue, when you least expect it, you'll be head over heels and not even know how or why it happened.cos that's the way love works, babe."
Trance piped up, "I think it would be nice for you to find someone to love, Rommie."
Harper, who had been rather quiet (for him) in the past few moments, also joined in, "I'm all for Rommie finding the love.but not the sorrow." He ducked his head so they wouldn't see his woebegone expression.
Rommie went and sat on the bed next to him. She put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a sideways hug. "I hope so too. For me and for you, Harper." She kissed him on the cheek, smiling as he looked up, surprised. "Your turn, Harper."
Harper leaned up on his knees and cracked open his cookie. He pulled out the strip of paper gleefully, but then seemed to freeze up looking at it.
Beka gripped his arm, hard, "What, Seamus?" She waited for his reply.
Harper cleared his throat and said in a very quiet voice, "Those who know you best, hurt you worst."
There was no unbridled shout to follow that. Beka pulled Harper backwards into her embrace, hugging him hard as if she were afraid to let go. He looked up at her and smiled shakily.
"I'm good, Beka. Besides, we forgot to say."
"IN BED!" They all yelled, trying to regain the simple joy of the game. But, they didn't quite manage it.though they tried really hard.
Set during the series before "Starcrossed" and "It Makes a Lovely Light" All standard disclaimers apply.me, poor, have computer, have cat, that's it, man. Rating is probably G, which is pretty freaky if you ask me.
Feedback rampantly appreciated (PLEASE!!): shokabuku@aol.com ________________________________________________________________
"Oh great," Beka sighed dramatically.
"Come on, Beka.read it out for us," Harper wheedled, rocking back and forth excitedly. "You know it's bad luck if you don't." He pulled his can of Sparky Cola up from between his crossed legs and guzzled some down.
"Okay, okay," Beka said. She tried to make her voice deeper and affected a way strange accent, "You will acquire great skills through life."
"IN BED!" Harper, Trance, and Beka all shouted at once, laughing loudly. Rommie looked from one to another of them, not quite understanding how the extra two words amounted to such amazing humor.
Harper giggled at the look on her face. "You see, Rommie, it makes every fortune fun, regardless of how esoteric, weird, or downright frightening is sounds normally. Nothing truly bad can happen if you.ah, you know.poke fun at it a little." His brow furrowed for a bit, and he added, "Well, mostly.it's fun, ok? Go ahead, you try it now." He handed Rommie a fortune cookie and then subsided back to his cross-legged position on Beka's bunk, still rocking happily.
Rommie cracked open the cookie and pulled out the small strip of paper. She frowned down at it, looked around at the others who were waiting both patiently and expectantly for her to play their little game. She sighed, knowing it was no use to hold the line.
She tried to use the same kind of vocal inflections that Beka and Trance had used to present their fortunes, lowering her voice and using an accent of some sort. "Great sorrow always follow loss of great love," she intoned.
"IN BED!" Everyone happily chorused together, Rommie included.
She frowned down at the little strip again, and then looked back up at them. "You know that this doesn't really apply to me, right? I mean, I am a warship. Warships generally do not fall in love." She appeared happy with her conclusion.
Beka just smiled and said, "And that's precisely the reason why one day it will happen to you, Rommie. Out of the blue, when you least expect it, you'll be head over heels and not even know how or why it happened.cos that's the way love works, babe."
Trance piped up, "I think it would be nice for you to find someone to love, Rommie."
Harper, who had been rather quiet (for him) in the past few moments, also joined in, "I'm all for Rommie finding the love.but not the sorrow." He ducked his head so they wouldn't see his woebegone expression.
Rommie went and sat on the bed next to him. She put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him in for a sideways hug. "I hope so too. For me and for you, Harper." She kissed him on the cheek, smiling as he looked up, surprised. "Your turn, Harper."
Harper leaned up on his knees and cracked open his cookie. He pulled out the strip of paper gleefully, but then seemed to freeze up looking at it.
Beka gripped his arm, hard, "What, Seamus?" She waited for his reply.
Harper cleared his throat and said in a very quiet voice, "Those who know you best, hurt you worst."
There was no unbridled shout to follow that. Beka pulled Harper backwards into her embrace, hugging him hard as if she were afraid to let go. He looked up at her and smiled shakily.
"I'm good, Beka. Besides, we forgot to say."
"IN BED!" They all yelled, trying to regain the simple joy of the game. But, they didn't quite manage it.though they tried really hard.