*Title: It's[Its] mark is upon us forever Part 4/?
***(previously on "It's mark is upon us forever")
"Thank you for dragging me out here, Mr. Paris" He patted Tom on the shoulder and with that continued walking in a fast pace.
B'Elanna and Tom continued to stand there, flabbergasted. "Thank you I guess." Tom replied to the quickly disappearing back of the hologram. He turned to B'Elanna. "What just happened?"
"From what I can tell..." She shrugged her shoulders. "...I guess your plan worked."
*** (and now part 4)
Imirika paced nervously back and forth in her studio. Is he coming? She checked her clock. It was a five minutes till. Still early yet. She stopped at one of her statuettes and turned it a bit so it faced the moonlight. There, perfect. She fidgeted with her hands and noticed how dried out and grey they were. She looked at them with disgust. Oh dear, that will never do.
She went to her back room to get some moisturizer to put on her hands. But as she picked up the jar she heard the whirring of a transporter beam. Too late. She replaced the jar in the table and hurried out into the open room. She quickly smoothed out her plain white dress and tucked a few loose strands from her bun behind her ear. As the transport completed, the figure of the Doctor materialized. He was wearing his uniform, but she wasn't upset. After all, she didn't care about fancy dress.
He took a few steps forward, looking at his surroundings and the interesting pieces of art laid about the room. He finally turned around and caught sight of her. He gave her a smile. "Hello Imirika."
She smiled back at him. She couldn't help but feel excited. When she read about the Doctor in Voyager's logs, she knew she had to meet him. She felt as if she and him had so much in common. His love of art, his fight for his rights, to be able to believe what he wanted--, it was as if they were connected. She read what others thought about him, being a hologram and all, but the idea of being a hologram did not phase her. What does it matter? He is sentient, does have feelings after all. Why should it matter that he is composed differently? "I'm glad you came, Doctor."
The Doctor fidgeted with his hands. "Likewise"
They stood for a minute, staring at each other, not quite sure what to do. Finally Imirika broke the silence. She raised up one of her hands and indicated the rest of her studio. "Shall I show you around?"
The Doctor, glad that one of them decided to take the initiative, let out a small sigh. "Yes, that would be wonderful."
Imirika led him over to a corner where a few of her best sculptures stood. "Here are some of my best. I made them about a year ago." She picked up a smaller one from the table and handed it over to the Doctor. "This is one of my favorites. I call it 'Music from the Grektan hall'"
"I see." he looked over the object in his hand. It was made of reddish clay, and didn't seem to have a shape whatsoever. "What is it?"
She laughed lightly. "I really don't know either. It was what came into my mind when I was listening to the symphony. I guess it reminds me of the rythym."
He looked at it again. Still nothing. The only thing he could think of was that it was horrendous, but of course he didn't say that out loud. "It's...interesting." He set it back down on the table from which it came. He looked up at her. "Do you make any statues of....still life? Or people?"
"Oh yes." She thought about some that she could show him. "I have some figures in my courtyard. Would you like to see them?"
The Doctor was relieved. He didn't know if he could pretend to like abstract for the entire evening. "Please. Lead the way."
They walked through a arched doorway to an open area. In the middle stood a fountain made from a glazed grey clay. It had three women, standing in a circle with their backs to each other, holding hands and leaning forward as water spilled out of their mouths. "It took me months to finish this." Imirika said as she lovingly touched the base of the fountain. "It's a nice touch isn't it?"
He stared up at it. It was extremely beautiful, and much better than the reddish thing he was looking at a few seconds ago. "It's breathtaking. The lines, the form..." He swept over the figures with his eyes. "I feel like it ought to be standing in the gardens of the Louvre."
"The Louvre?"
"Aah" He looked away from the fountain for a moment and settled his gaze on her. "The Louvre is a very famous museum on Earth that is filled with ancient art." He turned back to the sculpture.
"Sounds lovely." She said wistfully as she tried to imagine a whole building dedicated to pieces of art. She came back to the present and walked up to the Doctor. "Speaking of gardens..."
He looked in her direction and was surprised that she had gotten so close without him even noticing. He didn't back away. "Yes?"
"I did say that I would show you the gardens of this city." She looked out over the wall and into the sky. "Do you think we are done looking at my artwork?" She looked at him and nodded suggestively.
He sensed her impatience and chuckled. "I think we are done here."
He smiled at him excitedly. "Good!" she cried. She grabbed the unprepared Doctor's hand and pulled him through the courtyard and through the gate in the wall.
***
"What about this garden over here?" The Doctor asked. He leaned over a hedge of greenery and surveyed the layout on the other side. Since the "date" had begun, it took a while for him to shake off his nervousness, but his adventurous side had finally surfaced, and he was starting to have fun. "It seems to have quite a bit of flora."
"That one? I don't think we can go in there. It's only open during the day." Imirka said sadly. "Shame too, there is a quite a musical creek that flows through there that I would have liked to show you." She continued down the main pathway leading to the other gardens. When she noticed the Doctor was not following her, she stopped. He was still staring over the hedge. "I could show you this great aborateum only a few yards from..."
"I would like to see this creek." He said suddenly, catching her off guard.
"But I told you it is closed. Maybe some other time."
"It wouldn't hurt anybody if we just took a look." He turned around and held out his hand. "Really, where is your sense of adventure?" His eyes gleamed.
She chuckled. "Back at my studio...Hey!" she protested impishly as he took her hand and led her over to the entrance. She leaned back and tried to counteract his force, but she gave in with a laugh and allowed him to pull her inside. "I guess we could look." She said. He beamed at her, at which she replied with a beam of her own. She pointed toward a couple of trees grouped together. "The creek is over there."
Instead of the Doctor having to pull her, she walked gracefully beside him. They came to the grouping of trees, which revealed a small dip in which a babbling brook was rushing through. The feathery branches of the trees filtered the moonlight in such a way that it created a blue atmosphere. Near the coursing water a few benches were located, and Imirika choose one and sat down. The Doctor followed suit.
She quietly sat and took in the view, hoping that he would take advantage of her silence. She couldn't help but smile when he opened his mouth to speak. "Imirika.."
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to.. thank you, for this wonderful evening. I have not had so much fun for quite a while. I haven't given myself a chance." He seemed almost embarassed to be saying this, but he continued. "I had been going through some issues for some time, and for one evening you made me forget all about them."
She slightly blushed. "I thank you too. For not making me feel like a freak."
Taking a chance, The Doctor lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "Like I've said, you're not a freak." He lowered his voice. "At least not to me."
She smiled softly. "Thanks. I think the same of you too."
Without even conciously thinking about it, the two found themselves leaning in toward each other. Their lips touched, and Imirika's arms went around his neck.
At the beginning of this whole ordeal, the Doctor would have never imagined going so far as to kissing her. But somehow it had happened. It was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. He gave into the moment and kissed her deeply, not wanting it to stop.
*** To be continued...
***(previously on "It's mark is upon us forever")
"Thank you for dragging me out here, Mr. Paris" He patted Tom on the shoulder and with that continued walking in a fast pace.
B'Elanna and Tom continued to stand there, flabbergasted. "Thank you I guess." Tom replied to the quickly disappearing back of the hologram. He turned to B'Elanna. "What just happened?"
"From what I can tell..." She shrugged her shoulders. "...I guess your plan worked."
*** (and now part 4)
Imirika paced nervously back and forth in her studio. Is he coming? She checked her clock. It was a five minutes till. Still early yet. She stopped at one of her statuettes and turned it a bit so it faced the moonlight. There, perfect. She fidgeted with her hands and noticed how dried out and grey they were. She looked at them with disgust. Oh dear, that will never do.
She went to her back room to get some moisturizer to put on her hands. But as she picked up the jar she heard the whirring of a transporter beam. Too late. She replaced the jar in the table and hurried out into the open room. She quickly smoothed out her plain white dress and tucked a few loose strands from her bun behind her ear. As the transport completed, the figure of the Doctor materialized. He was wearing his uniform, but she wasn't upset. After all, she didn't care about fancy dress.
He took a few steps forward, looking at his surroundings and the interesting pieces of art laid about the room. He finally turned around and caught sight of her. He gave her a smile. "Hello Imirika."
She smiled back at him. She couldn't help but feel excited. When she read about the Doctor in Voyager's logs, she knew she had to meet him. She felt as if she and him had so much in common. His love of art, his fight for his rights, to be able to believe what he wanted--, it was as if they were connected. She read what others thought about him, being a hologram and all, but the idea of being a hologram did not phase her. What does it matter? He is sentient, does have feelings after all. Why should it matter that he is composed differently? "I'm glad you came, Doctor."
The Doctor fidgeted with his hands. "Likewise"
They stood for a minute, staring at each other, not quite sure what to do. Finally Imirika broke the silence. She raised up one of her hands and indicated the rest of her studio. "Shall I show you around?"
The Doctor, glad that one of them decided to take the initiative, let out a small sigh. "Yes, that would be wonderful."
Imirika led him over to a corner where a few of her best sculptures stood. "Here are some of my best. I made them about a year ago." She picked up a smaller one from the table and handed it over to the Doctor. "This is one of my favorites. I call it 'Music from the Grektan hall'"
"I see." he looked over the object in his hand. It was made of reddish clay, and didn't seem to have a shape whatsoever. "What is it?"
She laughed lightly. "I really don't know either. It was what came into my mind when I was listening to the symphony. I guess it reminds me of the rythym."
He looked at it again. Still nothing. The only thing he could think of was that it was horrendous, but of course he didn't say that out loud. "It's...interesting." He set it back down on the table from which it came. He looked up at her. "Do you make any statues of....still life? Or people?"
"Oh yes." She thought about some that she could show him. "I have some figures in my courtyard. Would you like to see them?"
The Doctor was relieved. He didn't know if he could pretend to like abstract for the entire evening. "Please. Lead the way."
They walked through a arched doorway to an open area. In the middle stood a fountain made from a glazed grey clay. It had three women, standing in a circle with their backs to each other, holding hands and leaning forward as water spilled out of their mouths. "It took me months to finish this." Imirika said as she lovingly touched the base of the fountain. "It's a nice touch isn't it?"
He stared up at it. It was extremely beautiful, and much better than the reddish thing he was looking at a few seconds ago. "It's breathtaking. The lines, the form..." He swept over the figures with his eyes. "I feel like it ought to be standing in the gardens of the Louvre."
"The Louvre?"
"Aah" He looked away from the fountain for a moment and settled his gaze on her. "The Louvre is a very famous museum on Earth that is filled with ancient art." He turned back to the sculpture.
"Sounds lovely." She said wistfully as she tried to imagine a whole building dedicated to pieces of art. She came back to the present and walked up to the Doctor. "Speaking of gardens..."
He looked in her direction and was surprised that she had gotten so close without him even noticing. He didn't back away. "Yes?"
"I did say that I would show you the gardens of this city." She looked out over the wall and into the sky. "Do you think we are done looking at my artwork?" She looked at him and nodded suggestively.
He sensed her impatience and chuckled. "I think we are done here."
He smiled at him excitedly. "Good!" she cried. She grabbed the unprepared Doctor's hand and pulled him through the courtyard and through the gate in the wall.
***
"What about this garden over here?" The Doctor asked. He leaned over a hedge of greenery and surveyed the layout on the other side. Since the "date" had begun, it took a while for him to shake off his nervousness, but his adventurous side had finally surfaced, and he was starting to have fun. "It seems to have quite a bit of flora."
"That one? I don't think we can go in there. It's only open during the day." Imirka said sadly. "Shame too, there is a quite a musical creek that flows through there that I would have liked to show you." She continued down the main pathway leading to the other gardens. When she noticed the Doctor was not following her, she stopped. He was still staring over the hedge. "I could show you this great aborateum only a few yards from..."
"I would like to see this creek." He said suddenly, catching her off guard.
"But I told you it is closed. Maybe some other time."
"It wouldn't hurt anybody if we just took a look." He turned around and held out his hand. "Really, where is your sense of adventure?" His eyes gleamed.
She chuckled. "Back at my studio...Hey!" she protested impishly as he took her hand and led her over to the entrance. She leaned back and tried to counteract his force, but she gave in with a laugh and allowed him to pull her inside. "I guess we could look." She said. He beamed at her, at which she replied with a beam of her own. She pointed toward a couple of trees grouped together. "The creek is over there."
Instead of the Doctor having to pull her, she walked gracefully beside him. They came to the grouping of trees, which revealed a small dip in which a babbling brook was rushing through. The feathery branches of the trees filtered the moonlight in such a way that it created a blue atmosphere. Near the coursing water a few benches were located, and Imirika choose one and sat down. The Doctor followed suit.
She quietly sat and took in the view, hoping that he would take advantage of her silence. She couldn't help but smile when he opened his mouth to speak. "Imirika.."
"Yes?"
"I just wanted to.. thank you, for this wonderful evening. I have not had so much fun for quite a while. I haven't given myself a chance." He seemed almost embarassed to be saying this, but he continued. "I had been going through some issues for some time, and for one evening you made me forget all about them."
She slightly blushed. "I thank you too. For not making me feel like a freak."
Taking a chance, The Doctor lifted his hand and stroked her cheek. "Like I've said, you're not a freak." He lowered his voice. "At least not to me."
She smiled softly. "Thanks. I think the same of you too."
Without even conciously thinking about it, the two found themselves leaning in toward each other. Their lips touched, and Imirika's arms went around his neck.
At the beginning of this whole ordeal, the Doctor would have never imagined going so far as to kissing her. But somehow it had happened. It was a surprise, but not an unwelcome one. He gave into the moment and kissed her deeply, not wanting it to stop.
*** To be continued...