One of my favorite shows of all time is Deep Space NINE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...although, I have to tell you, your cousin, or whatever he is to you, wasn't always the most charming dinner companion. The first time we ever, uh, went out, he claimed he would never in a million years, enter into a relationship with a lowly kludge." Beka paused and considered her next words. It was a bit difficult not to mention the Andromeda in an innocuous slip. "Well, not exactly in those words, but that's what it boiled down to."
Shaidyna could well imagine Tyr Anasazi making an ass out of himself like that. He'd always had peculiar notion of Pride and Nietzschean duties, strange even for a Kodiak. That might have something to do with what the Matriarch had told him about his genes, of course, but still. Since her harsh crash into the bitter reality of an uncaring universe all those years ago, Shaidyna had learned that the former possesors of Drago's bones had been regarded by many as slightly...not right. "It would take most women years to make a Nietzschean male forget all that purity dogma drilled their skulls since infancy, if she ever did."
Beka emitted a very unlady-like (but very Beka-like) snort at that as she checked every sensor she dared turn on yet again. Most women aren't Valentine women, she thought with an odd sort of pride. "I swear, if that boy does not get his bone-bladed self in here soon, he's gonna learn exactly why Al-Sharif men are known for their punctuality!" This tirade she delivered under her breath as her sensors came up with nothing, but Shaidyna's enhanced ears caught and understood every word as if Beka had announced them on the ship's comm.
Beka chuckled at her bewildered expression as she explained. "Our cover was assistant...assistants, I guess... to the diplomat from the nearby Al- Sharif system, and the woman who actually was the ambassador, uh, took to me like a thief to Pierpont Drift. Apparently, pride Al-Sharif has a very powerful matriarchy, and I guess she thought I fit that. I can't imagine why.
Anyway, since then, whenever the love of my life and light of my heart does anything to annoy me, which he seems to have some kind of talent for, I tell him that if he doesn't stop whatever it is, he'll learn why Al-Sharif men are known for so-and-so. The first I said it, Madame Elimenne found it uproarious and could barely stop laughing."
Whether 'I can't imagine why" was spoken in jest or not, Shaidyna had to smile. Tyr would glare and grumble, but he would do much of what this fiery woman might ask of him. Kodiak men, she'd also learned, taught and were taught to respect and value women, as they were literally the source of life as well as its goal. Or some such male Nietzschean claptrap. "So tell me, how do you plan to teach him this most admirable quality?" Her warm and amused tone was at odds with the formal and almost stilted language.
Laughter saturated Beka's words. "I haven't thought that far ahead. In fact, I've never really had to carry out any of my threats, which might be a pity. Some of the madame ambassador's advice for," she waved her hand in small circles as she hunted the word, "settling upstart husbands sounded very, um," Beka hesitated again as she worked her mouth before continuing, "I mean, I had no idea Nietzscheans...I mean, I don't hear of anyone doing that much anymore." All the while she eyed Shaidyna as if that particular member of the species "did that" and could maybe enlighten her as to the reason.
She couldn't. "Lucky for you that you two didn't try to pose as Altreus. They come as close as any of us to patriarchy." A grin overspread her features. "Tyr would be threatening to teach you why Altreus women are known for their patience."
Beka's eyes widened in horror at the notion. "Just let him try that..." Her fingers danced close to the ship's weapons systems.
In the brief silence while Beka plotted what horrible sort of demise would befall any man who tried teaching her anything like that, Shaidyna drew a deep breath and gathered her courage. "I hope you don't mind me saying so," at which Beka's head snapped up, daring the speaker to insult her how she would, "but there's kind of an...air of unrelieved...sexual tension around you and Tyr." Her woried face seemed to wait for the human female's explosion at the implication.
Instead, she got an exhaled breath of relief and a short laugh. "For a second, I thought you were going to say something about my ship." Shaidyna might not be a typical Nietzschean, but she did have a healthy survival instinct, and the thought of insulting the ship this woman loved almost as a child barely flitted through her brain. "We've been pretty busy, what with keeping out of Dheran hair and off their radars, all while trying to keep up the appearance of being," 'a happily married couple', she wanted to say but went instead with, "from a Pride I've never even heard of." She sighed. "I swear, you try to keep cool with that..."
"hunk of burning love?"
Beka's eyebrows jumped. "...sleeping not three feet from you, and under silk sheets, no less." Smooth, fair skin furrowed as she stared at Shaidyna, disbelief clear on her face. "Since when do Nie...does anyone say hunk of burning love??"
~~~~~~~
and now...a preview!
~~~~~~~
"Please, Rommie."
"No."
"Come on!"
"No."
"You need it, I want it, let's do it!"
"Harper!" And he had the temerity to look wide-eyed at her like he could not possibly fathom why she would want to glare at him so.
"All right, well, maybe I'll go and see how my new friends are doing without me, at the large and extensive bar downstairs." By his tone, he was nothing but eager to repeat the experience which had left him making all sorts of suffering sounds until just an hour or so ago. He still couldn't look directly at the light fixtures without wincing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...although, I have to tell you, your cousin, or whatever he is to you, wasn't always the most charming dinner companion. The first time we ever, uh, went out, he claimed he would never in a million years, enter into a relationship with a lowly kludge." Beka paused and considered her next words. It was a bit difficult not to mention the Andromeda in an innocuous slip. "Well, not exactly in those words, but that's what it boiled down to."
Shaidyna could well imagine Tyr Anasazi making an ass out of himself like that. He'd always had peculiar notion of Pride and Nietzschean duties, strange even for a Kodiak. That might have something to do with what the Matriarch had told him about his genes, of course, but still. Since her harsh crash into the bitter reality of an uncaring universe all those years ago, Shaidyna had learned that the former possesors of Drago's bones had been regarded by many as slightly...not right. "It would take most women years to make a Nietzschean male forget all that purity dogma drilled their skulls since infancy, if she ever did."
Beka emitted a very unlady-like (but very Beka-like) snort at that as she checked every sensor she dared turn on yet again. Most women aren't Valentine women, she thought with an odd sort of pride. "I swear, if that boy does not get his bone-bladed self in here soon, he's gonna learn exactly why Al-Sharif men are known for their punctuality!" This tirade she delivered under her breath as her sensors came up with nothing, but Shaidyna's enhanced ears caught and understood every word as if Beka had announced them on the ship's comm.
Beka chuckled at her bewildered expression as she explained. "Our cover was assistant...assistants, I guess... to the diplomat from the nearby Al- Sharif system, and the woman who actually was the ambassador, uh, took to me like a thief to Pierpont Drift. Apparently, pride Al-Sharif has a very powerful matriarchy, and I guess she thought I fit that. I can't imagine why.
Anyway, since then, whenever the love of my life and light of my heart does anything to annoy me, which he seems to have some kind of talent for, I tell him that if he doesn't stop whatever it is, he'll learn why Al-Sharif men are known for so-and-so. The first I said it, Madame Elimenne found it uproarious and could barely stop laughing."
Whether 'I can't imagine why" was spoken in jest or not, Shaidyna had to smile. Tyr would glare and grumble, but he would do much of what this fiery woman might ask of him. Kodiak men, she'd also learned, taught and were taught to respect and value women, as they were literally the source of life as well as its goal. Or some such male Nietzschean claptrap. "So tell me, how do you plan to teach him this most admirable quality?" Her warm and amused tone was at odds with the formal and almost stilted language.
Laughter saturated Beka's words. "I haven't thought that far ahead. In fact, I've never really had to carry out any of my threats, which might be a pity. Some of the madame ambassador's advice for," she waved her hand in small circles as she hunted the word, "settling upstart husbands sounded very, um," Beka hesitated again as she worked her mouth before continuing, "I mean, I had no idea Nietzscheans...I mean, I don't hear of anyone doing that much anymore." All the while she eyed Shaidyna as if that particular member of the species "did that" and could maybe enlighten her as to the reason.
She couldn't. "Lucky for you that you two didn't try to pose as Altreus. They come as close as any of us to patriarchy." A grin overspread her features. "Tyr would be threatening to teach you why Altreus women are known for their patience."
Beka's eyes widened in horror at the notion. "Just let him try that..." Her fingers danced close to the ship's weapons systems.
In the brief silence while Beka plotted what horrible sort of demise would befall any man who tried teaching her anything like that, Shaidyna drew a deep breath and gathered her courage. "I hope you don't mind me saying so," at which Beka's head snapped up, daring the speaker to insult her how she would, "but there's kind of an...air of unrelieved...sexual tension around you and Tyr." Her woried face seemed to wait for the human female's explosion at the implication.
Instead, she got an exhaled breath of relief and a short laugh. "For a second, I thought you were going to say something about my ship." Shaidyna might not be a typical Nietzschean, but she did have a healthy survival instinct, and the thought of insulting the ship this woman loved almost as a child barely flitted through her brain. "We've been pretty busy, what with keeping out of Dheran hair and off their radars, all while trying to keep up the appearance of being," 'a happily married couple', she wanted to say but went instead with, "from a Pride I've never even heard of." She sighed. "I swear, you try to keep cool with that..."
"hunk of burning love?"
Beka's eyebrows jumped. "...sleeping not three feet from you, and under silk sheets, no less." Smooth, fair skin furrowed as she stared at Shaidyna, disbelief clear on her face. "Since when do Nie...does anyone say hunk of burning love??"
~~~~~~~
and now...a preview!
~~~~~~~
"Please, Rommie."
"No."
"Come on!"
"No."
"You need it, I want it, let's do it!"
"Harper!" And he had the temerity to look wide-eyed at her like he could not possibly fathom why she would want to glare at him so.
"All right, well, maybe I'll go and see how my new friends are doing without me, at the large and extensive bar downstairs." By his tone, he was nothing but eager to repeat the experience which had left him making all sorts of suffering sounds until just an hour or so ago. He still couldn't look directly at the light fixtures without wincing.