Amanda had never thought of herself as a vain girl. She'd never been one to wear much makeup, and she'd never done much with her hair besides the occasional bun if she wanted to be a bit more fancy. Now, however, as she looked at her reflection in the large mirror in her bedroom, she found herself wishing she had been interested in beauty when she was younger. She didn't know any quick makeup fixes that would even her skin tone, or some fast updo to make her hair more elegant. Amanda licked her lips and forced herself to turn away from the mirror. What did it matter, anyway? Sarek was just a friend, and her appearance wouldn't have any effect on him, even if she suddenly found out how to turn herself into the most beautiful woman on Vulcan.
Amanda was saved worrying anymore when T'Iva appeared at her bedroom door. "T'sai, the Ambassador is here for you." The woman said, in her soft even tone. Amanda thanked her, and as she followed T'Iva downstairs wondered if that had been a knowing look in the Vulcan lady's eye. She hoped not.
Sarek was standing in her little living room space downstairs, apparently deeply absorbed in examining the knick-knacks on a shelf. He looked up the instant Amanda entered the room. She felt a little blush try to rise to her cheeks - she banished it. Sarek was looking as statue-like as ever, dressed in more simple clothing than she'd seen him before; a dark tunic and leggings without ornament. Far from detracting from his appearance, the simple clothes made his form seem more clear-cut and masculine. Remembering herself, Amanda extended the ta'al. "Good afternoon, Ambassador Sarek." She said.
Sarek returned the gesture with a respectful nod. "Amanda," To her own surprise and annoyance, the butterfly stirred in Amanda's chest when he said her name. "Are you ready to depart for the Artistic Institute?"
"Yes, I only need to find my bag." She said, turning away to search for it.
"What is it," Sarek said, stepping closer to her, "that compels women to constantly carry a bag?"
Amanda looked up, containing her surprise. But he was making a joke - there was a mischievous light in her eyes, the same that she'd seen when he was teasing her at Khaf-Spol. She held back a smile.
"Isn't it logical to be always prepared?" She asked, scooping up her bag, which had been hiding in plain sight on one of the elegant chairs.
"The women I have known have tended to be over prepared, in my experience. My mother, for instance, often carried many things that she did not need." Sarek said, his tone dry. When Amanda went to the door, he held out a hand to stop her. "Wait. The sun is very strong today, and we will be walking to the Institute. It is not far, but I understand that Humans are more sensitive to sunlight. Perhaps you should wear a shawl."
Amanda fought to suppress a grin of triumph as she opened her bag and pulled out a light blue scarf. That spark was back in Sarek's eyes when she wrapped it neatly around her hair. Neither of them said anything, but it seemed to Amanda that they shared the joke. Laughter was in the air between them. It was quite a pleasant feeling.
Sarek set off down the street, away from the marketplace that Amanda occasionally visited for breakfast on her days off. She hurried to keep up with his long strides. Amanda was tall for a woman, but Sarek was taller. His gait was deliberate, straight-backed and with an air of dignity. He clasped his hands behind his back as they walked. Amanda tugged her shawl forward over her brow - the sun was very strong. They proceeded in silence for a time, until Amanda saw two older men glance at Sarek and speak to each other in low voices.
"Oh!" Amanda said, more loudly than she meant to. "It had not even occurred to me..."
"That could be said about many things." His tone was teasing.
Amanda gave him a dry look. "I meant, I forgot that you are an ambassador now. I hope that I'm not making you miss anything important."
Sarek turned to look at her, that hint of amusement still in his eyes. Amanda felt her breath catch at that look, and wondered why. "I am quite busy, yes, but one must take time away from one's work." He turned to look forward again, and Amanda felt her breathing start to resume its normal pace. She had not even noticed that it had sped up. "I must confess it is a relief to get away. My duties are numerous."
Amanda wasn't quite sure what to say to that. "I'm sure you are equal to the task." She said, finally.
"I believe I am." Sarek said, his tone dry again. Amanda was amazed at how much he could tease and joke with her, without his expression or voice changing more than a tiny bit. Or I'm reading in to him too much. Stop it! Amanda chided herself, trying to reign back her attention.
They turned off of Amanda's narrow little street, onto a much larger, wider boulevard. It was lined with expensive, elegant shops that Amanda hadn't dared to venture into herself. It was surprising to her how similar Shi'Kahr could be to the cities of Earth that she'd grown up in, while still being so alien. Sarek seemed quite comfortable strolling through the street here, occasionally nodding to passerby who recognized him. Amanda felt like an intruder scuttling after him. He was such an important dignitary, and she was no one. Sarek paused at the next corner to gesture at a large building looming in the distance. "There is the Academy." He said. "We haven't far to go now."
Amanda peered at the graceful structure in the distance. It seemed to be set apart from the other buildings, although from this distance she couldn't tell why. When they got closer, however, she realized that the building was ringed with gardens enclosed by walls of smooth stone. The effect was of a place apart from the city street, but still a part of it. There was an elaborate gate facing the street, towards which Sarek strolled. Amanda followed, finding it hard to keep her eyes off the building. It wasn't as large as she had supposed.
"It was once the home of a wealthy family," Sarek explained, without her asking. "The last living member donated it to the city, and it was made into the premises of the Vulcan Academy for Artistic Study." The guard waiting at the gate needed nothing more than Sarek's name to let them inside, which made Amanda's insides squirm again. It was another reminder of how important Sarek was now. She was distracted, however, once they entered the campus of the Academy. A huge, sprawling garden spread before them, of strange plants and flowers that Amanda had never seen before. They were only a few greenish ones among them - most of the plants were shades of red or dark purple, but the flowers seemed to be of every color imaginable. Amanda's breath was taken away by the sight.
"I've never seen plants like these before." She confessed to Sarek as they started up the red stone pathway towards the mansion.
"They are not so remarkable as the plants of Earth." He replied, his eyes on the building before them. "The spruce and pine trees -" A sudden flash of puzzlement crossed Sarek's face. He hesitated, his brows furrowing. Amanda stopped as well. He had just said "spruce" and "pine"; Terran words for Terran trees. How did he know that? Amanda gaped at Sarek as he shook his head lightly, as if he were trying to clear his mind. "I apologize." He said, resuming his usual composure, although Amanda could see lingering confusion in his eyes. "I have never been to Earth before."
That doesn't clarify anything, Amanda thought, but Sarek had already started walking again. She followed after him, wanting to frown in her puzzlement. They were silent as they went through the remaining two gardens, smaller than the first. The plants there were sparser, more elegantly trimmed, the colors less wild. Amanda marveled at their beauty all the same. She didn't have long to look, though, because Sarek's long strides forced her to hurry to keep up. They reached the entrance to the main building quickly, and Sarek opened the door, giving her a small nod to indicate for her to go in first.
The inside of the mansion was not what Amanda had expected. It was neither as clinical and efficient as the Children's Institute, nor as grand and formal as the Principle Building. It was more like Councilman Skon's home, though not quite as grand. The ceiling was smoothly domed, with a large oculus window letting in sunlight at the peak. The second floor also opened up to this room, a balcony running the circumference of the dome. Carved friezes decorated the walls above and below the balcony, depicting scenes and stories that Amanda did not know. They were as elegant and majestic as any of the sculptures of ancient Greece that Amanda had once studied. Apart from the sculpture, the walls were relatively bare, made of smooth white stone, broken only by large windows that showed views of the gardens ringing the building. Twin staircases rose to the second floor on either side of the main hall, and Amanda could see that a large wing extended beyond from each. She supposed that must be where the classrooms were.
Amanda was surprised out of her awed admiration of the room by Sarek. He had gone to speak with the young woman at the receiving desk, and was waiting for her patiently. "If you are finished staring, perhaps we could begin our tour." He said, the light in his eyes mocking once more, but warm. Amanda demurely pushed back her head scarf and gave him a little nod. "Yes, let's." She said.
"I believe classrooms are on the upper floor, while the galleries are down here. Which would you prefer to see?" Sarek asked.
"May we start with the galleries?" Amanda said, looking over towards the nearest wing of the first floor. She didn't know much about Vulcan art - it was one of the things that Vulcans shared more openly with Starfleet and Earth, but she was rather ignorant of it nevertheless. Aside from the little charm that Rokah had given her, and the lucky charm T'Iva had tried to teach her to make, Amanda had encountered little of Vulcan visual art. Sarek gave her a nod and gestured towards the closer wing. "Let us start here, then. I believe it's all student work. There is a museum in the city that holds the more famous pieces." He started off towards the gallery hall, with Amanda trailing behind him like a curious puppy.
Amanda had visited art museums back home on Earth, and admired what she'd seen there. She was more interested in ancient arts, being that sort of person who thought often about what the world was like in the past. This gallery was full of works that were both strange and beautiful, and just the thing that Amanda loved most. There were paintings fashioned out of characters from the Vulcan alphabet, more intricate and detailed than any similar piece Amanda had seen on Earth. Elegant vases rose from simple plinths, their glazes shining in metallic colors of gold and blue. There were figurative paintings as well, landscapes of the Vulcan desert glittering in precise realism and the towers of Shi'Kahr wrought in looser, broad strokes. Amanda was fascinated by a large portion of the gallery devoted to dyed and painted cloth, picturing animals and Vulcans in spiraling designs.
In the dead center of the long gallery hall, there was a grand statue carved from a marble-like stone, pale but tinted with the slightest hint of blue. Amanda wandered over to it, her mind spinning with so much color and art, seeking a respite. The placard at the base of the statue said it was an image of Surak in traditional style, made by a graduate of the Academy who had left a few years ago. Amanda looked into the cold face of the figure, trying to determine where his stone gaze was directed. It was impossible - the artist had managed to represent Surak as the guide he was, staring into a world and a future that no one else could see. Amanda, clutching her scarf around her neck, was filled with a sort of cowed awe of the majestic figure.
"Do you admire it?" Amanda turned to see Sarek standing a few feet behind her, hands clasped behind his back in his usual fashion.
Amanda glanced back at the statue, and then back to Sarek. "It is...imposing." She said.
"He is cold." Sarek said suddenly, a slight crease between his brows. Amanda was surprised. The pot's calling the kettle black, Amanda thought, but Sarek was beginning to speak again. "It's said that visitors to Vulcan find our people excessively cold and harsh." Sarek's eyes flicked to Amanda's face. "I believe your experience was similar. I hope that you understand..." Sarek paused, looking away to gather his thoughts. "It is simply the way we are - the way we must be, and have been since Surak brought us his teachings. If we come across as cold, it is not meant to be offensive. It is only our nature."
All of this I know, Sarek. Amanda thought, but for Sarek's ears, she said "I understand. I'm not so unintelligent that I don't comprehend these things." She wanted to smile, but of course she couldn't. She hoped, however, that some of what she felt was conveyed through her eyes and her tone. "I'm not offended. In fact I find Vulcans...fascinating."
Sarek tilted his head to one side very slightly. Amanda was reminded of a dog who cocked its ears when it heard a noise it didn't understand. Another smile had to be hidden. "Is that so? Well...it is a good thing that you are here, then." He turned away on the pretext of examining another art work, but Amanda could see that the tips of his ears were a bright green. She hid a real smile with her scarf, and went back to looking at the gallery pieces herself.
The rest of the afternoon was spent pleasantly, much to Amanda's surprise. She had grown used to being wary around Sarek, ready to raise her defenses or mount a counterattack. Instead of lashing out at her, though, Sarek made insightful comments on the artwork, making Amanda see things in a different light. He explained myths for her, pointed out pieces he thought she would like, and continued making his almost-jokes that made Amanda smile on the inside. At one point, she caught herself examining his profile instead of looking at the painting in front of them. I used to think he was so frigid looking, she thought. His brows were severe, but the eyes beneath them were soft. He had a rather strong nose, but his mouth seemed gentle. His jaw was his father's, square and commanding, but also reassuringly masculine. Amanda found herself thinking of very ancient Roman statuary of their gods, the images of Zeus and Apollo. Masculine, but refined. She blushed upon thinking that, and turned away.
After about an hour and a half, they had passed by every piece in the galleries of the first floor. Sarek suggested that they observe the classes upstairs, and Amanda eagerly agreed. She'd never had any artistic ability herself, but teaching was teaching. She wanted to see how the fine arts were taught on Vulcan. They mounted the swirling stairs and wandered down the hallways that stood above the galleries of the first floor. The classrooms had large windows into the hallway, so they could easily see inside. Each room seemed to be devoted to a different medium. Amanda paused outside the classroom where painting was being taught. Young Vulcans, just recently inducted into adulthood, worked on large canvasses. Upon closer inspection, Amanda saw that they were not painting from life, but from imagination. A starry sky took form on one canvas, a cityscape on another. Amanda's eyes roved from painting to painting, absorbing the beautiful things forming there. Sarek seemed to pick up on her interest.
"Do you admire them?" He asked her, his voice quiet.
"Yes, I..." Amanda paused, turning to look at him sheepishly. "You know that I'd never seen Vulcan art before. Not like this." She gestured to the building at large. "It's beautiful, and such a large part of who your people are. It's wonderful to watch it being made." She averted her eyes - her ardor had been known to run away with her. She didn't want Sarek to see her as some of her classmates had in the past: a nerd who got way too passionate about things. Sarek, however, didn't say anything, just gave her a slow nod and moved on down the hallway. Amanda wasn't sure what to read from that, but she hoped that she hadn't frightened him off with her enthusiasm.
They spent the rest of the afternoon wandering between classrooms, peering in through the windows and observing the students at work. Amanda was surprised, once they had seen the painting classes, art history, sculpture, pottery, textiles, drawing, and painting, that the afternoon was gone, and it was coming on evening. "Let me escort you home," Sarek said as they left the building. "Did you find the visit interesting?"
"More than interesting!" Amanda said, then closed her mouth tightly. Don't get too enthusiastic! She cleared her throat and stilled her face again. "I mean that...I enjoyed the tour very much." Out of the frying pan and into the fire - she'd described her emotions. Damn.
To her surprise, however, Sarek's eyes belied amusement. "It was that entertaining? Good." They strolled together through the gardens towards the street, the late afternoon sun only just beginning to sink. Vulcans enjoyed much more light in their days than Humans did back on Earth. Their walk back was quiet, but a companionable quiet. Amanda was worn out from the day's activities, but she felt contented. Since George had left Vulcan, she hadn't spent much leisure time in another young person's company. It was nice to enjoy something with a friend.
When they reached Amanda's little house, Sarek stopped and turned to her. "Thank you for accompanying me, Amanda. I had not visited the Academy in 2.65 years - it was pleasant to see it again."
"Of course, I enjoyed it as well." There you go with your emotions again. "That is...I mean to say..."
Sarek held up a hand to stop her. "Please, it is not necessary. I understand what you meant." Amanda felt her treacherous eyes flick to Sarek's hand. The memory of an accidental touch flooded back to Amanda, of the electric feeling of hands meeting in the gloom of a forest... At once, Amanda looked away, and Sarek lowered his hand, a hurried action. "I wish you a pleasant evening." He said, his voice as blank and cold as stone, and turned away. Amanda wanted to call him back, to apologize, but she bit her lip to keep the words in. She was embarrassed at having goggled at his hand like that - it was as rude as staring openly at a woman's chest, for Vulcans. When did I become so lecherous? Amanda thought ruefully as she turned to go back inside.
As she was setting down her bag inside, Amanda noticed that the little charm Rotah had made for her was missing. It must have fallen off while we were walking...Amanda was saddened by its loss. It had been a sweet gift, and she had meant to cherish it, and now it was lost. She could only hope that it would return to her somehow.
Author's Note: Not my favoritest of chapters, but I hope you guys are picking up on what's brewing here ;) I'm having so much fun writing, I hope it's still fun to read! 3 I'm sorry to keep you waiting for these chapters for so long. I actually have the next 2 written already, they just need editing. It shouldn't be long until I post them though!