Aberrant: Ba'alt - Re: Allison and Zephraine

Narrator · July 3, 2006

Allison said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Planet Paril

Local time: 2530

The evening of the party

As Allison and Zepraine walk out, Zeph offers the crook of his arm to Allison, who grins and threads her arm through it. If Allison looks prettier than usual, it may be because she can't seem to stop smiling even as she looks around. It's one of those rare moments for her when everything feels right; from soles to scalp. The colors of the world seem more vibrant, and it has nothing to do with enhanced Nova perceptions. In fact, tonight she could forget all about her 'powers' and be just as happy. Might not even notice it.

There was still a sliver of guilt though, towards Roxanne. The so-called 'Vixen,' who had been her good friend...and much more than that to Zeph. Was she still out there? Even after 14000 years? And if so, was there anything left of human in her? Even if not; even if she was long dead, Allison found it hard to shake the feeling that she was stealing her boyfriend.

It was just that, after so long, she wasn't sure she cared anymore. Being a prognosticator always meant keeping distance, at least to some degree. There was no way around that. Allison had come to terms with that, but merely coming to terms with didn't mean she couldn't feel the isolation of it. And through it all, only Zephraine had really seemed to understand. He was isolated too...by leadership, but now Allison realized that there was more to it than that. He was an entirely different order of being than her, or most of the others. Had he ever been human? Was he still human now? Was that even a productive question? She didn't care anymore, she found. All that mattered was that she had waited 14000 years (okay, cheating a bit on the last 13900-odd of them) to be noticed by this man. And now he was seeing her. Really seeing her. Not just as a friend, or a useful asset to the team, or a colossal annoyance...but as a woman.

Allison sighed contentedly at that thought and let her head rest on his shoulder. She didn't know where he was taking her now, or how they'd get there, but she was in no hurry. These moments were to be savored.</div>

Zephraine said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><span style="font-family:Times">I listen to the World Song, the Story of Cities, and the Whispering of the Wild. Among the Stars and their Symphony of Light, I am gifted with their history. They called me the Lord of Cities, because I could know so much about their Metropolises, but all I really did was listen. Before you know, you must listen. Before you tell others, you must listen to them. That is what I learned to do. That is why I am here today. That is why I am able to do all that I do, because I listened and I still do.

<span style="color:#000000"></span></span>

<span style=font-family:Times">[color:"#000000]<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Destroying Universes </span></span></span>

Planet Paril

Local time: 2530

The evening of the party

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"></span></span>

<span style=font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000">[size:"3]Zeph had a lot of personal housecleaning to do. First ? always first, was PaxCon. He had embraced their cause and their calling with all his heart. He had put everything else in its shadow ? and they had left him ? Asche has left him to carry on alone. That hurt, that sense of loneliness and abandonment, but he carried on.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Which was bullshit really, and he knew it. PaxCon had morphed and adapted in its timeless war against Ba'laan and his minions. They had trained him for this, given him all the training and tools ? as well as the allies too, to succeed if possible. If not him and not now, there would be other fighters, other battles, and other sacrifices in other times. Stepping back and looking at the struggle as something eternal and not something personal ? Asche had tried to teach him that.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">The Rest ? his actual life ? his real life ? was a real mess. Roxy came to mind as she always would from time to time. There was as struggle. It was easy to pine away for a lover long gone away and who would never return to that place in his heart. Zeph stopped struggling and let her memories float to the place they deserved. They were happy memories of the beginning; of those early trials, losses, and deaths. They had come through it, loved, but drifted apart. As Zeph let go he felt aspects of their love carry on. He cared for her and hoped she was happy with whatever choices she had made. He would still look out for thought-streams about her, but he was content to know that she had chosen her own direction and explored it gladly.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">In the beginning, there had been this chaotic little group of such powerful people. A few, like Allison, Smite, and Chronos had come through, but so many more had gone by the wayside ? dead, distracted, or burned out. Zeph let them go as well. Missing them was one thing, but punishing himself with guilt for people who had take their own risks and made their choices was just plain stupid. He had done his best, they had made it through, and he had to carry on.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Those thoughts made him think of the other first ones. Chronos, bright but grey, with his clockwork thinking and sterling confidence ? who might find his way leading to Eve now. There was always the wondering of how that would turn out, but that was for the future.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Eve ? she was almost home now and it showed. Our world was catching up with her and the strain of sheparding us for all this time was having its effect. Was she becoming more than human like the rest of us, or more human as she wished to be? Chronos would have to figure that one out. You be with the ones who want you and help the ones you can, but you respect their choices no matter what, if you are going to respect them.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">Smite doing bad things for good reasons and being braver and more heroic than many expected. Zeph wondered if Smite really believed he might actually live through all of this. Smite was certainly self-conditioned to not think that way. Now Kara was trying to lure him into 'playing hero' not realizing what a hero he really was ala Frank Miller's Ronin.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">One last bit of struggle and he was with Allison. Face to face with hurt and pain and beauty and mystery all over again, but so very different. The ghost of Roxy was gone, leaving them alone together. Her head was upon his shoulder and her hair played will-o-wisp with the city lights. She was less the beauty than others who had graced this group, but she had this untouchable quality that all the others missed somehow. Zeph gave up trying to define it and instead grew comfortable with it. There was no desire to gain comfort, to replace a loss, or to look for something new and different. There was only the here and now and Allison on his arm.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">'Comfortable' was the right word. No burning passion or love-struck heart, but a deeper sense of ease that came with knowing each other and trusting one another. That kind of love, and the word struck at Zeph's core. He almost laughed and the Allison sensed the changes in his body's movements.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">'If you are going to fight for life, you had better live one,' Ashe had once told him. Now Zeph had taken back the chance he had denied himself for so long. Zeph turned to Allison and wrapped his arms around her.</span></span></span>

<span style="font-family:Times"><span style="color:#000000"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">"We've got a problem," he started. He reached down and gave her lips the slightest of kisses. "Now that I have my arms around you, I can't figure out how to let you go."</span></span></span></div>

Allison said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Allison laughed at that and replied, "I don't see the problem there." She returned the kiss; a shy, almost dainty peck on the lips, then added on, "I'm sorry if I seem like a ditz or anything. Part of me still can't believe this is happening. What changed your mind? The unlife?"

Abruptly she covered her mouth. "Gah...I'm sorry. I shouldn't ask, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that you did. I'm ruining the moment, aren't I?"</div>Zephraine said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Zeph nuzzles Allison's neck as a reply of sorts.

"No, you're not," he whispers into her ear. Pulling his head back so that they are staring eye to eye,

"Its a fair question. I've been living in the past, Allison. The fear of losing you brought me around and has me looking ... really looking, toward the future," he kisses her lightly on the lips again, " and to the present."

"I've missed being happy ... I've missed being with you and I've had a hard time coming to grips with the fact that I love you ... because that means saying good-bye ... to Roxy."</div>

Allison said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Allison's heart skips a beat, and she sucks in a breath of air involuntarily when Zeph so casually mentions the 'L' word. She waits a moment to regain her composure, then says, "It doesn't have to be good bye, exactly. I don't mind you keeping those memories alive...as long as they don't get in the way of the new memories of you and me. I don't want to compete with Roxy, in your head or in reality. I just want a fair chance of my own."

She smiles and reaches up to cup Zeph's cheek in her hand. "Sound good?"</div>Zephraine said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>"Yes," replies with a husky voice, "that sounds good."

Zeph leans in and kisses Allison deeply, his tongue lightly touching her lips.

"You aren't replacing anybody, Allison. You've made your own place within my heart."

He kisses her again then takes a deep breath of her hair. His hand slides from her waist to the small of her back.

"Were do you want to go from here?"</div>

Allison said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>For the first time in her life, Allison really understood the term 'melts,' as in 'she melted into him.' Because that's exactly how it felt during the kisses. The boundary between Zeph and herself became a fluid, ephemeral thing as she pressed against him. When he asked his question, she stood gazing doe-eyed at him for a moment, not even having really heard it. Then her brain caught up and she snapped out of it and smiled shyly as her cheeks turned a delicate shade of coral pink.

"Your place, or mine...except I don't have a place here yet, so I guess that kind of limits our options."</div>Zephraine said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>The smile Zeph returns is one of those you can kill me now and I wont' feel a thing looks. There is no urgency as he wraps an arm around her and leads Allison back to his tiny quarters. While part of him is bounding for the chance to be intimate with her, there is also this calm gentleness that demands that he take his time exploring this wonderful woman who graces his side as she also learns more about him.

Once there ... in a room barely bigger than a broom closet, Zeph takes off his jacket and shirt with casual grace. Half-dressed, he pulls her close so she can feel his beating heart and he can drink deeply in the scent of her hair. As he kisses her again, he kicks off one boot and then the other. The look in his eyes as the separate is one of pleasure and acceptance. Allison gets a strong sense that nothing terrible can go wrong with them any more ... because they have each other, here and now.</div>

Allison said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>Still blushing fiercely, Allison has to force herself to reach up and touch Zephraine's shoulders...not out of fear or repulsion, but rather because she wasn't used to the idea of Zeph as someone who could BE touched. She'd admired him from afar so long that having him here and now, and real, took a moment to assimilate. Gingerly at first, but with increasing confidence when she's not pushed away, she runs her delicate hands along the contours of his chest and abdomen, as if reassuring himself that he was indeed solid.

Had there ever been a question as to where this night would end, it was now answered. Allison probed herself for an instant, trying to decide how she felt about that. She knew she could call a halt to it now if she wanted. She knew he would; despite everything. And there WAS fear there...fear of getting it wrong somehow. She was technically not virginal, but neither was she experienced by any means...and of course adding to that the fact that it had been years. And it hadn't been all that great even then. But out from under the fear bubbled something else. Something rebellious and wild; a fraction of her self that rarely saw the light of day.

This is what I want...this is what he wants. So where's the problem? So what if it's the first date? You've known each other for ages. He's clean, you're clean...it's not like you picked someone up in a bar. Just ENJOY yourself for once in your life!

Her fingers curled around Zeph's belt and yanked him forward abruptly. Tugging him forward so she could meet him in a kiss that started tender and sweet...but quickly evolved into something passionate and openmouthed as she pressed herself in her gown against him. Then suddenly she broke away with a mischevous glint in her eye, to turn her back on him.

"Mind helping me with these?" she asks, a bit coyly, and flicks her fingers at the shoulder straps of the evening dress.</div>

Zephraine said;

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>While it has been a while for Zephraine too, his hand move expertly over Allison's shoulder straps and slip her gown around her shoulders easily. He stops the gowns progress there, drinking in the slight nakedness of her body slowly revealing itself to him. With his left hand hold the dress just past the shoulder, his right gentle starts at the bottom of her exposed shoulder blade and works its way up along her right shoulder to her neck and finally to her chin. He tilts her head around for another kiss, meeting her half way. He doesn't feel any words are necessary.</div>

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Aberrant: Ba'alt - Re: Allison and Zephraine

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