JP: Lt. JG Loxley & Lt. Alieth - Tal t'li (Part I) (BACKSIM)
2 views
Skip to first unread message
jabbathehutts_lovechild
Jan 27, 2022, 6:25:54 PM1/27/22
to USS Gorkon – StarBase 118 Star Trek PBEM RPG
(( Sagano Bamboo Forest, Kyoto, Japan ))
A gentle breeze blew through the forest, causing the tall stems to clatter against each other. The sound was deeply soothing, which was, Loxley reflected, a good job considering why he was here.
Sitting on a small wooden bench, apparently hand carved, he tilted his head back to look up at the tall bamboo shoots swaying in an ever-moving kaleidoscope against the sky, breathing in the faint earthy, floral scent of his surroundings.
Loxley: ::quietly:: It’s incredible…
Alieth: A remarkable place indeed.
The gentle sound of the breeze through the bamboo canes had concealed the petite Vulcan's soft footsteps as she had approached, creating the impression that she had simply materialised there, just behind the bench, with none of the customary spark waterfall nor the swirl of the transporter.
In truth, she had been there for some time, and had walked all the way from the city, as evidenced by the thin layer of dust that coated her smooth boots and, even, the lower rim of the black pel-pen1 that wrapped around her small figure.
Alieth: The place we are looking for is ten minutes from here, shall we go?
Lox was mildly startled. Alieth was small and silent, like a diminutive, logical ninja with a science qualification. He’d do well to remember that.
Loxley: Lieutenant, good to see you. ::he stood up and adjusted his cap before gesturing further up the path:: Lead on.
The petite Vulcan gave a slow nod, folded her hands behind her back and started on her way up a trail half-hidden by fallen bamboo leaves and mossy rocks.
After a few minutes, when both Vulcanoids had fallen into a comfortable pace that suited them both, the diminutive full-blooded Vulcan broke the silence at last.
Alieth: I must acknowledge that your request, though welcome, has been... unexpected.
Loxley: I have a complicated outlook on Vulcan culture, but not so long ago I asked Vorin for some help introducing me to meditation techniques. Have you met Vorin?
She nodded in agreement, which resulted in a slight ruffling of the fabric around the collar of her robes.
Alieth: A meticulous and systematic researcher, a real asset of my department.
She made a short pause to ascend a small section of steps, just a few horizontal stone slabs which helped to navigate around a short steep slope. Halfway down the path, among the roots of a lonely tree, Alieth discovered a small stone figure on which someone had draped a colourful piece of cloth, as if to shelter it from the cold. Illogical, but eye-catching for sure.
Alieth: Were his lessons educational?
Loxley: He was very informative, and I found the meditation surprisingly useful. ::He was silent for a moment, remembering Evatt and the card game on Nassau:: Incredibly so, in fact.
Alieth: As expected.
The sentence was delivered in the same neutral, uninflected tone that the Vulcan woman typically used, and despite this, there could be little doubt that those few words conveyed a certain degree of satisfaction.
Lox concealed a smile as he detected a note of smugness. It was interesting, he reflected, that in spending any amount of time with Vulcans, how he adopted the old mannerisms and thought processes, even that modulated way of speaking, that his father had taught him. His sessions with Vorin had uncovered that, much to Loxley’s surprise.
As the pair followed the path in a broad curve through thickets of younger bamboo canes, still a vivid bright green in colour, Loxley was struggling to decide if the ease at which he was able to fall back into that Vulcan mindset was a good thing or not.
Whether or not his road partner noticed it or not remained unknown, but the fact was that from that moment on, there was a comfortable silence settled between the two of them, one in which they neither required to speak nor asked for a response. Before long, they fell into a leisurely rhythm, the kind that would allow them to burn up kilometres without letting fatigue drag them down, while all around them, the mountain steepened and became more rugged, more wild, the forest surrounding them wetter and denser, as the bamboo whispered its ancient songs beneath its leaves, just as it had done, without change, for hundreds of years.
Finally, when the path split into two branches, and they stopped for a moment before taking the leftmost path, the red-haired man talked again.
Loxley: There’s more, too, Lieutenant. ::He broke the easy silence between them:: But I was wondering; why did you agree to help?
The Vulcan bowed her head briefly and, for the next minute, all that could be heard was the sound of their footsteps on the leaf litter, the rustling of their clothes as they moved and the subtle dance of the bamboo trunks as the breeze rustled through them.
Alieth: Curiosity.
Loxley: Oh? ::he was genuinely surprised:: That’s not what I was expecting.
For a moment, a smile danced in the Vulcan's eyes, one that did not reach the rest of her features at any point.
Alieth: For yours, of course, since if there is one emotion that our people not only have never fully repressed but rather have encouraged, it has been curiosity. Thus, my duty is to nurture that inquisitiveness.
Loxley: Ah. Knowledge is important, and I guess we need to be curious in order to gain that knowledge. Repressing it would be counter-productive, and lead to stagnation.
The petite Vulcan gave a subtle nod, in agreement with the deduction.
Alieth: You are right. :: She made a small pause and rose her dark eyes to Loxley’s green ones:: I am also curious about you.
The short woman turned for a moment to observe Loxley's wolfish traits, in which his two lineages were mingled, before she kept speaking.
Alieth: I have met a number of our hybrids during my career and I can classify them into two groups: those who have adopted our ways early on and can barely distinguish themselves from a full-blooded Vulcan, and those who have either not received the teachings of Surak or have rejected them at a tender age, and have embraced the other part of their culture. You are the first hybrid I have met who has chosen to explore his Vulcan heritage as an adult, and I am curious at your motivations... and whether I will be able to shed a compelling and positive light on our people's traditions.
Lox felt his eyebrow lift in the one very Vulcan expression he possessed.
Loxley: That is very astute of you, Lieutenant. Yes, I certainly fall into that latter category. I was taught by my father, but much has been rejected for… personal reasons. The rest had been largely forgotten until quite recently.
The scientist let one corner of her mouth flatten marginally, giving her a surprisingly pleased expression despite the minuscule movement.
Alieth: And is there a specific motive that made you want to revisit those teachings?
She raised an eyebrow at the question, a leer but inquisitive search of her crewmate's face.
Loxley: Two reasons. ::he paused, taking a deep breath of the fragrant air as he collected his thoughts:: After one particular mission I was having nightmares and I wanted them to stop. So having better control over my emotions seemed like an obvious plan.
Alieth: A commendable goal. However, that is not all.
The conversation was interrupted for a moment when they had to climb a small group of moss-covered boulders, the trail from that point onwards much narrower and more meandering. Over them sang a lonesome bird, a single high-pitched note, almost like a wail.
Loxley: And, secondly, I am half Vulcan. It is a fact that I cannot deny. Ironically, pushing away my Vulcan side was a very emotional reaction to just one person, but I shouldn’t let it dictate my opinion of all Vulcans. ::he offered a small smile:: I’m not trying to ‘be’ Vulcan, but I should have the knowledge that goes with my heritage.
Lox hesitated, close to saying more, but he decided to keep quiet for now. There was another reason for wanting to learn more, but it was something he still wasn’t entirely convinced about yet. The flashes and feelings he sometimes picked up when with Corliss… he’d been able to convince himself that was more to do with her than with him. But the last mission had suggested otherwise.
The pause did not go unnoticed, but Alieth said naught, instead she advanced a little slower, a sort of anticipation before they crested the hill.
Alieth: We have arrived.
OOC:
1 Pel-pen → Vulcan outfit, Medium-length robe, wrapped left to right and fastened on the right side with several buttons. Typically knee-length with wide half- or ¾-sleeves and belted about the waist with a sash or belt. Can be worn with trousers or not.
=================================
Lt (jg) Loxley
Medical
USS Gorkon
R238401JT0
&
Lt. Alieth
Chief Science Officer
randgri...@gmail.com
USS Gorkon NCC-82293
E239702A10
Image Collective Facilitator /Art Director
=================================
A gentle breeze blew through the forest, causing the tall stems to clatter against each other. The sound was deeply soothing, which was, Loxley reflected, a good job considering why he was here.
Sitting on a small wooden bench, apparently hand carved, he tilted his head back to look up at the tall bamboo shoots swaying in an ever-moving kaleidoscope against the sky, breathing in the faint earthy, floral scent of his surroundings.
Loxley: ::quietly:: It’s incredible…
Alieth: A remarkable place indeed.
The gentle sound of the breeze through the bamboo canes had concealed the petite Vulcan's soft footsteps as she had approached, creating the impression that she had simply materialised there, just behind the bench, with none of the customary spark waterfall nor the swirl of the transporter.
In truth, she had been there for some time, and had walked all the way from the city, as evidenced by the thin layer of dust that coated her smooth boots and, even, the lower rim of the black pel-pen1 that wrapped around her small figure.
Alieth: The place we are looking for is ten minutes from here, shall we go?
Lox was mildly startled. Alieth was small and silent, like a diminutive, logical ninja with a science qualification. He’d do well to remember that.
Loxley: Lieutenant, good to see you. ::he stood up and adjusted his cap before gesturing further up the path:: Lead on.
The petite Vulcan gave a slow nod, folded her hands behind her back and started on her way up a trail half-hidden by fallen bamboo leaves and mossy rocks.
After a few minutes, when both Vulcanoids had fallen into a comfortable pace that suited them both, the diminutive full-blooded Vulcan broke the silence at last.
Alieth: I must acknowledge that your request, though welcome, has been... unexpected.
Loxley: I have a complicated outlook on Vulcan culture, but not so long ago I asked Vorin for some help introducing me to meditation techniques. Have you met Vorin?
She nodded in agreement, which resulted in a slight ruffling of the fabric around the collar of her robes.
Alieth: A meticulous and systematic researcher, a real asset of my department.
She made a short pause to ascend a small section of steps, just a few horizontal stone slabs which helped to navigate around a short steep slope. Halfway down the path, among the roots of a lonely tree, Alieth discovered a small stone figure on which someone had draped a colourful piece of cloth, as if to shelter it from the cold. Illogical, but eye-catching for sure.
Alieth: Were his lessons educational?
Loxley: He was very informative, and I found the meditation surprisingly useful. ::He was silent for a moment, remembering Evatt and the card game on Nassau:: Incredibly so, in fact.
Alieth: As expected.
The sentence was delivered in the same neutral, uninflected tone that the Vulcan woman typically used, and despite this, there could be little doubt that those few words conveyed a certain degree of satisfaction.
Lox concealed a smile as he detected a note of smugness. It was interesting, he reflected, that in spending any amount of time with Vulcans, how he adopted the old mannerisms and thought processes, even that modulated way of speaking, that his father had taught him. His sessions with Vorin had uncovered that, much to Loxley’s surprise.
As the pair followed the path in a broad curve through thickets of younger bamboo canes, still a vivid bright green in colour, Loxley was struggling to decide if the ease at which he was able to fall back into that Vulcan mindset was a good thing or not.
Whether or not his road partner noticed it or not remained unknown, but the fact was that from that moment on, there was a comfortable silence settled between the two of them, one in which they neither required to speak nor asked for a response. Before long, they fell into a leisurely rhythm, the kind that would allow them to burn up kilometres without letting fatigue drag them down, while all around them, the mountain steepened and became more rugged, more wild, the forest surrounding them wetter and denser, as the bamboo whispered its ancient songs beneath its leaves, just as it had done, without change, for hundreds of years.
Finally, when the path split into two branches, and they stopped for a moment before taking the leftmost path, the red-haired man talked again.
Loxley: There’s more, too, Lieutenant. ::He broke the easy silence between them:: But I was wondering; why did you agree to help?
The Vulcan bowed her head briefly and, for the next minute, all that could be heard was the sound of their footsteps on the leaf litter, the rustling of their clothes as they moved and the subtle dance of the bamboo trunks as the breeze rustled through them.
Alieth: Curiosity.
Loxley: Oh? ::he was genuinely surprised:: That’s not what I was expecting.
For a moment, a smile danced in the Vulcan's eyes, one that did not reach the rest of her features at any point.
Alieth: For yours, of course, since if there is one emotion that our people not only have never fully repressed but rather have encouraged, it has been curiosity. Thus, my duty is to nurture that inquisitiveness.
Loxley: Ah. Knowledge is important, and I guess we need to be curious in order to gain that knowledge. Repressing it would be counter-productive, and lead to stagnation.
The petite Vulcan gave a subtle nod, in agreement with the deduction.
Alieth: You are right. :: She made a small pause and rose her dark eyes to Loxley’s green ones:: I am also curious about you.
The short woman turned for a moment to observe Loxley's wolfish traits, in which his two lineages were mingled, before she kept speaking.
Alieth: I have met a number of our hybrids during my career and I can classify them into two groups: those who have adopted our ways early on and can barely distinguish themselves from a full-blooded Vulcan, and those who have either not received the teachings of Surak or have rejected them at a tender age, and have embraced the other part of their culture. You are the first hybrid I have met who has chosen to explore his Vulcan heritage as an adult, and I am curious at your motivations... and whether I will be able to shed a compelling and positive light on our people's traditions.
Lox felt his eyebrow lift in the one very Vulcan expression he possessed.
Loxley: That is very astute of you, Lieutenant. Yes, I certainly fall into that latter category. I was taught by my father, but much has been rejected for… personal reasons. The rest had been largely forgotten until quite recently.
The scientist let one corner of her mouth flatten marginally, giving her a surprisingly pleased expression despite the minuscule movement.
Alieth: And is there a specific motive that made you want to revisit those teachings?
She raised an eyebrow at the question, a leer but inquisitive search of her crewmate's face.
Loxley: Two reasons. ::he paused, taking a deep breath of the fragrant air as he collected his thoughts:: After one particular mission I was having nightmares and I wanted them to stop. So having better control over my emotions seemed like an obvious plan.
Alieth: A commendable goal. However, that is not all.
The conversation was interrupted for a moment when they had to climb a small group of moss-covered boulders, the trail from that point onwards much narrower and more meandering. Over them sang a lonesome bird, a single high-pitched note, almost like a wail.
Loxley: And, secondly, I am half Vulcan. It is a fact that I cannot deny. Ironically, pushing away my Vulcan side was a very emotional reaction to just one person, but I shouldn’t let it dictate my opinion of all Vulcans. ::he offered a small smile:: I’m not trying to ‘be’ Vulcan, but I should have the knowledge that goes with my heritage.
Lox hesitated, close to saying more, but he decided to keep quiet for now. There was another reason for wanting to learn more, but it was something he still wasn’t entirely convinced about yet. The flashes and feelings he sometimes picked up when with Corliss… he’d been able to convince himself that was more to do with her than with him. But the last mission had suggested otherwise.
The pause did not go unnoticed, but Alieth said naught, instead she advanced a little slower, a sort of anticipation before they crested the hill.
Alieth: We have arrived.
OOC:
1 Pel-pen → Vulcan outfit, Medium-length robe, wrapped left to right and fastened on the right side with several buttons. Typically knee-length with wide half- or ¾-sleeves and belted about the waist with a sash or belt. Can be worn with trousers or not.
=================================
Lt (jg) Loxley
Medical
USS Gorkon
R238401JT0
&
Lt. Alieth
Chief Science Officer
randgri...@gmail.com
USS Gorkon NCC-82293
E239702A10
Image Collective Facilitator /Art Director
=================================
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages