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 Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:35 pm
(Em, ShortGreen, and Fyre)
Serafima looked up from the book she had been reading to glance in the direction of her feien and her guest. Hadrian had arrived an hour ago and the two were still heads-together, intrigued over some sort of list. For a moment, the Fleet operative wondered if Galatea had infected the fire feien with her love of lists and organization but the notion was discarded in the next breath; if anything, Hadrian had affected Galatea. It had not taken a genius to trace Galatea's desire to explore her magic to the older feien. Galatea had mentioned Hadrian's control with tones of respect numerous times since she had met him.
While she did not understand and was not sure if she approved (blast Beckham for putting strange thoughts of dating children in her head!), Serafima decided that it was good for Galatea to interact with other feien and Hadrian was a decent one. Perhaps she should meet Galatea's other friends as well. To study them.
"Galatea?" she suddenly called over.
The dark-haired feien snapped to attention and stood. "Yes, sir?"
"Do you two need anything? I'm about to make myself some tea."
Galatea looked towards Hadrian expectantly.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:43 pm
Hadrian found himself trying to figure out whom to address his answer too. The captain had specifically addressed Galatea, but it seemed silly to speak to Galatea and just listen to her relay the message to the Captain when they were all standing right there.
But, his eyes had definitely lit up at the mention of tea.
"If you please, Captain Rabik, I would really like some tea, if there is something small enough to put some in!"
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:52 pm
"I'm sure I have something that will do." Neatly, she slipped a bookmark between the pages of her treatise on herbology, setting it down on the small table, and standing. "Galatea's cups should be heatproof enough." With that, Serafima left the room.
Galatea beamed at her friend. "I told you that she approves of you," she murmured.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 7:55 pm
The fire feien tilted his head at Galatea curiously, "How can you tell?" He asked, then added quickly, "Not that she was rude or mean or anything."
His bond used to make tea quite often, but it wasn't the sort of thing that was very easy for a feien to make themselves. He'd considered looking for a teapot small enough to handle - but if would have to be large enough to include tea leaves in. So really, it had been a long time since he had enjoyed a cup of tea.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:07 pm
"Because she welcomes you to her quarters." Galatea tilted her head slightly and appeared to be baffled that he didn't realize the fact of Serafima's approval as easily as she did. "You are allowed free run and we explore her books together."
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:11 pm
"Oh." Hadrian said, as if amazed that it was that simple. "So...if she didn't like me, I wouldn't be allowed in at all?"
In truth Hadrian was getting used to the Captain. He still felt her relationship to Galatea was...odd...and Galatea looked up to her so much it would have been encouraging to hear the Captain express some manner of approval or affection. But he had decided that Galatea's bond wasn't being intentionally cold or disapproving.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:16 pm
Galatea frowned a bit and shook her head. "No, you would be allowed in because you were my friend and the Captain would not forbid me relationships with other feien," she answered carefully. "But you might be expected to stay on this table with me. Whereas, if I liked, I could take you to explore the attic or walk through the garden or bathe in the sink. Now, that is. Because she approves."
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:19 pm
"OOooooh. I see." The older feien nodded his understanding. That made sense of course, that Galatea's Captain might not want someone she didn't like wonder around her house, even if they were allowed in Galatea's house. "I'm glad she approves of me."
He smiled widely, but did not add out loud that he was also glad to know that Captain Rabik wouldn't forbid Galatea from having her own friends to her own house.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 8:25 pm
Before Galatea could do more than smile faintly again and reach out to touch Hadrian's hand briefly, the doorbell sounded, echoing through the house. A slight clatter answered it from the kitchen and then Serafima reappeared, carrying a large mug and two small plastic ends from an electrician's wiring kit. Neatly, she handed the small makeshift mugs over to Galatea, set her own mug on the table beside her book, and then strode to the door. She performed an automatic adjustment of clothing and hair - crisp white blouse, neat grey slacks, tight chignon at the nape of her neck.
Then she unlocked and opened the door. "Yes?" she began.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 9:59 pm
The black-clad uniform was unmistakably Fleet, the red shoulders marking the man as a Security officer, the white collar identifying him as low in rank. E-4, to be precise. Serafima processed this information in the blink of an eye.
"Captain Rabik?" asked the man. He had windblown brown hair and blue eyes and Serafima recognized him, not as anyone she knew personally, but as one of the many Fleet officers she had seen in the halls of Central. In the company of Caleb Manchester, she recalled. He knew her, though, and offered a salute. "Junior Sergeant Edward Autry. Security." Superfluous of him to note.
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Posted: Wed Apr 26, 2006 10:02 pm
Serafima's nod signified both acknowledgement and release from his salute, neat and efficient. Just seeing a full Fleet uniform again snapped her back to behaviors that had slowly and slightly eroded under her current living situation on Gaia. "Junior Sergeant," she replied, clipped and low. She took a measured step backwards and opened the door wider. "Please come in."
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:28 pm
Autry smiled in the manner of a man who, upon being invited into a woman's house, expects to be allowed to rummage through the underwear or see some action. It was a look of triumph and conquest, a fleeting remnant of his past so habitual Autry was not even aware he had produced it. The smile was one familiar to every woman: the sign of a man who ******** and leaves and never calls.
"Just Ed is fine," he said, the smile disappearing in favor of blank interest as he crossed the threshold into the foyer. "I'm not here in any official capacity."
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:39 pm
"Edward, then." Past experiences, past operations, past facades slipped back as natural as breath and Serafima read his smile accurately. In return, she dished out a few mixed messages of her own - pairing a rather comehither smile with her clipped, Ice Princess delivery of his name. Closing the door behind him, she automatically slid the bolt home. "I see. Just a social call then?"
She slipped past him in the tight foyer and motioned for him to follow her towards the library.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:51 pm
"You could say that," said Autry, mentally sighing. "Edward" was what his mother called him, or the teachers back in primary school. He had outgrown the name when he was twelve.
Autry reached around to the back pocket of his pants and pulled out a cream-colored notecard. "Admiral Durris asked me to give you this." His eyes roamed around the room as he followed Serafima, trying to guess at her personality from the decor.
The writing on the card was a neat, clean script; Admiral Durris's own. That Durris had found the time in his schedule to handwrite it was nothing short of extraordinary. He was a surprisingly thoughtful man, wishing Serafima good health and speedy recovery and informing her that she was missed by her comrades.
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Posted: Thu Apr 27, 2006 7:59 pm
Serafima immediately paused, half-blocking the man's view of her library as she held the card in long, thin fingers and read over it. By standing straight, though (Serafima was a unusually tall woman), he could make out a very classic and exquisitely tidy sense of style in the room beyond. The bookshelves were immaculate, a corner of a chair appeared to be oxblood leather, the rug was understated Oriental. Either Captain Rabik had perfect taste or she had been given her quarters fully-furnished. Blocked from a good view of the room, he instead had the honor of seeing a small, pleased smile grow on Serafima's finely chiseled face. "This is very kind of the Admiral," she murmured. "I will have to send a thank you note." She looked up at Ed, eyebrow raised. "If you wouldn't mind taking it with you?"
Then, finally, she stepped through the door fully and crossed to the other, unseen chair. She didn't even glance at the table which held the feien. Not yet. Not until he was through the door.
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