Written in the Scars of My Heart

[Lorut Vila]

Vila laughed.

"If I had a strip for every time I've heard that..." Well, she'd have only two strips of Latinum, but weird that she's heard it twice in her life. She took his arm.

"I...have," she said. "Is that what you think I meant?" It was. 

[Malik Grippen]

Vila laughed.

"If I had a strip for every time I've heard that..." Well, she'd have only two strips of Latinum, but weird that she's heard it twice in her life. She took his arm.

"I...have," she said. "Is that what you think I meant?" It was.

The pair walked the short distance hand in hand back to Malik's quarters, with him telling her all about the jamaharon along the way.

"...it's actually a deeply spiritual connection, it transcends pleasure of the flesh and stimulates the soul. You'll never forget your first proper jamaharon. Not the jamaharon's the tourists receive, I'm talking the real deal."

They entered his quarters, they were kept clean with decorations relating to Risa dotted around, including a small collection of horga'hn statues of various colours on a table.

"I'm just going to grab a quick sonic-shower, make yourself comfortable." With that, he headed to the bathroom.

[Lorut Vila]

Wow. This had moved faster than she'd expected, and faster than she was used to.

...it's actually a deeply spiritual connection, it transcends pleasure of the flesh and stimulates the soul. You'll never forget your first proper jamaharon. Not the jamaharon's the tourists receive, I'm talking the real deal.

She just nodded carefully as she listened to him telling her about Jamahron. "I see," she said. Pleasures of the flesh AND soul sounded like a good thing right now. "I admit that the last time I was in Risa, I didn't have the opportunity to engage in such pleasures," she said. She had still been desperately trying to salvage her marriage. Writing should've been on the wall, she guessed.

As they entered his quarters, she looked around. It was clean-a plus- and well appointed but mostly plain. Fine with her. She nodded when he spoke again.

I'm just going to grab a quick sonic-shower, make yourself comfortable..

Oh, sure. Comfortable? With Horga'hn statues staring at her while they did...well, whatever they were about to...sure. Still, she simply smiled.

"Alright." She let out a breath once she was alone. What the hell was she DOING?! 

[Malik Grippen]

Wow. This had moved faster than she'd expected, and faster than she was used to.

She just nodded carefully as she listened to him telling her about Jamahron. "I see," she said. Pleasures of the flesh AND soul sounded like a good thing right now. "I admit that the last time I was in Risa, I didn't have the opportunity to engage in such pleasures," she said. She had still been desperately trying to salvage her marriage. Writing should've been on the wall, she guessed.

As they entered his quarters, she looked around. It was clean-a plus- and well appointed but mostly plain. Fine with her. She nodded when he spoke again.

Oh, sure. Comfortable? With Horga'hn statues staring at her while they did...well, whatever they were about to...sure. Still, she simply smiled.

"Alright." She let out a breath once she was alone. What the hell was she DOING?!

A few minutes later and Malik reappeared from the sonic-shower wearing naught but a black towel wrapped round his waist, with the Starfleet logo embroidered on it. He saw Vila glancing at his collection of horga'hn statuettes. "You like my little collection? I collect them, some are hundreds of years old...like this one."

He picked up a smaller, tan coloured statue of a plain design but no less beautiful. "This one belonged to a pair of famous Risan lovers back in the dark ages. It is said they were so in love, upon death their ashes were placed in the very clay of this statue so they could remain together forever." He passed it to Vila.

"Can I get you another drink?"

[Lorut Vila]

Vila smiled as Malik reappeared.

"Hi," she said. "Yeah, they're kind of...neat," she said. She really didn't "get" the meaning, but she knew what the statues WERE. "What do they mean? Are they like our Orbs and such?" She asked. Small talk was hard for her.

She listened to his explanation.

"Ah," she said. "Romantic," she smiled lightly. "Ashes together forever. DOesn't that sound lovely? Too bad it's...rare," she said. A bit of a downer, Vila, christ.

"Another drink would be nice. Maybe some pants?" She suggested lightly...or maybe not? She didn't care but she. wasn't ready to make the first move. YET. 

[Malik Grippen]

Vila smiled as Malik reappeared.

"Hi," she said. "Yeah, they're kind of...neat," she said. She really didn't "get" the meaning, but she knew what the statues WERE. "What do they mean? Are they like our Orbs and such?" She asked. Small talk was hard for her.

She listened to his explanation.

"Ah," she said. "Romantic," she smiled lightly. "Ashes together forever. DOesn't that sound lovely? Too bad it's...rare," she said. A bit of a downer, Vila, christ.

"Another drink would be nice. Maybe some pants?" She suggested lightly...or maybe not? She didn't care but she. wasn't ready to make the first move. YET.

Malik smiled, Vila was cute when flustered. It was all part of his plan.

"To give someone a horga'hn, is to indicate you want to initiate jamaharon with that person."

Malik went to a side table and poured some Earth whiskey in a pair of glasses.

He then sat on the comfy couch, still bearing only a towel and gestured for Vila to join him and take her drink.

"Does the thought of jamaharon intimidate you?"

[Lorut Vila]

She let out a soft exhale. Slowly, things were coming back to her. It had been a long time, but she wasn't dead. Yet. She was just...in pain and not dealing well with it. She nodded.

"I see. On Bajor, we just give each other a note or a wink," she said. "I kind of like this better," she said. She reached out to run a finger over the statue. She watched him move towards the couch area. It was time.

She followed him. A bit of steely resolve settled in. She hung back a little, still, though. The old tapes were playing in her head-that she wasn't pretty enough, or wasn't "that kind of girl." But she wasn't, was she? She was a fully grown woman now, and people's opinions be damned.

Does the thought of jamaharon intimidate you?

"Not at all," she said. She moved closer. "Does it intimidate YOU?" she asked him. She was older than he was, and probably more experienced-she'd lived a LOT of life and that included bad choices in romantic partners-both before, during, and after her marriage.

She began to undress as she moved to the couch, and settled in. "Not much intimidates me, really. I'd think you'd know that by now," she said. Crowds did. Certain people-or, rather, their actions, did. Having to do the hard work on herself did.

She drained the whiskey quickly. Dutch courage was just what she'd needed. She closed her eyes, and quickly kissed him fully before she lost her nerve. What was she DOING?! She was doing...whatever this was. 

[Malik Grippen]

She let out a soft exhale. Slowly, things were coming back to her. It had been a long time, but she wasn't dead. Yet. She was just...in pain and not dealing well with it. She nodded.

"I see. On Bajor, we just give each other a note or a wink," she said. "I kind of like this better," she said. She reached out to run a finger over the statue. She watched him move towards the couch area. It was time.

She followed him. A bit of steely resolve settled in. She hung back a little, still, though. The old tapes were playing in her head-that she wasn't pretty enough, or wasn't "that kind of girl." But she wasn't, was she? She was a fully grown woman now, and people's opinions be damned.

"Not at all," she said. She moved closer. "Does it intimidate YOU?" she asked him. She was older than he was, and probably more experienced-she'd lived a LOT of life and that included bad choices in romantic partners-both before, during, and after her marriage.

She began to undress as she moved to the couch, and settled in. "Not much intimidates me, really. I'd think you'd know that by now," she said. Crowds did. Certain people-or, rather, their actions, did. Having to do the hard work on herself did.

She drained the whiskey quickly. Dutch courage was just what she'd needed. She closed her eyes, and quickly kissed him fully before she lost her nerve. What was she DOING?! She was doing...whatever this was.

Malik smiled as she kissed him.

"You've never looked as beautiful as you do now..."

He pulled her on top of him and continued, clothes quickly being discarded, drinks being spilled across the floor as their embrace continued. There wasn't a need for a horga'hn statue now, they understood what each other wanted perfectly. Their bodies becoming one and any doubts or nervousness quickly making way for passion.

Fade to black...

[Lorut Vila]

This was really happening? This was really happening. Luckily, she remembered what to do.

Later, she lay in a warm, soft embrace.

"That was...something..." she said, lazily drawing circles across Malik's arm. The implications of what she'd done hadn't hit yet.
"So...same time next week?" She asked, kind of kidding. But sort of not. Something strange was happening. She was...calm.