Wings, Deals & Cleaning House (Jared Ovmar)

[Yasha Cadera]

Struck me the other night, while I was half broken and sore beyond the beliefs and woes of mankind: I love my life. I love the fact I've got a ridiculously comical line of bruising, I love how I got each one, and I love that right now I'm singing in the shower. Whose shower? @[member="Jared Ovmar"]'s shower.

What, the man might be barkers, but he's the closest I've got to a solid and long lasting friend and the benefits! My voice warbles on, I feel outward for his mind hoping that it's a little bit better than it was last night, when the tempest of Jared's inner turmoil had kicked up and flung mental mud around. Hopping out of the shower I dry off, pout in the mirror, slide into a light blue dress and toss my chin length hair back behind my ears. Being around Jared is the safest I've ever been, and the thought strikes like a chiming bell, resonant and unyielding. All finished my beauty routine, I pull on a thin white scarf and pad out on my bare feet to the Penthouse's main room.

My plans of coffee and maybe a few eggs are utterly forgotten for the beauty of the view, the way the landscape of the apartment leads me in ten thousand directions but all of them back to that view, the cascading dawn on Annaj. I hear a contented sigh furl out of my mouth and I grab that coffee to sit with my legs kicked over the arm of a chair to watch the world drift by. Wonder what Jared'll need from me today? Maybe nothing. If that's the case, well, I might make this coffee last as long as possible just to watch this view and feel the drifting security of this place.

After all, how long can it last? The ticking clock thunders toward an alarm that will eventually strike me into waking up alone, drifting back out in space in my Lifter. I'll make my peace with it eventually, I guess.

 

[Arage Bao]

The Lord of the Fringe sat in the study of his penthouse, trying to work out these numbers. It seemed only days ago that the only thing he had to worry about was his crew, and the money they brought in. But now... now Jared had to worry about two planets, a corporation and the Confederation as a whole. Even a stable man would have had problems staying sane with so much responsibilities.

Honestly, he was not sure what he would have done, if it was not for his gigantic team of aides and.. Andra. His mind brushed hers softly, just soft enough that she would not feel him. No point in calling her up just yet, let her enjoy her coffee for now. She seemed to be happy, that was good. If he could give one person happiness in this world.. well he would be content with that.

As he continued to try and make sense out of this situation, something came to mind. Maybe there was a reason why the numbers did not add up.. sabotage? Thiefs? It would have to be found out, nobody who stole from him would live to boast about it. That was a lesson learned in the Underworld, and that could be carried on to this life.

If somebody messes with you, you end them. Reputation was key, this much was for sure. If you can't protect yours, how can anyone have any respect for you?

This would be dealt with, swiftly. Records would have to be cross-checked, people would have to be interrogated.. A cruel smile flashed on Jar's lips. Long time since he had interrogated someone. Long time indeed.

Then as he contacted his aides, and briefed them of the situation Jared took hold of an entirely different matter. Contracts. It was the livelihood of Santhe Corporation, and now there was a chance he could get a couple of contracts from the Confederation itself. Of course, Jared could just approve it himself. But that would seem.. corrupt? At any rate, he was not going to make a big fuss out of this.

It would need the authority from a High Councilor, and who better than the woman he loved and who.. loved him. Still a strange thought. His mind brushed hers again, and this time he made his presence known.

“Andra, mind coming up to my study? We have business to discuss, my dear.” ​

​

@[member="Anders Sivas"]​

 

[Yasha Cadera]

Steam rises from my mug, flowing past my eyes and upward through an invisible current of gasses both noble and obscene. I follow its' journey and a feather-light sigh pushes past my teeth as I feel outward and upward. The planet is full of people, their mental hum is a barrage unending, but here in the sanctity of the Penthouse safety reigns. Night after night I've poured love in its walls, seeping into the mortar and transparisteel a bare and fertile sacred space. Companionship began it, bliss chased it and now a deeper affection whorls and furls in the loom as I, feeble-bodied mentalist, create my tapestry. The edges are frayed and dark, sullied by stains on @[member="Jared Ovmar"]'s mind. Piece by piece I weave the fragments into a workable, pleasant foundation in my hope to give him respite and resolution to some of the many pains and tragedies which have created the exceptionally talented, yet mutilating man.

"Mmmmnn" I moan contentedly into the chair, my lover's call surrounds and succours me. I take another sip of my coffee before rising ups and checking my dress in the mirror by his study door. "You called?" Setting my coffee down on the table nearest Jared, I wrap my arms around his shoulders and place a big smacking kiss on his jaw. "Mmmmwah! Morning. What work have you got today? Any planets need our attention? Oh, a new venture into the karked up underbelly of political spaces? Is there intrigue? Are we going to put the fear of the Force in some sap with too many ideas and not enough sense? Oh, no I know." I nuzzle my nose into his hair and nip at his ear. "Found the perfect Ropo. A fluffy little hat eater with a moustache and horns." Sliding to sit across his lap, my fingers run along his cheeks and into his hair. The data pads and information surrounding his desk do give me a modicum of pause, it's bound to be a serious venture and as I've learned it's better to get the cuddles in before we go traipsing off to knock on Rhand's door or Council meetings, or figure out what to do about Mikhail Shorn. "Find the Santhe Mole? Let me at him. I'll have his mind before you say Bob's Your Uncle."

 

[Arage Bao]

As Andra swept into the room, it suddenly brightened.. or maybe it was an illusion. He was not really sure, but either way he was glad to have her here. Jared was about to say something, as he came over him and gave him a kiss. Now.. that was unexpected, even more she decided to sit in his lap. She was so... fast, and.. well fast.

It became difficult to think with her in close proximity, her words came as the rushing tide of the sea and swept everything away. The deals he had wanted to go with her, the contracts.. there was only that-- Focus Jared. Focus on the matter at hand.

Softly he planted a kiss on Andra's cheek, with a bright smile to answer her own. Then even more softly, he disentangled himself from her and carefully forced her to stand up. At the same time, his mind brushed hers and showed the love he had for her, he hoped she would understand that sadly it was not now that they could frolic around.

“Please take a seat... High Councillor Sivas, we have business to discuss.”​

​

Jared added a wink to it all, and gave her another one of his smiles. ​

​

@[member="Anders Sivas"]​

 

[Yasha Cadera]

The study never seemed particularly bright until the smile lit up on @[member="Jared Ovmar"]'s face. A cloud drifts off to dour pastures, soggy with the rain of misgivings and the dire mental texture of a Man of the Hideous Dark. It should scare me, my mind wanders and sees Jared as he is, and being in his bower should scare the living end out of Andra Sivas, Daughter of Naboo. As he lifts me off his lap, I am doused in his emotional appreciation. I feel naked and respected, a woman with more worth than the physical entanglements he's known or, that he's probably getting in ten other places.

For I know the truth, I am but a distraction of convenience, well placed in his political realm and yet there is the hope that our shared experience and the benefits I can give are enough that in some respect he will keep me more sacred than the many others. He can sleep with them, but who will he talk to? Who will he share with? His kiss burns at my cheek, leaving a permanent mental presence which remains forever lasting. In the strength of his purposefully sent emotions, I have my answer.


I am content.

Plunking down in the nearest chair, I can't wipe the grin off for a thousand credits a second. "Lord of the Fringe, High Councillor Ovmar. I second the meeting coming to order, we have a quorum of two." I hold up two fingers, and kiss each knuckle, before bursting into a small fit of giggles. "You have my attention. Is this meeting coming to order under the High Council of the Fringe for a medical, financial, military or industrial purpose? Do we have a recorder set for posterity, my Lord?" My voice feels like silk across my own skin, it's been so long since I allowed myself to be Andra, to talk naturally that the act itself strokes across my lungs and into the connective tissues to the pleasure centre of my brain. Even then, with the official beginning of the meeting I become a Councillor first, lover second.

 

[Arage Bao]

His smile broadened, it was hard to stay serious with a woman like that in front of him. Still, it needed to be done… sadly. Business had to come first this time, so Jared coughed trying to contain his laughter and then straightened himself. Still hard to keep a straight face, damn it.

​

“Corporate, High Councilor Sivas. The recorder has been discarded for privacy concern, I hope you do not mind this liberty I have taken?” ​

There was nothing standard about this procedure anyway, if Jared had cared about that he would have requested a meeting with Merrill or maybe the big-ass Dragon. But when there was profit to be had… well you took short-cuts.

[member="Anders Sivas"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Oh, so you want me to do your secret bidding now, hmm?" I cross my ankles and tuck my feet under the chair, elbow leaning on the arm I can't wait to see what the spider's strung into this silk web. Yes, I might be wearing the silk and have been mooching off of his generous appetite for apples and the swell of my hips but politics is something I've finally learned how to take seriously. A flash in my eyes, I was with a senator's aide once. Real high climber. The stutter of how he dealt with political dealings is bubbling up with a slight glint in my gaze of an unfamiliar entity. With the rise in my presence within the Force came other rises and falls.

I'm learning, [member="Jared Ovmar"]. I'm learning how to use the symbionts in my brain.

"What're the terms and what do you want from me, that you couldn't go to Merrill or Kitt about? Hmm, not Kitt, she'd never. Merill then. What kind of understanding are we about to reach?"

 

[Arage Bao]

Ah.. the little girl was finally learning, it made the Lord’s heart swell in pride and maybe.. it made him just a little bit sad. When he had first met her-- him, Anders had been a free bird. Used to roam the Galaxy, and just be in the moment. Oh of course, it was not always fun and games. Ugly situations would have been there, but still. There was value in freedom, and the distinctive lack of responsibility.

That person was not so much dead, as much as repressed. Heavy responsibilities, the daily politics and well.. maybe his own dark influence did change his love in some ways. Part of him wished to shelter her, preserve her in her base form. But the other part wanted to develop her even more, what a dangerous asset she could be…

The proud Lord smiled, as she asked him the questions. Good questions. She would not allow herself to be used, not without at least knowing part of the story first. Smart. That’s my girl.

“Not so much secret, as much as privileged and on a need-to-know basis.”

Why not Rave she asked of him. Not a very good question, my dear. She, of all people, would know why Jared would not go to Rave for this matter. Jared trusted her as far as he could throw her.

Oh sure, she had been doing this for the Fringe, and doing things well. But that did not change who her brother was. What it also did not change, was the fact that she valued her brother over the Confederation.

Not a strange sentimental-view, of course. Family was important, but when your family was quite literally a thorn and pain in the collective side and ass of your nation. Well.. that complicated things.

“Santhe Corporation likes to keep its business under the wraps. I am sure Rave would find it very amusing to leak this… deal to the Republic press. That, my dear, would severely hamper my expansion plans.”

His gaze settled on his glass for a moment, as he swirled the liquid substance inside of it. Pure red, was it a sign for what was to come? He had been skirti-- no use for such thoughts right now.

“A sponsorship is what I seek, High Councilor.”

[member="Anders Sivas"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Privileged. I really love that word." A wide smirk, and I can't stop glancing at his collarbone.

"Oh right, Merrill's brother. I'd forgotten about him, after Miss Monroe tottered off. My bad." Admitting weakness? Jared knows me, and knows I have several. I shift in my seat and have to force my lips together to repress the ungainly smile growing there. I hit a bruise. A lovely, simple, thumb-shaped bruise I could frame and put on the wall as some macabre sensual art. Maybe I should make dozens of holographs, imprint them with my sensory memories and fill museums and exhibits with the art of Andra Savas, lover of the Lord of the Fringe. I shift again, the conversation's calling up numbers and numbers aren't my strong suit, so I pull a data pad from Jared's desk and flick it on, input my encryption and set into my secure High Council server for the number of sponsorships the Fringe has, and how Santhe Corp could bring us even deeper into the cornucopia of plenty.

"Sponsorship in kind, or financial? What sort of expansion are you considering, and will it take up any Fringe Real Estate? Do you require government sanctions to operate within this expansion, and how will the Stockholders be informed? The idea of a Fringe sponsorship of Santhe indulges me on the inside, tell me more and those indulgences might come outward and get you a deal." Why his collarbone? There are so many fine places on [member="Jared Ovmar"] to look, yet I'm fixated. Oh, did I leave a bruise?

 

[Arage Bao]

One of his brows arched slightly as he listened to her questions, it almost seemed as if she knew what she was doing. Seemed his girl still had a surprise or two in store for him, that brought a grin on his face. Carefully he waited for her to finish, while pretending not to see how she was almost eating him with her gaze.

Truthfully, he himself could not keep his eyes off of her, but business calls. She did have a cute nos-- business, graphs and diagrams. Yes. Work. He sighed softly.

“Sponsorship in finance, as the Governor of 244Core… well let’s just say I have assets in place.”

He took a sip from his drink, some wodka it seemed. It was early, but it was never too early for that particular kind of alcohol. The smell of coffee came to him, its fragrance dancing in the room. Damn, it smelled excellent. One of these days he would have to ask her to teach him how to make it.

“Expansion plans for the Republic, Anders. Think I will visit.. Coruscant, I am hearing a storm is coming. And the Republic will need anything they can get. At least, that is what I am hoping for. The Fringe.. at the moment I have enough liberties on 244Core.”

This time he laughed softly, seemed the idea of stockholders was funny to him.

“Privately-owned, Andra. I thought I had told you that, my love.”

Mmmm, those eyes. One says the eyes are like the hyperlanes to ones soul, well.. Jared wasn’t a poet and neither did he know a lot about hyperlanes. But he knew his souls, and by the Grace of the Almighty himself did he like what he was see-- Concentrate Jared.

“Santhe Corporation produces quality, and has been supplying the Confederation with ships, weapons and other equipment for some time now. This sponsorship would be a.. stimulant to not only keep producing what we already are. But to represent the value both entities see in each other, simply said. The more money I see flowing into my direction, the more I want to supply the Confederation with anything it needs.”

[member="Anders Sivas"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

My eyebrows twitch and I lean forward, setting the coffee mug in my fingers to hide their ineffable twitch. "The Republic? We have the potential toward Republic expansion? Gonna take your hometown on a roller coaster ride, love? Hehehh… I like it. Where do I fit in? Sure, I sign the paperwork, get you your deal, but where do I fit in after the work's gone through?" I sip the coffee, feeling its rich and bitter taste slide warmly down my throat and into my empty stomach. Why's the study so cold a place? A reflection of the man, one might expect, he didn't burn with the fires of an unholy inferno, but the tempest of coals under the sand. Burning, ever burning much hotter than a flickering, extinguishable flame. [member="Jared Ovmar"] is one of the Long Haul and I - am I valuable enough? My brow falters for a second. Sure, I know how his eyes are feasting, how I've been dreaming of the polish on this desk bu-- I slide my back into the chair again, leaning forward as I was I could smell the cologne on his body, feel the dazzling potency of the man. My hold on the senator's aide's dealing abilities slips, I let out a tiny pant and sip more coffee, my trembling hand going back to the data pad and thumb flicking across the screen hoping to divine a causal chain in the numbers.

"I didn't want to assume… sure private ownership makes much more sense, but I didn't … hadn't… I take it the stockholder is already informed." An electric thrill veers up my ribcage as the air fills with his two small words. 'my love' They float around me, seeping into the cells of my skin until I clamp my jaw shut before my lips lead my body out of the chair and onto his lap afresh. How frail and protectable I must look, curled into his study chair - built to take the weight and forbearance of warrior men and princes - my slight frame is practically spilled over by it, I pull myself to the side of the chair, "The value both entities see in each other." I whistle, fanning myself with a hand. The Study's air was filled not with conversation but diamond dust if those looks we're giving each other are any indication. Value seen and unseen. "The Confederacy does need Santhe Corp. Not exclusively, if Santhe ceased to exist we'd stumble but some other corporations would fill the gap. As much as logic dictates that nothing is irreplaceable…"

Card one, two, three, and the final two laid out. "The relationship between Confederacy and Santhe is sacred. That sacristy dictates a memorandum of understanding, we've gone on too long to think the Confederacy could make off without Santhe Corporation, and giving you this deal would fulfill the obligation both ways. Tied together, your products, your research and development and you. A corporation is the sum total entity of its shareholders, after all. Alright, High Councillor. Barring any provisionals to discuss later in the fine print of the deal, I'll sign your Sponsorship."

What's in it for me? The thought pops up with the Aide's seeping presence, and I push it off. This will endow the Fringe with a greater amount of resources and Santhe Corp with a better income flow and loyalty chain. I eat off the Fringe's table and I live in Santhe's bastion. To help both organizations is to help myself, but moreso it's to help Jared. Bind the two together, and it gives us more options in that seeing Long Haul.

 

[Arage Bao]

I couldn’t help but close my eyes as she asked the question again, my back leaned softly against my chair as I pondered it. Where do I fit in? She was fond of asking that question. Her eagerness made me wary, was she ready for this?

Did she understand the danger that was out here? Scrap that, did she understand the things he had to do?

She had to know he wasn’t some goody-two shoes, right? Sometimes I kill people, it’s just business, but would she see it that way? Hell, more importantly. Was I ready for her to see me in that way?

Whenever she looked at me now, I felt like some kind of superhero. A saint, a God. How would that change? Would she see a mon-- and then she was suddenly on my lap.

I blinked twice, and looked around. Woah, I really blinked out right there.

What has she been saying? Damn, gotta keep up appearances here. I coughed once, and couldn’t help but nuzzle her arm softly and then continued. As if nothing had happened.

“Err.. yes. We will go over the contracts in a moment and.. I think it’s time you get to know the other side of my business, Andra. Not exactly this moment, but.. soon.”

[member="Anders Sivas"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

A wave of misgivings takes flashes of colour into the diamond dust air. I taste his words, the way his neck moves minutely and the dusky feelings breaking our romantic quorum. People were fond of reminding me the life of [member="Jared Ovmar"] was far from a peaceful one, and my mind drifts to our first meeting. The sickly-sweet array of stress, suffering and gross emotion of the glitterstim dealers Jared ended in the bar our first meeting slide across my skin and into the air of the study.

I'd felt it. Every second, I'd felt the off pour of what he'd done to those men one by one, because they reminded him of a deeper tragedy I only now comprehend. My gaze grows from the sexually heated romanticism to a more substantial belonging, lips pressed in a slim smile. I reach for him, my fingers slide amongst the fingers of one of his hands. "I'm still here, Jared. I've wandered aimless for a decade on my little Lifter, rushing off when any one thing became too close or too much. My Dad taught me that, taught me to run. But I'm here. The Fringe is my family, too. You, Spencer, Sargon, Coryth are my family. Why are you worried I'll break? I might be weak muscled, but I'm not brittle I can handle it. Trust me."

Maybe it's not about me. I get up and sit on the edge of Jared's chair, run my hand through his hair. "Or are you worried I'll some way lose my faith in you?" Leaning down, I kiss his forehead. 'Won't happen.'

 

[Arage Bao]

I just smiled.

There wasn’t anything else to do, besides that. If she thought she could handle it, who was I to try and deny her the chance to become more involved in my business. As much as anyone else she was a subject of my redemption.

Without her steady breaths during the cold nights, without the familiar sense of her mind brushing me softly? I would have been a different man, I think.

Was this love? The sheer contentment of being in each other’s presence without being jealous or greedy for even more? At that point in time, I think I didn’t realize the problem I had.

After John’s demise and my promise to him.. I became a savior of sorts. I tried to emulate his bearings, but I could never become him. Because I wasn’t a Savior of Men. I wasn’t the Paragon of Virtue. Didn’t mean I wasn’t trying, without realizing it myself.

Didn’t matter now though, there was more business to attend to. Santhe Corporation now had the official sponsorship of the Fringe Confederation, this was good. Hell, it was excellent news. Its backing would go a long way for my plans.

But there was so much more to do… I couldn’t stop myself from flashing Andra one of my lazy grins. Then I casually stood up, giving her a soft kiss on the forehead myself. Who said I was original?

“Walk with me, Andra.”

I didn’t wait, nor did I look back. I just presumed she would be there, looking back at it now I saw my own arrogance in that. She wouldn’t always be a follower.
Eventually I reached the terrace of the penthouse, in a 360 angle you could see the entirety of the Annaj Skyline. It was beautiful and it was mine. As the Governor of Capital.

“Things are in motion, Andra. Plans are forming, and the High Council itself is going to change in shape. I need you now more than ever. I need you in charge of the Fringe Military, love.”

I spoke matter of factly, as if there wasn’t any other way. Hell, as if this was so easily accomplished, and in some ways.. it was. But would my Andra, the self-pronounced Pacifist go for this?

If I wanted to, I probably could have influenced her. Make her do it on my accord, but that wasn’t my way. People did what I wanted them to do, because they realized that my vision was the just one. She would realize this too eventually.

[member="Anders Sivas"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

There's an accord in the air I've felt from the outside, which bathes those within it. It's not a cadence or a creed to follow nor is it a presence of some baser instinct or emotion cherry ripe. The sense of belonging I feel is radiant and forgiving, and it's about to be tested. I smile up at him with a timid shoulder shrug and soft giddy laugh as he kisses my third eye, and I follow faithfully. To be at the arm of a man is to be a strengthening beam to his ideal self. Just as there is a strength to grace, there is a strength to upholding others and it is not an easy road. On the terrace, I wrap my arms around his waist and nuzzle my head between his arm and his radiant body to keep warm from the breeze on my bare arms and thin dress.

Could we be seen from this vaulted ceiling in the Capital? The thought had occurred that many people would find it worthwhile to track [member="Jared Ovmar"]'s movements and personal affectations and for a brief second weeks ago that had been a problem I had to address. My hands fall from his side as he speaks of restructure and militaries. "What?"

My hands stroke onto the cold metal of the terrace railing and I search the skyline for the balloon saying 'fooled you', but it's as distant as the likelihood for me to believe I could in a million years do the job Jared needs of me. "Wh-buh-the Military!? You take it! I can't take a Military Affairs position, I .. I … I sure I can hold a gun but that's self defence and and stuff! I've never actually had to use one. H-how am I supposed to know what to do!? Ask? 'Hey there Private, what would YOU do? Let's do that'. Half the time I look for a way past fighting, I don't even believe military action is necessary in most cases, I'm a Pacifist Paramedic from Naboo. We're practically born and raised to negotiate, and what would Coryth say when I tell her that her student's taken charge of a military? She's more of a pacifist than I am. I.. why on Annaj would you ask me? Are we that desperate? What possible advantage to a complete military ignoramus running the military could there be?"

Convince me. I babble outward, still glancing out at Annaj's profitable skyline and not back at Jared. My heart flips in my ribcage.

 

[Arage Bao]

I let her words wash over me, and wait as a lazy grin flashed on and off my lips. Sometimes I forgot how childish she could be, it was amazing how her personality could switch in a moment’s note. Did she really think I’d come to her, if there was a better option out there?

Had she forgotten who she shared the bed with at night? I never did things unplanned, never ever did I utter a word unprepared. This was my curse, as well as my blessing.

Seems she had forgotten this, or maybe her unwillingness to come to terms with this request had taken any semblance of ratio from her. For a while I just let her rave on, while leaning on the balustrade and taking in the view of my City.

At some point I didn’t even hear her anymore, as I swam on the currents of my home and the energy that flowed through the inner-streets. Here I was at peace.

Finally, when I drifted back into reality, I noticed she was STILL summing up reasons why she wasn’t a good fit for the job. Man. She sure was something.

“Andra.”

It was a simple word, but it had authority in it. Command, and a subtle sense of wry humor that was unmistakable for the people that really knew me.

“I love the Confederation. But I specifically love its armies. They accepted me for who I was, and I led them for a long time. But now.. I have the choice, and I am afraid I will have to pick against the Army. My place is elsewhere, but I need someone to watch over my boys, Andra. I need someone I can trust, who will make sure they stay safe. -That- will be your mission, making sure the kids of our fair nation stay alive and healthy to defend us all against the impending darkness of the Unknown Regions and the malicious attempts to slaughter us in our beds.”

My eyes trailed the skyline.

“That is what I need from you. It’s not fair, but it’s necessary. The Confederation cares for us all, and sometimes we need to bend for its needs and wills. You know this to be true. If not for the Nation that protects you, than for the man who cares for you. For me?”

[member="Anders Sivas"]

 

[Yasha Cadera]

He said my name and shut my mouth with a satisfied smirk. I'd been consumed by my own inadequacy and in the resulting babble had frothed in a panicked attempt to change his ineffable mind. My head shakes from side to side and I pull myself away from him to walk the terrace with one hand on my mouth and the other tucked under my breasts. "Jared, I'm a pacifist. I've never been in a fight I couldn't talk out of… I don't call [member="Mikhail Shorn"]'s neck lengthening ritual a fight. A fight implies a chance at winning."

My hand pushes at my lips as I glance back at him. His words tug my heart, pulling it backward to flow round his steady presence in the impending chaos of a change in life. "I couldn't even keep myself alive six months ago, and now you want me taking over your baby? All those lives and me, flimsy little puny armed Anders Sivas accountable for them? That is a ​massive amount of pressure for someone who made a campaign pitch 'cause everyone else was doing it. I walked up on that stage 'cause I liked the kaggath-be-fecked pie. For Goddess' Sake, Jared!"

My heart flips again, hand falling to slap lazily against my thigh as my lips smack together in a thin line. I stare at him, what he's thinking becomes an uncanny statue of some mean deity I haven't been in the presence of yet and my soft exhale descends with the reticence of a woman whose lover needed what she didn't know she could give. "And what if they die? What if I'm horrible at it, and people die. How am I going to come home and stare into your steamy, incredible eyes and face you if I screw up?" Smart man, calling me on my nurturing ways, wasn't that what I promised in my campaign speech? I gulp and lean against the banister, glancing out to Jared's city.

When I speak my voice is steady and deep, a voice reserved for deeper secrets and inward fears - the voice of a lover in trust. "I won't lose you, Jared. Not over this, not . . . I can't lose you. You're right, we do what we must to keep our home nurtured and safe so when we curl up together exhausted and satiated, we can do it without looking over our shoulders three times a night. I've been sleeping easy since being here with you, drifting off without a care in the universe 'cause you've got me. This is something I can get for you. I'll do this for you. I'll protect them, nurture them, try and… and make the battles survivable but I can't promise I'll be perfect. . . there's something I'll need love."


Fingers mash together, working in a sleek rhythm as I fumble my tongue over words which feel like tragedy or an impending wound. "I can't do it as… as Anders. You said yourself, you ran the Military for years, so I… Coryth has been teaching me… I just… I haven't tried it on a new… I think I can … pull you in. Symboze to your wavelength but push it to the back, or try to, or maybe it's better if I didn't push it to the back, maybe what we need is your ideal version of me. The Andra you need and want for the task at hand…" The prospect of losing myself to someone I've spent so long loving without the symbiotic attachment is terrifying and I'm sure it shows. I slip close enough to Jared to feel the heat radiating off his chest. Don't know if there's a more trusting or open act in the entire universe than offering the make-up for my essence and mind to the man I love. Giving over to him, it would irrevocably change who I am, but who I am may need changing. Maybe this would make me a better being.

"We do what we must, don't we? What if this is a must? I just… it would last as long as you wanted it to. I couldn't cut it off myself, only compartmentalize it. After the.. the initial… I think I could… Goddess, love. Tell me I've thought up the stupidest idea ever and that all I need to do is read a book or something."

[member="Jared Ovmar"]

 

[Arage Bao]

[member="Anders Sivas"]

I breathed in, felt the soft soothing air fill my lungs and as I watched the skyline I felt truly alive. This was my city, and my nation. I would sacrifice everything for it, this I knew to be a true fact. With all my arrogance, and tendency to think about myself only.

The Confederation and Annaj. Spencer and Ashin. Andra. Those were constants in my life, and they would always be. In one form or another.

There was another thing I knew for sure, and that was that I could never ask of her what she had just proposed. She didn’t understand it yet, didn’t understand the true price of what she wanted to do.

But I knew, and that was enough.

“That is a price you are not yet ready to pay, Andra. Don’t worry, Sargon and me will be there every step of the way. You don’t need to do that, to have access to my experience. All will be well.”

Again I closed my eyes, and felt the linger touch of the wind. A chilling breeze, which heralded the coming Change. It enticed me and scared me, there was much to do still.

 

[Yasha Cadera]

"Yes." My arms fold around one of [member="Jared Ovmar"]'s arms, my hands atop his hand, my eyes crawl up his face to watch the contentment and emotion playing there and I tug. "Jared, what you ask of me isn't in my constitution. It's not in my genetic make-up, it's such a foreign… you're asking me to breathe chlorine instead of oxygen. I'm incapable of violence and it wouldn't make sense. To have access to your experience I'd need you by my side every time I made a decision. Or I'd need a permanent case of the Sargons and that's not feasible, you're a busy man and acting independently has to be a thing with me. I trust you with my mind, love. I trust you with . . . well, you should know. So please, accept this. You can do what you want and it'll be okay. Otherwise I'm an expensive mistake."

Trust is an odd animal. Parasitic, once lost the residue from its gnashing teeth leak a poison which makes reattachment near impossible. I know offering my mind to the Master Mentalist is akin to offering my skin to a tattoo artist with a mind full of whimsy and a machine full of iridescent ink. "It's a beautiful city, my love." I kiss his bicep, snuggling into the arm with a cast outward to the skyline. "And it's a border world. The Protectorate is within striking distance at all times and it chokes me up. At any time our beautiful city could be burning and you want me to be the one to call the shots on which buildings make tinder for the fire. I need you. I need your help, but I need your mind. That brilliant, crazy mind. You're right I can do this. I can be the Military Affairs Minister for the Fringe High Council, I'm a sexy, talented and thoughtful young androgynous woman. Got discernment and I'll learn the ropes. Some of those ropes will cut my skin and leave me raw, and instead of faltering and falling into the safety net, I want to protect my hands. Help me. Please, give me something. Tactics, scale, a base point of mental skill. Is that okay to ask for?"