The landscape for a sky bisected by a bright line of light took getting used to. But in this kilometer-or-so ring of Charon's internal habitat, it just added to the exotic atmosphere. The remote called it the 'Garden of Summer' and it was supposedly the zone meant for guests. It sported lakes, ponds, gardens and groves of fruit trees - including ones that grew 'meat fruit' apparently. Marble structures were dotted here and there, resembling Olympian style buildings, just without walls. Some of the structures were just rows of columns whose sole purpose was allow for decorative vines and other plants to hang from. There were even benches.
Tasha had a good view of the sky from the moss-lined hot-spring she'd been deposited in to clean up, since it was the closest thing to a bath that Charon could provide. Colorful, translucent-winged insects flitted about, and once Tasha was sure she saw a tiny humanoid with insect wings buzz past on its way to the flowering hedges around the spring. At least nothing has tried to steal any of the fruit set out within easy reach.
The experience of bathing has been much like Tasha's overall experience with being human, strange and full of both heightened and diminished sensation. The hot-but-not-too-hot waters feel alive on her skin in a way that it never had before and she wonders if this is what all Humans experience. Likewise, her vision feels just as muted, and she can't seem to focus on anything distant like she could before. There's then also the matter of feet and face, of a lack of tail and wings, leaving her feeling diminished and yet somehow pure. Distilled. Wriathlike, yet somehow not as incomplete as she might have expected to be. The longer she's had to be Human, the less and less she remembers what it was like to be any other way. She wonders if she might even be getting used to it.
He sense of taste seems to be better, at least for sweet things like fruit. Although biting and chewing were very odd at first, especially not being able to really see what she was biting, without having to look down. And even looking down was weird. But these help her focus on something other than being alone. She hasn't heard a spoken word since Dr. Karaktinio left to find the Dark Horse.
As Tasha lays back in the water she tries another piece of fruit, having no idea what it is until she takes a bite, and then only knowing its flavor afteward. She wonders where the fruit comes from and if Charon created it or not, and idly, why so much of this interior landscape resembles the ruins back in Amazonia and Olympia. Someone had once told her, in what feels like ages ago, that the architecture and civilizations of the species of Sinai greatly resemble Terran models, perhaps intentionally so. That when the species settled Sinai they chose earlier models as archetypes and those archetypes became somehow more the millenia.
Millenia. Time.
Life itself.
And her.
The sense of a post-life lingers, and this her afterlife. That one story has ended and another began. Charon's Garden of Summer is a paradise, as suitable an afterlife as she can imagine, and Charon himself is endearing beyond her ability to articulate. She could stay here forever; maybe she will. Time seems farther away here, as does her 'old' life. Ghostly, restful, at peace. That's how she feels.
A peal of thunder is heard in the distance, from the direction of the damaged zone. In a place without clouds, and with Lukthu-hem's storm gone, it seems a mystery.
The hairs on Tasha's neck stand on end, something she didn't think she could do anymore, and the young woman sits up. She holds a piece of fruit as if she might hurl it at whatever danger might arise, then glancing at it puts it down; a piece of fruit probably won't inimidate whatever danger might come. So, instead she pops the fruit in her mouth and pushes over to the fal side of the pool sinking in to the water and peering off in the directions of the noise. "Charon, is something wrong?"
A white deer trots past the side of the pool that Tasha started from, looks at her, and then keeps going. "Many thinks are wrong, which is why I am trying to repair them. Was there something specific you had in mind?" is the reply.
"The peal of thunder, it came from the direction of the cliffs. That's where Luk'thu-hem invaded, so I was wondering ... " ... if there was a problem? If Luk'thu-hem survived? What would she do? Fight, she thinks, she would get up and fight again. Paradise needs to be protected, and paradise is Charon.
Another low rumble is closer, and a contrail appears above, but ends abruptly.
Tasha's very Human face scrunches up at the sight. Well, she begins, turning to drop back in the water and float, hair spreading out amongst the waves as she drifts watching the trail in the sky, ... if Charon needs me, he'd say so, wouldn't he? She sighs, long and to her ears, a bit high and dramtic, and her eyes close. It really is very comfortable here, impending danger or not.
"Your clothes are being delivered though," Charon adds as an afterthought.
Poor Charon, Tasha thinks. He must be very busy fixing all of the damage. Maybe I shouldn't distract him. She doesn't think Charon would ever be mad at her, no more than she could be mad at him, but she might take away from valuable focus that may have been diminished by the attack. Charon will tell me if he needs me. And so she floats along, feeling likewise adrift in her life. Like the water, pure, clear, if somewhat rippled and disturbed by sudden movements.
Some minutes later, a few more albino deer run past, as if spooked by something. "You smell wrong, if that's you Tasha," Gabriel notes from behind the woman. Was his voice always that deep and growly?
Tasha's eyes open, her head tilting back in the water and she blinks. There's a moment of inaction and of thought, then her eyes widen. Moving to stand straight she makes her way to the edge of the pool where she heard the voice, sinking in to the waters as she moves, until her head rests on the water's edge with just her eyes and the top of her head showing. "Gabriel?" Sometimes, she forgets she can speaks.
From that vantage, the ancient Karnor looks like a giant. "Are you.. a nymph or something?" he asks. "Tasha? Karaktinio said you were human, and 'not that different otherwise,' so if you aren't Tasha let me know. I have Hakeber's bathrobe for her."
The 'nymph's' response is to stare at Gabriel with very wide eyes. She had thought about what to say, and now all the things she thought of have fled from her brain in an embarassed squeeling and she can't think anything. This situation lasts for several seconds until one brave soul of a memory challenges the silence, something she remembers about Karnors and her old self.
Tasha reaches over and feels around until she finds the 'meat fruit', then offers it up to the man with both hands. She's very red, but then agains she is also in a hot spring.
Gabriel crouches down and accepts the melon-looking object. "Yes, it is like a ball. Can you point me to the next hot-spring, I think I might be lost?"
When Gabriel gets closer Tasha sinks down further in to the water, she then giggles despite herself, unable to look away and yet still unable to bring herself to say anything at all. When it looks like Gabriel might start leaving on his own the impression of abandonment hits her hard, her mind racing to come up with another quick fix as the rest of her is too paralyzed to come up with a better plan. She remembers how they used to interact, something only she would do.
When Karnor begins to go Tasha reaches up out of the pool, stretches, and takes hold of Gabriel's tail and tugs on it. Don't go.
The big wolf looks back over his shoulder. "Yes? I know humans can talk. They're almost impossible to shut up. So, if you're Tasha, nod your head."
This is it, the moment of truth. Tasha could not be Tasha, if she wanted to be. She could just sit in her pool and tell Charon she doesn't want to be Tasha anymore. Everyone would leave, and she could stay here. Except, when the young woman looks at Gabriel and thinks of herself without him, without Katie, and without the others -- even Lacci -- she finds her face feeling puffy and tears coming to her eyes. She's not sure why her face feels puffy, but she recognizes tears, and she knows full well what the feeling of emptiness is. At length, she nods slowly. "Sorry."
Humans can talk. Talking. Oh. "S-sorry," Tasha then offers, sinking back in up to her eyes.
"Now.. the Human thing I could deal with, but shy Tasha?" Gabriel asks. He sits on the grass, and starts to take his boots off. "Are you scared of me? Embarrassed? In shock, maybe?"
"I-I don't know," Tasha mumurs, eyes still very wide and skin stil very red. After all she's been through she's surprised at how hard it is to talk to Gabriel, completely uncertain why, or maybe just so overwhelmed she can't think very clearly. And now she worries Gabriel might think she doesn't like him, so she quickly adds, "I missed you," and, "I'm sorry for running off," and then the words keep coming.
"I killed Luk'thu-hem."
"I was the dragon."
"Charon's nice."
"I missed you." Tasha realizes she already said that, but it is still true.
"I'm still probably going to have to spank you though," Gabriel claims, and dips his bare feet into the water. "Hmm. I used to hate baths as a pup. "Liza was following me from the shuttle. Thoth and Sam aren't letting each other off the ship. Do you mind if I join you in the water? I wonder if I'll smell funny to you."
At the mention of spanking Tasha's eyes go even wider, then she remembers how sensitive this body is, and suddenly she needs a piece of fruit to hide behind. "I can feel the water," she stammers, then realizes that probably sounded stupid and tries again, this time with more effort to not stammer. "I-I mean, as a Human. All of it. Alot more. Than before." She hesitates, then looks down at the fruit and remembers she's hiding behind it, but more importantly she's hiding from Gabriel, and with deliberate effort puts it aside. "Please join me. I don't want you to go. I, um, I mean I don't wnat you to think I don't want you here. I think I'm, um, I don't know. Nervous. I'm still getting used to how a feel, and, um, things. Everything."
"Clearly not having pads on your fingers is emotionally overwhelming you," Gabriel says with a smile. "For us, it's scents that give away our emotional state. With Humans.. it's their entire face." He finishes shedding his uniform and eases into the water. It does not come up as far on him. And wet Karnor does smell odd to Tasha. She never noticed the odor before, when it was her odor.
This does make Tasha's face express differently, mostly from the sniffing and scrunching up of he reddened face. She peers at Gabriel, whom she's certainly seen wet many times, shen hesitantly pushes off to float over to him. When she gets close she tilts her head and then, in a sudden motion, turns and drops in to his lap. The young woman sits there and stares forward, still embarassed and clearly anxious as well but making an obvious effort to push past it. "There's also the feet. I can feel everything. On my feet. Not hooves, feet. Where I walk. The pool bottom. The water ... " She shrugs, as if the phenomenon were truly one of the universe's unexplainable mysteries. She hesitates, then adds, "Am I ... I mean ... do you ... "
The wolf's arms wrap around Tasha. She can really feel the fur. "Feet do feel things, it's true. Maybe we can get you a pair of hard-soled shoes. Hmm, I just realized the robe I brought is red. You.. wouldn't get the reference. But Liza is bringing a basket of goodies."
"A red robe is important?" Tasha looks up, which moves her body against his fur more, which makes her suddenly smile. And when she smiles it triggers more and more, she remembers being with Gabriel, the hours they'd spend together, and how she'd sit just like this. Unlike before she could never feel him quite like she does now, she never realized what a barrier fur could be to touch, nor how truly fluffy he is. She reaches up and runs her hands through the still try parts of his fur, up towards his neck until she discovers she can't quite get them around it anymore, and so just settles for leaning back and running her fingers between the layers. "We have the Garden, too. You can eat the fruit and it's safe here. Charon says this area is for guests. The Garden of Summer."
"Interesting," Gabriel notes. "That means a planet with seasons is part of his past." He's being very gentle with Tasha, also. "I don't know if my finger pads would feel too rough to you now," he admits.
"I don't have pads on my hands," Liza notes from the edge of the area. "I've brought snacks. And a medical kit that Dr. Knight asked me to bring as well."
Tasha reaches down to pick up one of Gabriel's hands, then brings her other hand around once she realizes how big his hand is compared to her's. She runs her fingers across his, then touches off on each of the paw pads before pressng her hand to his in a size comparison. She had never been a tall women, neither among Vartans nor Karnors, but she had at least been a strong one and more substantial besides. Now, she's not even that. She feels wispy, slight, and she finds herself glad for Gabriel's delicacy now when she isn't sure how easily she might break. Her own prejudices against Humans still run, and they always seemed fragile to her. As she runs her hands along his, she makes a decision to find out. She holds his hand up to her face, then looks up in to his. She's just about to say, "Want to find out?" When Liza arrives.
Looking back down, Tasha is pleased to see Liza doesn't ?look? taller than her, at least. "H-hi," she offers, waving as non-chalante as she can manage. "I'm glad you're safe? Everyone's safe, aren't they?"
"Professor Stan is being looked after by Dr. Knight," Liza says. "Dr. Sen is much better now as well." Her nose twitches, and the Lapi adds, "Are you going to stay this way? Your wardrobe won't work if you are. And I refuse to let you dress in Hakeber's extra clothes."
"Charon needs time to fix me and he's busy fixing himself right now. He may need his mother. He said it would be 'a while', but I don't know how long a while is. I could maybe use the exobody ... " Tasha head cocks to the side, " ... but then I would be a giant dragon and that wouldn't work any better would it?" No, she thinks, it probably wouldn't. "Sooo, probably a while. I'll need more clothes, um, I don't really know how to be a Human, either." What else. "Oh, I hope Dr. Stanislov will be okay."
"There's another one of these giants coming?" Gabriel asks. "And the weather here is nice, the ground is soft.. no biting or stinging things. You could just stay naked until you can be put back together," he suggests. "I'm in no rush to get dressed again myself."
"We didn't bring towels," Liza points out.
"I like you naked," Tasha blurts out before she can think about it, at which point she just becomes redder and covers her mouth with her hands. Realizing evryone's looking at her, she looks somewre else, then mutters, "Well I do," in what she hopes doesn't sound petulant but can't tell because she's not eveyr good at reading Human nuance. Still embarassed, she chews on her lip and then shrugs, unrepentant.
"Aaron can show where to lick her to best effect," Liza tells Gabriel. "Unless you already know. He told me that a woman named Riddle showed him. I'm pretty sure that's a made up name though."
"Miss Riddle is a made up lots of things," Tasha admits as distraction, then she stretches and lays back on Gabriel, wiggling until she's laying on her side. She continues to hold on to Gabriel's hand, wrapping her tiny fingers in his enormous hand. After a moment, she further admits, "I'm not sure how much, um, fun I could be. I've never even been with a Human, so I don't, uhm, and my muzzle, uh, flat-face isn't very ... " She waggles her free hand, unable to articulate how perplexing she is.
"Alright, I'll be Adam to your Eve then," Gabriel says. "We just have to keep Scholar Shiftless out of the garden." He then puts a finger-pad against Tasha's lips. "Kissing. Lips are the most sensitive area of a Human's skin.. I think."
Tasha goes a bit crosseyed, she's really not used to something being able to pass that closeto her face in that region. Part of her feels like the finger has actually passed in to her skull somehow, but mostly she just feels Gabriel's finger against her lips. Her admittedly sensitive lips. She's seen Humans kiss before, she has been to Human worlds after all and seen Yue and other Humans do it. Awkwardly, she leans back and then forward, and gives it a go.
Tasha's first kiss makes her look like she's swallowed something very sour while mashing her lips in to Gabriel's digit. "Was that okay?" She looks up, and hopeful.
"Well.. it's my finger's first kiss," Gabriel admits. "I'm not sure how to manage it without licking your face. I'm used to.. you know.. the sideways muzzle-lock."
"Do you want me to try?" Liza offers. She does have more going on lip-wise.
"Me too," Tasha admits, reaching back and scratching her head. She glances over at Liza, then squints. "I thought you wanted me not to do that sort of thing?" Back to Gabriel, she admitts, "I haven't since she asked, and the first time was a misunderstanding!"
"You may have to just make do with licking," Liza notes. And Gabriel does turn Tasha's head a bit and licks her face. It tickles a bit.
This makes Tasha giggle, not to mention squirm. The Human woman curls in on herself and twists, both leaning in and away. "Ahh," she breathes, "It f-feels s-so--" And then she's giggling again. She really can feel everything more, it's almost overwhelming.
"You may be extra ticklish now," Gabriel notes. "And I can't use my fingers.. claws after all. So, tongue it is!" he warns, and keeps licking at Tasha. He even manages to get her knee since she's curled up a bit.
"Wha-" Tasha puts a half-hearted, entirely-desired defense purely because she is so ticklish now. The young Human quickly learns shse's exactly as sensitive as she though, and not just here or there but everywhere. She also isn't very strong, what might have slowed Gabriel down before is easily overcome. All of this results in a squirming giggle-fit until Tasha is panting and heaving, flushed in entirely new ways.
"Let me know when you want lunch," Liza notes, sitting on one of the stone benches. "No towels, so if you roll around in the grass you're on your own."
"Hmmm, we could dry off by running around," Gabriel tells Tasha. "I might even give you a head start on your way to Grandma's house."
Tasha's response is a sudden squeal when Gabriel mock-growls at her. She clambers up out of the pool, then watches him climb out in all his eight feet of lupine glory. She's not afraid of Gabriel, she loves him, but some part of having a giant wolf suddenly appear about to pounce her really does make her want to run away. When he makes for her she squeals again, and then she's running in to the forest with Gabriel behind her leaving Liza to enjoy the quiet.
Being able to sweat wasn't so bad when it meant someone was going to lick you dry. And having soft hands and lips allowed for some things that weren't practical before. So it was certainly an adventure for both Tasha and Gabriel. By the time they found their way back, most of the rest of the crew was already at the spring. Liza must have mentioned something, because they were all naked. Even Lacci, whose stare was very intense when Tasha appeared. Even Modo was there.. up in a tree. Notably absent were Dr. Knight and Professor Stanislav, the latter probably still recovering from shock. Thoth and Sam were also absent. Rock and Rainbow were in the spring, with Charon's remote riding around on Rock's back. Or head.
Grinning in a way she's sure would look dumb on a Human, Karnor, or Vartan, Tasha walks hand in hand with Gabriel in to the clearing. She's rather sore, more so than she has been in the past, and she's discovered she's definitely not going to be going anywhere for a half an hour (or more ... ) if she and Gabriel decide to take things all the way again. She also learned to be more passive, which wasn't a bad experience in itself. Somehow feeling smaller, more fragile, more sensitive, and otherwise more vulnerable added a new edge to things that she thinks she could get used to. Before, Tasha had always felt a little self-concious when she let others take the lead, have their way, and use her even with her spoken of implied consent. Slight as she is know, letting go feels more natural, maybe easier. She also considers maybe it has something to do with the peace she feels, the lack of impetus towards conflict and defensiveness. She will need to be more careful with herself, she can't exactly be walking funny in to formal occassions, so new mindfulness is there too.
"Uhm, hi?" Tasha greets the others, her voice higher and lighter and without the growly undetones common to Karnor. She looks nymphish, as Gabriel pointed out. Standing beside Gabriel in the hooded red bathrobe, she looks like she walked out of a children's tale, though this one with a happier and lewder ending.
"That is the worst case of summer shedding I've ever seen," Aaron jokes, and then Katie and Hakeber come and hug Tasha. "We were so worried when Doc K told us," Katie says. "You'll never be able to keep up with me now if we go drinking," Hakeber laments. Yue just looks to Hera. "Now we have someone to stand in between us," the shortest woman says to the tallest.
Tasha hugs the two women back, trying very hard not to be obvious about snuggling her face against their fur. And while Gabriel is soft, and Hakeber softer, Katie may be the softest thing in the universe as far as Tasha knows. She's never going to be able to hug anyone without wanting to compare how they feel, and so far Katherine is the winner. "I had a complication," Tasha repeats from earlier, and somewhat lamely. She had a big explaination about how and why she did things, but like with Gabriel it's all fallen out of her head and now she just feel awkward, embarassed, and a bit like she could have planned better. "I hope you were all okay on board. I tried to contact you, but I couldn't figure out how, and I had to fight a lot."
"We were stuck, until the Tadpole did whatever it was that let the the Horse move again," Katie says. "You smell like Gabriel. Moreso than you used to anyway." "I was a basket case the whole time," Hakeber claims.
"I tried to unstick you, but my quantum-disruption ... um ... I can't explain it without the rest of my brain, or what I could /see/, but I was limited in what dimensions I could interactw ith anc couldn't break it /myself/. We're all very lucky the Tadpole could, the little guy saved us /all/." Tasha reluctantly breaks her hug with Katie, abliet reluctantly. She'll have to figure out a way to get another hug later. Maybe /more/. "Um, oh, Gabriel and I ... Well we wanted to, um, /test things/. Because I don't know how to ... /Human/. Very well, so, um ... " Tasha wigglers her hands in very vague and vaguely suggestive ways. She's about to say something else when she suddenly stares at Hakeber, thene exclaims, "Hey! You're /taller/ than me now! /That's/ not fair!/" Loud enough to be heard by everyone.
There are chuckles, certainly. "We've been invited to stay here until you are fixed," Shojo explains. "And probably to keep us from checking the wrecks."
"I was surprised Charon let you come aboard, but that makes sense." Tasha walks over and had a seat on one of the benches, body wrapped in the bathrobe and hands wrapped around herself. She pats the seat beside her for Gabriel, Katie, and Hakeber to join her, then turns to address the others again, specifically Shojo, "Well, I can tell you Lukthu-hem is gone, so we're probably safe for a while unless something else followed us here, or higher dimensional beings show up. But, even the higher dimensionals would have a hard time of it with all of us here. If you're wondering what happened, I agreed to help Charon after I came on board but was afraid of endangering you, of the Horse endandering Charon, of Lukthu-hem endangering all of us, so I stayed behind and agreed to become Charon's ... I forget what he called it. I fight viruses. The first time I fought, this happened." She reaches up and taps her cheek. "The second time ... " And then Tsha goes blank for a moment, blinks, and shakes her head out. Was it a dream-- No. No. She'll have to deal with that, but later. "Well, the second time was very close, too."
"I'm glad for the chance," Dr. Karaktinio says. "There's so much to sample and see here." Dr. Soshelle, hanging next to him on the same branch, notes, "And I'm going to figure out how this chamber is created." Charon's remote remains silent during this.
"I don't plan on doing much research," Hera claims. "I'm going to take it easy."
"Plenty of room to run," Aaron notes. "And fly," Lacci admits.
Tasha glances at the remote, wondering if Charon is only doing this for her, because maybe he feels sorry for her and over what happened. The Waymakers aren't known to interact with anyone else, something every source she's spoken to has been clear on. When the do speak, Atum said all but the youngest are difficult to understand, but then Atum is a Vril-ya and the Waymakers are living beings and that may account for much of the confusion. "We should be respectful of the Waymakers privacy. I haven't asked Charon about what it means for him to talk to us yet, but this is probably a very unusual situation for him as much as us. I do know we're safe in this chamber, and we're probably safe everywhere here. Everything here is Charon."
"The Garden is safest," Charon actually speaks. He does sound a bit like a child, but given the small body that's not a surprise. "I owe Tasha. And this is something my mother will have to sort out. But she needs her family with her so that she doesn't lose herself."
Tasha sits up straighter when Charon talks, which is a new and interesting thing and begs the question of why now. She'll have to ask about that later. "I think I owe you too, Charon," she admits, but doesn't elaborate on as she then asks, "Why would your mother lose herself?" Tasha has her suspicions but they all have to do with time-space and psionic guesses and she isn't sure how to word them.
"No, I meant that you would lose yourself, Tasha," Charon explains.
"Oh." Tasha considers that. "That makes sense. I think I might have had a problem with that." She considers some more, and bobs her head. "Yes, I think I did."
Charon puffs up when Tasha confirms his concerns.
"Do we get to keep the little dragon?" Hakeber asks.
"But I like staying here," Tasha points out. "Do you not ... need me anymore?" She glances at Hakeber, nods, and then holds her arms out towards Charon's remote.
"You need to be repaired," Charon says. "My mom will help with the parts that aren't alive."
"Well, if you don't need me, you'll tell me won't you?" She wigglers her fingers and beacons in a where's my hug motion, though she does pause momentarily as she remembers the strange room filled with vats. "Oh, is that what the crystals were? I forgot about those, I'm not even sure what's in them."
"Ghosts," Charon says, and leaps from the Jotok to Tasha's lap, like a scaly cat.
"Tasha was haunted?" Lacci asks.
Once again Tasha lets the remote get comfortable then hugs on to him, except this time she comes with a fuzzy robe and somewhat clearer sanity. "Oh, didn't you know?" She tilts her head, more of that needing a moment to process, to remember, then nods. "You're right, I don't think I told everyone. I haven't explained a lot of things, mostly because they're dangerous to know, or would make you ask questions like, "Tasha is haunted?" and then we end up with people like poor Doctor Stanislov. I actually knew about the Waymakers and about Lukthu-hem for a while, you see I -- and by extension the people who knew -- are hunting them at the request of what you might say are Doctor Amuntaton's elders, who actually work for the Waybringers. But, oh right, haunted. I think I know what one of them is, but what's the black one? I remember there being a dark presence when I spoke to Atum, too, but I don't know what it is, unless it's the Source."
"Hmm, it's probably important to dealing with the Horse," Gabriel notes.
"So, this little guy is a god?" Hakeber asks, as she also pets Charon.
"Isn't he the cutest god," Tasha enthuses as she hugs on to Charon, then gives his head a kiss. "I'm glad I was able to save him. I see why the Vril-ya like them so much." She then hugs him again and informs Gabriel, "I love him."
"Oh, we aren't gods," the little dragon claims. "We just hunt them sometimes."
Tasha shrugs her shoulders; the details don't really matter. "Oh I know, but I love you anyway. I'll always be your virus-hunter, if you want me to be."