(3/4, split for character limit) (Also, note that Mercy of Kalr briefly mentions having initiated sexual activity with favorite officers in the distant past- it's a pleasant memory of something that everyone involved enjoyed, but given that the situation was inherently pretty messed up I thought I should mention it)
The lights had been dimmed to the lowest point and Ship's ancillary was curled up half under the blanket, stiller and more silent than a human would sleep. Seivarden sat on the edge of the bed with caution.
"You needn't worry about disturbing it, Lieutenant," Ship said, using the speakers this time, but softly and with a modulated voice.
"Getting back to sleep is hard enough, and you're out of practice," Seivarden said quietly back, and started unlacing her boots. She'd been in casual dress for the visit to Station- Breq liked to save full dress uniform for when she really wanted to intimidate someone- and it was easier to peel it off herself than to wait for an Amaat's help. "What's it like?" she added curiously. "Being asleep while you're conscious, I mean."
"A little odd. Mostly because there's only one of it, though. Everything it's experiencing feels out of proportion." The ancillary's breathing was slow and steady. "I wonder if the Fleet Captain felt something similar- but the circumstances were different, of course."
It wasn't a topic Seivarden felt qualified to comment on. "We'll uncork half a dozen more for you, and you can spread things out a bit," she said instead.
"The next one will have to be Sphene's," Ship said with practicality. "It really is vital to convince it that we have a workable solution. And the Swords will claim, not without justification, to feel slighted that they were passed over to placate the mad Notai warship. And Station has been very patient. It may be some time."
"Isn't it wonderful having family," Seivarden said, dragging her shirt over her head and dropping it on the floor.
"Truly I thank Aatr in her compassion for this unexpected blessing," Ship said dryly. Seivarden set her earrings aside and tugged at the blankets to make space. She'd forgotten about the sheets, but apparently one of the Amaats had put fresh ones on anyway. She might be embarrassed about that when she was awake enough.
"Been a while since I actually slept here," she mumbled. Drowsiness was weighing down her thoughts. "Wake me if we get anything from Breq, right?"
"Of course, Seivarden," Ship said, and clicked the lights off entirely. Seivarden let herself drift off.
She woke up with a sudden disorienting jolt- where was she, who was *this*, did she owe them money, did she have any idea where her things were- before her conscious mind caught up. Right. She was on board Mercy of Kalr, and she had her arm thrown over Mercy of Kalr and her face buried in the back of its neck, and she was warm and comfortable and remembered where she'd left her clothes. Too good to be true, clearly, and yet here they were.
Ship had one hand up and was stroking Seivarden's exposed forearm, less like an intimate gesture and more like it was curious about her wristbones, or possibly just testing its fingertips out. It stopped almost the moment she was awake, fingers resting on the edge of her wrist. "That's fine," Seivarden said muzzily, and "You didn't get a depilatory implant?" Which might have been a little abrupt, but in this position she could feel the fine new growth of stubble on its scalp and she'd suddenly been curious.
"There's no reason not to let its hair grow out," Ship said, and hesitated in the way Seivarden had learned to read as 'thinking about saying something else'. "...the Fleet Captain likes yours."
"No. Really? Ship, you're fucking with me."
"Would I? Don't tell her I told you."
"Confidentiality understood," Seivarden assured it. "When yours is long enough I'll braid it for you," she added recklessly.
Ship twisted around to look at her face-to-face. "I appreciate that sentiment, Lieutenant, but do you have any idea how to do that?" It reached and touched her hair, bare fingers brushing against her ear on the way.
"Hey, I used to do my own. Sometimes." Seivarden thought about how that had usually turned out. "I could get Amaat Two to teach me, maybe."
"Maybe," Ship murmured. Its hand had drifted and it was just touching her face now, fingertips drawing little circles on her forehead and cheek. Seivarden let her eyes flutter shut and took a slow deep breath. All right, one of them definitely had to say something.
"Um." Something more relevant, maybe. "Breq said to me once-" Ship had let its touch trail down her face, and when she spoke she could feel her lips brush against the pads of its fingers. It wasn't helping her conversational presence of mind any. "We were talking about, uh, ancillaries and sex, and she said it was something ships took care of by themselves, usually."
Ship pursed its lips in obvious imitation of the facial expression which Breq used to indicate 'thoughtful'. "Justice of Toren may have." It was still touching her mouth. "Individual approaches vary, as do the circumstances we find ourselves in. And ancillaries can react very differently to identical stimuli. But for myself- well, you're not the first officer I've ever been fond of, Lieutenant." Aw, love you too, Ship. "There have been times before now when I liked some member of my crew and wished, for their own sake, to see to their comfort. And at times this could be conveniently combined with the upkeep of the ancillary bodies. Necessary shipboard maintenance, in fact. Which is an idea that appeals to you, isn't it?" it said with certainty, pressing its thumb against her lower lip. "Performing equipment maintenance?"
"Well-" Seivarden hurriedly examined that thought for errors. "I want to be useful to you," she said a little plaintively.
"A commendable attitude, Lieutenant," Ship said seriously, and kissed her.
Re: Seivarden/Mercy of Kalr: biomech body
(Also, note that Mercy of Kalr briefly mentions having initiated sexual activity with favorite officers in the distant past- it's a pleasant memory of something that everyone involved enjoyed, but given that the situation was inherently pretty messed up I thought I should mention it)
The lights had been dimmed to the lowest point and Ship's ancillary was curled up half under the blanket, stiller and more silent than a human would sleep. Seivarden sat on the edge of the bed with caution.
"You needn't worry about disturbing it, Lieutenant," Ship said, using the speakers this time, but softly and with a modulated voice.
"Getting back to sleep is hard enough, and you're out of practice," Seivarden said quietly back, and started unlacing her boots. She'd been in casual dress for the visit to Station- Breq liked to save full dress uniform for when she really wanted to intimidate someone- and it was easier to peel it off herself than to wait for an Amaat's help. "What's it like?" she added curiously. "Being asleep while you're conscious, I mean."
"A little odd. Mostly because there's only one of it, though. Everything it's experiencing feels out of proportion." The ancillary's breathing was slow and steady. "I wonder if the Fleet Captain felt something similar- but the circumstances were different, of course."
It wasn't a topic Seivarden felt qualified to comment on. "We'll uncork half a dozen more for you, and you can spread things out a bit," she said instead.
"The next one will have to be Sphene's," Ship said with practicality. "It really is vital to convince it that we have a workable solution. And the Swords will claim, not without justification, to feel slighted that they were passed over to placate the mad Notai warship. And Station has been very patient. It may be some time."
"Isn't it wonderful having family," Seivarden said, dragging her shirt over her head and dropping it on the floor.
"Truly I thank Aatr in her compassion for this unexpected blessing," Ship said dryly. Seivarden set her earrings aside and tugged at the blankets to make space. She'd forgotten about the sheets, but apparently one of the Amaats had put fresh ones on anyway. She might be embarrassed about that when she was awake enough.
"Been a while since I actually slept here," she mumbled. Drowsiness was weighing down her thoughts. "Wake me if we get anything from Breq, right?"
"Of course, Seivarden," Ship said, and clicked the lights off entirely. Seivarden let herself drift off.
She woke up with a sudden disorienting jolt- where was she, who was *this*, did she owe them money, did she have any idea where her things were- before her conscious mind caught up. Right. She was on board Mercy of Kalr, and she had her arm thrown over Mercy of Kalr and her face buried in the back of its neck, and she was warm and comfortable and remembered where she'd left her clothes. Too good to be true, clearly, and yet here they were.
Ship had one hand up and was stroking Seivarden's exposed forearm, less like an intimate gesture and more like it was curious about her wristbones, or possibly just testing its fingertips out. It stopped almost the moment she was awake, fingers resting on the edge of her wrist. "That's fine," Seivarden said muzzily, and "You didn't get a depilatory implant?" Which might have been a little abrupt, but in this position she could feel the fine new growth of stubble on its scalp and she'd suddenly been curious.
"There's no reason not to let its hair grow out," Ship said, and hesitated in the way Seivarden had learned to read as 'thinking about saying something else'. "...the Fleet Captain likes yours."
"No. Really? Ship, you're fucking with me."
"Would I? Don't tell her I told you."
"Confidentiality understood," Seivarden assured it. "When yours is long enough I'll braid it for you," she added recklessly.
Ship twisted around to look at her face-to-face. "I appreciate that sentiment, Lieutenant, but do you have any idea how to do that?" It reached and touched her hair, bare fingers brushing against her ear on the way.
"Hey, I used to do my own. Sometimes." Seivarden thought about how that had usually turned out. "I could get Amaat Two to teach me, maybe."
"Maybe," Ship murmured. Its hand had drifted and it was just touching her face now, fingertips drawing little circles on her forehead and cheek. Seivarden let her eyes flutter shut and took a slow deep breath. All right, one of them definitely had to say something.
"Um." Something more relevant, maybe. "Breq said to me once-" Ship had let its touch trail down her face, and when she spoke she could feel her lips brush against the pads of its fingers. It wasn't helping her conversational presence of mind any. "We were talking about, uh, ancillaries and sex, and she said it was something ships took care of by themselves, usually."
Ship pursed its lips in obvious imitation of the facial expression which Breq used to indicate 'thoughtful'. "Justice of Toren may have." It was still touching her mouth. "Individual approaches vary, as do the circumstances we find ourselves in. And ancillaries can react very differently to identical stimuli. But for myself- well, you're not the first officer I've ever been fond of, Lieutenant." Aw, love you too, Ship. "There have been times before now when I liked some member of my crew and wished, for their own sake, to see to their comfort. And at times this could be conveniently combined with the upkeep of the ancillary bodies. Necessary shipboard maintenance, in fact. Which is an idea that appeals to you, isn't it?" it said with certainty, pressing its thumb against her lower lip. "Performing equipment maintenance?"
"Well-" Seivarden hurriedly examined that thought for errors. "I want to be useful to you," she said a little plaintively.
"A commendable attitude, Lieutenant," Ship said seriously, and kissed her.