spohkh | Appointments

[At first there was nothing but cold darkness...
Gradually a red glow accompanied by warmth began to fill the space...

Then as if from a distance...]

...sa-kai?

[He wasn't sure which was work. The inky darkness or the sterile white of that cell that the Malnosso had thrown him in for the week prior to the last Shift. The darkness was inherently more comfortable to him for it's practicality. It was a tool, like everything, and the shadows had saved him more than once.

Lupin looked off into the black and tilted his head when he thought he heard something off in the distance. A moment passed before he fully grasped the situation.

Meditation. right.]

I'm here.

[His tone was even, somewhat mystified. His own attempts could be better described as chasing butterflies. His thoughts, ideas, observations, and ponderings always seeped through any outside veil of calm that he tried to absorb.]

[Spock nudged his mental shields until they gave way and fully relaxed his mind in Lupin's presence. The brokenness and loneliness was evident, but it was not as chaotic as before....

A blue glow hugged around Lupin's presence...]

Allow me to show you around.. [There was a hint of amusement attached to that statement as Lupin was tugged further into Spock's mind.]

Eventually memories and impressions started to flow along the edges of the darkness, growing in number and speed the further they went.]

[Lupin didn't fight against it. Not this time. The subtle amusement that he heard in Spock's tone was a familiar anchor in the maze of images and impulses that he was being led through. His own tension gave way to curiosity, and he understood then how intensely personal a mind meld really was for a Vulcan.

Had he the ability to do so, he would never be willing to use it. There were parts of him that he just didn't want people to know.

...He had to respect Spock for sharing this much of himself.]

Where are we going? [Because he wanted to know. He always wanted to know.]

We are going to the source of the link, please bear with me for a moment....]

[Spock brings them through a blur of images, it seems to hit a crescendo until it is finally silent once more...

This is...difficult. Spock hopes that Lupin is not 'turned off' by the amount of personal information he is receiving from his mind... but it is an unfortunate effect due to his lack of control. But Spock cannot allow himself to think on this too much due to emotional transference.... he wants to make this as simple experience for Arsene as he possibly can.]

[The silence gives way to a scene...a desert covered in glass and broken mirrors. Some of the mirrors depict a scenes of traumatic events...

...a planet imploding....

...Kirk's bloody face....

...a wild creature..

.....imposing Vulcan adolescents...

...a woman falling....

...Lupin's face after the Shift.......

[It was the candid nature of their interaction that baffled Lupin, but didn't drive him away. He was reminded of Grune's acceptance of everything he said, and of how open Ikki was about everything to him. He didn't know what to do with it.

He needed to concentrate on Spock's presence to not be overwhelmed by the sheer influx of emotions and impressions that simply weren't his. That was Spock, he knew. Lupin tried to compartmentalize, tried to separate himself from the immediacy and look everything with the cool focus he could find when a problem shattered into chaos that even he couldn't predict...but failed.

The best he could do was not fight against it, to observe everything and let it pass.

...

The desert was an unexpected change, and the glass that litered the landscape alone left him wondering where the wreckage was, because a building must have collapsed. But the mirrors were anomalous--a metaphor, he suspected. The mind did funny things.

He had to force himself to not look away from the various traumas that Spock had faced...and wondered why he was included.

After a moment he closed his eyes.]

Talk to me, Spock. I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking for.

The adepts on Vulcan encouraged us to use images to center our thoughts... I used mirrors. The shards of glass appeared after Vulcan's destruction...and it only became painf...significant after the Shift.

[A projection of Spock appears in front of Lupin, his expression incredibly reserved. He gestures towards the Lupin's own form... there is a glowing, golden cord leading off into the distance... over a dune... and it is tied around Arsene's waist.]

Shall we follow it?

[He caught that slip, but didn't press at it. Lupin drew his own conclusions from Spock's explanation, and knew that there was a link between the destruction of his world and the jagged fragments on the sandy terrain. Explanations would come later, when the time was right.

Lupin followed Spock's gesture at the cord and their path with his eyes, torn between curiosity and discomfort.

Curiosity, as always, won.]

Sure... [The uncertainty lingered. This was intensely personal for both of them, and likely one of the few times that Spock had ever entered a 'contract' like this.

The uncertainty was mutual. He knew it.

A glance upward at Spock, and a nod toward their path.]

Shall we?

Edited 2012-10-20 03:27 (UTC)

[Spock nods and leads them over the dune to a decimated, desert garden... The earth around it is cracked and dry...the plants dead and plastered to the ground...with a couple of exceptions. There are a few sporadic pieces of greenery...

The golden cord leads to a rather fetching desert flower. ]

...This is you.

[Lupin knelt in the sand and gently took the cord in his hands to confirm Spock's assertion, for his own sake. The rest of the greenery was horribly withered, the land barren, but this one piece was still healthy and alive. He looked up.]

So it is. What...do we do?

That is up to you... you can either encourage it or leave it as is.

[Spock kneels down next to Lupin and inspects the plant....curious as to what Lupin will do next...]

[Encourage or leave as is...

Lupin sat fully in the sand and crossed his legs, contemplating the plant and it's significance. In light of everything that they've both seen, the shattered connections that they've both endured, there was this little plant that had taken root in the desert. It was...something.

That was better than nothing.]

Is there any water around here? Or would that be bad?

[Spock looks up at the bleak sky...]

There is no water... however...we could make it rain.

[Spock actually sounds sad...]

[Lupin followed his gaze upward and studied the heavy clouds that hung above.]

How do we do that?

[Because he was a man who was dealing with powers beyond his understanding or control.]

[Spock is also out of his depth on this one....]

Try to concentrate on the link and I will do the same....

[Spock closes his eyes as thunder rumbles in the distance....]

I see...

[He closed his eyes on the exhale and reached out to touch the strangely healthy plant. The physical factors always helped him center his focus--it was why the kickboxing helped more than any amount of standard meditation.]

[Spock opened his eyes as the first drops of rain hit him... he spread out his hands to feel it...disbelief evident on his face.

Spock stands...the desert scene around them starting to dissolve.]

I..I am not sure what is happening.....

Rain, that's what.

[Lupin joined him, looking up at the falling droplets in curiosity.] Why not just...let it rain?

I..Do not...

[The scene completely dissolves and Lupin and Spock are once more in their rooms, the fire steadily burning between then....

Spock lifts his hand to his own face and notices the stream of tears pouring down his face... his shocked face contrary to everything that is Vulcan....]

What....?

Rain. Kind of.

[It was strange to see the tears once again, and a knot tied in his gut at the sight even as he put on a smile. Lupin reached out for one of Spock's hands and offered a gentle, reassuring squeeze.]

Rather...tears. [He huffed in bitter amusement.] Man, that was one helluva first Shift for you. my first one had me unconsciously stealing odd things and forced me to be honest for a week.

[Spock quickly wipes his tears away and abruptly stands...]

I...I need some time alone...

[Spock makes for the exit...]

....

Right.

[Lupin stood as well--and stumbled into the table at the rush of vertigo. He caught himself with a firm, steady hand, but his own focus was gone. Between the altitude, the overheating, and the overwhelming meditation, he was done for the night.

Sleep would be quick and deep, but he needed that cigarette first. And a fresh pot of tea was in order.

Tea helped the things that alcohol (or hot chocolate in this case) could not.]

[Spock does not go far...he feels...relieved and awful at same time. However, the conflicting emotions seem to be easier to handle.

He finds a warm place and sits... and immediately falls into a meditative state, repairing his shattered ends.]

[Sleep did hit him quickly and deeply that night, and Lupin awoke in his futon the next morning without memory of his dreams but feeling...refreshed. The lingering heaviness from the repeated bouts of vertigo kept him in his futon, content with simply dozing.

There was no pressure to get up or do anything, and no real responsibilities that day except to stick by Spock and simply relax. But, as Spock had needed to consider himself the night before, Lupin needed to do the same that morning.

He was awake enough, but he wouldn't be moving for a little while.]

[Spock came out of meditating not long ago and is making his way back to their rooms....

He silently enters and sits down on his sleeping mat...]

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And the next day...

Re: And the next day...