REVELATIONS

~PIRAHNA~
*she walks quietly down the hallway, the shorts and T-shirt hanging loosely on her conflicting dramatically with the high heels... clutched tightly to her body is the gown of last night...few people wander the halls this early but fewer still would recognize the figure walking down the hall, head bowed down, face obscured by a cascading mane of gold hair.....she pauses briefly before a door...one hand half raised as if to knock...then she quickly turns up towards her room....she can't run to him, this was her fault...and only hers...she had to deal with it*

~PSICLONE~
*Rikky wasn`t in his room... not yet, anyway. It was morning now, and the sun had come out, hatefully glaring at him... and he`d had to rush back in, not having his protective garments, telepathy only going so far. He hadn`t been paying attention, not as he should, and the daylight had struck him, just slightly, but enough to /hurt/. He was still learning about his body and what he was, and, well, /this/ had been a learning experience. It was no gently fading ache, no minor annoyance, not at all. Not something he could easily push away with psionics. His very /self/, his cells, his atoms, had screamed out against the touch of light, reacted violently, and he`d barely been able to hold together enough to get under cover. Hurt, hurt... he was still hurting as he slowly ambled through the hallway, trying to ignore this pain, being unable to, and looking quite odd with an immeasurably long scarf wrapped about his neck and head, pulled up to hood his face, keep as much of himself in darkness as he could. He`s aiming for his quarters, which were always dark, always night, the barest amount of candle light all he employed. No lightbulbs, no windows. He collides with Rika, she looking down, he not really looking at all, swathed in scarf and distracted by this awful hurt... he doesn`t see her*

Sorry *The words softly mumbled as she collides with a much larger body..her hand rising to the figures chest in a reaction to stop her momentum...her gaze slowly travels up the chest, the hair falling back from her face revealing the swollen bruise on her cheek...even under the layers the thin frail looking form is still easily identifiable* Rikky? *hesitantly she looks up at him her gaze quickly sweeping the scarf...but then he was always covering himself from the sun in some way....perhaps he was trying something new*

*His momentum is interrupted, a smaller, slighter figure than his own is as effective as a brick wall, and Rikky stops in his steps* Sorry... *he mumbles, much the way and at the same time she does, as he collects enough of himself to peer down, try and see out of his gift-scarf, which shrouded him thickly, blocked his vision. He raises a pale, slender hand upwards to push the folds out of his way, blink /down/ at offensive gold hair and into big green eyes that were set attractively above a very noticable discoloration, as if she`d had a horrible make-up accident. He blinks again, taking in the scene... gown in her arms, wearing very casual men`s clothes and high heels... he pushes the scarf off his head completely, concern and question thick in his wide, dark eyes* Rika, what...? *he looks up then, lets his gaze sweep over the hallway, check if anyone saw, or noticed, psi-sweeping at the same time... touches and changes those who need it, then looks back down, brows furrowed delicately* Are you alright? *he ignores his own pain and reaches his fingers up to very softly brush over the bruise on her flesh* Who did this? *he whispers, so quietly, knowing she didn`t get it thru training or anything of that nature... and her expression said it wasn`t an accident, she wasn`t shamed enough, or in the right way, for it. Emotionally, she`s a wreck, and he can quite easily sense that... he refrains from finding out mentally, he`ll wait until she tells him, if she does*

*she looks up at him as he pushes the scarf back revealing his face...her gaze locking for the briefest second with him before sliding away....tears once more threaten to spill from her eyes as he ever so gently traces over the bruise, she pulls her head away letting her hair once more hang down hiding it from view*nothing, I'm fine *..the voice quiet, almost a whisper....why did she deny it when just a few brief seconds ago she was considering running to him for comfort..but here, now, she couldn't...her downturned gaze catches sight of his sunburned hand and she gently grabs it..almost eager to seek any change in subject* what happened to you?

Nothing, I am fine. *he smiles faintly, using her own words to make a point, but he does adore the concern she displays, if even to change the subject off herself. He hisses even as gently as she takes up his burned flesh, his brows spasming in a frown, in pain. His own hair was covering some of the sunlight that had splashed onto his cheek and ears, on his right side, his hand taken the brunt of it as he`d reflexively shielded his face and eyes from the blaze, before he`d ducked into shadows, wrapped himself in the long piece of cloth, and initiated his psionics to protect himself* It seems we have both seen better days, no? *he grins while he says it, despite it all, trying for some gentle irony. His gaze, which had dropped to watch her hand take his, raises again, finding her face, latching there*

*She doesn't catch the fact that her own words are being echoed back at her..she hears his hiss of pain as she gently takes the hand* your burnt, what did you do? *her voice remains quiet as she looks over the burn, her face remains downturned, the bruise hidden by her hair*we need to fix that

*Rikky sighs softly and smiles again, his dark, dark eyes trying to catch her own* There is no help for it, it is something with which I must simply deal. *he grins again, showing teeth, even though it hurts him to stretch his skin in such a manner* /I/ did nothing. Sunlight does not like me. And I am far more interested in fixing /this/... *he casts his eyes on her bruise, then moves back to catch her gaze* And finding out what happened. We can discuss me afterwards. Would you like me to heal it? *again, his hand raises, gingerly, to touch the blemish, her only blemish, but he holds back, hovering over the bruise*

theres no salves or anything? *she looks up surprise in her gaze, then she quickly once more drops her face, the mark once more hidden by hair* sunlight does this?....what about ice?...cold water?, * she can feel his gaze lock on the darkened bruise and she struggles to avoid the subject* those might help, or maybe the lab has something? *his hand raises up hovering a mere fraction above the welt she feel the heat from his hand radiating against her cheek...she glances up meeting his gaze, his concern clearly visible...tears once more well and buries her face in his chest* I...I..deserved it...I lost my temper

It is not a surface burn, not like a human would receive from a hot stove element... I just need time and darkness. *half of it is instinctive, Rikky having no way of knowing, but going on gut reaction. In his room, the shadows would become psychophantic, adoring, like a pet or child, and he`d be tended then, or at least tended-to. Rika surprises him, her forehead to his chest, below his shoulder level, about the solar plexus, which momentarily causes a small fit of discomfort, but this passes quickly on top of him ignoring it. His arms reach about her, long SLENDER, ELEGANT limbs encircling her gently, protectively. He lowers his head to murmur at her softly* You did not deserve to be struck for losing your temper, Rika. Why do we not discuss this out of the hallway? *he gestures to his room, which is /right there/, to their left, they just a few feet from it, out of sight, some privacy, quiet, dark...*

*new sensations...the protective arm, the comforting voice..both offerered freely with no price...this friend...something she had never thougth to have had yet here she was in the comforting embrace of one...her only....a new friend...one she shouldn`t burden with her own mistakes...yet somehow it feels right...She steps back from Rikky, forcing the tears back...she shouldn`t cry, she had no reason...it was over with, and it was her fault...nothing could be done now* okay *she glances once more at his burns, changing the subject once more* there must be something that can be done

*Rikky smiles down on her, lets her step back, though he keeps a gentle, guiding arm around her shoulders, turning her just slightly with some soft pressure, to face back the way she`d come, walking her the few steps to the door, unlocking it with a fingerprint scan and a retina scan, and stepping inside, moving to the side to allow her entry first, as a gentleman should. He can feel her conflicting emotions, her emotions towards him, that she wants to cry but doesn`t allow herself that luxury, that she was strangely at ease around him, thankful for that ease... and truly, Rikky adores her, from the garish mane so like the sunlight that despises him, to that frailty she`s attempting so hard to hide... the vulnerable girl under the guise of a woman. So young, though many times his elder. So human... he speaks as they complete the action, as they enter the room and its darkness beyond* I do not think so. But then, I have never been sunburned before. *it still hurt... quite distracting really, and this annoyed him. He frowns slightly* My body revolts against a few things, and sunlight is anathema. It can kill me, were I to let it, I believe. *inside the room is quite different than many might expect it to be, and its only recently he`s made it feel more like a place he`s comfortable in; there were living things, plants and ivy, and potted small trees in abundance, so that it was similar to walking into a lush garden... carpeting was thickly piled, dark green, like a forest floor. On the ceiling, which was vaulted and smothered in shadows, the night sky twinkled down lovingly at them, blinking stars, pale moon that went thru its phases as the one outside would, and the constellations, too, would shift and alter as if the world were revolving in its orbit. Its something Rikky himself had designed, so it would seem, for all the world, like one /was/ outside, the breeze thru the vast chamber warm, but the temperature just slightly cooler. Nothing garish here, all night, complete night... even the sounds of night creatures chirped gently in the background. Shooting stars occasionally streaked their quick deaths across the rounded ceiling. Cleverly interspersed about the room were couches and chairs, tables, all of dark cloth and woods, so they didn`t stand out, but blended subtlely. To one of these couches, he guides her. His own personal bed chambers were elsewhere, hidden in the darkness that seems to stretch and sigh happily now that he`s returned, slithers and whispers so softly a welcome back* Do you need anything? *he offers drink, food, anything she might want as he stands beside her*

*A half hearted smile crosses her lips as he guides her into his quarters* Well they've always said its bad for the skin *Her eyes widen slightly in shock as she looks around the dark room then up at the stars visible upon the ceiling* Its beautiful *She realizes that her hair has fallen back from her face and quickly drops her gaze back down, the bruise once more obscured by her mane...she sits lightly on the edge of the couch* no thanks, I don't need anything....but you *She glances around for a sink or a cloth* we should at least put some cold water on that *the burn gives her something else, a change of topic*

/They/ must have been part... well, whatever I am. *Rikky smiles faintly at the girl, follows her glance up to the ceiling, and grins at her compliment* Thank you. I prefer the night, for obvious reasons, and living things... *a quick glance over, as she hides her bruised cheek again, and the clone frowns just slightly, sinking down next to her in the dark, sitting with back erect, shoulder to shoulder, close enough to share body heat. He shakes his black fountain of hair* There are more important things. This will heal, *he hopes* and if not, I will make it heal. *if he can* I know the subject scares you, Rika, but I would be honored if you would... talk with me. *he doesn`t say about what, but that long, pale hand reaches for her cheek, doesn`t touch, but hovers there as if requesting permission to push that gold mane back, expose the shame to the dark, to Rikky, who`s eyes are large, night themselves, and full of concern. He won`t be distracted from his goal*

*she chuckles weakly* there has to be someone that knows what you are...*She feels him sink to the couch next to her, she can feel his concern...knows what he wants to talk about, but she can't bring herself to do it...last night she was ready to run to him for comfort, even a few minutes ago she had thought briefly of it but now, face to face...she can't....what was the use?..she had deserved it* We all heal *she turns her head from his outstretched hand in a ruse of looking at the plant beside her* I love how you've done your quarters

*Rikky sighs very softly, the tiny expulsion disturbing nothing as he lowers his hand, watching her intently, blinking at odd intervals... watching... his voice is ever-gentle, patient, accepting, and very quiet, small in the vast night, pitched for Rika* Would you like me to heal it? So no one might see it. *he ignores, for now, the subject change, eyes roving over her features for any flicker of expressions, scrutinizing every detail*

*she looks over at him, shock clearly written on her face* Heal it? *That she had not expected, it hadn't even occured to her to get it healed....she had thought to hide it...it was like a badge, a mark of shame..but even eliminated she would still know it was there..know why she had gotten it, as would the one who dealt it...* Could you? *her gaze meets his briefly then wanders to his burns* take care of yourself first

*Rikky notes every tiny change that shifts over her features, even those the most observant might miss... and as she glances at him, accepting his offer but with conditions, he looks at his hand, feels his ear throb, and smiles down at his visible wound* It is not that easy for me, Rika. But it is for you. Your wound can be gone in an instant, the outer one, anyway. For me... I can promise only that I will work on them, but I will not heal them /first/, not when you mean more to me than some physical marring. *he looks back up from under his massive black lashes, his shining, glorious smoky mane, blinks at her once*

*She licks her lips almost as if nervous* But yours pains you....*A hand moves up to lightly carress his unburned cheek* and it pains me to see you hurt...such beauty should not be marred *she lowers her head...once more blanketting the bruise in a golden curtain* Healing would be apprecaiated, but thats not a big deal....bruises fade, no permanant damage done *...not on the outside anyhow..*

I will not deceive you, yes, it hurts. But it is the hate of the sun, my dear friend, and such things are harder to heal. Hate. Spite. Things inside that none can define. Abstract things, like pride, like heart. Like personal expectations. *okay, he wasn't getting anywhere that way... and she's right, the outer would heal. He wasn't worried about her outer* Please, my friend. Tell me what happened. Do you not trust me? Rika... *he leans in, tender and gentle, moves to wrap his arms around her loosely, not a face to face embrace, but from the side, so she didn't feel so vulnerable and open. He whispers near her ear* I care about you. Did you know that? Please tell me.

*'my friend'....names she had been called, but none had ever truly struck her, none had she ever felt....not as those two words had....his arms gently enwrap her..another new sensation....others had embraced or hugged her but always with another purpose in mind.....unlike those this was warm, comforting....nothing expected in return....she relaxes into his warm embrace, her head resting lightly on his shoulder...tears slowly start to form and trickle unnoticed down her face*

*Rikky hears the tears slide down her face, /hears/ them, just as he /smells/ the saline. A tiny, tender sigh and his embrace tightens minutely, becoming more warm and protective. His cheek rests lightly atop the crown of her head and for a long time, he's silent, just allowing her to leak her sorrows into the quiet, night-like setting of the room, crickets faint in the background, that light trade breeze, the stars overhead moving in their patterns. Now and then, one could even see a shooting star overhead, it being the season for such things. Eventually, loathe to disturb the silence but believing she needs to get this off her chest, he murmurs so softly, a whisper in the dark* Rika, it hurts me to see you like this. If you wish not to speak of it, think it to me. I will listen and will not judge. It may be easier to just... let it flow mentally, rather than trying to find coarse and clumsy words, which so often get in the way. And, if it makes you happy, I will try my utmost to start healing these burns.

* Slowly the flow of tears stops*I`m sorry *crystalline words, fragile in their quiet utterance....a long silence follows....then slowly she moves, her head angling to look up at his deep dark eyes* I don`t know how *...and she didn`t know if she wanted to....wanted to reveal the dark truth, of what she had done...how she had driven James to the point of breaking,...forced him to take action against her.....a lone hand reaches up, just barely hovering above his burned cheek, she can feel the heat radiating off of it* Please? You do not deserve such pain.

There is no need for apologies, Rika. *Rikky smiles down on her as gently as ever, matching her gaze, deep, dark eyes, like the night itself, compassing all, refusing nothing, black and covering. Easy to get lost in those eyes, so deep, like velvet pools. Here, in his element, the shadows become bolder, dare, reach to enbrace them both in a cloak of darkness. Rikky smiles at them as they slip into his hair, twine there and pause, as if listening or watching, tiny imps, almost, curling onto his shoulders. They touch Rika, too, like little fingers of comfort, so tender, echoing his gentle embrace* I will try... *he merely breathes the words, and tilts his head, touching her outstretched, hovering hand with his marred cheek. And he tries, tries very hard to bleed off the heat, force skin cells to replicate and cover the horrible mark. He ignores his hand for now, and frowns as it proves very, very difficult* Perhaps I am not doing it right... *a slight look of... fear... enters his eyes. He couldn't heal it. Was the sun's hatred so very strong? yes. He knows the answer. He knows he shouldn't have survived /this/ long. Purer than Aerik in form, maybe. He blinks slowly at her and redoubles his efforts* I think... night itself must tend to the wound. And not this night, in here. It will have to wait until I can walk outside again.

*a weak smile of amazement as she notes the creeping shadows....the same shadows which frightened so many now seek to embrace....to comfort....the smile turns to a frown as she watches Rikky...her hand upon the cheek can still feel the heat, no difference....* Yes, that must be it.. *She looks at his wounds, the marring* but there must be something we can do in the meantime for you...*her hand remains lightly on the burnt cheek, if she could pull the heat from it, she would...but her powers do not lie in that direction, in fact her powers weren't even useful to any but her...* Tonight is a new moon, the dark....*a half hopefull smile* that will help will it not?

*the shadows stop their advance and simply perch on the two like some strange, dark pet, one curls in Rika's lap and just lays there. Another on her shoulder, like a cat's tail. Rikky, tho, smiles and sighs* It does not matter, Rika. Tonight should suffice. I can last until then. You, however, keep dodging my questions. *his eyes dance merrily* I will not push it further, if you do not want to speak of it. But I am always here to listen. And help. You will not forget, will you? *he gently places a kiss to her forehead and smiles again* I wish you would let me aid you as you so desire to aid me. *this said like a whisper, tiny slip of sound. Then he blinks, looking around, as if lost* What time /is/ it anyway?

*The smile stays on her lips as she watches the shadows curl up, like housepets, her gaze briefly twinkling with amazement* How do you do th....*her words trail off as he couches the subject of her avoidance, her hand slowly withdrawing from his cheek as her gaze seeks anywhere to rest but upon him...~Why did she find this so difficult?... last night she would have run to him without hesitation?, and seconds before his appearance she had stood before his door...but now, now that she was confronted with it?~..silence seems to hang heavy as thoughts run through her mind, then slowly almost as whispered*...I shouldn't have pushed him, I knew it was too far...*She shakes her head, the golden locks falling away from the bruise she tried to conceal* ..I shouldn't talk about it, he's a superior, and it was my fault.....*She takes a deep breath and once more falls into silence, his earlier question only now seeming to penetrate as if through a fog* time? I don't know, still morning at least.

*Now its Rikky's turn to touch her cheek lightly, gently pushing the hair from her face and catching her chin between warm fingers, turning her face up to match eyes with his own large, lushly-lashed goldenblack ones* Talking about it is not a /bad/ thing, Rika. *he ignores the time issue now... morning. Crud, he'd have a while to wait, and besides, this was more important* Who did you push too far? What was your fault? You may tell me, Rika, I will keep it in confidence. *His cheek hurts, his burned hand hurts. He nobly tries to push it away, focus only on Rika. He knows his eyes betray nothing of the discomfort he's in, and this is still nothing he can soothe away with his mind... it goes too deep, too integral to what he is. Damn this strange body anyway. But he wants so badly to remove that ugly mark off her cheek... wants to heal that bruise she keeps hiding with her hideous gold hair, unbrand her*

*there is the barest hint of resistance as he lifts her face to meet his gaze... her own thoughts almost visible as they swirl beneath her pale green eyes.... her humiliation, her defeat...her lids lower, perhaps to avoid his knowing gaze, or perhaps just to hide the turmoil revealed in their depths.....*James *one syllable, uttered with even less volume than its predecessor....* I caused it, I pushed him...I tried to break him, I wanted him, I wouldn't stop, I...*The words seem to gush from her, starting as a barely heard whisper and slowly gaining volume..then..they just stop...her eyes open once more to meet yours as words slowly continue, each word once more seeming to fade out out until the end.* It wasn't his fault, I asked for it...I deserved it.

*Rikky sighs softly, these words trailing on his lips* ...Oh Rika.... *There is sadness, or perhap compassion, in his eyes as he gazes down on her with the softest expression. His fingers brush her cheek, smooth over that bruise... his gaze never leaves her face. He blinks, but rarely and at odd intervals* There is nothing wrong with wanting. We all want, at some time, something. That you pushed him too far only shows /his own/ boundaries, not yours. His limits, his fences. Ones he cannot abide having crossed for weakness and fear. But never, /never/ did you deserve his own failings to lash out at you. *his words are so gentle, velvet and silk in the quiet of the forest-night room* You scared him, yes... but he is GUARD, he should have been able to handle it... your power, your mastery, frightened him and as all men frightened, they strike out. He was not as strong as he should have been, could have been. I can bet he apologized afterwards, did he not? He was sorry, he said, he became gentle and maybe even kept you with him, to make himself feel better prove his control to himself once more. Because he knew what he had done, that he had found his own limitations, and that is terrifying for a man, especially one such as him. *he smiles now, tenderly, no malice in his voice, only loving, only adoration, sweet murmurs of honey... and certainly he'd know these things, he IS a telepath, he knows... knows how the mind truly is* His shortcomings do not mean you deserve to be struck, Rika. Look at you... beautiful and so brilliant, so... underestimated, but for and to your own benefit. You know this, I see it in you. Such strength. You would not have been so weak as James. A scared little boy in a man's body, the poor thing. Perhaps he is worthy of pity for that. *a sudden soft breath of laughter that never leaves his lips* Asked for this. Somehow, I think not.

*The compassion in his eyes is one she had seen many times in her youth, just never on this face....In her youth it had been another compassion, that of pity.....pity from those few who cared to once delve in her past...* I pushed, I shouldn't have * Yes, she scared him, as would all be scared, as they should......when they brought her into GUARD she was monikered correctly....PIRAHNA, a maneating creature of the dark...and that is what she was, nothing more....and without GUARD she would be even less...if alive....*no *her head shakes softly in negation...no, she wasn't beautiful, only her powers made her seem that way...without them she was nothing more than a lowly hag, ... she can hear the affection and emotion in his voice...but he was a telepath, wasn't that similar to an empath? wasn't he supposed to do these things?....as for strength, she had never had any, except that of the sewer rat...fighting to survive against insurmountable odds and doing it the best and only way she could..*

*Rikky smiles yet, ever-gentling; he knows very well what she is thinking, but he is not intruding on her thoughts, nor of course is his empathy really reaching out. Its not why he says these things, but she does not know that* Perhaps not. In fact, no you should not have pushed. He was far too delicate for such, you are correct. *His brows raise and he sighs quietly* He is not so strong as you, so flexible. He has never endured your hardships, what would he know of them, of your life, of how you had to survive? Could he have done the same? I tell you here and now, /no/. He would have cracked broken, not risen above it all, not conqured insurmountable odds, not like you. He is too weak and no, you should have not have pushed him. You threw his weakness back into his face, of course he would rail against it. *Rikky nods, conceding to the wisdom of her statement, her belief* But I also know what you you were going to say, what you cut off, you have thought it before, stated it without saying it directly. And Rika... your talents, your unnatural powers... I tell you the truth, as a friend, when I say they pale against your natural self. Everyone can see it, its why you frighten them... they already want you, always. Gorgeous creature... *he murmurs, almost without moving his lips* Cities would launch ships for your smile alone. *he runs fingers through her golden mane, bright like the sun, and displeasing* It pains me that you do not see this. But I would not lie to you, Rika, my friend.

*..despite everything she had encountered she trusted him...and him alone....the fact that he knew her thoughts only made sense to her, couldn't all telepaths do that?, It was he who had helped rebuild her, had pulled her from the depths, he had seen into the depths of her mind and perhaps knew all......but she somehow didn't mind, didn't think he would tell anyone....he was her friend, her only friend....*..no, James is big and strong, and powerful...and..and I ruined it...*her thougths continue on while her words go their own route.....he's what she had always sought, strength, protection, security, safety...all the things that had attracted her to GUARD...without GUARD she was nothing....Rikky however, he didn't need GUARD, he could stand on his own...he was strong...*no *Her head shakes in denial while her lips softly mouth the word....launch ships perhaps to flee...she would never see herself as beautiful, she never had...now, since Aerik she took even more pains in her dress, longer time on her makeup and hair....never did she step from her quarters without looking perfect, perfection was the only thing she had to fall back on...there was nothing else for her......at the word friend, tears once more threaten to swell, but she forces them back, trying to hide them before they appear*friend? *her head slowly shakes once more as if denying the word as it half questioningly half hopefully leaves her lips..*

*he senses a difficulty here, and understands it despite all. She has so many years of unlearning to do, her reason for becoming GUARD, and of course, in the face of all else, she was still very much human with a human heart and soul, even though she once told Aerik she had no soul. It blazes bright, tho, sun-bright to Rikky and he shies away from his approach, his attempt to soothe and heal, and instead tries another path* Yes, friend. *again, a small puff of laughter, light and light-hearted* You are my first friend, Rika, and no matter what happens, ever, firsts are always firsts. There is no changing that. What is the saying about friends? I have heard it before and always wanted it for my own... "Friends are the ones who know you, warts, blemishes and all, and who love you all the same". As I love you, Rika, no matter what you might think of yourself, no matter what you have done or what has been done, I love you because you are simply /you/. My friend. *he smiles a bit broader, one of those wonderfully warm smiles seldom seen in the world today but always sought after. As for her thoughts on Blackdagger, well. Rikky was the one who put up the shields on him and assisted with the memory bank, as it was being called. He saw some of the interior, unable to help it. No, he did not pry, simply did his job, for he cannot just go into the minds of superior officers, but he could touch the fringes, and Blackdagger was slowly dissolving. Strong? maybe physically, but right now the man had his own major problems. He does not disclose this however. Again, Rikky laughs gently* Do not shake your head at me when I call you friend... *his lips purse in tender amusement* It means too much to me that I can truthfully label you as one. I hope you can say the same for me, truthfully. *he sighs and leans in, just some closeness in lieu of contact, tho his arms are still about her* It pains me to see you hurt, Rika. But I am honored you would share this with me. That too means much. More than you could realize.

*She listens silently to his words, then slowly tilts her head to look up at him.....one lone tear escaping as she blinks...a smile slowly coming to her lips...he had meant what he said, or seemed to...and she genuinely hoped it wasn't an act..even if it was she was grateful for it...because it meant that someone cared enough to at least try* Thank you *She stretches upwards, one hand snaking out behind his head as she slowly moves to kiss him*

*It wasn't an act, though it was intwined with urges and other things Rikky doesn't fully understand or comprehend. It was honest, though, and he does care for Rika, he is concerned about her, he likes that she is a friend, that he /has/ any. He smiles at her slow acceptance, moves to wipe that tear away with a soft hand* ...You are...*he murmurs it, moving in as she directs, allowing himself to be guided. Honestly, he thinks perhaps she will lay her head on his shoulder or embrace him... he doesn't expect what he gets. His eyes widen at the kiss... this the second one in his life, and from the same person. It feels nice though, warm lips against his, warm body in his arms, and he must be careful, very careful, or he might relax the guards he has up against her powers. But he lets the kiss happen, enjoys it even, for more than one reason. His lids half-close, and when the moment ends, he smiles, still close to her mouth, breathes the rest* ....welcome... *little murmur, so very quiet, dark eyes shadowed but bright*

*warm lips press against hers and for a brief moment she thinks about carrying this further, but only for the barest of seconds...he's a friend, her first one, her only...and she wouldn't risk that, not now...She would leave it for him to decide...for now she pulls back as he does, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her mouth....the hand at the base of his neck lightly kneads before trailing away, the back of her hand lightly skimming the unburned portion of his neck...she watches him, unable to form the words she wants, unsure if they exist.....she simply hopes that he understands, like he seems to understand so much else.... its as if a massive weight had been lifted from her, a weight she didn't know was there...only now does she realize that she's been lonely, she didn't really know what it was, until a 'friend' showed her .. gratitude .. delight .. wonderment ... she doesn't know what to call this new feeling*

*Rikky is a very sensitive young man... sensitive, that is, to feelings, emotions, thoughts. Empathic but telepathically so. His own shields guard Rika's mind, and while very impressive and powerful, it does lend to a degree of... leakage. As he's been able to do this entire conversation, he picks up on things; signals, body language, and the eyes... those bright green eyes of Rika's that hold so much, almost spill over. She's giving a great deal away with those alone. Rikky smiles at it, at her, content in this moment. Closeness... something he hasn't really felt before either. He feels everything, every nuance of subtle shift she makes, hand on neck, the trailing away of it, senses hyper-keen. And at this moment, oddly... alert. He cocks his head slightly at her, blinks his large eyes owlishly over that gentle bow of a smile. The pain of his burnt flesh is still there, despite his attempts to push it away. The burns, he knows instinctively, are much deeper than just his /body/, they go to the core of him, of what he is, of what makes him up. Pierce him fully and in ways simple wounds simply shouldn't. It had attacked his /essence/, and marred him. He hopes, truly hopes, he can get it to heal. He really doesn't know yet. Hand and throat, cheek and ear. He doesn't show sign of the pain, tho, his eyes on Rika's face, searching there. Finally, he speaks in his satin tenor* I know. *simple words that mean, at this moment, so very much...* I know, Rika. Thank you... for trusting me. *it seems pale, really, the words. The sentiment isn't quite there, so he tries, very carefully, slowly, ready to pull back at any time she shows discomfort, to mentally /show/ her... offers this part of himself, a gentle, tender display of emotion, understanding, and that thanks... directly into her mind with a soft touch, like an embrace to the deepest part of her*

*trust?...and strangely enough she does trust..she trusts him entirely, like none other...he has done more for her than anyone else ever had, and not because of her powers, but because he wanted too, or seemed to want to with no alternative motives.....slowly she drops her head to his shoulder, her marred cheek against his chest....a sense of wonderment, almost like her amazement at the shadows, enters her as she feels him push into her head.....thoughts,emotions, feelings that she knows can only be from him.....she smiles.....for the first time she too is content,...her guard down as she truly relaxes into both his mental and physical embrace....silence is her only response, there's nothing more she can say*

*...Guard down. She /had/ been assisting him by dampening her affects on men. She relaxes into both... physical, and more wickedly... /mental/. The flow of emotions goes both ways... he is open on his end, and when she melts into them, he allows her return. It's natural, its the way links work. Its very, very fortunate for at least one of them, if not both, that Rikky has /his/ shields up and that particular little glitch, if that is what it be, of his sex drive being totally inactive (most likely, its because he's only 2 years old). It had awakened just slightly when she first kissed him at the French Base, his birth place, and then a little more when he met Yeeyan. But that was some time ago and he's managed to push everything back down, back to normal. This, however... /this/ is hardly fair. It's vicious, tearing directly into his mind, searing past all else, like a conflaguration. It'd be worse if he wasn't somewhat steeled against her already. The link shuts down as gently as possible, which is to say quite gently considering the circumstances. His embrace tightens minutely, but nothing untoward... he's struggling tho, struggling hard, internally. After a long intense moment, he chuckles... a low, silky tone just a tad huskier, a tad more breathy, than normal. He's doing an admirable job of this* Rika... remind me to... strengthen my shields before I try that again, will you? *he pulls back so he can see her face. His shadowgold eyes are razor-bright, sharp... and also visibly affected. Just as its obvious he's not going to act on what wages inside when it should /not/. Another moment, link now closed, and he clamps down on the hormone rush, evening out the amounts in his bloodstream, shutting off the endorphins released in his brain. It'll take a small while, but raises a hand, brushes her hair from her face, sweetly, and folds his hands into his lap, watching her* Please... let me heal that bruise.