2013-07-12 20:54![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lux_mariko
lux_marikoStory: Remember
Year: 2989
Word Count: 768
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Mariko, Gabriel
Warnings: References to the fire and allusions to other terrible things in Lux's past.
--including such details as discussed by--
Mariko was jolted out of the contract she was translating when her door buzzed. It took her a moment to unfreeze--she hadn't been expecting anyone, hardly ever met with anyone face-to-face anyway, but...
She pressed a few buttons in her desk and got the intercom up. "Who's there?"
A warm, low voice answered her. "We haven't met, Dr. Anders, and I'm terribly sorry to impose, but I need to speak with you about my sibling."
There was something oddly familiar about the quality of the voice, that made her shiver a little. "Your sibling?"
"Yes. May I come in?"
She hesitated for a moment, then pressed a few more buttons and the door slid open.
Everything about her went suddenly still except for vague memories of icy-hot flames licking up her side, chased by cool, gentle hands and long inky hair, and--
Oh God, she thought she whispered, but all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears.
The being in the doorway was different--dark, dashing, with an inviting smile and eyes that, rather than buruning like forbidden fruit, were pools of knowledge just aching to be shared. The being's posture read male to her, though the height was the same, and the long limbs and high shoulders, and the way the features were arranged...
Mariko didn't know enough about the species to be certain, but she could have sworn this being was Lux's sibling.
"Do not be afraid," the being said, with a warm smile. "I know you weren't expecting to see any of us again--and after what my sibling did, I can hardly blame you. But...well, it's important that I speak to you."
Flames licked at the corners of Mariko's vision, and she fell back into her chair, unable to say anything.
"Do not be afraid," Lux's sibling repeated, sounding genuinely concerned. "I'm...terribly sorry, I should have done this more gradually."
"Wh-what..." she managed to croak out, "wh-what do you want from me?"
"We haven't heard from my sibling who you met, not since...well, I'm sure you remember." The being sounded embarrassed now. "For which we apologize, on our sibling's behalf. But...well, we have reason to believe that this sibling will make contact with you again."
"Oh, God."
"Not to harm you!" Lux's sibling hastily assured her. "At least, we don't think so. There is, however..." A sigh escaped, and the tall being ran a hand through his hair, an oddly human gesture that helped Mariko recover herself, at least a little. Lux had never done anything like that, even when...
Mariko shuddered, and pulled her thoughts firmly away from making love with Lux.
"What?"
"We believe," he said, "that this sibling is drawn to you, for good or ill. For now, all we want is for you to contact us."
"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked, rather proud of how little her voice was shaking now. "I don't even know who you are."
"As I told you," he said. "I am sibling to the one you know as Lux, among others. I would like to leave you a number, and if Lux should reach out to you...all we want is for you to let us know, please? Lux is...Lux has done terrible things, and not just to you. We don't know what Lux is planning, and you're our only hope of containing something much worse than a half-dozen dead and a terrible fire."
Mariko swallowed. There wasn't much worse than what Lux had already done that she could imagine, but she'd take his word for it. He seemed...everything about him rang True, with a capital T.
"You can leave your number," she finally said.
He smiled. "Thank you." He produced it from up his sleeve. "Do not be afraid," he said, for a third time. "We're all behind you."
She took the paper from him, and watched as he slipped out the door. It slid shut with a faint click after him.
She stared down at the number--just that, the number and his name, Gabriel, in plain gold lettering--English lettering, not Standard. A little thing, that brought back so many memories--the awful ones, and, worse, the good ones.
Still. Maybe--hopefully--he was wrong, and Lux wouldn't contact her.
Praying for that, Mariko slid the paper with Gabriel's number into a drawer and did her best to let the whole thing disappear into the darker corners of her mind--where she could at least ignore it, even if it was impossible to forget.
Year: 2989
Word Count: 768
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Mariko, Gabriel
Warnings: References to the fire and allusions to other terrible things in Lux's past.
--including such details as discussed by--
Mariko was jolted out of the contract she was translating when her door buzzed. It took her a moment to unfreeze--she hadn't been expecting anyone, hardly ever met with anyone face-to-face anyway, but...
She pressed a few buttons in her desk and got the intercom up. "Who's there?"
A warm, low voice answered her. "We haven't met, Dr. Anders, and I'm terribly sorry to impose, but I need to speak with you about my sibling."
There was something oddly familiar about the quality of the voice, that made her shiver a little. "Your sibling?"
"Yes. May I come in?"
She hesitated for a moment, then pressed a few more buttons and the door slid open.
Everything about her went suddenly still except for vague memories of icy-hot flames licking up her side, chased by cool, gentle hands and long inky hair, and--
Oh God, she thought she whispered, but all she could hear was her heart pounding in her ears.
The being in the doorway was different--dark, dashing, with an inviting smile and eyes that, rather than buruning like forbidden fruit, were pools of knowledge just aching to be shared. The being's posture read male to her, though the height was the same, and the long limbs and high shoulders, and the way the features were arranged...
Mariko didn't know enough about the species to be certain, but she could have sworn this being was Lux's sibling.
"Do not be afraid," the being said, with a warm smile. "I know you weren't expecting to see any of us again--and after what my sibling did, I can hardly blame you. But...well, it's important that I speak to you."
Flames licked at the corners of Mariko's vision, and she fell back into her chair, unable to say anything.
"Do not be afraid," Lux's sibling repeated, sounding genuinely concerned. "I'm...terribly sorry, I should have done this more gradually."
"Wh-what..." she managed to croak out, "wh-what do you want from me?"
"We haven't heard from my sibling who you met, not since...well, I'm sure you remember." The being sounded embarrassed now. "For which we apologize, on our sibling's behalf. But...well, we have reason to believe that this sibling will make contact with you again."
"Oh, God."
"Not to harm you!" Lux's sibling hastily assured her. "At least, we don't think so. There is, however..." A sigh escaped, and the tall being ran a hand through his hair, an oddly human gesture that helped Mariko recover herself, at least a little. Lux had never done anything like that, even when...
Mariko shuddered, and pulled her thoughts firmly away from making love with Lux.
"What?"
"We believe," he said, "that this sibling is drawn to you, for good or ill. For now, all we want is for you to contact us."
"How do I know I can trust you?" she asked, rather proud of how little her voice was shaking now. "I don't even know who you are."
"As I told you," he said. "I am sibling to the one you know as Lux, among others. I would like to leave you a number, and if Lux should reach out to you...all we want is for you to let us know, please? Lux is...Lux has done terrible things, and not just to you. We don't know what Lux is planning, and you're our only hope of containing something much worse than a half-dozen dead and a terrible fire."
Mariko swallowed. There wasn't much worse than what Lux had already done that she could imagine, but she'd take his word for it. He seemed...everything about him rang True, with a capital T.
"You can leave your number," she finally said.
He smiled. "Thank you." He produced it from up his sleeve. "Do not be afraid," he said, for a third time. "We're all behind you."
She took the paper from him, and watched as he slipped out the door. It slid shut with a faint click after him.
She stared down at the number--just that, the number and his name, Gabriel, in plain gold lettering--English lettering, not Standard. A little thing, that brought back so many memories--the awful ones, and, worse, the good ones.
Still. Maybe--hopefully--he was wrong, and Lux wouldn't contact her.
Praying for that, Mariko slid the paper with Gabriel's number into a drawer and did her best to let the whole thing disappear into the darker corners of her mind--where she could at least ignore it, even if it was impossible to forget.
