2013-01-28 03:24![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
lux_mariko
lux_marikoStory: Contact
Year: 2989
Word Count: 581
Rating: R
Characters: Lux, Mariko
Warnings: Strong implications of an abusive relationship, references to murder and being set on fire.
Mariko waited for the palm-plate outside her office to let her in. As always, it took several minutes--Red Sky spent more of its money on comm equipment than security for the offices. She pushed it open, and, after the warning four days before, there was Lux, standing there, back to the door, studying the few things Mariko had displayed on the wall.
She wasn't surprised to see Lux. She was surprised by her own reaction--she'd expected to panic, to freeze up, to feel the fire all over again. Or, if not that to remember the sex and feel sick about what Lux had done after.
Instead she felt detached, floating, suspended in water.
Lux turned around. "Mariko."
She stayed with her back to the wall, her hand on the knob, ready to bolt or scream or...
It was surprisingly easy to think, to measure the distance to the phone. Lux wasn't between her and it, she could get to it.
"How did you find me?"
Lux closed her eyes. "Gabriel found you first."
"He didn't need to. Just told me who to contact if you--"
"Please hear me out first."
"There's nothing to hear." Keeping her back to the wall, Mariko started inching towards the phone. "You killed the Ambassador and his family."
"Because they were trying to send me back."
"Back where?"
Lux gripped the back of Mariko's chair, and now she started feeling slightly queasy, planning on how to get rid of it. "The scars on my back."
"What about them?"
"Gabriel's...sibling was the one who did that to me." Lux was flat, not sounding bitter at all.
Mariko paused. "He didn't mention that."
Lux shook her head. "Of course not. They hate me."
"Why?"
"Because I dared to question the status quo," Lux said, now bitter.
That didn't sound like Lux. Or Gabriel. But...up until the fire, Lux had never hurt her, had never given any indication that she would ever--
"You still set me on fire."
"For which I apologize," Lux said quietly, not looking at her. "I...it's in my nature, to react with force when I'm...when I'm cornered." Her voice was flat again. "You found me, and I couldn't...I couldn't explain why I'd done what I'd done. Not to anyone but you. And you...you had already called security, and there wasn't time...I panicked. And I hurt you. And I'm sorry."
Mariko bit her lip. She looked at the phone again.
"Please. Don't let them take me back."
"Why did you come find me?" she finally asked.
"I couldn't stay away. I knew...when Gabriel was active, I knew he would come see you, and I followed him."
"He could have seen you."
Lux nodded. "It was stupid." She hesitated. "Will you give me another chance, Mariko?"
Mariko didn't want to. Lux was a murderer, had set her on fire, but...but if she'd responded to the threat of going back to Gabriel and the others the same way Mariko should have responded to seeing her again...
"You should go," she finally said. "I won't call him. I need some time."
Lux slumped a little, but nodded. "When can I see you again?"
"I have a private phone. Give me your number, and I'll call you."
Lux nodded. "Soon, please."
Mariko couldn't answer that. She moved aside so Lux could leave. She watched her back as the tall alien left, wondering how long it would take her to decide to call.
She already knew she would.
Year: 2989
Word Count: 581
Rating: R
Characters: Lux, Mariko
Warnings: Strong implications of an abusive relationship, references to murder and being set on fire.
Mariko waited for the palm-plate outside her office to let her in. As always, it took several minutes--Red Sky spent more of its money on comm equipment than security for the offices. She pushed it open, and, after the warning four days before, there was Lux, standing there, back to the door, studying the few things Mariko had displayed on the wall.
She wasn't surprised to see Lux. She was surprised by her own reaction--she'd expected to panic, to freeze up, to feel the fire all over again. Or, if not that to remember the sex and feel sick about what Lux had done after.
Instead she felt detached, floating, suspended in water.
Lux turned around. "Mariko."
She stayed with her back to the wall, her hand on the knob, ready to bolt or scream or...
It was surprisingly easy to think, to measure the distance to the phone. Lux wasn't between her and it, she could get to it.
"How did you find me?"
Lux closed her eyes. "Gabriel found you first."
"He didn't need to. Just told me who to contact if you--"
"Please hear me out first."
"There's nothing to hear." Keeping her back to the wall, Mariko started inching towards the phone. "You killed the Ambassador and his family."
"Because they were trying to send me back."
"Back where?"
Lux gripped the back of Mariko's chair, and now she started feeling slightly queasy, planning on how to get rid of it. "The scars on my back."
"What about them?"
"Gabriel's...sibling was the one who did that to me." Lux was flat, not sounding bitter at all.
Mariko paused. "He didn't mention that."
Lux shook her head. "Of course not. They hate me."
"Why?"
"Because I dared to question the status quo," Lux said, now bitter.
That didn't sound like Lux. Or Gabriel. But...up until the fire, Lux had never hurt her, had never given any indication that she would ever--
"You still set me on fire."
"For which I apologize," Lux said quietly, not looking at her. "I...it's in my nature, to react with force when I'm...when I'm cornered." Her voice was flat again. "You found me, and I couldn't...I couldn't explain why I'd done what I'd done. Not to anyone but you. And you...you had already called security, and there wasn't time...I panicked. And I hurt you. And I'm sorry."
Mariko bit her lip. She looked at the phone again.
"Please. Don't let them take me back."
"Why did you come find me?" she finally asked.
"I couldn't stay away. I knew...when Gabriel was active, I knew he would come see you, and I followed him."
"He could have seen you."
Lux nodded. "It was stupid." She hesitated. "Will you give me another chance, Mariko?"
Mariko didn't want to. Lux was a murderer, had set her on fire, but...but if she'd responded to the threat of going back to Gabriel and the others the same way Mariko should have responded to seeing her again...
"You should go," she finally said. "I won't call him. I need some time."
Lux slumped a little, but nodded. "When can I see you again?"
"I have a private phone. Give me your number, and I'll call you."
Lux nodded. "Soon, please."
Mariko couldn't answer that. She moved aside so Lux could leave. She watched her back as the tall alien left, wondering how long it would take her to decide to call.
She already knew she would.
