It Was A School Day - 4. Ships, Shifts, and Sheets

Although time aboard the ship was set to Seberian Standard, which by the best Kismet could figure was longer than Earth Standard but shorter than Space Standard. He could not tell exactly how much as they kept travelling at speeds that Kismet swore bent time, even though he had been taught that was physically impossible. Mostly he spent his time with Taloric. They did share quarters and a bunk, but Kismet found he didn’t mind. This was Val’s brother. He had shared a room with Val forever, besides, Taloric didn’t snore. He did snuggle though as much as he was able with the strangely designed sheets. It took Kismet a few nights to get used to having a wall sewn halfway down the middle of the bed with a golden alien curled up tight against it and by default, him, but once he really threw himself into his assigned work, he was too tired to care.

The work wasn’t hard either. Mostly they sent him to the gardens to help collect plants for the kitchens or he spent an allotted time scrubbing spaces. He learned that everyone spent time at those tasks so he didn’t mind. It helped that everyone was friendly while they worked together. There were rarely cross words and when there were either someone stepped in to mediate or the parties moved off in separate directions to cool off until they could speak again without anger. Val had told him their culture was different, but this was very different from his experience.

Kismet spent a good portion of his day with Taloric who could speak his language as easily as Valdorn. He often acted as translator for the very few who did not have a firm grasp on his language or teacher in theirs as needed. While he did his chores the people around him talked to each other and to him. They did their best to fill his head with new words each day and while he was slow on the uptake, he did learn quite a few. His pronunciation made them laugh, but they soon learned how to break the words down so that he understood how to make the sounds. That was when his learning really took off.

One of the things they had him do a lot in his first days on the ship was run messages for people. It helped with his language skills and let him learn who the people were and where things were located on the ship. One particular day Kismet was asked to deliver a verbal message to Taloric who was on duty and had left Kismet with others for a few hours. At a particular sound he was to execute a simple physical gesture, which Kismet figured was associated to one of the words in the string that he did not understand. Ravidik and his group of friends made sure he could pronounce every word correctly and in order, and then sent him on his way.

When Kismet found Taloric, the sight of him in his uniform took Kismet’s breath away. Kismet had seen him in it before when they were dressing, but to see him here, among his peers where he belonged. Kismet reacted in a way that he found embarrassing and he was glad that Taloric stood facing away. Eventually Kismet cleared his throat, several heads turned, including Taloric’s. Kismet took a deep breath and stated Ravidik’s message verbatim, gesture included.

Taloric turned a brilliant shade of orange, which Kismet had associated with extreme discomfort and embarrassment. So he fell to his knees as he had seen so many others do before Uncle when he was in such a state. Taloric glared at him wide-eyed, his entire body trembling.

No one else in the room moved. No one was allowed to move with such an important question being asked and unanswered.

“You may leave us,” Taloric told the room as he stepped closer to Kismet. “I do not believe I am in danger from one such as him.”

“But my Prince!” one protested.

“I am second cousin,” Taloric snapped back, “first cousin yet lives. Now go.”

The room emptied. Taloric went over and sat next to where Kismet knelt on the floor. He rested his hand on his cousin’s back and waited until he looked up.

“This ship isn’t going to run itself for very long,” Taloric said softly.

“I reckon it’s a good thing the next shift is due in here soon then,” Kismet smiled a little.

“Do you know what you said to me?”

Kismet shook his head.

“Do you want to know?”

Kismet nodded.

“You basically said “Lover-brother do you hear him calling? A voice among the stars so dear and so distant calling me-us. Come brother-lover join our flesh to make us strong and together we shall seek him out.” It’s part of a love song a lesser ranked man would sing to a higher ranked one if they were courting. However, when you made that gesture, you made it – personal – and part of a ritual that could be binding between us. The final few words: From my hands, my heart, my eyes, my tongue, my seed to yours. Kismet you threw yourself at my feet. It was wrong of them to send you in here; wrong of them to teach you those words without you knowing their meaning,” Taloric told him.

The words still seemed to confuse Kismet so Taloric explained further, “It means that you accept our religion as the meddlesome presence of our gods in your life. That you are willing to do more than share sheets with me and that you are not afraid that everyone will know that we do so. That you believe we can call to our triad and bring us together. We may think him your brother, or our cousin, but our trickster gods may have a different person chosen who we may have yet to meet.”

“Everyone knows we’ve been sharing sheets as you put it. Everyone here shares sheets.”

“Some do more than sleep, Kismet.”

Kismet blushed.

“I’m engaged to be married -- to a woman -- her name is Mia. Until she and I… until we…” Kismet was having trouble getting out what he wanted to say, but Taloric waited patiently, “I can’t commit to something while committed to something else.”

Taloric hushed him and laid a finger across his lips. “Does this count as an absurd situation?”

Kismet nodded.

“Then I must take my cousin’s advice,” Taloric leaned forward and kissed Kismet gently on the lips, sliding his hand slowly up Kismets jawline, then down again to dance in a feather-light caress along his neck and along the clavicle. Then as the surprise wore off, he deepened the kissed and was pleased as a small sound of pleasure escaped Kismet as they parted.

When Taloric finally withdrew, Kismet reflexively pulled him back. Taloric allowed their foreheads to press together, but did not kiss him again. Instead, he caressed Kismet’s cheek with his thumb and whispered in his own language, “Ah, Fate, was it Chance or Luck who brought you to me?”

Taloric looked at Kismet. He was slightly breathless. His were eyes dilated. He placed his hand on Kismet’s thigh, his thumb stroked absently as he gave Kismet a chance to recover.

“Valdorn said in absurd situations you rambled until given a shock. Are you shocked enough?”

Kismet could only nod as he brought himself under control.

“Now we need to deal with the cousin who taught you those words,” Taloric said as he stood up and took Kismet by the hand helping him to stand. “Who sent you?”

“Ravidik.”

Taloric scowled, said a few words that Kismet had never heard and dropped Kismet’s hand as he headed for the door. It didn’t take much for Kismet to figure out that something unusual was happening. On the way out they passed the next shift coming in.

It only took a few minutes to locate the group. Ravidik laughed as Taloric entered the room. When Kismet followed him in they all laughed. Taloric said something sharp to them and they laughed some more. He turned orange again.

Kismet didn’t think about their culture. He didn’t think about the fact he was a guest aboard their ship. He didn’t even think about the meaning of the words he had said to Taloric that had embarrassed him so. Instead, he followed his very human instincts and lunged at the one who made him learn those words; the one who made a mockery of his friend’s beliefs. And Kismet socked Ravidik right in the nose with a satisfying crunch.

The laughter stopped as Ravidik hit the wall. Blood erupted from his nose. Ravidik’s hands flew upward and he looked at Kismet who stood between Taloric and those he perceived as threats, snarling with his fists at the ready.

There was a sound of a clearing throat behind him and everyone that Kismet could see with the exception of Ravidik dropped into the submissive stance of the wrongdoer. Ravidik was still holding his bloody nose.

“What is going on here?” Uncle asked so Kismet could understand.

“They tried to make me make a commitment to Taloric without knowing what I was committing to and when Taloric confronted them they laughed. I didn’t think it was so funny.”

“So you hit him?”

“Once,” Kismet said, not once taking his eyes off Ravidik, “although he probably deserved more.”

Uncle grunted, then he looked over at Taloric, speaking so that Kismet could not understand. “What commitment?”

“He offered himself to me. To be my…” Taloric choked on the words. “He used the proper format, Uncle. They taught him the formal offering.”

“Did you deny him?”

“I did not.”

Uncle grunted again and looked at the two of them. “He drew blood for you. Even now, he stands between you and what he feels is danger to you. It would be most unusual, but he is not unacceptable.”

Taloric placed a hand on Kismet’s shoulder and felt him relax under his touch. He nudged him so he would turn around. Then he smiled wickedly at him and winked as he said, “I would be honored to accept your courtship, cousin, and you may share my sheets since you offered so eloquently.”

Many of the cousins raised their voices in protest. Some of them even stood up although they had not been given permission to do so. However, none of them challenged Kismet or Taloric directly.

Kismet looked from the cousins to Taloric to Uncle in confusion. Uncle smiled in that knowing way of his and the group quieted.

“What your cousins are trying to say, nephew, is that if you wish to court Taloric, they will not interfere since it was their idea. However, you will be expected to join all their lessons, including combat,” Uncle stated. “I am sure they will make sure you know when you should present yourself. Ravidik, you will go to medical. Kismet, you will accompany him, if Ravidik needs care you will provide it. The rest of you are dismissed.”

It was late when Kismet finally made it back to his quarters. Taloric slept soundly. Kismet took care of his personal hygiene. Tired, nude, and very much ready to sleep, Kismet slipped into bed only to find out that someone had changed the sheets. The separating panel was gone.