psl; for daneel

[dancingmd]

Beverly does not fail to see the irony here in landing on this planet that grants empathic, even telepathic, abilities to its inhabitants and visitors so soon after expressing her desire to share such a connection with Daneel. But she pushes the thoughts of audience and narrative building to the side and focuses on simply exploring this new world, enjoying the fresh open air, so different from the toxic moon they left behind. Every day, she goes out, sometimes together with Daneel, sometimes separate, to talk to the locals and eat the hearty food and hike around the hot springs, then returns at night to their cozy little rented cabin built into the roots of an enormous old tree.

It's a retreat in domesticity that she knows won't last. Moreover, she'd never really be satisfied with it anyway - she's too much of a Starfleet officer - but for now, it is enough.

Comments

[dancingmd]

As the sun is setting golden through the trees, Beverly returns from an excursion to the beach, her eyes bright, her hair in a wet messy bun at the nape of her neck, and her cheeks slightly sunburned. The curse of being a redhead. But the mild discomfort of the sunburn does nothing to dampen her enthusiasm when she swoops in on Daneel to give him a kiss, her aim slightly off as she hits his temple rather that his cheek. No matter. The flutter of pleasure she gets in seeing him - and more importantly, in feeling, however briefly, the "texture of his mind," as he would say - remains.

She glances down at his sketchbook. "And what are you drawing this evening, hmm?"

[thezerothlaw]

"I'm making a study of one of the local wildflowers that I observed earlier."

He has the advantage of not actually needing to see it in front of him in order to record it accurately. He turns to look at her with serious concern, however, reaching up to touch her cheek.

"Your complexion is very sensitive to ultraviolet," he observes; his frown is faint, barely there, but his worry is more than obvious. "I doubt the locals have much need for protection of this sort, but perhaps they have some available for tourists."

[dancingmd]

"It's just a little sunburn. Nothing I haven't experienced before." As his hand rests on her cheek, he'll pick up fragments of memories, pieces of other sunburns: Nana rubbing a salve on her arms and legs as a child, to make the redness disappear after a long summer day playing out in the meadows; spring break on Risa, she and her friends laughing as they realize that against all logic she's managed to get a sunburn on her behind and nowhere else; and camping on Balfour Lake with Jack where he kissed the tip of her sunburned nose. Sure, sunburn always causes some discomfort and pain but in the long run, it's not that that she remembers - it's the warmth and summer breezes and carefree days with people she loves. And that's what she'll remember here too.

Still - she knows him and knows he will feel better if he can help alleviate the situation. "Besides, there's plenty of aloe in the cabin."

[thezerothlaw]

Interesting. Sunscreen is an injury, but it comes with good memories rather than bad, harm acquired in the process of something enjoyable. That's not a comfortable thought for him, but it is uniquely human. His puzzlement, his curiosity trickles through to her, while it sorts itself into something halfway between acceptance and understanding. It's not exactly understanding, but he understands enough.

"Should I fetch it for you now?" he asks.

[dancingmd]

It's hard, she knows, for him to wrap his thoughts around such things - it's simply not in his programming. He wants to protect her from all hurts, however small they may be. So she is patient, letting him work through her memories to an understanding of sorts. There's silent encouragement as well, a readiness to share more, should he wish to see.

"If you wouldn't mind." No, of course he won't mind, but she is careful as always to avoid orders. "My back is burned as well, so I will need help reaching that area."

[thezerothlaw]

"I would be glad to help."

He sets aside his sketch book and rises, pausing to kiss her gently. These little gestures mean much to him, and apparently to her too, and it's becoming second nature to indulge in them.

It takes him a moment inside the cottage to find the aloe, and he's back with the little tub in a moment.

[dancingmd]

She knew he enjoyed kissing but knowing that and feeling it, she is discovering, are very different things. That difference is not easily described in words, but it erases her lingering doubts about inequalities in their relationship. And any sense of indulgence on his part - well! She couldn't be more pleased, wrapping herself up in the feeling quite happily.

While she waits for him, she cannot help but sneak a peek at his sketchbook, admiring the great detail he is capable of. No doubt with enough practice, he will be able to produce photograph-quality work. Once he returns with the aloe, she gingerly removes the wrap she is wearing, careful not to irritate her skin more. Her bathing suit is a halter, so her poor shoulders and back were totally exposed to the sun while she was swimming. She turns so he can easily reach, then says, a little sheepishly, "It looks worse than it is."

[thezerothlaw]

Well, he's not about to call her a liar, but he's just slightly sceptical of that particular claim. Still, Daneel squirts some aloe into his hand and begins rubbing it over her back, his touch ginger and the aloe nice and cool. There are echoes of his worry, of his affection.

"I hope you're right on this point," he says.

[dancingmd]

Beverly's shoulders relax under his touch, the coolness of the aloe a great relief - despite her nonchalant words, sunburn is still not exactly a pleasant thing to have. Yet that unpleasantness is so minor in the grand scheme of things.

She laughs gently. "I am a doctor you know. Trust me, no great harm will come of this. Just an itchy reminder of my own failings."

[thezerothlaw]

"But it will take some time to heal."

It seems a very inefficient method of dealing with sun damage to him, though he's not sure he's in a position to decide what's better, either. His mind is full of gentle concern, faint curiosity.

"And your complexion makes you particularly vulnerable to this as well."

[dancingmd]

He's not wrong about that, the inefficiency. If she had a dermal regenerator, this problem would be solved instantly. But she doesn't, so she works with what they are given.

"This is true, on both counts." She twists to smile good-naturedly at him. "This doesn't mean you're going to start following me around with tubes of sunscreen everywhere we go now, does it?"

[thezerothlaw]

"That would be neither practical nor wanted, I believe."

Even if he really, really wants to, sometimes. That's not actually a good idea. Partner Elijah taught him that. Still, humans are just so... fragile, alarmingly so, briefly alive but so alive, and the urge to protect them from themselves is strong, even if it does more harm in the long term.

"Would you tell me what you did?" Or think it to him, if she prefers.

[dancingmd]

Bless Elijah Baley. Admittedly, there is some appeal in Daneel's protectiveness, a certain pleasure in allowing someone else to take care of her, when normally, she's the caretaker for so many others, but there's only so far that she can let that go before it would cause discomfort or even resentment. And that is the last thing she would want.

She turns back around again to allow him to continue his ministrations. "I'm afraid it is not a very exciting story. I simply went swimming with Jennifer and forgot to put on sunscreen before I went in the water."

As before, it's not images of the sunburn itself that he's getting, just cheerful thoughts of playing in the waves and relaxing on the sand with her friend.

[thezerothlaw]

He listens, to her words and to her thoughts, and his own mind is warm, pleased. It's good that she's had this day, even with the... unfortunate side effects.

Daneel pauses, though, because he can't rub aloe into her back forever. "I believe that should help," he says, drawing back a little. "You will let me know if you need a second application?"

[dancingmd]

"I will, I promise." Beverly turns in her seat to face him again, wrapping her arms lightly around his waist. "Thank you, it feels better already. But tell me, what did you do today? Meet anyone interesting?" Because, of course, it's always going to be people that he's most interested in, not landscapes or flora and fauna.

[thezerothlaw]

Ah, she knows him well.

"I spent some time in the markets, speaking with the locals," Daneel says. "I spoke at length with a young woman, an apprentice to a dairy farmer, about telepathy. She seemed quite amused with my interest, but was pleased to have someone to speak with while she worked."

[dancingmd]

"Good. It's important that you have contact with other people who share in your abilities. I hope she was informative?"

[thezerothlaw]

"She was."

Daneel shakes his head slightly.

"I never thought very much about the potential of an entire telepathic society. This is... not quite what I expected, and perhaps not the only variation. It's fascinating."

[dancingmd]

"They are different from others I have met, though their society most closely resembles that of the Betazoids. Only the Betazoids do not have to touch to see one another's minds. As a result they tend to be a rather... Forthright species."

She shows him a memory of Lwaxana Troi, walking down the aisle completely naked in proud defense of her heritage and in defiance of a man who dared try to control her.

"Vulcans, however, are a much more private people, and can only share their thoughts through what they call a mind-meld, and only will perform the ritual with those they trust."

She puts one hand to his face, forefinger at his temple and thumb at his jawline to demonstrate how it is done. And with that comes another memory, not amusing, but tragic, of Jean-Luc bearing Sarek's emotional pain so the ambassador can continue his mission. She doesn't linger long on that particular memory, however, and moves her hand away with a small apologetic smile. It's not what she meant to show him of Vulcans, but it's the strongest memory she has of them.

"There are others, but telepathy is not a common trait to find."

[thezerothlaw]

Daneel listens, frowning slightly. The nudity of Betazoids can hardly shock him; taboos vary greatly even in human societies, after all. And for all the unpleasant memories of Sarek, it's as interesting to him as anything else.

"And yet, for all the trait's rarity, it was merely a case of friend Giskard passing a programming matrix to me. I have wondered, on occasion, if it were possible to impress such a matrix upon a human mind, would telepathy result there as well?"

[dancingmd]

"Why not? I'm capable of it now, and before, as well, when Jean-Luc and I were implanted. Though I'm not sure how it would become more permanent, like yours."