Partner

Ishk. Still not feeling a hundred percent. Which likely shows in the writing. But that's okay.

Uhm. I spent a good deal of time combing over the TOS and forum looking for AFF's policy on posting links to outside places on stories or forums and could find nothing stating that it's a nono.

Thus I'd like you all (not like a, you must, but it's highly encouraged) to go see ayatostales.net I'm hoping it works for everyone, it seems to be working on my end. And why, you might ask, would you go there just for a look-see at Partners and Sequel? Well... because there's a ONE SHOT. Yeah. Souse/Koln is over there. I don't like doing one shots on AFF. Probably just me being crazy.

I'll also be re-writing some of my favourites over there, giving them a proper dust off and what have you. Yes, before you ask, it is free. I'm not the evil type who stops writing on AFF and then makes you pay to finish the story.

No. I am not leaving AFF. For play stories, it's a good deal of fun. The site is the ... resting place? of stories and re-writes. Such as Bond Mates and Princesses.

So. If you're wondering why Koln is limping. You should head over there.

While I stumble off to bed and try not to be sick again. Ishk. Two days of not being able to write is bad enough, thank you very much.

Read, Review and Enjoy.






Mik went into work the next day as if nothing had happened. He moved through the crowd and ignored the jibs and the ignorant remarks about half-breed bastards. He did his paper work, did his work and was happy to return to Paw.

Or. Would have been, if Koln had not called an impromptu meeting.

The partners sat, waiting for a good long time before the man limped in. Koln eased himself into his chair and winced as his ass touched the chair. There was a long moment of silence across the room before Koln cleared his throat.

“The next person to make comments about half breeds or gays or why certain males who take on certain roles behind closed doors are not pregnant, will meet disciplinary action. There are to be no comments about the Sidhe culture. You are not people in this program, you are military men. Not school boys fighting over the best seat in the cafeteria,” Koln looked up as Mari slipped into the room by a side door. The woman did not look pleased, “You will have to excuse my calling a meeting without you Mari, it has come to my attention that we are dealing with adolescent boys here instead of military men.”

The woman took her seat beside Koln and gave the man a small nod. The man turned back to the men.

“You will report every possible thing that your Sidhe does.”

“Why?” Someone asked.

“Because,” Koln snapped, “How many of you have seen a Sidhe move a hand over the bare skin of another Sidhe and have dismissed it as a random gesture? Sidhe, the linguists have told us, speak more with their hands than with anything else. Mik. How many times has Paw touched you without touching you?”

Mik shrugged, “less and less it seems. Mostly at night, when the lights are off.”

“How do you know he’s doing it then, if he’s not touching you?”

Mik struggled for a long moment, unsure how to explain the odd sensation of someone’s hand hovering just above his torso, of the tingling and … seeming touch, “you know. It’s difficult to explain, but it happens. And. I’ve been saying that all along. That they speak without words.”

“One little hand motion and we tell them not only our rank, but our gender preference and religious beliefs. They say you can read a man by his expressions. Sidhe can do better than that. Most of you don’t understand a micro expression when you see one. You don’t understand that a flutter is more than just a flutter, it is an accenting of a word. A communication of a deeper meaning,” Koln muttered, “we will be taking lessons on this, how to describe the motions we see and how to interpret them. If you do not try at this, if you do not learn these motions and moves and learn to communicate properly, you will be removed from the program.”

“And… I suppose,” a partner directly behind Mik said, “that Mik is excluded from this because he’s special?”

“Mik,” Koln seemed to chew over the thought for a long moment, “is going to be learning right along side you. The rest of you are dismissed. Mik. Remain behind.”

Koln glared at Mik as the others left. Mik tried not to shift under the other man’s look. When there were no others in the room but Koln and Mari, the woman flipped open her phone and jabbed a button.

“Several videos and photos have been brought forward,” Mari murmured, clicking through things on her phone, “Such as the motion you have been making since you came back from shore leave when you say Paw’s name. The odd way you shift when you say Paw’s name to us. The motion means that a people is lying. We don’t care why, we don’t care what it is. But you have been privy to a great deal of Sidhe secrets.”

“And?” Mik muttered.

“Those secrets have to end, Mik,” Koln murmured.

“I tell you, you have to report to Galt, the man will use that information for his own ends, for the ends of the military. I won’t have him abusing the Sidhe like that.”

“We can’t protect them if we don’t know the secrets. You don’t want Nort figuring them out first and then … doing whatever,” Mari murmured, “the most important is the question of, is Paw a candidate for Whisper?”

“Yes. But he’s not the heir.”

“Is your Sidhe the heir?”

Mik’s mind did a stumble. He wanted to say yes, but Paw had never said anything of the sort. There was no way to know if the Sidhe named Auhi was the heir of Whisper without Whisper actually dying.

“I don’t know. And I don’t think he knows either.”

“An oddity in language seems to imply that he is. Now, when Paw had the fever, you kept repeating something that I find odd. Where is my Auhi. Souse said that auhi is a word given to a loved one, a specific word for a loved one of another race.”

“And?” Mik asked.

“I just… find it odd that a word that once meant,” Mari frowned and read something on her phone, “throne, in our language would mean a loved one in Sidhe even though Souse said that it came from our own language. And… Whispers are priests of the throne of the gods.”

“Amusing,” Mik murmured, and frightening, considering all and all, “maybe there’s a quirk in the translation.”

“Maybe.”

“Why is Koln limping?” Mik turned his attention to Koln and the man turned a dark red colour.

“I fell,” Koln responded, the colour receding from his face.

“Yet I am the one being snarled at for keeping secrets,” Mik murmured, “when do these classes begin?”

“Tomorrow morning. Sidhe and partner alike will attend. Classes of ten of each or so. We don’t set aside enough time for our partners to learn the Sidhe language,” Mari explained, “so we will set aside the time. I, as well as the nursing staff, will also be attending the lessons with the Sidhe and partners. So that perhaps one day, for newer Sidhe, it will be easier for them to adapt. Easier for us to communicate as well.”

“Sidhe language barrier isn’t just the language that is a barrier,” Mik responded, “They say one word that has four meanings in our language and they could actually mean all of those other meanings. There is no one way to take their language, no matter which language they speak in.”

“But perhaps with the lessons we could all learn how to communicate better. We are not expecting perfection here,” Mari said quietly, flipping her phone shut, “a child reared by both people and Sidhe parents would allow a person to speak fluently in both languages, however. The issue there is that the only ones raised by both people and Sidhe are half-breeds and those children tend to be highly unstable and are killed on sight.”

“Right…” Mik muttered, running his hands through his hair, “So I keep secrets, Koln’s a liar and we’re all going to learn how to communicate better… so that we can cover our secrets and our lies better and you’re okay with this… because?”

Something dangerous passed over Mari’s features for a moment before the woman returned to her perfectly controlled, emotionless mask, “Perhaps your keeping your secrets better enables me to keep my own, Mik. It is none of your business, nor your concern, to question an Illuen at their job.”

“Al… right…can I go now?” Mik mumbled, feeling his face heat up.

“Of course. Go home and explain to Paw what will be going on tomorrow morning.”


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