Chapter 47
Scarlet
“Are you sure?”
Scarlet frowned, confused by the request as her hand hovered over the button on her med scanner that would begin the process of sealing Tuvo’s wounds.
She had already stopped the flow of blood before doing a scan of his head to make sure Atem’s punch hadn’t done any damage.
Some blunt trauma, as was expected, but nothing dangerous.
Before she could actually start the healing process, however, Tuvo had stopped her. He asked that she not seal the wounds and instead let them heal naturally.
“I am sure,” he said, hesitating a bit before nodding. It was the first time she had seen him perform the action and he looked just as awkward doing it as Havali had when he started out. “If there’s any danger of bleeding or serious injury, you may heal that, but let the skin heal on its own.”
“That will scar,” she said, the warning falling from her lips even as her eyes moved over the abundance of scars he already had.
Scars that she had wondered about before, because the scanner could heal scarring without leaving a trace.
Even stretch marks. The way it prompted skin regeneration healed it in a way more akin to the original growth of flesh and not the healing process that made scars.
If Tuvo wanted, he could lay down in a scanner and have every scar on his body removed.
It might take a few marks, considering how extensive they were, but he could do it.
He could even fix that kink in his tail.
Seeing as scars didn’t camouflage as perfectly as smooth skin, he had reason to do it.
But he nodded, confident in his choice. So, she did as he asked. She repaired the damage up to the very basement layer of the subcutaneous tissue, right to the barrier between it and the dermis, so that the skin would heal without risk of rebleeding but with a definite scar.
“Thank you,” he said graciously when she finished, and the mediring returned to its base.
He sat up and reached for his cheek, but she stopped him as she approached with some old-fashioned bandages.
She never used these, but they were there in case of emergency – like if the machine went down or there was so much bleeding it needed to be controlled while the mediring worked.
She could use the sealant cream on them that Havali used on her neck, but even that would reduce scarring.
She thought that Tuvo would prefer this.
Sure enough, his eyes flashed with approval as he turned his cheek to her.
“Can I ask what you two were fighting about?” She said, holding the gauze in place with one hand as she picked up some tape with the other.
For a few seconds, he didn’t answer. She thought he might not, and she didn’t push it, but he finally let out a short breath before saying-
“I prodded him. I made him angry so he would hit me.”
“Now, that’s a strange thing to do. Why?”
“I think better when I’ve had a chance to get my aggression out.”
She choked back a snicker. “I feel like you could have just asked him for a quick sparring round. Or Atem. Either of them would have obliged you.”
“I needed it to be real. I needed the rush. The pain. I needed to feel it so I could be centered again.”
Scarlet had heard weirder things in her time, so she didn’t question it. She finished taping the gauze in place then stepped back, admiring her work.
“Been a while since I had to do that. Haven’t lost my skills.”
Tuvo touched the bandages gently before grinning. “You’ve a steady and gentle hand, healer. My thanks.”
“Maybe don’t go running face first into people’s claws, hm? I’m sure there are better ways to work out your aggression.”
He stood from the table, adjusting his uniform. “I owe you an apology.”
“It’s okay. I don’t mind patching you up.”
“Not for that.” He waved away the words. “I used you to prod him. I poked at your relationship, knowing it would make him angry. That was unfair to you. I truly meant no disrespect by it. I only meant to wheedle him into anger.”
Scarlet crossed her arms, glaring at him. “What we do is between us.”
“And you need no help if you don’t ask for it.
” He grinned. “Yes. I know. You’ve made yourself perfectly clear.
That is why I am apologizing. I don’t understand it, but I will think of it as a difference between species.
There are plenty of others that have strange mating rituals that I think are odd. Humans are not that different.”
Scarlet chuckled, her arms dropping again as her tension eased. “Yeah. If you think I’m bad, wait until you see… You know what, never mind. Better you don’t.”
Tuvo looked curious but she shook her head, dismissing the very idea of the guys learning anything about real kink culture. They had issues with her being a little roughed up. They did not need to be exposed to women that liked it truly depraved and painful.
At least, not immediately. Ease them into it.
As she was setting the scanner to sterilize the table in preparation for whoever would come next, Tuvo was getting a notification on his combot. He made a sound, drawing her attention.
“Elder Haviss has arrived,” he said, facing her. “I’ll go greet him since Atem can’t leave the nest and Havali is… occupied at the moment.”
Scarlet snickered. “I’ll go with you. I want to see Haviss.”
Tuvo tried nodding again – it somehow looked more awkward this time – then led her from the clinic towards the front of the compound.
Haviss had been shown to one of the many waiting rooms meant for visiting guests. He had a cup of cold tea that smelled like fresh cut grass that he was drinking with all apparent enjoyment when the two of them entered.
“Ah, Healer Scarlet,” he said, setting down his tea and getting to his feet. “And First Warrior. Good to see you both.”
“Elder,” Tuvo saluted him formally. “Forgive the wait. Havali is finishing up some business. He’ll be here shortly.”
“Oh, I’m in no hurry.” Haviss smiled at Scarlet. It was a very subtle expression on his stiff lips, just a slight upturning at the corners of his mouth. The kindness in his eyes made it impactful. “Sorry for calling on you so late. It took a while to get everything set on my end.”
He gestured towards his combot that was floating just behind him. “It’s all in there, if you’d like to take the download, Tuvo?”
“Yes. I’ll send it right to Havali,” he said, gesturing for his own combot to approach.
Scarlet sat down and sniffed at the teapot before deciding she’d rather not have any as the two males exchanged information. Once they were finished, Haviss sat beside her.
“Would you like some?” He asked, gesturing to the tea. “It’s a favorite of mine. Straight from Hr’ssri. I never leave home without it. My mate says it’s an addiction.”
Scarlet grinned. “Thank you, but no. It doesn’t smell like it would agree with my delicate human digestive tract.”
It was a polite way of turning down a food or drink offering out here in space – though, adding delicate made it more of a joke. Haviss chuckled, banishing the words with a swipe of his tail.
“I’ve seen Peony’s birthing video. I don’t think there’s a damn thing delicate about any of you. I think you all just look that way to fool us.”
“Sh,” she gestured with a grin. “You’ll give away our secret.”
He threw back his head and laughed, his snout opening wide as he did so. The sight wasn’t nearly so horrifying as it had been when she first met him.
“Atem is comming me,” Tuvo said, banishing the holodisplay. “I sent him the plan too. I’ll go speak to him and return when I’m done.”
There was no question about Haviss not following him. Atem couldn’t leave the nest yet – not this soon – and Haviss was not family like Scarlet and the others. Atem barely tolerated them around his mate and pup, he certainly wouldn’t tolerate Haviss.
Something the reptilian elder seemed to understand perfectly as he told Tuvo that he’d stay there and converse with Scarlet while waiting for him to return.
“So, then,” he turned to her the moment the door slid shut behind Tuvo. “How are things coming with you and your male?”
She cleared her throat, turning her head. “He’s not mine. It’s a, er, lovir relationship. It’s how you say ‘casual’ on Turv.”
“Ah, yes. Just as casual as my mate and myself, no doubt.” He grinned at her weak laughter. “Come now. Talk to your elder, eh? Has he claimed you yet?”
“Are you in the betting pool or something?”
“No, but many of my attendants are and they’re desperately curious. They demanded I ask.”
She couldn’t hold back her bark of laughter which made him grin.
“There’s a proper smile. You’re even prettier that way, eh? Happiness looks good on you.”
She snickered, shaking her head. “For reference, when you’re on Earth, don’t tell any female she looks prettier when she smiles. That’s not a compliment to us.”
He cocked his head curiously. “Really? Whyever not?”
“It’s demeaning.” She held up a hand, silencing him before he could speak again.
“I know you didn’t mean it that way. And I take it as the compliment it is.
But, on Earth, that’s the kind of thing males say to patronize a woman.
To make her fit into the vision he has of her.
They tell us to smile for their benefit, not for ours. ”
Haviss’ reptilian face didn’t contort into different expression easily, but she could still read the confusion and displeasure on his face. “That’s a strange thing.”
She shrugged. He hummed thoughtfully, staring at the gesture that she realized too late he probably wouldn’t recognize. Before she could explain it, he spoke again.
“I think I should ask you, or one of the other human females, to give us in the contact delegation an instructional course on human body language and what is and is not appropriate to say to your people. We don’t want to insult you by accident.”
“That’s actually a really good idea,” she beamed. “You guys are going to be intimidating enough. No need to add any misunderstandings to it.”