Before You Go
Posted on Tue Nov 15th, 2022 @ 4:27am by Gunnery Sergeant Gaagii & Petty Officer 2nd Class Sofia Cipriani
Edited on on Tue Nov 15th, 2022 @ 4:37am
2,265 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Episode 13 - Crooked River
Location: Gaagi's Quarters - Deck 4 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD003 - 1900 Hours
Sofia and Gaagi had planned a few days ago to meet that night but sadly things had transpired that she had to cancel. Her roommate had guilted her into helping her study for an exam she needed to pass so she could gain promotion to Crewman.
It pained Sofia to do so as she wanted to see Gaagi, her fascination and affection for the man had grown evermore as time passed by. The more interactions she had with him her interest grew to find out the man he was behind the stoic figure and distant facade.
She hadn't contacted him ahead of time and she scolded herself for doing so but there she was outside his quarters with her hand hovering over the bell to call him to her. She wanted to press it but still the nerves in her stomach almost made her float to the roof. Sofia withdrew her hand and began pawing at her clothes. She was out of uniform and was wearing a simply white lace top, jeans and comfy sandals.
The mission orders were in and The Cure was due to assist in the tidal investigation of the planet. Being a man of the land and not the sea these orders made Gaagii slightly uneasy. He thought to contact his spirit guides and as such had his medicine bundle in his hand. He wore a pair of jeans and a flannel plaid shirt. As he spread the piece of elk skin on his floor Gaagii's thoughts turned toward Sofia. She was seventeen years his junior and yet he still could not get her out of his head. Perhaps this spirit walk would help with that too. However, the question he had to ask himself was whether he wanted her out of his head or not.
Someone walked past Sofia in the corridor and bumped her slightly. This caused her to push the doorbell she was hovering over and cause her stomach to do summersaults.
Gaagii stopped placing his ancestral totems when the door chime sounded. "You may enter." He called and when the doors opened he was both surprised and glad to see Sofia standing there. "Evening Sofia please come in. I hope all is well." He spoke in his slow and even cadence that his people were known for.
Gaagii's quarters were decorated with relics of his people. There were flutes, tomahawks, and headdresses. There was even an old book on the coffee table about the Navajo code talkers.
Sofia entered the room tripping over her own feet a bit but managed to keep herself upright. "Sorry. Wasn't paying attention." She walked a bit further inside. "Your quarters look lovely."
Gaagii was surprised but happy to see Sofia on the other side of the door. "Sofia I am both surprised and glad to see you. Thank you for the compliment, is there anything that I can get you?" He motioned to the couch as he placed the medicine bundle on the table. Gaagii would have to perform his spirit walk later.
Sofia felt like she was intruding, she noticed some kind of set up and that Gaagi was tidying up a bit due to her arrival. "I'm sorry, I should have called first. I didn't think I'd be interrupting you. Do you want me to come back later?" She asked realizing that would make it A LOT later than she would have planned it.
"No, no it is good that you came. Now tell me what I can get you." Gaagii ordered himself a greenthread tea. "In truth I was just thinking about you and was going to speak to my spirit guides." He said as he motioned to the medicine bundle, he had set down on the table. "Very often when my people need answers that they may not have they seek them from the spirits that guide us through our lives."
"Just a sweet ginger tea please." Sofia smiled as he ordered it and gave her the cup as she listened to him speak. "That does sound interesting, I wonder if I have spirit guides." she thought to herself. "Do you need answers from them about me?" she asked. "I could answer your questions if you like? Well, I'll try to." She said with her cheeks going a little rosy.
Gaagii blushed sheepishly as she caught him red handed sort of speak. "In fact I was going to ask them about you. There are a few questions that you may not be able to answer..." He exhaled sharply through his nose and resumed talking in an effort to change the subject. Sofia always knocked the usual stoic man off his path. "...You do have spirit guides. Everyone does. Perhaps one day I will guide you to find them."
"Oh, a woman does have many mysteries I am told." Sofia laughed softly. "Maybe I have a few that I don't know the answer to myself but I think it's sweet I am on your mind..."
"Ever since we met I have found you to be on my mind. Something that I am not too used to, I am not afraid to confess. The Guides do not expose your mysteries. They advise me on the correct path, and what I should do to gain everything out of life. Very often they know my heart's desire before I do." Gaagii said by way of explanation.
"Oh right... sorry." Sofia felt her ignorance of Gaagi's culture and ways quite glaring, and she felt a little self-conscious about her naivety of the subject. "I am glad I am on your mind though." she blushed. "You've been on mine as well." she took his hand and gave it a little squeeze.
Gaagii rather enjoyed the warmth of her touch and returned the squeeze in kind. "Well, I hope that the thoughts are all good..." He could sense that the talk of his beliefs and culture had made Sofia a little uneasy. "You should never be afraid or embarrassed to ask about my beliefs or culture. Most people do not know of them as we keep things very quiet.
"They are." Sofia smiled at him answering his question. "I'm not afraid, I just don't want to push you if you don't feel comfortable explaining it to an outsider? I don't know if that's the right word... I don't exactly scream Native American." she gestured at her white skin and European features.
Gaagii actually laughed, for the first time in quite a while. The fact that she could make him laugh was a large appeal to him. "I can see the looks on some of the elders faces if I were to bring you home. That would be worth the trip." He sat down next to her. "You asking is not prying or anything of the sort. If we are going to be together than you should know what you are getting into, should you not?"
"I guess." Sofia said nodding. "I have read about Native Americans in school, but I know you're not from Earth, so I suppose a bit about your world first? Family? If you took me to meet some of them would your Chief throw me out? That probably sounds really ignorant of me to call them that..." she said in reference to Chief, but she wasn't meaning to stereotype.
"My mother Kyrie is a Healer among our people. She is a strong-willed headstrong woman. I believe when she meets you, she will love you as you exhibit similar traits. My father Metuel is a great hunter and architect. Should you want his acceptance you are going to have to prove that you are not a woman who cannot do for herself. I have three brothers all of whom live on Amerind. I also have two sisters one of which resides on Vulcan as she seeks to learn their ways. The other Kiwidinok serves in the Starfleet Marine Corps as well. She is an engineer. It is not ignorant for you to ask of the Chief, for that is what she is. Our Chief is the leader of our tribe; however, she governs with the assistance of the elder council. No, I do not believe they would throw you out. I believe they would seek to get to know you to learn why the great spirit has guided you on this path." Gaagii slid over on the couch a bit more, that is he moved closer to Sofia. He was a bit nervous as she was young, and he did not want to overstep whatever she would want. "How about you? What of your family? Of Italy?"
It was all a whirlwind of information about his family, his home and it was nice to hear even if it was a lot to take in. Sofia could feel the warmth of his body as it closed the gap between them and is made her breath quicken a little. It was a comfortable feeling though and she hoped her body language showed as much.
"My family live in a little village outside of Turin, Italy. My village never really used technology, not unless we needed to. So we plant and grow our own food, use wood from locally planted trees and try to be pretty self-sufficient. My mother has written a lot of political books, quite boring reading really, and my family has a restaurant in town. One of my brothers cooks there, and I have another brother who kind of does his own thing... I am the youngest of 3." she paused for a moment as her thoughts moved to her father. She went to speak and a catch formed in her throat. "My father passed away a couple of months ago, and that has been... hard." she felt herself welling up and a small tear did drop from her eye. She went to clear it and found herself apologizing to Gaagi for getting so emotional. "I'm sorry... I..."
Whether it was from his desire to touch her, or from an instinct to make her feel better. Gaagii took her into his arms and hugged her tight. "There is no need to be sorry. It is extremely hard to lose a loved one particularly your parent. But, you must keep in mind that his spirit now walks the ancestral plane. He now guides you on your path and you can contact him in due time." He was unsure of what to do next. Gaagii wanted to kiss her, but he knew that this would be the worst moment to do that. Instead, he decided to see where she would lead him.
Their embrace made her feel safe but at the same time able to let go a little more. Her breath was a little ragged and her body shaky but still she felt like Gaagi would never let her go. "I try to think that." she began. "But I still expect it to be him when I get a call from home. To hear his voice." Sofia sighed and looked up at him. She could see in his eyes what he wanted and for the life of her she didn't know why she did what she did next.
She kissed him.
Sofia pushed her head up to match his and placed a small but sweet tender kiss on the man's lips. She lingered for a moment; their lips still pressed before retreating a little due to her impulsive behaviour.
When she kissed him a number of thoughts flew through Gaagii's mind. Not the least of which was how soft her lips were and how he enjoyed it. When the kiss broke all he could think to do was smile. He pushed her head so it lovingly rested upon his shoulder. This would be a moment that he would never forget. So, he allowed the moment to linger in silence, so he could write it into his memory forever. "Well, I was not expecting that. Can't say that I did not want it."
"Sometimes the most unexpected things are the best kind." Sofia replied as she nuzzled into his shoulder. "I wish you didn't have to go on that mission tomorrow." she admitted with a bit of a heavy sigh.
"Let tomorrow be tomorrow. For now, let us celebrate today and what we have." Gaagii said and took her in his arms again for another kiss. This time he pulled her into him lovingly passionately.
Once Sofia managed to come up for air. "I think that's a good idea." as she led him up off the sofa. They stood, hovered almost, for a moment and Sofia looked off towards the bedroom. She was not presumptuous of course, but her youthful exuberance was taking over, and she wanted him just to take her, sweep her up, and make it a night she'd never forget.
Gaagii was a lot of things but first and foremost he was Marine Sniper. As such he had studied body language quite some time. You had to as you looked through your scope. So when he and Sofia stood he understood what the woman wanted. For the first time in a long time the well calculated Gaagii tossed caution into the wind and scooped her up. With a smile he carried off to the bedroom.
A Joint Post By
Petty Officer Third Class Sofia Cipriani
Yeoman, USS Pioneer
Staff Sergeant Gaagii
RECONN Team 2, The Cure
USS Pioneer
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