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[Halcyon]

Her sister knelt beside her. She knew by the gentle touch on her shoulder. She rolled over without thinking, pain lancing through her body.
"Why do you vex him so?"
She opened her eyes, peering through swollen lids, teeth grinding at the injustice of the question.
"I wish you could see her, she's sleeping now. She's so beautiful..."
Her sister gently eased the hair back from her face, pushing away the blonde strands, smiling at her warmly.
"Sending....away" she ground out, wincing at the pain in her chest.
Her sister frowned, that perfect serene countenance dimming.
"It won't be for long, you'll be back soon and we can be happy again"
She shook her head, unable to find breath or words to answer.
A small cry, faint from another room.
"I'll be back soon, love you Ammy..."
She closed her eyes, screwing them shut, trying to hide from the resentment that filled her.

[Halcyon]

She made her way through the bar, a place that could only be called a dive.
Her clothing was immaculate, dress clinging to her form and drawing stares in abundance. She looked briefly at the bar tender who nodded to the back of the room.
Making her way past the the curious patrons, she approached the table in the corner and the woman seated there. As her destination became clear, the small watching crowd suddenly found other things to be interested in, drifting away almost hastily.
She stood by the table for several moments, watching the woman.
Tall, lean, muscular, one cybernetic arm braced in the table surface, the other raising a glass to her lips. Long dark hair pulled back behind her head, a slightly unfocused look as her gaze finally settled in the woman before her.
They stared at each other for long moments.
"Ulaya" she said with a nod to the seated woman.
"S'You..." She mumbled, setting down her glass.
Without asking, she pulled out a seat, settling into it gracefully.
"How have you been?"
Ulaya grunted in response, eyes narrowing as she looked at her.
"He comin' back"
She shook her head.
"I believe he's still busy, however, would you be amenable to hire?"
"You takin' th'corp?"
She shook her head again.
"I believe you may retain CEO status for now but I will require you to follow my orders."
Ulaya stared at her for long moments before holding out her free hand.
"Done"
She shook it, nodding.
"Excellent"

[Halcyon]

She stood in front of the congregation and sang. Her voice cut through the choir, filling the church. A plain white robe shrouded her burgeoning figure adding innocent modesty to her frame. Candle light cast highlights in her blonde hair, lending her a golden halo.
When she first sang, they caned her, saying her voice was sinful.
The superior said to let her sing. Let her sing and they will come.
So she sang and they came, flooding into the church as she attempted to prove her devotion.
The weight of her need and desire lent passion to the empty words spilling from her lips.
They listened and mouthed the hymns with her, tears falling from eyes as her voice touched each in turn.
Her eyes closed briefly, her face serene.
She would succeed.

[Halcyon]

She hadn't seen her once yesterday and a dull unease filled her. A sleepless night spent huddled under sheets waiting For a knock that never came. She fretted her way through the morning, chewing her nails to the quick. Finally after an unpleasant lunch of apparently tasteless food that she couldn't force down, she approached one of the sisters, mustering her courage.
She asked them about her friend.
"She's gone child, her father collected her. She's to be married within the month."
She didn't remember walking away, the sister calling her name. She walked through corridors suddenly devoid of colour, sinking into a quiet corner. Away from prying eyes she curled up around the emptiness inside her and let the tears fall.

[Halcyon]

She slid naked from her bed, padding through to the living room. The faint glow of the nightlight lent a golden hue to her pale skin as she sank onto the sofa. The staff had carefully arranged the gifts in the coffee table and a smile crept over her face in the darkness. she made a mental note to have the roses preserved before they wilted even as her gaze settled on the bracelet.
She reached out, picking it up, running her fingers over the smooth surface.
There was something about the wood but her knowledge of flora was too scant. She dismissed the thought, her touch sliding over the inner band. This time, as her finger outlined the 'A' inscribed within she did not cry. Rather her smile grew broader and she held it to her breast for a long moment before putting it on. It slid easily over her hand, the smoothness of the wood caressing her skin before falling around her wrist.
She looked around for her data pad.
There were thankyous to write.

[K.Savage]

Great stuff Halcy, keep it up !

[Halcyon]

Behind the school, a field, an acre of grass with trees scattered towards the bottom, none too close to the wall.
She sat beneath one such tree, braiding grass blades, content in the sunshine, her friend beside her.
"So what will you do?" Her friend asked her.
"I'm not getting married..." She murmured, intent on the work of her fingers.
"You said that already, but what will you do about it?"
She sat quietly for long moments, folding grass blades one over the other.
"I heard a rumour....of a thing..."
"What thing?"
"Capsuleer pilots." she muttered quietly.
Her friend turned to look at her, grass blades forgotten in her hands.
"You...want to be a capsuleer? You think you could be one?"
She shrugs, a helpless gesture.
"It's worth a try..."
"Won't you need his permission though?"
The grass blades tore in her hands, a frown settling over her face.
"I'll find a way..."

[Halcyon]

He was a short slender man, well dressed and fussy. He seemed to fidget back and forth rather than walking, his manner perpetually nervous. He'd hardly glanced her way so she assumed it was Ulaya's presence, looming over them both like an unspoken threat. He keyed them in through the doors, leading them around the complex of rooms.
"Of course," he said, "it is only your eminent standing that makes this space available...unfurnished of course....the original purpose, never realised..."
His voice was barely more than a drone and it was only the references that allowed her to understand he was talking to her.
She noted the high ceilings, the floor space, nodding to herself as they toured.
"What do you think?" She asked her companion.
The tall civire just shrugged, a bored look on her face.
"Your money," the woman grunted quietly.
She smiled to herself, nodding. It would take work but it was perfect.
She just needed a name for it.

[Halcyon]

She approached the body slowly, almost hesitantly.
It lay naked upon a steel slab, exposed.
It must have been dead when ejected to the void, signs of damage covering the corpse. She walked a slow circuit around it, an odd look on her face before pausing by the head.
A little nod to herself as if firming her courage and she leaned in, eyes searching almost curiously.
Aside from the void burns it was like looking into a mirror. She placed her fingertips lightly on the lips, closing her eyes for a moment before pulling back and walking away.
One of the attendants spoke up then.
"Should we process it ma'am?"
She shook her head once.
"Nono, put it in storage, I'm certain I'll find a use for it."


 

[Halcyon]

She cast her probes across the void, scattering them with her mind, each sailing to a specific point. Triangulation and scan, nudge and push, narrowing
the net on her search. The signature grew clearer and clearer, leaving her
confounded when she confirmed it. She'd never encountered such a thing,
Curious but cautious she locked her warp drive onto the location, dropping
herself a hundred kilometres from the signature.
Her senses panned across it and then again, gleaning what information they
could.
Hyperfluct generator.
She frowned, turning the words over in her head, trying to make sense of
them.
Her sensors indicated a security vulnerability. She locked on her analysers,
cycling them up to exploit it. With careful patience she infiltrated the system,
breaking down safeguards, guiding herself through.
Light blossomed near her craft, scintillant colours washing over her hull.
Again, the probing of her sensors, seeking confirmation.
A small controlled wormhole.
A deep breath, a moments pause.
She headed in.

[Halcyon]

She reached out, towel awkwardly wrapped around her hand as she tugged the door open, her eyes blinking rapidly.
She ignored the words. She wouldn't cry.
The open oven blasted heat across her face, evaporating tears waiting to fall. It snatched her breath even as she reached for the tin, gripping it swiftly, tugging.
The towel slipped from her hand as she reached, her bare flesh touching the hot metal.
Pain flooded her arm as her skin burned, gasping sharply, clamping down on her instinctive cry.
She fell back, pushing the tin in to the oven even as she recoiled, sinking to the floor. A shaky breath, trying to master herself, hand throbbing in agony.
More words, as she folded in on herself, hiding her face, hiding her pain.
Hands, touching. A gentle embrace.
Too much, tears spilling free, running down her cheeks.
A soft whimper.
"I shouldn't have said anything..."

[Halcyon]

She sat amidst the crowd, tables full, conversation a dull hum in the air. A stray lock of hair, red now, escaped her hood, falling over her chest.
"Why won't you come home, Amelin?" Her sister asked, blonde hair tied in a bun, her attention flicking fretfully to her daughter.
She sighs wearily, idly swirling a glass of water.
"You know why..."
"Oh?...oh.... But he hardly mentions that now...I'm sure he's forgotten."
She shakes her head, pale grey eyes meeting her sisters.
"You know he hasn't, he just has a better option...possibly..."
Her sisters brow wrinkles in thought.
"You heard him say I 'ruined myself' as well as I did..."
Her gaze drops from her sisters, looking at her niece pointedly.
They sit in silence for a long moment, one shaking her head, the other nodding slightly.
"Come with me Tess. Both of you."
"Where would we go...we can't abandon our lives."
She sighs again, deeper, louder.
"We'll make new ones, the ones we want to have, not the ones he tells us to have."
Her sister sits there in silence, her gaze drifting to her daughter once more.

[Halcyon]

A nudge in her ribs, sending her stumbling, heels betraying her. Falling into his arms, bosom pressing against his stomach, clutching at him to right herself.
Strong arms enfold her, guiding to her feet. She blushes , looking up at him, catching the soft smile on his handsome face.
She freezes for a long moment, resisting the urge to flee, trying to relax as people watch them both.
"Shall we?" He asks smoothly.
Her blush deepens but she forces herself to nod, letting him take her hands and lead her across the floor.
Slowly, she relaxes.
They dance.

[Halcyon]

The mirror was streaked and barely reflective. A smell of must filled the air and
every tap issued cold murky water.
She turned from the basin with a small sigh, moving to slump on the sofa,
burying her head in her hands.
It had been such a brilliant idea. Her father would never be able to follow her
here. His bloodline prevented it.
Somehow she'd avoided following that thought all the way through to its logical
conclusion. His bloodline...
She sighed softly. At least they'd let her dock, although she suspected
someone had died in the bed. She looked over at the crumpled bedding and fought down the urge to retch. The rest of the quarters were in a similar state.
She made her way to the door and then paused, her hand inches from the control panel. The face of the docking manager filled her mind, midnight skin and hard eyes.
She pulled her hand back, returned to the sofa.
Curled into a ball.

[Halcyon]

The bathroom light shined from behind her, illuminating her in the mirror. She adjusted her dress for at least the seventh time before applying her make up. As she applied her mascara she paused, the brush hovering a bare inch from her eye as she considered cancelling yet again. Reasons tumbled through her mind as she took a slow deep breath, bosom straining her bodice as she did so. She banished the thoughts firmly, taking a grip of herself as she returned to the task at hand, drawing the brush carefully through her lashes.
She was tired of hiding. She’d have her party and damn the consequences.