Questions and Misunderstandings [Gavin/Zero]

Zero Alpha wrote:

Zero stayed silent for a moment, pondering over what Gavin had said.  It had been different in her relationship with Jiseth.  The Romulan had been the one to choose her, not the other way around, that night in a bar in Washington, when she had shown Zero that not everyone cared about her lineage.

The mention of a relationship with a man caused the Augment to flinch and look away from Gavin.  "My only experience with a male of any species was with Admiral Corinth," she replied softly.  "I found that it was not enjoyable."  The then frowned slightly, looking up at the boy genius.  "I still do not comprehend what was unacceptable about that which they did.  It was explained to me in great detail beforehand, that it was a habitual exercise.  When I returned, I found many such recordings in the cultural databanks, and the women in such recordings do appear to be enjoying themselves."

Of course. Admiral Corinth. The man was a smear on the medical profession. How someone so obviously unhinged had risen to an admiral's rank was beyond even Gavin's keen intellect. It was like an evolutionary step backward for all humanity.

"That...that's different," he said, suddenly unaware of just exactly how to proceed. "That was wrong. Evil has always gone to great lengths to explain and justify what they do, ever since we crawled out of the primordial slime. But it's still wrong."

He frowned as Zero told him about the recordings. Recordings of what? He couldn't imagine people leaving records like that in a databank, unless it was some kind of study...though, come to think of it, a Ferengi had tried to sell him a copy of Vulcan Love Slave once, and...

"Um. Zero? Those...those aren't real. They're holo-recordings. Fantasies. Humanity used to film things like that, but we haven't for probably three hundred years."

Gavin Van Gelder wrote:

Of course.  Admiral Corinth.  The man was a smear on the medical profession.  How someone so obviously unhinged had risen to an admiral's rank was beyond even Gavin's keen intellect.  It was like an evolutionary step backward for all humanity.

"That...that's different," he said, suddenly unaware of just exactly how to proceed.  "That was wrong.  Evil has always gone to great lengths to explain and justify what they do, ever since we crawled out of the primordial slime.  But it's still wrong."

He frowned as Zero told him about the recordings.  Recordings of what?  He couldn't imagine people leaving records like that in a databank, unless it was some kind of study...though, come to think of it, a Ferengi had tried to sell him a copy of Vulcan Love Slave once, and...

"Um.  Zero?  Those...those aren't real.  They're holo-recordings.  Fantasies.  Humanity used to film things like that, but we haven't for probably three hundred years."

"They were not... real?" Zero said, frowning slightly as she tried to understand. Sexual practises were still quite alien to her, despite the research she had tried to do. This new revelation, however, forced her to pause as she realised just how much she had been relying on those holovids to be real so that she could avoid thinking too much about what he had done.

She looked down at her hands. "There is much I have yet to understand."

Zero Alpha wrote:

"They were not... real?" Zero said, frowning slightly as she tried to understand.  Sexual practises were still quite alien to her, despite the research she had tried to do.  This new revelation, however, forced her to pause as she realised just how much she had been relying on those holovids to be real so that she could avoid thinking too much about what he had done.

She looked down at her hands.  "There is much I have yet to understand."

"I know," Gavin simply said, sitting up.  "It's not something that's easy to just walk into.  I mean...I've years of experience," he said, with all the gravity and sagacity of a twenty-two year old kid, "and it's still tough to know what I'm doing."  Gavin placed one hand over hers, smiling. "I'm lucky that I've found someone like Thelos, and to have him in my life.  That's why I asked about men, and not because of someone like Corinth.  Thel and I are somewhat unorthodox, if such a term has meaning anymore.  But...I've experienced relationships with men, and with women.  It takes a while, sometimes, before you realize what it is you're looking for."

Gavin Van Gelder wrote:

"I know," Gavin simply said, sitting up.  "It's not something that's easy to just walk into.  I mean...I've years of experience," he said, with all the gravity and sagacity of a twenty-two year old kid, "and it's still tough to know what I'm doing."  Gavin placed one hand over hers, smiling. "I'm lucky that I've found someone like Thelos, and to have him in my life.  That's why I asked about men, and not because of someone like Corinth.  Thel and I are somewhat unorthodox, if such a term has meaning anymore.  But...I've experienced relationships with men, and with women.  It takes a while, sometimes, before you realize what it is you're looking for."

Zero hand tensed under Gavin's, balling into a fist, but she didn't react in any other way to the touch other than to look up at him. The closed expression and faint frown indicating that she was trying to put all the puzzle pieces together in her head to draw a conclusion from what he had just told her.

"You wish to say that I should... engage in recreational actions in a land dedicated to rural activity?" she asked. "Is that how one goes about determining that which they need?"

Zero Alpha wrote:

Zero hand tensed under Gavin's, balling into a fist, but she didn't react in any other way to the touch other than to look up at him.  The closed expression and faint frown indicating that she was trying to put all the puzzle pieces together in her head to draw a conclusion from what he had just told her.

"You wish to say that I should... engage in recreational actions in a land dedicated to rural activity?" she asked.  "Is that how one goes about determining that which they need?"

Blinking once, then twice, Gavin cocked an eyebrow, trying to parse just what the Augment had said. A third blink brought him no more clarity than the previous two. Rural activity? What'd she mean, farms? Horse-riding? Chopping wood?

"Zero, honey...I may be literally a certified genius, but I have not the slightest clue what you're trying to tell me."

Zero's expression was equally confused at Gavin not understanding what she had said, but then rememberedthat she didn't always express herself clearly when she was trying to use himan expressions and idioms. She searched through her memory, trying to come up with a clearer explanation.

"I was attempting to use an expression referring to the act of experimenting with romantic relationships. Perhaps I used the wrong words."

Zero Alpha wrote:

Zero's expression was equally confused at Gavin not understanding what she had said, but then rememberedthat she didn't always express herself clearly when she was trying to use himan expressions and idioms.  She searched through her memory, trying to come up with a clearer explanation.

"I was attempting to use an expression referring to the act of experimenting with romantic relationships.  Perhaps I used the wrong words."

"Recreation...rec...playing...playing the field?" Gavin asked, cocking his head to one side. "Well. I suppose that is one way of putting it." He ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head. "I mean...yeah. But I wouldn't go that far. I'm not suggesting you sit in the crew lounge and start picking up random Power Transfer Technicians. But you have to start somewhere, Zero. And you're starting at marriage. That's usually the culmination. The end-game, and not the opening move..."

Gavin Van Gelder wrote:

"Recreation...rec...playing...playing the field?" Gavin asked, cocking his head to one side.  "Well.  I suppose that is one way of putting it."  He ran his hand through his hair, shaking his head.  "I mean...yeah.  But I wouldn't go that far.  I'm not suggesting you sit in the crew lounge and start picking up random Power Transfer Technicians.  But you have to start somewhere, Zero.  And you're starting at marriage.  That's usually the culmination.  The end-game, and not the opening move..."

Zero sighed heavily, letting herself fall back to lie on her back in the short grass. She was so confused now. What she had once considered to be a complex, yet easily manageable relationship had turned into a dark, twisted miasma that she didn't seem to be able to understand or navigate, no matter how hard she tried.

"This would be facilitated if the presence of emotional implications was negligible."

Zero Alpha wrote:

Zero sighed heavily, letting herself fall back to lie on her back in the short grass.  She was so confused now.  What she had once considered to be a complex, yet easily manageable relationship had turned into a dark, twisted miasma that she didn't seem to be able to understand or navigate, no matter how hard she tried.

"This would be facilitated if the presence of emotional implications was negligible."

Gavin's sigh was almost a mirror of the Augment's, and he flopped down on the grass beside her. He wished this were a real field, with real atmosphere. Many were the hours he'd spend lying in the grass, one blade stuck between his teeth, as a boy. Funnily enough, all he'd dreamed about then was being out in space.

"Well. Yeah," he said, smiling humorlessly. "I'm sure most relationships would be easier if there were no strings attached. But that's not how it works. It can't all be a purchased night with a particularly friendly Dabo girl, or even a hol...hey, wait!" he said, sitting straight up. "Have you...ever considered a holoprogram? I mean, it's the shallowest of shallow when it comes to relationships, but there wouldn't be 'emotional implications'."

Gavin Van Gelder wrote:

Gavin's sigh was almost a mirror of the Augment's, and he flopped down on the grass beside her.  He wished this were a real field, with real atmosphere.  Many were the hours he'd spend lying in the grass, one blade stuck between his teeth, as a boy.  Funnily enough, all he'd dreamed about then was being out in space.

"Well.  Yeah," he said, smiling humorlessly.  "I'm sure most relationships would be easier if there were no strings attached.  But that's not how it works.  It can't all be a purchased night with a particularly friendly Dabo girl, or even a hol...hey, wait!" he said, sitting straight up.  "Have you...ever considered a holoprogram?  I mean, it's the shallowest of shallow when it comes to relationships, but there wouldn't be 'emotional implications'."

Zero looked up at Gavin with an expression of confusion on her face. A quiet thought in the back of her head wondered if it wouldn't be easier for just to keep that particular expression in place. It seemed to come out very often for this conversation. Then again, they were dealing with topics that she just didn't seem to be able to get her head around.

"A... holoprogram? That would assist me in my comprehension of humanoid interactions?" She paused for a moment, thinking it over. In a sense, yes, it was logical, but there was a snag. "I would require a base understanding of interactions in order to program such an exercise."