Guest Suite
The bedrooms of the Lightfoot Estate in Abu Dhabi are kept underground, both for temperature control and Lapi custom. The rooms set aside for guests comprise a small suite with a central room and several connecting bedrooms, each with a solid (and soundproofed) door for privacy. Each suite includes a small washroom as well.

The night has largely passed into early morning, although there is no sign yet of the sun – not that that would matter underground. Layth has only just made it back after meeting with his acquaintance back at the Harem Club. The entire household is asleep at this hour, but when the buck slips quietly into the suite, he finds a bleary-eyed, chocolate-colored Calligenia waiting up for him in a simple nightdress.

Layth enters the room with a small bundle under one arm and a slight limp. His brow arches a bit when he spots Calligenia waiting and for the moment all the buck says is, "You should be in bed." He limps over to a small desk and sets down his bundle, then sits down rather gingerly in the chair.

"Mm," Calli replies, blinking and coming fully awake. "I had to wait," she says. "You haven't given me my punishment for my mistake in the club earlier."

"It's not my place to punish you; I'm not your parent," Layth notes, "And it was apparent at the time you did not even understand the situation." The buck goes about undoing the ties on his tunic. When it falls away, there are numerous bloody streaks of matted fur crisscrossing his chest and back and even a few on his legs.

"Wait here," Calligenia says, and gets to wobble towards the washroom. She returns a moment later with a bowl of water and some washcloths, which she brings over to Layth. "Aisha says that women are slaves here," she says, and starts to wash some of the scratches.

Some of the scratches are more like gashes and the raw flesh spreads open when brushed over with a wet cloth. Contact on the wounds causes the buck to tense up, then let out a rather pained hiss. He unfolds the bundle he was carrying and actually pulls out a few evil-looking curved needles and some rather thin thread.

"Women are looked upon differently here," Layth says quietly, "And treated differently. It would not be unheard of for men to grab dancers for other … activities. It is not against any laws. If one had, and you had hurt him … you would have been in trouble." And there he pauses and looks down at the doe. Sounding rather tired all of a sudden and a bit upset? maybe, he adds, "You don't have to do that. These … aren't your problem."

"There are too many for you to clean and mend by yourself," Calli claims. "And you must be tired as well. Or is it that… that you simply feel I am too incompetent to help you?" she asks, not meeting the buck's eyes.

"No … no, Calligenia. You are not incompetent. Frustrating in so may ways when I try to… help. I wanted you to recognize culture and understand it is different from your own. Learning the culture of a land provides you so many benefits when you have to negotiate or deal with confrontations," Layth says as he rubs over his eyelids for a moment. "I just mean that right now that my problems aren't yours. I dealt with a problem for a friend. And truthfully, not only because she asked me. I needed … an outlet for being angry."

"I made you angry?" Calligenia asks, and hasn't stopped checking Layth's wounds. "I… apologize, Layth. You are right that I do not see culture very clearly. I still find this place barely civilized, and the island in the sky is hardly better. I prefer to find people I can trust to be the local go-betweens for me."

"You, Aisha, Tasha, a lot of things are making me angry," Layth admits as he threads one of the hooked needles and starts the painful and slow process of closing the deeper cuts. "So when my friend asked if I would help her get her son back from … well, I accepted it. I knew I could have been killed and honestly, I did not care. I just needed to do something. To feel … well, useful. I know I'm not to any of you."

Calligenia jerks her head back as if struck. "Not… useful?" she asks in surprise. "How can you think that? You are a Guardian!"

"Guardian of what? Aisha resents my presence and finds any excuse she can to remind me of that. You ignore everything I say, so my efforts at trying to protect you are failures. Tasha has her Karnors to look out for and dreams of walking in the stars. Aaron has the contacts and is arranging all the travel. And you also fund all travel. Tell me one thing I provide that has been useful," Layth says quite bluntly and with no signs of any Khattan politeness … not even in the faintest tone of his voice. "I felt more useful, more wanted when I was nothing more than some overgrown Lapi slave who worked as a caravan guard."

"Aisha does not resent you, Layth," Calli whispers, and seems saddened. "Your presence alone comforts me in these strange lands, and… do I really ignore your advice?" she asks.

"Aisha despises me and what I represent; the attempt of her father to control her," Layth comments, "It is not lost on me, even if I don't say much about it. And yes, you do tend to ignore it, or like Aisha, resent it through expression or gesture."

The doe's whiskers and expression seem to wilt. "I did not realize," she whispers, falling to her knees. "We both wanted for you to respect us, and have failed. Is Aisha right, and you only see us as… 'spoiled little girls' who should not be away from home?"

"I see you both as people who believe they already have all the answers and know how to deal with any situation. Which is wrong because no-one knows how to deal with every situation," Layth notes with a sigh. "I've been trying to make things easier for the both of you so you can both be successful. I've tried to make things 'fun'. I've never thought you needed me around, but I had hoped that you wanted me around."

"It is all an act!" Calli blurts out. "We don't know anything, but… but if we show weakness… " she goes on, in a quieter voice, "then Xavier will send me home. And Aisha thinks you will tell her father that she cannot handle being a business doe."

"There is greater weakness in never asking for help, in not trusting that your friends would do anything to help you succeed. That makes you seem less ready to deal with the world than anything else you or her have done," Layth says as he now looks around at the doors, half-expecting to find one slightly open and Aisha listening. "As for Aaron, I cannot see him sending you home. He … seems to have a trait of trying to take care of people."

"He expects me to fail before I succeed," Calli notes. As yet, nobody else has peeked on them. "He won't do anything to prevent those failures though, only try to defend them to my mother. My mother expects me to be perfect. Aisha fears that her father will withdraw his support as soon as she stumbles, and all that she can hope for then is to find a husband that will respect and make use of her talents, like… like Alexander's wives, here."

"He wants you to learn, and sometimes the only way to learn is to fail," Layth notes with a sigh, followed by a momentary wince as he resumes the delicate procedure of stitching cuts. "As for Aisha's father, he wants her to fail, that much I know. I cannot claim to know how that would make someone feel. But as for withdrawing support for her, I … well, I suspect he will not. I believe what he wishes is for Aisha to come to him and tell him that he was right. I truly do not see her ever doing that."

"It is like being crushed under a great invisible stone," Calligenia says. "We can only confide in each other. And… it is infuriating that Tasha can chase her dreams so easily, or that Spring Meadow is given respect and yet doesn't even have to act like she does not need help."

"It is not so easy for them, either. I have seen Tasha cry; she clings too tightly to things sometimes. I have talked a great deal with Spring Meadow and she has her own concerns, worries, and fears. They are not so different from either of you," Layth comments as he sets the needle aside again for the moment.

There Layth sits for a bit, thinking. "Would it … would it be easier for the both of you if I left? One less reminder that people are waiting for you to fail?" he finally asks, "The friend I helped tonight has a brother who runs a caravan of traders. She said she could get me a job with it if I wanted. The pay would be poor, but it would be steady work. I told her I would think on it and let her know in a couple days."

"No!" Calli squeaks and turns to grab onto Layth's arm. "We would have no comfort at all then! Don't you like us?" she pleads.

"If I didn't, I wouldn't have offered to bathe you among all the other things we have done. I should not tell you this, but I asked your mother if there was anything I could do to help you succeed," Layth admits. "I've honestly felt that both of you hated me, that you wanted me to leave."

"I don't hate you," Calli pledges. "You are still my first… well, only… choice for a husband. Aisha loves you too, I know. She is just too young to know what to do, and still sees you as judging her."

"There are a lot of bucks that would give anything to be your husband," Layth comments quietly, "And most better than some former slave."

"I have not met them," Calligenia says. "But I'm not worthy yet to be your wife. Not until I have your respect. Aisha wishes the respect of her father first, so I'm sure I can win yours before she can."

"You frustrate me. It does not mean I do not respect you," Layth points out. "I don't know what I can do to help you. And nothing I've tried has worked."

"Just… tell me what to do, and I will do it," Calligenia promises. "I can convince Aisha as well. She just needs to know that she can trust you with her fears."

"That would likely depend on how meeting with her father goes. He expects a report," Layth notes with a small sigh. "And did you still wish to be punished?"

"If you think that I should be, for causing your anger," Calligenia says. "Or for other things I have done," she then adds.

Layth slips off the chair to sit in front of the doe on the floor. He puts a spool of thread in her hands, along with a curved needle. "Your punishment is to stitch up the deeper wounds on my back," he says just before he turns around and leans forward, placing his arms on the seat of the chair he vacated.

"Yes, Layth," Calligenia says, and proceeds to close up the gashes. Despite her lack of sleep, her hands don't shake a bit.

Layth manages not to twitch during the procedure, though it does rather hurt. "Do I really provide you … comfort? I would have thought Aa … Xavier, did that." he asks.

"He is not like a normal man," Calli says while she works. "He is too used to being alone. It is like he is afraid to touch us."

"You realize in the cultures outside of Amazonia … that women who act as you do often means you do not wish to be touched. So … is it possible you confuse them," Layth comments absently.

"We are Lapi, how can… " Calligenia begins to say, but then pauses. Finally she asks, "What are we doing wrong?"

"Wearing armor and weapons, for a start. You look as if you want to kill, not … cuddle," Layth explains. "Even I was not certain you wished attention at first. But, I thought it was worth the risk to find out. So I … touched."

"All does want attention," Calli murmurs. "Even Aldara did. I don't understand though how being prepared to fight connotes a desire to be alone."

"It is all about presence," Layth says, "For example, it is easier to tell when your mother wishes attention than you do. I think it is a matter of subtle gestures and movement. Nuances of your body that explain. I'm not sure quite how to explain exactly the difference between you and your mother in that respect, but it is there."

"Maturity, you mean?" the does asks. "Or… confidence? I know that… I do not always feel confident."

"It may more be confidence," Layth agrees. "Your mother can be quite terrifying … and yet she can still show some vulnerability; an invitation to get closer to her. Of course, once she has the male … well. She taught me my endurance was lacking." The buck actually chuffs a small laugh at the memory.

"I do not have the experience for… inviting… men," Calli notes, and bites off a bit of dangling thread. "You are the only man I have bathed with who touched me like you did."

"You are the only woman that made me think briefly at that time that she might actually kill me for doing so. But, I did it anyway and I am glad you enjoyed it," Layth comments in an actual good-naturedly tone. "I also suspect that perhaps Amazonian men fear you simply for who you are. The daughter of the queen, by title alone, is intimidating."

"I don't think my mother has ever executed anyone," Calligenia notes. "And she enjoys the attentions of men, and has never disapproved of my sisters interests." After a moment, she notes, "Aisha found a potion that she claims Spring Meadow used so that she could mate with you just for pleasure. But she left it in a box for Anysia to find."

"There is such. Spring Meadow and I have … ah, well, yes, used it. There are also other things we could do if you would wish to experience the pleasure without concern for pregnancy," Layth comments absently. "Though, obviously not tonight. You must be exhausted."

"As must you be," Calligenia agrees, and closes up the last of the serious looking gashes. "Forgive me for being selfish about you. I have been told that women do not go with the caravans."

That comment ears Calligenia a look from Layth over his shoulder. "You were being selfish about me?" he asks quite honestly.

"I would have offered to go with you on the caravan, if you had your heart set on it, and it was allowable," Calligenia notes. "But I do not think Aisha would have been allowed to go, as she is native to this culture. As a foreigner I might be given special consideration."

"You would have given up your chance at trading ties in Abaddon to go with me?" Layth asks, looking quite surprised for a change.

"Yes, since… I do not know if I could manage such a voyage without you," Calligenia admits. "It is frightening. I have guides for this world, but none for Abaddon. It is truly unknown. But that is also the draw of it. I am not like my mother. She revels in being at the center of the known world, where nothing is beyond her understanding. Dianus holds no mysteries. I wish for my children to live in a world where there is challenge and honor in seeking out the unknown."

"You make it very hard to remain angry with you," the buck finally says. "I will go with you to Abaddon. As the guardian to you, the warrior, if you wish it. I never thought of myself as being a warrior's official Guardian … but … I would be yours."

"You will guard me from my own inexperience," Calligenia says, and nuzzles the back of Layth's neck. "Is it wrong for me to defuse your anger?"

" … no," Layth admits as he sighs, betraying a small tone of contentment from the nuzzling on his neck. "It tells me you do not hate me."

"Ah, so it is better than body-language?" Calli asks, resting her chin on Layth's shoulder (although she nearly has to stand up to do so, even though the buck is kneeling).

"Contact usually is," the buck admits as he reaches back and pulls her arms around his chest and interlaces his fingers with hers. "And we should go to sleep before I find myself wishing to do other things."

The does yawns in agreement. "It would be best to hide your scratches from Aisha for now, or she will worry," Calligenia advises.

"After a bath, my fur will cover most of it," Layth notes as he now yawns. "Do you wish for me to join you to sleep tonight?"

"Yes," Calligenia says, simply.

Layth releases Calligenia's hands and finally stands. He doesn't ask before he picks the chocolate doe up into his arms and carries her towards the room assigned to her. "The sun will rise far earlier than we will wish," the buck admits quietly as he opens the door and carries her inside. There he lays her down on the large pillow, then slides in next to her and lightly wraps one arm over her. "But until then, sleep well, Lady Circerae," he murmurs, sleep quickly overtaking the large buck.