Saga - PT A Private Place (MMM #8; Zeb/OC romance; pre-Rebels)

Author: Findswoman
Title: A Private Place
Era: Saga–PT (pre-Siege of Lasan)
Characters: Garazeb “Zeb” Orrelios, OC, and a few cameos
Genre: Romantic vignette, mush
Summary: Zeb surprises Shulma with a visit to her private study chamber at the Royal Lasat Academy of Shamans.
Notes: Written for MMM Challenge #8: KISS. The prompt was to write a story featuring a kiss in 1000 words or less. According to www.wordcounter.net, this one clocks in at 965 words (962 if the three-asterisk separator isn’t counted). Many thanks to @Raissa Baiard, as always, for beta reading and invaluable feedback.

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Zeb always got lost in the Academy of Shamans.

Not that he’d actually been inside the place much. Most of the time, when he came to meet Shulma, it was at the funicular station at the foot of the mountain. But this wasn’t just any other time. He wanted this time to be extra special, because he had just returned from his first big tour of duty—stealth operations training at Honor Guard Station Wyddb out on the Western Landmass. Not only had he completed the training with distinction, he had also been promoted from First Corporal to Junior Lieutenant in the process—and he wanted her to be the first to know. She knew he would be returning that day, but she didn’t know he was on his way to her study chamber right now.

It had taken a while, but he thought he was finally in the right place. Shulma always said that the second-degree shamans’ study chambers were on the west side, but that wasn’t much help. The Royal Lasat Academy of Shamans was vast, labyrinthine, and confusing. Zeb had already taken one wrong turn through the faculty-only section of the library (where a grizzled older male shaman had shot him a stern glare) and another through the initiates’ wing (where some of the younger initiates, unused to seeing a hulking, armored military man lumbering through their hallowed halls, had stared and pointed).

But an Honor Guard must persevere, of course. And persevere he did, scouring the ancient corridors of the academy until he came to a hallway of small cubicle-rooms, each with its own window and door and with names on some of the doors. Now it was just a matter of finding hers. (As he walked, he slipped off his bracers and knuckle guards and secured them to one of his belt clips. He had a feeling he wouldn’t want them in the way.)

Ah, there it was: SHULMA VIZULI TRILASHA 2D ORDINARY. He peered through the window. There she was! Anything but ordinary, if you asked him! Sitting at her wooden desk, with her long, dark hair tumbling over her shoulders, engrossed in a large, ancient-looking book. Sometimes she paused to peer into another smaller book lying open beside it; sometimes she took notes in a small notebook. He watched her for several moments. Each of her little studying motions—peering, craning, jotting, bending over to pick up a dropped stylus—was full of her characteristic grace, the grace he loved. And she was all alone, studying her texts and her lore here in her own little private place, with no one else around to see… and Zeb wondered if someday he would be watching her graceful motions in other private places, too…

Arright, head out of the clouds, Orrelios. As slowly and as quietly as he could, Zeb turned the handle of the door and opened it, then toe-padded into the room toward Shulma. She took no notice, still engrossed in her studying. Zeb smiled to himself as he sidled soundlessly over to stand behind her. Looked like stealth ops training was paying off already! He put out a hand—careful now, stealthy now—and laid it, very gently, on that lithe, wine-striped shoulder…

“Oh!” A few sparks flew upward as Shulma sprang to her feet and spun around, dropping her stylus and knocking the notebook to the floor. She sighed with relief as she realized who was there, and relaxed against his chest. “Zeblove, you’re here…!”

“Heh heh, ’course I am, darlin’!” He grinned as he gathered her close. “Did I scare ya?”

“Yes—I mean, no—I mean, a little, but—what are you—doing here?”

“What’s it look like? Holdin’ my lady, of course.” In her own little private place, all alone, so close… “Since I haven’t gotten to since the start o’ last cold season’r so.”

“Mmm, well, usually you’re holding your lady out there on the transport platform.”

“Yeah, but this is nicer… nicer and more private and we’re closer and…” And you’re so beautiful and so soft and I can feel your breath on my nose—“aw karabast, it’s been a really long time, hasn’t it, darlin’—”

“Oh Zeblove, it has”—closer—“it has”—closer still—

They kissed.

And kissed and kissed AND KISSED, those mouths and stripes and scents that had been so long apart—passionately, forcefully, lingeringly—her hands tenacious on his shoulders and chest, his hands rugged on her waist and hips—fused and locked as one, and yet moving and thrilling—AW YEAH—

All in that little private place, all alone, so close…

They did not see the pair of bright, mischievous amber eyes that peered in through the window, then darted off—then returned with several other bright eyes that also began to peer in. Nor did they see the fallen notebook on the ground behind them—

—until they both stumbled backward over it and into the corner of the desk. Shulma’s gasped cry broke their kiss as she and Zeb tumbled onto the desk in a heap, knocking the larger book closed and jostling the smaller book to the floor. There was barely time for a karabast before they became aware of the gawking eyes, the gasps, the cheers…

…and a diminutive but commanding figure swept through the hallway, scattering the gawkers with a stroke of her hand and calling out, “NOW THEN, DEAR CHILDREN, BACK TO YOUR STUDIES, PLEASE!”

And Shulma and Zeb sagged against each other, spent but relieved.

* * *​

That was the first and last time Zeb ventured up to Shulma’s study chamber. Next time he came to meet her at the academy, he stayed at the funicular station and waited for her—and the next time, and the next time. Their kisses there were calmer, mellower. But neither of them ever forgot that passionate, forceful kiss in that private place.

Spoiler: Notes

Honor Guard Station Wyddb is fanon and is named after Naval Air Station Whidbey on Whidbey Island, one of the islands off the Olympic Peninsula of the state of Washington (and my dad’s birthplace).

Shulma Vizuli Trilasha 2d Ordinary: “Second Ordinary” is a reference to her rank as a shaman; it represents that she is at about the midpoint of her shamanic studies. Shulma’s middle name was first introduced in Sparks.

The amber eyes belong to another OC of mine: Yhazi Khefastu, Shulma’s fellow shaman and one of her best friends (albeit one with a mischievous streak). She is first mentioned in Sleeping Honor and has appeared in person in Calm after the Storm and Light of Lasan.

The “diminutive but commanding figure” is, of course, none other than the one and only Chava the Wise.

 

Oh dear goodness me, but this definitely took the K.I.S.S prompt and ran with it in the best of ways. What a kiss! What a beautifully described scene for Zeb and Shulma! I found myself smiling at this all the way through.

First off, I loved the setting! It looks like Zeb is putting all of his skills as an Honor Guard to the best - he certainly did earn that promotion, didn't he? - from his perseverance through the labyrinthine halls of the academy to his stealthily sneaking into Shulma's room. I enjoyed all of the details of him finding his way and, of course, his thoughts on his lady love all the while! (And the sparks, of course, the sparks!! )

Aw! It was a little detail, but so sweetly sincere.

And what a kiss that was!!! So much passion and warmth! And, of course, so very clearly from Zeb's POV.

Oh but I lost it here! Yep, our lovely couple attracted company! But it's well meaning company who are just sincerely happy for their joy. I love that Wise Chava knows what's what, though, and ushers her students on their way.


What a lovely scene to answer to the challenge - and a beautiful memory for both Zeb and Shulma!

 

Nice job with this piece! It felt like a slice of life story that was very true to life in a galaxy far, far away. Particular highlights for me were:

And kissed and kissed AND KISSED, those mouths and stripes and scents that had been so long apart—passionately, forcefully, lingeringly—her hands tenacious on his shoulders and chest, his hands rugged on her waist and hips—fused and locked as one, and yet moving and thrilling—AW YEAH—

All in that little private place, all alone, so close…

This just has a wonderfully stream of consciousness feel to it that I loved.

Also:

…and a diminutive but commanding figure swept through the hallway, scattering the gawkers with a stroke of her hand and calling out, “NOW THEN, DEAR CHILDREN, BACK TO YOUR STUDIES, PLEASE!”

This part just made me chuckle to myself. You have a knack for writing that kind of true to life humor.

Great job with this, and thank you for writing it! It's really cool to see all the different takes on kissing as a result of this Monday Mush Challenge

 

Thank you all for your readership and comments!

Thank you so much, so glad you enjoyed this! It was a ton of fun to write, the cheering gawkers no less than the passionate kiss. And I knew you would recognize Yhazi!

You're very welcome, glad you like that too! It just seemed to fit.

Oh, thank you, Mira, so glad you enjoyed this! Again, it was just such fun to write, so I'm glad my readers had fun with it too!

Yes, he's finding those skills are useful not just for military things, and he's putting them to good use! (And yes, the sparks... he's been looking forward to those, of all kinds, for a long time!)

Thanks! Part of the point, of course, was to contrast her official shamanic rank designation with the way she's by no means either 2nd-class or ordinary in Zeb's eyes. <3

Thanks so much! I still get a little nervous writing kisses like this, but then too it always ends up being so much fun, so that each time I get a wee bit more secure with it. And hey, for a hotheaded type like Zeb who's been away from his lady for so long, I felt a little heat was in order!

Oh yes, by now probably everyone at the Academy of Shamans who knows Shulma knows about her soldier sweetheart, so it's kind of fun treat for them to get to see them as a pair for real, so to speak! And Chava wholeheartedly supports them, too—which is why she's addressing the gawkers and not the kissers, of course.

Thank you so much, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Always a joy to see you here!

Yep, they didn't quite count on that happening, did they! Well, how were they to know, really? And they still ultimately enjoyed themselves, at least.

True, though in that case they'd be kissing in the company of all the other people getting on and off the funicular. I suppose they just can't win, can they! But it will make for a sweet memory, all the same! Thanks so much for coming by to read and comment, great to have you here!

Thanks so much, and as always I'm so glad you enjoyed! I have to say, writing romantic!Zeb is one of my little guilty pleasures these days, as well as a very interesting exercise--what WOULD love and romance have been like for a hotheaded, cantankerous character like that? Though he does indeed have that playful side, too, and I know that would show itself in spades in a romance! (I'm with you about being sneaked up on, though... I don't do well with that kind of thing at all! The other day Findsboy came up behind me and poked me or something, and I jumped about 7 feet in the air.) And it was a lot of fun to riff on the "fish out of water" aspect of the soldier walking through the academy halls--I loved that images, too, as well as (of course) the image of him and Shulma making out in her study.

Hah! Great description (in bold) there! That is pretty much the size of it, yes. That kiss scene wound up a little more passionate than most of my others to date, which was a bit new for me. But I won't lie, it was rather fun and exhilarating, too--kind of, "yes, I CAN write that kind of scene, too!" And good job recognizing Yhazi (though no surprise, either)! But yes, for Shulma it was kind of a "when it rains, it pours" type situation with not only several fellow students but also one of her most revered and respected teachers. Mega d'oh! Though Chava knows what's what and understands (which is why she tries to shoo the other students away), and you're absolutely right that this is a moment Zeb and Shulma will always remember. Nor will it be the end of passionate kisses for them! <3 Thanks so much, as always, for all the support and encouragement!

Thanks so much for reading and commenting, devil! Always glad to have you here, and I'm glad you enjoyed this little attempt. Again, since this was venturing into some new territory for me in terms of the sheer passion level, I am glad (and relieved) that it came off well to you!

Aw, thanks! That means a lot to me coming from someone like you, who are also so adept at real-life humor, fun, and snark!

Thanks again--so glad you liked this! And I too really loved all the wonderful variety that came out of this challenge. A kiss can mean so many different things and go so many different ways!

Thank you so much, Jen, and thank you for being here to read and comment--so glad you enjoyed this!

Thanks as always for being here, diva! Yes, that motif of searching for each other does seem to recur in the story(ies) of these too, doesn't it? And I guess the bunny/image I'd long had in mind of these two kissing in Shulma's study turned out to be an all right fit for it! It's one of those things that I would have tried to draw if I had any visual-art talent, but as it is I have to stick to these little verbal vignettes!

Thank you, I'm so glad you liked that bit--so did I, because I have long loved the idea of lovers watching and considering and getting to know each other's little tiny motions and ways so closely, even the really ordinary and insignifcant-seeming things. Even now, Zeb is looking forward to really getting to know all Shulma's little motions. Today it's picking up a dropped pen, but sometime in the future it may be taking out her hairpins as she gets ready for bed...

And what a spectacle they got! Not just the little ones, either--those amber eyes are Shulma's good friend Yhazi, and you just know she's going to go all out in ribbing Shulma about this the first chance she gets!

Thank you so much! I am so glad you enjoyed, and it's always a joy to have you here!

Thank you, RX! I really appreciate your coming by to read and comment, and I'm glad you enjoyed the story and the couple!

Thank you so much, Bri, and thanks for reading and commenting--always wonderful to have you here. Like I said, I've really had a blast trying to write this kind of character in a romantic way while still having him be himself, and I'm so glad that was successful in your eyes.

Thanks again, so glad you liked that bit--it was one of my own favorites to write, too, just because I love the idea of those little ordinary things becoming a source of beauty when one is in love.

Oh my, that is high praise indeed! I know I've arrived, now! Thank you so much, I really appreciate that, and I'm glad you found it both effective and enjoyable!