Path: newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.atl.earthlink.net!stamper.news.pas.earthlink.net!elnk-nf2-pas!newsfeed.earthlink.net!newshub.sdsu.edu!border1.nntp.dca.giganews.com!nntp.giganews.com!news-xfer.newsread.com!yellow.newsread.com!news-toy.newsread.com!netaxs.com!newsread.com!POSTED.newshog.newsread.com!not-for-mail Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated Approved: ascem@earthlink.net Organization: Better Living Thru TrekSmut Sender: ascem@earthlink.net Message-ID: From: "Nick" MIME-Version: 1.0 Mailing-List: list ASCEML@yahoogroups.com; contact ASCEML-owner@yahoogroups.com Subject: N2U TNG: "The Anthropology of Love" P/Q [NC-17] 1/3 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Lines: 594 Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 15:55:07 GMT NNTP-Posting-Host: 209.198.142.218 X-Complaints-To: Abuse Role , We Care X-Trace: newshog.newsread.com 1104422107 209.198.142.218 (Thu, 30 Dec 2004 10:55:07 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 10:55:07 EST Xref: news.earthlink.net alt.startrek.creative.erotica.moderated:86514 X-Received-Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 07:55:09 PST (newsspool2.news.atl.earthlink.net) Author: Nick (plan 9 channel 7 at witty dot com)=09 Title: The Anthropology of Love Series: TNG Rating: NC-17 Codes: P/Q Part: 1/3 Archive: wherever, as long as my name stays attached. Soon at my=20 website at http://www.geocities.com/pompadour_slim/pq.html Summary: Q convinces Picard to take a holiday with him on an alien=20 Website: http://www.geocities.com/pompadour_slim/pq.html Beta: Retrofit=20 Note: This was written for the SAC, and because of that is a lot=20 mushier than *anything* else of mine. In fact, it's completely angst- free. I know, I know.=20 "Q, is this really necessary?" Jean-Luc's voice garbled out from=20 behind a thick purple muffler. His arms jutted inelegantly through=20 the sleeves of a bulky, drooping robe that bundled and bunched around=20 his waist; he felt smothered, enormous and ridiculous under layer=20 after layer of alien undergarments.=20 "You want to blend in with the locals, don't you? Stop=20 complaining; I'm trying to decide if there's anything that would do=20 your figure more justice." Q cocked his head and snapped his fingers.=20 A scaly, blue-checkered coat and a pair of heavy white pants with a=20 form-fitting underlining replaced the man's robe. Dark brows=20 crinkling, Picard tugged his muffler down to huddle awkwardly under=20 his chin. "Locals? You didn't say anything about there being locals."=20 Circling the man, hands clasped theatrically behind his back, Q bent=20 at the waist to inspect his backside.=20 "Much better. Mmm? Don't fret, mon amour=85 these particular=20 locals bit the big one more than a thousand years ago." Squinting=20 over his shoulder at the immortal entity who had taken to squeezing=20 the seat of his pants experimentally, Jean-Luc frowned.=20 "All at once? And what's so significant about this particular=20 world at this particular time as to make all of=85" Jean-Luc gestured=20 half-heartedly, still frowning. "=85 this worthwhile?" Picard pulled at=20 the collar of his coat, finding that the extra padding was beginning=20 to make him uncomfortably warm in the moderate climate of his=20 quarters. How had the man let himself be talked into this little=20 holiday of Q's? He felt like a child whose mother had bundled him up=20 so tightly in preparation for a day of playing in the snow that he=20 was hardly likely to be able to stand upright, much less accomplish=20 any serious play.=20 "Yes, all at once. They're having one of their winter=20 festivals. Tr=E8s romantique." Q straightened up and snapped again,=20 clothing himself in a sleek, ankle-length moss green overcoat and a=20 pair of pants that were, aside from their purple color, identical to=20 Jean-Luc's.=20 "I don't know how romantique I'm going to feel under fourteen=20 layers of thermal insulation." Running a hand over his scalp, the man=20 narrowed his eyes as he surveyed his lover's attire. "Speaking of=20 which, you seem to have escaped that particular fate." "I'm not going to get cold, am I?" The entity shrugged=20 airily. Jean-Luc couldn't resist a faint smile; it had taken some=20 doing, but he had finally convinced Q to accept that he didn't like=20 to be automatically spared the physical hardships of being=20 human. "Besides, it'll be more fun this way; like undressing fourteen=20 different people." "Are you that bored with me, Q? Do you wish I were fourteen=20 different people?" Q's sensual mouth turned up at the corner as he=20 wormed teasing fingertips under the hem of Picard's coat. The gesture=20 was no less stirring for the man's inability to feel it through=20 layers of clothing.=20 "Fishing for validation? Mon Capitaine, that's so unlike=20 you." Feeling dopey under the weight and heat of his alien costume,=20 Jean-Luc grinned. His own fingers followed a light path along Q's=20 high cheekbone and into the entity's soft, dark hair. "Does that mean you're going to refuse me?" Q twined his=20 hands in the bulky material of Picard's coat and drew him in for a=20 soft, wet kiss that was brief but reluctantly so. The man's tongue=20 had just left his mouth to explore more interesting places when Q=20 withdrew and trailed provocative kisses up the length of his jaw.=20 "You're the only human I can stand. Sometimes you're the only=20 anything I can stand," the entity murmured against the tender flesh=20 of Jean-Luc's ear before he pulled back. "How's that for validation?" "Schmaltzy, even for you, but touching nonetheless." Q=20 smirked, his dark eyes glittering promises as he raised his hand. "All set, Johnny?" With an indulgent snort, Jean-Luc nodded.=20 Snap. -- The capital city of Malon's industrial state was a teeming,=20 snow-choked metropolis. Squat, rounded buildings huddled in clusters=20 like brightly painted, white-capped beetles among winding, well-trod=20 streets. The Malons themselves were a narrow people and largely=20 humanoid, with thick skin tending toward orange hues and an apparent=20 lack of body hair. Their ears were thin and angular, and it was=20 difficult to tell whether they were larger than those of humans or=20 the absence of head hair made them seem more prominent. Jean-Luc observed all of this from the busy street corner Q=20 had wished them onto. Their clothing did indeed seem to be=20 appropriate, though it was hardly enough to conceal the glaring=20 differences between their physical composition and that of the native=20 inhabitants. As the man watched, a Malon of indeterminate sex=20 shuffled past on wide feet, staring openly at them and cradling a=20 slim, Malon child in its gangly arms. Unconsciously gravitating=20 closer to Q, Jean-Luc, murmured, "Q, tell me these people are warp capable." "Of course, Jean-Luc. I brought you here to enjoy their=20 festival, not to disrupt it by making first contact." The man=20 relaxed, nodding slightly and giving himself greater permission to=20 observe for the pleasure of observing.=20 The street they were on was a wide thoroughfare, with fifteen=20 or twenty Malons stamping by at any given moment. Most of the=20 inhabitants were bundled up much as Jean-Luc was, in bright, scaly=20 coats and overcoats, and their boots, though wide and flat --=20 presumably to accommodate their wide, flat feet -- were much like=20 Jean-Luc's.=20 "Their feet are like snowshoes," the man noted with pleasant=20 amusement. Despite the cold, he was beginning to genuinely look=20 forward to whatever his lover had planned. Very little in the=20 universe gave him more pleasure than experiencing new cultures=20 intimately, and the fact that this particular 'new culture' was long=20 extinct didn't affect his enjoyment at all. Q tugged at the sleeve of=20 his coat, but it took him a moment to notice through his layers and=20 layers of clothing. "You can write up a report on their feet later. Come on,=20 we're going to be late." Looking around with quiet wonder at the=20 intricate, colorful patterns decorating the buildings on either side=20 of the street, Picard let himself be led by the arm. He wondered=20 dimly what they were going to be late for. Q hurried him across=20 through the crowd toward a building that was significantly larger and=20 grander than the others. Its rounded shell was painted in greens and=20 golds, with a sinewy web of blue splitting the other colors into=20 small, irregular sections. Jean-Luc was craning his neck to see more=20 of the structure as they approached, finding that it reminded him of=20 stained glass, when he collided with a Malon headed in the same=20 direction. It had a large bundle stuffed awkwardly under one of its=20 long arms, and, though its hands and neck were orange, its face was=20 yellow. The man blinked, stepping back and opening his mouth to=20 apologize, when Q interrupted him with a strange gesture. The entity=20 tapped his chest with the tips of his fingers and brushed a long=20 thumb up the corner of his mouth. Jean-Luc tried to look as though he=20 knew what Q was doing, and was relieved when the Malon smiled=20 graciously. "I acquit you," it said with a nod. Returning the smile and=20 the nod, Picard watched the creature amble away. He was just=20 formulating some sort of thoughtful comment on the event when Q=20 tugged at his arm again and hustled him inside the building.=20 Broad double doors led into a deep hall crowded with Malons=20 and lit subtly by glowing yellow orbs that dangled from the high=20 ceiling. Over the heads of shuffling natives, Jean-Luc caught=20 tantalizing glimpses of rich blues and elegant purples swirling=20 uninhibited across the high, curved walls. Along the back wall was a=20 delicately carved relief of a large Malon with a headdress extending=20 its arms and cradling something radiant in its cupped hands. Before=20 it knelt ten or fifteen (Picard couldn't see well enough to count)=20 smaller Malons whose faces were rapturous as they gazed up at it. The=20 murmuring of Malon voices was rich and tuneful around him, and Jean- Luc had a soft smile plastered hopelessly across his face when Q took=20 his hand and skirted them gracefully along the outer edge of the=20 crowd to the far side of a low platform at the head of the building.=20 "That's where the action's going to be," Q murmured, nodding=20 toward the platform and, as if on cue, the lights illuminating other=20 parts of the hall dimmed considerably. Picard spared his lover a=20 suspicious glance, but the entity fluttered his eyelashes innocently.=20 When a large Malon with rich red skin stepped onto the platform=20 wearing an elaborate, leafy headdress, the hall fell silent. Though=20 it first appeared to be especially tall, Jean-Luc soon noticed that=20 wide boots several inches higher than the others he had seen=20 supplemented the being's height considerably. In contrast to the way=20 most in attendance were dressed, the performer wore very little aside=20 from its boots and a wide blue sash around its narrow waist. After=20 raising its arms in acknowledgement of the crowd, the Malon hunched=20 over and hobbled around in a slow, staggering circle.=20 "Is he ill?" Picard whispered out of the corner of his mouth, feeling=20 as though he were without a program at an opera he'd never seen. "Extremely," Q whispered back. Soon, two bright yellow faces appeared=20 from behind the platform, and then the orange bodies they were=20 attached to crept nearer. The newcomers wore dull brown sashes and no=20 boots that Jean-Luc could make out, though he had to stand on tiptoes=20 to see everything. They skulked downstage and circled the first=20 performer in wide, opposing orbits before they met again behind it.=20 While the red Malon mimed leaning heavily on something, the others=20 whispered between themselves and wrung their hands fretfully.=20 Finally, one yellow-faced performer drew a long, angled blade from=20 its sash and took slow, almost regretful steps toward the being in=20 the headdress. Its partner raised a narrow, yellow chin and overtook=20 it, snatching the dagger from its grasp, and strode on toward the=20 first performer, who hung its head and feigned obliviousness.=20 Picard's dark brows knitted together as the unarmed yellow Malon=20 followed quickly, grabbing the sickly one from behind. "What are they doing to him?" As the first performer=20 struggled, it cried out. The noise was haunting, echoing widely=20 through the otherwise silent hall, and Jean-Luc could see the=20 audience shift in his peripheral vision.=20 "What does it look like?" Q's lips were close to his ear and=20 it made him feel warm despite the apparent lack of central heating in=20 the performance hall. The armed yellow Malon brought its broad=20 forehead down to touch that of the red being, though it had to pull=20 back quickly when the creature whipped its head from side to side as=20 it fought to free itself. Closing its eyes, the yellow-faced=20 performer raised the blade with an air of ceremony and a regret that=20 resembled its companion's.=20 "It looks like they're murdering him." The blade fell once,=20 and then again, and then a final time, and the second yellow-faced=20 Malon stumbled backward as its victim folded from its grasp.=20 "That's what they're doing." Dropping its blade, the yellow- faced murderer knelt beside the red Malon and bowed its head=20 reverently. Its companion did the same, though with less grace, as=20 its long-fingered orange hands trembled visibly.=20 "I should have known a murder festival would be your idea of=20 romance." Q snorted softly as the two performers flattened their arms=20 beneath their victim's body and bore it up slowly, lifting with their=20 knobby knees. "Whom did they murder?" A stirring in the corner of his=20 eye made Picard glance distractedly at the rest of the audience.=20 Throughout the hall, Malons were clutching themselves restlessly,=20 their round, dark eyes trained raptly on the action atop the low=20 platform.=20=20 "Prime Minister Tephemus. He lived four hundred years ago.=20 Well, relatively speaking it was about two thousand years ago, but=20 you get the idea, I'm sure." When the man looked back at the stage,=20 the yellow-faced performers were carrying the red Malon toward the=20 edge.=20 "Was he a tyrant?" The headdress shifted with a discreet push=20 from one orange elbow and tumbled to splay out across the smooth,=20 neutral ground. There was a collective gasp from the audience as the=20 article landed. "No, they loved him." Jean-Luc frowned, squinting as the=20 murderers draped the body of their victim across the floor at the=20 foot of the platform, seeming to take great care in the way they=20 situated it. They spread its limbs wide, like a star, and rolled its=20 head to the side. "And now they're celebrating his murder." The yellow-faced=20 Malon who had wielded the blade retrieved the headdress and placed it=20 on the ground above the victim's head. It pulled at the leafy fronds=20 until they fanned out broadly to form a sort of halo.=20 "Apparently." The Malon's partner produced something from its=20 sash and Picard craned his neck to see what it was. When it knelt=20 below the body's outstretched arm and extended its hand, he thought=20 he could make out a gourd-shaped black vial.=20 "Are they going to pour poison into his ear?" In his=20 peripheral vision Jean-Luc saw Q look at him for the first time since=20 the performance had begun. Those dark, intelligent eyes caught more=20 dim light than seemed to be their share and he couldn't help=20 shivering under his many layers. On the platform, the kneeling=20 creature emptied the vial of some imaginary substance, taking care to=20 anoint the deceased's entire body.=20 "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" There was so much lewd=20 insinuation in Q's soft hiss that Picard had to wonder whether it had=20 anything at all to do with his dry question. The man leaned=20 discreetly against his lover as the yellow-faced murderers shuffled=20 offstage, heads bowed, flat feet slapping against the smooth=20 platform.=20 "I'm sure you'd think he deserved it for his arrogance." The=20 lights dimmed further, shrouding even the platform in darkness. Q's=20 full lips skimmed across the flesh of Jean-Luc's earlobe, making him=20 shiver again. "I'm sure he did," the entity breathed, withdrawing as the=20 lights brightened again throughout the hall. The platform was empty=20 and the Malons were stamping their wide feet in subdued applause.=20 After a moment, Picard tapped his own toes against the ground,=20 smiling faintly. Gradually the applause died away and the audience=20 began to shuffle around, gathering up their young and talking quietly=20 in small groups. The concentration of Malons near the broad double=20 doors at the back thinned as the less social attendees began to=20 trickle out into the snowy street. "Well?" Jean-Luc turned to find Q=20 posed dramatically with his hands on his hips. The corner of the=20 man's mouth twitched upward slightly. "Interesting, but the romance continues to elude me."=20 "Not for long, mon amour. Do you want to meet them?"=20=20 Gesturing behind him, the entity indicated a small door set=20 discreetly to the left of the platform, along the back wall. It had=20 been propped open and, as Picard looked, a broad-chested Malon=20 carrying the headdress prop gingerly in large hands disappeared=20 through it. Q smiled winningly and Jean-Luc knew he wouldn't have=20 been able to resist even if he had wanted to.=20 "The performers? Why not?" Q's eyes smoldered and he took=20 Picard's hand once again to lead him on. The man felt himself grow=20 increasingly curious as to how any of what he had seen related at all=20 to romance. All joking aside, he knew that if Q insisted the holiday=20 would be romantic it would be, and his lover had chosen this time and=20 a place specifically, so it must be significant somehow. He was still=20 frowning thoughtfully as they wove their way through a series of=20 hallways in the bowels of the building. The walls were painted=20 brightly, as everything seemed to be, and though some of the color=20 combinations seemed counterintuitive to Picard, he found most of the=20 decoration pleasing to look at. Even those configurations which did=20 not immediately please him made him think, made him wonder whom they=20 might please and whether he couldn't learn to appreciate them given=20 time and greater understanding.=20 Q stopped at a set of two doors, narrow and together occupying the=20 space Jean-Luc might have allotted for one. They were trimmed in a=20 thick, winding gold pattern, but were otherwise indistinguishable=20 from the other doors they had passed along the way. Surveying the=20 trim carefully and feeling strangely pleased when he noticed the way=20 tiny particles shone amid the seemingly solid strokes, the man took=20 only the vaguest note when Q pressed a flat button on the left side=20 of the doorframe, eliciting a low, airy whistle from inside. As the=20 doors hissed open, though, Jean-Luc wrested his attention from the=20 trim to straighten and step back respectfully. Q, on the other hand,=20 was striding across the threshold almost before the doors had cleared=20 a place and the man was quick to follow, realizing that he couldn't=20 be certain when and how the doors would close again.=20 "To please my eyes! If it isn't Lorec the Stagemaster, I've died and=20 gone to see Tephemus," Q purred at the orange Malon who stood near=20 the center of the room rubbing absently at patches of red paint=20 across its thick skin with a bunched cloth. The Malon gave a deep,=20 musical chuckle, and Picard found it difficult to decide whether to=20 concentrate on their host or on the rest of the room, which was=20 vibrantly decorated and full of comfortable-looking furniture and=20 sweet-smelling edibles. The chamber itself was not particularly=20 large, but the configuration of articles inside it seemed to maximize=20 the amount of useable space in a way that had the man marveling at=20 both the artistry and efficiency of its decorator.=20 "You flatter my humble self as always, Q. I was not aware that you=20 would be in attendance. Your presence, too, flatters." Lorec nodded=20 graciously, depositing its cloth on a high, round table and smiling=20 toothily at Jean-Luc. "I see you have brought a companion." Picard=20 nodded politely and allowed himself to give in to the warm smile that=20 itched at his lips. It was all so beautiful and interesting. The more=20 he thought about it, the more he realized that the fact that the=20 Malons were extinct in his own time made it more fascinating to be=20 able to see them living and creating in front of him. How many times,=20 as he had fondled the artifacts in his collection, had he fantasized=20 about seeing them put to their intended use by those who had used=20 them? "This is my mate, Jean-Luc Picard. It is his first experience of the=20 pleasure of visiting Malon." At the sound of his name, Jean-Luc=20 looked up, realizing that he had let his attention roam wonderingly=20 across the room, nearly forgetting that he wasn't alone in some sort=20 of anthropological holo-book. He smiled again and tried to imitate=20 the gracious nod the Malon had given him. "It certainly has been a pleasure. The d=E9cor is exquisite and your=20 performance was very moving." Lorec's large ears shivered and the=20 creature looked exceedingly pleased as it gestured toward a plush,=20 powder blue divan set against the right wall. "Your mate is as you are, Q, though I would expect no different. In=20 truth, I am surprised to learn that your kind mates. But, please, do=20 not let my curiosity distract you from taking comfort." The man=20 couldn't help snickering inwardly at the thought that there was a=20 corner of space and time where people considered Q to be courteous=20 and pleasant company. And yet, Q had indeed acted that way thus far.=20 Certainly Jean-Luc enjoyed Q's company, but it was rare that anyone=20 else did, and he found it lovely to be able to be with his lover=20 without having to stifle the urge to apologize for his behavior. Q=20 moved aside so that Picard could seat himself first, giving the man=20 an almost imperceptible wink as he did so. Smiling softly at the=20 entity's discreetly intimate display, Jean-Luc sat on one end of the=20 divan, careful to avoid marring the soft upholstery. Once Q had=20 joined him, sitting closer than the man might have thought=20 appropriate if they had been in a place where he had any idea of the=20 appropriateness of anything, Lorec sat some distance away from them=20 on the other end of the sofa. It smiled and its ears fluttered again=20 as their comfort with the accommodation showed on their faces.=20 "It is not customary for Q to mate, you're right. Jean-Luc is=85=20 special," Q said, leaning back against the piles of powder blue=20 pillows behind them. The man cleared his throat softly and fought=20 back the urge to roll his eyes as a rosy flush tinted his cheeks.=20 "It was my understanding that all Q were, as you say, 'special',"=20 Lorec rumbled wryly. Picard relaxed instantly at the promise of=20 mirthful intelligence in those round, sparkling eyes. He was couched=20 in luxurious softness, the side of his thigh pressed lightly against=20 that of his lover, and his senses were filled with the strange beauty=20 of their host's room. Beyond that, the orange creature's tone was one=20 he understood and enjoyed and he let go of the worry that he might=20 have a difficult time keeping up with whatever etiquette the=20 conversation would require of him. Still, he couldn't help wondering=20 at the sudden addition of wry insinuation underneath the formal=20 politeness. Had it been there from the start? Could he have missed=20 it?=20 "How right you are. However, Jean-Luc is not a Q, and he isn't this=20 kind of special." Q grinned faintly and snapped his fingers. Jean- Luc's eyes made an instinctive, lightning-fast circuit of the room to=20 see whether anything had been altered, but it seemed that his lover's=20 gesture had only been a visual aid. Lorec knitted its long fingers=20 loosely and showed its elegantly jutting teeth. "Is it always so=85 polite?"=20 "Not always, no, but he is a diplomat, among other things. I'm sure=20 there's plenty he'd like to say but thinks might offend you."=20 Chuckling softly, Jean-Luc shrugged his concession as Q's dark eyes=20 glittered at him.=20 "Is this so, Jean-Luc?" The Malon's thick tongue clacked awkwardly=20 around the man's name, but Picard respected the boldness of its=20 attempt. He crossed one leg over the other, relaxing more by the=20 moment, and turned slightly to face Lorec. "I find that in most cases where I am concerned, if Q says it is so,=20 it is so." Q leaned back further into the pillows so that Jean-Luc's=20 view of the Malon was unrestricted and the corners of his mouth=20 twitched upward.=20 "Indeed? Then I must assume that you concede being, as it=20 says, 'special', though you gave the appearance of discomfort at its=20 assertion," Lorec murmured, its forehead drawing down. The man=20 studied it for a moment, even as a flush warmed his cheeks again, and=20 tried to determine whether there was a teasing exaggeration in the=20 being's expression or it was only a trick of his wishful imagination.=20 "If it did not make me uncomfortable I don't think he would have much=20 cause to say it." Tapping at its mouth with the side of a long=20 finger, Lorec smiled faintly, and there was an unmistakably wry glint=20 in its round eyes. Jean-Luc found himself sitting up straighter,=20 found his feet flattening on the floor in anticipation. Challenging=20 banter never failed to excite and amuse him, and there was the=20 promise of it in the Malon's expression.=20 "Do you say it enjoys making you uncomfortable?" Lorec exchanged a=20 discreet glance with Q, who was sprawled unself-consciously across=20 the blue pillows, smirking and nibbling daintily on the nail of his=20 human little finger. His lover's pose sparked a rich warmth in Jean- Luc's stomach that threatened to migrate lower and the man shifted=20 his gaze quickly back to their host. "There is no doubt that he does, sometimes." "Not in this case?" Picard smiled softly, daring another glance at Q.=20 The entity pouted his full lips and Jean-Luc forced himself to look=20 away before his lover did something dangerous like lick them. He=20 tried to focus but it was becoming more difficult not to obsess over=20 the idea of getting Q alone somehow. Suddenly the pressure of Q's=20 thigh against his was almost unbearably hot through his thick pants.=20 "Not in this case. If he extolled my virtues and I agreed with him, I=20 wouldn't deserve the extolments in the first place. I think he does=20 it to delight in my humility." A wry grin tugged at the corner of=20 Picard's thin, chiseled upper lip. Lorec laughed a rumbling, musical=20 laugh and its ears shivered. "Ahh, now I can see you are not a Q. I do not believe the Q value=20 humility in themselves. In others, of course, but not in themselves."=20 Q rolled his eyes so dramatically that it seemed almost audible, and=20 neither Jean-Luc nor Lorec failed to notice and grin. Q himself was=20 grinning once he'd tired of crinkling his features into the expected=20 contemptuous scowl.=20 "I think I'm beginning to like your friend, Q," Picard murmured,=20 exchanging a glittering glance with the orange creature on the other=20 end of the divan. Q smirked and ran a hand up the inside of Jean- Luc's thigh indecently. His eyes widening, the man instinctively=20 tried to scoot away but found that his only escape was off the edge=20 of the divan and onto the floor. Instead, he glared at his lover in=20 what he hoped might be a discreet way.=20 "I knew you would, and I'm sure you'll be even more fond of each=20 other in the morning after you've gotten to talk a bit more." As the=20 entity leaned forward and braced himself to stand, Picard hazarded a=20 look at Lorec, but the creature seemed far from discomforted by Q's=20 behavior. The Malon smiled knowingly and rose, prompting Jean-Luc to=20 do the same to avoid the awkwardness of being the only member of the=20 party to remain seated.=20 "As your mate is not a god-thing, perhaps you will appreciate our=20 hospitality tonight." All sarcasm was gone from Lorec's expression,=20 and from Q's as the entity nodded deeply. Picard allowed himself to=20 relax somewhat. Perhaps his lover's gesture would not be considered=20 inappropriate here. The culture did not seem overtly sexual, but it=20 was possible that their attitudes toward propriety differed from=20 those the man was accustomed to.=20 "If you will deign to offer it." Smiling toothily, the Malon clasped=20 its orange hands together. "Have I ever failed?" Q wrapped long fingers around Jean-Luc's bicep=20 and the multitude of layers that covered it and gave their host a=20 serene smile. "No indeed." Its ears shivering with delight, Lorec nodded and went=20 to a panel along the far wall, where its fingertips tapped out a=20 complex pattern, making richly colored lights flash on and off in=20 irregular shapes.=20 "I have summoned the caretaker. It will find you outside and show you=20 to your accommodations."=20 -- As soon as the doors of their room hissed closed, Jean-Luc=20 was thrown bodily against the wall as Q kissed him hard. The man had=20 intended to reproach his lover, once they were alone, for not at=20 least mentioning that overt displays of 'affection' would not be=20 considered inappropriate here. Had he been warned, Picard imagined he=20 most probably would have been able to stifle his innate reaction to=20 public intimacy, but under the circumstances he couldn't help=20 thinking that the entity had set him up to look foolish. But a=20 reproach and the probable result -- an argument -- disintegrated from=20 his agenda when Q's hot, wet tongue entered his mouth. His blood=20 surged and the memory of the way his lover had looked splayed across=20 Lorec's blue pillows made him growl and spear Q's tongue with his=20 own. The entity groaned and sucked him in, his eyelids fluttering as=20 he clawed clumsily at Jean-Luc's blue-checkered coat, finally=20 wrenching it open and off of his shoulders to reveal a thick, long=20 sleeved undershirt.=20 "I hope you were warm enough under here, Johnny," Q snarled=20 as he yanked on the undershirt, ripping it at the shoulder seam but=20 failing to remove it. Tilting his head back and clenching his teeth,=20 his mechanical heart laboring furiously, Jean-Luc struggled with the=20 garment until it was partially over his head and stuck there. "Get these off=85 I don't care how you do it, Q, but get these=20 damn things off!" His voice was hoarse and muffled from inside the=20 thick cloth confinement. "Are you sure?" the entity panted, ceasing to pull at the=20 shirt. It was only Q's hesitation to employ his powers that made Jean- Luc realize his lover had completely forgone their use since they had=20 arrived on Malon. The thought made him warm and desperate and tender=20 at the same time, and the form-fitting underlining of his Malon pants=20 were beginning to feel as tight and maddening as a cockring without=20 being nearly so much fun.=20 "I've never been so sure of anything in my life!" Picard's=20 arms continued to flail for a moment after the resistance=20 disappeared. In fact, all of his clothes had disappeared, as had Q's,=20 and he felt as though he had lost his balance. He thought he was=20 going to fall, but then Q's weight was pressing down on him and he=20 realized that they were both sprawled across an impossibly soft bed=20 with a thick, dark purple dressing. Brown eyes glittered at him as=20 the entity shifted, brushing their cocks together and making him=20 groan. Jean-Luc was so hard he was dripping and some part of his mind=20 worried vaguely about the mess they were sure to make of a bed that=20 was not their own.=20 [Continued in 2/3] ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ ASCEM messages are copied to a mailing list. Most recent messages can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ASCEML. NewMessage: