FIC: Born This Way, 5 Gaila-centric drabbles, PG-R
Title: Born This Way
Author: katmarajade
Rating: 5 drabbles spanning from PG-R
Written For: Team Gaila's Triathlon entry at st_respect 's Ship Olympics. These are 5 drabbles (each around 500 words) that I wrote for an 11-drabble acrostic (BORN THIS WAY)
Pairings: Gaila/Kirk, Gaila/Scotty, Gaila/Cupcake, Gaila/Sulu, Gen: Gaila & her mother
Warnings: Mentions of slavery and other horrible things (nothing graphic), a bit of sex
Notes: If you like this, please check out the entire drabble acrostic (~5k and some just gorgeous writing) plus gorgeous artwork and vids here I just wanted to post my part at my journal for archiving purposes. I kept the cross-stitched letters that we posted it with originally here. They were done by ladymac111
Gaila/Kirk, PG-13, angsty references to slavery (Orion) and genocide/starvation (Tarsus IV)
he first time that Gaila saw Jim Kirk, he was getting pummeled in a bar fight. Judging by his lack of concern over his predicament, she figured that he was no stranger to that sort of altercation.
She stepped in, flashing his attackers a beguiling smile. Unused to the powers of Orion persuasion, they lumbered off looking dazed. He looked up at her from where he was sprawled out on the floor, and she knew that she'd never forget those blue eyes, full of defiance and confidence, but with traces of hardness there. Like her, he'd been through hell and fought his way out. She recognized it immediately and knew that she'd found a kindred spirit.
The second time, he had fallen asleep in the computer lab. She poked him when he began snoring, jolting him awake. He shrugged, unconcerned that he had no idea who she was, and suggested that they take a walk. They wandered to the edge of Academy grounds, where they sprawled out on the damp grass and stared up at the stars.
"It's strange, isn't it? Being around all these cadets, most of whom have never seen anything truly horrible in their lives," she mused.
"Is that why you're here with me? You heard about my various childhood traumas?" he snorted derisively.
"I didn't know who you were-just saw the same thing in your eyes that I see in mine."
He stared, appraising her motives, but must have judged her sincere, because he continued. "I don't talk about my past much. Not much left to say. I don't need people's pity and I don't want their help."
"I know," she sighed, closing her eyes and feeling the moonlight playing over her skin. "You don't need to tell me either. It's just … we're not like the others. Most of them have never seen their loved ones murdered, never seen genocide or slavery, never experienced starvation or torture. It's not their fault that they don't understand. I hope that they never do, actually. But people like me and you? We know all too well. Your actions don't come from the same stupid bravado that so many boys have; it's self-confidence borne from survival. They think that we're just cocky; but we've survived the worst that life could throw at us-how can people like them hurt us? We're survivors, Jim. We've been dragged to the edge and fought our way back. That sort of thing leaves a mark."
They talked for hours in hushed tones, stories of slavery on Orion and genocide on Tarsus IV interspersed with silly anecdotes about pranks on professors and various wild shenanigans. Gaila glowed with the heady rush of actually connecting with another person who understood, really understood. Understood about facing the horrors of the universe head on, living with them haunting the corners of your mind, and still loving this messed-up world with all your heart and refusing to live for anything else but yourself. It felt a lot like falling in love.
Gaila/Scotty, PG-13, post red-alert adrenaline-fueled sexiness
igh-pitched clanging faded as the red alert klaxon disengaged and engineering fell silent. They'd escaped (barely) with only minimal damages. Scotty glanced over at Gaila, both of them breathing heavily, pupils dilated from adrenaline. Around them various red-shirted crew members milled around, not quite sure if the danger was really over.
"All clear!" Scotty announced after a brief conversation with the Bridge. "Get out of here, you lot-take a break and catch your breath. Job well done. Dismissed."
The officers filed out slowly, still coming down from the rush of their daring escape from a deadly trio of Klingon Birds of Prey.
When the footsteps faded, Gaila turned to Scotty, eyes wide and blazing, and yanked him out of his chair. Dragging him to the closest Jeffries tube, she pushed him down and straddled him, her ridiculously short dress already bunched around her hips. He managed a surprised squeak and the beginnings of a smile before she claimed his mouth, pulling at his belt and trying to kick off his boots with one dexterous leg without breaking the kiss.
His hands ran up and down her sides before coming down to help her free him from the confines of his uniform trousers. Their coupling was short and frantic, both of them buzzed on a heady combination of lust and adrenaline.
Afterward, Gaila pulled him on top of her and kissed a trail across his neck and face. He looked down at her, still a little wobbly, and grinned widely.
"This here is damn good incentive to survive, you know."
Gaila's face turned oddly seriously for a moment. "I always survive. I refuse to accept that there's an alternative." Her bright smile flashed back into existence and she began tickling him, making him squirm. "I expect the same from you, Lieutenant Commander Scott." She wriggled beneath him, and he groaned when she gazed up at him with sultry, half-lidded eyes.
"Kiss me, Commander," she ordered. Scotty was quick to oblige.
Gaila/Cupcake, R, sex, minor angst
nside his private quarters the Lieutenant Commander known as "Cupcake" was an entirely different person. He had another name, of course, a real one, but Gaila loved the way Cupcake sounded in her mouth. With a patient, bemused smirk, he sat still and allowed her to sing-song his name over and over as she explored every inch of him. Tall, broad, and muscular, she thought he might be the largest human she'd ever been with, and she squealed in delight when he picked her up as if she weighed nothing and lifted her above his head, twisting them around, and holding her up against the wall with seemingly no exertion.
Taking his time, he nibbled his way up her legs, from her red-glossed toes up the curve of her calves, teasing over her sensitive knees and languidly licking lazy, curving trails up her thighs until he reached his ultimate goal and began pleasuring her in earnest.
Gaila had never been with anyone who had not loved having sex with her-how could they not? But there was something different about Cupcake, how awestruck and worshipful of her body he was. At first she'd chalked it up to her usually well-controlled pheromone levels spiking post-orgasm, but after a few times she realized that that had nothing to do with it.
Afterward, once they'd caught their breath and appreciated the delectable post-coital glow for a while, she knew what he would want. Cupcake always asked for the same thing. At first she'd been surprised-it didn't seem to fit with the persona he cultivated around the ship, but she'd long since learned that people are entirely different in the bedroom, behind closed doors, guard lowered.
With slow, gentle strokes, he brushed her hair, carefully working through the tangles and smoothing the wild, frizzy fly-aways. She closed her eyes, humming softly, and enjoying the soft sensations on her scalp. Her mother used to do this for her, back when she was a little girl on Orion, always whispering secret words in her ears, words that build her up, strengthened her soul, and offered her the fortitude needed to run away, escape when the opportunity arose, and never look back.
Cupcake said nothing as he slid the brush through her hair; he never did. Sometimes, in these quiet moments, Gaila got the impression that he was thinking of someone else, someone from long ago, and it made her heart ache for him when she saw his reflection in the spartan, Starfleet-issued mirror across from them.
She sighed and leaned contentedly into his ministrations, letting them both take comfort in the quiet. For now, it was more than enough.
Gaila/Sulu, PG, adorably smitten Sulu shows new-to-Earth Gaila San Francisco like only a native could
an Francisco was glorious. She'd been in awe of the colors and smells and just the feel of it since stepping off the transport ship. This was the Earth that she'd heard stories about, and she wanted desperately to explore, but two over-starched Starfleet officers whisked her off to the Academy immediately to a sea of red-bedecked cadets, regulations, and academia.
She sat next to Hikaru in Xenobiology two days later and smirked when he couldn't stop staring at her, especially when his ears turned bright red whenever she caught him looking. After class, it took him more than a minute of stumbling over words to ask what her name was, which she found oddly endearing. They chatted amiably as they walked to lunch, and his eyes lit up and he stopped in his tracks when she mentioned her desire to see the city.
"I was born here! I know this city better than anyone. I could show you … um, if you wanted, that is." She laughed at his red face and agreed enthusiastically.
On Saturday he took her downtown and, true to his word, showed her the city as only a local could. They visited the Wharf, ate steaming sourdough bread, and chatted with the fishermen, who mended their nets with nimble, gnarled fingers and shouted bawdy tales over the sound of the waves; ran barefoot on the beach, leaping over driftwood logs and letting the freezing ocean water nip at their feet; sampled pho, curry, dim sum, tacos, crepes, ice cream, and hot dogs from street carts with large, colorful umbrellas and handmade signs; ducked through alleys where the old women still hung out their laundry between the buildings, gossiping with each other on their tiny balconies as they pinned up their sheets; and rode on rickety cable cars that were still connected to cables for show, even though they had been long-since equipped with hover technology.
As they sat along a stone wall and watched the ships docking in the harbor as the sun began its final decline, Gaila leaned over and kissed him.
"Thanks," he managed, face flushing and voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat.
"Thank you," she said. "I knew that Earth had to be amazing, from all the stories I'd heard. But I've been on ships and outlying colonies for years trying to get clearance to come here. This was my first time exploring a Terran city!"
"Well, you chose a good one-San Francisco is the best. Though, I might be a little bit biased," Sulu allowed, his grin lighting up his face in the dimming twilight.
"We're going to be fantastic friends, Hikaru," she declared and took another deep whiff of the air, which smelled of salt and fish and something sweet from a nearby café. He smiled and together they stared out at the waves playing over the shore.
Character piece of young Gaila and her mother while on Orion, based on the lyrics: My mama told me when I was young, we are all born superstars/ she rolled my hair and put my lipstick on in the glass of her beaudoir/ there's nothing wrong with loving who you are, she said, 'cause He made you perfect, babe/ so hold your head up girl and you'll go far, listen to me when I say ..., PG, non-specific mentions of slavery, Gaila's mother encourages her to get away from Orion.
I'm really proud of this piece and of how it really pulled this song-based entry together. /self-pimp
ears ago, on a space station orbiting the planet Orion, a woman brushed her young daughter's long, red curls and wondered, not for the first time, how something so beautiful, so precious could have been created by her. Wide, curious eyes met hers in the vanity mirror and a surge of love flowed through her, so strong that she almost had to sit down.
"You are so amazing, do you know that, Gaila?" she murmured, voice always hushed in case they were listening.
"Yes, Mama. I am beautiful and special and exactly who I am supposed to be," she recited, her voice still childish, but her eyes clear and comprehending.
"You never let anyone tell you differently. People will always, always try to make you feel like you are worth less than what you are-you must never ever believe them, baby. You hold your head high and remember that you can do anything. You are so special and so dear and I love you so much. You're going places someday."
"Going places? Away from here?"
"Yes, baby. Away from here," she let her voice drop even more and spoke urgently. "Someday you'll get a chance to leave, Gaila. You must take it, no matter what. You deserve more than this. You go-go far, far away, and don't look back, all right, baby?"
"Away from you?" Gaila asked, face falling.
"Baby, you listen to me. You were born to survive. You're going to get out of here, and you are going to be the amazing, beautiful, incredible woman that you are meant to be, away from here. Remember, they can hurt your body, but they can't ever break your soul-and why is that, Gaila?"
"They can't break me, because I am special and loved and worthwhile, no matter what they say, no matter what happens," Gaila recited dutifully, the words drilled into her.
"And why are you special, Gaila?" she prompted, her voice still a whisper as she ran her fingers through the glossy curls.
"God made me special!" Gaila grinned.
"Why are you special?" she repeated.
"Because you think I'm special-and you're always right!" Gaila added.
"Why are you special, baby?" she asked one last time, completing their ritual, tears shining in her eyes as she watched her beautiful daughter in the mirror.
"I was born this way," the little girl said fervently.
Author: katmarajade
Rating: 5 drabbles spanning from PG-R
Written For: Team Gaila's Triathlon entry at st_respect 's Ship Olympics. These are 5 drabbles (each around 500 words) that I wrote for an 11-drabble acrostic (BORN THIS WAY)
Pairings: Gaila/Kirk, Gaila/Scotty, Gaila/Cupcake, Gaila/Sulu, Gen: Gaila & her mother
Warnings: Mentions of slavery and other horrible things (nothing graphic), a bit of sex
Notes: If you like this, please check out the entire drabble acrostic (~5k and some just gorgeous writing) plus gorgeous artwork and vids here I just wanted to post my part at my journal for archiving purposes. I kept the cross-stitched letters that we posted it with originally here. They were done by ladymac111
Gaila/Kirk, PG-13, angsty references to slavery (Orion) and genocide/starvation (Tarsus IV)
he first time that Gaila saw Jim Kirk, he was getting pummeled in a bar fight. Judging by his lack of concern over his predicament, she figured that he was no stranger to that sort of altercation.
She stepped in, flashing his attackers a beguiling smile. Unused to the powers of Orion persuasion, they lumbered off looking dazed. He looked up at her from where he was sprawled out on the floor, and she knew that she'd never forget those blue eyes, full of defiance and confidence, but with traces of hardness there. Like her, he'd been through hell and fought his way out. She recognized it immediately and knew that she'd found a kindred spirit.
The second time, he had fallen asleep in the computer lab. She poked him when he began snoring, jolting him awake. He shrugged, unconcerned that he had no idea who she was, and suggested that they take a walk. They wandered to the edge of Academy grounds, where they sprawled out on the damp grass and stared up at the stars.
"It's strange, isn't it? Being around all these cadets, most of whom have never seen anything truly horrible in their lives," she mused.
"Is that why you're here with me? You heard about my various childhood traumas?" he snorted derisively.
"I didn't know who you were-just saw the same thing in your eyes that I see in mine."
He stared, appraising her motives, but must have judged her sincere, because he continued. "I don't talk about my past much. Not much left to say. I don't need people's pity and I don't want their help."
"I know," she sighed, closing her eyes and feeling the moonlight playing over her skin. "You don't need to tell me either. It's just … we're not like the others. Most of them have never seen their loved ones murdered, never seen genocide or slavery, never experienced starvation or torture. It's not their fault that they don't understand. I hope that they never do, actually. But people like me and you? We know all too well. Your actions don't come from the same stupid bravado that so many boys have; it's self-confidence borne from survival. They think that we're just cocky; but we've survived the worst that life could throw at us-how can people like them hurt us? We're survivors, Jim. We've been dragged to the edge and fought our way back. That sort of thing leaves a mark."
They talked for hours in hushed tones, stories of slavery on Orion and genocide on Tarsus IV interspersed with silly anecdotes about pranks on professors and various wild shenanigans. Gaila glowed with the heady rush of actually connecting with another person who understood, really understood. Understood about facing the horrors of the universe head on, living with them haunting the corners of your mind, and still loving this messed-up world with all your heart and refusing to live for anything else but yourself. It felt a lot like falling in love.
Gaila/Scotty, PG-13, post red-alert adrenaline-fueled sexiness
igh-pitched clanging faded as the red alert klaxon disengaged and engineering fell silent. They'd escaped (barely) with only minimal damages. Scotty glanced over at Gaila, both of them breathing heavily, pupils dilated from adrenaline. Around them various red-shirted crew members milled around, not quite sure if the danger was really over.
"All clear!" Scotty announced after a brief conversation with the Bridge. "Get out of here, you lot-take a break and catch your breath. Job well done. Dismissed."
The officers filed out slowly, still coming down from the rush of their daring escape from a deadly trio of Klingon Birds of Prey.
When the footsteps faded, Gaila turned to Scotty, eyes wide and blazing, and yanked him out of his chair. Dragging him to the closest Jeffries tube, she pushed him down and straddled him, her ridiculously short dress already bunched around her hips. He managed a surprised squeak and the beginnings of a smile before she claimed his mouth, pulling at his belt and trying to kick off his boots with one dexterous leg without breaking the kiss.
His hands ran up and down her sides before coming down to help her free him from the confines of his uniform trousers. Their coupling was short and frantic, both of them buzzed on a heady combination of lust and adrenaline.
Afterward, Gaila pulled him on top of her and kissed a trail across his neck and face. He looked down at her, still a little wobbly, and grinned widely.
"This here is damn good incentive to survive, you know."
Gaila's face turned oddly seriously for a moment. "I always survive. I refuse to accept that there's an alternative." Her bright smile flashed back into existence and she began tickling him, making him squirm. "I expect the same from you, Lieutenant Commander Scott." She wriggled beneath him, and he groaned when she gazed up at him with sultry, half-lidded eyes.
"Kiss me, Commander," she ordered. Scotty was quick to oblige.
Gaila/Cupcake, R, sex, minor angst
nside his private quarters the Lieutenant Commander known as "Cupcake" was an entirely different person. He had another name, of course, a real one, but Gaila loved the way Cupcake sounded in her mouth. With a patient, bemused smirk, he sat still and allowed her to sing-song his name over and over as she explored every inch of him. Tall, broad, and muscular, she thought he might be the largest human she'd ever been with, and she squealed in delight when he picked her up as if she weighed nothing and lifted her above his head, twisting them around, and holding her up against the wall with seemingly no exertion.
Taking his time, he nibbled his way up her legs, from her red-glossed toes up the curve of her calves, teasing over her sensitive knees and languidly licking lazy, curving trails up her thighs until he reached his ultimate goal and began pleasuring her in earnest.
Gaila had never been with anyone who had not loved having sex with her-how could they not? But there was something different about Cupcake, how awestruck and worshipful of her body he was. At first she'd chalked it up to her usually well-controlled pheromone levels spiking post-orgasm, but after a few times she realized that that had nothing to do with it.
Afterward, once they'd caught their breath and appreciated the delectable post-coital glow for a while, she knew what he would want. Cupcake always asked for the same thing. At first she'd been surprised-it didn't seem to fit with the persona he cultivated around the ship, but she'd long since learned that people are entirely different in the bedroom, behind closed doors, guard lowered.
With slow, gentle strokes, he brushed her hair, carefully working through the tangles and smoothing the wild, frizzy fly-aways. She closed her eyes, humming softly, and enjoying the soft sensations on her scalp. Her mother used to do this for her, back when she was a little girl on Orion, always whispering secret words in her ears, words that build her up, strengthened her soul, and offered her the fortitude needed to run away, escape when the opportunity arose, and never look back.
Cupcake said nothing as he slid the brush through her hair; he never did. Sometimes, in these quiet moments, Gaila got the impression that he was thinking of someone else, someone from long ago, and it made her heart ache for him when she saw his reflection in the spartan, Starfleet-issued mirror across from them.
She sighed and leaned contentedly into his ministrations, letting them both take comfort in the quiet. For now, it was more than enough.
Gaila/Sulu, PG, adorably smitten Sulu shows new-to-Earth Gaila San Francisco like only a native could
an Francisco was glorious. She'd been in awe of the colors and smells and just the feel of it since stepping off the transport ship. This was the Earth that she'd heard stories about, and she wanted desperately to explore, but two over-starched Starfleet officers whisked her off to the Academy immediately to a sea of red-bedecked cadets, regulations, and academia.
She sat next to Hikaru in Xenobiology two days later and smirked when he couldn't stop staring at her, especially when his ears turned bright red whenever she caught him looking. After class, it took him more than a minute of stumbling over words to ask what her name was, which she found oddly endearing. They chatted amiably as they walked to lunch, and his eyes lit up and he stopped in his tracks when she mentioned her desire to see the city.
"I was born here! I know this city better than anyone. I could show you … um, if you wanted, that is." She laughed at his red face and agreed enthusiastically.
On Saturday he took her downtown and, true to his word, showed her the city as only a local could. They visited the Wharf, ate steaming sourdough bread, and chatted with the fishermen, who mended their nets with nimble, gnarled fingers and shouted bawdy tales over the sound of the waves; ran barefoot on the beach, leaping over driftwood logs and letting the freezing ocean water nip at their feet; sampled pho, curry, dim sum, tacos, crepes, ice cream, and hot dogs from street carts with large, colorful umbrellas and handmade signs; ducked through alleys where the old women still hung out their laundry between the buildings, gossiping with each other on their tiny balconies as they pinned up their sheets; and rode on rickety cable cars that were still connected to cables for show, even though they had been long-since equipped with hover technology.
As they sat along a stone wall and watched the ships docking in the harbor as the sun began its final decline, Gaila leaned over and kissed him.
"Thanks," he managed, face flushing and voice cracking slightly. He cleared his throat.
"Thank you," she said. "I knew that Earth had to be amazing, from all the stories I'd heard. But I've been on ships and outlying colonies for years trying to get clearance to come here. This was my first time exploring a Terran city!"
"Well, you chose a good one-San Francisco is the best. Though, I might be a little bit biased," Sulu allowed, his grin lighting up his face in the dimming twilight.
"We're going to be fantastic friends, Hikaru," she declared and took another deep whiff of the air, which smelled of salt and fish and something sweet from a nearby café. He smiled and together they stared out at the waves playing over the shore.
Character piece of young Gaila and her mother while on Orion, based on the lyrics: My mama told me when I was young, we are all born superstars/ she rolled my hair and put my lipstick on in the glass of her beaudoir/ there's nothing wrong with loving who you are, she said, 'cause He made you perfect, babe/ so hold your head up girl and you'll go far, listen to me when I say ..., PG, non-specific mentions of slavery, Gaila's mother encourages her to get away from Orion.
I'm really proud of this piece and of how it really pulled this song-based entry together. /self-pimp
ears ago, on a space station orbiting the planet Orion, a woman brushed her young daughter's long, red curls and wondered, not for the first time, how something so beautiful, so precious could have been created by her. Wide, curious eyes met hers in the vanity mirror and a surge of love flowed through her, so strong that she almost had to sit down.
"You are so amazing, do you know that, Gaila?" she murmured, voice always hushed in case they were listening.
"Yes, Mama. I am beautiful and special and exactly who I am supposed to be," she recited, her voice still childish, but her eyes clear and comprehending.
"You never let anyone tell you differently. People will always, always try to make you feel like you are worth less than what you are-you must never ever believe them, baby. You hold your head high and remember that you can do anything. You are so special and so dear and I love you so much. You're going places someday."
"Going places? Away from here?"
"Yes, baby. Away from here," she let her voice drop even more and spoke urgently. "Someday you'll get a chance to leave, Gaila. You must take it, no matter what. You deserve more than this. You go-go far, far away, and don't look back, all right, baby?"
"Away from you?" Gaila asked, face falling.
"Baby, you listen to me. You were born to survive. You're going to get out of here, and you are going to be the amazing, beautiful, incredible woman that you are meant to be, away from here. Remember, they can hurt your body, but they can't ever break your soul-and why is that, Gaila?"
"They can't break me, because I am special and loved and worthwhile, no matter what they say, no matter what happens," Gaila recited dutifully, the words drilled into her.
"And why are you special, Gaila?" she prompted, her voice still a whisper as she ran her fingers through the glossy curls.
"God made me special!" Gaila grinned.
"Why are you special?" she repeated.
"Because you think I'm special-and you're always right!" Gaila added.
"Why are you special, baby?" she asked one last time, completing their ritual, tears shining in her eyes as she watched her beautiful daughter in the mirror.
"I was born this way," the little girl said fervently.