On Home Ground
Title: On Home Ground
Fandom: Farscape
Characters: Stark, Zotoh Clan Matriarch (OC)
Pairing: Stark/Zhaan
Time Frame: After PKWars
Spoilers: just *the* S/Z spoiler
Synopsis: A conversation about propriety
Word Count: 382
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Farscape and the characters and settings therein are the property of the Henson Company, and are used here entirely without permission but entirely with respect. This is for love, not for money.
Acknowledgments: A thousand thanks to my loyal team of Betas: vilakins for catching all the (profuse!) spelling gaffs, gjohnsonkoehn for kicking the crap out of the wording until I got it right (or as right as I was ever gonna get it), and mike_mccall for help with the title and assuring me that yes, it made sense, and yes, it was good enough to post. Thank you all!!
"Ah! There you are, dear. Come and join me; the tea is ready."
"Thank you, Matriarch."
"How many times must I say it, dear? Call me Grandmother. Everyone else in the Clan does, and with far less claim than you have."
"Yes, Grandmother."
"That's better. Good boy. Oh! This should amuse you... the head of Clan Zinran stopped by today."
"Yes, I saw him while I was weeding the garden."
"Oh, I suspected you did, dear, because he saw you. Listen to this: after the usual pleasantries, the silly drannit made a show of gently broaching the subject of behaviour unbecoming a clan matriarch, especially a clan so prominent as Zotoh."
"Again? Oh dear. What did you do this time?"
"Ha ha! This will really get you! He gently explained that although they are an unsouled race, the Goddess' love extends to all and thus keeping a Banik slave is a shameful act!"
"You mean... he thought... Sweet Khahalen! What did you tell him?"
"Three things. One: The Banik was weeding the garden of his own accord and nothing I say will stop him."
"I like the garden; it's relaxing."
"I know, love. Anyway, Second: Banik are not unsouled, they are very spiritual and beautiful people. Though I admit I'm working from a very small sample."
"Hah. And the third thing?"
"I told him that that Banik is no slave, he is my Grandson-in-law."
"...and what did he say to that?"
"Oh, that's the funny thing! At that, he just turned around and left! I never did find out what he wanted to see me for in the first place...""
"You know, matri... grandmother, you lied to the clan head. We were never married."
"Hah. Words. Ceremonies. You know as well as I that the two of you were joined by something far stronger. From the moment I saw you I knew that you had come to tell me my granddaughter was dead. And I could see just as plainly that she lived on in you. You are my grandson, and I love you. This is your home, for as long as you wish to stay, and even after you leave you will always be welcome here."
"I... I don't know what to say, Grandmother. Except thank you."
"Thank you, my son."
Something I found in my notebook and posted in my beta-filter while wrestling with holiday GiftFic. Found the time today (finally!) to post it.
Fandom: Farscape
Characters: Stark, Zotoh Clan Matriarch (OC)
Pairing: Stark/Zhaan
Time Frame: After PKWars
Spoilers: just *the* S/Z spoiler
Synopsis: A conversation about propriety
Word Count: 382
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Farscape and the characters and settings therein are the property of the Henson Company, and are used here entirely without permission but entirely with respect. This is for love, not for money.
Acknowledgments: A thousand thanks to my loyal team of Betas: vilakins for catching all the (profuse!) spelling gaffs, gjohnsonkoehn for kicking the crap out of the wording until I got it right (or as right as I was ever gonna get it), and mike_mccall for help with the title and assuring me that yes, it made sense, and yes, it was good enough to post. Thank you all!!
"Ah! There you are, dear. Come and join me; the tea is ready."
"Thank you, Matriarch."
"How many times must I say it, dear? Call me Grandmother. Everyone else in the Clan does, and with far less claim than you have."
"Yes, Grandmother."
"That's better. Good boy. Oh! This should amuse you... the head of Clan Zinran stopped by today."
"Yes, I saw him while I was weeding the garden."
"Oh, I suspected you did, dear, because he saw you. Listen to this: after the usual pleasantries, the silly drannit made a show of gently broaching the subject of behaviour unbecoming a clan matriarch, especially a clan so prominent as Zotoh."
"Again? Oh dear. What did you do this time?"
"Ha ha! This will really get you! He gently explained that although they are an unsouled race, the Goddess' love extends to all and thus keeping a Banik slave is a shameful act!"
"You mean... he thought... Sweet Khahalen! What did you tell him?"
"Three things. One: The Banik was weeding the garden of his own accord and nothing I say will stop him."
"I like the garden; it's relaxing."
"I know, love. Anyway, Second: Banik are not unsouled, they are very spiritual and beautiful people. Though I admit I'm working from a very small sample."
"Hah. And the third thing?"
"I told him that that Banik is no slave, he is my Grandson-in-law."
"...and what did he say to that?"
"Oh, that's the funny thing! At that, he just turned around and left! I never did find out what he wanted to see me for in the first place...""
"You know, matri... grandmother, you lied to the clan head. We were never married."
"Hah. Words. Ceremonies. You know as well as I that the two of you were joined by something far stronger. From the moment I saw you I knew that you had come to tell me my granddaughter was dead. And I could see just as plainly that she lived on in you. You are my grandson, and I love you. This is your home, for as long as you wish to stay, and even after you leave you will always be welcome here."
"I... I don't know what to say, Grandmother. Except thank you."
"Thank you, my son."
Something I found in my notebook and posted in my beta-filter while wrestling with holiday GiftFic. Found the time today (finally!) to post it.