Tea and a Whisper

Calina takes a long, slow deep breath… meeting a new client was always a bit nerve wracking… she brushed her hands back and forth over the skirt of her dress and waited for Mr. Fensen to arrive.

Hampton Fensen appears through the small clearing of trees, dressed in his best soldier, or ancient soldier garb.  He walks with a small limp, yet no evidence on his face shows pain.  The scars on his face run deep, his ice blue eyes still calculating.  And when he stops in front of her, he offers a smooth, gloved hand.  “My lady Calina.”  He spoke ever so gently.  Calina smiles sweetly and extends her hand “Mr. Fensen.  A pleasure to have you here at Shanjian.  I trust your journey from Hale’s Moon was not too eventful.  Would you care to step inside?”  Fensen brings her hand to his old, flat lips, kissing the top gently.  “It was painless, knowing I’d be in your company.  Again, thank you for having me on such short notice.  It will not be forgotten.”  He stepped to her side, gently extending an arm to escort her inside.

She nods her head as she slips her arm around his.  The wooden screen doors slide easily into pockets to reveal the sand garden.  “I am grateful that my schedule happened to be free.  We are at the end of the term and grading has started for the acolytes.  I will ad that it is highly unusual to entertain a client at a training house.  But your recommendation from the Guild on Beaumonde is outstanding… thus the exception.  Would you care for some refreshments?”  Instinctually, he scanned the perimeter and was careful to not step in the sand garden; those delicate designs ever gorgeous on such an Outer Rim Planet.  “I am thankful my reputation runs high with the Guild on Beaumonde.  With a face like this, I don’t imagine finding anyone prepared to put up with me for long periods of time.  I have heard of your bravery; having a house like this so I had to see it for myself as well.”  He squinted slightly, having a moment to lift his nose and soak in the aromas of the room.  “And tea would be lovely, Miss Calina.”

Calina smiles and nods. “We do not have too many problems here – with the Alliance military in constant orbit at the factories on Boros’s moon.  This is almost as safe as any of the Houses in the Core.  Please have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”  She lifts the tea pot from the tray and fills two small cups.  “May you be blessed with success in your endeavors… that you find this time relaxing and restoring to your spirit.”  Fensen sits slowly, swatting his cape to drape over the side of the chair.  Settling in, he brought a hot cup of tea into his hand, raising it to toast to her.  “And may you find success in discovering every knot in my neck, darling.”  The old-timer had charm on his side.  He took a gentle sip of the tea, letting the hot liquid rest in his mouth for a few moments before swallowing.  “This current assignment is quite strenuous.  I feel as if I have to flood an entire city to find one drowning rat.  Alluded most of my traps, skipping from planet to planet like a stone across a pond.  I need a better perspective, a better angle.  Then he’ll be mine.”  His eyes widen for a sharp second before taking another sip of his tea.

“I don’t believe that will be a problem… may I call you Hampton?  I’m sure I will find other knots in your shoulders, back and legs as well.  The body as an awful way of carrying tension. “  Calina sips her tea quietly “After you have had the chance rest your body, I’m sure your thoughts will be clearer and solutions will present themselves.  Did you have any questions for me at this point?  Understanding that there are some things I just cannot speak of…” she says with a playful grin.  She chalks up the little tick to his body reacting to tension and stress… paying it little mind.  Hampton nibbled at the edge of his bottom lip, tilting his head to the side and grinning.  “Either it is the tea or your beautiful soothing voice, but I can feel my body relaxing already.  But I did have one question: Am I your oldest client?  Most my age can’t look upon a beautiful young woman like you without needing medical attention.”  His smile was sincere and genuine, worn-down old teeth pressing together in the grin.

Calina makes a slight face and chuckles “I suppose I can answer that without violating client privileges… yes, you are the oldest client I’ve personally seen.  Age is partly related to our chronological number… but it also has a lot to do with how we feel.  I imagine than your numerical age isn’t indicative of your state of being… given that you are chasing some, I assume, young man across the ‘Verse.  There must be quite of vigor and drive left in you… enough to shame men half your age.”  The hunter pastes an even larger grin across his kisser.  “You have a way with words, my lady.  Thank you.  I do have some fight left in me.  Or that bullet with my name on it took a long detour.”  He chuckles, bringing the tea cup to his lips once more, the tea staining a bit of his mustache, enough for him to taste when he licked his lips.  Calina asks, “How did you hear about our little House?  Boros is.. out of the way as you inferred.  It is also relatively new… the Guild has only been operating here a few months – not even a year.”  He sipped the last of the tea in the cup, setting it down on the table.  “I have enough people in high and low places.  The right price breeds the right information.  And I wanted to explore the many fruits each House has to offer.  After all, variety *is* the spice of life.”

She laughs and smiles.  “Each House does have its own… unique spin on things…” she bites her tongue to hold her opinion about operations elsewhere to herself.  “When you are ready, the massage table is in the other room, behind those doors.  You may change in there.  Once you are settled on the table, let me know and I’ll join you.”  The aged hunter rises slowly from the chair, feeling his half-cape flow against his back.  Stern, heavy steps guide him across the wooden floor, a few creaks sounding in his wake.  He stepped into the room, shutting the doors behind him, changing slowly, enjoying each aromatic moment deliciously.  In the meantime, Calina picks up the empty cups and tea tray, putting them away.  Fensen folds his clothes into a neat pile in the corner of the room.  Tying off his towel, he straddles the chair, laying down on his back, already feeling a few cracks in his spine.  He voice rose a little louder than normal, but simply to alert Calina that he was ready.  “Ready, Miss.”

Calina pulls the screen back just far enough to slip into the room.  She walks around, lighting candles – the air perfumed with calming scents.  She lightly taps a small chime “I ask that you bring your attention into this moment… no where else… no work, no chases… just here.  Be conscious of your body, of my touch and of my voice.  The candles are etched with the words for ‘Serenity’ and ‘Harmony’ – what this place is about… creating in its students, its Companions and its clients.  The scrolls on the wall are the old Japanese words for love, dreams, and beauty.”

Hampton allows a long sigh to escape his throat, resting his forehead against his forearm, the aromas working their way through his body, relaxing him.  He eased his body into the table now, taking long, deep breaths, eyes even growing heavy.  She steps over to the table, her voice soft, even “Let your body do what it will… though if I do something that hurts, please let me know.”  Her hands move down his spine… working the muscles tenderly at first… feeling for the tension, knots and pulses by the nerve clusters.  He feels her gentle fingers slide over one of his deep scars, the tissue and nerve damage not registering anything.  When he went to speak, he instead let out of a soft moan, feeling her wandering hands travel over his sore muscles.

Calina smiles softly as she felt him relax and ease into the padded table.  “As you lay here, let your mind go to pleasant happy memories… places that give you peace when you think of them.”  She leans over a bit and works the heels of her hands into his lower back before moving down his legs… reaching down and picking up a small bottle of oil and pouring a couple of drops onto her palms to warm it before returning her hands to his thigh and down to his calf.  Yet he could not restrain his calves from jolting slightly at her touch.  No one had touched, let alone massaged, those areas for years and the sensation sent waves up his spine.  When he felt the small pulses, his whole body tensed up.  His head lifted slightly from his forearm.  “I’m sorry.”  He murmured, burying his head down once more to resume his quiet meditation.  Calina moved her hands back up to his back and shoulders.  She leaned down to whisper “It’s ok.  If it hurts… you need to tell me… if it is just different… or strange, try to let it pass… it is about reconnecting with touch.. with your body.”  He nods his head slowly against his forearm, letting another gentle moan escape his lips as she continued working on him.  He murmurs. “You are amazing.”  She moves her touch over the scars along his back “Tell me about the memory you are thinking of…” as her fingers moved up and down either side of his waist and ribcage

Hampton smiles deep into the flesh of his forearm.  Lifting his head and resting his chin on his arm, he spoke quietly.  “The vacation I took after my first job.  The white sandy beach.  Then a month on Bellerophon, being treated like royalty.  If jobs still paid like that, life would be sweet.”  Calina adds.  “I spent quite a bit of time on Bellerophron.  My family had an estate there.  They certainly knew how to make someone special…” as she continues to knead and work the muscles… taking a step and moving down to his thighs, tugging the towel close to him.  Fensen grins.  “It is a nice little slice of heaven.  Wouldn’t mind retiring there, if I ever hang up the holster.”  He smiled, widening his legs some, his body sinking even further into the table.

She starts to massages one leg… then the other, smiling to herself as she sees he’s relaxed again… allowing her touch in different places.  “I will warn you.. the legs and calves carry a lot of tension… I will do my best to be gentle.”  He inhales quickly, yet exhales quite slowly, feeling her hands trace over his legs and thighs.  He allowed his eyes to shut fully, a loud moan filling the room.  God, that felt good.  She continues to massage and caress Hampton’s body, head to toe, moving around the table as necessary.  They occasionally chat but the room is otherwise quite save for the rustling of clothes and his shifting and movement on the table.  “Close your eyes for a few moments… breathe deeply… quiet your mind and when you hear the chime… start to wiggle your fingers and toes to come out of the meditation.”  The relaxed hunter barely moves his body save for his chest to breathe.  He is in a total state of relaxation.  Then the chime rings a few times, eyes fluttering open, fingers, toes, arms, legs, wiggling back to life.

“When you are ready, you can climb off the table and get dressed, Hampton.  How do you feel?”  She asks as she walked over to the wash basin to clean up her hands, keeping her back to him while he dressed.  He slides off the table, standing tall, feeling taller than he was when he first stood in the room.  “I have a fresh perspective.  I am relaxed, my mind is clear.  I was right about variety.  My are you special.”  He speaks those soothing words while he changed.

She dries her hands off and turns back around “That is very kind of you to say.  I am glad that this time was beneficial and helpful to you.”  He smiles, retrieving a small datapad from his belt.  “It was and then some.  Back at the House on Beaumonde, they allowed me the courtesy of payment at the end of their services.  I am guessing that kindness is universal.”  His fingers punched a few keys, bringing up his personal expense account, uplinking to the House’s computer for transfer of funds.  Calina nods. “Of course.”  Fensen grins deeply, pushing one other button, and standing next to her, showing her the screen and the money transfer progress bar.  Once it reached 100%, he switched off the datapad, sliding it back onto his belt, and stepping out in front of her.  His face appears sad.  “And now our contract is up, my dear.”  She smiles softly.  “Thank you for that confirmation, Hampton.  I am glad that you chose to visit Shanjian and I hope that you will take some of the peace with you as you resume your search.”

Hampton Fensen takes a few steps closer to her, so their chests almost meet.  The saddened frown vanishes from his lips, face going stern.  “I am sorry, but no peace will travel with me.  And now I must do what I came here to do.”  He grits his teeth as a gloved hand rises from his side, slapping Calina right in the mouth.  She shrieks… her hair flying around her face as she twists… covering her face and taking a step back…. the side of her head throbbing and tears welling in her gray eyes “Gwai-gwai long duh dong (What the hell)?!”

He slips a hand behind her head, taking a handful of her hair into his grasp.  Pulling her close to him again, their chests now met, the thumb of his other hand tracing a slow line down her cheek.  “My lady.  I know you flew with Holmeforth on the ship Christine.  Now I want to know where he is.  And you’re going to tell me.”  Calina stares into his eyes… her gaze cold… angry… “I haven’t seen him in quite some time.  In fact, I don’t recall when I last saw him.”  She spits out.  Calina balls her right hand into a small fist and with all the strength she has, she punches him in the stomach.  Fensen keels over halfway when she punches him, his relaxed muscles letting the air sneak out.  His anger grew inside as his arms reached out, pushing hard into her shoulders, shoving her against the door to the tea room.

Calina crashes through the doors and into the wall, crumpling on the floor… her dress now torn in places… her lip bleeding and scratches across her arms and legs… she stared up at him through the hole in the door “I don’t know where he is you.. hwun dan (bastard)!”

He stares at the fallen Companion for a sharp moment before stepping through the hole in the door.  Getting to her side, he uses his strength to lift her up in his arms.  With a gentle yell, he throws her toward the table holding the tea.  “C’mon… a man that never laid in bed with you yet visits you so.  That’s love.  And I have a message to send.”  Anything within arm’s reach was torn down by the vicious bounty hunter.  Posters, tables, chairs, decorations; they all felt his wrath.  Calina groans as she lands on the floor again.. she rolls over onto her knees and picks up the tea pot and cups, hurling them at him as hard as she can… she stumbles backward, moving toward the cabinet… mumbling and moaning… cursing him with every move “Take your message… and shove it up a fay-fay dun pee-yen (baboon’s ass-crack)!  Da-shiang bao-tza shr duh lah doo-tze (The explosive diarrhea of an elephant)!  When the Alliance hears that you have attacked a Companion… no matter who the hell you are chasing, they will come after you!”

Fensen raises his arm to deflect the teapot but its shatters upon impact, the hot water burning into the fabric of his arm, singing the skin.  He howled for a sharp moment.  “You aren’t a Companion in this matter.  You’ve been harboring a known fugitive of the Alliance.  Now where is he??!?”  He lunges at her, taking her to the floor again.

“Are you deaf and stupid?  I.. don’t know!”  She turns and reaches for the cabinet again before she lands on the ground.  She pulls at his hair and scratches at his face, shrieking and screaming… kicking and wriggling as much as she possibly can.  The Hunter takes a few scratches to the face, then grabs at her arms, resting his lower body on her legs.  He presses her arms firmly against the wood, rendering her immobile, focusing his weight on her more now.  “You know who he runs with.  You know where they live.  If you talk now…” glancing down to her heaving chest. “…I won’t take what I want.”  She groans and continues to pull at her arms and move her legs.. attempt to anyway “Gorram reaver!” she shouts at him “I don’t know what happened to the Christine.  I don’t even know if he is still with them.”

Fensen watches her with his ice cold blue eyes, gritting down further with his teeth.  “I’m not waiting for any more pleasantries.”  Her wiggling left him no choice, as he shut his eyes and butted his head into her forehead.  He pressed his pelvis into her waist some more.  “I will claim you.”  She grunts as he smacked into her forehead and her head bounced off the hard wood floor.  She looked up at him groaning and whimpering… still conscious… her body bruised and aching… her makeup streaked… her body covered with scratches and marks… as he moved off her, she rolled over, sobbing.. drawing her knees up to her chest and trying to cover herself as best she could.  “How… dare… could… you…” she cries out.

The Hunter Hampton Fensen uses his fierce hands to slide the door open, shoving it into its slot, hearing a sharp crack, his heavy boots clicking along the path, softening as he trails right through the sand garden, breaking the lawn tools in his way.