Heaven Scent - Part 1

Posted on Tue Sep 4, 2018 @ 3:44am by Civilian Teena Otrei & Civilian Aleczandra Naqiis-Ryan & Civilian Opal Oliver (Deceased) Dr

1,774 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Victory Conditions
Location: Promenade/Tamashī no umi Perfumery
Timeline: MD 10 1000

The place was starting to shape up. The shop front needed work, and she and Kestra had several ideas they were planning to meet with a designer over, but for present they had the workshop at the back up and running. It wasn't like they had enough stock to open properly yet anyway. And they had a grand opening planned.

She figured neither of her guests would be looking forward to this. Opal, when she had run into her by herself after that dinner, was definitely excited at the idea of making perfume, but nervous. Teena figured that was due to Zandy. But Teena had offered. And a daughter of the 17th, and now her new House, did not back out of an offered engagement. Zandy had taken a little more convincing. Luckily Teena had been up for the challenge. She smiled suddenly at the thought of the steamy bath she had run her girlfriend, complete with her own homemade bath melts. That’s one product she had to ensure had plenty of stock, she chuckled to herself as the chime on the door to the front part of her shop rang.

She bowed as the door slid open. "I bid you welcome," she said with a happy and proud smile. Yes, it was beginning to shape up.

Aleczandra smiled. “So formal,” she said, coming up to Teena and slipping her arms around the Betazed. She gave the attractive alien a deep, passionate kiss. “Wow, you smell really good,” the half-Trill said. “Really strong, but really good,” she laughed and nuzzled her face into the bend of Teena’s neck, inhaling her scent and nibbling on her skin a bit.

Teena allowed her to snuggle in for long moment, then moved back. "Thank you. I have to be formal. The shop front has to be formal and professional. It’s my livelihood now, Zandy. As a daughter of Betazed who likes women there is no chance of a formal marriage in my sphere. And as a daughter of the 17th House I will never be Mistress, as Kestra is the eldest. And as a daughter of my new house, Hannah will be the next mistress, so I have to make my own place in society. Either that, or I will forever be expected to accompany other mistresses and say and do what is expected." Hhe sighed. "I can think of nothing worse. So everything I have is going into this," she stated. "It has to be a success," she tried to explain to her girlfriend, but feared she had no clue of the complexities of Betazed spheres and society.

“Wow,” Aleczandra said. “I didn’t know it was so complicated.”

Opal, on the other hand, who was half Betazoid herself, was very much aware of what Teena was describing. She looked at the teen and used her empathy, which was the only telepathic power she had inherited, to try to give an idea of some support. She too was delighted by the scents. "This is lovely, Teena," she said, looking all around her as she stepped inside. "Thank you for inviting us," she added as Teena showed them around.

The scents were heady and delightful. They made Opal's head swirl a little, as there were so many of them wafting in the air. Each time a new one seemed to get precedence, she thought about what it reminded her of. Some were delightful, flowery scents, some very enticing, others soft and gentle and almost relaxing. Looking around the many bottles, Opal just gazed and waited to be shown some separately.

"You have set this out with the finest taste in decor, ambience, and general first impression of style and luxury. It's a joy to visit," Opal said in wonder, still looking around herself at all the tiny bottles with dainty stoppers and unusually tinted glass sides.

Teena smiled happily at the compliment, and had caught the other lady empathizing with her predicament. "I thank you. That's exactly what we were going for. It needs a little more work. We have some ideas for this area." She walked to the far corner on the front door side. "I am thinking a large ornate mirror and shelves with many different samples that customers can try at their leisure. And a couch here, for waiting and consultation." She pointed at a small alcove.

"But enough of that. We are having a girly day, yes?" She smiled at both women. "Please come into the back."

She led them through to her workshop. On several tables were exoctic plants, herbs, and flowers, some like nothing the other woman had seen before. On one of the tables she had glasses of a fizzy drink and canapes. Teena steered them towards there. "Please help yourself, and when you are ready we can start going through scents to make your own perfume."

"It will look even more amazing!" Opal commented on Teena's new idea for the mirror and shelves with samples. "I can't wait," she added in response to the idea of making their own perfumes.

"I am afraid I have to insist that you wear these," Teena said, as the other two seemed to eye each other up. She was really hoping not for a repeat of the dinner at Zandy's house. Another reason for putting this on was to hopefully get them to connect in a more positive manner. Both were essential to Caleb Ryan's happiness. And Zandy's happiness was essential to hers. She handed them both a hair net and a pinafore.

Opal chuckled and began with the hair net. It wasn't easy to put all of her hair in, so she scooped it into a tail and rolled that round first before trying again. It did seem to work better. "How do I look?" she asked. "Probably not much better than I do in a surgical hair protector." She chuckled again and began to try to do up the pinafore. She turned round towards Zandy and smiled "Please could you help me to tie this? I'll help you with yours if you like?" she asked, holding the strings out behind herself, hopeful of acceptance for the proposal.

Aleczandra followed Teena and Opal to the back. She knew nothing of making perfumes. She leaned forward to flip her hair up and managed to get it into the net Teena provided. She slipped on the pinafore and turned to Opal. She was still cool toward the woman, however.

“Sure,” Zandy said, taking the strings. She tugged the dress tight and tied it off. You know, it would be a lot easier to hate her if she wasn’t such a beautiful woman. “Too tight?” Aleczandra asked sweetly.

"Just right, thank you. Shall I do yours for you?" Opal replied in a tone just as sweet, but when she did up Zandy's apron she tied the strings comfortably and said nothing more about the fact that she could hardly breathe herself. She put on a good front until she had an opportunity of being unobserved later and was able to loosen it a bit. She wasn't going to make anything out of it. She realised that Zandy was having trouble with her and the relationship with Caleb, and Opal just didn't know what else to do but weather it and see if she mightn't find something in common with the girl, or if not, at least not to rise to anything that did no harm. Let her have her moments of victory. She had been bereaved of her mother very young and having a symbiont with no training or proper matching up was very harsh on her too. Opal was still at the stage where she could feel sorry for Zandy, and as such was being tolerant and patient.

"So," Teena said, sensing both attraction and sympathy from the woman in front of her. "You need to smell some of these," she indicated the tables, “and find some scents you like."

Opal put out her hand in an open gesture that Zandy should go first. "After you, Zandy. You have first try," she offered generously and with a warm smile. She was working hard to try to make friends.

Aleczandra nodded and went to the scents, trying a few. Finally she picked out some lilac and vanilla. They reminded her a bit of her mother and the perfume she wore. She warmed at the approval from Mika inside of her.

Teena ran her hand round her girlfriend’s waist, dipping a thumb under her apron tie, brushing her fingers under the edging of her top. She tried not to think about what was under that top and how much she liked it as she said, "That’s beautiful. And if you want me to I'll help you make it, but," she leaned in close and whispered so the other woman wouldn't hear, "is that for you or one of the others?" She could sense Zandy was reminiscing and suspected the scents were what one of her hosts liked. She intended this to be a reflection of each of the woman. Zandy was far more exotic than lavender and vanilla. She had energy, pep, sass.

Opal nodded agreement that the scent was lovely. She too was a little unsure if it was, well, Zandra. She didn't hear whatever Teena was saying, but she did feel she ought to add some comment. "I think that combination is very...tranquil. It is so gentle and sweet," she said, hoping those descriptions would offer something along the lines of "older and more subtle" so that Zandy might get the hint that it wasn't enough on its own for her. It needed something else with more zing or tang? Something citric, lemon, grapefruit, orange, or more like exotic flowers with nectar overtones and more luxuriant smells as ingredients too, if it was possible to mix up such scents and make them compatible. Opal didn't know if she was asking too much, so she didn't go on with those thoughts, just kept them to herself.

“Hm,” Aleczandra considered, leaning back against Teena. If Opal hadn’t been here, Zandra was sure there wouldn’t have been much perfuming done. She would have thrown her girlfriend on the table and had her way with her.

“Lilac and vanilla was what my mother wore,” Zandra admitted. “I like it. But…” she looked over the table. “Maybe some of this, too?” She picked up the anis, the scent of black licorice.

Tbc.........

A JP Between:

Dr Opal Oliver
Civilian Surgeon - DS5

Teena Otrei
Civilian Perfumer

Aleczandra Ryan
Starfleet dependent

 

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