In her entire life, Saffron had never before been hugged. She'd been born at the Temple. She didn't know who her parents were. Affection was a weakness unsanctioned by the Temple. It wouldn't do to foster traits that would prevent its clerics from furthering its cause. Sometimes a few developed feelings--but they weren't common at all.
Saffron was too busy trying to regain some control to see Paddy coming. The next thing she knew his arms had come around her in a manner that made her stiffen.
She had enough magic to defend herself from assault. This wasn't like that. It wasn't restraining. His grip was too fragile; warm and firm, but at the same time she could tell that if she tried to move away, he'd let her go. She just wasn't sure if she could move. She'd been with people before. She was a healer; she knew biology. Physical pleasure was something she could offer beyond her job.
Not like that. Not like that at all. No expectation. Nothing but a gentle embrace. Saffron stood frozen, her robes wrinkling under her grip, and stared wide-eyed past O'Reilly's shoulder. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure she wanted to pull away. The sensation, alien as it was, only seemed to highlight the rawness inside her.
His words only filtered in slowly. Her voice came out strangled. "I don't know how to do that." There was a pause and then some more words managed to find their way to her mouth. "Please don't talk about God."
It was impossible that there could be any kind of higher being somehow pulling the strings in the background.
no subject
Saffron was too busy trying to regain some control to see Paddy coming. The next thing she knew his arms had come around her in a manner that made her stiffen.
She had enough magic to defend herself from assault. This wasn't like that. It wasn't restraining. His grip was too fragile; warm and firm, but at the same time she could tell that if she tried to move away, he'd let her go. She just wasn't sure if she could move. She'd been with people before. She was a healer; she knew biology. Physical pleasure was something she could offer beyond her job.
Not like that. Not like that at all. No expectation. Nothing but a gentle embrace. Saffron stood frozen, her robes wrinkling under her grip, and stared wide-eyed past O'Reilly's shoulder. She didn't know what to do. She wasn't sure she wanted to pull away. The sensation, alien as it was, only seemed to highlight the rawness inside her.
His words only filtered in slowly. Her voice came out strangled. "I don't know how to do that." There was a pause and then some more words managed to find their way to her mouth. "Please don't talk about God."
It was impossible that there could be any kind of higher being somehow pulling the strings in the background.