The smell of frankincense lingering in the air of Bril’s kitchen. Splayed out across one end of the counter were a number of tools: a wooden utensil that looked like an oversized toothbrush with spiked teeth, another that looked like a lancet made of wood, a small wooden hammer, and five round containers filled with different colored inks. After looking them over for a moment, Bril turned to face Sivall, who was sitting in one of the cushioned seats to his left.
“I’m honored that you asked me to be the one to do a piece for you, lora,” he said with a smile,
Siv smiled softly back, her head resting on one hand against the countertop.
“I couldn’t think of anyone else I’d rather have do it,” she replied, straightening up in her seat. Her nerves had grown while watching Bril set everything up, a knot forming in her stomach– not at the pain, no, but at the thought of being that exposed in front of someone who wasn’t Alex. The Chiss cleared her throat and fiddled with her fingers, looking at the various tools laid out on the counter space.
“Foxen has been saying I need to take parts of myself back. This is one way of doing it. They forbid body art, said it was a waste of good skin. I never agreed. It feels like a good way to get back at them, and regain a bit of what I’ve lost.”
Sivall’s expression was only serious for a millisecond before it softened and she turned her gaze back on her botmun'i. They would not get the satisfaction of ruining this moment for her, and certainly they would not get the satisfaction of causing yet another uncomfortable exchange between her and her found brother. Letting out a soft sigh, Siv forced her shoulders to relax and the tension to leave her. She knew that Bril could feel it across their bond and didn’t want her anxieties to sour his mood.
This was a good moment. It would stay good.
“So how do we begin?”
A slow, steady breath escaped his lips–as much a means to assuage himself of jitters he felt as it was a reminder for Sivall to breathe. He could, after all, sense her own nervousness better than most.
“Foxen is right,” he nodded. That was a phrase he was still getting used to saying despite the progress he had made in forming an actual relationship with Minnie’s older brother. But like his mother said, the truth didn’t care who told it. “On Iridonia, we believe that the skin is a tapestry that can be used to tell a story. As a way to express the truth of one’s soul.”
A small smile crossed his features when he felt the tension slip from her mind. They were so similar that he often wondered who was leading whom in the wordless exchanges across their bond.
“First, we have to bless this space, and thank the edalinare–the ancestors–for the opportunity to give you jat'i of your own.”
He briefly stepped into the next room and returned holding a long pipe with symmetrical lines etched into its length. After producing a small torch, he looked to her with a serious but placid expression. “By inhaling the burning wax of the Pelial To’re, we’ll open ourselves up to them. Then, the ceremony can begin.”
If his lora had been studying up on Iridonian botany or ceremonies, she’d recognize the name as the Zabraki word for Bluth–a plant native to Iridonia with entheogenic properties, often used in rituals.
The medic took a deep breath, nodding to her botmun'i and sliding off her seat. She felt her nerves thrumming away in her chest, but they were good nerves. She was excited. The pipe, and the herb inside it, was very little worry to her outside of the fact that she had never smoked anything in her entire life. She was more worried about a coughing fit than any potential side effects. She trusted Bril– she knew he wouldn’t do anything to hurt her.
She took the few steps to cover the distance to Bril, holding out her hand for the pipe once she got to him. “Lets do this.”
Bril looked his lora square in the eye, searching her feelings for any misgivings. There could be no doubts in her mind about doing this lest her body reject the ink, lest the Edalinare reject her. “When this ritual is completed, you will be no different to me than my own blood. My family will accept you as one of their own, and when you die, there will be a place for you amongst the fields of akro reeds where my ancestors convene.”
With that, he extended the pipe to her. When she took a hit, she’d realize that the smoke was heavy, but not nearly as harsh as you’d expect. Bril ensured that she took a deep hit of the Pelial To’re, inhaling as much of it as her lungs would allow. Then, he made sure she sat cross legged in the center of the room, amidst the burning incense. Once he was properly seated, he took a large hit of his own and lifted his head to blow the smoke into the air before setting the pipe aside.
There were no doubts in her mind, nor any doubts in the feelings that drifted across their latent force bond. Siv had been sure of very few things in her life but she had never felt more sure than she did right now, perhaps other than when she asked Alexandyr to marry her. She settled into her sitting position and watched Bril, slowly letting the smoke drift from between her indigo lips. It wasn’t nearly as bad as she had feared, and her lungs only burned a little.
She didn’t feel anything quite yet, but she knew she would any moment.
A smile filled her features at Bril’s words.
“Family. I’m honored.”
He smiled in kind and reached out to take her hands. Once she obliged, he took a deep breath, letting the ambient smoke fill his lungs. Then, he started to hum. It was a low yet melodic tone that rumbled up from his core, shaking the air and establishing a rhythm for him to gently sway to. And soon enough, she was doing the same, gently rocking to and fro like grass petals in a passing breeze. The Pelial To’re began to take root, causing the lights and colors in the room to brighten and become far more vibrant than before.
Bril interrupted his humming to offer her a bit of advice. “Things are going to get intense fast, now. DOn’t fight it, just let it happen. And if you’re feeling overwhelmed, just give my hands a squeeze. Let them be your anchor.”