Favorite Old Posts

[Amanda Rose]

I think we should have a place to show all of our favorite old posts and I selected this as the place. I don't care where they come from, just share! Besides, its fun to look at our old writing!

Sjet and I were reminiscing on Zuub and so I went digging into the SLA and found one of my favorite Zuub posts. I don't like my use of active rather than passive voice back in 2004. However, how many of you remember this classic:

Transferred from the Back-Up forums on 8/16/04
Posted on 8/15/2004, 12:41 am
by Amanda Rose
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What is Love?

So, when Counselor Richards pulls on Zuub's arm, she
follows into the treatment room. Zuub's antennae
first start to droop but then start start to wring and
lash about, "Well, Counselor, it is about Ensign
Scott...."

Melissa opened her mouth then shut it not quite sure
what to say. "I...alright. I thought we had resolved
this..or you said what you wanted to."

Zuub's antennae lean in towards the Counselor,
"Resolved? Are you feeling well?"

"I'm fine.." The Betazoid opened her senses more.
"Please, what do you need to tell me?"

Zuub, despite having poor empathic abilities can tell
that the Counselor is anything BUT fine. Her antennae
lean in further. "If you insist that you are fine, I
will let it go for the time being. As to Ensign
Scott, shortly after I left your office, I went back
to sickbay to find him gone. I tracked him down to a
science lab. He did not recognize me. I insisted
that he get a final check up before discharge, as is
proper procedure but he refused to go back for quite
some time. I then," Zuub hesitates. Should she tell
the counselor about his telepathic abilities? ~No,~
she thinks, ~It is not important now.~ "had a verbal
altercation with him."

"Why?" Melissa asked more curious then upset? "Over
what?"

"Well, it is hard to say. I was trying to get him to
sickbay. But, when I told him that both of his mates
were fine, he got really upset and said he went out
with you once but Joy Robinson was merely a friend and
superior officer. He got very rude towards me."

"Uhmm.." Melissa tried to hide her feelings "I..I'm
going to guess he just felt hemmed in or something and
that you were prying into matters that he felt didn't
concern you, Ensign."

Zuub's antennae move back and get stiff. "But what?
Perhaps the fact that I discovered he had some vulcan
heritage when I saved his life?"

"It..could be, yes." The counselor tried to think how
to word this. "I'm not sure where the conflict came
from. You also might have inadvertently made him feel
vulnerable in some way or...uhmm.." she looked away.
"I might be something more personal then that."

Zuub notices the reaction of the Counselor and again
her antennae move forward and lean in towards her.
"Is there someone else in the room that you are
looking away? I must admit that the longer that I am
no longer among Andorians, the more that I see that I
do not understand about others' reactions. I simply
cannot understand what is wrong with having more than
one playmate until your telepathic bonding. Of
course, I have heard (and do know this to be true from
my study of their anatomy) that humans do not bond in
this way. But, vulcans have some sort of ritual that
bonds them and it is biological, as well. I still
have much to learn, I guess. The concept of love and
marriage is so foreign."

"It's a cultural thing." Melissa answered softly.
"Betazeds only have one mate really. I..I don't know
how Scott feels. It's hard to truly make such a
decision when you've only been out with someone once.
It was just social to me so far."

"Well, Scott said something about loving someone after
he refused to play with me." Zuub's antennae lean in
quite far towards the Counselor, "Perhaps I misheard
you, Counselor, but did you mean to say that you are
to marry Scott?"

Melissa's eyes went wide and she sputtered.
"M..marry..him?" she shook her head. "No, no...not
even on my mind. We just had one date! I don't know
why that seems to monumental to you. Does going out
with someone signify some sort of joining in the
Andorian culture?"

Zuub's antennae lean back a bit and droop slightly.
She replies, "Have I offended you? I thought that is
what you were talking about. Andorians get married,
of course. It has nothing to do with this 'going
out,' as you say. It is a function of biology and
emotional attachment. When an Andorian can feel
another empathically, extremely well, then a bond
develops and eventually becomes fully telepathic. We
have to marry before the final bonding which results
in pregnancy. However, before that, there are no
limitations of any kind. I have found out, for
example, that many humans find it disturbing when a
neuter would have relations with their sibling or an
animal or an object. Andorians do not understand this
reaction. What is the harm as long as one is enjoying
one self?"

"I suppose none if that doesn't..bother you." Melissa
made a mental note. _Study more Andorian culture_ "I
have no problem with you going out with..Scott. If he
wants it. In my culture, the humans, and many others,
there a...courtship ritual that most go through to see
if one or the other are compatible in tastes and
interests. If they are..they might..uhmm..join
together.."

Zuub replied, "But this does not explain to me much.
I do not understand this courtship ritual of yours or
Scott's. And does join together mean more
permanently, as in a marriage or like neuters? And
what is this love than Scott speaks of? I hear it all
the time from humans and he would not play with me
because he is in love with someone. Why not?"

"I..I'm going to hazard a guess he has feelings
for..someone..and he only wants to be with her."
Melissa looked at the Andorian again. "Neuters is
mating, yes? Mating without being married?"

Zuub's facial expression changes for the first time
ever to Richard's knowledge, a hint of a smile. She
says, "Counselor, you do need to study up on our
culture a bit more; however, it is no matter. I can
explain it to you. We are often very misunderstood as
a culture. Perhaps this will clear some of it up. A
neuter is an Andorian that has passed first puberty.
That puberty is when the sexual organs become
functional, however they cannot impregnate until the
second puberty, which occurs during the development of
the telepathic bonding. I understand having feelings
for someone. We have many stories of neuters that had
feelings for other neuters but the joinings did not
become permanent. Is this what you mean by love? And
do you also love Mr. Scott?"

Melissa's face went red. "I..don't know if I love
anyone, Zuub. Love can be described in that way if
the joining becomes permanent later. Joinings that are
not...permanent or actually sexual liaisons of sorts."

Zuub's antennae go back again, "Do you not have an
emotional attachment to Mr. Scott? It has seemed so
from your reactions. Is that not love, as you have
described it? Does love always end in marriage that
the rest of non-Andorian conduct with others is like
neuters? This is very confusing, you must understand.
I know that have had joinings with many humans
(female and male) and even one betazoid at the
academy, but they never mentioned love and we had many
joinings until I got bored or their fascination wore
off."

"OH for.." Melissa found herself getting perturbed
without meaning to. "I..like Scott yes, but I
certainly won't call it love. I have had three men
interested in me so far since coming aboard, Zuub. I
haven't..slept..with any of them.:

Zuub's antennae start to lash about, "I am very
confused. You like him but do not call it love. Yet,
you define love as an emotional attachment, which you
do not deny. There must be some way to tell the
difference. As to sleeping with a man, I can
certainly understand why you would not have done so.
The beds here are rather small. They are barely
sufficient for 'joinings,' as you say."

Melissa found herself laughing. "I don't know. Mine
is..quite adequate if I found someone I really wanted
to be with." She felt embarrassed for some reason
now. "Love is...something that is a wonderful feeling.
It's not a one-time event, it's the fact you feel like
you want to stay with that one person. I guess I need
to research your culture more to more adequately
explain it."

"Well, counselor, I will look forward to your further
explanation. In the meantime, it seems that Scott
does not desire to play with me because of his love.
I still do not understand why he was rude, but I must
say that before we parted he did apologize and thanked
me for saving his life. Scott is cute and I would
like to play with him, but from what you are telling
me, that would be bad form for a human in love. Is
this correct?"

"It could be." Melissa almost whispered. "It would
depend on the person. Scott obviously has...definite
feelings for someone."

Zuub's antennae slow down and again lean in towards
the Counselor, "It is illogical. You would think that
someone part Vulcan would understand that. Well,
Counselor, I do appreciate your time. I hope that you
can enlighten me further at some later date. But, as
you saw, I do have an Ensign on the biobed to attend.
Do tell me how your joining with Ensign Scott goes. I
would have liked to have had that experience with
him."

The Betazoid counselor's face went beet red and she
opened her mouth.. "I...thank you, Ensign. I'll see
you later." She moved quickly away out of the room and
down the corridor.

Joint Post between

Zuub
Ensign
Medical
USS Zealous

and

Melissa Richards
Lieutenant
Chief Counselor
USS Zealous