Poetics part one: Recognition



By Alibaba

J/7 a first time (slow seduction) story chock full of historical lesbian poetry!

Summary: Seven decides to research Janeway’s love of literature and uses it to explore her feelings and ‘convince’ Kathryn to do the same. This story universe assumes that the whole Chakotay + Seven debacle never happened. (If only!)

Rating: PG – R …eventually…

Warnings: POETRY is the inspiration and backbone of this story also this is Femslash – women falling in love with each other!


This idea was partially inspired by Trek in Tandem’s “The Rod and the Staff” Which is an excellent, well thought-out and executed story. Note: Most the poems, or ~fragments~ of poems, were borrowed from The Literature of Lesbianism; A Historical Anthology from Ariosto to Stonewall. Edited by Terry Castle and Published by Columbia University press. Which I picked up at Little Sister’s on a recent trip to Vancouver! Those marked with a ‘*’ are from The Norton Anthology of Literature by Women; the Tradition in English Edited by S.M. Gilbert and S. Gubar. No copyright infringement intended! No profit made! I love these books – you should buy them!


Poems excerpted or referred to in P.1 :

Amy Lowell - "Opal" and "Venus Transiens."

Emily Dickinson - "I had been hungry, all the Years" and "To see her is a Picture"



0300 hours. Seven of Nine strode towards the turbo lift on Deck 3 feeling the delicious tingle she always felt after spending time talking to the Captain in her quarters.

When she had arrived the Captain was reading an old fashioned hard cover book. Reading ancient Earth literature was one of her favorite pastimes and Seven had ceased to question the efficiency of Kathryn’s favored format. Before Kathryn had closed the book and placed it face-down on the table Seven had noticed part of the title. She decided to research the topic when she returned to cargo bay two. While in the turbolift Seven noted the rush of nanoprobes to her flushed cheeks and the tingle up her spine that seemed to happen every time she thought about calling the Captain by her first name.

Thanks to her Borg implants Seven was aware of minor physiological changes in the people around her. She was thankful that Kathryn didn’t have the same ability otherwise Seven’s elevated pulse and temperature would surely reveal her confusing emotions to her Captain. All this emotional turbulence made her feel odd, vulnerable and excited at the same time. Sometimes, like now, she quite enjoyed the physical effect Kathryn’s presence had on her, unfortunately as soon as she began to enjoy the sensations her nanoprobes rushed in to correct the ‘malfunction.’ Seven had been pondering ways to alter her systems to allow a greater enjoyment of her symptoms. She sighed as the last pangs of desire evaporated. She activated her console in the cargo bay and began to search “Ancient Terran Literature” for the name ‘Amy Lowell’. Seven’s interest was piqued when she read that many of the authors love poems were inspired by her lifelong female companion. She felt her heart accelerate with that knowledge and scanned down to the poems.

~Opal*~

You are ice and fire,

The touch of you burns my hands like snow.

You are cold and flame.

You are the crimson of amaryllis,

The silver of moon-touched magnolias.

When I am with you,

My heart is a frozen pond

Gleaming with agitated torches.



Seven gasped with recognition, these small lines had perfectly summarized her feelings, particularly the last three lines. She found they held even more meaning when she reread them aloud. Yes, it was very close to perfection: the Borg parts of her kept her ‘frozen’ while the ‘agitated torches’ of human emotion flared. She nodded her head in agreement. Perhaps metaphor was more expedient in expressing certain emotions. She read on for hours cataloging names and poems in her eidetic memory for future reference. She kept reading descriptions of ‘devoted friends’ and ‘beloved companions’; Seven wondered what it would be like to be Kathryn Janeway’s ‘Lifelong Companion’… she felt a rush of excitement and floods of warmth embrace her. Yes that was what she wanted; well no actually, she wanted much more than simple companionship! She realized that what she truly wanted was Kathryn’s love.

Seven stepped back from her console to contemplate this revelation. Her cybernetically enhanced mind quickly calculated the variables and began to formulate a plan to systematically eliminate all barriers to her ultimate goal. Kathryn Janeway would come to love her. They were already friends and she often treated Seven in ways that made her affection for her obvious. Seven turned back to the database to find the appropriate tools of persuasion. She anticipated a great deal of resistance from her Captain, but ultimately it would prove futile. A soft smile curved her lips as she worked.



Kathryn Janeway sighed and stretched on her chaise lounge. She was exhausted but her mind would not stop; she thought of her conversation with Seven, the tilt of her head, the calm precision of her voice and the way it rose to emphasize Seven’s enjoyment. She tried to refocus her thoughts by taking up the book again. She almost dropped it and her bookmark fell to the floor. Straightening up the book fell open on her lap and she scanned through the familiar lines of ~‘Venus Transiens’*~ …

…Was Botticelli’s vision

Fairer than mine;

And were the painted rosebuds

He tossed his lady,

Of better worth

Than the words I blow about you

To cover your too great loveliness

As with a gauze

Of misted silver?

…

How appropriate, Kathryn thought to herself; she was constantly creating barricades of words to keep her emotions hidden, especially with Seven of Nine. The younger woman had grown accustomed to the Captains long and thoughtful pauses before she answered any philosophical questions. She probably thought Kathryn was formulating precise responses when she did that, which was partly right, Kathryn was composing the perfect combination of words to express meaning stripped of any trace of her stormy emotions. She had to, if she did not she knew she would be powerless against the tempest. Admitting defeat she closed the book and slowly walked to her bedroom.

Starlight cast a dull glow on the pale blanket covering her generous but still obviously single bed. She walked to the ensuite to wash up and brush her teeth. She tried to not think of how many years lay before her with nothing to come home to at the end of the day but the solitude of that single bed. Thoroughly annoyed at herself she climbed into bed and tried to focus her mind on something else. One line from the poem kept repeating: ‘was Venus more beautiful than you are?’ She gave up on her meditations and lay on her side the spare pillow crushed against her chest and pressed under her thigh. She knew that sleep would not come easily. The rest of the night was a patchwork of dreams and wakefulness stitched together with brief moments of blissful oblivion.



The chronometers’ insistent bleating pulled her from bed. She stumbled out to the main room of her quarters to replicate a strong cup of black coffee. As the heat and caffeine slowly infused her system she noticed a blink on her personal monitor; someone had sent her a message during the night. She slowly walked over to her desk; a quick voice command opened the message. She was surprised to find a text only message from Seven of Nine. She scanned through it quickly and wondered if she was still asleep. It didn’t make any sense. She took a longer swig of coffee and slowly read it again.



To see her is a Picture –

To hear her is a Tune –

To know her an Intemperance

As innocent as June –



To know her not --- Affliction

To own her for a Friend

A warmth as near as if the Sun

Were shining in your Hand.



Captain, I have recently come to understand and appreciate your love of poetry. My research into the subject has been most intriguing. I especially admire the efficiency of Emily Dickinson. When I read this poem aloud last night I immediately thought of you.

Seven of Nine.



Kathryn blinked and tried to ignore the pounding of her heart. Seven of Nine had sent her a love poem, no a friendship poem, well a poem ostensibly about friendship, full of subtext written by a woman who never married and was famously enamored with her sister-in-law. Did she know? Was it on purpose? Of course she knew. This was Seven, when she researched a topic she really researched it. Why this poem? What had led her to it? Captain Kathryn Janeway felt suddenly awake, awake and aroused by the possibility that her Borg was intentionally flirting with her. Was it possible? Had Seven seen past all of Kathryn’s duplicity? She had to know. Kathryn took a final sip of coffee and smirked to herself. She walked towards her shower already composing the response in her head.



“Everything alright Captain?” Chakotay asked when Kathryn strode on to the bridge several minutes after the start of alpha shift. She sat down and leaned over to speak to him in a quiet voice.

“Planning to put me on report Commander?” She teased. Her eyes sparkled and her trademark smirk was stretching into a smile. Chakotay couldn’t help but smile back.

“I’ll let you off with a warning this time.” He joked.

“Understood.” She said sitting upright and crossing her legs. She turned her attention to the status reports scrolling up the small screen in between them. She looked more than pleased with herself this morning, if he didn’t know better Chakotay would have thought she looked like she hadn’t spent the night alone, perhaps he didn’t know better? He made a mental note to check what programs had recently been running on the holodecks.







Seven, Emily Dickinson is one of my favourites too!

Tell me what you think of this one…

Kathryn.

*

I had been hungry, all the Years –

My Noon had Come -- to dine –

I trembling drew the Table near –

And touched the Curious Wine –



‘Twas this on Tables I had seen –

When turning, hungry, Home

I looked in Windows, for the Wealth

I could not hope -- for Mine—



I did not know the ample Bread –

‘Twas so unlike the Crumb

The Birds and I, had often shared

In Nature’s – Dining Room –



The Plenty hurt me – ‘twas so new –

Myself felt ill – and odd –

As Berry – of a Mountain Bush –

Transplanted -- to the Road –



Nor was I hungry – so I found

That Hunger – was a way

Of Persons outside Windows –

The Entering – takes away –



Seven of Nine blinked at the console screen. The Astrometrics lab seemed to tilt and shift around her as though the inertial dampeners were offline. Kathryn, she had signed it, Kathryn. Not Captain, not Kathryn Janeway, just Kathryn, the way close friends or lovers sign their names. Seven steadied herself with her Borg-enhanced hand. Nano-probes rushed to regulate the pounding in her temples and the sudden flush of heat over her skin.

Seven’s mind was crowded with things she wanted to say, things she had dreamed of saying to her Captain but never imagined that she would have the opportunity. She utilized one of Tuvok’s meditation techniques to focus her thoughts and calm down.