Juliet's Tryst

Chapter 16: Condescension

Juliet walked into Dee's condo, disheveled and without any of her possessions. Her skin and clothes, an atrocious brown. Her hip was bruised, and her knees scraped upon rocks inside the mud. Dee started to say something, coming out from the bedroom, but shut her mouth when she saw Juliet. The rage was so palpable that one could stick out their tongue, and wait for it melt like snow. Dee's eyes swirled, angry universes. 

"Hey, just get me a glass of wine please," Juliet plopped onto a stool by the kitchen counter.

"You should not be having alcohol when injured," Dee said, coming to examine Juliet's body. Very quickly, she put a finger on Juliet's hip to expose a purple butterfly of marks. Finger marks, from when Riyuklanin grabbed and threw her into the car.

"That fucking idiot," Dee muttered. This was the first time Juliet had heard a cuss word come

"Contrariwise, my darling, what I just went through warrants every glass of alcohol I put into this body." 

"What did you go through?"

"Wine first, answers later," Juliet said, plopping down on a tall chair my a counter. Within moments, there was a hot meal and a glass of wine in front of her. 

"KFC? You are a woman after my heart." She ate voraciously, not having had breakfast before the workout of traveling to see the council. Dee sat next to her, strangely subdued. 

"Glad to hear it. I intend to take your heart." 

"I'll give it for free." 

Juliet poured herself a second glass of wine before she faced Dee. 

"I learned so much," she said. 

"Where did you get injured?"

"Riyuklanin," Dee bared her teeth at the name. "took me to a field, and showed me a hole in the ground. I thought he was going to bury me alive, so I ran. Then he shoved some sort stick in my stomach and I experienced the worst trip ever." 

Dee's eyes widened. She placed her hands on Dee's arms, squeezing to check that she real. 

"He put you through...in an atomic re-configurator? And you survived?"

"Yeah," considering the energy coming from Dee, Juliet felt the extent of the pain was not something she should mention.

"That must have been a universe worth of pain, little one. I am so sorry," Dee gathered Juliet into her arms like a child. She buried her face into her neck, clutching at her. The sobs were instantaneous. In Dee's arms, the shock wore off. She now understood why Dee felt the need to protect her. Chaos and danger reigned supreme in this brave new world. 

Dee stroked Juliet's hair, making a calming humming sound. 

"What did they ask you?" she said, quietly and gently.

"About.. About.. my life. My... past, my...personality." Juliet was crying too much to continue. 

Dee picked her up and carried her into a room. A door materialized as she came towards the wall. There was a bath filled with some foreign liquid, and Juliet's fear spiked.

"This will not hurt, I promise. This heals. It is warm, and gentle." 

Juliet was vibrating, the shock wearing off of her body. Dee slowly took off each piece of clothing, running her fingers over Juliet's skin, inspecting the damage. God, if she hadn't been literally traumatized, then she would have fucked her there and then. Soft, and lovely. 

Juliet put a finger in the liquid. It was warm, and almost had a smooth buoyant feeling. She submerged herself. Every single pain, emotional and physical, disappeared. She laughed, the feeling of floating taking over her body. Her joints felt open and free. She looked up into Dee's face, who was appreciating Juliet's joy. 

"What is this?"

"It is a reproduction of Kulon, a substance from my planet. It has all sort of basic healing properties. We must be careful, as you may never want to leave if you stay for too long." 

Juliet moved her arms, feeling the outline of the liquid. It playfully pushed back at her. She slapped it, watching it ripple. Moments later, Juliet felt a gently slap on her nose.

"Hey," Juliet said. She took her finger and booped the place she previously slapped. The liquid booped her nose back. She was giggling childishly, playing with it.  

She realized that all of her bits and pieces were healed; the scrapes disappeared, and the skin on her left hip was lovelier than ever. She took a look at her wrist, a whitish scar more faded than ever. The scar. The liquid pulled her hand over, as if to tell her not to worry about it. Then, the liquid propelled her upward, and set her standing on front of Dee. 

Dee was silent, an incredulous look of disbelief crossing her face.

"What?" Juliet said when the giggles finally left her body.

"We never knew that the Kulon was sentient. Or could be controlled. It does not behave this way to any other human." 

"Huh," Juliet said, cupping a hand and pulling some out. It traversed up and down her back, seeming to work on some knots she had there. When it finished, Juliet got the distinct feeling that it wanted back into the tub. She gently placed it back in. 

"It's communicating to you," Dee whispered in awe.  

The house materialized a white stool, and Dee sat down with her arms crossed. An intense look came over her face.

"What are you thinking about?" Juliet walked over, nudging her way in between Dee's legs and wrapping Dee's arms around her pristine naked body. Dee put her head against Juliet's chest, inhaling deeply. 

"There are some that need to be taught a lesson. Others, that need to know about Kulon reacting to you. Imagine if you could go to my planet and experience the Kulon running through the veins of the planet? What would it tell you?"

Her face was stoic, eyes squinted slightly. She looked like a goddess to Juliet, with cheek bones sloping perfectly into perfectly formed pink lips. She was both beauty, and power. 

"Isn't there a war on your planet right now," Juliet asked. Dee looked up at her, a look of pain and determination. 

"Yes. I fear my planet will not be around for much longer. I don't know how to save it. My planet." Dee looked to the tub of Kulon, seemingly inanimate now that Juliet was not inside it. 

"Why? What will happen?"

"Our enemies have constructed a planet destroying weapon. They plan to use it soon."