Stars Dancing [Dreams-To-Lovers Romance]

Poems that are memories

Of things yet to come.

Collected Unpublished Lyrics

-Sibsil Creed, Stories of Shurwinn, (2769)

"Ryst Nova for queen!" Jasen and Alen responsed to my comment on their newest animation. I had published it on my personal stream site with the recommendation, "Jasen and Alen should rule the world."

Peydran had been right, their video was hilarious. It was only about ten minutes long, and I hadn't known the graphic, but that didn't matter. It was funny without any context. I was getting ready to take a porter into the village to meet a recruiter, and the animation had been just what I needed to calm my nerves. I grabbed my bag and headed for the porter.

"Can we start with a general overview of what you are planning to do?" asked Jannen, the Recruiter Lirin had recommended. She was smartly dressed, with tidy braids, and a professional air. Very to the point, which I liked.

"I'm planning to start small and expand as things grow." I'd already started writing articles and recipes, but hadn't actually made a business stream site yet. I hoped Jannen could help me with work space and staff options. "My initial strategy is an educational stream site about diet and other health topics. Then over time, if I'm successful, I'd like to see it grow into sessions with clients who need guidance or counseling. And eventually researching, but that is a very big topic that will take several years to work up to. For starters, I'd like to talk with a videographer. I am planning to video recipe instructions, but since I'm living at the monastery, I don't have a kitchen or venue for recording. So I need a person who can video and edit, and also a studio with a kitchen. I'm not sure how to go about finding either of those things."

She nodded understandingly. "Why don't you tell me what kind of person you are looking for? Who do you normally work well with?"

I cocked my head and thought a second. "Well, at least in the beginning, it would be great to have someone who is comfortable with off spheres and understands that I'm still learning the language and traditions here. I'm waiting for my citizenship, so there's still a lot I don't know." I realized I was thinking about Peydran while I spoke.

"And long term, I'm hoping to meet someone who is comfortable with medica and talking to people about the things that I do. Because I know there will be a lot to do, and I don't want to be a one-woman show. I'm hoping to have staff who can wear multiple hats and coach patients when the need arises. Things like that. I can train them. They don't have to be pre-trained. But if they're comfortable with the idea of it, I think that will help me grow. So, that takes a certain kind of person. But that's not a requirement just to get off the ground. Does that make sense?"

"It does. It does. And what about the studio you mentioned. I know you don't have a kitchen at the monastery, are there any other requirements related to a space that you might rent?"

"Well, part of my issue is that I don't know what I don't know. I've never done anything like this before. So I'm hoping a videographer who has experience will know more of what is needed." Once again, Peydran flashed through my mind.

"Yes, I see. What we can do now is, I will take some time to put things together. Once I have a plan to start, I will contact you. We can go over that plan, and then we can proceed from there. How does that sound?"

"That sounds like a good first step, Jannen. Thanks for taking time to meet me today," I replied and closed the meeting, but when I got outside, I messaged Peydran.

Ryst: Sunshine, Peydran. I'm in the village. Want to meet up?

Peydran: Ryst! Where?

Ryst: Dunno. Somewhere we can chat about a project I'm working on?

Peydran: Lucy's? Ten minutes?

Ryst: Great.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

I cancelled the porter and checked out the address Peydran had sent me. It was just a few minutes' walk away, so I headed in that direction. Lucy's was a little tea shop that served pastries and had juices. So, I got a juice and sat at a table. Peydran arrived shortly after and got a pastry and a tea.

"I'm so glad you invited me, Ryst! It's good to see you out of the monastery."

I laughed, "Thanks, Peydran. I thought it might be fun to do something around town while I was out."

"What were you up to, coming into the village all by yourself like a local?"

I chuckled. He was so easy to be around, and still, I sensed nothing from him. Despite his open, enthusiastic grin, I couldn't feel any emotions coming off of him at all.

"Actually, I was meeting with a Recruiter, and I kept thinking about you. Wait— I mean. I didn't mean that the way it sounded. Oh stars, I sound like an idiot, don't I?"

He laughed uproariously and said seductively, "Hey baby, you can think about me all day and all night." And laughing, he said, "Nah, Ryst, you're not my type."

Ah, okay. "Good, because I totally did not mean to accidentally ask you on a date."

"Nah, you said you had a project?" Rubbing his hands together, he whispered conspiratorially, "What nefarious scheme are we plotting? Extragalactic corporate espionage? Who am I hacking? Who's on your hit list, Ryst?"

"Stars, Peydran, are you always so goofy?"

He looked at me squarely, "Nah, but I gotta admit being asked out by an off sphere, even a female one, has got me a bit excited today. I was all holed up in my cave… and lonely. . . ."

Groaning, I covered my face with my hand, and shook my head. He moved my hand down, and said eagerly, "Really, Ryst. Tell me about your project. What are you working on?"

"Alright. I know your business is much bigger scope than what I'm doing, but I thought maybe you'd know some other students. Like videographers. And I need a space to record recipes— a kitchen." And I described my basic idea for educational materials to start and later grow the business into more.

"So, initially, you just need a video and a stream site? Do you have a business name yet?" his tone shifted into professionalism, like he was in analytical mode interviewing a potential client.

"I have an idea about that actually, but I wasn't sure what to do since my citizenship isn't finalized. Mmmm, I'm really nervous to say this out loud. Okay, it's just a draft, right?" He nodded encouragingly. "Living Foods From Shurwinn."

"Living Foods From Shurwinn," he repeated. "I like it. I don't see any reason why you can't go ahead and call it that. But we can ask someone like Denten. If all you need is a video, we can do it at the monastery kitchen. The natural light in there will look really good. Especially just after midday."

"Really?" Wow, it was so nice to talk to someone who knew what he was doing.

"What are you shooting for your first video? How long? How much time?"

"Wait a minute, Peydran," I paused. "How are we going to do this in the monastery? That's a public building."

"Easy, put up a sign: 'Quiet please.' It's a monastery. You're supposed to be quiet."

I laughed, "Yeah, but people come and go from there all the time. It's a common room."

"And? You're family, Ryst. They'll let you have the space to yourself for a few hours. They'll probably even be your first viewers! Everybody's gonna want to see what the off sphere is doing. It'll be great. You'll get a lot of traffic."

"Wait, I hadn't thought of that. Are you saying I'll get curiosity traffic because I'm an off sphere?" I asked incredulously.

"Of course, Ryst," he rolled his eyes. "It'll be like your big coming out celebration. 'Look at me now, I'm a big shot citizen. See my kitchen magic!'"

"Woah, that is so weird. I wasn't really expecting anyone to actually WATCH it! I mean, it's not even cooking. It's a cooking video without any cooking!"

We laughed and laughed. Peydran said, "Yeah, really, Ryst. People are gonna love it. It's a really exciting thing for us to have a medica from another world come here and decide to stay. And then to want to have a stream site that says Shurwinn? It's this blending of worlds, so it's innovative. It's a new thing that you're doing, and I think you're going to be successful. I know your target audience is much different. You're wanting to reach people with health issues. But this is a great place to get started. Word of mouth will help get things going."

"Gosh, Peydran, this is so much more than I was expecting. It's like I'm the one who's been in a cave. I'm so disconnected to what people are really like in Shurwinn because I was so afraid to offend you all. But that's not how you are at all. You don't actually mind off spheres, do you?"

"Of course not! Well, there's always objectors, and there's probably someone out there who's annoying enough to be genuinely offended, but no. You didn't have to be all, 'I'm gonna eat outside. I don't look at anybody. Don't see me, don't hear me. I'm just the wind out here… '"

"Oh my stars! Jasen and Alen could totally mock me with what you just said."

His face broke open, "SANDS, yes! Oh, sands below and sky above! WE ARE DOING THAT! That's it, Ryst. That's our first video. Or, is it our second? I'll figure it out. That is gold, absolute gold! I've got to go. I'm putting together documents. You'll hear from me. Invoices will be involved." And he kissed my forehead and was out the door.

I told the recruiter Jannen that I'd already found the best person for the job on my own.

Journal

There was pleasure, and then there was need like I had never felt before. Had it worked? All those mantras from the Tindin sex manuals? Had they actually worked?

"Your flower is the doorway of creation. Let the breath of life fill your flower." My flower was burning desire. No need. My flower was endless, aching need. No, not my flower, my belly, my throat, my hair, my self, my being. Desperate, wild, endless need. I would never get enough. There would only ever be this endless black hole of need. I was need.

Someone else was need. He was starving, and he couldn't stop. He was so hungry. It hurt. He couldn't stop.

I couldn't stop. It was ferocious.

He needed it now. I needed it now. We needed it now.

We broke.

And it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

Had I done it? Did he know? Had he been there?

Did we come undone—together?