Stars Dancing [Dreams-To-Lovers Romance]

Is it mean to torture our readers with hints?

Is it wrong that I like it?

It's a perverse pleasure.

Am I a sadist now?

- Sibsil Creed, Stories of Shurwinn, (2780)

My floater hovered behind me as I made my way home from the market after work. It was laden with bags of fresh produce. A month ago, Ritsken had taken me to see a Recruiter, and I'd been assigned the role Garden Apprentice. I spent four days a week following around a Teacher who mostly just showed me what he was doing, and then I copied that. I'd gotten the hang of most things pretty quickly, and these days he'd just tell me what to do when I first arrived.

It was very low stress, and I did't have to interact with people very often. I learned a lot about the local plants and practiced my Shurwinn as much as possible. My conversational skills were only barely passable, but everyone spoke Universal if I needed to fall back to that.

Mostly, I kept to myself. Morning Jendo as the sun rose, work in the garden, home, stream shows, sleep.

I was still continuing the hygienic eating plan. I thought of it as an experiment rather than something I was going to force myself to do long term. I could walk away from it at any time. I mostly liked it. I missed rice and flatbread, but I had started making curry dishes with uncooked veggies in my casita, and it was surprisingly good. I hadn't expected to like it, but the dishes all tasted remarkably similar to the restaurant versions. I missed the flatbread and rice, but I had zero headaches. I could live without rice if it meant no headaches.

My body was strong, and I was back to sparring shape. But I had no idea what the traditions were in Shurwinn and if I'd find somewhere to practice with other people. I wasn't sure how much to ask the villagers. I respected their culture of privacy, and I knew I was only a visitor on their private planet. They had been kind to me, and I didn't want to spoil that. So, I just kept to myself and enjoyed a simple life.

I was thinking about trying to make a peppered veg dish when I got home, and was wondering how that was going to taste when a boy came up from behind me and asked, "Hey off sphere— whatcha doin' with all that food?"

I thought he said something like, "Making dinner? Got a date?" But I wasn't sure. I asked him slowly, "Can you tell me what you said in Universal?"

He laughed and said, "You making dinner? We gonna have a date?"

I burst out laughing and asked in Shurwinn, "What's your name?"

"I'm Tonino," he said with a huge grin. I wondered if his friends had dared him to talk to the weird off-sphere lady. He looked maybe 8 or 9 years old, and I could sense something mischievous coming off of him.

"Are you hungry, Tonino?"

We were almost to my casita. He was about to say something, then he stopped and pointed and said, "There's Paulo!"

"Paulo?" he pointed to the white mirka with the brown ear that was sitting in front of the door of my casita. I hadn't seen it since that night weeks ago. "Oh!" I asked, "His name's Paulo?"

"Yeah, he's Luchian's mirka." Tonino muttered something about Luchian as he darted off.

Paulo kept sitting by my door as I approached. I started talking to him. "Hello, little friend." He took a few steps down the street, then stopped and turned to look at me. "What are you doing tonight, Paulo? Do you want to come in? Do you like melons?"

His tail was towards me, and his face watched me. I had the impression that he wanted me to go with him. "You want me to come with you? Let me put this stuff inside."

After shutting everything inside, I started towards Paulo, and he continued down the street, looking over his shoulder at me every now and then. "I'm coming with you, Paulo," I assured him. I hadn't wandered that direction very much because it was away from the village center. I didn't want to get too far away from home because it was almost sunset, and I didn't want to be out in the dark somewhere I didn't know well.

We kept walking a few more blocks when there was an elderly woman picking Marion berries along the street. Paulo stopped by her. The lady turned to me and pointed to an empty basket. I asked, "Do you need help picking berries?" She nodded. So, I picked up the basket and started filling it with the dark purple-black fruit. I glanced around for Paulo, but he was gone.

It was a decidedly strange evening. I wasn't sure if I should try to make polite conversation in Shurwinn with the lady next to me.

Fraught. That was the word. Every interaction I had with people was fraught. Should I try asking her questions? Just tell her I needed to practice conversational language skills? I could sense her mind and feelings. She had a very, very quiet presence. The sense I had of her was that she was unconcerned. I felt like we were in an extraordinary situation: me trying to figure out if I could have a conversation without reading someone's mind unintentionally, but she wasn't concerned about anything at all.

I sighed. Fraught. Every single time. Nothing was simple anymore. I stayed quiet.

When my basket was about 3/4 full, the lady turned to me and said pointedly, "Siblin Lone Warrior Nun."

Before I could open my mouth to reply, she went inside and shut the door. My eyebrows screwed up in plerplexion. I was standing there looking at the door, and down to the basket in my hands, and around the street when a voice said, "You lost, off sphere?"

The voice belonged to a smartly dressed young guy—maybe seventeen years old. Dressed in a tan knee-length tank embroidered with vines and flowers and wearing pale green leggings that stopped at his calves, he looked like he was ready for a date. He had an open, friendly expression and a teasing smile. He kind of reminded me of Tonino. Since he was walking in the direction I needed to go to get home, I joined him.

Shaking my head I replied, "No, not lost. Confused." And something struck me all at once: I had no sense of the kid. None at all. His mind wasn't there. His feelings weren't there. It was a first! I decided to keep him talking to see if I could read him.

"Is 'Siblin Lone Warrior Nun' a way of saying, 'Good evening, off sphere. Enjoy the berries. I'm glad you came by?'" A ridiculous kind of giggle rose out of me.

The kid laughed at me with an incredulous look, "What you got in that basket, off sphere? Something naughty?" He was adorable, and I still had no sense of him at all.

And something about him made me feel relaxed inside. It wasn't fraught. I just wanted to keep talking.

"Oh stars, I never have any idea what is going on here. It's like one, long awkward moment after another. Do you know how hard it is to learn idioms and all of that AND to be worried that you're gonna get kicked out for being a nosy off sphere?"

He waved his fingers in front of him and got a mischievous look. "A mysterious, spooky off sphere. What's she up to? Better look over your shoulder, the off sphere is coming!" he taunted.

And I laughed so easily. What was that strange feeling I had? Normality?

"Places to be off sphere. Have a good evening. Enjoy the berries!" He winked and was gone.

And I'd picked up not a single whiff of his thoughts or his feelings. It was such a relief, and I hoped I'd see him again.

After I finished my delicious pepper veg dinner, I decided to make cashew nut fruit tarts with the berries and a lemon from Ritsken's garden. I took a small tart to Ritsken and asked her what Siblin Lone Warrior Nun meant, but she had no explanation. I couldn't find anything on the stream to explain it to me. "Siblin" wasn't even in the Shurwinn dictionary.

The next morning after my Jendo, I walked up the street to the berry lady's house. I found it again without Paulo's help and had her basket with me, carrying a fruit tart in it. I had the day off, so I had plenty of time to return the basket to the lady.

When I got to the door, it opened before I had a chance to knock. A little boy grabbed the basket and said, "That's for Nona." And slammed the door. Right in my face.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

I just shook my head and laughed to myself as I went home. My life was weird. Beware the spooky off sphere girl for she shall read your mind and invade your life! Don't talk to her or even open the door! Slam it in her face! I wasn't getting any answers about Siblin Lone Warrior Nun from that house. Time for another plan.

You are my muse, I sent him, playfully.

Hmmm, how much of a muse do you want me to be right now? I felt him say.

He was outside me, he filled me. Lips on my shoulder.

Is this erotica? I asked him.

Raised eyebrows. You have to ask? he did not say.

He continued. Pouring love onto me, into me, kissing my skin, and filling me. I felt it. Every soft press of his lips against my skin. I felt it. He filled me. Without and within.

- Within and Without: A Tindin Journey With Erotica

Over the next few days, I kept to my routine. Every now and then, I'd search for ways to interpret "Siblin Lone Warrior Nun." I couldn't find anything, but I'd had the idea that there was something about "Nun" that was important. I didn't know much about religion, but I saw on the stream that there was a Media Monastery not too far from my casita at the very northern edge of the oasis.

I'd watched a lot of comedies in Shurwinn on the stream, but I'd also been watching more fantasy dramas lately, and I'd started to watching them without subtitles. I was doing pretty well understanding them. The fantasy shows featured monasteries a lot, but it was hard to know if any of that was representative of real Shurwinn culture or if it was all just entertainment.

Or who knew, maybe it was some wily Shurwinn propaganda? I didn't think so. The people seemed to be thoughtful and kind, if a bit standoffish. They didn't seem full of trickery.

So, I walked up the street and over one spoke to the east to find the monastery and the warrior nuns that were probably not hiding there stalking suspicious off spheres. It was a typical Shurwinn morning— bright blue skies, and dry, warm air quickly heating towards hot. People going to and fro.

When I got close to the edge of the street, I could see the monastery campus. There was a low wall around it, just thigh high, and no gate. No signage either. If I hadn't seen it on the map on my pad, I wouldn't have known what it was. There were gardens, of course, and several low buildings that looked much like the village. It was separate from the town in a way no other buildings were in the oasis.

I headed into the grounds, and as I passed the wall, a group of kids ran past me going out. There were people working in the gardens, and they were dressed just like people in the village. I wasn't certain if visitors were welcome or if it was closed to the public. It seemed open, but it also was quiet and separate from village life. Like I had stepped into a place that was markedly less "town" and more like the intimacy of a private home.

The building on the far right was more official-looking than the others. It was two stories and very large, and the roof was unusual in that it didn't have a garden on top. I was intrigued, so I headed in that direction. No one stopped me, and no one approached me at all. In fact, no one seemed to notice that I was there.

Did I look like I local? I felt out of place— I had no idea what I was doing in that quiet little retreat away from village life. There weren't any signs saying, "Waririor Nuns this way, enter at your own risk!" so I kept going.

I walked up to the garden-less building and slowed at the doorway. The door was propped open, and no one was about. Inside, there was an entryway and to either side was a closed door. Directly across from me were two wide open doors leading to a huge chamber. It was filled with rows and rows of bookshelves.

Library! There wasn't anyone there, and there were no scanners or anything to admit entry, so I decided to take a risk and go inside.

It smelled of books and paper and familiarity. It was strange how walking into a library felt comfortable when everything else was so foreign. The chamber was huge. It was two stories high and open to the ceiling. There were stone staircases going up to the second level, like they had been carved right out of the sandstone walls. In the ceiling were large skylights. So, even though the walls of the chamber were lined with bookshelves, and there weren't many windows, the room was lit with sunlight streaming in from above.

I wondered at how such a small monastery could have so many books. Was it the only library in the oasis?

I looked around and didn't see any terminals for looking up books. Nothing that said, "Catalog." The shelves themselves were labeled by category and a numerical system. Things like, "History," and "Philosophy and Mysticism." I was standing there soaking it all in and looking over the categories I could see from this distance when a young woman entered and went over to a table that was stacked with books.

"Oh! Sunshine!" she said. "Do you need help?"

"Sunshine! Are you the librarian?" I asked.

She smiled and said, "No, I'm just reshelving books." She looked around my age, and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to go through the Shurwinn bowing greeting because you were supposed to bow if you were the younger person. I decided to ask because I got an open, friendly sense from her.

"I was wondering if I should take your hand to bow, but I'm not certain which of us is older. Can you help me?"

She laughed and said with a wave, "Oh, that' s not really needed here. That's more if you are doing something formal like a job interview or meeting your boyfriend's parents. Are you looking for something particular? Can I help you find something?"

"This is my first time here, and to be honest I don't know what I'm doing. I wasn't sure if visitors are allowed to come here, and I didn't want to be rude."

She waved dismissively again, "Nothing to worry about. It's very open here. You can come and go as you please, but you shouldn't take books out of the library without checking them out on stream."

"Oh, I didn't see that as an option on stream. But maybe that's 'cuz I'm an off sphere? My name is Ryst, by the way."

She smiled kindly and looked like she already knew that. "Sunshine greet you, Ryst," she said. "I'm Rillan. And if you have Work Acceptance, then the only way to get access to the stream catalog is to have residency in the monastery. Then you can check out books and use the stream catalog."

"Oh," I replied again. "Do you mean that there are rooms to rent here, and off spheres can stay here with a reservation? Do visitors come here to stay?"

"Yes. I don't know much about it, but you could ask Glorian. Go one building over and ask for her."

"Thanks, Rillan. That helps so much. Sunshine!" I called over my shoulder as I left.

"Sunshine!" she wished me.

I headed over to the Central building wondering what I was doing. If they allowed visitors, they must not have minded too much if people asked questions. The inside of the Central building was similar to the library. There was an entryway, and rooms to either side, and the doors were open. There were several people in each room, so I approached the room on the right.

I started feeling nervous. Fraught. Conversational skills, that was the need, not mind reading. I resolved to keep practicing my Shurwinn and keep the curtain around my mind. As I got closer, three people stopped their conversation and turned to me.

"Sunshine," I waved to them. I really felt like I ought to do the bow, but they were all clearly older than me, and no one offered me a hand. They were smiling and looked friendly and happy to see me. And of course, I could tell they were all feeling curious. So I trudged on, "Rillan suggested that I come here and ask to see Glorian?"

"Sunshine," they all greeted me. And a lady with impeccable make up, a beautiful thick braid, and a tall, stately manner said, "Glorian is over there. Come, I'll show you."

"Thanks," I said, and shot a quick, "Sunshine" to the other people I had just interrupted.

A small middle-aged slightly round woman met us in the entryway and held her hand out to me. I knew what to do with that. Finally, bowing! A cultural custom I was prepared for! I took her extended right hand in my left and lowered my forehead to it saying, "Sunshine greet you."

She replied, "Sunshine greet you, off sphere. I heard you were looking for me. I'm Glorian."

Smiling, I replied, "I'm Ryst Nova, and Rillan told me that residents of the monastery can use the stream library catalog? I was hoping you could give me more information about that? I have Work Acceptance. This is my first visit to the monastery."

She nodded in a reassuring way and said, "You're welcome here, Ryst. We are very informal. People come and go. There are residence halls on the far west side of the monastery grounds, and I can show them to you if you'd like a quick tour of the campus. Each guest has a small room with a hallway group bathroom. The cost is very nominal, and we have a custom that all residents help with the general duties of keeping the monastery supplied, clean, and in good order. Let me show you around the Central building here."

"I'd love that," I nodded.

It was the most I had spoken in the weeks I'd been on Shurwinn. I felt more comfortable since Glorian seemed happy to show me around, and the feeling I got from her was warm welcome. She led me into the main room which was a big hall with windows and doors on the sides, very open to the gardens outside. There were long tables and benches. It was obviously a dining area.

"This is the main gathering area where meals are served three times a day. On the right at the back is the kitchen. Everyone works together to put the food out at meal time. And past the kitchen is the dojo."

She was speaking my language! "The dojo? Are there martial arts here? Am I allowed to ask about that?" I asked, eagerness in my voice.

"Ask any question, but don't always expect an answer," she replied with a sardonic smile. "Yes, there is sunrise flow every morning in the large gathering room, and the smaller rooms in the back are for private sessions or lessons."

"Lessons?" I asked.

She nodded, "Yes, there are private students and children's group classes."

"Oh, I see. Thanks."

I loved the dining area. It looked bright and open, and the views out to the gardens were lovely. The whole place felt very inviting.

Glorian suggested, "Let's walk over to the residence halls through the gardens to the west." We approached two long buildings, and Glorian pointed to the dormitories and a building beyond which held a sauna and spa. We entered the dorm, and she showed me one of the empty rooms. It wasn't much, but it had a double door going out to the garden, so it felt light. It was small, but homey.

I asked her, "What do I do if I want to rent a room? I just have a few days left at my casita, so I am thinking about making a switch. How do I go about becoming a resident? Do I need to have lessons in the dojo?"

She laughed and said, "No, you don't need to be a Tindin student. Many are, but some are just travelers. If you tell me your ID, I can send you a residency invitation." Wow! It was really that easy?

"That sounds great, Glorian!" I exclaimed with enthusiasm and got excited. I had no idea if Tindin was anything like my own martial art, but it would be amazing to be back in the dojo again. I gave Glorian my ID, thanked her for the tour, and headed back to my casita.

I hadn't seen any Siblin Lone Warrior Nuns, but the library had looked like a great place to find out more.

Magic Hour imagining of Ryst in Media Monastery Library.