[ Spock's main source of relationship observation, other than her own and that of her parents, is Jim. Who is, admittedly, not the best as far as studies go, far too happy to forego a long courtship to skip to the good bits, as he would say. Not that Spock thinks negatively of such actions; she was simply unprepared for Leonard's actions at first.
The effort is appreciated, however. She knew only a little about his prior relationship before this, but she knew that it had been rough for him, and the fact that he is willing to put so much effort into getting to know her is admirable. Unnecessary, in her opinion, because the bond is already there and that tells her what she needs to know (that they are bound forever, their minds compatible in ways that go beyond dating), but she enjoys it. Illogically so, perhaps.
It does make her feel like a human teenager, or what she imagines a human teenager must feel like; sneaking kisses in the dark, scandalizing individuals around them - it is a benefit there are few Vulcans on the base. Spock refuses to think about what they might say, instead focusing on the fact that Leonard is her soulmate and they are bound; there is no shame in displaying affection to him. Even better, it drains some of the tension out of his shoulders, and she can feel him relax from time to time. Something in Spock, something wild and primitive, takes pride in knowing she has been a help to her mate.
When he mentions etchings, she looks at him again, genuine puzzlement in her eyes this time. ] That is another euphemism. To what do etchings refer? [ Her voice breaks at the end of her question, breath caught in her throat at his touch. Spock steps back with a shiver, opening the door to her quarters.
[ Leonard doesn't really want to know what Jim might think of his slow, methodical courting of Spock — the very definition of a sure thing since she's his soulmate and all — and has somehow, miraculously, avoided ever finding out. Either Jim has been practicing his new-found sense of circumspection, or he's been too busy to pay much attention to what his two best friends are doing, an option that's too ridiculous to even consider for very long. Maybe he's just been saving all his pestering for Spock and she's been too kind to tell him about it.
He's grown very good at telling when she's pulling his leg about not understanding a cultural reference, so the honest confusion on her face is met with a somewhat surprised, but indulgent smile as he follows her into her quarters and deliberately shuts the door behind them. ]
In the second half of the 19th century, Japanese woodblock prints of the Ukiyo-e style were hugely popular in Europe and especially in France, [ he explains, listening absently to the lock engage behind them as he resolutely crowds her up against the wall again so he can duck his head to kiss her in between his words, his hands dropping to settle on her body, first just gripping her hips and then sliding beneath her tunic to seek out her hothothot skin. ] Owning a collection of Japanese prints would be a sign of good taste and erudition. It was generally viewed to be an appeal to the person's good character. Asking someone to admire something so fashionable and exotic was considered a safe invitation in a time when most courtship was still done under the watchful eye of a chaperone. However, it's also a veiled reference to a sub-genre of Japanese prints known as Shunga, which is rather graphic pornography. By the mid-20th century, do you want to come up and see my etchings was widely understood to be a proposition in the same way that an offer of coffee or a cocktail might be.
[ He presses a grin into the skin of her neck just below her ear, wondering if Vulcans ever had something similar to shunga, and deciding that he wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if they did. For all that Spock likes to spout off about logic and reason and suppressing one's emotions, he knows her well enough now to know that she, and presumably many of her people, are just as hot-headed as he can be, and her emotions can flare up just as spectacularly.
The way she'd almost growled at a waitress who'd spent too much time flirting with him at dinner one night had proven that point admirably. ]
If you have any graphic pornography you'd like to share, I would be very interested to see it, [ he teases in a low, suggestive murmur, lifting his head just enough that he can trace the path his thumb took with the tip of his tongue. ]
[ Spock has encountered Jim many times, mainly due to dealing with ships repairs and alterations. Whenever Jim brings up the courtship between she and McCoy, Spock (often bluntly) changes the subject, though she is sure that will not work with the captain much longer. He considers them both friends; it is almost certain they will get questions and teasing from him.
Jim's not the topic on her mind, however; this new, fascinating piece of information is well, intriguing. ]I am familiar with the woodblock prints, though we never encountered Shunga prints in our studies. [ Vulcans did not shy away from the relevant knowledge or discussion of sex, but scientific understanding and pornography were entirely different. They would see no useful purpose for the pornographic and avoid the study of such art from other cultures.
Leonard's kisses are distracting, particularly since he backs her into a wall. The door behind them slides closed, cutting off the outside world from her quarters, leaving just the two of them in close quarters. Spock, capable of multi-tasking to a degree humans cannot achieve, finds it somewhat difficult to focus, though she makes a valiant attempt. ]
Did many individuals in the 20th century possess these etchings to display them to potential mates, or was it simply an excuse?
[ It would not surprise to discover the latter is true, though it baffles her as to how humans could make such statements without consideration for the truth.
She shudders beneath Leonard's touch, lifting her hands to grasp his shoulders. In the privacy of her quarters, touching him is not forbidden; in fact, she enjoys it, attempts to touch him as much as possible. Vulcans, she has come to realize as her blood stirs, are still fierce when it comes to their mates, and Spock is no exception. ]
I do not possess any pornographic material, though Vulcans are aware of the subject. [ And, after a moment of hesitation, ] Much of the literature from before the Reformation is erotic in nature, as is the art we have left. [ Faithfully cataloged and digitized, thus not lost after the destruction of Vulcan. ]
[ He laughs, not unkindly, and lets his hand splay wide across her back, rucking up her shirt so his pinky brushes against the fever-warm skin of her back. ] I would be surprised if you had, [ he admits, thinking of Spock as a little Vulcan in her learning bowl, examining ancient Earth pornography in clinical detail, struggling to keep her emotions firmly squashed down. The image is at once hilarious and also very poignant, and Leonard finds himself pressing a sweet kiss to the shell of her ear for no real reason other than he wants to. Every now and then the realization that Spock is a refugee, a member of a species on the brink of extinction rams into him with all the subtlety of a shuttle train, and he's left reeling. Trying to imagine how he would feel if Earth had been destroyed, if his home had been wiped out, his family eradicated, leaves him feeling sick and hollow, and that's just the hypothetical. That Spock has survived that and has continued on with her life, continued to flourish and grow in her station, is so...inspiring sounds trite, but it's true enough.
Leonard has a great respect for her, greater than he can quite put into words. It's a good thing she's a touch-telepath, and he can simply flatten his hand to her back beneath her blouse so she can understand what he's feeling. ]
Just an excuse, I figure. Getting that kind of stuff was probably prohibitively expensive, and only the richest of dandies could actually afford real Shunga. Most people would get their meaning, even if they didn't have anything to back it up.
[ He loves how easily she touches him when they are behind closed doors. If asked even six months ago whether he thought Spock would be handsy, his answer would have been a resounding no. And also, perhaps, a quick scan with a tricorder, because what kind of person would ask such a question? It's especially gratifying to realize that he's wrong, though, and he's gotten almost used to feeling Spock's hot, narrow hands settle on his body and clutch him close to her. ]
Is that so? [ he asks, not even attempting to hide his grin. ] I'll have you know I'm a big fan of poetry, darlin', you should have said something earlier.
[ Spock would never presume to read emotions if someone were to brush against her accidentally, or even if they were to deliberately press against her and project. But bleed through happens, and admittedly, Spock's shields are rarely as perfect as she would like them to be, especially after the destruction of Vulcan. So she can feel Leonard's amusement and reverence and the sheer depth of his emotions. It never fails to surprise her, just how much he can feel. Spock knows how deeply Vulcans fee— experiences it daily, and encountered it in other Vulcans both before and after the destruction of her planet— but to experience it in humans is rare for her.
Besides, Leonard is her soulmate and reading his emotions, especially when he is touching her and not even attempting to mask his feelings, is part of that bond. It is not second-nature for her (dealing with emotions, especially human emotions, never will be) but she is getting used to picking up a few impressions from him. When— if— they fully bond in the Vulcan manner, there will be much more than those impressions. ]
Have you ever seen these prints in person? [ She asks only because she is curious about the subject now, even if pornography is not necessarily something she finds artistically valuable. But if it was an entire subset of ancient Japanese artwork, then there clearly must be an outstanding artistic value. ]
I doubt you will find it appealing, Leonard. Besides, most of it remains untranslated.
no subject
The effort is appreciated, however. She knew only a little about his prior relationship before this, but she knew that it had been rough for him, and the fact that he is willing to put so much effort into getting to know her is admirable. Unnecessary, in her opinion, because the bond is already there and that tells her what she needs to know (that they are bound forever, their minds compatible in ways that go beyond dating), but she enjoys it. Illogically so, perhaps.
It does make her feel like a human teenager, or what she imagines a human teenager must feel like; sneaking kisses in the dark, scandalizing individuals around them - it is a benefit there are few Vulcans on the base. Spock refuses to think about what they might say, instead focusing on the fact that Leonard is her soulmate and they are bound; there is no shame in displaying affection to him. Even better, it drains some of the tension out of his shoulders, and she can feel him relax from time to time. Something in Spock, something wild and primitive, takes pride in knowing she has been a help to her mate.
When he mentions etchings, she looks at him again, genuine puzzlement in her eyes this time. ] That is another euphemism. To what do etchings refer? [ Her voice breaks at the end of her question, breath caught in her throat at his touch. Spock steps back with a shiver, opening the door to her quarters.
When she steps through, she holds it open. ]
no subject
He's grown very good at telling when she's pulling his leg about not understanding a cultural reference, so the honest confusion on her face is met with a somewhat surprised, but indulgent smile as he follows her into her quarters and deliberately shuts the door behind them. ]
In the second half of the 19th century, Japanese woodblock prints of the Ukiyo-e style were hugely popular in Europe and especially in France, [ he explains, listening absently to the lock engage behind them as he resolutely crowds her up against the wall again so he can duck his head to kiss her in between his words, his hands dropping to settle on her body, first just gripping her hips and then sliding beneath her tunic to seek out her hothothot skin. ] Owning a collection of Japanese prints would be a sign of good taste and erudition. It was generally viewed to be an appeal to the person's good character. Asking someone to admire something so fashionable and exotic was considered a safe invitation in a time when most courtship was still done under the watchful eye of a chaperone. However, it's also a veiled reference to a sub-genre of Japanese prints known as Shunga, which is rather graphic pornography. By the mid-20th century, do you want to come up and see my etchings was widely understood to be a proposition in the same way that an offer of coffee or a cocktail might be.
[ He presses a grin into the skin of her neck just below her ear, wondering if Vulcans ever had something similar to shunga, and deciding that he wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if they did. For all that Spock likes to spout off about logic and reason and suppressing one's emotions, he knows her well enough now to know that she, and presumably many of her people, are just as hot-headed as he can be, and her emotions can flare up just as spectacularly.
The way she'd almost growled at a waitress who'd spent too much time flirting with him at dinner one night had proven that point admirably. ]
If you have any graphic pornography you'd like to share, I would be very interested to see it, [ he teases in a low, suggestive murmur, lifting his head just enough that he can trace the path his thumb took with the tip of his tongue. ]
no subject
Jim's not the topic on her mind, however; this new, fascinating piece of information is well, intriguing. ]I am familiar with the woodblock prints, though we never encountered Shunga prints in our studies. [ Vulcans did not shy away from the relevant knowledge or discussion of sex, but scientific understanding and pornography were entirely different. They would see no useful purpose for the pornographic and avoid the study of such art from other cultures.
Leonard's kisses are distracting, particularly since he backs her into a wall. The door behind them slides closed, cutting off the outside world from her quarters, leaving just the two of them in close quarters. Spock, capable of multi-tasking to a degree humans cannot achieve, finds it somewhat difficult to focus, though she makes a valiant attempt. ]
Did many individuals in the 20th century possess these etchings to display them to potential mates, or was it simply an excuse?
[ It would not surprise to discover the latter is true, though it baffles her as to how humans could make such statements without consideration for the truth.
She shudders beneath Leonard's touch, lifting her hands to grasp his shoulders. In the privacy of her quarters, touching him is not forbidden; in fact, she enjoys it, attempts to touch him as much as possible. Vulcans, she has come to realize as her blood stirs, are still fierce when it comes to their mates, and Spock is no exception. ]
I do not possess any pornographic material, though Vulcans are aware of the subject. [ And, after a moment of hesitation, ] Much of the literature from before the Reformation is erotic in nature, as is the art we have left. [ Faithfully cataloged and digitized, thus not lost after the destruction of Vulcan. ]
no subject
Leonard has a great respect for her, greater than he can quite put into words. It's a good thing she's a touch-telepath, and he can simply flatten his hand to her back beneath her blouse so she can understand what he's feeling. ]
Just an excuse, I figure. Getting that kind of stuff was probably prohibitively expensive, and only the richest of dandies could actually afford real Shunga. Most people would get their meaning, even if they didn't have anything to back it up.
[ He loves how easily she touches him when they are behind closed doors. If asked even six months ago whether he thought Spock would be handsy, his answer would have been a resounding no. And also, perhaps, a quick scan with a tricorder, because what kind of person would ask such a question? It's especially gratifying to realize that he's wrong, though, and he's gotten almost used to feeling Spock's hot, narrow hands settle on his body and clutch him close to her. ]
Is that so? [ he asks, not even attempting to hide his grin. ] I'll have you know I'm a big fan of poetry, darlin', you should have said something earlier.
no subject
Besides, Leonard is her soulmate and reading his emotions, especially when he is touching her and not even attempting to mask his feelings, is part of that bond. It is not second-nature for her (dealing with emotions, especially human emotions, never will be) but she is getting used to picking up a few impressions from him. When— if— they fully bond in the Vulcan manner, there will be much more than those impressions. ]
Have you ever seen these prints in person? [ She asks only because she is curious about the subject now, even if pornography is not necessarily something she finds artistically valuable. But if it was an entire subset of ancient Japanese artwork, then there clearly must be an outstanding artistic value. ]
I doubt you will find it appealing, Leonard. Besides, most of it remains untranslated.