Fic: Heart Fire (The Reading Remix)
Title: Heart Fire (The Reading Remix)
Pairing: Bill / Saul
Characters: OC, Saul, Bill
Rating: G
Words: 1,200
Original story: Reading by plaid_slytherin
Summary: It’s Saul’s turn to sit with the Oracle before his marriage to Bill.
The Oracle held a handful of stones, sifting them through loose fingers. She savored their coolness against her skin. The tent was too warm, the air dusky and thick with the scent of incense. She held the rear flap of the tent open for a moment, bringing in a wave of crisp autumn air. She filled her lungs with it and then exhaled in a slow stream before closing the flap.
Some Oracles did not perform a clearing in between a couple’s reading but she liked to see how the two distinct halves came together, where the differences lay, and where the melding began. Often, there was a beautiful symmetry in the pairing of two souls entering into marriage. She always found herself yearning for that unnameable magic to be present, her own longing almost indistinguishable from the nervous anticipation of her patrons. It fascinated her, she who knew it, and yet did not.
She settled back onto her cushion and closed her eyes, allowing the sounds outside to dissipate. The rumble of voices and the clomp of shoes against the walkway interrupted her concentration, preventing her from slipping easily into trance. It didn’t take her as long as it used to when she was a novice, but she wasn’t nearly as quick at clearing her mind as some of her colleagues. Getting the balance right was no easy feat. There was a fine line between slipping just enough into the altered state to allow the visions to come, but not so far in as to lose connection with the present. Some Oracles could only communicate in the most baffling gibberish.
Leandra strove for clarity.
“You can come in now Saul,” she called, opening her eyes and watching as the shadow that had been pacing outside stepped into the tent. “Sit.” She motioned toward the cushion across from her.
The seeker clasped his hands over his heart in the traditional posture, sat down, and then offered his hands to her, palms up. She laid her own hands over his and he chanted words she had not heard in a very long time.
“My heart is open, my mind clear. Hecate, Lady of the Crossroads, I step fearlessly into the Darkness so that I may better know your Light.”
“I shine my Lantern over your Soul and See,” recited Leandra. She paused, waiting for him to get settled.“You know the old ways, I see.”
“I -- “
Leandra held up a hand.
“That wasn’t a question.” There was no reproach in her tone. Her voice conveyed the smile Saul would not be able to see beneath the cloud of veils. The newcomer’s energy was scattered, making him difficult to read. The Sight was always clearer when the seeker was at ease.
“Give me a moment.” Leandra said softly, dipping her fingers into her scrying bowl and watching the water ripple. She opened her hand and tossed a few droplets of water on the coals, creating a swirl of smoke. Most people didn’t even remember the Ancient One’s name anymore. They called on Aphrodite or Hestia -- less complicated goddesses -- when they came for a reading. People had forgotten the scrolls. They had forgotten that the Goddess of the Silver Lantern was the first priestess and the very voice of Pythia in the sacred texts. Prophecy was her gift to humanity.
How ironic that a Cylon would revive homage to her.
“Your patrons?”
“Ares.”
“There is another,” said Leandra. “The warrior god is not your only patron.”
He hesitated. “I guess I have a connection with Hephaestus.”
“The craftsman.” Leandra met his eyes. "And also the outcast. The way you feel at times, Saul."
He gave a small nod and she continued.
“You learned about the gods on Aerilon but not on Aerilon,” murmured Leandra. She tilted her head to the side, puzzling over her own words.
“My memories aren’t reliable,” said Saul giving his temple a quick tap.
“I see. There are holes. Like faded stars.”
Saul sighed and looked down. “Yeah.”
“This uncertainty trails you, like a hungry ghost. You doubt yourself. And yet you must remember that you have been making your own choices, Saul. Your choice to honor the Old Ones. Your choosing to stay with the humans. Your choosing William.”
“Always,” said Saul with ferocious conviction in his dark eyes. “I would always choose Bill.”
“You were friends. For such a long time -- before you became lovers. It is your foundation. And that friendship is intertwined with the love you share. Inseparable from it. It will keep you steady.”
Saul frowned. “Are you saying something’s gonna come and blow us off course?”
“There are storms in even the most ideal of marriages. It’s not the storms themselves but how you navigate them. That’s what matters.”
“So uh….how many storms are we talking about here?”
Leandra laughed. “It doesn’t work like that.” She trailed a finger around the initials she’d written earlier in the sand. Their initials. “Your vessel is seaworthy and I cannot say that for every couple with whom I meet.”
Another image flashed across her mind. Two heart wounds, one literal and one figurative. The sensation hit her square in the chest with so much force she winced, gripping the edge of the table for support. She felt the acute pain of separation. A life thread so frayed and thin it was nearly broken.
Saul leaned toward her. “Oracle?”
Leandra sucked in a breath. “So many years of concealing your feelings for one another. Being forced to stay away from him when he needed you most. These things have -- passed. You’ve already been through a maelstrom, seen the worst of one another, and come out standing when the world went top-side. The proof of your future lies in the resilience you’ve shown in your past.”
Saul fidgeted.“So we’re gonna be okay, right?”
“Mmmm, I would say so.” Leandra placed a hand over the stones, letting it hover there until she felt the familiar tingle, the rush of heat. She plucked a polished red jasper from the bowl and held it out to Saul. It was the very deepest shade of crimson and threaded with wisps of black running through it. It reminded Leandra of a heart.
“Jasper. For your altar. For passion.” The stone was warm against her skin. She shook her head. “No. Passion is not the right word for what this particular stone represents. Caliphora. Heart-fire. Much more than mere sensuality. Although you two seem compatible in that department, too, yes?”
“Uh…no. I mean yeah. I mean we don’t have any problems...in that area.” He took the stone from her, the tips of his ears tinged with pink.
“Keep the old ways, Saul. He doesn’t believe but he’ll respect the fact that you do. Accept your marriage-journey as the gift it is. Know that you are worthy of it. If you take anything away from this reading today, take that. The blessings of the gods go with you today and every day.” She bowed her head toward him and he returned the farewell gesture.
“Thank you, Oracle.”
He turned to leave.
“Oh, and Saul -- let William sleep in on the solstices." Her lips curved into a smile. "He’ll thank you for it.”
Pairing: Bill / Saul
Characters: OC, Saul, Bill
Rating: G
Words: 1,200
Original story: Reading by plaid_slytherin
Summary: It’s Saul’s turn to sit with the Oracle before his marriage to Bill.
The Oracle held a handful of stones, sifting them through loose fingers. She savored their coolness against her skin. The tent was too warm, the air dusky and thick with the scent of incense. She held the rear flap of the tent open for a moment, bringing in a wave of crisp autumn air. She filled her lungs with it and then exhaled in a slow stream before closing the flap.
Some Oracles did not perform a clearing in between a couple’s reading but she liked to see how the two distinct halves came together, where the differences lay, and where the melding began. Often, there was a beautiful symmetry in the pairing of two souls entering into marriage. She always found herself yearning for that unnameable magic to be present, her own longing almost indistinguishable from the nervous anticipation of her patrons. It fascinated her, she who knew it, and yet did not.
She settled back onto her cushion and closed her eyes, allowing the sounds outside to dissipate. The rumble of voices and the clomp of shoes against the walkway interrupted her concentration, preventing her from slipping easily into trance. It didn’t take her as long as it used to when she was a novice, but she wasn’t nearly as quick at clearing her mind as some of her colleagues. Getting the balance right was no easy feat. There was a fine line between slipping just enough into the altered state to allow the visions to come, but not so far in as to lose connection with the present. Some Oracles could only communicate in the most baffling gibberish.
Leandra strove for clarity.
“You can come in now Saul,” she called, opening her eyes and watching as the shadow that had been pacing outside stepped into the tent. “Sit.” She motioned toward the cushion across from her.
The seeker clasped his hands over his heart in the traditional posture, sat down, and then offered his hands to her, palms up. She laid her own hands over his and he chanted words she had not heard in a very long time.
“My heart is open, my mind clear. Hecate, Lady of the Crossroads, I step fearlessly into the Darkness so that I may better know your Light.”
“I shine my Lantern over your Soul and See,” recited Leandra. She paused, waiting for him to get settled.“You know the old ways, I see.”
“I -- “
Leandra held up a hand.
“That wasn’t a question.” There was no reproach in her tone. Her voice conveyed the smile Saul would not be able to see beneath the cloud of veils. The newcomer’s energy was scattered, making him difficult to read. The Sight was always clearer when the seeker was at ease.
“Give me a moment.” Leandra said softly, dipping her fingers into her scrying bowl and watching the water ripple. She opened her hand and tossed a few droplets of water on the coals, creating a swirl of smoke. Most people didn’t even remember the Ancient One’s name anymore. They called on Aphrodite or Hestia -- less complicated goddesses -- when they came for a reading. People had forgotten the scrolls. They had forgotten that the Goddess of the Silver Lantern was the first priestess and the very voice of Pythia in the sacred texts. Prophecy was her gift to humanity.
How ironic that a Cylon would revive homage to her.
“Your patrons?”
“Ares.”
“There is another,” said Leandra. “The warrior god is not your only patron.”
He hesitated. “I guess I have a connection with Hephaestus.”
“The craftsman.” Leandra met his eyes. "And also the outcast. The way you feel at times, Saul."
He gave a small nod and she continued.
“You learned about the gods on Aerilon but not on Aerilon,” murmured Leandra. She tilted her head to the side, puzzling over her own words.
“My memories aren’t reliable,” said Saul giving his temple a quick tap.
“I see. There are holes. Like faded stars.”
Saul sighed and looked down. “Yeah.”
“This uncertainty trails you, like a hungry ghost. You doubt yourself. And yet you must remember that you have been making your own choices, Saul. Your choice to honor the Old Ones. Your choosing to stay with the humans. Your choosing William.”
“Always,” said Saul with ferocious conviction in his dark eyes. “I would always choose Bill.”
“You were friends. For such a long time -- before you became lovers. It is your foundation. And that friendship is intertwined with the love you share. Inseparable from it. It will keep you steady.”
Saul frowned. “Are you saying something’s gonna come and blow us off course?”
“There are storms in even the most ideal of marriages. It’s not the storms themselves but how you navigate them. That’s what matters.”
“So uh….how many storms are we talking about here?”
Leandra laughed. “It doesn’t work like that.” She trailed a finger around the initials she’d written earlier in the sand. Their initials. “Your vessel is seaworthy and I cannot say that for every couple with whom I meet.”
Another image flashed across her mind. Two heart wounds, one literal and one figurative. The sensation hit her square in the chest with so much force she winced, gripping the edge of the table for support. She felt the acute pain of separation. A life thread so frayed and thin it was nearly broken.
Saul leaned toward her. “Oracle?”
Leandra sucked in a breath. “So many years of concealing your feelings for one another. Being forced to stay away from him when he needed you most. These things have -- passed. You’ve already been through a maelstrom, seen the worst of one another, and come out standing when the world went top-side. The proof of your future lies in the resilience you’ve shown in your past.”
Saul fidgeted.“So we’re gonna be okay, right?”
“Mmmm, I would say so.” Leandra placed a hand over the stones, letting it hover there until she felt the familiar tingle, the rush of heat. She plucked a polished red jasper from the bowl and held it out to Saul. It was the very deepest shade of crimson and threaded with wisps of black running through it. It reminded Leandra of a heart.
“Jasper. For your altar. For passion.” The stone was warm against her skin. She shook her head. “No. Passion is not the right word for what this particular stone represents. Caliphora. Heart-fire. Much more than mere sensuality. Although you two seem compatible in that department, too, yes?”
“Uh…no. I mean yeah. I mean we don’t have any problems...in that area.” He took the stone from her, the tips of his ears tinged with pink.
“Keep the old ways, Saul. He doesn’t believe but he’ll respect the fact that you do. Accept your marriage-journey as the gift it is. Know that you are worthy of it. If you take anything away from this reading today, take that. The blessings of the gods go with you today and every day.” She bowed her head toward him and he returned the farewell gesture.
“Thank you, Oracle.”
He turned to leave.
“Oh, and Saul -- let William sleep in on the solstices." Her lips curved into a smile. "He’ll thank you for it.”