Vasiht'h

Vasiht'h

Vasiht'h is a male Glaseah, most known for his partnership with Jahir Seni Galare, an Eldritch.

Appearance and Personality

• Brown eyes.
• Black bangs.
• White eyebrows.
• White stripes, chest, and toes with ivory claws.
• Speaks in a warm tenor, with a furry timbre.
• Smells like vanilla?

His Glaseahn zodiac sign is a 'beginning of the second dry season' baby, which suggests he should be "nervous, but also stable, and a seeker/wayfarer, because I miss the rains."

Biography

Vasiht’h (now Vasiht'h Seni Galare), a Glaseah and thus an esper, is the mindbonded partner and beloved of Jahir Seni Galare.

Family

11 siblings, plus parents Marevhe, professor and Petaq, chemist Lots and lots of extended family, moved to their own page because it has relevance to more than one major character: Vasiht'h's Family

Children

When Vasiht'h first applied to the Temple for his children, he was 29th in line for a surrogate. It's also revealed in the same chapter that he was younger than his parents had been when they made their initial request. The events of the Chatcaavan war cause him to miss his turn. When he and Jahir settle on Escutcheon, he learns it would be about a year and a half before he could expect the Temple to have children for him. Not long after Jahir's investiture as Prince Consort (so maybe a month or so shy of the promised year and a half), the Temple notifies Vasiht'h that his children are ready for pick-up ("Oh, Goddess, that sounds ridiculous. Like they're some kind of take-out meal I ordered."). The two of them, along with Vasiht'h's Aunt Drusti, Cousin Josi and Cousin Viht'hi, travel to Anseahla to get their three kits, the number selected by the Temple. The kits are born before either Jahir's and Sediryl's twins or Lisinthir's and the Queen Ransomed's twins.

On the return trip, and with Jahir's help, Vasiht'h chooses as names words that reflect Eldritch virtues and could also be shortened to sound like Glaseahn names. They decide on:

• Aevanauv, a son whose name means "Faith." He is called Evan.
• Efaeanoc, a son whose name means "Strength." He is called Anoc.
• Ithauvni, a daughter whose name means "Fearlessness." She is called Thauvi.

Vasiht'h considers Jahir also a parent to the kits; as part of the Galare House, the kits are formally presented to Queen Liolesa. At the Glaseahn presentation ceremony, together Vasiht'h and Jahir perform the traditional rhythmic pattern dance to welcome the kits and honor the Goddess.

Mindtouch

Born on Ansealah to Marevhe, a professor, and Petaq, a chemist, he is in his second year of Seersana University’s xenopsychology program when he meets Jahir at the beginning of the latter’s first year in the same program. Their meeting occurs in a hospital parking lot where Vasiht’h is playing with six little girls who had slipped their caretakers at All Children’s Hospital. After Jahir joins in, the children extract their promise to visit, and the friendship commences. Upon hearing that Jahir has not yet secured suitable rooms, Vasiht’h, whose roommate Cadia had graduated, suggests Jahir share the two-bedroom apartment with him, to which Jahir agrees.

A mix of Glaseahn pragmatism and personal anxiety, coupled with a sincere devotion to the Goddess Aksivaht’h, Vasiht’h struggles with deciding which track of xenopsychology to focus on, wavering between clinical and research. He often confides in his closest sibling, his younger sister Sehvi. As he and Jahir find their friendship deepening through shared studies, volunteering with the little girls – Nieve, Kayla and Meekie (Tam-illee); Amaranth and Persy (human) and Kuriel (Seersa), evening dinners with their quadmates – Merashiinal (Ciracaana) and Leina (Seersa); Brett (Seersa) and Lucrezia (Harat-Shar), Vasiht’h fears he is unsuitable to be a clinician because he isn’t sure he can maintain emotional distance from his clients. He switches his focus to research and launches a project researching the effect of sleep-soothing on hospital staff. It is when he and Jahir are comforting Lucrezia, their Harat-Shar quadmate having romantic troubles, that they each feel the glimmer of mindtouch between them. But it is when Nieve dies in Jahir’s arms that Vasiht’h first truly enters Jahir’s mind to stabilize him. After, Vasiht’h explains mindtouch (ahv’shev) to Jahir, and that, if nurtured, it can become a “permanent, rare and precious mindline” (et’ahv). As their second year winds down, with Jahir committed to the medical track, the mindline grows more consistent, and at one point offered a hint of the mage power Jahir will one day possess (Mindtouch, p. 374). When Jahir is offered two residencies, one at the university’s hospital, the other at the Alliance capital, Heliocentrus on Selnor, Vasiht’h refuses to tell Jahir that he wants him to stay on Seersana, that he loves him. Though both feel their growing attachment, both fear the consequences. As the second year concludes, Vasiht’h realizes that he is better suited for clinical practice than research and an eventual professorship. He also decides that Jahir needs to learn if he can manage the residency on his own, or if he shouldn’t be doing the medical program in the first place. With Vasiht’h’s encouragement, Jahir accepts the coveted Heliocentrus residency at Mercy. The day he leaves, Vasiht’h realized his error: that Jahir’s pain is not being left alone when those he must outlive die, but was being held apart by those who would protect him. This epiphany leads Vasiht’h to virtually drop everything and follow Jahir to Selnor.

Mindline

Vasiht’h arrives on Selnor unannounced; upon his and Jahir’s first sight of one another, their unspoken avowal permanently fuses their mindline. Vasiht’h immediately takes charge of Jahir’s health, which is deteriorating under a combination of Selnor’s heavy gravity and the demanding residency schedule. The situation is complicated by a cluster of emergency patients, the cause of whose deaths no one can determine. Jahir enters one’s mind at the moment of catastrophic failure and is nearly lost; his ability to call through the mindline enables Vasiht’h to race to Mercy Hospital and pull Jahir from the patient’s dying brain. While Jahir does learn that the deaths are drug-related, Vasiht’h is angry with the hospital staff and upset with Jahir for endangering his own life and their life together. He also learns from Sehvi that in the early stages of development, it’s much harder for mindbonded to disengage, so Vasiht’h’s life is also endangered. When Jahir interposes himself again between a drug patient and death, suffering a near-fatal cardiac arrythmia, Vasiht’h is furious but relents when Jahir promises not to attempt to delay the drug patients’ deaths without Vasiht’h’s help. Vasiht’h works with Jahir through the mindline not only to help uncover the name of the illegal drug, but also to keep the patients alive long enough for their families to say goodbye. The experience solidifies Vasiht’h’s role as guardian of Jahir’s health, while Jahir recovers from the ravages wrought by the Mediger’s Syndrome exacerbated by his time on Selnor. Upon their return to Seersana, Jahir having passed his residency early by virtue of his work at Mercy, Vasiht’h takes up the coursework needed for a clinical xenotherapy degree. Jahir decides to set aside the medical track and also had a year’s worth of courses, plus their practicum work to complete a clinical degree. They begin to work on their combined esper-based therapy on unconscious subjects and complete their degrees.

Dreamhearth

When Vasiht'h was traveling to join Jahir on Selnor, he had a layover on Starbase Veta and decided it was the ideal place for them to establish their practice. Unfortunately, they learn that, while Jahir would be granted residency immediately as a rare member of an allied species, Vasiht'h would have to wait to see if their work offered enough of a benefit for him to be allowed to stay as well. They settle in to begin offering their unique approach to xenotherapy and learn that their colleagues are withholding judgment and, in the case of human psychologist Allen Tiber, actively hostile. Yet they found an ally in Helga, an influential Hinichi therapist ready to retire. As their practice launched, Vasiht'h's discomfort with his and Jahir's disparate wealth began to build, especially since Jahir selected a temporary rental cottage for them in the expensive Garden District. At the same time, his sisters introduced him to the works of Rexina Regina, who writes romance novels featuring Eldritch, to "help" him with his relationship with Jahir. Continuing to confide in his younger sister Sehvi, Vasiht'h also struggles during this time with his feelings of inadequacy and surprises himself by deciding to seek therapy with Allen Tiber. They build a solid therapeutic relationship, though Tiber maintains his skepticism about Vasiht'h's and Jahir's methodology. With the support of the therapy, Vasiht'h is able to address his discomfort with Jahir's wealth with his partner and, while still not completely comfortable, able to set aside his unease with the imbalance and focus on the more important issue of being "enough for himself." As the decision point for their residency approval approaches, Helga broaches the issue of their work on Selnor and questions their refusal to use their heroic work to influence the housing authority. Upon hearing their rationale, she intimates that she plans to recommend them as her replacement upon her retirement, aiding their residency application. When Allen Tiber's dog Trust dies, Jahir and Vasiht'h find an abandoned puppy through the Port authorities and gift it to Tiber. When Vasiht'h receives the letter informing him that his residency application has been accepted, he celebrates by buying season tickets to the cultural center's musical season, a present for Jahir purchased with "their" money. Helga retires and gives them her practice, including her property, The Healer's Knot.

Dreamstorm

About five years into their practice, Vasiht’h and Jahir attend the wedding of their former quadmate, Lucrezia, at the chapel complex at Seersana University. During a meal with their former quadmates, Vasiht’h notices how enthused and engrossed Jahir becomes when discussing medical matters with Brett and Leina. He has been sensing something similar through the mindline for a while, and during a visit to his former mentor, Professor Armin Palland, Vasiht’h voices his concerns. He learns that Jahir has accumulated enough continuing education credits to take the test for a general Healer Assist. Upon their return, Vasiht’h broaches the topic with Jahir, who decides to take the three-day test, and in the location Vasiht’h proposes: the resort planet Tsera Nova. While Jahir tests on the orbital station, Vasiht’h enjoys the resort’s activities, during which he meets Kristyl Di Marco, an extroverted and charismatic human, and Gladdie, her reserved Asanii companion and best friend. On the third day, he joins Krystal and the group of friends she has accumulated for a day-long cruise to see the cetaceans who perform for tourists. Kristyl, who has noticed that the seas are becoming rougher and the cloud formations unusual for a planet engineered for perfect weather at all times, insists on a “game” requiring everyone to wear their their life vests. On the return trip, a violent hurricane arises, and the boat is destroyed. Vasiht’h is thrown into the sea and struggles to keep swimming until Romeo, a seal in the show, brings two dolphins alongside for him to grab onto. They tow him to a life raft, where he’s hauled aboard, having suffered a broken wing. Eventually they reach the shore and take refuge in a control room on the resort’s Serenity Island. Kristyl and Vasiht’h volunteer to look for other survivors before the full strength of the storm arrives and find a Hinichii toddler. Meanwhile, Jahir, taking a break from the final portion of the test, sees the huge spiral cloud over the resort continent and learns about the disaster. Abandoning his last test, even though it means he will fail the entire thing, Jahir volunteers as a Healer Assist to pad down to the planet. While working, he finds Gladdie; together they work to calm the injured and their families. When the storm passes, Vasiht’h and the other survivors with him pad to the hospital, where he and Jahir are reunited. They return to Starbase Veta, but both are traumatized by their close call. Vasiht’h goes to see Alan Tiber, who helps him see that his discontent is based on his need for others’ validation of his life choices and that what he is doing in his therapy work has value. Jahir tells Vasiht’h that he failed the test because he came to save Vasiht’h. Both agreed that they love their current life and each other, but that does not prohibit Jahir from getting his Healer Assist degree as well. Jahir takes the test a second time, successfully. While he is gone, Kristyl and Gladdie, now a couple, visit Vasiht’h, bringing their adopted child, the Hinichii toddler whose parent died in the storm.

Family

Nearly ten years into their practice, Jahir receives a request from his mother to attend the wedding of his cousin Juzie into a family with whom she hopes to strengthen alliance in support of their progressive Queen. The marriage of the two, still-young children, will seed openness in the allied family. She also includes Vasiht’h in the invitation, unexpected since the Eldritch do not welcome aliens to their planet. Vasiht’h agrees and accompanies Jahir to the Eldritch homeworld. Upon their arrival, Vasiht’h is stunned by the opulence of Jahir’s estate; he knew his friend was wealthy, but he had no idea of the extent of that wealth. When one of a group of Jahir’s peers make it clear that they consider Vasiht’h either a pet or a lover, Vasiht’h realizes he has a tough time ahead of him. Jahir is apologetic for having not prepared Vasiht’h adequately, explaining that he wanted someone “sane” by his side for this event. Jahir’s mother is gracious and welcoming, and he meets Jahir’s cousin, Sediryl. When Sediryl comes into the room, Vasiht’h gets a flash of powerful red through the mindline, before it slams down completely. He realizes that the powerful rush of passion he briefly felt is Jahir’s; he later confronts Jahir about the unpleasant slamming and “knives” and learns that Jahir loves Sediryl, but cannot marry her because she is his close cousin – indeed, Jahir will not discuss the topic further. At the reception leading up to the wedding, Vasiht’h is grossly insulted by the groom’s mother and leaves the manor to cool down. He meets Sediryl, walking with Juzie, a child on a pony. When they return, they are confronted by the wedding guests and the groom’s mother, who declares that not only is it bad that Sediryl, a woman of “questionable morals” is with her, but that Juzie has broken the bridal rules by being with a non-family member before the wedding. Sediryl proposes that there exists a process through which Vasiht’h can become a family member. Vasiht’h agrees to undergo the test, over Jahir’s objections and concerns. He is taken to the manor’s chapel, where he drinks a mixture that may be toxic to his system. He passes out. Upon regaining consciousness, he finds Sediryl has tied him into an uncomfortable rope harness. She forces him out of the chapel into the nearby forest, tying him to a tree. She reveals that her plan is to foment something that will either destroy the Eldritch or force them to change by staging Vasiht’h’s death at the hands of the groom’s family. Vasiht’h tries to reason with her to no avail; she slices his side with a knife bearing the groom’s family sigil and leaves him to be eaten by wild animals. Vasiht’h’s last conscious act is to try to bury the knife so no one will know who abducted him. He awakes in Jahir’s arms in the chapel and learns that everything that occurred was in his mind and part of the test, which he has passed. Jeasa Seni Galare presents him with a medallion bearing the family crest, a unicorn; Queen Liolesa arrives, and he introduces himself as Vasiht’h Seni Galare. The wedding goes on as planned, after which Jahir and Vasiht’h, their connection now formally recognized by Jahir’s family, return to Starbase Veta.

Quotes

• "Sometimes when things change you, fixing them right away isn't the answer. Sometimes it's an opportunity."
• "There are not enough cookies in the world today."
• "But we can't make the universe fair. That's too big a job for any one person. All we can do is receive the gifts we're given with gratitude and use them wisely. And help people, where we can, when we're able."
• "I guess people aren't always ready to hear something. You can tell them the exact same thing at different times, and if you tell them too early, they don't really hear you. They hear something on the inside of their heads."
• "Not to say that love doesn't also create problems, because it does. Or that love solves problems, because it doesn't. But it makes things bearable. And you can do a lot when you feel like things are bearable."

• "All I ever wanted was to make life a little easier for people. If that's all I'm ever known for, I'll be content."