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the-vaporverse · 7 years

Text

Starless Horizon RP File #24.5

(Vela’s part in italics.)

When they arrived at the room, Dritz took a moment to pull Vela into his arms and snuggle her a moment longer, before directing her to the bed, "Have a seat, I'll be back in a moment, and I can show you what I got."

He slipped into the bathroom, pulling out the clothes Fera had bought for him. It took a moment or two for him to work out how to properly put them on; the jacket having a few intricate fastenings he was not used to. Once he was ready, he ran his fingers through his hair a few times and, picking out Vela's necklace, emerged with a wide grin.

"What do you think? Handsome, huh?"

Vela clung to Dritz when he held her close in their room, just enjoying his warmth and being near him again. She was fine apart; at the same time, she didn't enjoy the idea for too long. As a companion, Orion was very nice, inquisitive and polite, but she did prefer Dritz's casual chatter and occasional silliness in general.

She was so intrigued by the idea of a surprise that she sat on the bed, leaning forward eagerly and wishing Dritz would hurry. It might not be a good thing if connected to Fera, but Dritz didn't seem concerned about it.

When he stepped out of the bathroom again, she almost didn't hear what he said. He was wearing clothes like she had never seen before, smooth and refined looking even to her inexperienced gaze, even though she had nothing to compare them to.

Slowly she rose to her feet and approached him, hardly daring to touch the shining white fabric of the jacket. [Yes, you look very handsome. What did you buy them for? They seem... formal?] she guessed. Eventually she did manage to touch the garments, her hand sliding across the stomach of the jacket to feel how smooth it was.

Dritz beamed, his antennae flicking happily as Vela's hand found his stomach. While this was usual behaviour for her, he hadn't expected her to touch him so soon, and that lack of expectation made it all the more pleasant.

"I dunno really... Fera asked me what I liked in the shop and, when I pointed this out, he bought the outfit for me. That's crazy, right? I'm not sure why, but it's unexpectedly sweet, isn't it? Maybe he isn't so bad."

He pulled the necklace out from his pocket and presented it to her, smiling warmly, "But this, I did buy. This is for you, flower."

Fera had bought this for him? Vela nearly stepped away in alarm, but did stare into Dritz's eyes as though to be sure he meant what he said. [But... why? I thought he doesn't like us. Well... maybe he likes you.] It wouldn't bother her if the prince absolutely despised her, so long as he was kind to Dritz. [Do you think he had some sort of motive? Don't you owe him again?]

What happened next put Fera out of her mind completely. Dritz presented her with an object, saying it was for her, and she had to sit back down on the bed to study it for a long moment. It was a stone attached to a chain, but not just any stone: it was purple in varying shades, rough but sparkling somehow, and at first she didn't know how to respond to how lovely it was.

Setting it down on her lap, she signed weakly to Dritz, [What is it? What do you mean, it's for me?]

Dritz shrugged in response to Vela's questions about Fera. "Dunno, flower. He says it's not something he expects to be repaid, so... For now I'll take him at his word. Maybe it was his attempt to be friendlier?" It would make sense for a fairly sheltered royal to think that money equaled kindness, but it was still sweet.

"It's a gift, silly," he said, his voice silky and full of affection. He knelt down in front of her, gently taking it and holding it to her neck. "It's a necklace. Do Aurians have jewellery? It's just an extra item to wear, for personal taste, to look prettier or show wealth or pride. It... The swirls on it looked like space to me. Like a little nebula in a stone. It just made me think of you, and I knew it would just look amazing on you, so I got it for you. May I...?" He gestured, laying the chain against her neck and holding it in place with a questioning look.

"Gift," Vela said aloud, testing the word carefully and holding up her hands to show there was no translation. [You give to me?] she signed, taking a guess based on his description.

Her expression softened as he told her that the necklace had reminded her of space and of her. She understood that much. But she shook her head a little sadly, knowing of the concept of jewelry but unfamiliar with the practice. [It does look like that. It's so beautiful. Thank you. But Aurians don't wear anything like this, no. Our only metal is the one we mine to keep living, and I've never seen a stone like this. It would seem... very strange and wasteful to wear the metal.] The concept made her frown a bit, but surely this was alright. It wasn't the metal from Aurctas.

[Yes, please. I don't know how to wear it.] She waited expectantly, wondering if it would really look nice on her.

It wasn't often anymore that Dritz was struck by the stark differences between their upbringing, but this was one of those times. He chewed his lip for a brief moment, before saying, "This metal has no practical, scientific or mechanical application; it's shiny and plentiful, so it's only really used for 'pretty' things. So... maybe that makes you feel a little better?" He smiled hopefully.

"Yeah, that's right," Dritz praised her speaking as he leaned close to her and carefully fastened the choker around her neck. As expected, it sat just at the base of her neck, the purple seeming to glow against her pale skin. "Perfect," he murmured, stroking her hair. "Might take some getting used to, but it looks great. Better. Amazing, even."

"So... there's no sign for 'gift'?" he asked, frowning. He made the gesture for 'give', but added his other hand touching his chest, "Would that work?"

Vela nodded solemnly before she smiled as well. There was nothing significant about this metal, other than the fact that Dritz had given to her, and that it was beautiful to look at. [It does. Thank you again.]

As he said, she felt it might take time to feel like wearing the necklace was normal, but it wasn't uncomfortable. Dritz seemed to like it a lot, anyway. His idea for a gesture for the word 'gift' seemed good to her, so she copied it back to him in agreement. She was too curious about how the necklace looked on her, however, and got up to go into the bathroom and look in the mirror.

It did look nice. Vela touched the stone several times, only taking her hand away to admire how it seemed to shimmer when she moved her head. She turned to Dritz, who had followed her in, and signed again. [I really like it. Can I wear it all the time? Except for sleeping or bathing, maybe. I don't know how it's usually done.] Still thinking about the concept of a 'gift,' she continued, [What do you give a gift for? Is there usually a reason? To give someone an object they don't already own?] The idea was actually fascinating to her, one she hadn't researched before.

More than liking the gift, Vela liking his gesture for the word made Dritz feel so warm and happy. The gift was important, yes, but for Vela to take his contribution to her language was immeasurably valuable to him.

Following her fondly as she looked over her new necklace, Dritz felt a flutter of adoration in his stomach that spilled out as a warm laugh. "That's... Actually it, in a way. Gifts are something nice that you want that person to have, to make them think of you. To celebrate something, like a registry day on Chrysala; the day your birth, your name and who you were born to, is recorded for the overseer records, but they're only celebrated up until you get your first job. Mostly, you can give them because you... Really like someone. Love them, even." He quickly added, with much more humour, "It's usually something they don't own, but sometimes, just sometimes there are comical errors and you get something they already got!"

Vela considered the information carefully, still touching the stone at her neck. [I see. We have no registry on Aurctas. Maybe we should...] There was a count taken every cycle, but that didn't seem to be the same thing. And for the past dozen years that number had only gone down. It wasn't something she felt like sharing with Dritz at the moment.

[This will always make me think of you, then,] she signed, turning to look at him with her warmest smile. [And it means you really like me, I think.] She was partially teasing him, but was also suddenly curious about how deep his feelings for her ran. [You said... love?] If gifts were given out of strong liking or love, she felt perhaps she needed to find something to give to Dritz as well.

"Hm? I really like you, the loveliest snowflake in the galaxy? I wonder why!" He teased her gently, before giving her a bright eyed, innocent look, "Did I? I did. I did say love." He shrugged, his expression becoming warm and a little sheepish.

"Yeah... Gifts obviously don't prove love or affection; it's more about how you treat someone, but they are a nice extra. A little addition to a kiss, or a hug, y'know? They don't have to be big or expensive, it could be something as small as me buying you a cake on our way back here of an evening, or me mentioning a hole in my work gloves and you replacing them. See?"

With a little smile, Vela shook her head. For a while she was simply amused that he had called her a "snowflake." But as she continued thinking it over, she decided not to press the subject further. Another time she might bring it up; for now she felt as shy as he seemed to be acting at the moment.

[I do see. Thank you for explaining it to me.] She felt even more determined to get a gift for Dritz, not to prove anything, but to show him it was very likely she felt the same way. For now, she put her arms around him and let him pull her close, their tender exchange of glances followed by equally tender, sweet kisses.

Several days had passed since the shopping trip and Dritz's gift, and Vela was still pondering exactly what would be the right thing to get for him. She wouldn't let it distract her while at her job, but today she had to tell herself to focus quite a few more times than she usually did.

They had nearly completed the work in the main engine room, and were mostly running tests on any leftover parts that still needed checking. Vela was fairly confident in her work by now, at least as far as these engines were concerned, and volunteered to work inside one of the more narrow panels across the room from Orion and Dritz. She frowned as she focused intently, unable to hear anything over the thrumming of flux coil just to the right of her ear. It was better this way, as she didn't want to be tempted to ask for help unless she absolutely had to.

Even though Vela had said she might not keep her necklace on for certain things, Dritz couldn't think of a moment he hadn't either seen it on, or heard it shift under her clothes when they were cuddled close to one another. It was heartwarming to think of it against her, as it was to think she was wearing it and potentially thinking of him all the more for doing so.

Their work continued to go well, with him being able to leave more and more in Vela's capable hands while he worked on other parts. As it happened, there was little he and Orion could do while Vela was working inside the panel; her safety and the potential of her needing help meant it wouldn't be possible. Dritz kept his distance though, knowing she had the knowledge and tools she would need. It gave him the chance to ask the human something, anyway...

"Hey, Ori, can I ask you something...? Fera said something weird while we were out. He asked me if I was okay, in a weird, concerned way. It seemed like he thought Vela was in control of me or something? Has he mentioned this to you at all...? I know it sounds really odd, but I thought you might be able to help me out," he explained, knowing full well how he sounded.

Orion immediately turned from the display panel he was watching when Dritz mentioned Fera, unable to keep from frowning as the question was asked. He had known something had likely happened during their time together, but getting information like that out of the prince was impossible, and he really had to wait for Dritz to approach him on his own.

"Well, he hasn't mentioned that specifically," he replied with a small sigh, leaning against the console. "But as we talked about before, he is sorta strange around her. Like he mistrusts her. And after that night, when I tried to show him what she taught me of her language, he basically told me to stop or he was going to take the Radiant Sun and just... leave. Which is, uh, kind of an extreme reaction, right? So it has to be her signing?" He had to pause for another sigh. It seemed he did a lot more sighing these days, despite also being quite happy with Fera.

"So yeah... it's odd, but Fera does some odd things, so I'm not surprised. How does he think Vela's controlling you, though? Like... she tells you what to do?" He had to smile a little, thinking of the Aurian being the dominating type. She was sweet and even-tempered, as far as he had seen, and he couldn't imagine her trying to tell Dritz what to do all the time.

Dritz snorted with amusement at the thought of Vela, hands on hips and a deep frown, angrily bossing him about. It probably should be as cute as he thought it sounded.

"That is an extreme reaction, even by what I've seen are his standards. I wonder if he doesn't trust her because she doesn't speak. Like, speak speak, how the rest of us do? But then, that wouldn't explain why he was so upset with you for signing; he knows that you can speak. At least, I'd hope so!" he stuck his tongue out playfully before folding his arms and hunching his shoulders high. "The look in his eyes... I dunno, it didn't seem like he thought she was being bossy, more that she held some kind of power over me, maybe? His tone changed a couple of times, and quite quickly... My friend, your boyfriend is very odd." He beamed. Ori wouldn't take it as an insult, he was sure.

And anyway, odd was good. Odd made for a more interesting galaxy.

It was impossible not to; Orion had to laugh at what Dritz was saying to him. "Yeah, he's odd. Definitely. But I kinda like it. Or I do most of the time, when it's not causing any problems." It was also good to be able to talk freely like this, as Fera would likely go into a grumpy fit at being called odd. Not that that would bother him, but he didn't like to upset his lover too many times in one day.

"So more like actual control... like, literally. Huh." Orion thought hard, rubbing a hand through the stubble along the side of his jaw. "Another thing I can tell you about Fera is he's very superstitious. One time he pushed me - pretty hard, too - away from an open shop window before I could walk directly in front of it. He said it was bad luck? Something about interior windows being open? I didn't quite understand. And once he told me about this strange fear he has of those with what he called "magical powers." After he said that, I did some research on Coronal society. Turns out they're all pretty superstitious, and their religious system warns against stuff like "evil magic" and "soul possession" and all sorts of other weird things. Even if he doesn't go in for the religion that much, he sure seems to believe in those parts"

He paused to give Dritz a sheepish look. "So maybe he thinks Vela is performing evil magic with her gestures instead of proper speaking? She's controlling you like that. And by having me learn it, I could control him too. What do you think?"

Dritz listened with wide eyes, his chin quivering as he bit back his laughter. He knew very little about the Coronal, but this was a fascinating thing to keep in mind. Just... Strange to think of the prince as being the superstitious type.

"That's almost endearing," he giggled. "Aw, you two are cute." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, "But yeah... I guess that makes sense. Oh, but hey, just in case he's ever managed to get into your head about it; Vela has no strange power over me. Her language doesn't cause any sort of... Bad thing?" He laughed openly, shaking his head.

It made some semblance of sense, or at least explained some of Fera's odd behaviour.

"No, no, no," Orion insisted, laughing more. "I never dreamed that was a possibility. Of course she doesn't. But now that we've figured out what it must be, I'll work on getting Fera to understand that he has the wrong impression about Vela. Maybe he can get to a point where he believes it, and can start treating her more nicely. I apologize on his behalf until then. I know it can get frustrating."

He continued to grin, shrugging exaggeratedly in a bit of embarrassment. He still wasn't used to being addressed as part of a couple. "Well... thanks. Speaking of cute couples, though, you and Vela are pretty much at the top of the list. I think she adores you. Lucky guy." His smile turned a little sly. "Any chance you might, y'know... consider taking her back to Chrysala to meet your parents someday?"

Dritz waved Orion off, smiling, "I'm only a bit upset on her behalf, so I'll pass that on to her. I can imagine it's the nicest feeling in the galaxy, but she's tough, I don't think it bothers her too much. Still, thank you."

He wanted to act modestly towards the compliment, but he did think he and Vela were quite the cute pair, especially when he caught how they fit together in the reflections of gleaming shop fronts they passed on their way to or from work. Or anywhere really. He smiled, "My family might take a while to come around to the idea of me finding an offworlder as a partner. They're surprisingly traditional when it comes to offspring, and because we're, uuuhhh, not biologically compatible, we wouldn't have children? Not that it's come up, or that it's really anything we've... You know what I mean. I'm sure." He chuckled nervously before adding, "How about your family? They gonna be meeting our favourite royal any time soon?"

"Ah, really?" Orion asked with a little frown. He hadn't thought the question would be too problematic in any way. "So they would mind more that you two can't have children, rather than the fact that she's an offworlder? But they will come around, you think?" He also hadn't considered the difference in Dritz and Vela's biology, a little troubled that they would have to sacrifice this, but glad to see they didn't seem to think it was really an issue to their being together. "What about, y'know... multiple partners? No offense intended, I just heard it's commonly done on Chrysala."

To have the same question directed back at him admittedly brought a surprised look to the human's face. "Er... hadn't thought about it yet, actually. We've not been together as long as you and Vela have. But... I guess... maybe? If I can find my parents." He gave a fond sigh. "They're always traveling to one corner of the galaxy or another. I've never even been to Earth, you know. Born in space, named for space, cursed to have permanent wanderlust through space, I guess..." He broke off into a sheepish grin. "But I guess so. They'd never believe their son had taken up with royalty! Too bad about his parents, though." For the moment he didn't comment further, shifting his feet uncomfortably.

"No offense taken, Ori. It's nice to have someone ask in a respectful way, y'know? Some aliens can't get behind the idea of loving in multiples, or someone needing something that can't be provided by their primary. But... Vela is all I want. She's all I need. If I took another partner I'd be preoccupied with the fact that they aren't her. My family will find that weird, even though my father has a partner who has no one else! Dad is his primary and only, so I dunno what's so weird about it," Dritz laughed, "Chrysala must seem odd to everyone else. But... Yeah. The culture is very much about big families. You end up being your own colony. It's one of the reasons for the tiered farms, we all take up so much room!"

He listened fondly to Orion, at least up until the mention of Fera's parents. He thought they'd have to be some scary folk to have raised the hotheaded prince.

"Hey, Fera's an adult, they can't force him to do anything. Try not to worry about it," he said kindly, patting the scruffy man's shoulder.

Had something gotten into his eyes? He felt they were getting just the faintest bit misty while hearing Dritz talk about how he only wanted Vela and no one else. It was incredibly sweet to learn just how deeply he felt about her. "Hey, well, I think that's great," he replied softly. "And your dad's partner proves that not all Chrysalans are the same or follow the majority. So I think you'll be fine once they get used to the idea. Who knows, you might unexpectedly find yourself with a lot of children anyway." He was joking, as shown by the playful grin and nudge he gave Dritz, but he also supposed it was possible, remotely. "You all don't seem odd to me, by the way. All societies have their own uniqueness which I think is just really great."

He sobered again quickly when discussing Fera's parents. Dritz hadn't asked further, but while he had the time to talk about it, he kind of felt like doing so. "That's true, he's an adult. But he's also royalty on Coronus and has certain... expectations. Apparently he has a mate already chosen for him? A female Coronal, though he says he has absolutely no interest. I just wonder what he's going to do. If he really wants to be with me, would he renounce his claim to the throne? Or will they take him back by force? Or... maybe he'll just decide to leave me and go back." He grimaced, quickly holding up both hands. "I'm sorry, didn't mean to get so negative. I'd just... like him to stay with me, if at all possible."

Dritz shook his head firmly, "Nah. I don't know the man well at all, but anyone can tell that he's not going anywhere you're not unless someone actually drags him away. You know what I mean? If he wanted to be anywhere near Coronus, he'd still be there. With... did you say he has someone promised to him?" He pulled a face, finding the notion completely bizarre despite what he had just been saying about his own home being seen as weird. "That's ridiculous... do they even know each other? I didn't think that sort of practice was still going on anywhere. I think the first Chrysalans did that a looong time ago. I heard some rumour, some speculated 'history', that they wanted to remove the human 'contamination' from the populace... but I doubt it."

Up until he'd finished talking, he'd managed to put the idea of himself and Vela finding themselves with a child to one side, but once he'd stopped he thought about what a half Chrysalan, half Aurian child might be like. Chrysalans were very minimally compatible with humans; rare as that coupling was, it was even rarer for them to produce a child.

He shook his head, blinking, "Heh, the whole science of alien reproduction has broken me a bit, there. Anyway, I think you and Fera should be fine. He doesn't seem to be that bothered about his status unless it gets him something, much as he loves to talk about it, so I think he'd renounce..."

"Well," Orion replied with a faint smile. "I do hope you're right. I want to believe he'd choose to stay with me. And yeah, though he won't tell me anything else about her. But he's met her... twice? Said he can't stand the thought. So I guess I'm safe, but... it is the status that worries me. I know he enjoys the privileges, so can he do without?"

He gave another sigh, more exasperated this time, and shrugged his shoulders. "Hell, this isn't the time for a conversation like this. I want to have hope and good faith that things will turn out alright until proven otherwise. Thanks, Dritz." Returning the friendly slap to the Chrysalan's shoulder, he paused to consider him a moment. "I sometimes completely forget there's some human in your ancestry. I guess I shouldn't forget that, but it doesn't much matter me to what someone's background is composed of. Still, it's kind of interesting to think about."

After another moment, he paused and looked over at Vela. "Want to check on her? She's been quiet for a while now. Er, heh... no joke intended there."

The Chrysalan gave an odd shrug, tilting to one side. He obviously saw Orion's side of things, and he could certainly identify with worrying about one's partner's happiness and the longevity of the relationship, but he also felt strangely confident in their relationship from his outside perspective.

"I dunno... A place of privilege where everything is provided for you but you're forced into something and kept apart from the thing making you the happiest, or having to work slightly harder but having potentially everything that's truly important? I know what I'd pick. Plus, you're damn good looking, who'd need a kingdom with this face next to you?" He laughed as he gestured flamboyantly to Orion's handsomely angular features.

"Oh, we all forget about the human part," he said dismissively, "There are the odd purists who get weirdly offended if you mention their human blood." As he spoke, Dritz plopped down to his knees and slipped towards where Vela had been lying to do her repairs.

He touched her arm very gently and grinned, "Everything okay there, beautiful?"

Listening to Dritz was really starting to put Orion's mind at ease. It was like he knew just what to say to make the human feel better. "You know, my friend, I think you're absolutely right. Not sure about the handsome part, plenty of us in the galaxy," he concluded, beginning to laugh in a way which showed he thought that was genuinely funny.

Meanwhile, Vela had been so focused on what she was doing that she wouldn't have heard the conversation even if the noise of the engine hadn't been directly in her ears. Cautiously she moved her head out at the touch on her arm, nodding when she could tell what Dritz had asked. [Yes. I think it's done. Can you check it for me? I'm worried that I did something wrong.] It wasn't acting wrong in any way she could tell, but it was better to show caution.

She slid out from under the panel, making room for Dritz to lay down and inspect it instead. A bit anxious, she watched him carefully. It was the first time she had done such a significant piece of work without direct supervision, which was probably contributing to her anxious feeling.

Whistling cheerily, Dritz ducked under the panelling and quickly ran through the process that Vela had just done himself. He skipped a few of the completely fool-proof steps that he knew she'd have done without fail, and a couple that he'd seen her do. With a wide smile he followed the trail of repairs done by a tentative but knowledgeable hand. Before she'd started, Dritz had taken stock of what the panel looked like, and he could see improvements that had not strictly been necessary, but would strengthen the overall work.

He wriggled out and beamed, "Perfect. You even tidied a couple of minor bits!" He signed proudly, [you are amazing job.]

Finally releasing her breath in a soft exhalation, Vela nodded and began to smile, until Dritz's improper signing first made her frown, then abruptly break into her silent "laughter," sides shaking in mirth.

[Thank you, I'm glad it's alright. But maybe you meant to say 'you did an amazing job?'] she signed at him when she was able, showing him the correct way to move his hands. [You should practice a little more, the way Orion did with me.]

"Uh oh, Dritz," the human chimed in, also laughing. "What did you do? From what I can tell, Vela thinks you need a little more practice with your signing? Maybe we should have a session together, what do you think?"

He looked around the engine room, expression becoming far softer. "You know, I think we're just about done here. Nice work, you two. What an amazing experience this has been, honestly. Getting to work with two friends like you at my side." Abruptly he cleared his throat, grinning. "Sorry. Didn't mean to get so sentimental."

Dritz pulled a face, averting his eyes as an uncharacteristic blush crept in over his cheeks.

"Actually, I uh..." He signed slowly and carefully, [I wanted to say you're amazing. And you did a great job. I-] He went to sign something else, his hands just starting to form the word, but he seemed to decide against it, instead shrugging sheepishly. "Guess I got carried away. I was excited with what you'd done."

He brushed himself off as he listened to Orion, thinking idly that he should definitely practice more, even if he didn't get to do so with the human.

"Aw, Oriii! That's so cute," he gushed, throwing an arm around the skinny man and squeezing him gleefully. "I can't speak for my beautiful flower, but I've had the most fun. I'd work with you both every day if I could."

Watching Dritz's reaction and signing closely, Vela felt a little bad that she had tried to correct him. He wasn't really that accustomed to signing, and if he had been excited, it would have been easier to slip up. [That's alright. It's understandable.] But what had he been about to sign before stopping? It was hard to tell.

She did have to agree with the sentiments expressed by both Orion and Dritz, however. [I think it was fun too. And Dritz taught me so much, I'm grateful to him.] Her words were accompanied by a rush of affection for the Chrysalan, thinking that evening she would have to express her gratitude much better than she could currently, with someone else watching.

Several weeks had passed as they continued to work throughout the rest of the ship, saving a good amount of credits. It also took this long for Vela to figure out what she wanted to give to Dritz as a gift.

The object had been sitting under their bed for two days now. Every time Vela had tried to give it to him, she felt too nervous to do so. She had never given a gift to anyone. What if she did it wrong? Or had chosen the wrong thing?

Tonight, she felt brave enough to try. Dritz was sitting on the bed, going over their earnings from the work they had done, which would actually be concluded the next day. Vela took a deep breath and approached him, gently taking the datapad from his hands and setting it aside as he looked at her with a surprised expression.

[I have something I want to give you.]

Whistling to himself, Dritz was scrolling through the numbers (the very significant numbers) on the final transfer they'd received. The work had paid handsomely, more than he'd expected given the varying level of skill involved; the simpler jobs were paid at the same rate as the more complex ones and, from what he could tell, their lunch breaks hadn't been removed. He tapped his chin, wondering if that was some sort of mistake he'd need to bring up, resolving to check with Orion later.

The work had genuinely been some of the most fun he'd ever had on a project. Even if they hadn't been working together, he, Vela and Orion had met for lunch each day and alternated between chatting and signing (good practicing opportunities as those lunchtimes were) while they ate.

The datapad was suddenly being carefully removed from his hands. He looked up questioningly before smiling cheekily at her explanation. "Oh? Well, I always want what you have to give, flower," he chuckled, leaning forward and giving her a peck on the cheek.

Vela's smile was a little shy at Dritz's response, but she turned her head slightly to kiss him back when he leaned forward. Without waiting any longer, lest she lose her nerve, she got down on the floor to retrieve the object from under the bed, which he obviously hadn't been expecting.

For the past two weeks she had been experimenting during the time when Dritz continued to sleep after she had gotten all the rest she needed for the night. Luckily he always seemed quite worn out by the events of the day prior, and he never awoke to see what she was doing. Only his snoring accompanied her experimentation, which had amused her more than once for some reason.

The tea flowers needed to be somewhat fresh, she had first discovered. Only those she kept for less than a day turned out to be suitable to use. Ultimately, she had chosen one in beautiful shades of blue and purple which reminded her of Dritz's skin. The next problem had been finding a way to preserve it safely without it withering. She had thought coating it in a resin preparation might work to preserve the petals, but it had ended up looking too stiff and shattered easily.

Her final solution had been a piece of technology which actually took a little invention on her part: she had bought a small plexiglass dome on a light metal base and inserted a device she had managed to put together with some instruction from the datanet. It kept the air within the dome at just the right pressure to stop the flower from wilting. As it turned out, some of the machine shops had been open quite late at night and had more than enough of the relatively obscure parts she needed to construct it.

Vela handed Dritz the dome with the tea flower in it, unable to look at his face yet. [I made this for you. It's a gift, like the necklace.] She paused to touch the stone around her neck tenderly. [I know it's not the same, it's not really something you can always take with you. But I couldn't think of anything to buy for you. So... I hope it's alright. These remind me of her our first times together, before we knew what would happen.] She did glance up then, though she nervously laced her fingers together in her lap while she waited to see what he thought.

When Vela ducked down under the bed, Dritz's eyes widened in confusion. but when she returned with a small dome, containing a flower, his expression was one of adoration. He took it without any words, as he couldn't even summon the capacity to speak at that moment. Looking it over carefully, he could see that the flower was a small blossom used in the tea Vela liked, and a remarkably close colour to his skintone.

"Vela, this is amazing..." he said softly, looking up at her with a beaming grin, his yellow eyes shining. "It's wonderful, I love it." He reluctantly, carefully, set the dome to one side, noting that the flower didn't move, remaining perfectly centred as he did so. The culmination of their work and their friendship, then blossoming relationship, summed up in one of the first things they shared. Dritz felt a strong fluttering sensation in his stomach as he looked at her. Then he threw his arms around her, drawing her into a tight hug and kissing her cheek and forehead. Quietly, as though correcting himself, he added, "You're wonderful. I love you."

If it hadn't been obvious from what he said, Vela would have known how Dritz felt about the gift anyway. The look on his face told her so much.

She allowed herself to be drawn in tightly, so very happy that he liked the flower, but felt her arms weaken around him with his next words. For a moment she didn't dare to move, then pulled back slightly to look at him and sign.

[I'm glad you like it. It took me a while to figure it out. And I...] At first she hadn't known how to respond but she finally tried some words aloud. "Love... you."

They had come out hoarsely, but she knew they were true from the rush she felt in her heart. For some reason, her normal eye was welling up with tears and she had to look away, but she extended her hands toward Dritz again so he would take them in his own.

Dritz exhaled sharply, as though he'd been holding a breath, and took her hands tightly in his own, his eyes stinging and his throat feeling tight and swollen in a way he didn't often feel.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever heard a more incredible thing from anyone. Ever," he laughed, cupping her cheek as he surreptitiously brushed a thumb over his cheek, checking for tears. "Your voice is lovely."

He bundled her back into his arms, pulling her to lie atop him on the bed, his broad smile right back where it was before, even if his eyes were still shiny. Nuzzling against her hair, he picked the tea flower up again, looking it over and squeezing her gently. "And this is perfect. I need to keep it somewhere safe, where I can see it all the time."

Feeling how warm and soft Dritz was, Vela snuggled down on top of him while trying to figure out how she could possibly feel any happier. He had loved the gift, and he said he loved her... how could any of it be better? This was never a place or situation she had thought she would be in years ago, cold and usually lonely on Aurctas. Now there was warmth and friendship and love, no longer a need to worry about the constant struggle for survival that had consumed her life previously. Her only wish now was for the rest of her people to get to experience the same.

After a little while she had to sit up to sign, which was awkward, but Dritz didn't seem to mind much. [I'm glad you like it. I adapted a concept someone else had made to keep plants from drying out, but I had to make it smaller. I think it should keep working as long as I inspect it every now and then to be sure the mechanism is functioning correctly.]

This had all been rather dry commentary on what was a sentimental object, but Vela didn't feel affected by that. She lay back down again, resting her face against Dritz's neck a moment before beginning to kiss it softly, starting on the side and working her way over to the base of his throat, lips softly pressing there more than once.

Helping Vela sit up, straddling him with the dome resting on his stomach, Dritz stroked her thighs, smiling as he listened to her explain the device keeping the blossom intact. From the look on his face, he was visibly impressed, and interested. His science knowledge only stretched so far as mechanics and engineering; he was vaguely aware of the chemical reactions within a ship, but only enough to determine what could be wrong. Vela's sharp mind only reaffirmed how much he felt the words he'd spoken before.

"You, my flower, are a genius," he said proudly, picking up the blossom and kissing it lightly before putting it to one side for safe keeping. "Thank you. I love it even more knowing you built that device yourself."

Soon, she leaned down again, and while he was anticipating more cuddling, the soft lips against his neck and chest were more than welcome, and he tilted his head to allow her more room, a quiet chirp in his throat.

Feeling the vibration of Dritz's gentle buzz against her lips, Vela glanced up at him with a smile. Whenever he did that, or made his soft chirping sounds, she knew he was very pleased with the situation.

He had moved his head back, and she took the opportunity to kiss the underside of his chin, working her way down the center of his chest and leaning back far enough to start kissing his stomach. It took her a bit longer before she was satisfied there, but she stopped to give him another smile, one which might almost appear flirtatious.

Sitting up again, she removed her tunic so they were both wearing no shirts, tossing hers to the side before laying down to press herself against him. The simple touch of his bare skin on hers was still enough to set her pulse racing. She kissed his lips then, feeling their confession of love had somehow made her passion burn brighter.

Dritz felt a tremble of delight go through him as Vela's lips brushed against his skin. Every wisp of her breath against him heightened his senses. He trailed his fingers down her back, sighing.

This seemed to prompt Vela into removing her top, and he took a long moment to admire her lithe frame as she sat back against his wider hips and thighs; the contrast between their colouring and size had always been something that excited him.

Holding her carefully as their lips met again, he flipped their positions, mimicking her previous path with his lips and fingers.

Dritz effortlessly moving her always delighted Vela in a way she didn't understand, but didn't feel the need to. It was enough for her to simply enjoy the experience. He was larger and stronger than her, and all she knew was she found it attractive.

As he copied her movements, kissing from her throat down to her stomach, Vela found herself responding with restless movements of longing. It never took much for her to respond to Dritz's actions when they were being intimate, but this time she wanted to savor the experience as long as possible.

She reached down to start pushing her leggings off, finding Dritz more than willing to assist in this, as well as removing the rest of his own clothes. They fell into each other's arms again, their limbs tangling together as they kissed passionately. Vela pressed herself tightly against him, admiring the contrasting shades of blue against white skin. Sometimes she wished she could speak aloud to him while they enjoyed each other in this way, but there were still many things which needed no words.

In the months since they first began exploring one another's bodies and stimulants, Dritz had learnt every delicate, subtle movement that gave him a clue as to what Vela wanted, and he had listened to them, but in that moment, he was almost unsure, as her usual responses were different, unhurried. It encouraged him to touch her differently, to change how he moved his lips or tongue, continuing to learn.

When they collapsed against each other, the Chrysalan was vaguely aware, through a euphoric haze, that they had been in bed for... Wow. Some time. Approaching two hours, unless he missed his guess. He pulled Vela into his arms once more, arranging them so he wouldn't squash her (his limbs being such a dead weight as they were), lazily kissing her neck again.

"Wow," he mumbled repeatedly for a while between kisses, almost to himself. "I... I hope we didn't have any plans tonight. I really want to just hold you and not move."

It took some time for Vela to reply. All the little things they had done differently this time had amounted to something truly amazing, a level of pleasure she hadn't thought possible, even if Dritz had given her so much before. Their bodies wouldn't need to be compatible for her to love him, but right at that moment, she was so very glad they were.

When she felt able to move, she pulled back to sign, shaking her head weakly. [We didn't have any. But I kind of do, to stay in bed with you as long as I want.] Her signing was somewhat lazy and simplistic, as she was in a highly relaxed state. [Everything you did was wonderful. I... Thank you. I hope it was so good for you, too.]

Long moments of cuddling, contented sighs, and soft kisses later, she had more to say. [We did well at our first job. So well that I think we can figure out what to do next. Will we go to Chrysala? I was looking forward to that.] She was also incredibly nervous, but the lingering sensations all throughout her body had pushed that aside for the moment.

Tracing figures of eight over her skin, Dritz shook his head, an amused little smile on his lips. "You don't have to thank me, silly. And the fact that it was so good for you makes it even better for me," he said softly. With his mind replaying it over... Well, maybe if he weren't so pleasantly tired.

"We did great, I think we were paid just a bit more than is usual. Definitely a sign of a job well done if you get tips," he chuckled. He looked at her seriously, if slightly surprised, "You're looking forward to it? That's great, I can't wait to show you my home. Well, my old home. Homeworld. Y'know what I mean. Anyway, yeah, we can head to Chrysala in the next few days, if you want? We need some supplies and stuff, but not a lot, so it shouldn't take us long to prepare."

Lazily smiling, Vela found herself unable to sign again as she thought about how enjoyable it must have been for Dritz if she had enjoyed it more than any time previously. How was it possible to feel so good?

However, when Dritz started talking in more detail about their impending trip to Chrysala, the doubt began to creep back in just a little. It was true she would get to see his home, but beyond that, she had been worried about meeting those close to him, and about the overseer having interest in her proposal. [In a few days, then. We can gather all the supplies and make sure everything else here is settled,] she signed, deciding not to bring up her concerns just yet. No matter what, she was going to go through with this, worries or no.

The rest of their evening passed pleasantly, with lighthearted talk and an abundance of warm snuggling and kisses, until the pair eventually fell asleep together, wrapped in the arms of the one they loved.

#rp file #rp logs #file 24.5 #gifts are given #dritz and orion chat about how weird fera is #and then there's some (apparently) epic sauciness B)

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