the-vaporverse

[the-vaporverse]

New additions for this universe. 🖤

(background image courtesy of www.vectorstock.com)

[the-vaporverse]

Presenting: Fera, eighth prince of Coronus, fashion icon, diva. :p

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #34

(Vela’s part in italics.)

Fera had been thinking about everything he would enjoy doing with Orion... eventually... when Dritz approached. The prince's gaze slid from his nails to the Chrysalan's face, which he currently felt himself annoyed by when put together with the odd things he was saying.

"I'm certain it's lovely," he replied, tone rather sarcastic. "But I'm also certain you don't want to be graced with my presence. You all were very uncomplimentary earlier when I turned your decrepit ship to this planet in the first place. And even if I'm the one who got you here when you wouldn't have been able to visit otherwise, I'm not about to forget. You could have treated me much more nicely. Besides..." He paused, eyes flicking briefly in the direction of the Vela, "I don't think everyone would even want me to join in."

Despite what he had thought earlier, he really was tempted. Even so, he felt a strong need to be stubborn and not make everything so easy. Especially not when he had to suffer through the presence of others, when all he had really wanted was a lovely time with his incredibly handsome human.

Dritz looked slightly hurt, but could see Fera's thought process.

"Prince Fera," he sighed, "Words were exchanged on both sides. You are rude about our ship, you've been rude to the one I love. Of course there was going to be tension." He rested his head on one hand, propping himself up by the cheek, which squished comically against his palm. "I just really want us all to be friends," he said sincerely. It was quite the admission, considering. He hoped desperately that his flower wouldn't see it as anything against her. Fera's bad points seemed to outweigh the good at the moment, but Dritz had seen a kindly side, one that was genuinely sort of... Sweet. The way he had helped Dritz with his clothing selection when they were alone had been respectful when he could have easily been spiteful or mean about Dritz's size (the Chrysalan understood that larger bodies were supposedly a bad thing in some alien cultures... Or at least he tried to understand that.)

"I mean... I definitely want to be friends..." He thought aloud.

Fera huffed quietly as Dritz explained to him, not enjoying being told he had done anything wrong. "Oh, and how am I supposed to know how everyone wants to be treated at any given time? It seems like all anyone ever does is complain about what I choose to say. I'm..."

He trailed off, frowning to himself as he stared toward the back of Orion's head. The human, his chosen lover, was the one who explained situations to the prince most frequently. He always seemed to think Fera should choose his words more delicately, but it was so difficult to understand. On Coronus he was free to say whatever he wanted, about anyone. But then, no one aside from his parents could respond back. If he could understand it, he might have seen that he frequently lashed out due to anger from his own situation, and no one else he came in contact with really appreciated such behavior. He was barely on the edge of grasping this idea, unfortunately.

Orion was apparently trying to talk with the Vela, who was seemingly much more interested in the water. It really must be ruining her strange powers. "I've never had friends," Fera continued abruptly, turning his attention back to Dritz. "I have yet to see the benefit." With a shrug and much eye rolling, showing he obviously couldn't care less, he stood and sauntered toward the edge of the spring, daintily stepping in and proceeding until the water was just barely hitting his chest. Then he stopped, frowning at the others.

"This water," he announced loudly, "is cold."

Dritz smiled gratefully when Fera finally stood.

"Hey, now you do," he shrugged, in response to the comment about not having friends. He wondered if Fera might have a heart to heart with him, or at least be open to the idea, later that evening.

However, he couldn't help the confused, surprised look on his face when Fera declared the spring cold.

"You're... You're kidding, right?!" Dritz chirped. "It's so warm! Just at the very top edge of comfortable, so it's like... Hot and relaxing at the same time." He looked at Fera with a bemused expression until something crossed his mind. There was something... Something he knew. About Coronus. Or Coronal in general? Were they cold blooded...? No, surely not. Very very hot blooded? Who knew. One of them was weird, at the very least.

Fera had glanced at Dritz sideways, pretending to pay no attention to what he had said. Friends? With them? Rather ridiculous. They were all acquaintances, aside from Orion... And the Vela was practically evil. What sort of friends could they possibly be?

He gave an exaggerated sigh when the Chrysalan failed to understand what he meant by the temperature of the water. Then he directed an unamused look at Orion, who seemed to want to explain on his behalf, and he was welcome to it.

"Oh right, sometimes even I forget... Coronus is a planet that's really close to its sun. Almost too close, but not quite. But the Coronal evolved to handle such high temperatures. They have an interesting internal system that regulates their body and keeps it from getting too hot. At the same time, it keeps them from feeling too cold in a temperature that the rest of us will think is normal. Even with that, the water will still not feel all that great, huh? I'm sorry."

"My fault for not thinking in advance," Fera replied in irritation, not sounding like he was actually taking any blame. "This spring would have to be so much hotter to satisfy me. So this is a waste of time, isn't it?" He directed his glare at Dritz, blaming him for being the one to get him into the water, obviously.

Dritz looked apologetic, with an undercurrent of alarm at the realisation. He didn't want any of them to be uncomfortable, but given the temperature Fera probably would like the baths... it was best they found a middle ground, and maybe sooner rather than later. He just wanted there to be some sort of harmony between them all, given his aversion to any sort of confrontation. Were he honest, even Fera and his grumbling or huffing set him on edge a little.

He gave the prince a sad smile, "I'm sorry, I really didn't know... but maybe there's a way to increase the heat? I mean... I could probably stand it a little hotter." He glanced over at Vela, signing at the same time as speaking, "How about you, what if we could make it warmer, you'd be okay?"

While he was certain he knew the answer already, he still wanted her input. He turned to Orion and smiled, "You wanna? I bet between us we can work out if there's a way they regulate this. Even if it's a natural spring, they might have some sort of machinery keeping it a level temperature, so are you up for trying to adjust it?"

Vela did not care in particular how Fera felt about the water, which was perfect in her eyes, but she readily agreed with Dritz that she would be fine with a slight temperature increase. She wondered if it was ever possible to feel too warm, and what that would be like; a truly curious thought to her.

Orion was mulling over the Chrysalan's idea, running a hand across the stubble on his face thoughtfully. "Y'know, you're probably right. I wouldn't bother asking them, personally. I do love a challenge." He grinned over at Fera. "If we get caught and kicked out, we might have to blame you." The prince didn't think much of this statement, though Orion believed they wouldn't be caught at all. Plus he deserved it for acting so ungrateful when Dritz had such a kind thought for him.

It took a little searching, both inside the spring and out of it. There was no obvious control panel near the top of the water line, and Orion felt sure it would not be on the bottom of the spring for practical purposes. Sure enough, after a thorough search, a nearly invisible hatch opened under his touch along one of the outer rocks and revealed a small panel with maybe a dozen indicators and switches, none of them labeled, though the layout and parts used looked to be fairly common and recognizable to his eye.

"Wow, what's a fake rock doing here?" he joked to Dritz, still studying the panel. "I guess even a natural spring needs a backup so rich patrons are never disappointed. What do you think, we got this?" He pointed out a few of the settings, thinking they might be the obvious choices. "But we should still be careful, I don't really like the idea of turning the rest of us into soup."

Dritz grinned brightly at the responses his suggestion received, from both Orion and Vela. Delighted that at least they liked the suggestion, he leapt into action at the same time as Orion, bobbing under the water to examine the sides, ignoring the bottom for the same reason Orion had noted.

When the pool itself didn't turn anything up, he hauled himself out and helped the scruffy human look around the rocks and plants that surrounded the area. The one it had been concealed inside was very clearly an expensive system, it seemed to even be made out of stone, not just something cheap and fake to hide the workings.

"I reckon we've got this. There isn't a dial, though... I suppose that's just so random folk like us don't mess with the settings. We're about 90° right now... Shall we bump it up slowly to avoid the soup scenario?" he laughed.

"Sounds like a plan," Orion replied, grinning back at Dritz. Between the two of them, they managed to nudge the temperature up what they thought would be a few degrees higher.

After a few idle minutes of chatting together, he turned back to the spring, where Fera and Vela were waiting. On opposite sides, of course. "Hey, how is it now?"

Vela signed something, of which Orion could only decipher the words "warm" and "good." Fera gave her a critical stare before shrugging his shoulders with a slight huff. "It's better. It's not perfect. But I'm not about to make you turn it so high that I have to stay in here alone."

"How thoughtful of you," Orion replied with the slightest sigh. "But anyway, I'm glad it's warmer for you now." He walked back around to the edge of the spring, pausing for a moment to smile at the way Vela had outstretched her arms toward Dritz in a clear invitation to rejoin her.

Dritz and Orion had taken all of two minutes before they began chit-chatting about various mechanic techniques; particularly in relation to heating a spring that they clearly wished to advertise as natural. The Chrysalan had to admit, it was pretty niche as far as conversation went, and he felt ever so slightly guilty leaving out Vela and Fera, but thankfully his own lover seemed content to simply enjoy the water. Seeing her so pleased and relaxed made him happy.

He did not need any persuading to immediately plop back into the water. It was just about bordering on too hot for his species' skin, but he decided he could easily tolerate a day of dry skin tomorrow in exchange for cuddling Vela close in what was likely a heavenly situation for her.

He pulled her to the edge where they were able to find a rough seat in the form of a shelf under the water. Sitting on it caused the water to sit just above the shoulders.

"Mmmm... This is pretty great, right?"

Admittedly, Vela had stopped listening to the conversation shortly after being questioned about the temperature of the water. It was such a wonderful feeling to experience that she even forgot Fera was in the same water she was.

Her mind drifted as she trailed one arm through the heat, feeling the resistance against her and marveling again that she was able to do this at all. The galaxy was a strange but wonderful place, and surely when she told her people of all they could have (most especially a consistent warm temperature and water to swim or bathe in), they could not help but agree to travel to a new home. How could they not?

She reached out for Dritz, smiling as he entered the water and pulled her to sit near the edge of the spring. Resisting the urge to sit on his lap, she did at least indulge in wrapping her arms around his waist and snuggling close to him as she nodded happily. It was more than great.

Suddenly she was aware of Fera clearing his throat loudly, and turned to look at him in spite of herself. "Thank you," he said, equally loud. "For the temperature."

For a little while the area was completely silent. Vela really couldn't believe Fera had said something so thoughtful and polite. Even Orion seemed a bit shocked, but soon enough he was grinning at his partner. "You're welcome," he chuckled, then pulled the Coronal into a kiss.

Vela stared before turning to Dritz with a quizzical expression. What did he make of all this?

Vela's lean arms in the blue tinted, crystal clear water were mesmerising, normally so pale that her skin was nearly translucent, now flushed pleasantly with the warmth. She had looked so pretty like that, serene, and innocent in her enjoyment of the water. Dritz thought he could have looked at her all day, and when they were seated together, he thought he would dream of that image, combined with the feeling of warmth that came from their embrace.

Fera's voice, louder than even usual, startled him back to reality, his antennae sticking straight up in surprise. He smiled warmly at the prince, however, and nodded, "Yeah! Very welcome. Enjoy!"

He turned to Vela while the two gents were distracted, and shrugged comically. "I'm as surprised as you," he whispered.

For some reason, Fera felt embarrassed to be kissed in front of Dritz and the Vela. Thankfully, they seemed to not be watching when he glanced back toward them, then gave Orion a little frown. Of course he wanted the entire galaxy to see he belonged to someone. But at the same time...

It seemed the two couples were happy to spend time together and yet separately, on opposite sides of the spring.  Vela was satisfied snuggling close to Dritz in the water, listening to him chat to her idly in a murmur that was pleasant and soothing. She enjoyed the way he still felt so soft to her as she ran a hand across his stomach, knowing that no one could see, and being in awe as she watched his skin gain just the faintest rosy hue above the water. The effects it had on bodies seemed interesting, almost a topic she would not mind researching. Water was fascinating to her in ways that so many others would take for granted.

[The hour must nearly be up,] she signed to him, already noting that Fera and Orion were beginning to stir at the other end. [I wish we could stay, but I don't want you to get too warm, either.] Though reluctant, she managed to stand and climb out of the spring, feeling just a little unsteady. The wet fabric of her new clothing clung to her skin in a way that made her feel a little awkward again. This was yet another entirely new experience.

Dritz was torn. The hour had been so relaxing, he was nearly floppy, even his antennae were lazily reclining against his hair, which was dripping from the steam, and his eyelids were heavy. On the other hand, he was very aware of his skin feeling tight, and he was looking forward to cooling down a bit.

"I guess we oughta get-" Dritz started, moving to follow Vela when she stood, but instead needing to remain seated for a second to admire her. The once smoothly fitting two piece she wore was now clinging for dear life in a way that only emphasized the subtle shape of her body. She was all taut muscle, cradled in delicate, soft curves, and if Dritz was not pink in the face beforehand, he certainly was after seeing that.

[Can't wait to get back to the bedroom,] he signed, slowly and deliberately, smirking up at her. To hide the exchange, he spoke over the signage, "Phew, it is really warm, I'm almost glad to be out."

Vela turned to see why Dritz was taking so long, but then she noticed the way he was staring, and had to smile at what he signed to her. [Soon,] was all she signed back, thinking longingly of the bedroom as well. Not soon enough, of course.

"Glad you two seemed to enjoy yourselves," Orion was saying when she turned back again. "Though I agree with Dritz, it's almost kinda good to get out and cool off. Maybe we could retreat somewhere for drinks? That would help." The human tossed them both one of the soft towels that had been sitting on the stand near the far end of the springs, and Vela gladly wrapped it around her body with a sigh. Maybe she had just been enjoying some incredibly warm water, but her instinct was to cover up again immediately to prevent herself from losing any of that warmth.

Dritz was still working at drying himself, but Vela found herself momentarily intrigued by the control panel for the springs. [Show me how to turn it back?] she signed to Orion slowly, which he seemed to understand. He took her over and began telling her what he could figure out about the device, leaving Fera and Dritz alone for the moment.

Fera was still frowning as he watched them. He was also completely dry again without the need for any towels, thanks to his Coronal abilities.

Dritz flopped down on one of the dry benches where they had left their towels, basking in the heat and moisture for a moment, leaning back and supporting himself on his elbows. The spring had been just slightly too hot for him, and he could feel his skin was a bit tight, but Vela had been so happy, he was still smiling at the image of her drifting through the water serenely.

Fera caught his eye, off to one side with a sadly somewhat sour look on his face. Dritz stood, slinging his towel around his shoulders.

"Fera," he said softly, smiling. "I was wondering if you wanted to get a drink and have a chat later, huh? Y'know, just the two of us? We can talk clothes again." He beamed, looking hopefully at the prince.

Fera bristled slightly when Dritz approached him, but it was mostly out of reflex. Nothing had changed from their trip to this place, as far as he could see, but the Chrysalan's tone somehow settled him again to a less irritated state.

"I don't know. I suppose. At least you have some passing interest in fashion," he sighed, glancing over at Orion. If there was one thing his lover still needed, it was some taste in clothing. Any taste, really. And it wouldn't hurt to have another drink.

"Yes, fine. Later," he continued, not sounding too thrilled about it. But if nothing about their visit to this planet went the way he wanted, at least it couldn't be made worse.

_

After some cool drinks and a short time to rest and change clothing, the group found themselves split apart as Fera and Dritz joined each other as agreed. Orion had seemed curious about this, but had ultimately let Fera go without poking around in his business too much.

Now he was sitting in an elegant chair at a table situated next to the seaside which, for a hologram, was very convincing. Dritz was already arriving, and the prince waved a hand at him with a dramatic sigh.

"Order me a drink, will you? You know my tastes. I honestly can't be bothered right now." He was feeling depressed in some manner, more than he had previously thought, though it would not really seem so from his behavior.

Despite his overall intention, Dritz couldn't help but feel pleased that Fera had agreed, almost readily, to have a drink with him.

He'd dressed in the well fitting yellow top that Fera had helped him pick out during their first shopping trip, and paired it with pastel striped trousers he reserved for... Well, they were unofficially his 'date' clothes; well fitted, flattering, and just a little snug. Vela always liked them, and he thought the colours went well with the yellow.

He'd expected to be early, but Fera was already there, looking somewhat unimpressed.

"Oh, sure... I'll be back in a sec," he said quickly, turning on his heel and going to get Fera a drink from the extensive menu. This time he chose a strawberry and rose champagne cocktail called a Myira Kiss, served in a long stemmed, wide rimmed glass with a wonderful pink mist drifting off it. In his other hand, Dritz had a dark green cocktail with luminous foam piled high on top of it.

"I hope you enjoy, it looked very you," he said, setting it down in front of the prince.

Fera waited, tapping one elegant fingernail along the tabletop while Dritz ordered their drinks, propping his chin against his other hand. He couldn't seem to stop reflecting on what an awful time he was having, or thought he was having.

So deep was he in this unpleasant contemplation that he didn't even notice Dritz returning before the Chrysalan set an absolutely delightful-looking drink in front of him. The pink mist was intriguing, and he lowered his head to sniff in appreciation, finding it very appealing.

"Well done," he said without even thinking about it, immediately taking a long drink. He found it llight yet somehow so flavorful and refreshing, and it was almost as though the effects of the alcohol had already set in by the time he put the glass back down.

"Alright. You want to talk about fashion? Tell me what it means to you," he said quickly, without wasting any further time on small talk. It was quite possible the prince expected to be bored fairly soon within this conversation, but he would humor Dritz for a time for choosing a drink this good.

While Dritz was taken aback with both Fera's praise, and sudden question, he beamed.

"Straight in, huh?" he said cheekily, winking at the prince. He shook his head, chuckling, "Well, I guess since Chrysala was so... Closed off from anything seen as frivolous for so long, fashion is important to us as a culture. Before, everyone was still happy; the levels of satisfaction with life have always been high back home, but now there's vibrancy and individuality. My clothes reflect like, who I am. S'why I like bright, colourful stuff. And I like the freedom of just getting whatever I think is amazing, regardless of practicalities. I have my jumpsuit for practical use, everything else can be whatever, and I think that's the coolest thing! You can show who you are without needing to express it verbally. Kind of like a universal language!"

He gestured to Fera, "Take yourself. I'd guess from your dress sense a strong sexuality and elegance but not for like, anyone unworthy. 'You have to work to know that side properly, but here, I will grace you with a fraction.' And you're real beautiful, so you don't need bright colours to catch the eye. If that makes sense."

Chuckling, he shrugged, "I guess I can talk about clothes and stuff more than I thought."

"Mmm." Fera had half of his attention on his drink, and the other half on what Dritz was saying. He did hear everything, however. The topic was fashion, after all. And though he wouldn't admit it, Chrysala's history with it was at least a little interesting.

He arched an eyebrow and smirked at Dritz's "guess" about himself. He was genuinely amused, and had enough alcohol in his system by now that he just felt tired of being haughty. While remaining poised, his tone when he spoke again was moderately more friendly than before. "Well, you may actually be right about that. I fear many don't express themselves through clothing as well as you and I do."

He took another sip from his glass before swirling the stem between his fingers, watching the liquid spin inside. "What I don't understand is why your people took so long to obtain a sense of fashion, so to speak. And how exactly were they happy without it? I can't imagine being happy without beautiful clothing to wear. Though naturally, Coronal fashion tends to serve other purposes than mere... expression." Despite his gradually relaxing manner, Fera wasn't about to explain this statement unless Dritz asked him specifically what he meant.

"Honestly? I dunno," Dritz chirped, shrugging. "Chrysala got so vibrant and fun after the introduction of fashions from other worlds. I wonder how we ever caught the eyes of others. The average number of partners a Chrysalan takes has even increased. Now, there's not a correlation as far as I can see... But I like to think of them as being related."

He sipped his own drink, humming happily, "So, uh, what is the other purpose of Coronal fashion?"

He was aware that he still needed to speak to Fera about his behaviour but... For the moment, the topic of fashion was too intriguing, especially with the promise of learning more.

Fera snorted delicately, rolling his eyes though he didn't look that annoyed. "You wonder how you caught anyone's eye. Your very appearance speaks to that, I should think. I understand that Chrysalans can come in a wide range of skin tones. But I suppose I have not seen so many for myself." He smirked, thinking they had never personally caught his eye, and he had never taken one as a lover. But that was a topic he thought too dull to discuss at the moment.

He briefly beckoned at a server, indicating his drink in a way which left no doubt he wanted another. Indeed, it arrived at the table within what seemed like moments, and the prince found himself impressed again at their service as he took another long swallow from the fresh glass. If he went back somewhat tipsy tonight, it was certainly not a bad thing.

"Oh yes, Coronal fashion. I think I have stated before that the reason I wear white is because it is the color reserved for royalty. You won't find a single scrap of white on a commoner. Luckily, I am naturally perfect in it, as you also said," he continued, preening a bit. "Types of clothing indicate status, you could say. The lowest of citizens on Coronus will be wearing rough, basic clothing with very little detail. Whereas those with more credits to spend, those working in and around the palaces for the most part, can dress rather extravagantly. Not so much as myself, but I can tell you something: fashion trends tend to follow whatever it is I have been wearing lately."

He giggled to himself after another sip of his drink. "Who knows what they will be wearing nowadays, I have not been back to Coronus for months. What will they do without me? I suppose they are all walking around naked." This amused him more than it should, and he carried on laughing. Was the room starting to get warm? Yes, that must be it.

Dritz listened with amusement, picturing the Coronal people gossiping about Fera's latest fashions and trying to emulate them. He wondered if there was a punishment for wearing white as a non-royal, but quickly cursed himself when he remembered the real reason he'd asked to speak to Fera.

"Hey, so..." he started with a smile, "I just wanted to thank you again for bringing us here. It was nice of you, and I know Vela really appreciates it too. But, uh..." His stomach knotted a little. It was not a physical confrontation, but it felt close enough.

"Prince Fera, I wanna talk to you about your attitude towards all of us," he said softly. Fera would not deal well if he felt attacked, Dritz was sure. "You've been really, really rude to Vela at times, and she's been really tolerant. I just... I really do think you're a good guy, and I want us to be friends, but the way you treat others... It can be really mean. We're nice beings. And especially Orion. He always has you in mind, and you can be pretty ungrateful to him. Is there something we've done? Why do you seem to hate us?" he said, rambling as he became bolder.

At first, Fera wasn't really aware that Dritz was speaking to him. It was as though he had carried on to a different topic, or was still speaking about clothing. Eventually, however, he turned a slow but displeased frown in the Chrysalan's direction, continuing with his drink while he listened. And it was certainly lucky for Dritz that he was drinking.

"I'm being mean?" the slightly inebriated prince scoffed, staring across the table with narrowed eyes. He chose to ignore what Dritz had said about the Vela, not wanting to discuss that potentially dangerous creature at all. "I will inform you that this is the way I always act. I am not treating you any more poorly than I would anyone else. Why should I behave in any way other than what's normal for me?"

He did falter a little when he considered his partner. "But, I... It's different with him. He's very happy, especially in private. You wouldn't understand at all. What do you know, anyway?" By now he was sounding a little more like he had too much to drink, even if he was still quite aware of the situation he was in.

"I just think that..." Dritz started, shrugging awkwardly. "Well, see... you need to treat friends differently. We're not servants or peasants or your family, we're different. Friends don't judge you so harshly as family can do, and friends do things for you because they like you, not out of any kind of obligation, like a servant would, see? So... I asked you to come and have drinks with me because I like talking about clothes, and you like talking about clothes. I think that’s a nice thing to have in common. I didn't ask to see you because I feel obligated to entertain you."

He sighed, "I don't have many friends, so those I do, I want to be real close to. You and Ori. Speaking of, he may be happy when you're alone, I'm sure he is, but... okay, how would you feel if I was rude to him? You wouldn't like it, because you care about him. When you're unpleasant to him, I don't like it. When you're rude to Vela, I don't like it, because I care about them both. If either of them were really unpleasant to you, I wouldn't like it."

Dritz shrugged, feeling awkward he'd rambled so, but awaited Fera's inevitable ire.

Fera actually managed to listen to the entirety of Dritz's speech. Sometimes it was hard to follow, but honestly... no one had ever phrased it this way to him before. Orion had tried, certainly. But he had never taken the approach of describing what friends actually were. Despite the alcohol, Fera's eyes widened in a comical manner as he seemed to grasp the concept.... at least a little.

"Oh. Well that makes sense, doesn't it?" he said after downing just a little more drink. "Except that it wouldn't to me. I've lived my life on Coronus! What else was I supposed to know!"

He sighed heavily, slumping forward in his chair with his arms on the table. "Alright, fine. I can't treat everyone the same. I understand. I think I do. I don't know. If friends are so important, why don't you have any more than... us? You're the one who's lived out here in the galaxy."

Of course he wouldn't say anything about the Vela. She was still suspicious, and he obviously couldn't be expected to be friends with everyone.

Dritz frowned slightly, but ultimately, he could see what it was Fera was saying. He swirled the last of his drink around in the glass, only momentarily distracted by the colours.

"Well, I have you because I would rather have a few who were very special to me, than have a lot of friends who I only really have a shallow, surface friendship with. I've never really-," he shrugged, genuinely confused and only somewhat sad about the facts as he spoke, "I never had a lot of friends in general. Not sure why. But I guess what I'm trying to say is quality over quantity."

He finished the last of his drink and nudged it to the centre of the table.

"It's still alright to make mistakes, Fera, you know that, right? Your life on Coronus was different, I appreciate that. I wouldn't expect you to adapt immediately," he offered in addition, smiling kindly.

Still listening (though maybe his focus was a little less), Fera's attention caught on what he thought was the most important part of what Dritz had said. "Oh! Well then, you're looking for quality, then of course you would choose me! I am the highest quality, the only friend you would actually need, in that case," he proclaimed, preening slightly. He picked up his glass and started to drink from it, only to rediscover it was empty and put it back down again with an annoyed huff.

"So don't worry, I understand. I will allow you to be my friend." Despite feeling dizzy currently, Fera was fairly sure he meant it. After all, it seemed as though Dritz needed him. "It's settled then. And of course I can change. Of course I can! It's just hard, being the prince of such an important world and being told I can do whatever I like. Almost whatever." For a moment he sounded glum, the loss of his ship coming to mind but then disappearing again thanks to his somewhat fuzzy mind.

"Someday I will get it right. Therefore, we are now friends. And we can drink to it." He lifted his glass yet again, then peered into Dritz's with a scowl. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath.

Dritz's expression softened completely. The prince, while inebriated, was being so tremendously... Unlike the Fera he knew. In his own way, he was being kind, and reassuring almost.

And, for the first time, Dritz wondered if he had been unfair to Fera once or twice. The two of them had been brought up so differently... What if Fera's parents had been lenient but distant? Being allowed to do as one pleased, without guidance or education on the consequences of one's actions, would surely result in hollow satisfaction with the world, and a tendency to take kindness as a given. Maybe Fera didn't even see kindness, just expecting others to treat him as he always had been; an untouchable royal.

He laughed, waving the serving staff over and asking for their drinks to be refilled, this time with sparkling fruit drinks after noting Fera's manner.

"We'll toast as soon as we get more. Thank you, Prince Fera, it's an honour to be your friend," he beamed. He would need to drop the Coronal off with his lover soon.

In something of a daze now, Fera waited for the drinks to be delivered, toasting to 'whatever the hell we were just talking about.' He did vaguely remember, at least. He didn't even notice the new beverages were not alcoholic, downing the entire glass at once and giggling to himself seemingly at random.

Somehow, he was now at the door to the room he was sharing with Orion. The human was at first concerned but then amused, waving goodbye to Dritz cheerfully before the Chrysalan went on his way. He then proceeded to tell Orion all about how Dritz actually needed a friend, and it had to be him but nobody else. Thankfully, Orion seemed to understand what was going on without too much trouble.

-

Vela had been annoyed by the concept of Fera spending time with Dritz, at first. When she saw how much it meant to her beloved, however, she was able to allow it without too much further worry. It had not taken her long to settle into the beautiful room, first spending quite a time gazing longingly at the large bathtub, despite having just come from the springs. She made herself wait, instead deciding to read through as many articles as she could find on the topic of this particular planet.

Before laying down to do this, she hesitated a moment. She had not forgotten earlier, the mutual longing she had shared with Dritz when they had tried on their new clothes, and spent time in the spring together. In fact it was all she could do to not hurry after him and bring him back just then.

Instead, in preparation for his arrival later, she stripped all of her clothing off and folded it neatly onto one of the chairs before stretching out naked on the enormous bed, laying on her stomach with the datapad in front of her. And when the door opened, it would be entirely obvious to Dritz what she wanted to do first.

Despite how he had ended up enjoying his time with Fera, Dritz all but ran back to the bedroom he was sharing with Vela, anticipating seeing her all the more. He swiped the card he'd been given, slipping in with a grin that only grew to one of awe when he spotted Vela on the bed.

The sight that greeted him was long, slim, beautifully pale legs, inviting his view to her soft backside immediately. His antennae wavered, which would have given away his interest were he not already grinning like the lovestruck idiot he enjoyed being.

"[What a wonderful greeting,]" he chirped, signing with it. Without saying more, he tugged his shirt off and clambered up behind Vela on the bed, kissing from her ankles to her neck, taking his time to ensure every inch of her skin got attention, soft buzzing in the back of his throat. "Have you had a good evening? I was thinking I might have a nice bath," he said with over the top innocence as he nuzzled her silky, feathery hair.

The reaction she had expected was exactly the one she received. Vela decided not to ask Dritz about his own evening, considering how it had involved Fera, not to mention the fact that he had already taken half his clothes off and seemed on a mission to kiss every part of her that he could currently reach. Vela immediately pushed the datapad to the side, melting with satisfaction as she lay still, a pleasurable shiver running through her anytime his lips brushed an area that was particularly sensitive. Yes, this plan had actually been perfect.

[I was reading, so it was good. But now it will be even better,] she signed back, rolling to her other side and gazing up at him. She reached out, tugging at his waistband a moment. [I had better go too, to make sure you're clean.] Although she was somewhat playing along, she was much less innocent in helping him out of his trousers as quickly as possible.

She went along first, as she had figured out the controls while Dritz had been gone. Bending over the bathtub, she could feel him watching as she turned a few of the controls, making warm water pour from multiple faucets and sending the colored lights dancing along the bottom and sides. [Maybe not so hot this time,] she signed when she turned around, smiling. She leaned forward and pressed herself against him tightly, tilting her head up for a passionate kiss. Then she gestured toward the tub, thinking it was big enough that he might actually be able to carry her in.

"No, definitely a little bit cooler. Just a little," he purred, pulling her close. He smiled against her lips as he leaned in for a passionate kiss. He felt he could easily lose himself in the softness of her lips as his hands slid from her shoulders down, running over smooth, pale skin to cradle her backside in his hands. Bringing one hand back to her neck, he gently cupped her face, moving to kiss her neck and chest, down over her breasts, then her tight stomach and hips.

"We'll get in, just... One minute," he said, nipping the toned skin of her thigh. His kisses became more intimate, teasingly so, as he stroked the back of her thighs. Once Vela seemed warm and eager, he stood and scooped her up; the water in the tub nearly at the perfect level by that point, and he slipped in with her, lowering them both into the warmth.

Vela was once again lost in blissful enjoyment of her lover's kisses. Her normal eye half closed, she watched him move down her body in a familiar pattern that she never grew weary of. She tried to reach out and tangle her fingers in his hair, but her hands felt too weak with pleasure and she only rested them lightly near his antennae instead.

By the time he stopped and lifted her into the bath, Vela was more than ready to continue. However, being in water again was enough to distract her temporarily. [This is amazing,] she signed happily, glancing around her at the glow of the lights dancing through the water and reflecting in distorted patterns on the walls, pink and green and purple. [If we ever have another ship someday, or a home... I want a bath like this in it.] She was only joking a little bit, being unsure if they could afford such a marvelous thing, but it wouldn't hurt to dream about it.

The water was warm in a very pleasant way, and sloshed around her as she moved herself up to Dritz again, facing him as she straddled his lap. The sound was something she was unused to, and somehow excited her more as she slowly rocked her hips against his, kissing him and pressing against his soft, wonderful stomach in perfect satisfaction. She did manage to stop for a little while, leaning back to sign to him.

[In the bath... can we...?] She made a gesture that was fairly explicit for an Aurian, being the one she had taught him for the act of making love. Surely it would be possible, and somehow she didn't think it was not allowed...

Dritz relaxed into the water with Vela atop him, low buzzing in his throat as he stroked her back, cupping water up and trailing it down with a happy sigh.

By that point, both of them were shivering with anticipation, the joy of waiting and teasing only making it more enjoyable, more intense. He kissed Vela's neck, lapping warm water from her skin as he leaned close, "If you want to, then we definitely can."

He lifted her effortlessly, and they sunk into the water in a flurry of warm, hungry kisses, until the water grew bone cold and neither of them cared.

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #33

(Vela’s part in italics.)

It was difficult to leave the bed and the wonderful room, but once they had done so, Vela was again entranced by the planet in general. She wanted to explore all of it with just Dritz, but as guests she supposed she would have to stay with everyone. Her only actual concern was Fera, who had changed into a beautiful white gown that was incredibly sheer in some areas. Most areas, the longer she looked at it.

"The three of you," he was saying with a disapproving glare at herself, Dritz and Orion, "look horrible. No offense. But you can't dress the way you do on this planet. Don't you have anything a little more... relaxed? Or remotely beautiful at all?"

He gestured at the passersby, who all just looked incredibly wealthy to Vela, in rich fabrics with revealing designs. She shook her head, looking at Dritz, but Fera just made a frustrated noise.

"Alright. We'll go shopping. And that's on me as well, don't worry." Vela found she didn't want to turn down the offer, instead turning to Dritz again for his thoughts.

Hearing Vela speak was such a beautiful, rare thing that, in that situation, it aroused him. The realisation that they would have to leave hit him as she pulled away. He nuzzled against her with a huffy sigh.

"Yeah, you're right," he groaned. "Fera will definitely have an opinion if we end up arriving late."

He rolled off the bed and the two of them made their way downstairs to the lobby. Fera seemed to have an endless stream of absolutely picturesque gowns and outfits, and was wearing something just as gorgeous as always. If a little... Wow. See through. Dritz kept his eyes firmly on Fera's face.

"That's... Actually a real kind offer, Prince Fera, thanks!" Dritz said with a grin. "Maybe a bit... more conservative for me, personally."

Unlike Dritz, Orion had let his gaze freely wander over Fera as long as possible. It wasn't like he had anything intimate on display, and it seemed as though passersby were not staring at him either. Dressing in this way was, apparently, entirely acceptable on this planet.

"I agree with Dritz," he chuckled, glancing sheepishly at the Chrysalan. "I'm not sure I want to wear anything too... showy. There are some of us who can't pull off your elegance, y'know."

Fera scowled at them both, turning to walk away while complaining about how dull they were. Vela lagged a few steps behind as they followed, distracted by looking at the outfits other people wore and wondering which sort she might like. It was just so... unusual to her to see anyone wearing so little fabric. Maybe she could try it too?

[Do you think I could wear that?] She had tugged on Dritz's sleeve before pointing at a woman who only wore a band of cloth around her upper chest and a separate piece around her waist. Vela had to wonder if she would feel self conscious in such an outfit.

Dritz laughed as they followed Fera, "C'mon, Fera, you wouldn't want either of us stealing all the attention either. Ori is right, neither of us have the aesthetic." He gestured to a gentleman who was somehow visibly wealthy, and roughly of a similar build to himself, wearing a long loosely open robe over shorts that were somehow elegant. It was quite the statement. "I think something like that is maybe more my speed."

He soon turned his attention to his flower, lagging a short distance behind them. He followed her gaze and immediately turned back, not hiding his enthusiasm in the slightest, "Absolutely. You could wear that in a heartbeat. And should. You should wear that. Let's get you that. As soon as possible. Yes. Definitely."

Fera snorted softly to himself as he contemplated the two of them in anything similar to what he might wear himself.  No, that would not work. And it wasn't as though he would try to dress them in any way which would draw more attention to them, in the first place. But they were still dull.

He glanced back, unable to keep from hearing the conversation between Dritz and the Vela. Such as it was, anyway. With a slight glower he looked at the woman they had been discussing. He had to begrudgingly admit that she would probably look good in such clothing. Not that he would try to recommend anything to her, out of plain dislike.

There was a particular shop he knew of, run by a Temeron gentleman with powder blue skin, four arms, and a flamboyant fashion sense of his own. They were greeted here warmly and told to look around at whatever they liked, while the shopkeeper gestured dramatically with one pair of arms and tidied folded clothing with the other.

"I see nothing wrong with the outfit you might choose for yourself," he told Dritz airily. "Feel free to choose your own colors as well." He pulled Orion off separately, already with a vision of what he would need.

Vela was a little bewildered at being left alone and stayed close to Dritz. Luckily, there were many of the type of garment she had seen on the woman being sold here. There was one design, in flowered fabric with no straps, which particularly called to her. [Which color?] she signed to her partner hesitantly, unable to see any that were very dark. [And are you sure I can wear this...?]

The store they were led to was unlike any Dritz had come across before. Even in huge cities, he hadn't ever seen so much beautiful, flamboyant garments that somehow also had so little fabric. There were robes and wraps like Fera's; barely there and elegant, some dripping with jewellery or with gemstones stitched into the hemlines, some with detailed lace. There were avant garde one piece outfits with revealing slashes in sensual, dark textures, fun and flashy two piece garments with unique patterns. Dritz was blown away by the colour and creativity, wondering how his people ever used to do without such bright and often times impractical fashion. He liked his work clothing, he did, but no one ever expressed themselves with plain, durable jumpsuits.

He followed Vela over to the band of fabric she was looking at, part of one of the prettiest two-pieces. Looking at the selection of colours, he was immediately drawn to one that seemed to shift from sunny pastel yellow to sky blue depending on where one stood. The fabric was subtly shimmering, never garish, nor did it diminish the delicate flower pattern.

"This one. You'll look so sexy. Especially sexy. So yeah, I'm definitely sure," he grinned exaggeratedly.

Vela stared at the garment Dritz had chosen, moving it just slightly to watch the colors of the fabric shift in a way she found almost miraculous. How were such wondrous garments even dreamed of? She would never have imagined this while living on Aurctas.

[Alright,] she signed, though her motions were hesitant. [It's pretty. How do I know if it fits me?]

"Oh, how lovely- Yes, you want to wear that immediately, don't you?" The shopkeeper had approached from seemingly nowhere, perhaps having sensed an imminent sale. He scanned Vela up and down, his third hand on one hip. "Yes, it's just right for you. And here is your size." He handed the bewildered Aurian one of the garment sets from the pile; how he knew what would fit her was definitely a mystery in her mind. "Go on, the dressing rooms are right here, please put it on and see how much more beautiful you feel!" And he had darted away again, leaving Vela to give Dritz a little bemused smile as she did as instructed.

It took some time for her to figure out how the garment would stay on her body. The subtly hidden hooks in the back were a new concept to her, but eventually she had dressed in both halves of the outfit and glanced at herself in the room's mirror with some surprise. She had known how much of her body would be showing, but seeing it worried her a little. The garment was nice, but she did feel a bit awkward...

As she left the dressing room, it surprised her to see Fera there along with Dritz. She froze in place a moment, then realized he was assessing what she was wearing, for whatever reason. With a little frown, he began rummaging in a rack of clothing near him, pulling out a length of fabric in pale blue. It surprised her so much when he tossed it at her that she could only stare at it for a time.

The fabric was sheer, and there wasn't all that much to it. However, it didn't take her long to figure out that it could be wrapped around her waist, acting as a sort of skirt but not hiding the pretty fabric of the bottom half of her outfit. It left her feeling more secure than before. She looked up in an intention to thank the prince, but now it was only Dritz standing there again.

[Is it alright?] she signed to him, beginning to smile as she realized the answer from the look on his face.

Dritz couldn't help smirking at the Temeron encouraging Vela, almost ushering her into the changing room before she had a chance to protest.

He was browsing the longer shorts and loose shirts when he heard the changing room open again, and he turned immediately to see Vela in the bikini. It took him a good few seconds to close his mouth, and even longer to stop staring in awe. The shifting fabric complimented her pale complexion so beautifully, and her lithe, toned body was perfectly shaped for the style she'd chosen. Dritz's face was quite flushed by the time he managed to say, "You look... amazing."

The only thing that initially put him off the outfit was her obvious lack of confidence in being so exposed, but when Fera threw her the... Pretty see-through skirt thingy, there was no longer a negative to the choice.

Plus, it was see-through.

"Really amazing," he added with an unashamed look up and down her figure. "Like... Really. Really."

[Really?] she signed back, playfully teasing. [Thank you. It feels so... different. But I think I like it.] The addition of the skirt had taken away most of her timid feelings regarding being so undressed, or at least it helped. Dritz obviously enjoyed what he was seeing, and that made her more confident as well.

Abruptly she remembered the clothes she had been wearing before, hurrying back into the room to pick them up off the floor. She folded them as neatly as possible, carrying them out and tucking them under one arm in order to sign to Dritz. [I'm glad you think I look good. Were you going to choose anything?] Would he wear an outfit that showed more of his body as well? The thought pleased her, and she began to realize exactly how he must feel when looking at her own outfit.

Dritz nodded, though he was very visibly still distracted by her outfit. "I sure am, it seems like the thing to do. I'd hate to be left out!" he laughed.

It took him almost no time at all to find something he enjoyed. It had been a while since he'd done any clothes shopping, and he'd honed in on a pair of shorts almost the moment they set foot in the shop. They were slightly longer, and looked like they might be of a flattering fit, in bright greens and blues somehow muted by the refined pattern. They were definitely bright enough for him, but elegant enough to be available in a place like that. The fabric was of the sort that would dry quickly after... swimming? If that was indeed what they were going to be doing, anyway (Dritz was still not sure of the specifics.) He also found a loose robe to use as a more modest cover up; darker blue and plain to compliment the shorts.

Normally Dritz would not be so concerned with covering himself up some, but it seemed like nearly every other resident of the planet preferred to, so it seemed appropriate.

Once everything was collected, taken to the changing room, and on (and so very comfortable), Dritz gave himself a final examine in the mirror before slipping out, "So... what do you think? Not a patch on the other folk I've seen, but I like it!"

Vela waited patiently for Dritz to reappear after he had chosen his clothing, without feeling the need to look around further. She couldn't see Fera or Orion anywhere, at least, and wondered about that.

Her eye lit up once her lover came out of the changing room, and she looked him over closely. The shorts were pretty, and she thought the robe was nice, and yet... her focus seemed to fall on the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt. It was a little distracting. Her gaze kept sliding down to admire her favorite aspect of his body...

[You look wonderful to me. Better than anyone else,] she signed without hesitation. She couldn't help moving closer, then found herself slipping her arms around his waist under the robe to hug him. Being able to feel more of him even in public made her incredibly happy.

Dritz's antennae flickered happily as he spotted immediately that she was very happy with his choice. He gladly pulled her to him, nuzzling into her silky hair.

"N'aww, you're the best," he said, squeezing her. He almost forgot that she was in a state of undress too, and felt a wave of warmth go through him at the sensation of their bare skin meeting. The resort was going to be frustrating, to say the least, if Vela was going to be dressed like this often, as well as press herself against him like that.

He cleared his throat, grinning cheekily, "We'd better try and find the other two. I think we'd get in trouble if I were to take you into the changing room right now like I wanna." He winked at her.

It took Vela a few moments to realize what Dritz meant; did he want to try on more clothes? But the look in his eyes, as well as the wink...

[I wish we could,] she finally signed, a playful expression on her face. That evening, when they could be alone, seemed so far away. Maybe it would be better not to initiate too much contact with him until then. She was able to keep this resolution for all of a few seconds before reaching for his hand and keeping it tucked close to her side as they went in search of Fera and Orion.

As it turned out, they were waiting just outside the shop. Somehow Fera had worked out what they were purchasing and already paid the Temeron, or maybe there was some other method which Vela was unaware of. Regardless, for whatever reason he did not seem too happy, glancing at her quickly and then away. Orion appeared very relaxed now in a pair of shorts which weren't as long as those Dritz had chosen, but he also wasn't wearing any form of top. Vela looked him over briefly, but other than the complex pattern of the shorts, she didn't see much to be interested in. She really had meant it when she said Dritz looked the best to her.

"Hey- whoa. Look at you two." Orion was grinning widely, and Vela offered back a modest smile. "Dritz, you look great, and Vela... you ever thought about modeling?"

The Aurian had no idea what this meant, turning to Dritz with a puzzled frown. However, Fera spoke up angrily before he could reply. "Where do you want to go? It's too early to stay in, or for dining. We could visit one of the private springs..."

[Does he mean water?] Vela forgot everything else to sign eagerly. [Can we go?]

For a brief moment, Dritz had wondered if Vela was rejecting he idea of a stolen moment together, but of course, she had simply taken a moment to catch the meaning; he'd never known her to not be in the mood when he asked...

He kept her close as they left the shop, catching a glimpse of Fera leaving a few moments before they left. He didn't seem in the best mood, but Dritz supposed he had been planning to be there with Orion alone.

Speaking of, Dritz beamed when they met up.

"Looking good, Ori," he returned, proudly putting an arm around Vela's shoulders at the mention of modelling. She'd be popular on a lot of planets, he was certain. But her puzzled expression suggested that Aurctas perhaps had no concept of modelling, which made sense. He resolved to explain it later... Maybe with a first hand look at her modelling itself.

"Yes! I am looking forward to the springs, actually. Are they the steamy kind?" He glanced at Vela, "I think we wanna visit the warmest we can!"

"Yes, yes," Fera sighed, waving a hand dismissively. Not only was he irritated that Dritz and the Vela were around, with her getting attention for her outfit, but also he was admittedly annoyed because he had not been able to get Orion to dress in anything more... extravagant than what he had chosen. "They're all rather hot, I believe. And we can even get private springs, so we needn't all stay together."

This was the only small comfort he had at the moment. It was also what he kept his mind focused on as he brought them to the area where the springs were located- a sprawling complex of buildings with many different sections that separated the vast amount of natural springs this planet contained. He marched straight up to the desk in the lobby, where a nervous-looking human female watched them approach with some alarm.

"Two," the prince said, his tone crisp as he frowned down at the attendant.

"Oh... good afternoon, sir!" the human squeaked, gesturing to the computer on the desk in front of her. "I apologize for this inconvenience, but we... we only have one of the springs available right now, and only for the next hour. A very large group from Coralis just arrived the other day, and they aren't leaving until next week and have taken up almost every available-"

"What?" Fera snapped angrily. "That can't be possible. We need two."

"Hey," Orion cut in, looking about as worried as the attendant did. "We can all use one. Can't we? It's not so bad. We're here together, so why not? What do you think, Dritz?"

[I'm not sure,] Vela was adding her own input before anything else, [but I really do want to go, if it's the only chance we have...]

Something was definitely wrong with Fera. He was being sharper than usual. Which... Definitely was saying something. Maybe Dritz could pull him to one side to check on him later... They were at least slightly friends.

However, Fera seemed less than friendly when they were made aware of the restrictions in the spring availability. Truth be told, Dritz was just as miffed, if more quietly so. He had been looking forward to reveling in Vela's innocent contentment. She had such a genuine love for the water that it was a joy to watch, and even more so when it was warm.

"Oh... Well... We are all friends. I appreciate we were looking forward to some quiet, uh, coupley time, but this could be fun too. This is the very reason you brought us, right, your Highness?" Dritz ventured, looking sheepish. He quickly turned to Vela and signed, speedily and sloppily, back, [I'm sorry sorry. I will made it up to you later, we will share bath. Love you.]

[It's fine,] Vela replied with a smile. [We will have our time later. I love you too.] They would have a more than enjoyable evening together, and if she was being honest, she just couldn't pass up the opportunity to experience the naturally heated water, no matter who else would be there with them.

It also didn't escape Orion's notice that Fera seemed somewhat unhappy with the situation. Sure, it was a little discouraging, but it wasn't that bad, was it? Still, he tried to understand as the attendant gave the prince the details of their spring and he led them off through the maze of corridors, seeming to know exactly where to go.

The scruffy mechanic slipped an arm around Fera's waist as they walked, leaning closer so the others wouldn't hear. "Hey, I'm sorry too. But I get the feeling we'll have plenty of time to spend alone in the future. You need to get along better with these two, they're our way of getting around until you have a ship again." Of course this wasn't all he would say, but leaned even closer to murmur, "And I kind of like being the one in a group with the most beautiful partner. Though it's getting pretty tough not to have my hands all over you." Fera only smirked just slightly, enough that Orion could tell, and held his head a bit higher. He must be feeling at least a little better.

When they reached the enclosed area that held the spring, Vela felt as though she couldn't move as she stopped to stare at it. It did look entirely natural, like a pool of water surrounded by rocks, but there was actually steam rising from it. There were a few chairs and tables scattered around, along with piles of soft towels stacked in convenient locations, but she really didn't want to look at much else except the spring.

Tearing her gaze away for a moment, she signed to Dritz, [Can I just get in with these clothes on? Or do I need to take them off...?] She was so desperate to experience the water that she thought it wouldn't be so bad if she had to do so naked, like in a regular bath.

Seeing Orion and Fera getting a bit closer, Dritz felt more comfortable pulling Vela closer. The other two just evidently weren't so public as Dritz and Vela liked to be. He thought idly that it could be due to Fera's royal blood, perhaps Coronal were not approving of displays of affection. Dritz had always been a fan, even when he personally hadn't anyone to display with, it was always cute to see.

The spring was unlike anything else Dritz had ever seen, and he liked to consider himself at least fairly well travelled. He'd seen natural springs, but most that he'd been aware of were silty or muddy, and cold, natural points for beautiful swamp plants to thrive but not anywhere one would associate with luxury bathing. Even the surrounding rocks were clean and almost uniform, while obviously being natural. It was as though the spring itself held the same high standards of the resort.

In response to Vela, Dritz laughed heartily, shaking his head, "Some kinds are for being naked, but I think given the circumstances, we'll keep these on. After all, Fera was kind enough to buy them for us, and they're looking good."

Much as he would very much like Vela naked in the warm spring.

Still uncertain, Vela nodded. It made sense that some clothes were made for wearing in the water. At least, she thought they must be. Societies had different levels of modesty as a whole, from what she had read.

Unable to wait any longer, she approached the spring's edge after removing the wrap from around her waist and placing it in a dry location; it hardly seemed to practical to wear that, anyway. She glanced back for a moment to see Dritz watching her, and Fera and Orion farther away, standing next to some chairs and not even looking in her direction, but instead conversing with each other. With a smile for Dritz, she slowly began to step into the water.

It wasn't long before she felt somewhat overwhelmed. The immediate warm sensation of the water against her skin was intensely enjoyable, so much so that she had to stop when it had only reached her knees. She was not even fully in the water yet, but seemed unable to move as she signed to her partner. [This is incredible. It's warmer than we usually have our showers. I don't know how I lived without this.] Her expression was blissful as she glanced around her, now afraid to move deeper because she thought she might never want to leave.

Dritz watched Vela enter the water, wanting her to experience it fully before he joined her. The problem was, though, that he desperately wished to join her. He was torn between wanting her to take her time and enjoy the new sensation of far hotter water than before, in such a huge spring, but at the same time he wanted to flop in and pull her to the corner so they could cuddle.

"You like it huh?" he beamed, though it was quite obvious. He stepped in after her, keeping a small distance away to let her experience the space. "You gotta get right in here though, flower," he encouraged, moving towards the deeper parts until deliciously hot water was beginning to lap at his belly, making his antennae stick up happily. It was definitely warmer, as she had said. He held his arms out, tempting her with the promise of an embrace.

Nodding, Vela turned her head to watch Dritz enter the spring. For a few moments she was able to forget her uncertainly about moving from where she already was, and focused on him instead. And when he held his arms out to her...

Carefully, she began to make her way toward him. The water dragged at her, but not in a way that was frightening or bad at all. If anything, she wanted to be able swim through it and stay as long as possible. All thoughts of having to force herself to leave were forgotten for now as she continued putting one foot in front of the other. It was still so odd, actually walking through water, and yet so delightful.

Just short of reaching Dritz, she opened her arms as well, slightly falling into his embrace and squeezing him tightly. While she had found the water enjoyable before, now that she was pressed against him, she felt it was even better. [It's so wonderful,] she leaned back to sign, her expression one of pure amazement and joy. [Do we have to do anything else? Or can we just... stay here?] She was hoping it was like a bath, where one could stay a good amount of time without any other expectations.

Dritz couldn't resist widening his stance when he caught her, dipping them deeper into the water. From Vela's expression he could tell she hadn't really experienced water in that way before, which struck him as odd but obviously made sense. He himself hadn't had much experience either.

"We can stay as long as you like, flower," he said brightly. He clung to her and spun them in slow circles in the water, pushing off and letting the momentum rotate them gently. "I'm glad you like it so much."

He beamed and backed off from her, far enough for them both to need to reach out, "Hey, I got something fun to show you. Tuck your legs up so you're floating!"

Once she got used to the sensation, he pulled her towards him through the water, pulling her into a kiss.

Being told they could stay a good length of time satisfied Vela, who was quick to attempt anything Dritz might suggest. All of it delighted and somehow relaxed her, especially when he showed her a little about how to float. She was happily drawn into the kiss, clinging to him tightly in exhilaration.

She took a quick glance over her shoulder as Dritz continued to help pull her around slowly, noticing that Fera and Orion had still not even approached the spring. Perhaps they were being given privacy for the time being? She was grateful for that, no matter what the reason.

[Have you ever been in a spring like this?] she questioned abruptly, curious. [Or... does Chrysala have them? I didn't look that up specifically, I would not have thought of it at the time.] Unable to help herself, she reached out for him again, pressing close and resting her head against his shoulder as he replied, feeling the most blissful she possibly ever had in her life.

Dritz chirped softly with amusement as he pulled Vela around the spring, finding a place where the water nearly came as high as his shoulders. It was so warm, and Vela was so happy, he couldn't think of anything more perfect right then.

"Chrysala kiiind of has something similar, but not nearly as nice. There are steam spas, which are nice and warm, but they're mostly a beauty treatment, and only really a recent thing as stuff like luxury, fashion and beauty has become a bigger part of life there. But I think it's only a matter of time before they pop up some hot springs in random places," Dritz rambled, happily squeezing Vela close. "Is your eye okay, I didn't get any water on it?"

[That sounds nice too,] Vela signed thoughtfully, wondering what it would feel like to be surrounded by steam. Obviously she would have to try this the next time they were on Chrysala.

She felt unable to stop cuddling with Dritz in the water, and didn't reply to him again right away. Finally she shook her head as she leaned back. [No, I don't think so. I can't wait until you can make the modifications... Maybe we can find a way to waterproof it as well. I would like to go under the water or even... swim.] The idea of being able to swim was somehow very compelling, even without being familiar with water at any point during the rest of her life.

Orion's approach went unnoticed by Vela, being so intent on imagining what it might feel like to move with absolute freedom through the water. She startled a little to turn and see him there, though he was still remaining at a respectable distance, with a rather sheepish expression on his face.

"Hey. Uh... sorry about the sharing thing, again. But hanging out with all of us, as friends.. I do like the sound of that too. So are you enjoying the spring? It looks like it. I'm not sure yet if Fera is wanting to get in..." He cast a dubious look back in the prince's direction. Vela wasn't going to say anything, but she wondered if he was very mad about having to spend time all together.

The thought of completing the modification to Vela's mechanical eye did frighten him sometimes. When he was thinking clearly and the notion came to him, it was exciting to think of giving her more freedom with it, he was completely confident in his abilities and certain he would do a great job. When he thought of all that could go wrong, however, an anxiousness took over. What if he messed it up and Vela was so angry and heartbroken that...

He hugged her tighter for a moment.

"Once we're able, we'll go looking for the parts we'll need. I should examine its capabilities beforehand though, so I know what I'm changing," he said idly, contemplating what basic components he would need were this anything but his love's very delicate face.

He offered Orion a grin as he made himself known.

"This place is great, I think we'll have a hard time leaving," he chuckled, winking, "Everything okay with you?"

"Everything's okay with me, yes," Orion sighed, glancing at Fera again. The prince had arranged himself elegantly on one of the lounge chairs near the edge of the spring, seeming to be inspecting his fingernails with a frown on his beautiful face. "I'm not sure about him. He won't tell me anything, either..."

Not wanting to dwell on it too long, he turned back and smiled at Dritz and Vela. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. It is really nice. I guess Earth used to have springs like this, but... heh, you know what a lot of humans were like in the past. Or, if you don't, then I can say they ruined way too much on Earth before they got smarter about it. I don't think these exist there anymore. And again, never having been to my own home planet myself..."

He trailed off, though he was smiling good naturedly. All of that was in the distant past anyway. "These springs aren't meant for swimming as such, but it just made me wonder if either of you actually can. Although I guess... I know Vela can't." It was all he could do not to chuckle, wondering why the Aurian looked so forlorn about her lack of swimming skills as she shook her head.

Dritz glanced over at Fera, observing him for a long moment. He was such a difficult person to be fond of, and he'd been so unkind to Vela, which he would not forgive, but he found he was still kind of fond of the prince. He clearly required a lot of effort to like, and Dritz was willing to try.

He smiled warmly, just in case Fera happened to look up, he might at least realise that he was thought about.

Turning back to Orion, Dritz's antennae were curling back down sadly.

"That's so terrible. I was aware that very early Earth humans had made a lot of mistakes, but I had no idea it was so devastating. I'm sorry, Ori. Maybe one day there will be a big turnaround and you will be able to enjoy springs on your home planet, should you ever wanna visit..." he said softly, stroking Vela's back idly as he did.

Fera's eyes flicked briefly upward, just in time to see Dritz smiling at him. He only frowned, wondering if they were all talking about him. And why shouldn't they be? He was the most important one there. Fortunately, the Vela wasn't doing any signing. Who knew if the water negated her powers? He pondered over this as he resumed inspecting his perfectly flawless nails.

There was no chance he was getting in the spring with her there.

Orion sighed, but smiled as he shook his head. "Maybe. I haven't felt a real strong urge to visit yet. If I was ambitious enough, I'd go back like some humans do and try to help fix things. But... I dunno, I just feel more like I belong in a starship than anywhere else."

He edged closer to Dritz and Vela, lowering his voice more. "Listen... I know this is an awkward request, but can you please ask Fera to join us? I just want him to enjoy himself here and I've asked... multiple times. Maybe if he sees you're earnest enough... I mean, if you want to. And of course, Dritz should probably try by himself." He gave Vela an apologetic look, but she seemed disinterested, instead only moving her hand through the water and watching the way it flowed around her.

Dritz nodded. It made a lot of sense for Orion to have that sense of adventure. It was what had gotten humans off of their planet in the first place, at least as far as he was aware. That, and the terrible state the planet ended up in for a long time. Again, as far as he was aware. He wasn't great with other planets' history, especially not Earth's. It was too far away, and space too large for it to be a topic covered during schooling.

"I think starships need you just as much as Earth needs other humans," Dritz offered cheerily. He pretended to inspect the water as Orion spoke, nodding and playing off what was being asked. "Of course," he muttered. He let himself drift a little in the water, idling and telling Orion and Vela about how little his education covered other planets, now that he thought about it, in an attempt to stall asking Fera, so that it wouldn't look suspicious.

After a few more minutes, Dritz waded to the edge of the spring and rested his arms on the side, smiling. "Hey, Your Highness... aren't you coming in? It's really nice, and you should enjoy it, since you showed us here!" he pleaded, looking just forlorn enough. "Grace us with your presence!"

[the-vaporverse]

Bikini Vela...? :p

[the-vaporverse]

For the heck of it, art of my new OC for this rp, a Tascian named Li’Ondar. (but please call him Li ;p) He is very sad.

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #32

(Vela’s part in italics.)

Sighing for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Orion turned the corner to head back into the navigation deck, just in time to see Vela and Dritz embrace and share a tender kiss. He took a step back, thinking he should leave right away, but stopped as a smile crept over his face. Vela had already seen him, anyway.

"Ah, sorry!" he said quickly, turning to the side regardless and grinning. "I can go, if you guys need a few more moments." After being assured several times that it wasn't necessary, he sat down in one of the chairs and kept his gaze on them fondly. They were still standing quite near to each other, prompting him to remark on what a lovely couple they were once again.

"And again, I'm sorry about Fera. He's alright now, or at least mostly. Likely he'll stay 'mad' at you for a while, but it might mean some peace around here until he's over it. We just have to... you know... keep working on him." Thinking about the amount of work which had already been put in, with little result, put a frown back on his face. He stood and walked restlessly to the main console, peering at the radar map. "Looks like we're almost there... right? That might settle him down too, if he has the opportunity to obtain something he might be looking for."

Dritz hadn't noticed their pleasantly scruffy human friend until he followed Vela's gaze. He couldn't help but playfully ask him if he was enjoying the show.

They agreed that the best solution was to go with the expert. Sometimes Dritz forgot how long Orion and Fera had been together, which in turn reminded him of how long he and Vela had been partnered.

"As the resident professor of Feraology, I'll trust you on this. Do you know if there's anything in particular we could do to help his transaction go smoother, y'know,that might put us in His Grace's good graces?"

Dritz chortled at his little wordplay.

"Can't say I'm not," Orion replied with a sly grin, though he was mostly joking as well. Then he couldn't help but laugh at Dritz's term for his relationship to the prince. "Feraology is a complicated subject," he sighed, leaning against the console after he had finished looking at it. "And sometimes when you think you know everything, something will change. I take my job seriously, though."

For a moment he studied the viewscreen, thinking to himself. "He probably won't want any help from us. The few times I've been around for his dealings, he's made me stay back and keep quiet. Which I'm more than willing to do in such a case, since he knows what he's doing. So I think the best thing for us all would be to let him handle it without getting in the way. Which is probably not a very satisfying answer, but it's all I have to offer."

Moments later, the buzz of the communications panel cut off any further attempts at conversation. Vela walked over and pressed a few buttons, bringing up a triangular-shaped face on the viewscreen. The species was completely unfamiliar to Orion, but this individual had vibrant yellow skin and a half dozen eyes arranged on top of each other, making him forget for just a moment that staring with a surprised look really wasn't polite. Without waiting for a greeting, the alien began to speak in guttural Basic.

"Your ship is not scheduled to be here." The eye on the lower left began to swivel around, apparently looking them over, before seeming to fixate on Dritz. "Chrysalan! State your business here or you need to leave."

Orion cautiously began taking a few steps backward. Maybe it was time to get Fera.

Dritz beamed, pleased to have amused Orion with his terminology. When Fera wasn't being tremendously unappreciative, he was actually endearing in the context of the scruffy human, and they were kind of delightful in their complete juxtaposition.

He had been about to thank him for the advice when the alien came over the comms. There was never a time not to be thankful for visual output, but at the same time... Whoa.

"My friend! I'm Dritz," he announced cheerfully. "We are the crew of the wise and wonderful one who will be with you momentarily. We seek a business deal, but I am afraid I can't express more at the moment." He smiled widely as he waited for Fera, brightening with relief when he finally arrived...

Fortunately, it wasn't too long before Orion returned to the room with the news that they had been hailed in advance of their arrival. It wasn't surprising to Fera; Sklerians tended to be quite defensive of their property, and Hadrian Gamma was run by a large number of them.

He smoothed his clinging white dress over his hips fussily, which seemed to have the added bonus of distracting his lover into touching him for a moment, causing him to smirk before they headed onto the navigation deck. Beyond wanting to look beautiful for Orion, the Sklerians had also taken quite a liking to his current appearance. They had taste, that was obvious.

"Hello," he said in address to the viewscreen, ignoring everyone else in the room. "Hopefully I haven't kept you waiting long."

"Prince Fera!" the alien's voice was surprised if nothing else. "We knew you were coming, but this ship... this isn't like you." One of the Sklerian's eyes were focused on his face, but the other five were actively scanning his entire form. Fera preened slightly under this attention, though his smirk had now turned into a coy smile.

"Oh, the Radiant Sun is being redecorated. You know how I am. And you wouldn't believe the incompetence of some of the contractors out there. It wasn't going to be finished in time, and I couldn't miss our business meeting. So I had to hire this very substandard ship... I am a little embarrassed, but honestly, what was I to do?" This lie would work well, considering the Sklerian's love of gossip. It would spread across the sector in no time, hopefully well in advance of any rumors of the actual reason he had lost his ship.

He turned toward Dritz and frowned. "Bring us into dock at the station. My business partner here has the numbers for you." The Sklerian rattled off the exact coordinates, but Fera was already inspecting his nails with disinterest. The Vela seemed to be the actual navigator of this ship, but he wasn't about to address her at all.

Dritz found the Sklerian's attention to Fera amusing, and understandable. He was, without doubt, very beautiful, and he knew how to command attention, and it was definitely a relief for him to deal with the aliens.

He listened, watching the exchange with increasing intrigue. For some reason he had assumed this was a new contact, he had not anticipated the prince doing repeat business. Unless he liked these aliens because they fawned over him in such a way.

"Yes, Your Highness," Dritz said, though the tone was almost questioning as he glanced at Vela. Surely Fera should be addressing her for the piloting. He gave her a little look of pleading. He owed Vela a lot after this trip.

Despite Fera having spoken to Dritz instead of her, Vela had been paying close attention and remembered the numbers the strange alien gave for the docking coordinates. She nodded at Dritz's look, going over to input the information at the console. It didn't really bother her much to be ignored. It was the mention of her ship being substandard, once again, that put a frown on her face.

Fera and the alien continued to chat briefly, but it was of little importance, so Vela stopped listening. Her mind began working over all the further improvements which could be made to the Nova, in case she ever felt like having them done.

Docking was so smooth that it made any previous experience seem difficult. This was likely due to the fact that Fera was expected, and the station was making every effort to make sure they had the prince of Coronus on board as quickly as possible. Vela idly wondered whether he brought them a great deal of credits, of if he had something else of worth to offer.

"Your services are not needed for the moment," Fera told the rest of them airily once the ship had stopped moving. "I will only take a short time here, so there is not even any need for you to come with me. In fact, it might be better if no one is seen with me." His gaze swept over them all, plainly dismissing them (though he seemed to pause for one conflicted second when looking at Orion) before he left through the ship's main door.

With a sigh, the human turned to Dritz and Vela, taking his hands out of his pockets for the first time since he'd brought Fera to talk to the Sklerian. "Makes me feel bad when he treats you that way, but then he goes and does it to me too, and I feel even worse." He chuckled softly, not feeling too bad when he thought about it. But he did wish Fera would treat his friends better.  There had to be hope that he would someday. "Sooo... a friendly game of cards, then? It's bound to turn out friendlier than our last one, at least."

Never before had any station, ship of any size, nor had any planet made docking and registering so incredibly easy. Dritz recalled orbiting a scrap barge for nearly four hours once while they arranged docking charges and verified his cargo, identity, and clearance with what felt like every possible crew member. Obviously princes of Coronus got the five star treatment.

... And obviously princes of Coronus did not dish out the five star treatment.

"Huh. Guess a card game is in order," he announced cheerfully, despite his increasing displeasure in Fera's attitude. How could he speak to a partner the same way he spoke to Dritz and Vela?! It was baffling.

Nevertheless, the three of them retreated to the kitchen and common area where their table was, and with the addition of another round of flowering tea, they played a good few rounds of cards. Many, many more than anticipated as the time went on. Vela remained supernaturally good, putting down hands that were so right it could look like cheating to anyone who didn't know better. She just knew how to bluff well and manipulate the other players most innocently. In a rare moment of lesser luck for  Vela, Orion and Dritz managed a very tense rally between them during one game, but eventually the Aurian swept a graceful victory again.

"Bah, she's too gooood," Dritz groaned to himself, grinning as he shoved his cards down. "But... Is it me or has it been ages?"

Vela won repeatedly, but Orion didn't mind. It was pretty cute to watch her smile modestly as she laid down the winning hand, or set up a complicated bluff with such a blank expression. He actually thought he should ask her for tips on the game sometime.

The rest of his thoughts were distracted by the fact that Fera had been gone far longer than "a short time." When Dritz mentioned it, the human nodded and stood. "It's been hours. I really thought he meant maybe... thirty minutes. Maybe I don't understand what Coronal think of as a little while." He meant to joke lightly, but the worry showed in his voice. "Hey, I'm just gonna go back up to the navigation deck for now. Maybe Fera will turn up soon."

Vela indicated that she would stay and clean up the game, apparently telling Dritz to go on ahead, as Orion found himself alone with the Chrysalan on the way back up to the deck. He clapped a hand on his friend's shoulder, giving him an apologetic smile as they walked.

"Look, I'm... really sorry again, about what's happened. I hope Vela isn't too upset about traveling with His Royal Fussiness. I can freely admit that sometimes he's a real jerk, and especially to her." He stopped a moment and sighed, facing Dritz seriously. "I know you look after her. If it ever seems too much and she won't admit it, ask her to turn the ship around and take us back to Hesperus. I won't be offended."

Before leaving Vela to tidy the game, Dritz pulled her close and kissed her cheek, whispering a congratulations on all of her wins before following Orion up to the navigation deck.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging good-naturedly, "Eh... I wouldn't worry too much, Ori. It's frustrating to have him be so rude to her, considering she's been wonderful to him, really, but at the same time... she's tough, and I wouldn't wanna disrespect her by fighting a battle for her? I've no doubt she could handle him herself, but yeah," he mused, his antennae flicking gently as they walked, "That being said, though, I will keep that in mind." He beamed at Orion.

"Hey, so... what I'm about to ask isn't any sort of rudely-intended kinda question, but how do you deal with him? You guys have been together for a good while now, which is great, but he doesn't even seem to be that nice to you sometimes," he asked, looking amusingly perplexed. If he thought Fera was making Orion truly unhappy, he would have said more, but thankfully he thought the two of them worked better together than most would guess.

"Well, I understand that," Orion sound, feeling just a bit relieved. "And from all I've seen she's quite the strong person. If she really wanted to go back, I do think she'd say. I was mostly asking for my own peace of mind. We'll both have to hope that Fera decides to treat her better someday, because no amount of asking on my part has seemed to help so far." It would continue to trouble him until that day came, but all they really could do for now was hope.

Dritz's next question, however, brought him a smile that was closer to a smirk than he usually wore. They had arrived on the deck and he leaned against one of the consoles as he considered it, glancing at the dark viewscreen.

"No offense taken. We really have been together for a while, huh... But yeah, when I'm in a group with anyone he considers inferior, he often extends the same 'inferior' treatment to me. Alone, it's different. But with others... I guess it's just a habit. He doesn't want anyone to see him giving me good treatment, since that would be beneath him as a prince... or I guess that's the official reason, anyway. So it's not that big of a deal, and I don't mind it, for now. I can wait until he learns to get over himself in public."

Another thought did trouble him, and he felt certain there could be no harm in talking about it with Dritz. "Sometimes I worry, though... Especially with what's just happened with his ship. If he refuses a royal pairing, I guess it could be possible that they'd kick him out of the family and he'd have to give up his princely status to someone else. I'd hate to see his mental state if that were to happen... I mean, you saw how he was with just losing his ship..." Orion was frowning now, still staring at the viewscreen and almost trying to will Fera to appear on it immediately and say he was ready to leave."

It didn't sit right with Dritz to think of Fera treating Orion with the same disdain he often showed for himself and Vela, but part of him was beginning to wonder if that was, in fact, his own experiences as a Chrysalan. With their own partners, Chrysalans didn't tend to tolerate behaviour like that. Of course, it happened, as it did with anyone in the galaxy, but Dritz had never seen it. Still, he trusted Orion's judgement.

"So long as he does make you happy," he said firmly, nodding.

With relation to Fera's position on Coronus, Dritz found himself again out of his depth. He took Orion's hand, holding it with his own while patting it reassuringly with the other. "Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, yeah? Fera clearly loves you deeply, so... Maybe it will not be so bad as the ship?"

Of course, he did not believe that in the slightest.

"Of course he makes me happy," Orion said easily, grinning as Dritz took his hand. He was confident of his skill in reading the prince, and was sure he was better at it than anyone. Then his smile faltered as he considered what was said next. "Whether he loves me, well..." Did Fera love him? The word had not yet passed between them, though his own affection was certainly strong...

There was no time to consider the thought further before the comm light came on again. Luckily, Vela had also just arrived and promptly went to switch on the viewscreen before moving to Dritz's side, slipping an arm around his waist.

Fera appeared in front of them, a satisfied and nearly gloating expression on his face that made Orion sigh gently. Obviously his dealings had gone well, but he was about to be insufferable because of it.

"So kind of you to wait for me," he said with a smirk. "I've just been having a marvelous time with the Sklerians here.  They know everything about what makes me happy. Unlike some people." He glowered briefly at Dritz and Vela before his coy smile returned. "And they are such charming hosts. They truly understand me. Again... unlike some. So naturally, I had to stay a little longer than intended. They offered some rather lovely delicacies and even champagne... I'm tempted to stay here, but then I will miss my other meetings"

Orion folded his arms, letting a hint of displeasure creep into his voice. "Fera, it really would have been nice if you'd let us know instead of making me worry about what was taking so long. If you'd stop and think about others once and a while instead of-"

"I am sure that would be lovely," the prince said with a dismissive shrug. "Just get the door open for me." Orion's sigh was louder this time, and the look he sent in Dritz and Vela's direction plainly said "sorry" without a word.

Fera swept back on board the ship looking no different than before, and no other obvious signs that he had attained anything new. "I suppose you sat around staring at each other while waiting," he said with some sarcasm to Dritz, likely having forgotten all about the incident from earlier that day, as Orion had expected.

Dritz couldn't help the frown that crossed his face just briefly. Surely one person could not be so selfish as to act in such a way. To their partner at the very least. Still, he was going over and over these thoughts and coming to no better conclusions, so it would be better to try and forget about it. As much as possible, anyway.

"Oh, nah, we've actually had a nice time," he offered, shrugging good-naturedly, "Played some games, had some tea, some laughs..." Of course, he had the feeling Fera simply wouldn't care, but part of him also had a juvenile desire for Fera to be slightly jealous. Cuz why the hell should he act superior when Dritz, Orion and Vela had been enjoying a lovely time too. Until the concern.

"Glad your business went down well. Where to next?"

Fera's eyes narrowed as he studied Dritz. They could not have had a good time. He hadn't been here. How could they have a good time without him?

"If you say so," he replied in a tone of utter boredom. "Oh, yes. It's a small outpost located on one of the moons orbiting the planet Redross. You will have to look up the details, I don't know them."

Having largely dismissed them all again, Fera swept an arm out dramatically and smirked. "Now I am tired, so I will be making use of your substandard sleeping area. I trust I will not be disturbed." He cast a significant look at Orion, showing that he might allow his presence at least, before walking away with his nose in the air.

The human was beginning to feel his skill at sighing had reached a fine art. "I'm sorry, again. Those Sklerians probably really fed into his ego, so he's basically intolerable at the moment. But I'll try talking to him. And I am getting pretty tired too, I guess... you both already said you'd rested? Good. I'll turn back up in another eight hours or so. From what I remember, Redross is a full day's travel from this part of the galaxy."

Dritz and Vela wished Orion a good rest, and Vela went to the navigation console after he had left. She began looking up coordinates on which moon would have a station, but paused to glance at Dritz. [He is a nuisance,] she signed, clearly meaning Fera.

Once the details had all been set, with the flight path showing twenty-five hours of travel time, they departed the station's docking structure and were on their way through space once again. Vela found herself moving back to Dritz, leaning against him as she watched the stars streak past on the viewscreen for a moment.

[The Nova is not substandard in any way... is it?] She knew it wasn't, but Fera continually bringing it up was beginning to chip away at her confidence in the matter, however slightly.

With Orion successfully having sighed some more and decided to rest, Dritz agreed with Vela's perfect assessment of the prince of Coronus. "Ori saying Fera's intolerable now... heh, he's got the love blindness, huh?" he chuckled, though he was, of course, still fond of the lanky human, and even his flouncing lover.

The alone time with Vela felt as though it had been a very long time coming, and Dritz took the first chance that arose to pull her into his lap, stroking her silvery, silky hair. It had not been a terribly long time, but even still, he found himself leaning in close to savour her scent and the softness of her skin against his.

Her signing caused him to bristle, however, his antennae arcing up as he frowned. The Nova was a feat of self-trained engineering, and an unpolished beauty to him, something raw and powerful and clever. All substance with none of the cold, clinical aspects of modern ships. "Flower, the Nova is as beautiful and unique and charming as her captain. It is of the highest standard to me," he promised, kissing her cheek and temple.

It didn't surprise Vela when Dritz tugged her down to sit on his lap, and she curled up slightly and nuzzled against his neck, breathing him in as he stroked her hair. It was lovely to be so close to him, melting away much of the day's stress.

His words further soothed her, and she sat back up to sign. [Thank you. I... never really thought it was. He is wrong, and there is so much he doesn't understand. I feel like he needs to start learning.]

She leaned back against Dritz again, wondering how Fera could ever begin to learn if he didn't seem open to the concept in the first place. He had led a far different life than she could even imagine, and she wondered if it was possible that he... just couldn't change at all.

That thought was oddly depressing, so she left it aside and returned her full attention to Dritz. There were many hours before Orion and Fera would reappear, but they couldn't risk one of them showing up before that. Still, they surely had some time right now where that chance was incredibly small...

Vela moved one arm behind Dritz's neck, using her free hand to tilt his head down to kiss her lips. Soft and sweet, she kissed him multiple times, feeling a slow build toward passion. Soon she had to stop, slightly breathless and peering into his eyes to ask what he was thinking about, as she knew he would be able to guess.

Vela always fit against him so perfectly. It was such a strange thing to remember their comparable height, because she seemed to be able to curl up so small and tuck herself against him so wonderfully. It was good that Vela felt reassured by his words, he hated to think of Fera's previous statements as undermining her confidence in her ship.

Soon they were simply relaxing together, listening to the hums and beats of the ship's workings, the Nova's own symphony of power playing just for them. Vela turned to him and pulled him into blissfully soft kisses, quietly promising hunger and passion beneath. Her gaze told him all he needed to know.

With a lazy smile and darkened eyes, Dritz searched her expression as he stroked her neck, down to her shoulder and round her back, down to her hip, where he held and squeezed before reluctantly tearing their gaze apart and leaning in to brush his lips against her neck.

The reason Vela was able to fit herself so well against Dritz was, she thought, because of a simple desire to do so. It was a longing to be as close as she could, a feeling her people would experience due to the harsh cold around them and a need to feel warm. Even if her surroundings were no longer cold, she still craved the extra warmth Dritz could bring her. And there would never be an Aurian soft and warm as he was.

Forgetting everything beyond the feel of his hand roaming down her body, then his lips at her neck, Vela tilted her head back with a soft sigh. She reached inside his jacket, wanting him to remove it and wanting to feel more of him, while shifting her body back and resuming their kisses, which had grown noticeably more passionate.

Dritz could feel an eagerness in her fingers, almost taste the suggestion in her kisses. He shrugged his jacket off without missing a beat, turning her initial touch into a smooth motion of him disrobing, almost as though she was controlling his movements.

Humans and Coronal probably slept a good few hours, right?

Deciding to risk it, he tugged his shirt off too, pulling Vela close so he could wrap his warm arms around her in a way he knew she would enjoy, stroking her hair as their passion built, perhaps unintentionally at first, but soon with an undeniable overtone of lust.

A pleased breath escaped Vela's lips as Dritz pulled off his shirt. She loved his bright clothing, but it was so much better to nestle against his naked chest and stomach, especially. At the moment, it brought her arousal to a new height while they continued to kiss passionately.

Uncertain about removing her own clothing, she instead moved the loose shoulders of her tunic down in order to give her lover easy access to her chest, encouraging him to touch her there. Almost without making a conscious decision to do so, one hand slipped down below his stomach to lightly tease him through his trousers. Her focus was not on their location, but on how good they both felt just then, and building those feelings into something even more pleasant.

After all, it would not be the first time they had been intimate in an area of the ship other than the bunk room.

Dritz leaned back enough to watch Vela loosen her clothes about her shoulders, not removing her tunic completely, but exposing a flash of pale skin to him and drawing his hands in, in invitation to touch her as she took the chance to touch him too.

Sighing happily, he slid his hands into her tunic, playing his fingers over her ribs, and up to the soft curve of her breasts. As he did so, he kissed her neck gently, listening to the changes in her breathing.

There was a rattle of machinery, as sometimes happened on a ship, and Dritz jerked instinctively, pulling Vela close. After a second, her chuckled, "Sorry, flower... Thought we were about to be caught."

Vela had been relaxing into the touch of Dritz's fingers massaging up her chest when she was startled by the noise. It was not so much the noise that surprised her, however, as it was the Chrysalan's reaction of suddenly pulling her close.

She huddled against him, blinking as she looked around in confusion, then relaxed as she realized what had happened. [It's alright,] she signed, pulling back for the moment to do so. [It's... a little different when there is someone else on board. But I'm sure they won't come out very soon...]

With that, Vela gave Dritz a hungry look before pulling him to kiss her lips again. It wasn't enough for her this time, needing to feel more from him than just a kiss. Despite what she had said, it wouldn't be practical for them to fully disrobe or engage in the usual forms of pleasure they enjoyed together.

Breaking the kiss, she looked right into Dritz's eyes as she signed something very specific. It was a phrase they had had to invent for themselves in the Aurian language, and she had to exhale with some amusement because of how eager she was appearing when moving her hands to suggest it.

Dritz's heart was still pounding at the startling noise, but his sudden fear had turned into the kind of giddy amusement that only occurred during a heightened state. Chuckling, he met her kisses with hunger that only grew when she pulled away to sign that to him. Her eagerness, her state of undress, it was a sight he would certainly commit to memory.

-

Even after they were both spent, there was still plenty of time before they would need to consider moving or getting fully dressed once again. Dritz stretched out, his face flushed, and stroked Vela's hair for a moment.

[Shower? We have time,] he signed, too relaxed to speak, and at the same time enjoying the intimacy that came with practicing Aurian.

It took a few moments for Vela to lazily respond, though she smiled at Dritz's signing. [I would love to.] She moved closer to him before lifting her tunic to cover herself a little better. Despite not removing all of their clothes, the situation had been... pleasant. Which was a word she did not think was strong enough.

She stood up and stretched before continuing. [That was good. We should do that again... soon.] The prospect of a shower was even better. Sometimes, if the mood struck them, they even made love in the shower. The fact that she was under running water as well as naked with Dritz at the same time meant it was one of her favorites.

Regardless of whether they were too tired this time or not, she was more than eager for the shower. With a playful look, she waited for Dritz to join her but did not move after this, expecting he would want to pick her up and carry her there as he often did.

Dritz stood up after her, his legs somewhat weak after their intense moments, but his muscles warm and relaxed. Certainly not too weak to scoop his feather light lover off her feet and into his warm embrace, kissing her with a smile against her lips.

The washroom on the ship had been another point of disgust for Fera, but Dritz had many a fond memory in the cramped room. It was as patched as the rest of the Nova, with all the same beauty. It was enclosed, and tight enough for just one individual (especially of Dritz's stature), but that close proximity was nothing but satisfying with Vela in there too. If anything, he preferred their times washing together more so.

He turned the water on as warm as they could comfortably stand it and stripped his clothing off, kicking it to the side, "Come and let me hold you."

Vela thoroughly enjoyed being carried by now, even if she had been skeptical of it at first. She nuzzled her face against Dritz's shirt, breathing in his scent and feeling his warmth as he brought her to the washroom.

Her reluctance to be set down vanished quickly as Dritz turned on the shower and removed his clothes. It had not escaped her notice many times before that he seemed to enjoy watching her take off her own clothing, so she moved a little slower for his enjoyment.

[We probably should have come here in the first place,] she signed as she went to join him at last. [But I don't mind. What we did was very... exciting.] She smiled, thinking that was not quite a word she found strong enough. The water temperature was perfect, and being pressed in close to Dritz was more than wonderful. It was such a close fit that signing was near impossible, but that was usually never a problem.

For just a moment, however... Vela could have sworn she felt the Nova move beneath her feet in a way that it shouldn't be right now. Almost as though it had made a slight shift. That was impossible; there was no one at the navigation controls. Maybe she was getting tired as well, or maybe she was unsteady on her feet after the pleasure she had shared with Dritz. Whatever it was, she quickly dismissed it. She had confidence in her ship and there was no reason for anything strange to have occurred.

Besides, it was easy to forget that when she pressed herself close to Dritz's warm, wet body, feeling the heated water wrap around her the same way his arms did.

Dritz couldn't help a playful smirk when he was able to watch Vela remove her clothes. She had noticed the specific parts of her movement that seemed to allure him the most, and now seemed to almost revel in his attention. It was always her slim hips and stomach he enjoyed the most, with the hint of strength and whisper of muscle beneath the silky skin.

"Nah, I think I kind of liked the idea of them coming in and seeing us," the Chrysalan chuckled. "In a way." The first few times they showered together, Dritz had been conscious of the space his body took up and had tried to make himself squish into the corner to allow Vela more space. It quickly became apparent the Aurian wanted the exact opposite, and now they enjoyed being oddly cramped in the shower, sharing warm water and body heat together.

Holding Vela close, Dritz couldn't resist starting to wash her hair for her, without really being asked. He just wanted to play with it and enjoy making her feel nice. He trailed his fingers through her hair with the fragrant soap they had, paying special attention to putting slight pressure on her scalp.

Vela gave Dritz a slightly disapproving frown at the mention of them being seen as a good idea. Even if there was no real shame in their actions, especially someone like Fera ... well, she didn't want him to have the privilege, not that he would want it in the first place.

Soon enough, however, she had forgotten all about princes of Coronus or anything else other than the sensation of Dritz's fingers sliding through her wet hair, a light pressure against her head that was completely soothing to her. It was unlike anything she had experienced, and she enjoyed it so much that Dritz did frequently wash her hair without needing to be asked first.

She pressed herself even closer to him, careful to not let water run over her mechanical eye, before relaxing completely into the feel of his body and his fingers in her hair, the soap's gentle floral scent, and wondering if it would be too soon for them to make love all over again.

-

Hours later, after many relaxed card games and signed conversations as Dritz further practiced his Aurian language skills, Orion finally reappeared from the bunk room looking a bit disheveled. Vela hadn't thought he could look more scruffy, but somehow he had managed it.

"Hey," he greeted them with a grin. "Er... good morning. I take it your... 'day' went well? Fera's in your washroom currently, trying to freshen up, or something. He's really annoyed about it, but..." Vela watched him as he shrugged, not seeming too worried over it. It made her feel better to know that Orion wasn't overly concerned about whether Fera was dissatisfied with the ship. Her confidence had returned, and thanks to that, she had forgotten about the sensation she had experienced before getting into the shower and had not checked any of the consoles.

Dammit, Vela was... Terrifyingly good at the various card games. It seemed that no matter what Dritz suggested they play, within a game or two, she would pick up the rules and methods, and be deep into a winning streak. Were he a more competitive being, Dritz would have been so mad. As it happened, he was childishly, delightedly baffled by it. Were he a more paranoid being, he'd probably suspect her mechanical eye of being an assistance. He knew it was only a lens for distance, of course.

The appearance of Orion took a second to register as he was still reeling from a lost game of Chrysalan Drawback, which Vela won on her very first game; unprecedented even for her. It also happened to be Dritz's best game.

"Hey," he said eventually, looking up. He beamed, "Nice hair! But hey, where do we need to be next, d'you know?"

"Oh... uh," Orion managed less than eloquently, reaching up to feel his hair. Was it really sticking up in three different places? He grinned to himself then, wondering if he should have tried to freshen up the way Fera was. Then again, he was unused to company after waking up on a ship. And he wasn't nearly as fastidious as his lover.

"Thanks, I do my best," he continued, taking a seat with them. "Looks like you're enjoying another game. Wow, I don't know this one." He was studying the cards intently, but then looked up with a sheepish expression. "Oh, right. I'm not fully awake yet. I know you guys got the right coordinates put in. But I don't know much about where we're actually going. It's weird but... I'm not too familiar with Redross as a planet." Now he frowned, disappointed in himself. He was proud of having a fairly extensive knowledge of the galaxy, having traveled so many places. "And it's one of the moons, apparently... huh. Weird. Fera didn't tell me anything about it."

He turned his attention to Vela. "Do you know anything about it?" She shook her head, and Orion watched the light catch the edge of her mechanical eye as she did so. "Any way you could store extra info in your eye someday, like a computer of sorts?" He was teasing, but the Aurian seemed to consider it seriously, glancing at Dritz to translate for her.

[I have thought of modifications before. But I never considered a computer... that would be interesting. It depends on what Dritz thinks, too... I don't think he wants anyone other than himself to work on it.]

Dritz listened contentedly to the two of them (or more Orion, though he knew Vela always contributed non-verbally). Much as he mostly wanted the Nova to be a haven for just himself and Vela, to have someone else there to talk to, to engage with Vela as much as he did. Sometimes he couldn't help but think her unique language might be isolating to her, despite how strong and capable she was. Of course, he'd never really asked...

The mention of her special eye did cause him to pay more attention to the discussion, such as it was able to be before his input. He nodded once he had translated for her, signing along idly as practice.

"Yeah, it's true... I'd really rather I work on your eye," he said seriously. "I know it might seem kinda... Arrogant, but... I love you a lot, flower, and I can't comprehend the idea of trusting anyone touching it." After a moment, he glanced between them, "But, if you trusted someone else too, I wouldn't refuse them."

Vela shook her head, smiling. [It isn't arrogant. I love you too. And even if I trusted someone else to do it, I think I would prefer you did it.] She was in careful, loving hands with Dritz and knew he would also have the skill necessary once she had taught him. What more would she need?

"I see. That's great, though. And it sounds like a fun couples' activity," Orion continued teasing lightly, resting his chin on one hand as he grinned at Dritz and Vela. They really were one of the loveliest couples he had had the pleasure of meeting, too. Both of them were obviously devoted and still quite smitten with each other, supporting and caring in every situation. He could only hope that someday his relationship with Fera would seem half as easy. Speaking of...

"I'm gonna go check on the prince. Maybe comb my hair while I'm at it," he added sheepishly, promising to be back soon. It was taking Fera much too long, even for him.

In the meantime, Vela had fallen into a more businesslike mood as she thought about Fera's next trade visit. Beckoning for Dritz to join her, she walked to the navigation deck to be certain everything was in order.

[We should insist to go with him this time,] she told him, though she was not sure they could necessarily do that. Her life on Aurctas had taught her that trade negotiations could be delicate and thrown off by any number of factors, including the mere presence of certain individuals. Before she could mention this, her gaze fell on the navigation console automatically to check that their course was holding.

It was holding... but not on their original destination.

[We are not headed to the planet I set course for,] she signed slowly to Dritz, still in obvious disbelief. Was it better to stop the ship now, or wait and see if the flight path would correct itself? But how would it have changed in the first place?

"Hey, I've heard weirder activities," Dritz laughed heartily, giving a little wink. He didn't want to say aloud that the thought of giving that to Vela, using his skills to further the enhancement she chose for herself, felt like the most romantic gift he could give her. He didn't want to say that he was deeply interested in her eye; the only thing of its kind he had been made aware of and not felt faint about. Well, nearly. It made her beautiful, and special.

"Okie doke, give us a shout if there's anything you need," the Chrysalan said breezily as Orion left. Vela... didn't seem herself as she escorted him back to the deck.

"Yeah, I think maybe we should... One of us, anyway. You have language for trade, right, would you feel confident enough...?" he stopped mid-thought at the sight of her expression.

"What...? That's not possible," he said, stepping up to the console. Well, it was possible enough, as it was in front of his eyes. "We should alter our course again..." he offered, though he didn't seem so sure himself.

Vela took another long moment to study the console, then shook her head. [I think we should let it take us to the new destination. There is no possible way this happened by itself. Someone has done this deliberately.]

She let the accusation lie for the moment, thinking it over for herself. She had been with Dritz the entire time since she had first set the course. Beyond that, it was impossible that either of them would think to change it. That left Orion and Fera. They had been asleep, but... There was the period of time when Vela had been with Dritz in the washroom. That was the only time it could have been done. Thinking back, she remembered the sensation of the ship shifting under her feet, and frowned at her own negligence in checking the navigation sooner.

Why would Orion change the course? She really had no reason to believe he would. Which left Fera. And it didn't matter what the reason was, she knew he must have done it.

[It was him,] she signed abruptly, turning back to Dritz. She had no sign for Fera's name, but it was usually obvious who she was referring to by her generally more annoyed expression. [He changed the course. You have to confront him over it.]

Vela did not usually act this way, but she was usually not so upset. What right did Fera have to tamper with the controls when he had such disdain for the Nova? It didn't matter who he was, he had no right at all.

Dritz apparently came to the same realisation that Vela had, at roughly the same time, his yellow eyes widening. Literally no one else could have changed course, but...

[Could it have been really, though?] he asked. [He wouldn't know how to touch the Nova, right?] He didn't seem to notice his signing inaccuracies, as he didn't want to risk being overheard.

In truth, he also had no idea what he was supposed to say to the prince, or Orion. But he owed it to Vela; any changes to the ship made without permission from the captain were... Technically mutiny. But then, was that just the crew? Either way, if Fera had tampered with the controls, it was another slight against her generosity in taking him everywhere.

He stepped forward, taking her hands and kissing them before he continued, [We need to remain calm, flower, I am here for you, and I'm sure we can work this out.]

"Gentlemen," Dritz called, trying to sound relaxed. "Could you make your way to the navi console as soon as possible?"

Vela shook her head, frustrated and not really able to think straight. She understood what Dritz's stranger attempts at signing meant, but drew comfort most of all from his effort to assure her they would sort it out.

[I will try. Thank you. I didn't think he was knowledgeable on navigation systems, let alone one as different as this ship. But it's the only explanation... the only one.] She stepped back after Dritz had called for Orion and Fera, staying close to him but wanting to keep a good eye on the way the situation would proceed from here.

It took nearly another ten minutes at the very least for Orion to drag Fera out after they had been called. Of course, it wasn't nearly like dragging at all, as the prince would never have allowed that. But it did take a good deal of flattery, including appreciative comments on the trailing white dress Fera wore, and the detailed work he had put into his hair and makeup. None of that was particularly hard to do though; he was stunning.

"Right, you called?" Orion announced themselves as they entered the room. His smile had been relaxed, but it faded into slight nervousness when he saw the look on Vela's face in particular. He had never seen her very displeased... but she looked that way now. "Is something wrong...?"

Fera found himself wearing a smirk which he had no desire to hide. So they had noticed. "Oh my. Yes. Is something wrong?" he echoed, narrowing his eyes at the Vela when she glared at him.

Dritz didn't have nearly as long to consider what he might say as he would have liked, but really, there was no way around it.

"Let me explain as best I can," he began, shuffling from one foot to the other as he tried to think how to approach the whole situation. No matter what, it would sound like an accusation, so it was probably best to begin with establishing it was not, but really, where did he go from there? "We offered to take you where you needed to be without the expectation of payment, or anything similar, because we knew we owed a debt. Now, I'm not saying anyone's done anything, but also, Vela and I should be the only ones that should be able to change course. The time signature determines that it wasn't either of us, which leaves only yourselves. Neither of us are... angry, as such, we just feel somewhat betrayed by the fact that the ship's delicate navicomputer has clearly been messed with, when it is a vital part of the ship we take great pains to keep working perfectly. Particularly... I feel like this is really disrespectful to Vela. She's been an accommodating captain, guys... And she really didn't have to be. So, I just wanted to ask which of you changed our course? If it needed recalculating, we would rather you inform one of us and we can calculate a much, much safer route."

He knew it was Fera, because of course it was, but he had to seem diplomatic as possible. Maybe Orion would be able to throw in his own thoughts too...

During the course of Dritz's speech, Orion could feel his mouth falling open in disbelief. The navigation had been tampered with? And if he hadn't done it, and Dritz and Vela obviously hadn't...

"Fera..." he said after Dritz had finished, turning to stare at his currently nonchalant partner. "Why would you do this? Everything Dritz said is true. It really is disrespectful to Vela in particular. And I'm really disappointed that you-"

He was interrupted with a loud sigh from Fera, who rolled his eyes and finally acted with anything other than disinterest. "Thank you for just accusing me without proof. But yes, I did change the course. I watched her do it the first time, and I could easily remember how. I am not stupid like you think I am." He was referring to the card game he had participated in, where everyone had treated him so unfairly. Something like this certainly paid them back.

"I wouldn't ruin your precious controls," he continued, glaring at Vela momentarily before sticking his nose in the air. "I'm still on this ship, aren't I? I'm not about to sacrifice myself on it. To be quite honest, I have been rather bored. None of you seem to understand the needs of royalty. So I set the destination to a place I would rather be. I knew you wouldn't agree to just take me. And we should be getting close, considering you have not changed the course again." He smirked triumphantly, clearly not seeing how his behavior was problematic at all.

Orion also sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. He could just feel a headache coming on. "Fera, you have a lot to learn about proper conduct outside of a royal setting," he muttered before turning back to Dritz and Vela. "I'll certainly say I'm sorry first. This was really uncalled for. Maybe you... should just drop us off at the next station, see if we can find our own way from there."

Dritz added his own sigh, feeling his stomach cramping. The atmosphere was exactly what he had hoped to avoid. It was too close to confrontation, too close to a fight, albeit verbal. He cleared his throat.

"No one has treated you with anything but respect, especially Orion. Maybe once you apologize to Vela, as I think you need, you should be nicer to him too, he's been so pleasant, and so helpful. Frankly, we have all bent to your whims when we didn't really need to," he said, slightly sharply. "Maybe if you were a more humble guest, Vela would have gladly agreed to take you whereverthehell. No one wants to give to someone, or help someone, when they're constantly rude."

He frowned at Orion, not wanting to kick them off, really, but at this stage he was absolutely not about to make that decision. He turned to Vela with a serious expression.

"I think the course of action is yours to decide, flower, being the one who's suffered the most on this journey. Did you wanna deliberate in private, or you know what you wanna do?"

Fera listened with narrowed eyes, bristling slightly the longer Dritz continued. How dare he speak in this way? Who did he think he was, to be able to address him in such a manner?

"I am the prince of Coronus," he managed through gritted teeth. "And you-"

"We're not on Coronus." Orion had interrupted, and Fera turned to stare at him instead. His lover sounded... strangely calm, but also disappointed somehow. "You really can't do whatever you like when you're off the planet. Surely you understand that? Weren't you taught anything about diplomacy? I'm sorry to have to side with everyone else, but they really are right. It's something you have to learn about dealing with others: kindness will get you farther than trying to take what you want all the time. Now, apologize to Vela or I'm going to insist they drop us off, no matter what she decides."

There wasn't any doubt that Orion was serious. This was, oddly, a side of him which Fera found attractive. Not so much in the physical sense... more of a structured feeling that he craved, and hadn't realized before. Slowly, he turned back toward the Aurian, feeling himself trembling with... some emotion he couldn't figure out.

"I am... sorry," he forced himself to say, though it hurt worse than anything he had ever done before. He looked away again, frowning. "I don't like the way the galaxy operates outside of Coronus."

"You want to go back?" Orion prompted, more gently this time. When he was met with silence, he gave Vela a weak smile. "What do you say, Captain Vela? As Dritz said, it's really up to you."

Vela had not signed at all during the entire exchange between the others. However, it only took her a few seconds to reply to Orion and Dritz. [He apologized. I don't really care, so I'd like to continue on. I'm interested in new places, and I would like to see somewhere a prince would have an interest in visiting.] Her mouth curved just barely into a smile, as she nodded for Dritz to translate.

Dritz wanted to tell Fera that he absolutely respected his station as a prince, of course he did. But the difference was that he would respect Fera regardless of his royalty, so long as he was decent enough to Vela, and appreciated how much she had let him speak rudely to her, and accuse her of... well, whatever it was he seemed to think she was doing when she signed. Nevertheless, Fera had apologised, and as far as Dritz was concerned, all was forgiven. This was cemented when Vela explained.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Dritz said respectfully, smiling. It did mean a lot to him to see Vela's smile coming through, even slightly. "Vela says she's happy to continue on course, and that she's interested to see where someone of your high birth would wish to go." His gaze flickered to Vela, and they exchanged a knowing look. Fera would probably love that she wished to know specifically where a prince might want to be, and he thought that an especially smart thing to emphasise.

"Does she, now," Fera muttered, but quickly changed his apparent attitude when he realized Orion was still watching him closely. "Fine. That works for me. And you all should be excited to learn that we are headed to... well, it's a resort, I suppose you could say. It's very exclusive, however, only for those of importance around the galaxy and any guests they choose to bring. Of course, it's also very luxurious. I don't know, I'm just so bored here on this tiny ship, without a large room of my own, or real baths, or... anything. I need to be somewhere more fitting, at least for a while."

Orion was now smiling weakly, and it was obvious he was bewildered by this sudden turn of events. "Alright, but Fera... I'm guessing a place like that is pretty expensive. We can't just-"

"Oh, we can," the prince sighed. He was remembering what Dritz said about treating Orion better. Wouldn't this be a wonderful gift for him? "I will pay for everything. I am worth more credits than you can even imagine. And you'd never even guess how much profit I made at our last stop. We could stay weeks on that alone."

"Ah..." Orion had lost none of his bewildered look, turning it toward Dritz and Vela instead. "You both still interested in something like this?"

[He said something about baths,] Vela signed eagerly to Dritz. [You think it's worth going, don't you?] If this "resort" was large enough, then maybe they could stay far away from Fera the entire time... though the baths alone were nearly enough to sell it to her.

Dritz blinked in surprise, looking at both Orion and Vela. The Aurian, the woman he had fallen so deeply in love with, had the bright look in her eye that always brought a flutter of joy and adoration. She was so excited about the idea of the baths, of course he wanted her to be able to go and enjoy it, but...

"I'm not sure we could," he muttered, embarrassed. Fera had not specifically offered to pay for himself and Vela as well, or if they had been included, Dritz couldn't take it in good conscience anyway. "I mean... I really want to. But can we afford to pay our way?"

He hated to ask her in front of the other two, but he had to know they'd be comfortable affording their room on the station, as well as fuel and supplies.

Fera sighed loudly, interrupting their conversation before Vela could even lift her hands to reply. "Listen, I don't make these plans without thought, much as it may surprise you. I will pay for everything. Think of it as... the payment you would not take for our transport earlier. I know it was in repayment of your debt to me, but I suppose... that with what has occurred, you are in need of some extra compensation."

Vela considered this, turning to Dritz with a comforting expression. [I think he's trying to say it's to pay us back for all the trouble he's caused. And he did cause a lot of trouble. So we should take him up on the offer. I feel like he owes it to us. And it should be relaxing. It's alright, isn't it?] She had turned slightly fretful, wondering if her partner wouldn't agree to it. At the same time, she would much rather he be happy with the decision that was made, and always wanted to keep his opinion in mind.

"Fera..." Dritz said, his antennae conveying his surprise in a high arc, "That's very nice of you."

He considered protesting, but it also felt rude to dismiss a gracious form of apology. Dritz's parents had always taught him to not take anything for granted, but also to appreciate generosity when it was given, and it was clearly being given in this moment.

Plus Vela was adorably eager, he could tell.

"Alright. That'd be great. Thanks, I know we'll have a great time." And perhaps it would be a chance to further whatever friendship they might be cultivating.

"Of course," Fera replied, a satisfied smirk taking over his expression. It was really too easy to get them to agree with his wishes. While it would have been even easier to just ask them outright... for now he didn't care.

He glanced casually at the viewscreen, his smirk just getting bigger. "And as you can see, we are already arriving. It's a small planet, simply called 'Paradise' by anyone who knows it exists. But you could never even dream of the luxury you can experience there." Despite how smug he was, he genuinely had also wanted to take Orion to this exact location. He had never felt this way about anyone before, but he had a strong desire to take his partner somewhere he could relax and enjoy himself.

Vela barely heard what the Coronal was saying as she stared at the screen. The planet would have been a tiny dot among the distant stars, and yet... it was glowing so much more brightly than they were. As they approached, that glow only grew brighter, and she had trouble actually figuring out what color it was. It seemed pink... or orange? Yellow?

[Is the light changing?] she signed absently to Dritz. [Why does it look like that?] Though she hadn't seen as many planets as others, none of them had looked even remotely like this.

Dritz managed to divide his attention between Fera and the planet fairly well, at least he thought so. Of course it made sense for the prince to be aware of some sort of bright, overpriced, exclusive world like this, but also...

Vela. She would love it so much, and Dritz would never have known about it if it weren't for Fera, nor would he have been able to fund such a luxury. He owed him something. A heartfelt thanks at the very least, when he was able to get him alone.

The planet's mysterious illumination baffled him too, however.

"I dunno, flower, to be honest. My guess would be something to do with debris or gases in the atmosphere, but that doesn't seem quite right."

Vela contemplated Dritz's idea as they continued to approach the planet, but upon coming close enough for communications, it became obvious that the glow was due to the sheer amount of light somehow coming from it. Was it somehow being projected, or was it truly so bright on the surface...?

When the comms screen flickered on, she was further surprised to see a light-haired human male appear to greet them. Her surprise was mainly due to not having seen many of his species so far, not even on Hesperus. She was in somewhat of a daze as he talked, seeming to recognize Fera, and easily admitting them clearance and access to a dock despite how unusual the Nova must surely appear. Vela really did not even register much of what he said beyond the landing coordinates, and she entered them quickly and navigated the ship to land with her usual precision and skill despite anything else.

She was further awed when they left the dock, carrying only a few personal bags with them for now (except for Fera, who had Orion carrying several more for him.) What appeared to be a city spreading out before them was enough to make her stop and stare, mainly because of how all the relatively low buildings were lit. The bright colors she had seen from space were not harsh on her vision here on the surface, so she guessed the light there had been due to the planet likely being covered in lights such as these. The glow of the electrical strips and panels illuminated the beings who walked around enjoying the warm temperature and pink-tinged sky, many of them dressed in very little clothing as well.

Without realizing it, Vela had completely halted to stare around her, finding it all so strange and different than anything she could have imagined previously, but also completely wonderful.

Despite his theories being, he thought, sound enough, Dritz was incredibly surprised to see that the planet was almost emitting the light itself. It was so odd, but so beautiful. The glow seemed to be made up of every warm colour in the spectrum, in turn making the viewer feel that warmth.

Even the comms greeter was warm in colouring.

Upon setting foot there, Dritz was transfixed at all of the beautiful lighting, warmth, and scents of the city. Most big cities he'd experienced smelled of damp cement and ash, with a hint of smoke; food, narcotics, pollution, but this one was all fresh flowers, light spice, and sweetness. He couldn't hide his wide smile as he roamed alongside them.

"This is incredible," he muttered. "But where do we go?"

Fera sighed as if slightly put out, beginning to lead the way since everyone else was so awestruck. Even Orion, though it shouldn't have been a surprise to the prince. His lover had never visited a place so exclusive, not being royal or wealthy.

There was no need to board any of the transportation, as the best rooms could be found within a very short distance from the docks. It was actually the highest building in the area, with a total of ten stories, if Fera's memory was accurate. He swept inside with the others trailing behind him as though they were lost, putting a smirk on his face. They really would be lost without him there.

"Prince Fera," gasped the attendant behind the richly carved desk just inside, also a human. "And you have guests! Marvelous. I know just what rooms you need." The prince had been here with various other consorts in the past, though he wouldn't bring that up in present company. They were assigned two rooms, and Fera already knew that he and Orion would be staying in his particular favorite, decorated in all in soft white and gold as though it was made specifically for the taste of a Coronal royal. Considering this planet, perhaps it really had been.

He had no interest in where Dritz and Vela would be staying, only handing them their keycard with a nonchalant shrug. "We'll meet back here in half an hour," he said, eager to show his room to Orion and all but dragging the surprised man away.

Vela glanced at Dritz with a little smile, still bewildered but completely fine with being left alone for now. She peered at the keycard to see it read '103.' It took some help from the Chrysalan, but they managed to find this room down one of the branching hallways and opened the door to walk inside.

Once again Vela stared, unused to seeing a room such as this. It appeared nearly as large as the Nova's entire interior, though she might have misjudged it. Either way, it was enormous and contained a bed that would likely fit four people in total, and other furniture of a clean, modern style draped in many exotic-looking furs. To her surprise, there was also an impressive bath, though not as large as what Fera seemed to be promising elsewhere, but still enough to hold herself and Dritz with room left to spare.

The colors of the room were pale and muted, but this was hard to tell since it was also decorated and illuminated by glowing neon strips which ran along part of the walls and furniture, and even around the bath. They all looked as though they could be switched off independently, but Vela was not bothered by them; the light they put out was much fainter than anything outside. It felt warm and pleasant, and she finally turned to Dritz to sign, [Have you ever seen such a room before?] It was probably a silly question, but while she was still overwhelmed, it was all she could ask.

Dritz stood beside Vela, equally awestruck by the stunning room they found themselves in. Enormous and bathed in pastel shades of blue, pink, and purple, it was fit for royalty. Of course, since Fera had secured the rooms, then it was highly likely they were made for royals.

He couldn't resist striding in and turning, arms outstretched. Even the biggest indoor area on Chrysala was almost always closely furnished, one would never be able to throw one's arms out and spin in this way.

"Never. This is possibly the biggest room for this kinda purpose I've ever seen! I mean, assembly chambers and stuff are big, but this is just a bedroom! And, I guess, a bathroom at the same time," he laughed, bounding over to the bath and examining the lights surrounding it. He bent over it, tipping his head upside down in an amusing way. After a second of investigation, there was a soft swish noise and the lights began to bleed into different colours, slowly and elegantly.

"Whoa, we have got to have a long bath later," he said excitedly, looking up at her.

Watching Dritz with a touch of amusement, Vela couldn't help but then follow him and peer at the bath as well, nodding an enthusiastic agreement. Wherever there was water she could submerge herself in, she wanted to be there; even better if her partner could join her.

Just the thought of it made her relax, and she moved from the bath to place the bags she was carrying at the foot of the bed. With a glance back at Dritz, she climbed onto the bed and stretched herself out on the pale pink fabric. Of course, the lights all around made it turn into a pale blue shortly after. There was so much room that she could also hold her arms out and still have plenty to spare. While there was much to be said for a small, cozy resting place, this was an experience she would certainly not turn away from.

[We will have to spend a lot of time here too,] she signed playfully, beckoning for him to join her. They had a little time left, didn't they?

Dritz couldn't help but continue to fiddle with the bath lights, discovering that one could set the colours, pulse length, how long each colour held, and even music to accompany one's bath. Okay, he wanted one.

When he looked up to see what Vela was up to, his eyes widened a fraction, his antennae undulating curiously. He straightened up and strode over, smiling flirtatiously.

[Yes, I think that would be important], he signed. "Maybe if I-" he clambered up to her, leaning over her, "Pick you up straight after a bath, with you still naked and warm-" he kissed her, "And lay you on here, surrounded by all the pillows... Then make love to you all night... Would that be something you might have in mind for our time?"

Vela could feel herself melting with happiness at Dritz's words and kiss. Easily aroused as usual, she was quick to reach for him and pull him closer, bringing their lips together again with more passion.

"Yes," she replied aloud, a word she had practiced more than others, breathing it more as a soft sigh this time. Her hands came up to tug at his clothing, thinking maybe they could start now, except...

Releasing Dritz, she sighed again in a much more disappointed way. [It will have to be tonight. We were supposed to meet the others again soon... I think they will be waiting now.]

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #31

(Vela’s part in italics.)

[We just arrived here yesterday,] Vela signed to Dritz. They were standing in the cockpit of the Nova, and the Aurian kept glancing around distractedly to be certain everything was in order. [It seems like a shame to leave again so soon. Do you think this was really a good idea? We don't know how much trouble he will give us...] The thought disturbed her more and more the longer she thought about it, to the point where she was beginning to doubt her judgement on the matter.

Vela's concerns had actually been playing over again in Dritz's mind while they were taking stock of their supplies and making purchases. They'd worked so hard with Trelos and Chrysala, and they deserved time to be themselves on the station, the closest they had to a home for the two of them. It felt somewhat unfair, but at the same time, he knew he'd regret it if he hadn't helped Orion.

He signed in response, [I know, I am sorry.]

"It is a shame, and I know I like the guy enough, but to be leaving for Fera just feels especially like a kick in the shin," he mumbled, shrugging. He stepped forward, cupping her face and resting his forehead against hers, with his antennae naturally inclining her way. "But if he gives us any trouble... I am prepared to speak to him properly. Honestly, I know it's not the most charitable thing, but... we don't owe him that much. I tried to help him with his ship, and I appreciate what he did, but if he's unpleasant to you, it's not worth it."

Vela closed her eye, enjoying the warm feeling of Dritz's face so close to hers. It made her feel better to know that he would speak out against the prince if necessary. It might also help to realize in advance that he would be a pain to travel with. Maybe she could just... ignore him.

[Thank you,] she eventually signed when they had moved apart again. [We will see how it goes. I might have to turn the ship around if he gets to be too much trouble. That's within my rights, as captain.] She smiled at Dritz, trying to see the humor in it.

However, upon walking through the ship on a sort of inspection, she was struck by another thought. [What about...] She paused, looking into the bunk room. [There are two beds, but we couldn't sleep in here at the same time. Right?] The idea did not appeal to her. Orion was one thing, but Fera... [We might have to sleep in shifts then. But what about when we want to...]

She trailed off as she stared at Dritz, her normal eye wide, thinking he must know what she meant. Considering how fond they were of being intimate with each other, now she was worried that they wouldn't be able to do so nearly as much as they liked... if at all.

Dritz chuckled, a light chirping in the back of his throat as he thought of Vela turning the ship around and making for Hesperus Alpha at the first sign of the prince being a brat. There was something immensely amusing about that.

"Absolutely," he grinned, "We may owe him a favour, but he can't disrespect the captain!"

With some thorough double checks of the ship's inventory and set up, Vela turned to him again, looking contemplative. He frowned in thought as he looked at the bunks. He did not fancy sharing with Fera either, though he wondered if the prince was more tolerable when sleeping. Would he even sleep, or would he choose to complain about the setup? Well, if he complained, he was obviously welcome to attempt to stay up...

Vela's concern about their intimacy, though... Dritz stood for a long moment. Of course, he knew immediately what she meant. He simply didn't know what to really do about it.

"We could..." he started before shaking his head, "Maybe... if the doors were sealed?" It didn't seem likely, somehow.

Frowning, Vela considered this. [No, the doors aren't technically sealable. We upgraded many components of the ship, but I never thought doors that could lock were necessary. I guess I should have, but...]

Thinking about it rationally was difficult. They didn't need to share intimate times together during this voyage, but all the same, she knew they both enjoyed it quite a lot. Certainly too much for it to be an easy decision. [Maybe... we will have certain times we are allowed to be together alone, without interruptions except for emergencies. I think Orion would understand, and could be trusted to watch the navigation and keep the prince away from us. That way we could sleep and do... anything else we might want alone together. And then we can switch places. Anything else, even just sleeping in the same room, would be much too awkward.]

They began making their way back up to the cockpit, Vela turning toward Dritz slightly to sign. [Do you think that would work? I can't come up with any other solution.] She moved one arm around the Chrysalan's larger waist, squeezing gently as they walked, even now wishing she could spend some time alone with him.

Dritz nodded thoughtfully, so lost in the consideration that he was bobbing his head like he was listening to a jaunty tune. "We are all adults, here. Well, most of us, anyways. Seems like it would be the mature thing to understand that we're all in relationships and need to get... snuggly. On occasion. Or, with us, on every occasion," he reasoned, grinning. His antennae were flicking lazily as he thought.

"Hmm, yeah, I think that's a great idea, flower. I think the sooner we discuss it too, the sooner it'll be over. I mean, I'm sure it's not just me, but I don't fancy having a drawn out discussion of when we can each get reacquainted with our beautiful partners," he chuckled. With Vela nestled against him, he tugged his open jacket around to envelop her. Even if it wasn't cold, he loved having her squished against him.

"Cuz we weren't gunna consider the idea of just... not? Right?" he asked, sounding a little worried. Vela's expression suggested the answer he already knew, and he beamed.

Vela cuddled against Dritz's side, smiling. Of course they wouldn't consider anything else. Their special times together were not something that could be negotiated around or compromised on so easily.

Despite having been early in finishing their preparations, Vela and Dritz were kept waiting an additional hour for the arrival of their passengers. When they finally entered, Vela found her eyebrows raising in a combination of both disbelief and amusement.

Fera swept in first, head high and disdain on full display. He was dressed in an elaborate white gown, cut low in the front with a trim of some sort of feathery material which Vela had certainly never seen before. His hair was piled elegantly on top of his head, secured by long strands of what she thought were small white stones, unfamiliar with them as well. Even the Aurian had to admit the prince was incredibly beautiful just then.

"It is only a few hours until we reach my first contact," he said instead of greeting them. "And I have no desire to change here first." Vela noticed he was only carrying a small bag around one shoulder, but then Orion appeared in the Nova's main hatch, visibly straining as he carried at least... four? five? large bags along with him. There wasn't even time to react to this before Fera was talking again. "Now, where is my room?"

His tone was rather demanding. Vela's gaze slid to Dritz, deciding he would have to handle this part and tell Fera he couldn't have his own private room. In fact, Dritz might have to handle a lot to do with Fera. It was just simpler than him having to translate the words of someone the prince clearly found mistrustful.

They had been forced to wait for so long that they had managed to get two card games completed, and Dritz had spent a good while securing things that didn't not really need to be secured. He'd double checked their storage and kitchen, spun in his chair in the cockpit for several minutes while they chatted, until he got dizzy.

Fera's arrival certainly drew his attention, however. The prince was... Certainly choosing to look his extravagant best. Dritz's awe was only broken by the loud struggle of the prince's lover behind him, and he leapt up to grab a bag or two from him.

"We've only got the one room with two bunks, so we thought sleeping in alternative patterns would be for the best," he explained as he hauled the bags toward the bedroom, "It's just here. Vela and I are rested, so if you need to sleep, you can go first."

It was bad enough this was happening at all.

Then he was informed there was no room for his personal use.

Rather than pitching a screaming fit, however, Fera only glared icy daggers at The Vela, as though it was her fault somehow. Well, it was her ship, wasn't it? "Oh, of course," he said loudly, addressing Dritz, who was attempting to help Orion with the bags.

Beyond that, upon reaching the room, Fera could only stare. Who lived in this sort of... poverty? It was the only word he could think of. The room contained minimal decoration and only two beds, both of which looked hard and uninviting to him. After another few moments, another thought made him recoil.

"No. Absolutely not. They..." He paused for a long moment, pointing first to Dritz and then The Vela with a shudder. "They have performed unspeakable acts here."

"Fera, you have got to be kidding me..." he heard Orion groan in a somewhat embarrassed manner.

Dritz sighed, rolling his eyes but smiling at the same time.

"Yes. We have, because we are consenting beings in a relationship, and that is where our care for one another takes us," he explained, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his bright trousers and shrugging. "But there are two beds. We have never even slept in the other one."

Dritz gestured to the bed on the right hand side of the room. Really, if Fera were to pull the sheets back on both, he'd be able to-...

"In fact," Dritz stepped up and neatly folded the sheet back on the unused bed. The mattress beneath was fairly smooth. However, when he showed them the bed he shared with Vela, there was a slight dip in one side of the mattress. Dritz's side. With a grin that was at the same time amused and somewhat sheepish, he added, "That's how you know we've not been there."

Watching the sneer on Fera's face during this explanation, Orion had to sigh too, but couldn't help a large grin of his own.

"Frankly, that's adorable," he stated firmly, dropping the prince's bags down near the unused bed. There may have been a small bag he had been carrying of his own, but he wasn't sure until he spotted it again. The amount of clothing Fera owned was unreal. "And it's not like we're innocent. The possibility of us wanting to get intimate on this voyage was pretty high, so this plan works perfectly. I appreciate Dritz and Vela having worked it out."

It seemed he had successfully defused this particular situation... in a sense. However, the prince then turned on him and hissed, "Don't talk about it that way!" Determined that this conversation needed to be put behind them, Orion shrugged and turned to Dritz, ignoring his lover for now.

"Anyway, thanks again for having us. Seeing as I'm sort of a stowaway here, more or less, are there any duties I could take up for one of you? Well, I'm honestly more suited to engineering than literally anything else, so it'd have to be in that area." He was enthusiastic to help, still ignoring Fera's glowering in the background. Likely he wasn't enjoying not being the center of attention.

As if Dritz couldn't be more fond of Orion, the scruffy mechanic's method of dealing with his lover caused him to need to fight a smile once again. How was he speaking to Fera with such ease?! There was something almost adorable about it. Dritz also had to fight being too distracted by the amount of bags. Damn, did the prince have a great deal of luggage....

Following Orion's lead, Dritz continued to speak to him, seeing as Fera didn't seem to want to listen in the same way. "Ah, well, I dunno how much engineering work there will be, but I'd love to share any and all responsibilities with you! But we can work that out as we go on."

He turned to Vela with a goofy grin, gesturing to the two of them, "Seems you'll have plenty of helping hands to ensure we get Fera to his destination safely, cap'n!" He gave her a silly salute, hoping that between himself and Orion, they would protect her from any unpleasantness that might happen between her and Fera. He wanted to believe they were wrong and he would eventually... mellow towards her, if not get along completely, but it was also better to be careful.

Orion more than enthusiastically agreed to assist in any form Dritz and Vela might see fit regarding engineering work, while Fera shrank back with a scowl. If they thought they were getting him to do any work, they were rather mistaken. He did not even notice how they had all effectively shifted the conversation away from his demands.

Meanwhile, Vela smiled softly as Dritz spoke, saluting her in a silly way that made her think of the days they were first getting to know each other. Maybe it was too soon to be feeling nostalgic, but Vela really didn't think so.

[Thank you both for your assistance,] she signed, seeing that Orion was understanding a few of her words with some extra help from Dritz. [I expect to have a smooth voyage and you may not need to do much.] She turned to Fera, nothing but seriousness in her gaze now. [I need the coordinates for our first destination. The rest can wait for the time being, but as you have said, we had better leave in order to not be late.]

Fera, after a short amount of staring with slitted eyes while awaiting a translation, shrugged dramatically. He had been exaggerating about a need for haste, but didn't think that was worth mentioning. "There's a station nearby called Hadrian Gamma. It's small, and I have no idea what the coordinates are," he said fussily, smoothing out his dress. What did they expect from him, exactly? "Yes, hurry. The less time I have to spend on this... substandard vessel, the better."

Vela had no other reaction to this than to turn on her heel and walk swiftly back toward the cockpit. Slightly disappointed, Fera waited for the others to go ahead of him. He thought there must be some way to rattle her composure, which he found generally unnerving.

Not wanting Fera to get huffy over Vela's language and no longer wishing to see him glaring at the person he loved, Dritz was very quick to translate for the prince.

He hadn't, however, anticipated Fera not having the coordinates they would need, nor had he thought Vela would turn and walk off. He scurried after her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"You okay, flower? I can grab the coords for us off my datapad, if you like? Get us on our way as soon as possible?"

With her agreement, Dritz prepared the coordinates and the ship's flight path, launching them with their same practiced rhythms.

Vela had not initially meant to walk away when Fera couldn't tell her the coordinates. It was the additional insult to the Nova, for some reason, which had irritated her to the point of simply leaving rather than rise to such obvious bait.

She knew her ship wasn't substandard, at least not now that it had been upgraded with Dritz's help. The layout and general style might be outdated, but that was nothing to be ashamed of. It was a relic of her past made new, faster and more efficient than it had been when she first left her planet, and she was proud of it. To hear it insulted in such a way had simply... stung more than she might have expected.

Of course, Dritz had come after her and smoothed the situation over. She told him she was fine, agreeing with his wish to look up the coordinates for her, and soon enough they were on their way. However, she was aware of Fera continuing to stare at her on occasion, which she somehow knew without looking, likely because it seemed so hostile. Why did he have such a problem with her, anyway?

Once their course was stable, Vela was able to step away from the navigation console. Her gaze slid over Fera, sitting fussily in one of the chairs as though he would rather not be touching it, past Orion, leaning against said chair and smiling at her, and over to Dritz, who gave her an encouraging look. [Should we play a card game? Or something else to pass the time?] she asked for him to translate. There was a strange feeling to having extra passengers, and she had no idea what to do in this case.

Dritz chose to fill the awkward silences with idle chitchat, rambling about how incredible it was how often one needed to manually update a navigation console, what with space constantly shifting and expanding, and new galaxies being discovered still, and didn't it make your head hurt, it certainly made his hurt, with his antennae twitching anxiously with every rambled word.

The silences weren't, however, too often. Orion was good at chatting cheerfully, and between them, with Vela's signing, there was enough communication that it should not be too awkward. It might even end up being... fun?

Dritz looked at the others with a shrug, "So, we have a little while before your first liaison, so... how about a card game? We have the table in the kitchen? I think it's a great idea, Vela and I play so many games while we travel."

Orion listened with amusement as Dritz rambled in an effort to keep the atmosphere friendly and not too awkward, though he then strove to keep up a pleasant banter as well. He knew Fera had no skill at this sort of thing, and he hoped it was something he could pick up largely through watching them.

Of course, it wasn't going to be easy.

"Cards?" The prince said the word like he had never before done so in his life. "Is that a game commoners play?"

"Er... kinda," Orion replied, shrugging. "I'm sure there have been royals who've played cards. And there are a lot of different styles of games. Just because you're not familiar with it doesn't mean you shouldn't try it."

"No," Fera said icily. "I'd rather not."

"Suit yourself." Maybe once Fera saw what fun he was missing out on, he would join them. In a leisurely fashion, Orion followed Dritz and Vela through to their kitchen area, plopping himself down in one of the chairs at the table with a big smile. He knew this would be fun. "Deal me in."

Dritz had set the water to heating up, grinning at Vela as he gestured to the box of flower tea. They'd treated themselves to a blend that neither of them had tried yet; yellow buds that unfurled into layered flowers with squat petals, apparently with a light, floral taste that perked one up.

He sat down opposite Vela, shuffling their card deck with a flourish when Orion came in. He beamed, setting ten cards out for each of them as he went over the rules, even though they all were aware. Once the water was hot, he made tea for those that wanted, and he grabbed a container of small blue pellets; the currency he and Vela liked to play for. They were chewy, sweet and slightly sour treats, and incredibly moreish.

He placed two of his cards down and grinned at the selection, at least until Vela gave a small smile and placed another down on top of one.

"Ah, damn, I was so confident with that opener..." the Chrysalan pouted.

Orion had to smile as he watched Dritz and Vela; he usually did. Resting his chin on his hand as he sat at the table, he waited while Dritz went over his cards and Vela sipped delicately at her flower tea. The human had refused the offer of a drink, not being much of one for tea in any case. Fera was probably still sitting on the navigation deck, which Orion personally thought was a bit rude, but there wasn't much he could do about it if he wasn't going to be friendly. Maybe he would change his mind later, out of boredom if nothing else.

The cards Dritz set down first were pretty impressive, but Vela seemed to have a strategy in mind. Orion squinted at his own cards, now wondering what to do next. There wasn't much, so he took the slight chance that neither of them would have a hand that could counter the few he set down beside Dritz's. As the game unfolded, however, it became clear that neither he nor the Chrysalan was going to be able to beat Vela. She just seemed to have a way of reading her cards which Orion, admittedly, might not have thought of himself.

"Wow," he chuckled, placing the rest of his cards face-down beside him. "I'm definitely out now. So does Vela win often, or...?" he teased, watching the Aurian collect her winnings with an incredibly modest smile. She offered a few of the candies to Dritz anyway, which made him laugh a little more.

During the course of the game, Dritz occasionally clicked and chirped in frustration, pouting, but never truly became aggravated by his partner's skills with the game.

He groaned loudly as the game closed, his usual goofy smile never faltering, slapping his cards down. "Dammit. Yeah, I swear she gets better every time. I think I won maybe... The first two games we ever played? And once when you were too tired, right?" he laughed, turning to Vela and taking one of the candies she offered. "I've never known anyone to pick up a game so quickly."

He handed Orion a couple of sweets too, chuckling, "Let's say we're all winners. So. You know what business Fera has going on...?"

With a fond smile, Orion accepted the sweets, popping one into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. "That's pretty amazing, especially considering you come from a culture without these forms of entertainment. I thought so before too, but you're just incredibly smart."

Vela was still rather modest, signing a simple thank you. She turned a loving gaze to Dritz, at least until he asked his next question, which made her frown and appear disinterested instead, picking up everyone's cards and carefully shuffling them once more.

"Well, Fera's business," Orion sighed, rolling the remaining candy around in his hand slowly. "I can't say I know everything about what he does. But what I do know is that he is remarkably involved in the trade of rare items. One-of-a-kind items and artifacts of important cultures, mostly those that have disappeared from the galaxy. I mean, you saw some of his rooms back on Hesperus. Apparently he has more than that, much more. I'm not sure why he's so into it, but it's something he's passionate about. And he doesn't conduct any shady dealings, that I know of. It's all legitimate. He's made such a name for himself that he's constantly getting offers and invitations to view items he might have an interest in. I know he buys or trades, he rarely sells. Like I said, I don't know everything, but I wish I could make him talk about it with you. His enthusiasm is so rare and nice to see."

Just moments after Orion said this, a soft look still on his face, Fera strode into the room as though summoned. "You had better not be talking about me." He swept through toward the table, clearly (and thankfully) not having heard their conversation, sitting down beside the human with a slight grimace of disgust. "Ugh. This ship is so... so tasteless. I might as well play whatever ridiculous game you have going on, I have nothing better to do."

"That's not a very pleasant way to join a game where you're supposed to have fun," Orion admonished, though he couldn't help grinning. Leave it to Fera to try making everyone believe his presence was only to do everyone a favor.

Despite Vela's obviously humble acceptance, Dritz was beaming with pride. Of course, he knew Vela was smart. Super smart. But it always made him particularly happy for others to see her as special.

The Aurian's reaction didn't escape his notice, however. He felt bad, his antennae arcing up in a longing to comfort her (though she probably didn't need it), but he knew she'd understand what he was trying to do.

Fascinated by the revelation, Dritz was about to ask further questions when the prince entered. He'd need to speak to him separately, maybe. Fera had spoken to him alone once, perhaps he might again if he engaged him.

"Ah, you missed a good game. I very nearly won," Dritz laughed before catching Vela's eye. "Nearly. I could have." He glanced at Orion. "Okay, so I lost terribly, but still. It's fun. You up for another game, flower?"

He smiled hopefully at Vela, gesturing to the table as an offer to deal them back in.

The information about Fera was a little interesting, Vela had to admit. She hadn't thought he would be so involved in something like that. But his sudden appearance lessened her enthusiasm, as usual.

She gave a very slight shrug, her gaze cast downward, but she did begin to deal the cards again. Even the idea of playing with Fera at the table gave her a bad feeling, one she could only ignore and hope would be proved wrong.

"Of course I know how to play," the prince was saying haughtily, taking each card gingerly as though touching them made him squeamish. In actuality, it was because the Vela had touched them. It was no wonder Dritz had lost, if she was using some spell to bend the game in her favor. "Everyone plays this silly game, across the entire galaxy, or so it seems. I may not be a commoner, but I know of such a common game."

He made every effort to be elegant and poised as he played the cards he thought would win. Wasn't that how the game worked? Yet for some reason the others kept giving him baffled looks with every card he set down. Even so, it took at least five minutes before he realized he was losing.

"Who is cheating?"

Everyone looked rather startled at this question. The Vela, setting a card down on top of his own, froze momentarily in surprise. Fera took the opportunity to glare, pointing a finger at her, not even needing an explanation. But why use dark magic on something so trivial as a card game?!

Dritz shrugged, laughing heartily, "Hey, us commoners know all the best games."

The game went well up until a point. Orion set his cards down, forcing Dritz to change his tactic, but when Vela revealed her hand, Dritz was able to keep his original idea to play the long term game, putting down weaker cards and keeping the others close, at least to begin with.

However, when Fera revealed, daintily putting a card down, Dritz had to pause. Was he truly playing a saint of stars after a ruler of planets? Really?! Dritz wondered if it was all a ploy, and he rolled his neck in an exaggerated acceptance of this perceived challenge. The next round went much the same, Vela seemingly having a wonderful hand yet again, while Orion was playing quite an overt round; no bluffs, but so well done that it was almost a bluff in itself.

Fera's outburst caught them all by surprise. At first, Dritz might have been able to laugh it off, but he frowned at the very sudden accusation, "Vela's  done nothing but play the game. No one's cheating, we wouldn't have any cause to...?"

"She isn't cheating?" Fera's tone was still sharp with accusation and disbelief as he continued to glare at the Vela. The evil creature wasn't even looking at him, instead seeming to stare at the cards for no reason. Other than to hold her spell in place?

"Fera... no, I'm really sure she's not," Orion spoke up, annoyingly. Wasn't his lover supposed to be on his side? How many spells could she keep in place at once?! "No one is cheating, but for some reason you keep putting down bad cards. I don't see a strategy in it. And I'm not criticizing you, but I thought you knew how to play this game? Because it doesn't seem-"

"I do!" The prince exploded, indignant. "Of course I do! And I'm sorry if you can't see how I'm trying to play it! It's not my fault that you have... her... manipulating things the way she does!"

Vela finally leaned back, narrowing her normal eye. [If I can speak for myself, I will say I'm not cheating. If it makes you feel better, we can just say you won. But I don't manipulate anything, even if you don't believe me.]

She looked to Dritz to translate, not caring what Fera really thought. If he would not believe her, there was not much to be done.

Dritz had been willing to let the incident go, but having Vela looking so unhappy was effecting him a great deal. He patted her hand before translating. He had wanted to speak first, but poor Vela had clearly felt attacked, and needed to be able to defend herself first.

"And if I could add to Vela's words; you've continually insulted her particularly, and I can't really just keep letting it go, Fera. I've tried to be polite, but Vela is my love and by insulting her, you're also offending me. She didn't have to help you, in fact, she'd be justified in leaving you to whatever you had on the station," he explained levelly, trying to maintain a lighter tone. "But she's the reason you're able to conduct your business right now, and she's been nothing but tolerant and accommodating. And, come on, it's just a game."

He shrugged, grinning.

It was somewhat evident to everyone in the room (or maybe it was just Orion being extra attentive to it), but Fera's general temperature was rising to the point where it heated the air around him. This was never a good sign, and in light of Dritz's very appropriate speech to him, it was obvious the prince was not taking it well even before the Chrysalan was done talking. However, Fera's voice was not raised or shrill when he replied, and that was a definite surprise.

"No one asked you," he said to Dritz, his tone still sharp enough. "It doesn't matter to me, how you feel about what I say to her. I know what I believe! And I can't reveal what that is, just in case."

"Fera, I think you're being a little ridiculous. There is no plot against you here. And Dritz is right, you-"

"Shut up!" the prince snapped, cutting Orion off and standing, a particularly vicious glare pointed in the human's direction. "I don't know whose side you think you're on, but I have to say I don't think it's mine!" He swiveled back around to Dritz and Vela. "Just take me where I need to go. I don't want to interact with you otherwise." With that, he turned and walked out of the room in a way which was somehow both angry and elegant at the same time.

Fighting against the urge to immediately go after him, Orion squeezed his eyes shut and groaned, resting his head on the table for a moment. "You guys," he finally said, voice slightly muffled. "I don't know what to say except I'm sorry. You can take us back to the station if you want, I wouldn't hold it against you. I just thought maybe he'd... you know, I'm not sure what I thought." He lifted his head in a pained half smile, clearly struggling to hold the hopelessness out of his voice.

Dritz felt the familiar clench of conflict in his stomach. The situation was very quickly approaching a level of conflict he was incredibly anxious about, but almost-thankfully, Fera stormed off before it reached a point of nausea for him.

He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding and stood, moving to Orion's side, where he bent to hug him where he sat, "Hey, it's... Well, not okay, but also really not your fault. Don't worry, we'll resolve this. And if we don't, well... I dunno. Either way, it will be okay."

He moved back to where he had been sitting and pulled Vela close, kissing her cheek.

"As for what happens, I need to consult my captain," he said softly, affectionately. "But... I think she is too good a person, or too true to her word to just turn around and leave you back at the station. Right, flower?"

He realised his words had kind of put poor Vela on the spot, and he grimaced, looking at her apologetically.

Fera's outburst and resultant exit from the room was actually a relief to Vela. It was better if he was not there, if he had no wish to interact with them. But she saw the tension and stress in the other two males as being much worse than her own. Though, admittedly, she had decided she could care less what Fera did.

[I mean no offense,] she signed slowly to Orion, after taking a moment to nuzzle against Dritz's side, [but I do find him annoying most of the time. I don't know what he believes about me for sure, but he is strange. Coronal are very superstitious, maybe it's how I look...] She thought this over for a moment, then shrugged.

Orion did laugh a little when Dritz translated her words in their entirety. "No offense taken. I know how he can be. He thinks you can control others somehow, through your signing, I guess. I tried to tell him that's not how it works, but... Fera." He heaved a sigh, frowning again.

[Maybe he will learn someday,] she continued thoughtfully, not feeling she was beyond teaching him herself somehow. [In the meantime, Dritz is right, I can't leave you on the station with no way to travel freely. No matter how he makes me feel. For now we might just spend some time apart, at least until we arrive at our destination. Dritz and I can discuss what to do.]

The human was quite agreeable to this, and went to find Fera, who had likely retreated to the bunk room. Vela and Dritz headed back to the navigation deck. where she leaned against him with a tired sigh of her own. She knew that when he looked at her, he could see she was wondering what he thought about the situation so far.

The hum of the engine, or more accurately, the drone of it, was almost welcoming. The sound had always been a comfort to Dritz, reminding him that sometimes things worked against all odds, all the tiny problems that could occur.

"Hey, you know we don't need to do this, right?" he offered, pulling her close. "I know you want to, because you're a good person, but honestly, flower, it's all up to you. If you were to say the word, I'd escort him off the ship and to the nearest outpost." The Chrysalan was nibbling his lip idly. He knew deep down that Vela wouldn't say the word. She was too kind, as he had thought, and that of course was a wonderful thing to him.

"I think we can do this amicably. I wanna believe he's more tolerant than he's showing..."

Vela nestled against Dritz for a moment, drawing some calmness from him. He was such a comfort, making her life seem easier than it had been before.

[I know,] she finally signed, moving back from him for now. [But I don't want to do that. This will work out, somehow. Orion is a good friend to have, and I can't leave him behind. It's not his fault, even though... I don't think he has very good taste.] It had been a small joke, but Vela secretly thought it quite true.

[We will get to this station in less than an hour now,] she continued, glancing at the nearby console. [He will conduct his business and then.... Well, then we'll see if he still wants to travel with us. Maybe he will find it's not worth it.] She had her doubts, but left them all aside as she turned back to Dritz more earnestly.

[When it's our turn to stay in the bunk room...] She abandoned her signing there, instead communicating by pressing her body tightly to Dritz's and softly kissing his neck. For some reason, her longing for him seemed much greater than before, promising extra relief from the stress of the day.

Of course she didn't want to do that. Dritz smiled warmly. She was the sweetest being in the galaxy. He couldn't help but snort at her small, sassy jibe.

"I dunno, maybe Fera has bedroom qualities that help make up for all this," he whispered with a snicker. Judging from the look Vela gave him, his own jibe was not appreciated.

The soft press of her lithe body against his made Dritz close his eyes, smirking as he considered her 'quiet' signing and her soft lips on his skin. He let his fingers slide into the soft wisps of hair that just brushed her neck, his other hand slipping around to the small of her back.

"When it's our turn, I'll make this all up to you," he said cheekily, kissing her softly.

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #30

(Vela’s part in italics.)

Orion felt like he was keeping a good sense of his own calmness. Dritz would be with him, and this might help settle Fera further. It was all he could tell himself as he led the way through the station toward the more expensive rooms where the prince was staying.

"This way," he said, leading them straight to a door near the end of the section. "He's not too upset with me yet. I still have this." Producing a card from one pocket, he tapped it against a panel set into the door and watched it silently slide open before he entered.

Luckily Fera was nowhere in sight, in the small entranceway or the main living area just beyond. These rooms were furnished with lavish detail, though many of the decorations were actually items which Fera had brought from his planet. Including the vase which lay shattered into a couple dozen glass pieces near the door which exited the living area. At least, Orion thought it was a vase. Although... why would Coronal need vases when they didn't have plants?

"Right, that's still there," he sighed, making sure neither of his companions would step on the mess accidentally. "We had a little... moment before I left. I think Fera must be in the study, since that's where he headed. Can you believe that, the quarters in this section of the station are like little houses by themselves." His weak attempt to joke about it wasn't working so well, so he sighed and gestured to Vela. "You can stay in here. We'll make sure he doesn't come back through."

The Aurian was already seating herself on a sleek chair covered in some form of gold embroidery, looking around her with quite obvious curiosity. Likely she would not be bored, even if she didn't have to possibly listen to Fera screaming as well. Which he really hoped wouldn't happen. "You ready?" he asked Dritz with an attempted smile, starting to lead him to the next door.

Despite Orion letting them know they did not have to stay, Dritz felt there was very little that would make him abandon those he decided to call friends. Even if part of him was reluctant to see a true Fera foul mood; it must be bad, given Orion's worry.

He put his arm around Vela, though when he felt her back, it was tense. She was clearly preparing herself for whatever Fera might say or do if he saw her. Or perhaps she was just steeling herself in general. She did not seem to be so bothered by confrontation as Dritz was, but perhaps this was something new her was learning about her?

Fera's room was predictably incredible, and far larger than any of the standard accommodation on the station, and with all the kinds of beautiful things adorning it that the prince seemed to like adorning himself with, except for the shards of something on the floor. They were pretty shards, though, whatever the thing had been. "Shame about whatever this was. You, uh, want me to clean it up? I don't mind," Dritz muttered, gently prodding a larger bit with his shoe, careful not to allow it to scratch the otherwise gleaming floor. Of course, Orion politely declined; it was probably the last thing on his mind at that moment.

He watched Vela with a fond smile before turning back to the human, "As I'll ever be!" He reached out to Vela as they passed and squeezed her arm gently.

What Orion had called a "study" was a room which he actually had no other name for. It wasn't full of books or documents, items Fera would have found boring. Instead it was an assortment of low tables and shelves holding beautifully arranged ornaments and curios. As far as Orion could tell, they were not solely from Coronus, but from all over the galaxy. Fera wouldn't talk about any of it, for some reason, but Orion distinctly recognized a sparkling geode of the sort he had heard was found on Earth. All of the objects were pretty, but he could see that none of them had a particular use other than being nice to look at.

Thankfully, the prince hadn't retreated to his bedroom, a place where it was likely he would be angry to be confronted. At the moment Orion entered the study with Dritz, he was curled onto a low couch with his back to the door, lovely white clothing and pink hair obviously in some disarray. This was very unusual for Fera, showing how distressed he was. Orion felt another pang of concern before he tried speaking.

"Hey, love. I brought someone to see you. It's Dritz, he's finally back from his trip off the station. Just the other day you mentioned whether or not we'd ever see him again. But I thought it might make you feel better to know he's here." The silence after this statement was deafening, and Orion felt he might need to speak again just before Fera sharply moved himself around and sat up.

"Oh, yes, Dritz will make me feel better," the prince snapped. His face was flushed more red than pink, and the makeup he used to line his eyes was obviously smudged on one side. It broke Orion's heart to think of his lover crying here by himself, but he had no time to contemplate it further. "And where in the seven hells do you think you've been, anyway? I didn't give you permission to leave! Why does no one even think about me? I should give a damn that you're back? How are you even going to help me now?!"

The tone of Fera's voice had gradually risen in pitch, to the point where it was not quite the screeching from before, but getting close. Orion fought to hold back a sigh. He should have known the prince would continue being difficult. He didn't think this was fair to Dritz, but he only shook his head and waited to see if his friend would need help replying.

Dritz, feeling incredibly surprised the situation was so bad as to reduce Fera to look anything less than statuesque, fought back any sign of the concern on his face and moved to sit down, smiling.

"Aw, I missed you too, Your Highness," he said politely, his voice cheery enough to try and help the tension in the room, soft enough to not seem callous. "I know I'm not like, an insider on whatever is going on, but I do want to help. Whatever is the matter. Ori is worried about you, and so am I. That's why I'm here; why we're both here. So clearly... There is more thought for you than you might think." He offered Fera a slight smile.

He seemed to spot the beautiful trinkets for the first time and let his eyes wander, conscious that the prince might not wish to be seen in such a way, or at least not in a way he might feel stared at.

"These are pretty," he ventured, gesturing to a set of... He guessed hair pins or brooches? They were gleaming gold with many white stones that somehow seemed to contain every other colour, something which fascinated him.

Fera sat up straighter, glaring. He had no awareness of the state of his appearance. There was little in his mind beyond the fact that everything had gone terribly wrong.

"They took my ship," he hissed at Dritz. "The Radiant Sun. My ship. What am I supposed to do? I'm trapped here. Trapped!" The last word had come out strangely loud, and he almost realized his over-dramatic acting... but not quite.

"I told Dritz as much. And yeah, he was really worried to hear it. So we're both here to see if we can help you, that's all we want," Orion said softly, clearly trying to be soothing again. But none of his attempts worked before, and Fera had only found himself growing angry at the human.

He shifted his attention back to Dritz, ignoring Orion. "I doubt you care. I'm not sure why you're really here. As if you know what it's like for me!" Waving away the Chrysalan's interest in any of the items in the room, his eyes went wide as he suddenly remembered what else this might mean.

"Wait... where is she?" There was a definite note of panic in his raised voice as he scanned the room, afraid that the Vela had somehow entered without his knowledge and was now lurking near him with some  strange power to become invisible.

"I heard," Dritz said angrily, matching Fera's tone of indignation. "Frankly, Your Highness, it's a damn disgrace. We, Ori and I, will do our utmost to ensure you are not trapped on the station."

It was clear Orion's soothing, though adorable and soft and nice and Dritz kind of hoped the human was around if he ever had a meltdown himself, was not helping Fera the way it ought to. Perhaps the Coronal royal needed someone to be as pissed as he was.

"Of course I don't know what it's like! Why don't you tell-" he trailed off as he watched Fera scan the room in panic. "She's not here, Fera. Promise. Here, tell me. Tell me what it's like! Rant to me! Then let's see what we can do to sort it all out."

Fera snorted indignantly. If she wasn't here, then where was she? But Dritz's other words and general tone made him forget about the Vela for now.

In fact, it took him several long moments of staring at Dritz until he decided the Chrysalan was not just making fun of him. Then he jumped to his feet and began to pace angrily, his fury at his parents boiling over again. "It's not fair! Just because they want me to go back to Coronus and take part in their ridiculous ceremonies! I won't go!"

His fists clenched and he stopped walking, keeping his back turned on the others. "They took my ship because I won't obey them. And I have no intention of doing so. It's because I have a betrothed." With these words he spun around, staring at Orion, whose mouth had fallen open slightly. "Don't look like that," he snapped. "If you think I'm marrying a woman so I can continue the royal bloodline, you're out of your damned mind. I won't do it. They can't make me!"

Realization of what this meant dawned on him, and his knees buckled slightly before he stood up straighter again. "I... I'll never get my ship back. That's it. Everything is ruined." There was a pause as his chest began to heave dramatically with his breathing. "No... I'm a prince! " he practically screamed, the last bits of his pain and rage coming together all at once before he collapsed back onto his chair with his head in his hands.

Orion, apparently still speechless from Fera's revelation, seemed frozen for the moment as he looked at Dritz with wide eyes.

Dritz's eyes widened. Poor Orion. Well, poor Fera, of course; it must have been hard to have something taken away so abruptly when one was so used to having- he glanced around the room- everything. But poor Orion for suddenly finding out something incredibly upsetting in an even more upsetting way.

Of course, Dritz didn't... No. No, he truly didn't believe Fera would be so cold. The prince was just distressed, not thinking. He did his best to communicate this thought process to Orion without words but sadly the two of them didn't have the same connection as he had with Vela, so it didn't really work.

He leaned over and put a gentle hand on Fera's arm, hesitant but as comforting as possible. "Prince Fera," he said quietly, "Why don't you and Ori have a minute? Even princes need hugs from their partners. I think you'd both benefit? Then I can come back and we can talk about what to do to help you get your ship."

He eyed Orion, hoping this was an acceptable plan.

Vela had been quite entranced by a painting she found on one of the walls; she was unfamiliar with most forms of art in general, though she understood the basic concept. This painting in particular she found not to her taste, even without knowing the intention behind it. There were many strange shapes overlapping each other, and the colors were all variations of red or orange or yellow. She had stared intently, trying to make some sense of it, when she heard... Fera screaming? That was all it could be.

Shortly thereafter she had given up on the painting, but then Dritz entered the room alone. Vela turned to stare at him in surprise, then walked quickly over to embrace him.

[What happened?] she asked, only pulling back to sign. [Is Orion alright in there? I heard... something.] She did know what it was, but wasn't the most curious when it came to the prince, so she didn't ask for more information.

Dritz found himself naturally falling into Vela's embrace, and gladly so. The situation was not stressful for him, as such, but he was almost hyper aware of the tension between the two of them, and he was just worried.

He kissed the top of her head with a smile and a shrug, whispering, "He's having a hard time with something. Seems like the Coronal royals aren't pleased with him? So, from what I can tell, the Radiant Sun has been taken back to Coronus. Oh, and get this-" He lowered his voice even more, "He's supposed to be coupled with someone there?! I dunno why, but it seems to be a problem." He shrugged, pulled an exaggerated expression of confusion. Despite his desire to the contrary, Dritz had been brought up with the idea that coupling with multiple partners was normal, acceptable, encouraged. Why Fera couldn't just... have both? was beyond him. Maybe Coronus frowned on that sort of thing? He only wanted the one partner, after all, and he did know that other planets were different. He just sort of assumed royals had the most partners.

"So... I left them to work out what's going on, and talk and stuff. Though, who knows if Fera will talk and not just scream."

The silence in the room after Dritz left was nearly startling. Fera was actually not screaming... but he wasn't talking, either. Instead he stared at Orion with an expression that was difficult to read, his body totally still, but his eyes flickering slightly as he seemed to search the human's face. What was he looking for?

"Listen, Fera..." Orion began quietly, when it became obvious he wouldn't be speaking first. "I'm still sorry about what's happened. And I'm sorry you had your ship taken away from you. I just... Well, I didn't know you were promised to someone. I think Dritz was confused too, Chrysalans aren't largely monogamous the way humans or Coronal are." His tone was purposely light, trying to make it sound like all of this wasn't a big deal, even though he'd felt his heart sink to know that Fera was betrothed to someone else already.

"Stop." The word was spoken sharply, and not what Orion had expected to hear from Fera first. "Why aren't you angry?"

"Why aren't I angry?" Orion repeated with a sudden sigh. He walked to one of the gilt chairs and sat down, feeling like this legs needed a rest. "Well, because. Maybe deep down I knew you probably had someone, it seems to be what royals do, betroth their children early on. It doesn't mean I'm angry that you didn't tell me, though I still wish you had. And didn't you say you had no intention of a union with this other Coronal?"

The prince's face could have been carved from stone. "No. I have no such intention. I have no interest in her." After another moment, some expression finally came back to him. "I like being a prince. I have no desire to be the king of Coronus. I thought that if I avoided my betrothal long enough, it might always stay this way. But I..."

Fera had become remarkably restrained, but Orion wasn't surprised. He was like this when he was truly upset over something, where others couldn't see. "What?" he asked softly, standing again and approaching Fera. "You know it won't work like that? Is that it?"

Some of the anger and pain flashed across the prince's face again for a brief moment before Orion stepped forward and caught the other man in an embrace. Then it was as if the fight went out of him, and he relaxed into his lover's arms.

Orion stroked his hair and made the slightest rocking motion as he held Fera. "There, there," he murmured, knowing it meant nothing to the Coronal, but it was something his human parents had done for Orion when he was upset and it had always stuck with him. "We'll figure something out. Maybe we can find a way to get your ship back if we talk it out with Dritz. You want to try?"

A small shiver passed through Fera. "I suppose so. But not with the Vela."

"We told you she isn't here," Orion replied carefully. "But if we do come up with a plan, she might have to be there. Depends how much you want your ship back."

Fera snorted slightly in disgust, though he backed away then and returned to his chair, looking grimly resolute. Orion smiled and went to the door, making certain to close it behind him before approaching Dritz and Vela.

"Hey. He's calm now. You want to come back in, Dritz? We can talk about what could possibly be done. Although, I have to say I'm not sure there is anything." His smile was a bit more sad then as he made sure Vela was doing alright and moved back toward the study with Dritz.

Once he was certain Vela was okay with him once again attending to the prince, Dritz kissed her on the forehead and followed Orion back into the room.

It seemed Fera was too riled up, too angry and tense, to have a seat. Dritz touched his arm and smiled, "I hope you're feeling a bit better now. I know you won't be at one hundred percent, but maybe a good start before we discuss. Then we can  get to the one hundred percent later!"

He plopped down on the floor, his boots making the slightest little squeaking as he did so.

"So, your parents... Is them taking the 'Sun away a punishment for defying their partnering?" he asked. With a soft, wide-eyed expression, he added, "Sorry, I just... Don't know."

When Orion returned with Dritz, Fera shrugged off the Chrysalan's concerns, already returning to a slightly more haughty exterior. He did, however, give a disapproving scowl as Dritz sat on the floor, making no other comment on it regardless.

"No. It's not for defying the union. I haven't actually done that. It's simply because they are angry that I refuse to return to Coronus." Fists and jaw clenched, he paced the room briefly before continuing. "There is a ceremony I must attend concerning this union, a sort of bonding that would take place between us. And I want nothing to do with it."

He circled around again, returning to glare at Dritz. "They would not take me directly, or force me to return. But they think that taking the Radiant Sun from me will trap me where I am, force me to give in to what they want." With a long pause, he glanced at Orion, who was remaining quiet for now. "They might win," he muttered. "I am trapped here."

Swiveling his attention back to Dritz abruptly, the prince snapped, "How simple it must be to choose whoever you like to partner with!"

"It's... not as simple as it looks. Chrysalan families are still not usually very open to alien partners, regardless of their biology," Dritz muttered sheepishly. "But I am lucky that my culture's standpoint on relationships is one of passion. Even if alien coupling is frowned upon, it's a small flaw in a very open society." He shrugged, looking sad, "I'm really sorry it's not the same for you. I've never seen trouble in two individuals being partnered so long as they're of age and it's what they want. Everyone's rules around it seem stupid."

He watched Fera and Orion sadly for a moment before adding a hopeful, "Could your family not... accept Ori as your partner at all?"

The reaction he received caused Dritz to flinch in surprise. "Okay, okay, maybe that wasn't the course of action to take. Can you... rent or buy another ship?"

Once again Fera shrugged off Dritz's concerns, even regarding his own people and their lack of openness to alien partners. "Of course it's not the same for me. And it's ridiculous. Being royalty means I cannot choose whoever I like. I must have the best match, the most closely suited, the one with the greatest likelihood of producing... offspring." He said the last word with the kind of disdain most people would reserve for something truly vile. "So to answer your question: no. Orion would not be accepted as my partner."

He felt another flash of irritation then, a sense of unfairness regarding the whole situation. Being reminded of his ship just made it worse. "No! If I purchase another ship, it will likely also be taken from me. Besides, how can I find anything as worthy as the Radiant Sun? Renting a ship is out of the question. Word would spread that I was using it and I can't be seen that way. It is beneath me. There is nothing of suitable quality, anyway." His voice had risen into a whine by this point. "I have business left to conduct! And until it is concluded I have need of a ship! What am I supposed to do!"

Orion seemed to be thinking, measuring up the situation on his own and finally sighing. "There's the Nova," he said quietly, addressing Dritz instead. "But I dunno how open Vela would be to letting Fera and I use her ship."

Fera silently fumed, barely holding himself back from instantly refusing an offer even if it was made. There was no chance, in this life or the next, that he would use the Vela's ship.

Dritz had almost forgotten, to his horror, poor Orion's presence there. He'd been so absorbed in the swirling tornado of Fera's emotions, fascinated by the behaviour, that he'd sort of even forgotten where they were. He didn't know of anyone who behaved like Fera.

Except, sometimes, at a push, and never to such extreme, Kli. Though he was not really bright enough to get het up about anything apart from his hair.

"Well... Maybe we could... Ask her? It's not a terrible idea. The Nova's an amazing ship; reliable and steady. Surprisingly quick too. We could help conduct your business, if Vela agrees to it. I don't want to volunteer her ship without her say so." He wished he still had Papilio at this stage...

"I don't care how wonderful the ship is," Fera said through gritted teeth. "I would rather not."

"Fera." Orion had stood and walked over to him, effectively blocking his pacing and putting both hands on his arms to stop him further. "Listen. You won't go back to Coronus, so unless you know of another way, you can't get the Radiant Sun back. And you're not willing to rent a ship and have people find out you need to do so. So your only bet right now is that Vela would be so remarkably kind as to let you use the Nova. Considering how you really don't deserve it and all."

As usual, Orion's calming tone and words had begun to soothe the prince. At least until the statement at the end. "And what does that mean?" he hissed in annoyance.

"Well, y'know. You haven't exactly been the nicest to her, so you'll be lucky if she agrees. And before you even think about it, no, one of us won't ask her. You have to ask her. You're the one who needs to use her ship."

Fera could feel himself growing warmer with his anger by the second. Of course it would turn out this way! His gaze slid sideways to Dritz, hating the fact that the Chrysalan was watching this discussion. It was highly embarrassing. But there truly was no other option at the moment.

"Fine," he spat dramatically. He turned to Dritz and shrugged to show he really couldn't care less. "Where is she, then? I want to get this over with, I am due in a nearby system tomorrow and I really can't afford this delay." Maybe if he put it out of his mind, he would not be so bothered by the Vela. Maybe.

Dritz didn't realize he'd audibly gasped, just a little bit, until he heard the silence after it. He couldn't believe Orion would be so... direct. His tone was sweet but his words stung with utter truth. Fera was unkind to his flower, and he didn't deserve her help, but no one had said it up until that point.

The gigantic grin that had spread across his face very rapidly disappeared when he was faced with the prince's icy gaze on him.

"She's not far, I'll go and get her," he said quickly, his now positively adoring gaze darting to Orion as he left the study.

Leaving the two men behind, he closed the door, sweeping Vela into one arm and muttering, "We'll have to go and wait for a second, then pretend to return, 'kay?"

Vela, having been studying a strangely-shaped object made out of some sort of golden material atop a small table, was completely surprised when Dritz came back into the room and put an arm around her. The talk in the study beyond had quieted to the point where she could not hear it, for the most part, save for when Fera was particularly loud. Losing interest because of this, she had started wandering about and picking up items at random; she didn't know if it was allowed, but didn't care.

She let Dritz lead her back out completely, stopping once they were outside the door to frown at him in concern. [Why? What's going on? And what reason would I have to go in there and see him?] That was precisely what she had hoped to avoid, but her curiosity at this point was too strong to deny.

Once they were out into the street again, Dritz shook his head. "Sorry about all the weird leaving to return, but basically... Fera thinks you're elsewhere, and given how he was, it just seemed smarter to keep up that illusion," he explained, shrugging apologetically. He pulled Vela close, seeming to contemplate exactly what to say. Was it right to ask her on Fera's behalf, or would it seem more natural for the request for her assistance to come directly from the prince himself? If Dritz asked, he might be able to assure her he'd be kept in line... maybe.

He explained the situation carefully, deciding to simply be honest with her about everything. She was the compassionate and reasonable one of the two of them, and he was certain that even her dislike of Fera wouldn't stand in the way of her helping someone in need. However, he would need to ensure Fera treated her better in return. As he talked her through as much of the prince's shrieking as he could understand, he tried to sign along with his own words.

"So... basically, I think he's going to ask you for help. I wanted to kinda... forewarn you," he said finally, scrunching his nose up in preparation for her response to something which, frankly, she had no obligation to do.

Vela listened closely, her full attention on Dritz, appreciative of his attempts of signing at the same time. When she had absorbed all of this information, she had to take a long moment to think for herself.

Prince Fera of Coronus actually wanted her help? The situation he was in was completely unfamiliar to her, and she didn't want to get involved in his personal business in the slightest. However, the act of him asking her for a favor, or even just talking to her (as he usually seemed to avoid doing so), was intriguing. At the very least she wanted to see him actually somewhat desperate for her help.

[I will talk to him,] she answered noncommittally. [Thank you for telling me. I will have to decide what I want to do.] She thought she already knew, but there was a part of her that didn't want to make it easy on Fera.

Having waited long enough, the two of them reentered the rooms and Dritz led her into the study. Orion was sitting on a low couch and looking completely relaxed, but Fera was standing stiffly near the center of the room, his eyes widening then narrowing upon seeing Vela enter. After a simple signed greeting to the human, who understood what this meant already and replied similarly, she next signed to Dritz.

[Tell him I will speak with him as long as he doesn't insult me.] Fera was already looking alarmed at her hand gestures, and if this discussion was meant to be conducted in a businesslike way, she had no wish to waste time waiting to be treated with some respect.

The tension back in the study was thick, and seemingly radiating from just the one point. The one elegant pink and white point.

Vela was, in a way that Dritz didn't recall having seen, gracious and businesslike, and Dritz straightened himself up accordingly. In his position as translator, he usually spoke in the third person, but as his knowledge of her signing grew, he was able to sense more tone and volume, sometimes even rhythm.

"I will speak with you on the grounds that you do not insult me," he said on her behalf, his tone serious but reasonable and light. If Fera was as desperate as he seemed, he would need to take notice that Vela knew he insulted her a lot.

Fera had spent the time between Dritz's departure and returning with the Vela in furiously searching his mind for any alternative to his current course of action.

There had been nothing.

Yet, when faced with the Vela now, his immediate reaction was to recoil from her, seeing the way she signed to Orion (and received a response? was she beginning to control him too?!) and the way she then addressed him, staring with that alarmingly unnatural mechanical eye. He began to feel a little squeamish just thinking about how it came to be there, and decided to focus his attention on Dritz and his translation instead.

"I... I have never insulted you," he spluttered with less dignity than he would have liked, quickly glancing around the room to see that Orion looked rather disapproving of such an obvious lie. "In any case, considering we are conducting business here, I will be brief."

Thinking about it further, Dritz was translating differently. Speaking as though he was the Vela herself. A shudder ran through him as he considered the possibility that she had taken direct control of the Chrysalan's mind at this point. He would have to be brief to avoid the same sorcery happening to him.

"I need to borrow your ship," he spat out distastefully,  hating himself at the same time. Having to stoop to this level, as a prince of Coronus... Unthinkable. Or it used to be. "It is only for a few days. A week at most, I suppose. I had been in the process of business dealings in a few neighboring sectors and I no longer have access to my own ship." This was enough explanation for him. It did not even occur to him he had not properly asked if the Vela would allow him to use the Nova.

Meanwhile, Vela was watching Fera calmly as he attempted to explain himself. He was acting strangely, even for him, but she wasn't feeling satisfied with what he'd said so far. [I am sorry to hear that. But you speak as though you will take my ship without permission, regardless of what I say. For what reason should I allow it? Can I expect compensation for my time and travel expenses?]

Having dealt with traders while on Aurctas in the past, Vela felt herself strangely more qualified to talk to Fera in this way. So far he had said nothing too troubling, but as she waited for Dritz to translate, she had a feeling it may not last.

Dritz softened while Fera explained. He hated that the prince ever spoke to Vela in the manner he did, but he also seemed to be genuinely concerned (for his safety?) Also between himself, Vela and Orion, Fera was slightly outnumbered.

Fera seemed to be handling the dealings well enough, at least to begin with. He was speaking to her in a more reasonable manner than he ever had before, but then he didn't even ask her about the ship.

Dritz internally experienced that feeling of needing to slap his hand onto his face, willing him to say something. But, of course, that would have been too easy.

Once Fera was finished, Dritz turned to Vela. She had her gaze firmly on Fera, calm and professional as she signed to him before Dritz translated. Once again, he spoke in the first person, though he was unable to emphasise the same things Vela did this time, wishing only to convey that no one wanted to see him struggle, it was just that he needed to learn a little politeness.

"Of course I-" Fera began to say to Dritz, before realizing he was supposed to be addressing the Vela. It was too strange to look at her, so he settled for an area just above her head. "I was going to ask. You did not let me."

He took in a deep but sharp breath through his nose, not liking any of this, but knowing he had to try. "I... need to take your ship. What I mean is... I need to use it. Oh, hells- May I please have use of your ship? I can pay you whatever you like for time and expenses. There is no other way!"

Vela considered Fera, cocking her head to one side. He wasn't looking at her directly, but his strange uncomfortableness with her was not something which bothered her. An idea had sprung up in her mind, one which would not leave her alone once she had thought of it.

Making certain Dritz was paying close attention, she began to sign once more. [I had been prepared to possibly say no. However, there was once a time when you helped us despite really not seeming to want to. I believe we are still in your debt from that time? As a means of repaying you, I will allow you to use my ship, with my personal services as captain and pilot, and Dritz as engineer if he agrees.]

She took a step back, waiting for the Chrysalan to translate and watching Fera's wide-eyed gaze darting between him and Orion as if he was quite frightened of whatever she had answered without even knowing what it was.

As Dritz read Vela's hands, he bit back a loud laugh that bubbled up from his very soul. The Aurian had a sweetly wicked streak he hadn't previously been aware of. Or if he had, he hadn't been aware of exactly how wicked she could be.

More than anything, of course, it was fair.

He was too amused to keep up speaking on Vela's behalf, forgetting himself as he explained. "Vela wants to offer you use of the ship," he said more casually, "As a trade; you helped us once when you truly did not wanna, so Vela will allow the use of the Nova, with her unparalleled piloting skills, and my very own excellent mechanical engineering skills." He offered a silly bow at that moment, glancing at Vela.

Hell, his flower was a clever one.

For a long moment Fera stared, his mouth having fallen open in surprise. Then, naturally, he began to feel angry. How dare they-

"Wow. What a fair solution." Fera swiveled around to glare at Orion, who had just spoken. The human was still lounging in his chair, though thankfully not with his feet on any of the tables. Not after Fera had very clearly told him that such was not permissible. "I remember the story of how you helped them. And now they can pay you back! It's genius, really. Vela's smart; you really should thank her."

Seeming to barely move at all, Fera turned back to the other two. "Thank you," he said through gritted teeth, every word forced out as though he really was being controlled. "I'm sure you're so marvelously smart."

The sarcasm wasn't subtle in his voice, and he quickly brought himself to stand straighter, regaining some of his usual haughtiness. "You have three hours to prepare and supply yourselves, then we really must depart if I am to be on time. Orion, I need you to help me."

With that, he purposefully strode out of the room with a quite unhappy expression. Orion stood up and grinned at Vela and Dritz, stretching his arms. "That went well, right? I mean... could have been worse." He offered them an apologetic shrug, knowing they already understood how Fera could be.

Oh, it was all too much. Dritz could feel the laughter threatening to just explode from him. It was terrible, almost like he was going to burst. He could feel his lips twitching, his breath shuddering through suppressed amusement. Orion was handling Fera so expertly, so beautifully. And Vela had been so authoritative. But no, it was not a funny situation. In the slightest.

As soon as Fera left, Dritz clapped a hand over his mouth, scrunching his eyes closed.

"Oh damn, I'm sorry. I feel for him, I really do, but... You both..." he chirped a curse before snickering for a long moment. "Sorry, sorry. Ahem. It definitely went better than expected. Definitely." He leaned over and kissed Vela on the cheek. "Very firm, cap'n. We should prepare for our escort journey..."

He smirked, threatening to start laughing once more.

Though Vela wasn't sure why Dritz seemed so entertained, she did have a nearly smug sense of satisfaction with how the situation had proceeded. Being able to realize the only solution she thought everyone would accept made her feel calmer. There was still the matter of the actual time they would have to spend on a ship... with Fera.

[Yes, we need to sort through our supplies.] Vela smiled fondly as Dritz kissed her cheek, reaching out to touch his arm for a moment. Suddenly she thought of something else and turned to Orion. [Are you coming with us?]

After a translation, the human nodded. "Yeah, think I better. And I guess he kind of expects me to? Frankly, he's a bit lost without his servants to do some stuff for him. You don't have to worry about supplies for us, either, that's what he's wanting from me now, I think... ah... I better go before he gets mad again. We'll meet you down at the docks in a few hours."

Orion departed at a quick walk, further into the rooms, but Dritz and Vela made their way outside as they discussed the supplies they currently had, along with what they might need for what could potentially turn into a week-long trip. They made whatever purchases they found necessary and transferred everything to the ship to wait, with nearly an hour left before Orion and Fera would show up.

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #29

(Vela’s part in italics.)

Having been checking over a console on the other side of the cockpit, Vela immediately made her way over to Dritz when he spoke, glancing at the viewscreen before kissing the top of his head between his antennae. She rested her hands on his shoulders, lightly massaging as she kept a contemplative gaze on the sight of the station slowly approaching. It had been a long journey once more, but nothing about it seemed long. The days had been filled with engaging conversation and discussion, games, and long hours spent in simple enjoyment of each other's bodies. There was nothing in the universe she would have traded that time for.

[I'm glad we're here,] she finally signed to him after they had been cleared for docking with station personnel. [It's been a wonderful trip, of course. But I've been looking forward to our quarters, and even if the hologardens aren't as wonderful as Chrysala, I've missed it too.] It might have been the time she had spent there with Dritz which made her so fond of it, but she also loved how frequently the scenery could change there.

Suddenly she frowned, the sight of the dock interior bringing up a memory. [You don't think... he is still here, do you?] From her slight scowl, one she never wore otherwise, it was absolutely apparent who she was referring to.

Dritz groaned in a way that seemed to be agreement, "I can't wait for our actual room again! The Nova's bunks are actually comfier than I'm used to, but there's never anything quite like a real bed, especially if you've not been in one for a while!" Truth be told, he was also looking forward to making love in what felt like their own bed again. He smirked a little at this thought but didn't express it further.

He stretched, his antennae flattening against his hair as if also doing so. He of course knew who Vela meant. "I dunno, flower. I can't see that he and Ori really need to stay in the station? He's probably got some fancy property elsewhere in the galaxy, he's probably whisked the guy off or vice versa. I'm sure there won't be anything to worry about."

Unconvinced, Vela made no reply as she moved to the navigation console and began entering the sequence for landing. It would be easy enough to think that Dritz was correct and the snobby prince of Coronus had taken Orion to some amazing destination or another far away from the station. But Vela had a feeling it was not going to be nearly that easy.

Once they left the Nova safely in dock, she did feel a little better. The paperwork necessary, such as it was, didn't take too long as they were only returning instead of new visitors. As they carried their small bags of possessions from the ship and toward their lodging, she almost even sighed in relief.

"Hey! You two! Aren't you a genuine sight for sore eyes."

Vela could make no sense of this expression, but turned toward the instantly recognizable voice of the human they had met what felt so long ago. Orion looked the same as before, but with a little more stubble on his face along with an extra weariness around his eyes. "It's good to see you. Listen, I... hope you're not upset with me for this, but I had someone I met in management keep a watch out for your arrival. I didn't want to miss you in case you had plans to fly off somewhere else soon."

Though she signed a brief greeting, Vela hung back a little to be sure Fera was not about to appear. Orion held his arms out, apparently expecting Dritz would want to hug him, but he only extended one hand to her and bowed over it when she accepted, which she preferred at the moment. Maybe Fera had left on his own and cut contact with Orion. Again, she thought that was too simple an outcome.

The sights of the station, the clean (ish) streets, neon signs, the bustling and busy folk, all felt strangely like a welcome. The station had become a home, one that he'd build with Vela, despite it being neither of their "real" homes.

Dritz turned at the sound of the voice with instant recognition, a wide grin already in place as he laid eyes on Orion. The human was notable in his scruffiness, but Dritz wondered if that was just because he hadn't seen him for a while. Of course, he lunged forward without much warning, dropping his bag and scooping Orion up with ease into a big hug.

"Ori! It's sooo good to see you!" he gushed, squeezing the man before finally putting him down gently. "How have you been? Where's that prince of yours? How's he been?"

Not surprised at all by the gigantic hug Dritz gave him, Orion's eyes did widen to be lifted completely off the floor in the process. He knew he wasn't exactly the heaviest but it was still impressive, even considering an average Chrysalan's strength.

Dritz placed him down again with the utmost gentleness, and the human stepped back with a wide grin, running a hand through his already messy hair. "I'm pretty glad you're so happy to see me. I've been alright. Just... busy. Real busy. Between work and Fera, I've had so little time that I really was worried I'd miss you when you got back. I've been eager for details of your trip."

He paused a moment, watching Vela. She looked lovely as ever, but was currently squinting at him in a way which he thought meant she was a little suspicious. Maybe she just wanted to know where Fera was. "As for the prince himself, he's been... well. As well as he can be, anyway. He gets pretty mad sometimes when I refuse to leave the station, though. But I still have work to do. He hasn't left me yet at least. Right now he's probably aboard his ship. Been spending a lot of time there lately... I think we're doing well together. Or I hope we are. Never a dull moment with Fera around."

That was an understatement. The prince of Coronus had many moods, but generally he tended to be either extremely flirtatious or incredibly grumpy. It took some getting used to; Orion thought he had done a good job with that.

"Hey, but I know you two want to get your stuff to your room and settle in. I'll walk you there, and then maybe we can meet up sometime later? You're... not leaving again real soon, right?" He fell into step beside them, fighting back further curiosity despite how difficult it was. Dritz and Vela had become two of the best friends he had ever gotten to know, surprisingly, and they had begun to mean quite a lot to him.

"Phew, yeah, I don't imagine having a royal partner is any kind of fun," Dritz laughed. After a beat, he added, looking somewhat panicked, "Not that I don't think he's fun or anything, I just mean, what with being kinda spoilt, being... I dunno, handed stuff from birth? I don't know much about how royalty works, since Chrysala is so different. But from my understanding, it sort of elevates someone above others? He's probably used to folk following his every whim and word. I guess you don't do that so much!" He laughed, thinking of Fera asking something ridiculous of Orion and how the human would likely refuse in some incredibly lovely and reasonable way. He was not a pushover, but then, Dritz suspected one couldn't sustain a relationship with Fera if one was.

"I can't see us leaving again for a good while yet. Out business is important, but it's also something that can wait for a while so we can enjoy actually being back!" Dritz explained, glancing at Vela to ensure he was thinking correctly.

Despite himself, Orion had to laugh at how quickly Dritz tried to cover over his first statement. Fera was definitely "fun," but maybe not in the conventional ways some might expect. "No, you're fine. You're exactly right, there's no one above him except his parents on his planet. So he always got his way and could tell anyone what to do... and that doesn't work with me. Seems like he doesn't mind it too much for some reason." In fact, he suspected a structured relationship with boundaries and mutual respect might be the biggest reason the prince was interested in him. From what Orion could tell, previous lovers (when they lasted long enough) had been too willing to bow to his every wish. And strange as it sounded, Fera really just needed someone willing to tell him "no."

"Spoiled is definitely a good word for him," the human chuckled fondly. "Just don't ever say that to his face. He'll never forgive you. Or at least not for a very long time."

He nodded enthusiastically at what Dritz told him, also looking at Vela for her confirmation. [No, we will not leave again soon. There are preparations yet to be done by others, and we will need more credits again. So we will stay here and work for some time... but not just work, of course.] It looked like her mood was softening, and Orion smiled as she reached for the Chrysalan's hand to hold as he translated. Besides being good friends to him, Dritz and Vela were just an adorable couple who he liked to admire whenever he could.

By this time they had reached the room, and Orion gave them both another friendly grin and handshake. "It's been so good to see you. I'll send you a message... tomorrow maybe? I'll help you look for work if you need to, and we'll plan out a time to meet. I'll also get my princely boyfriend to join us. On his best behavior, or at least I'll try to make him be," he added with an amused shrug.

There was something immensely reassuring, not to mention satisfying, about Orion saying Fera's orders wouldn't work with him. The scruffy human was, if there were any doubt, very good for the spoilt prince.

"I'd never say that to his face," Dritz said immediately, almost sounding slightly offended. He always tried his best to be as accommodating and friendly as possible, with everyone.

As he translated for Vela (noting with fondness that Ori seemed to be listening harder, and was watching Vela more closely, clearly trying to pick up more Aurian), Dritz squeezed her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

With the promise of seeing the other two men again (as well as further hugging), the two of them were left alone once more outside of the room they rented.

"It was so nice to see him so quickly, wasn't it?" the Chrysalan was asking as they wandered into the room, "I'm glad we're alone now though."

[Yes, it was nice,] Vela had to agree, shutting the door carefully behind them after they entered. Even if it had brought Fera to mind again. She wasn't looking forward to seeing him again, and wished there was some way to avoid it. Yet she couldn't leave Dritz to have to go through such an ordeal on his own.

For now, however, she was quick to forget all about princes, or anyone other than herself and Dritz. She dropped her bag on the floor and nodded at what he said, showing she felt the same by kicking off her soft boots and leaving them where they lay.

She took a long, slow moment to look at him, then smiled slightly and removed her leggings as well. This left her in the oversized dark tunic she had chosen to wear that day, as it tended to be colder in the Nova than the station in general. She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, arranging her pale legs carefully to one side but not signing anything, just watching Dritz to see his reaction.

Dritz watched Vela with half lidded eyes, languidly taking his time over removing his own shoes. As her leggings slipped off, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Her slim, pale legs looked as invitingly soft as always, and his fingers itched to trail over them again.

Nevertheless, he took his time in removing his jacket, folding it over the narrow-backed chair that sat by the compact desk, before slowly tugging off his shirt and stepping towards her. Once he was stood over her, he leaned down and kissed her very gently, slowly moving to kneel on the floor in front of her.

"You comfy there?" he asked teasingly, gesturing to her bare legs, "We've only been here a few minutes and you're already stripping off." He grinned, kissing her again.

Vela followed Dritz's actions closely, alert and attentive to all he was doing. It seemed her idea was working, and he had similarly removed his shirt before kneeling in front her. She returned his kiss, then smiled faintly as she nodded.

[I am. I have realized how much I miss being here. It's like a sort of home, isn't it? At least for now. I just want to be comfortable... with you.] It would be a good enough reason in any case, but it was the truth. The desire to be close to him, the way their unclothed bodies were so different yet fit together almost as though made for each other...

Having said this, Vela's smile grew. [That's true, but then you did the same.] Her gaze slipped down his front, and she couldn't resist touching his chest and stomach with worshipful fingers. He was so warm, so soft... Surely she would never tire of how beautiful she thought he was. There had been no one like this for her on Aurctas.

She drew her legs apart slightly so they were touching him, her anticipation and increased pulse causing the soft down covering them to raise in a barely noticeable manner. For the moment there was little she could say, but she leaned forward to press her lips to his again in a way which left no doubt that her passion was rising as well.

"Hey, I just copied you, flower," Dritz chuckled as he trailed his fingers further up her legs. He leaned down and kissed her thigh sweetly.

She was right, though. They had made such a nice space for themselves on the station, not through decor or things, but the life they'd started to build, the friends they were making... It was strange how comfortable it had become. As he thought about their surroundings, trying to imagine how they could make it even more like a home, he lifted her top up, sliding it up over her flat stomach, replacing the fabric with his kisses.

"I feel like we make ourselves comfortable anywhere together," he mumbled against her skin before being pulled up and kissed in a way that told him all he wanted to know. He shifted them, moving Vela further up the bed and settling with her, kissing at her neck and shoulders.

Lazily, Vela nodded as Dritz moved her to lay more fully on the bed, joining her before covering her in more kisses. She sighed softly, sitting up long enough to just remove her top instead. Once Dritz had his trousers off too, she couldn't resist signing with a playful smile, [But we seem the most comfortable here, I think.]

Very carefully, she pushed at his shoulder until he lay down, moving her slighter weight on top of his. She could feel all of him underneath her, which was exciting in more ways than one. It amazed her all over again to consider the day they had first met. If she could have seen herself now, the way it had all turned out... her past self never would have believed it.

Without noticing, she had begun moving in a way which was obviously pleasing to them both, keeping her legs on either side of Dritz as she went from his lips to his neck to his collarbone with soft but sensuous kisses. Most of the rest of her thoughts were quickly leaving her as she began to focus on pleasure instead, but for now this wasn't a problem to either of them.

Dritz leaned back long enough to admire Vela's naked form, angular and firm with the gentlest suggestion of curve. He signed slowly and carefully [I agree. And you look perfect at this moment.]

He couldn't help the smirk that came from Vela's more forceful hand. She was very upfront with him, even without a word, and it was a trait he very much enjoyed. As soon as her hand came to his shoulder, he knew they wouldn't be remaining so casual and gentle for long.

By the time she had moved on top of him, however, he wasn't really thinking about their pace any more, focusing instead on only Vela, as he knew she would be focusing on him.

Afterwards, they had collapsed with heavy breaths and loving kisses, remaining quiet for a long time, content to lounge together until Vela pointed out that they had left their bags, and should unpack. Despite some protests, they managed to untangle themselves from each other long enough to unpack before immediately resuming their embrace, falling asleep shortly after.

Early the next morning, Vela awoke to the sound of Dritz's snoring and the feel of his warm arm wrapped around her, holding her loosely but also pressing her against his side. She had to wiggle free cautiously in hopes to not disturb him, but he must have been incredibly worn out from their arrival or, more likely, their lovemaking the night before. He barely moved, but did shift a little more onto his back and stretch his arm out, almost as though trying to find her again.

With a loving smile, Vela went to grab the datapad from where it rested on a table, returning to bed to curl up next to Dritz once more. The room was a comfortable temperature, and she delighted in the fact that she didn't need to put on any clothes. Being naked was such a novelty to her that she almost wished she could remain so more often.

She hadn't noticed it before, but the green light on the corner of the datapad was blinking. Instantly curious, she touched the screen and could see that Dritz had received a message. The short preview said it was from Orion, and actually addressed to her as well, so she pulled it up to begin reading.

'Dritz and Vela -

Hey. I hope you've settled in alright. I hate to be really abrupt with this, but there's a problem with Fera and I'm pretty worried. Can you guys meet me around 0900 station time near the shopping district? I'm not sure it's safe to send a message about it. Reply to this if you can't make it, which I'd understand. Thanks,

-Orion'

Vela set the datapad down and glanced over at Dritz's sleeping form, frowning. A problem with Fera? What would that mean? A very small, selfish part of her wanted to delete the message and to pretend they just hadn't received it. But if Orion needed help, she didn't want to leave him in an uncomfortable position, no matter who he chose to associate with.

After a little while she began to read on her latest topic of choice, doing her best to forget about the message until Dritz was awake. At the very least, she wasn't about to wake him up early for whatever this might be, especially considering there were hours left before Orion asked them to meet.

Dritz was just on the cusp of waking, unable to feel Vela near him, but soon dipped back into proper sleep for a while, finding that when he woke up a little more again, she was back where he expected her, reading as she always did while she waited for him to wake up.

"Good morning," he mumbled into her side, squishing up against her. His voice was thick with sleep still, but he smiled against her soft skin. Her body has cooled somewhat where she was without bedding, but given that Dritz was still bundled in bedsheets, it was a pleasant sensation to be against her.

"Sleep well? What are you reading about today?" He whispered, rolling onto his side properly, running a hand over her thigh.

Vela smiled as Dritz slowly woke, gently smoothing a hand through his hair before she replied. [I did. What about you?]

She glanced down at the datapad. It had proven harder to forget about the message than she thought, but she answered his second question truthfully. [I was reading about the royal family of Coronus. I think their people are very odd and superstitious, but it's almost heightened in their rulers of the past. Apparently they used to have barbaric customs involving ritual and sacrifice, though I couldn't find any evidence they still practice such today.] Knowing the current prince, she entertained a dark (and probably unfair) opinion that he still might.

Sighing gently, she shook her head. [The reason I was reading about it is because we received a message from Orion. It was about Fera. I don't really know what to make of it.] She gestured to the datapad on her lap. [You can read it now if you want, or wait until you're ready.]

A soft chirp came from Dritz's throat as he tilted his head into her caress, nodding, "Yeah, good. Felt good to be back here, didn't it?"

The subject of Coronal royalty made Dritz raise his eyebrows. It wasn't particularly a subject that he would have picked, or even one that he thought she might have picked to research, but then, he knew she was incredibly knowledge thirsty, eager to learn of everything and anything in the galaxy. Coronal royal history seemed... far too dark for his liking. Sacrifice? He couldn't help but cringe a little. Sounded pretty gross.

He sat up with a frown, "Ori sent a message about Fera?" He took the datapad and read it over. "Wow... I think maybe we should help if we can,  but if you don't want to go, I can see what I can do alone?" He wrapped an arm around her, kissing her temple, "I know how you and Fera don't get on."

Vela leaned against Dritz, debating with herself. She had no urge to see Fera or deal with any problem he might have. At the same time, she just couldn't leave the Chrysalan to handle it on his own without her, even if she knew she would be no help whether she came or not.

[No, I will come with you. I want to help you, if not him.] There was no use saying she was concerned for Fera, since it wasn't true, and Dritz likely knew that.  She also wanted to make sure the prince didn't do anything strange, as usual.

[We have a couple of hours,] she continued, glancing at the small clock resting on the table by the bed.  [Plenty of time to get ready and have some breakfast before we meet him. I'd rather not worry about it until then.] She gently kissed him, letting her hands wander across his body in a way that comforted them both for the moment. [But I almost wish we didn't have to dress... it's so nice here.] Though referring to the temperature, she also did mean that their proximity (and nakedness) was far too appealing to let go easily.

"Thank you, flower," Dritz said. He knew Fera was very low on her list of priorities, and that she was likely going for his, and Orion's, sake. But, as she rightly said, there was no point concerning themselves until they had to. As Vela's hands trailed over him, he rubbed his own down her back, having to agree.

"Mmm. Maybe one day we... could?" he suggested with a grin, "We could make sure we have plenty of food here, and just spend the day in bed, not getting dressed if we don't want to..." He knew that, for two folk such as them, it would actually be difficult to achieve. They were both such hard workers and seemingly loved being busy that they may grow restless, but that was something they could deal with when the time came.

Dritz's suggestion made Vela pause just as she was about to get up. The idea of not being clothed for a full day was even more intriguing than it was exciting. No one on Aurctas would even be able to imagine such a thing.

[We may become... a little bored at times,] she signed truthfully, though she was quick to continue, [but not bored of each other. Maybe we could do some reading, have some small projects to work on...] The more she thought of  it, the more she enjoyed the concept. It wasn't something they would like to do frequently, but every now and then... Being able to work on small projects, but still be close to Dritz and able to enjoy intimacy whenever they liked was entirely too appealing.

[Someday we will,] she finally signed with a smile, taking Dritz's hand and tugging him along. [But for now we need to get dressed.]

"Oh yeah, we'd have to have things to do to keep busy," he agreed, letting himself be tugged out of bed and nudged towards his clothes. As he dressed, he made lots of light-hearted suggestions as to what they could do on their special 'naked day', as he seemed intent on calling it. Starting the day with tea in bed, some games, breakfast, and then working on whatever project they decided on. He couldn't seem to think of specific things for them to do that might also be productive, especially since he was tempted to suggest something decidedly unproductive, but incredibly enjoyable.

Once he was dressed, he shrugged his jacket on.

"Right, shall we see if Ori is okay?" he said, somewhat more serious than before. And Fera, he thought, but that was not going to be either of their highest priority.

There was just enough time for a quick breakfast before they met with Orion. Vela would have insisted in any case, knowing they had need of their energy, especially if they had to deal with Fera in any way. But the human's message had not said he was bringing the prince along. She kept up her hope that they might not see him.

After their meal (and further pleasant conversation discussing their plans to spend a day without clothes), they made their way to the shopping district to find Orion. He wasn't difficult to spot, standing near the center of the main walkway with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jumpsuit, weariness mixed with worry plainly showing on his face. Fera was nowhere in sight.

"Hey. I'm glad you came." The scruffy man even sounded tired, and Vela thought he might not have slept the night before. "I hope you don't mind that I'm asking for your help." Vela shook her head and he glanced at her, almost seeming surprised she had shown up. "We'll have to talk somewhere more private, that might be for the best. Any ideas? I can't think too clearly at the moment."

Vela frowned, glancing at Dritz. [We could go to the gardens?] she suggested. Usually it wasn't too heavily populated, especially in the morning when most residents of the station would be at work.

While he and Vela had a pleasant morning, and established quite a full hypothetical day of nudity, the closer it got to the time of their meeting, the more Dritz began to fret about Orion, and to a lesser extent, Fera. Why would Orion come to them? What if it was something serious? What if this would put them in danger?

His fears were not eased away when he spotted Orion. He jogged up, putting his hands on the human's shoulders with a concerned frown.

"Of course, we'll go to the hologardens," he said, nodding at Vela, "Good idea, flower. It should be nice and quiet. We're here for you, Ori. Whatever it is, we'll get it sorted out."

They made their way to the gardens in near silence, Orion clearly wishing to wait to get everything off his chest at once.

The gardens were this time laid out in a spiral of colours, leading in to a large, elaborate fountain wrapped in lemon yellow vines with red blooms.

Though Orion was initially relieved to see Dritz and Vela, this quickly turned into further worry over whether getting them involved was the right thing to do. They were the best friends he knew on the station, and the ones who already knew the most about Fera. He further suspected they would be of very little interest to the Coronal homeworld, which might come in handy later. For now, he would just have to explain the situation and see if they had any interest in what was going on.

It was hard to imagine otherwise, especially with how caring Dritz seemed to be. He thought Vela was as well, she just didn't show it as outwardly. Her suggestion of the garden surprised him, showing she was clearly considering his comfort as well. He quickly agreed and walked along with them, not saying anything but trying to gather his thoughts to present them as best he could.

He was temporarily distracted by the sight of the gardens. The bright colors were certainly eye-catching. Idly he wondered who had programmed it as he sat by the illusion of the fountain, noting how quiet and empty the area seemed. That was all for the best.

"I'm really sorry about this," he began earnestly, leaning forward as he spoke. Dritz was very attentive, but Vela seemed to be watching how water droplets from the fountain splashed against some of the red flowers. There was something about the way she tilted her head, however, that made him realize she actually was listening. "But I wasn't sure who else to talk to. You see, Fera..." He had to pause a moment, wetting his dry lips before continuing. "Fera is in trouble with his parents for some reason. Or at least that's what I can gather. He's uh... kind of incoherent at times." Their last exchange had actually been an expensive-looking vase from the prince's  quarters being thrown at his head, though he wasn't about to share that yet. "But, see... they've taken his ship away. As in, someone from Coronus came and took the Radiant Sun on orders from the king himself. So he's still here, without a ship, and without the servants from the ship. I just can't find out why. And I'm not expecting for you to find out, but I just... I guess I'm a little overwhelmed. I can't do this on my own without at least telling someone."

Orion's shoulders sagged as he looked away, more troubled than he was sure he'd ever been in his life. Without Fera being willing to tell him what had happened, he had been left to imagine the worst: that being, of course, that their relationship had been discovered and was strongly disapproved of.

It seemed incredibly unusual for Orion; a laid back and sweet man, seemingly more likely to shrug something off than contest it, to look so fretful. Dritz watched him carefully, listening attentively, his brow furrowing just slightly in the middle.

"Don't worry, Ori, we're here for you," he muttered encouragingly. He thought idly, briefly, that he should bring Vela back to see the fountain properly. His eyes widened as the story unfolded. "B-but... Why would Coronal royalty take the ship? Is he in breech of his... Lineage?" Dritz shook his head in disbelief. The only way he could justify it in his own mind, with no experience of royals or how they worked in societies, was to imagine it from the point of view of parents; Fera had done something they disapproved of and was being punished? Perhaps privileges were being revoked because of his bad attitude?

He patted Orion's knee, shaking his head, "I can't pretend I get what could have happened, but I want to help if I can at all. Is there any way to contact the Radiant Sun? The Coronal royal family may not accept communications from us peasants, but the ship and servants might."

Dritz's comfort and reassurances actually went far toward making Orion start to feel better. "I appreciate that," he said quietly, nodding at the Chrysalan. "Thanks for listening and being willing to even try to help."

A moment after hearing his suggestion, Orion stood and walked to stand in front of the fountain, frowning at it. He was unusually restless, which was surprising to even himself. "I wish I could figure it out easily, too. Basically all he would do was rage about how it was his parents' fault. I'm not sure if his status as a prince is in danger.  I do think he would be even more upset if that was the case. As far as contacting the ship... I don't know. I don't think we can. There's very little chance we could persuade anyone to return it unless we have clearance from their royalty. Which we'll never get on our own. Our best and probably only chance is getting Fera to tell us what's wrong so that maybe we can also get him to fix it. I think it's up to him, whatever it is."

He paused, turning around quickly. With an apologetic tone, he continued, "I meant I should try to do that. I mean, I think he considers you friends..." He glanced at Vela a moment, aware it might not extend to her. "...but I don't expect you to come along and help me unless you're... y'know, really wanting to. And if you're surprised to hear that, I can understand. But over the past months there have been times when he talks about you in a way that almost makes it seem as though he likes you. So maybe he does."

He became aware he was smiling faintly. "I'm sorry again. Usually I'm not like this, but... Fera means a lot to me. I've seen him with his guard down. He's capable of genuine goodness, he just won't admit it to anyone. I just... well, I've developed some real feelings for him. So there's that." Orion wasn't embarrassed to admit it, but he fell silent for the time being to see what Dritz (and possibly Vela) would make of any of this.

No matter how concerned he was for Orion and Fera, Dritz couldn't help the surprise that passed over his face to learn that there was a very small chance the prince liked them. Fera seemed as though he didn't really like anyone, even Orion sometimes. Even himself, in a manner. But then, he knew looks were deceiving, and no matter how open a person was, there was always the layer they show everyone else, and then the true self beneath. It was difficult for Dritz to say whether he liked Fera, however. He felt a slight fondness for him in general; he had helped them, and his advice when they were shopping had been quite sweet, really. He was intriguing and deserved time, and Dritz hated any bad coming to anyone.

"Well... I dunno, Ori. Will he even discuss it with you if we're there? I'm sure we'd be good help, but that will only work if he's, y'know, open to us helping," he said with a slight wince and a glance at Vela. "What do you think, flower?" He chewed his lip, almost obviously hoping she would agree to go with.

Vela had been frowning during this entire discussion, her expression not changing in the slightest. There was no chance at all that she believed Fera liked her, no matter what Orion said. And even if he did (by some miracle), she had no interest in liking him in return. However, Dritz seemed incredibly concerned, and this was the only thing which caused her features to soften. He was such a caring person that it brought her a sort of peace.

[I can't go,] she signed decisively. [Dritz might be able to help you. As soon as he sees me, he will probably accuse me of being the one behind it all.]

With a weak chuckle, Orion shook his head. "Ah, you're right about that. I'm really sorry about Fera, sometimes he's... impossible. But if you still want to come along with Dritz, you can stay in one of the outer rooms? He won't need to know you're there. That way you can still listen and help in some way if needed?"

Vela sighed, finding the human's use of the word "impossible" to be an understatement. [I still don't think I can help. But I'm willing to stay out of sight. I would prefer to, so I can be certain Dritz is alright. If that works for you?] She reached out to take her lover's hand, entwining their fingers together. Even if she wanted to be nowhere near the prince of Coronus, she was far too concerned for Dritz's safety when it was necessary.

Dritz couldn't help the frown on his face. He knew Vela was right; she knew a lot better than he did on the matter of her and Fera, but it still frustrated him. Even if the prince of Coronus was difficult, haughty, and looked down his nose at others... How could anyone dislike Vela? Okay, okay, he was biased, but seriously.

However, upon Orion's description of Fera as 'impossible', Dritz spotted the slightest flicker in Vela's gaze that made him want to laugh, were the situation not so serious. She was very good at keeping her composure, but he wondered if he spent long enough gazing at her that he could spot these things.

The suggestion was a good one. He did not wish to leave Vela in favour of the prince, harsh as that reality was. He smiled lovingly at the sensation of her fingers between his.

"'Course," he said, "But if you feel uncomfortable or upset, you don't have to stay, okay? You're sweet to come with us." He kissed her forehead firmly before turning back to Orion with a nod.

Vela agreed, already deciding she would not leave no matter what happened. She was determined to be there for Dritz when he needed her, and that would apparently mean dealing with fussy, annoying, difficult princes.

"Alright," Orion sighed as though he felt a great relief at this decision. "Thank you both, this means a lot to me. And it goes for both of you; if you ever feel like it's all too much, neither of you has to stay. I just hope, maybe... he's calmed down by now. A little."

Orion looked nowhere near convinced this might be true. Vela kept her shoulders squared and head held high as they all set out for wherever Fera's quarters were, with the human leading the way. She would not be intimidated, even if she wouldn't be seeing him directly.

[the-vaporverse]

Thought this was appropriate to put here? :p

Sims-version Vela and Dritz and their love of making out. Anywhere. B)

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #28

(Vela’s part in italics.)

It took Dritz far longer than usual to wake up the next morning, his dreams too sweet to leave (Vela's naked body, reclining in the hologardens, her smiling face framed by flickering, transparent daisies), and his body too beautifully exhausted to muster his strength.

His eyes finally opened and he glanced around, looking for his love. "You awake, flower?" he asked softly, knowing full well what the answer would be.

As Dritz awakened, Vela glanced over just in time to catch his soft words. She was sitting with the datapad, as usual, but this time her legs were draped over his as she rested back against the bed. Her continued study of Chrysala had been very enlightening, but she was more than ready to pay attention to Dritz when he had slept enough, which seemed longer this morning.

[Yes,] she signed, even though it was obvious she would be. [How did you sleep?] She set the datapad aside and moved her legs down to crawl near him; still undressed, she dropped down a moment to kiss him, pressing her bare chest to his tightly. [I think we were planning on visiting your home again today... weren't we?] There had been some fleeting discussion of this the night before. Admittedly, they had both been so focused on their lovemaking that the topic hadn't lasted long.

Dritz let out a series of soft chirps when he became aware of her snuggling closer to him. He nuzzled against her, nearly pinning her in place.

"Mmhm. We should take our time though, and see what happens. Tvie will be so excited, and I'm not... Quite ready for her energy yet this morning," he laughed, toying with Vela's soft hair. "I slept really well. Reeeaaally well. How about you?"

He sat up, eyeing the datapad. "Whatchya been doin'?"

With Dritz's weight a bit heavy against her, Vela wriggled into a more comfortable position as she leaned over to kiss him before answering. [I slept well too.] A sort of knowing glance went between them, both seeming to understand it was due to each other's actions the night before. [Alright. None of us are busy today, like you said, so we're in no hurry. I look forward to spending time with them again.] In all honesty, she was worried over whether various members of his family would have found it in themselves to accept her more, but that was not worth fretting over for now.

[I was reading.] With Dritz's curiosity seemingly aroused, Vela couldn't help but show him more. She picked up the datapad and held it toward him. [You probably already know this, but your farms are very interesting. I have been looking at the designs and wondering if I could adapt them to use on Trelos someday. It's not the biggest planet, and if the population grows much more, it could be an option for us. Do you think so?" The image on the datapad currently showed a layout of one of the tiered farms, though she could not find anything with exact schematics.

Dritz adjusted to hold her close and be able to see the datapad properly too.

"Ah, yeah. That's a really good idea, flower," he said, glancing over the research she had found. He recognised the structure illustrated as being specifically one for multiple climates; those that needed less water were built higher with special misting machines; the water would then drip through to the lower floors, where there would be the more tropical plants that grew best in very hot, wet climates would be housed. "We'd need to see how Treols' natural climate differs from Chrysala. I mean, it was pretty humid too, wasn't it?"

He smiled softly, "It's silly, but it makes me happy that you're looking at these things. I dunno why."

[It was somewhat similar to here, yes,] Vela signed, now able to compare the two planets since she had been on both. It took her a long moment to think over the fact she had been on two planets which were not Aurctas, something which truly amazed her. [I'm sure I can figure out how to make modifications based on any differences in climate.] Her confidence in this was surprising as well, but it could be her experience with modifying the Nova and all the research she had done meant she was better suited to these tasks than anyone might believe.

She returned his smile, leaning over to him and kissing his cheek lightly. [It's not silly. I'm glad we're sharing this together. We're both in this situation, sharing it all and loving each other. I think it's natural to feel happy about it because I do, too.] It was hard to resist, so she did give in to stroking his stomach just lightly as they continued to snuggle close to each other. There was so much about Dritz that she loved, and the amount only seemed to grow by the day.

Dritz sighed softly, relaxing against Vela's soft touches. "I would love to see your modifications to the systems... It's actually really exciting to think about... I'd never considered how Aurian and Chrysalan technologies could combine. Can you imagine what our people could make together, with the help of the Trelosians, on a new world? It's incredible." The Chrysalan was wide eyed, definitely more awake by that point, and eagerly thinking aloud.

"Hey, you said the ancient Aurians were like, really technologically advanced. What sort of devices did they build? What was the first thing you learned to create?" he asked, rolling onto his side to face her properly.

Dritz's enthusiasm for the subject brought further excitement to Vela, and she nodded happily as she sat up to sign better. [I have been imagining it lately. There is so much we could achieve together, if the Chrysalans are interested in collaborating with the scientists we will have in the future, along with the Trelosians.]

His questions surprised her, making her pause a moment to think. [Most of the records were lost, though I wish it were not so. There are only hints to large and important projects. Whole cities with breathable air that could be maintained in an underwater habitat, atmosphere regulation... those are the biggest ones. They seem to have worked out a way to make weather patterns perform the way they wanted them to, which would be incredible if it worked well.] Her mind was spinning again with the ideas of her ancient people and how incredible they had been.

[Actually, I... I know it was pointless, but what I first began working on was the schematics I found for a personal underwater vehicle. So it was meant to be very small, but of course I couldn't obtain all the parts for it through trade. I knew I would have to travel off Aurctas to find the rest, but I thought that was impossible and abandoned the project quite some time ago. After all, there is no water there to test it in.] How little she had known then about the future, and how her eventual work on the Nova would transport her into the stars, to a space station and new worlds.

Even without being a scientifically minded person, Dritz could feel Vela's spark of enthusiasm, and it made him want to learn. She opened up endless possibilities to him just with her attitude. Who doesn't fall in love with that person?

"You'll make new records," he assured her with a serious, adoring expression, reaching up to stroke the side of her face. He watched her with awe. The thought of arranging the weather itself?! "That's unbelievable! You better not be fibbing, because I am completely blown away!"

He pouted in sympathy, "And it's a shame about your underwater miniship. Maybe you'll be able to build it eventually, don't ever give up on a project! We'll gather all the parts for you one day. Maybe I could even help, I wanna try being underwater!"

[I am being serious,] Vela replied, though it made her smile to have to say so, along with the sight of Dritz being so happy and in wonder at this information. [I believe they used it to influence plant growth and deter natural weather disasters. I'm not sure if we need to go so far as to replicate that system, but it is definitely interesting.]

Dritz was surprisingly optimistic that she would be able to make new records, which somehow gave her extra hope. She had spent many hours wishing she could do just that while on Aurctas, as her people had lost their vision and only worked to survive. Yet Vela couldn't blame them for that entirely.

The support for her underwater ship made her smile again. [Alright, I would like that. Maybe I could modify it to fit both of us. I would need a larger oxygen tank, of course...] For a little while she rambled about details, hardly aware that her lover was watching her with such an adoring expression as she became caught up in her ideas.

[But we should get ready to go,] she suddenly signed in concern, leaning over to kiss him again. [Didn't your family say something about a meal together? I think it must be near midday by now.]

"That's... That's awesome. Really. Wow, that's so awesome," Dritz babbled, seemingly still disbelieving the whole notion of weather control.

He was happy to watch her sign to him, her motions slightly quicker than usual, reflecting her being lost in her thoughts. He took the opportunity to sign back at her, simple confirmations that he was still listening, or agreements, encouragement, or the odd suggestion of how he could help.

"Ah, shit, yes," he rambled, hauling himself up and dressing quickly, "Ma doesn't like when anyone is late for meals, so you're right, we should get a move on."

Once the two of them were ready, Dritz took Vela's hands and gave her a more passionate kiss before he held the door open for her, ready to lead her back to his parents' home.

Vela returned Dritz's kiss, pleasantly surprised by how passionate he was. A surge of emotion ran through her, a sense of just how much she loved him returning to lighten her heart further.

She held his hand for a little while as they walked and then eventually boarded a tram, enjoying the scenery and buildings they passed by. For that day she had decided to wear her favorites: the sleeveless lavender top and beautiful necklace that Dritz had given her. It wasn't as though she wanted to show them off to his family, but wearing them was a further reminder of how much he cared for her.

[You said your mother doesn't like anyone late for meals? Why is that?] she asked absently as they were leaving the tram. Aurians never sat down for proper meals together, instead eating whatever they had available whenever they had a free moment from their work. It had been an adjustment for Vela to eat at certain times of the day in the manner that most other species seemed to.

After taking a further few moments to gush about how lovely Vela looked, and promptly being reminded that they needed to leave and gently ushered out of the door, the two of them made their way through the district towards the trams, and then further still.

"Ah, I dunno... I think food is a really important part of family life to her? It was always a social thing; you could go out and do whatever, work long hours, go and party, but she always insisted we have at least one meal together; me, dad, her, Kli and Tvie. If someone was late, I guess she saw it as not caring so much about the rest of us? I mean, you could call ahead or message if you were caught up, and she'd keep it hot and make everyone wait for you. I think it's nice, in its own way," he explained. He adjusted his shirt with a bright smile, "Saying that, I think food is important to all of us!"

He threw his arm around her as they entered the same building, but they were attacked much quicker this time around, with Tvie (wearing what appeared to be something close to an Earth-style tutu, her hair tied in messy twintails) barrelling right into Vela, leaping into her arms.

"VELA IS HERE," she yelped happily, nuzzling into the Aurian.

It took a little extra time to leave, with Dritz finding the need to compliment Vela so much, but she didn't think they would be very late even still. His explanation about their mealtimes made sense to her in some ways, but not in others. Of course food was important, as it sustained life, but she couldn't understand how actually sharing a meal at the same time as someone else made any sort of difference until she thought about eating with Dritz. There definitely was a sense of companionship about it in a way which she would find difficult to describe. She decided to leave aside any confusion that still remained for the moment, only nodding her nodding her agreement with a smile.

When they entered the home again, Vela was surprised by the sight of Tvie running straight toward her, wearing a strange garment the likes of which the Aurian had never seen before, but did find adorable on Tvie. The little girl must have been watching for their arrival. She automatically reached down to catch her and held her easily, though with her arms full she could not sign. Instead she gave Dritz a slightly bewildered but mostly amused look, squeezing Tvie against her gently in a hug.

Tvie beamed, clearly delighted to be held.

"Tvie," Dritz said, his tone firm but playful, "I'm sure Vela would like to say hi, but she can't do that with you in her arms, can she, remember?"

The little girl looked back at Dritz from her incredibly comfortable position, not moving, "I wanna hug first." She twisted awkwardly to look up at Vela, "You smell pretty and your top is a nice colour."

Dritz pursed his lips and grabbed Tvie under the arms, easily swinging her out of Vela's arms, "C'mon, you. Remember the signs you learnt last time? How about showing Vela, I bet she'd like that." He smiled at Vela as he lifted Tvie to sit on his shoulders, where she signed her name, and a rough approximation of Vela's, a goofy grin on her face.

With Tvie removed from her arms, Vela smiled at Dritz and then up at the girl perched on his shoulders to watch her signing. [That's very good,] she signed, waiting for Dritz to translate. [Thank you for the compliments. Your brother gave me this shirt as a present, actually. I would like to own more clothes in brighter colors, like yours.] She wasn't sure if she wanted them so bright, but it was something to talk about with Tvie.

After a little while Vela glanced around, realizing she could smell a faint hint of something appetizing. [Are your parents busy?] she asked Tvie. [I heard we are having a meal together today.]

Dritz cheerily translated for Tvie, bouncing his shoulders and causing her to giggle.

"Mmhm, we should go and sit down or we might get in trouble," Tvie said in an exaggerated whisper. "They made lots of food, I hope you're hungry."

As they made their way through to the home itself, Dritz assured both ladies that he was, in fact, always hungry, his tone almost gloating.

Inside what was the dining room, the places had been set nicely, though it was clear that they were not used to such a small group of people. The table was long and wide, already full of lots of small dishes piled with different fragranced rices, vegetables, edible flowers, some strips of marinated meat, and a large pot of tea, along with a jug of water.

The first face to appear from the kitchen was Vizn's. He gave Vela a wide smile and, setting down the dish in his hands, stepped forward to give her a brief hug.

"Nice to see you again, you two," he said.

Vela confessed to being hungry as well, though she had to smile at the way both Dritz and Tvie spoke. She followed them through to a room with a large table covered in small plates and bowls full of food, causing her to stop and stare in wonder for a little while. Tvie had not been exaggerating the way Vela had thought she had.

Seeing Vizn again also made her stare. She had forgotten that he was larger than Dritz, something which attracted her still, though she had to wonder why that was. The hug surprised her, but she returned it gladly, almost trying to hold on a bit longer than he did. It was definitely quite as warm and nice as she had expected.

[It is good to see you too,] she signed for Dritz to translate. [I hope you have been well. Thank you for inviting us to this meal, there is so much here already.] She glanced around the table again, realizing for the first time that there were flowers in some of the bowls. [The decorations are lovely too.]

Dritz watched Vizn with interest. It seemed his father had decided to make something more of an effort, though he wasn't completely sure as to what had changed his mind or spurred him to accept Vela more. Either way, he didn't care; the fact that he was trying was enough for now.

"Tvie, go and see if ma needs help, hm?" Vizn said with that same jolly grin that showed his relation to Dritz perfectly. As the little Chrysalan ran off, humming, he took one of Vela's hands, and one of Dritz's. "Now, listen to me. I'm old and stuck in my ways, but I see that the galaxy is changing. So I owe you an apology for the other day. You make sure you take good care of each other, and I got nothing to go complaining about, now do I?" he said firmly, almost scolding them, though he had a soft smirk teasing the corner of his lips.

"I knew you'd come around, but... I'm impressed it was so quick!" Dritz teased, squeezing Vizn's hand. "And we do. We always take care of each other. I'd never let anything hurt Vela, and she wouldn't let anything hurt me either."

After a moment more, Vizn chuckled as he recalled something Dritz had translated.

"Oh, and they're not decorations. These flowers are edible. Nisk makes them with sweet oil and bakes them crispy," he pulled a thin purple petal out of the bowl and snapped it in half, offering it to Vela, "Wanna try?"

Throughout the exchange with Vizn, Vela kept her gaze fixed on him in awe, unaware her mouth had fallen open slightly. To have him accept her, to accept her relationship with Dritz...

[Thank you, sir,] she signed once her hand was free again. [I want to make sure Dritz is happy for the rest of his life.] Realizing this was admitting a bit much, she glanced around shyly. [He's always defended me when I needed it, and I always take care of him as well. I've never known such happiness could exist before I left my planet.] Again she felt awkward, but catching the eye of her love relaxed her. [I'm so glad you are willing to accept us as partners.]

It seemed there was nothing more she could add at the moment, feeling emotionally charged from such a touching scene. Thankfully, Vizn distracted her by saying the flowers were actually edible, leaving her in awe all over again. She took the offered petal, sniffing at the sweet scent delicately before putting it in her mouth. It was crispy, but also practically melted if one waited long enough.

[It's amazing,] she signed with enthusiasm. [I didn't know you could eat flowers, although in the end I think I would rather look at them... But it's delicious. Does she prepare food the most or do you both?] It was still strange to think of anyone actually preparing food for any length of time and then sitting down to eat it together, but Vela was fast growing accustomed to a tradition which she was sure the other Aurians would embrace as well.

As Dritz translated Vela's words, his voice softer, he shared a long look with Vizn, who seemed to be listening more intensely than ever, like a silent conversation of acceptance was going on between them. After that, the larger Chrysalan seemed more content than ever before to engage Vela, watching her while Dritz translated rather than looking to his son as he would have before.

"Ah, we usually take it in turns. I'm better at making sweet treats, Nisk is better with main meals. But the rare times when there's a lot to do, we all pitch in. Tvie's a good little helper when she wants to be," he laughed, gesturing for the two of them to sit down. "What about Aurian meals? Do you share like we do, or...?" He trailed off, another similarity in his speech to Dritz.

Vela listened in fascination, already picturing Vizn and Nisk cooking together from what little she knew of the process. It left her with a happy feeling, one she would like to try replicating with Dritz someday if they ever had the opportunity to do the same.

[That sounds enjoyable,] she signed with a gentle smile, sitting down as Vizn suggested. [Aurians have no set mealtimes or process of making food. Our lives are very... different to yours. With no ability to grow our own food, everything must be traded for and saved, then eaten whenever we have the spare time to actually do so. But I prefer the way the Chrysalans are able to treat food and I hope my own people will have similar rituals someday.]

It crossed her mind that they had likely not even hinted at the biggest reason behind their visit to Chrysala yet. She glanced at Dritz, thinking it would be better saved for when they were all assembled if they were to do so. [Is your other son helping as well?] she signed politely, not having a gesture for Kli's name.

Dritz translated for Vela, seeming unintentionally sombre to Vizn, who listened politely. To hear of the Aurians not having a set mealtime, or that mealtimes would be seen as ritual (which, he supposed, was true) was odd to him. He had much to learn of Vela, and her people, but there would be time to do so. While he didn't want to appear unwelcoming, there was still much of him that couldn't accept all that was happening as easily as his primary seemed to. As Vela and Dritz had left last time, Nisk had voiced how happy she thought their son had seemed, how his usual cheeriness had seemed elevated. She had even spoken fondly of the alien. No, of Vela. Nisk thought the two of them a good fit, and she was the more intuitive of the two of them, so he trusted her judgement.

"Ah, Kli is probably going to join us soon," Dritz offered without first translating her signs. "He... better hurry up, though. He's cutting it pretty fine!"

As if he had heard, there was a slam outside and then the Chrysalan himself barged in, panting, "My tram got held up, and then I stopped to collect my datapad from the repair guy, who was totally flirting with me but he's got really short antennae and they look so weird when he has such long hair-" Kli apparently did not seem to care if anyone was even listening, rambling away until he sat at the table, apparently only spotting Dritz and Vela then.

"Oh. Hi again!"

Vela was momentarily bewildered when Kli appeared so quickly and in such loud fashion, as if to answer the question himself. She cocked her head as she listened to him, but didn't really understand the significance of anyone having "short" antennae or looking "weird" because of it.

[Hello. Did you... have a good day today?] she signed in a polite manner. There seemed to be nothing else she could come up with to say for the moment, which was troubling.

Dritz translated, with a sigh directed at Kli, who watched the two of them with something of a gormless expression.

"That's really, really shallow, Kli," Dritz added with a disapproving look, "No one can help how their antennae look, you know."

"I know," the lanky Chrysalan huffed, fussing with his hair before turning to Vela with more interest, "I did, thank you. How are you finding Chrysala so far? Did... Your... Thing go well? The counsel stuff, right?"

Vela watched the two brothers speak patiently, though she still did not understand much of what they were referring to. Of course she would side with Dritz no matter what, and it did seem like the correct thing to say, that no one could help how certain aspects of them looked. Aurians had very little difference from one to the other, so maybe that explained her slight confusion on the topic.

She sat straighter in her chair when Kli addressed her. [Chrysala is very lovely, I'm so glad I was able to see it for myself. I do hope to come back someday. Yes, the matter with the counsel was quite successful. Your leaders are very gracious and caring.] Although some of them had not been as much toward her, she was sure it was true in general. [Especially the overseer for your district. Have you ever met her before?] Vela hoped this was a good enough attempt at conversation, though Kli didn't seem the type for much serious discussion.

Once he received a translation, Kli smiled. He was still in the habit of looking at Dritz while he translated, clearly not understanding the unspoken etiquette his older brother tried to establish when speaking on his lover's behalf.

"Aw, cool, I'm glad you're enjoying it here. I've never met the overseer, no, but... I've heard she's nice. But they're all very into their own districts and their own business to do with that, I'm surprised you managed to get everyone together. Not in a bad way!" he said, twiddling idly with a strand of his hair.

After a moment, Nisk and Vizn returned with Tvie, and everyone was finally seated together, with the little girl insisting on sitting next to Vela, effectively removing Dritz from his seat (though Vizn moved from where he had intended to seat himself, to allow them to remain together).

"It's so lovely to see you again. Thank you for coming back to share a meal with us. I know you had important things to do, but it means a lot to me," Nisk chirped, gesturing for everyone to help themselves.

Vela only nodded in response to Kli, thinking it was alright if he didn't understand. Maybe if they explained further soon, the importance of it all would make more sense to everyone.

She was surprised that Tvie wanted to sit next to her, but still pleased the girl had taken to her so quickly. With a warm smile for Nisk, Vela spoke for Dritz to translate. [It's good to see you too. We have reached the main goal of our trip, so there is plenty of time. Thank you for having me, I wouldn't have missed your invitation. Everything looks so beautiful.]

Having been referring to the array of dishes spread before her across the table, Vela now found herself at a loss for where to begin. Turning to Tvie, but making sure Dritz was watching first, she signed, [It all looks delicious. What's your favorite? I will try that first.]

Nisk seemed especially delighted to have the food complimented, but Vizn also grinned. Dritz and Kli, evidently having something of a similar appetite, were the first at the table to reach out and take food. Tvie was peering carefully at everything, humming quietly to herself until Vela signed to her.

The little Chrysalan watched her signing and listened to Dritz with a smile.

"Close your eyes!" she demanded excitedly. Once Vela has complied she turned to Dritz and "whispered" (which was more of an exaggerated stage whisper), "How do you sign this one? Uh huh... And this? How do I say it's yummy?"

There was a long pause before Tvie tugged at Vela's top and, once the Aurian opened her eyes, clumsily signed something that vaguely resembled, [This. It yum fruity.]

She pointed to a plate filled with stringy shreds of pastel pink. "It's my favourite! You should eat some on top of some bread. I like it because it's sweet. Dad says it's too sweet though."

Though initially confused, Vela had closed her left eye (her right could not be closed, technically) and waited while she listened to Tvie asking Dritz how to sign various words. She tried desperately not to smile and give herself away, though it was difficult.

The small Chrysalan's signing was somewhat correct, enough to be decipherable, and Vela inspected the food pointed out to her. She had never seen such a color on anything edible before, but she found it intriguing. [You sign so well,] she told Tvie with a smile. [You must be picking up words somehow. I will try it. I don't seem to like sweet foods too much, but I think I will like this since you do.]

Reaching for a slice of bread, she carefully spread some of the pink shreds on top of it before taking a bite. While it was very sweet, the bread balanced the flavor and made it much more appealing to Vela's general taste. [It's wonderful,] she told Tvie. [I can see why it's your favorite. Thank you for showing me how to eat it.]

She glanced toward Dritz's parents. [Are these all traditional foods from your planet? I almost want to try everything.] With this said, she also began reaching for other dishes with increased enthusiasm.

Dritz smirked as he watched Vela and Tvie interact. Vela would be a great mum, wouldn't she?

Wait, no. That certainly wasn't a thought to be having over a dinner with his family. He quickly looked down at his own food, lest Kli think he didn't want it and steal it, as he was known to do.

"You like it? Yay!" Tvie helped herself to some of the same fruit. Having waited with baited breath to see Vela's verdict, it seemed she was happy to start eating herself now, and went back to humming quietly while she ate.

"Mostly, yes," Nisk explained, "But this-" she gestured to small chunks of white meat in a bright mustard coloured sauce speckled with chopped leaves and topped with shreds of white onions, "Is a new recipe I wanted to try. It's apparently an Ultrian curry? But it might not be too good, since I couldn't get the same fish. If you take some and don't like it, don't feel you have to finish it!" She laughed awkwardly, seeming quite embarrassed by the admission. "But otherwise, there is plenty, please eat as much as you would like. Maybe I could even put some away for you to take!"

Vela listened carefully to Nisk's explanation, nodding. She did take some of the newer dish, proclaiming it was good and she wouldn't know the difference between the real version, anyway. [That would be nice. Something extra would help. It's a long trip back to Hesperus Alpha.] For a little while she maintained eye contact with Dritz, thinking the length of time didn't really matter to either of them, but having some real food to break up the monotony of what he called "space food" would still make the situation better.

After this, she decided to eat quietly and listen to any other conversation around the table, letting Dritz have a rest from translating for her so much. Besides, he seemed hungry and almost in a sort of competition with Kli for who could eat the most. Despite not having nearly so much of an appetite, Vela focused on taking a small sample of each dish and enjoying them all greatly.

For a while, they ate in comfortable quiet, with the odd chitchat from Tvie as she asked for things to be passed to her, being the only one unable to reach everything that had been laid out. Kli told them about the day he had, Dritz told them about Hesperus Alpha (insisting Vela have a break from signing everything for a while while he did so), and Tvie showed them all a... well, something approaching a magic trick she had learnt which involved a 'disappearing' napkin obviously appearing on her lap.

After a little while longer, Vizn turned to Vela, having nudged his plate away from him.

"So, what brought you away from Aurctas? And why the station?"

The meal was pleasant, and Vela had enjoyed every bit of it, along with the conversations around the table and the antics of Tvie. When they all seemed finished and Vizn turned his attention to her, however, she quickly became serious.

[It's not a simple answer, unfortunately. I spent a long time working on one of our old ships in an effort to make it functional again. I would have left with others, but there was no one currently who wished to accompany me. The truth is, I left to seek out a new home for my people. Our world is not suitable for habitation much longer, and I had to do something. I can't let the Aurians just... perish.] The subject was a stark contrast from the rest of the evening, and realizing this, Vela hurriedly continued to sign.

[You must understand, there are many years left. But I didn't want to wait. I went to the station because I felt there might be someone would could help me, even though I wasn't counting on that in specific. It also seemed like a logical stop to make sure my ship could manage such a distance. There may have been others there who could assist me... but I met Dritz first. He was a good friend to me from the very start and eager to help me with anything I needed. It was awkward trying to make him understand me at first, but we sorted it out. You should be proud of him, I think, though I have no doubt you already are.] She paused to let Vizn and the others take this information in, along with smiling fondly at Dritz. It was possible he didn't know the full extent of how much he had helped her.

As Dritz translated, carefully controlling his evident distress over the situation, Vizn seemed to soften. He was watching between her and Dritz, his yellow eyes, paler than his son’s, seeming to hold sadness for the first time, though it didn't show on the rest of his face.

"I am sorry for the hardships of your people," he said softly. "And I cannot have helped you feel welcome in such an unusual place. For that I must apologise again." Vizn shared a glance with Nisk, the two of them seeming to communicate without words, as Vela and Dritz were slowly learning.

"Dritz was always a friendly boy," Nisk added, grinning, "Chit-chatting to strangers whenever we went out! I swear he knows more folk around here than the rest of us put together."

After a moment, she reached over and touched Vela's hand gently, "I hope you are able to assist your people, Vela. If there is anything we can do to help, please let us know."

Vela accepted the second apology gracefully, even though she felt Vizn needn't have done so. He could not have known what a hard life she had lived previously, and how important Dritz was to her and her mission.

She smiled, easily believing what Nisk said about her son. His friendly nature had initially drawn her in, too. [Thank you. For now, all I could ask is that you continue to support us, and perhaps speak well of our cause to anyone who might be doubtful of it in the future. We have been to the counsel and gotten their agreement to help, though it didn't go as smoothly as we would prefer. I can understand why they might be reluctant to lend my people aid, but I'm sure the decision will not cause anyone regret.]

With an encouraging smile, she turned toward Dritz in case he had any further thoughts beyond what she had said.

"Szna was a great help, but there were some overseers who weren't too pleased with the idea, of course. But even if Vela and I hadn't become involved in a deeper relationship, I feel like I would have wanted to help. The idea that any race of people could..." He trailed off. Something about the thought of using the words 'die out' made him incredibly uncomfortable. He didn't want to acknowledge the very real danger aloud. "Anyway. Uh, yeah. It's important to Vela, so it's important to me."

Tvie looked up at Vela, her wide eyes full of concern. "The Aurie-yans will be okay, right? If they're all like you, I don't want them to be in trouble..." she said, leaning her head against Vela's shoulder.

Her own eye softening with emotion, Vela reached over to briefly smooth some of Tvie's hair as the little girl's head rested against her shoulder. [They will be alright. The Chrysalans are going to help, and use their ships to bring the Aurians to a new planet where they can grow strong again. It's called Trelos, and it's much like your own planet, only a little smaller. It's very green there, and warm.]

Suddenly she thought of a question which she had never investigated yet. Still addressing Tvie to keep her engaged in the conversation, she signed, [Does it ever get cold here? Do you know what snow is?] Somehow she could not imagine them having any, and her general dislike of cold weather and snow had made her forget to learn about Chrysala's seasons.

"That sounds nice," Tvie mumbled. It was obvious she was still quite worried about the Aurians, her voice thicker than usual, but she seemed to brighten at the idea of them growing strong again, as Vela had suggested. "Maybe I can go and see Trelos sometime and help the Aurians make it nice."

Once Dritz had again translated, Kli opened his mouth to answer, but Tvie glared at him, "Don't be rude, Vela asked me." She turned back,her face the picture of innocence after such a harsh frown at her brother, "We have rainy season, and um, the dark season..."

"Dark season is the closest we really get to winter, flower," Dritz said cheerily. "It overlaps with rainy season by a week or so, and the humidity rises as the temperature drops, but we don't get snow. The cold is never harsh enough at all."

"What is snow though?" the young Chrysalan pouted.

[You could do that,] Vela signed, though she wished there was a way she could be more soothing to Tvie. [I'm sure the Aurians would welcome your help.]

She watched the interaction between the siblings with amusement. [I see, thank you. I didn't suppose it was ever so cold here. Snow is like...] It took her some time to think of a way to phrase it so that Tvie could understand. [Well, it's very cold. I know you have rain here, and snow comes from the sky just like rain. You could say it's frozen rain, but it's not the same as ice. It's soft and white, usually in flakes that pile onto the ground, but sometimes it can be harder and painful if there is a strong wind. It's horrible.] Vela had no concept of anyone thinking snow could be a good thing, hence her description of it as being unwanted.

After a moment she turned back to Dritz in curiosity. [Dark season? What does that mean? Does the planet not get much light then?] Her natural intrigue to learn was stronger now that she knew there was no snow.

"Snow sounds pretty," Tvie mused, "But if Vela doesn't like it then it must be bad." She nodded firmly to herself, as if to confirm this was the last word on the subject of snow.

Dritz beamed, recognising the curiosity in his love and wanting to do his very best to feed it. "The days during dark season only really last five hours, so everyone ends up being more tired and feeling overworked. It used to be a real problem until we started developing sunlight bulbs to ensure everyone was still working at their best. It's still a bit of a horrible time of year, but I definitely think it's less so than rainy season. I feel like you never dry off!"

Fascinated, Vela nodded. [I understand. Actually there is very little daylight on Aurctas year-round. I think Aurians are used to that, though. I wonder if their motivation for change would return if they were exposed to more natural light.] It wasn't something she had ever thought about in depth. Since leaving her home and at least experiencing an artificial light cycle on Hesperus, she had certainly noticed a change in her general mood for the better. Most days on Aurctas had been a struggle to keep herself going in more ways than one.

Finally realizing she had gotten carried away with her interest again, she addressed Dritz's parents apologetically. [I'm sorry, I enjoy learning about anything I can and sometimes I get caught up in doing so. I wanted to know if there was anything else you'd like to ask me, if there's any way I could further set you at ease about Dritz and myself. I wouldn't want you to worry about him.] They would be leaving Chrysala soon, and she wanted Nisk and Vizn to know their son would be safe and loved in her company.

All of the Chrysalan family listened intently as Dritz translated, even Tvie seemed to be contemplating what was being discussed. She couldn't imagine very little natural daylight.

"Are your eyes real sensitive, then?" she asked sweetly, almost concerned.

Dritz shook his head in response to Vela's concern before he began to explain what it was she had said. He knew that his parents, though perhaps worried about the situation in general, would not worry about him in relation to his presence around Vela.

"Dritz is an adult, we do our very best not to worry about him or his choices," Vizn said, leaning back in his chair and looking at Vela more seriously. "But you know we will do. All I ask is that you take care of each other."

Dritz smiled, reaching over to take Vela's hand and squeeze, "We already do."

With a gentle smile, Vela shook her head. [No, my eyes are alright. We had light, just nothing advanced such as you have. Otherwise we would not have been able to work. That was the most important thing in our lives.] Saying this made her pause for a moment to think of how differently it was important to the lives of both the Aurians and the Chrysalans.

Vizn and Nisk's confidence in their son and what he chose to do brought some relief to Vela's worry. [He's right, we do,] she signed with a loving glance at Dritz once he had released her hand. [We will all see you together again very soon, I'm sure. Next we are heading back to the station and working as we wait for our trip to Aurctas.] The thought of this worried her more than any other journey they had made together so far, but surely it would go well. It had to.

[Thank you again for the meal, everything was delicious,] Vela continued politely, before glancing around the table. She wasn't sure what came next: if they were supposed to leave, or remain and speak further. All she could do for the moment was wait for someone to make a suggestion.

Tvie seemed much happier to know that Vela's eyes were okay, but she did pout some at the thought of work, scrunching her nose up.

Nisk and Vizn seemed to share another of their knowing glances, but there was no air of secrecy or disapproval, no malice. It seemed as though they were confirming something with one another regarding Vela, warmth in their eyes. Dritz could tell they were reassessing her, seeing how wrong they had been about their relationship. It was reassuring to him to see that look, the unspoken parent link.

Reaching over and holding Vela's hand, they lingered for a short time afterward, Tvie showing Vela a few things she had made (including giving her a flimsy fabric flower she had clumsily hand stitched and was very proud of), and chatting lightly, Dritz leading most of the conversation on Vela's behalf, concerned his love was growing tired with so much talk.

An hour or so had passed when the Chrysalan finally stood and moved to stand behind Vela, protectively putting his hand on her back, "I think Vela and I ought to go and prepare everything for when we leave. I'll keep in touch though, so we'll be back again another time. Don't worry, Tvie, I won't keep your new best friend away long!" He stuck his tongue out at Tvie, whose antennae were flicking happily as she grinned at Vela.

"I will miss you, but you'll send me messages, right? Maybe you could send vids to show me Aurie-yan language?" she asked, kicking her legs in time with the wavering of her antennae.

There was a certain way in which Dritz's parents looked at each other which brought Vela a sense of peace, and a feeling that she was being accepted along with the situation. There would be no further reason to worry about how they felt, she thought. As unfamiliar as she was with the concept of parents having a greater role in their children's lives, this visit to Chrysala had managed to teach her much about it.

Their visit after the meal was pleasant, but Vela was still glad that Dritz seemed to want to talk more for her sake. Aurians did not engage in much idle conversation, so it really was tiring to have to sign for extended periods of time. She did, however, extensively praise Tvie over her small handmade items and assured the little girl that the flower was one of the most beautiful she had seen, that she would treasure it always and might be able to send her a gift later in return.

[We will send messages,] she promised, glancing at Dritz with a smile. [And I will certainly show you more of my words. You will have to practice, and maybe someday Dritz won't have to translate for me.] An unexpected feeling of affection came over her, and when she stood she went over to give Tvie a little hug in farewell. The rest of the family gave their own goodbyes in the manner they were comfortable with, and Dritz and Vela left the house for the walk back to the station.

For a while Vela could say nothing, simply overcome with her feelings over the trip. [Your family is wonderful,] she finally managed, still with that sense of contentment over it all. [I'm so glad they could accept me. And I... I love you.] For whatever reason, she couldn't hold herself back from stopping right in the middle of the walkway to hug Dritz tightly, closing her eye as she clung to him with the most happiness she was sure she had felt in her life.

If Dritz could adore Vela in any deeper way, the moment she crouched to hug his little sister, he would have done. Tvie almost felt like a daughter to Dritz in a lot of ways; he had taken care of her very often when she was a baby, he'd helped her learn some basic life skills, he'd shown her how to make tea... Silly little things, but they were close because of them. Vela's behaviour towards her was exactly what he would have wanted from a partner, and despite her age, Tvie was a great judge of character. Seeing them interact was a delight to him.

Both Nisk and Vizn chose to hug Vela, but Kli took her hands and squeezed, not wishing anything more physical.

With Tvie delighted by Vela's promises, they were free to leave. What took Dritz by some surprise, however, was Vela's sudden embrace. He pulled her closer, nuzzling against her neck and sighing happily, "I love you, flower. I can't believe how lucky I am. How lucky we both are for this."

Vela also sighed very softly, resting her head against Dritz's. She agreed that they were both incredibly fortunate in meeting each other and in all they had accomplished so far; yet perhaps there was some element which was beyond luck as well. Whatever it was, she would not question it.

Reluctantly they had to move again, though they walked hand in hand from then on. There were several shops to visit for supplies, and Dritz had to inspect the Nova to be certain she was ready for another long trip. This was all accomplished within the day, and early the next morning, they received clearance from the dock and set their navigation course back to Hesperus Alpha.

Vela found herself watching the viewscreen for a long time as Chrysala slowly shrank into a small orb of light behind them. With the stars streaking past, she found herself contemplative of all she had done and seen, but was thinking mainly of Dritz's family.

[I hope you won't miss them too much,] she signed with a faint smile. [I think I might miss them a little already. I'm not sure I really have any sort of family on Aurctas... so I would like to join yours if we formally partner together in the future.] Realizing what she had said made her feel a little shy, but she remained reflective as she stared at the viewscreen, unaware of how closely Dritz was watching her in the meantime.

The remains of their planning, the restocking of the ship and the tinkering all seemed to pass by in a blur. The two of them knew which tasks needed doing and set about them in the wonderfully efficient way they did, and that they had seemed to settle into so easily, so quickly after they first met as well.

Dritz worked on The Nova with enthusiasm. The ship was solid, he was almost as in love with it as he was with Vela, since it was almost an extension of her. It rarely had anything to be concerned by, but he enjoyed giving it the once over every chance he got.

Their efficiency came into play once again when they came to leave Chrysala, doing their tasks about the cockpit with the ease of practice.

Once they were settled on course, Dritz stretched in his seat as he turned to Vela.

"I think they will miss you too, flower," he said softly, smiling. He eyed her for a long moment, the smile becoming a slight smirk. "Oh yeah? Well, I would love that! I know Tvie would too! What did you think of everyone?"

Being asked her opinion of Dritz's family made Vela somehow even more contemplative. She leaned back in her own chair to begin signing to him.

[Well, Tvie was very sweet. I can see why you would have enjoyed taking care of her, though she does seem to require a lot of energy to keep up with. Your brother was... well, he seemed nice for the most part. I guess we didn't get to talk as much but I'm sure I would have enjoyed doing so.] She hoped Dritz understood and didn't think she was being disrespectful, but she wasn't familiar with the sort of personality Kli had and couldn't judge it well.

[Your mother is kind and pretty. I was a little surprised at how small she is, I suppose. Your father, after he got used to the idea of us being partners... he's very nice. He reminds me of you.]

She almost left it there, but some strange purpose kept her going. [I have never seen anyone like him... and when he hugs you, it's so warm and soft...] The equivalent of trailing off for an Aurian, Vela let her hands drift back to her lap as she played over that last hug in her memory, her gaze fixed on the viewscreen but not seeing it. She preferred to hug Dritz, if she were honest, but there was just something incredibly appealing about Vizn...

Dritz laughed, "Aw, Tvie is a handful, definitely, but believe it or not, she can be surprisingly sweet and gentle. If you're sad, she'll come and hug you, ask how you are and if you want tea. She's gunna be some sort of medic or teacher or something of the like. Eh, Kli's just dumb. Harmless, but dumb. Not a great talker." He listened further, chuckling at the mention of his mother's stature. Because of his own size, he mused, they must seem like an odd family, or perhaps not appear so related as he and his dad.

Vela seemed to have... wow, a fair amount to say about Vizn. Dritz was taking it all in when something sparked in the back of his mind. The hug, her fascination with his own 'soft', 'warm' body. He smirked and looked at her closely.

"I'm glad you liked them. Especially dad," he said lightly, an edge of teasing in his tone.

The information about Tvie made Vela smile softly, thinking back on the little girl with fondness. She had somehow already made her way into the Aurian's heart. It did puzzle her, however, that Dritz referred to Kli as not being very intelligent. What did that mean, exactly? For the moment she decided not to ask, distracted again by the mention of Vizn.

[He's nice, that's all,] she quickly signed, almost defensively. She had noticed the smirk and recognized the slightest amount of teasing in her lover's voice. Really, it was not as though she was attracted to his father. Was she? Wouldn't that be... strange?

In a new attempt to distract Dritz instead, she got up from her chair and moved over to him, sitting on his lap and curling her legs up. For a while she rested against him, feeling how wonderful he was, then leaned back enough to sign. [I enjoyed their company, but I'm glad it's only us for now. I do like it when we're alone, especially on the Nova, surrounded by stars...] Her gaze was soft as she turned her head to kiss him. Returning to Hesperus Alpha would be welcome as well, but she had nearly forgotten all about who might be waiting there upon their return.

"I'm glad you think so," Dritz chuckled, reeling in an exaggerated fashion at the ever so slightly sharper gestures from Vela. She seemed awfully quick to defend her statements. He couldn't seem to tone his smirk down.

Her curling into his lap, however, very quickly pushed away any thoughts of teasing her, and he wrapped both arms around her tightly, nuzzling against her neck and breathing in deeply, enjoying her subtle scent.

"I like it this way too, flower," he whispered, taking the chance to look out of one of the ship's view ports at the vastness of space around them before leaning down to kiss her slowly, passionate but languid; they had all the time they needed. There was something so calming about the endless stars, even moreso when accompanied by Vela's tender kisses, her pale body against his, the soft sighs filling the air...

The journey to the station felt like victory. They were relaxed, focused on each other and the ship, talking about anything but their recent travel purposes, fully enjoying the respite.

Late afternoon, the alert flashed on the console and Dritz stretched, poking a few readings, "Coming up on Hesperus Alpha, cap'n!"

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #27

(Vela’s part in italics.)

After a beautifully calm evening, Dritz slept better than he had in a while, nearly oversleeping until Vela gently nudged him awake and the two of them started to get ready for the counsel.

Though he knew he wouldn't really be needed, Dritz chose the most appropriate thing he owned that would still be smart, a high-collared floral suit with uncharacteristically muted colours, and boots that he even made sure to polish carefully.

"It's not really much of a formal affair, the meeting, but it shows respect for the overseers. As open as they are for visitors, and as much as they strive for equality between the public and overseers, counsel meetings are very, very rarely accessible to the public. So since we're in a pretty privileged position, I figured... Dress to impress," he explained with a goofy smile.

Vela watched Dritz as he dressed, almost feeling too nervous to do the same. Eventually she had to choose her own outfit, deciding on clothes that best represented her people: one of her slightly oversized dark tunics and warm leggings. Too warm for Chrysala, considering, but she felt perfectly able to endure being too warm over being too cold.

[You look nice,] she told Dritz, standing near him and smoothing one hand along the front of his jacket for a moment. [So you won't know what's going to happen, if the public doesn't see much of the counsels? Or do you know anything else about them?] She could imagine that all the overseers likely had a chance to speak in turn, but beyond that she struggled to think of what a counsel might actually be like.

Dritz couldn't help leaning into Vela's touch just slightly, enjoying the attraction in her gaze. While his looks had never been a big problem for him, to know there was one with whom his attraction was mutual was still a novel feeling.

"So do you, flower. I know I say you look nice in everything, but... This stuff, your tunics and cloaks... I kinda fell for you first while you still wore this and only this. So it's got a special place in my heart, y'know?"

He brushed a stray strand of hair out of his face before continuing, "Yeah, it's normally done more casually, but because we brought it to be called, I think it has the potential to be a shorter affair. Usually it'd be discussing the districts and what the issues are in them, then all coming together to work out solutions to any problems. So say... There's drug deals going on in the lower districts. Szna might spare a policing force to help the other district, or she might offer stricter crossing through her own district to avoid continuing the route," he explained. "This should be very quick. We present our cause, Szna does much of the talking, but with our backup I think we'll have support for the Aurians."

The fact that Dritz enjoyed her Aurian clothing so much was a little surprising to Vela, but it made sense when he explained the reason behind it. She smiled and nodded, thanking him with a small kiss before fetching a comb to continue helping him with his hair.

[I hadn't thought of that. Of course it would be shorter and more simplified as a special counsel. We are the ones who brought it about. I appreciate her for doing this, but hope it wasn't too much trouble for her... then again, I think she really wanted to do it.] One of the main reasons she had hope of this working was because of Szna's dedication to their cause, which made her incredibly happy to think about.

After attempting to tame her own hair and largely failing (it still sprung in wisps however it wanted), they left their room and began making their way to where the counsel would be held, Vela keeping her determination at the front of her mind to ease her own worry.

Dritz lead Vela through the city to where Szna had asked them to meet her. She had sent a message directing them to a more upmarket portion of the district, featuring newer buildings built with more aesthetically pleasing frontage, shinier metals and softer lines, drawing influence from wide and far. As Dritz explained to Vela, this was due to the changing influence of the galaxy on Chrysala's creativity, the fashion seeping into their culture, making looks a more considered aspect of things.

Waiting nearby was Szna, dressed in the same understated overalls, but this time with a large medallion about her shoulders. The bronze chain was thick and interwoven with green fabric, holding a bronze disc with a map of the district hammered into it; the closest things Chrysala had to marks of authority, only worn for official meetings.

"Good morning, friends," she said as they approached. She took each of their hands in turn, clasping them and saying their names; she had remembered. "I spent a good time preparing for every eventuality today, but I still may need to call on the two of you. Is that alright?"

As they walked, Vela kept her attention on the sights around her, which further helped calm her nerves. She especially marveled at the buildings, unable to imagine living or working in them despite the fact the ancient Aurians surely would have had such lovely architecture as well. With a smile, she told Dritz that it was wonderful they had adopted designs from other cultures and could see the beauty within them well enough to do so.

She was captivated by Szna's necklace first, thinking she had never seen anything like it either, and subconsciously touching where her gift from Dritz lay hidden under her tunic. [Good morning,] she signed before taking the overseer's hand, pleased that her name had been remembered. [Thank you. Yes, I am ready to say anything I need to in order to help, and I know Dritz will translate for me. You are doing so much for us.] With these words, Vela's determination seemed to be set, and her resolution fixed on what was about to happen.

Once Dritz had translated for her, Szna smiled at Vela, holding out an arm to lead them.

"I am doing my duty. Chrysala is my home, but it has its place in the galaxy, and it has a duty to help where possible. I would expect assistance from other planets if my people were in dire need, and we can do no less." With a somewhat sad tone, she added, "I believe we as a people are still too closed off from other worlds; we will accept their culture but not them? It saddens me."

Vela had to pause and study Szna a moment with new interest. From the way she spoke, it seemed there might be a personal reason behind her assistance rather than simply wanting to help them. That wasn't a bad thing at all, but it did interest her enough that she thought she might ask later, after the counsel meeting.

With a nod of agreement, she allowed the Chrysalan overseer to lead the way into the building as she walked alongside Dritz.

Dritz had been agreeing enthusiastically, evidently too eager to voice his approval to notice the hint in Szna's statement, or the sad determination in her eyes.

As she led them, Szna explained the two counsel members that would be their main opposition in anything they said. Tvek was the incredibly stern overseer of the industrial estate, which housed the oldest established metalworks and very few residential areas. She was traditional, old fashioned; one who believed that things were done a certain way for a reason and nothing needed to change. Vri was younger and more naïve, she did not see the importance of trade relations, nor had she adapted her thinking to include offworlders. For one so young, she was remarkably xenophobic.

Eventually they came to a taller building, just as nondescript as Szna's office. The three of them were greeted by a small, slight Chrysalan man, clearly just getting his start in the business of their govern, as he seemed almost in awe of Szna as he escorted them.

The counsel were already assembled and ready when they arrived, five other Chrysalan women of varying skintones and hair colours, each with a large medallion of their own colour and metal; all practical and neutral coloured fabric attachments.

Vela listened closely to everything Szna told them, and paid extra attention when discussing the more difficult overseers. It was disheartening to think that some remained this way despite any advancements they had made otherwise; however, Vela knew that she herself might not be considered a typical Aurian when compared to any of the rest. They would not listen to her while she was there, but perhaps with all of this additional support and a reasonable alternative for a home already prepared, they would be more willing.

When they entered the next building and the room where the counsel would be held, Vela felt some of her nervous thoughts returning. It felt as though each Chrysalan was staring right at her, but that would be understandable in such a situation if it was true. She went where she was directed by Szna, Dritz still at her side, and tried to focus on the appearance of each woman, and how each of their medallions was different and lovely, while she waited for the meeting to proceed.

Szna greeted the others graciously, warmly even.

"Zask, my dear," she said brightly, embracing a willowy Chrysalan with very dark, very short blue hair and soft features. The two engaged in small talk about Zask's recent improvements to her district, and the plans for another tram line.

While Szna made her way around the group, greeting them with hugs and chatter, Dritz kept close to Vela, stroking her back gently.

Eventually, Szna moved to a high round table and gestured for all, including Vela and Dritz, to join her. Everyone remained standing, as the table had been built for the meetings to be conducted as such.

"I am sure we are eager to discover why it was I called you here," she announced. Gesturing to Vela and Dritz, she introduced them. "Ladies, we are idle as a people, and we ignore the needs of our galactic neighbours at every turn. We do our jobs well for our people, and I think the time has come for us to direct our attentions further. Vela comes to us from Aurctas, and wishes our assistance in the survival and preservation of her species. It's my opinion that we can give it to her.'

"And why, do tell, should the resources needed for Chrysala be transferred to this... Aurctas for use? I have not even heard of such a world, why should my district suffer for them?" From Szna's description, the Chrysalan speaking, weathered with greying lilac hair in a high bun atop her head, was Tvek.

With Dritz's gentle hand moving slowly up and down her back, Vela relaxed slightly against his touch as she listened to the overseers speaking among themselves. When the subject quickly turned to the Aurians, however, she stood up straighter and focused her attention first on Szna, then on the woman who must be Tvek. The questions asked made her instantly begin to sign, whether or not this was a good idea.

[I mean no disrespect in anything I say. I am Vela. I'm honored to be here among the Chrysalans and offered an audience with such an important counsel. I should clarify that Aurctas is likely unknown to you because my people are being exploited as cheap labor, and the existence of the Aurians is kept a secret by these dishonest traders. Aurctas is a harsh world where nothing can grow, and my people are dwindling.]

She directed her gaze straight at Tvek as she continued signing, stopping every other sentence for Dritz to translate. [Your district will not suffer for us, I think. All I ask are for ships to transport the Aurians to a new home world. Anything else would be asking too much, but I would accept more help as you might see fit. I can explain anything you like in more detail.] Here she felt the need to stop and see the reaction from the counsel, glancing toward Szna with a slightly troubled expression.

"This representative does not even speak our language," Tvek said sharply. Thankfully, it seemed that the other counsel members did not like this statement, and one stepped forward, holding out a finger.

"And you expect every representative to speak Basic or Chrysalan? Perhaps you might wish to speak to the scientists about a time machine, Tvek, if you prefer our ancient segregation so much," she scoffed, smoothing her long hair back over one shoulder. She turned to Vela with a gracious nod, "You are welcome here, child, do not listen to those who would see us remain in our dark corner of space without the joys of new worlds."

Dritz translated the remaining information as Vela expressed it, speaking with his head held high, his voice clear and confident, his hands clasped behind his back. "I am Dritz, of the Criznr Quarter if you would prefer introductions, and Vela's translator. If my opinion counts for anything, ma'am, the Aurians need help that Chrysala, as a prosperous planet, is in a position to give. This is a chance for a joining of communities." He seemed to realise he was speaking somewhat out of turn, and stepped back. It was not usually heard of for males to even be in the counsel's room, he needed to remember how privileged he was.

"What he says is correct; we can help. Chrysala continues to thrive and grow, but who are we if we turn our backs on the Aurians, who have asked our help. But I need a majority vote."

Over the next hour or so, Szna laid out a plan for their distribution of assistance, funds, and the time scale of the help the Aurians would need, with the overseers discussing, sometimes heatedly.

[With all respect,] Vela signed, [I do speak Basic. Or I would if I could do so aloud. The rest of my people also understand it, though perhaps less words than I do. I have been training my voice to grow accustomed to speaking but it's a slow process. I think that someday the Aurians may be able to become vocal as well.]

She only added a little more for Dritz to translate: that she was grateful for any assistance given, that the other Aurians would be too, and that any details would be left up to the counsel entirely. After this, there was a long period of debate as Vela tried to stand still and avoid wringing her hands just slightly in worry. Tvek had seemed so much against the idea at first, and some of the others were doubtful of it.  She glanced around the room more than once, though her gaze kept returning to the comforting sight of Dritz at her side. There was little she could do now unless further questions were asked of her, meaning all she could do was wait.

Tvek voiced her displeasure many times, backed up by Vri, but the other overseers seemed to be coming around to the idea the more Szna spoke. They would need to secure coordinates to Aurctas, send an ambassadorial party to discuss their plans and make diplomatic introductions, and prepare the Aurians for extraction.

Dritz stepped closer to Vela, returning his hand to the small of her back. "I know Tvek seems harsh, but I think she's outvoted here. Good job, flower," he whispered.

Once it seemed deliberations were over, a different overseer took the lead. She was older than even Tvek, silvery hair in a long, relaxed braid with a roughly hammered metal clasp holding it in place. She held up her hands, "My dears, I believe we have heard enough and will need to put in a vote."

Dritz gawked, seeming to realise something. "She's the grand overseer. I didn't even consider that she would be here," he muttered. "I've never seen her before..."

"You all know that I will make my final decision once you have voted, so please; complete Szna's plan for the assistance of Aurctas?" she asked, looking around the room. Szna, unable to vote on her own cause, watched with her mouth in a tight line as Tvek and Vri remained still, though the other overseers held up hands in agreement. "And you are opposed?" the grand overseer asked the other women, who confirmed.

Szna frowned and looked to the grand overseer with an anxious air to her.

"I've taken everything that has been said into account, and it's my opinion that the Aurians require the assistance of another world. We can be that world," the grand overseer said, a small smile reserved for Vela.

Through the oftentimes tense debate, Vela continued to glance around the table at each overseer, hoping they could at least try to understand how she felt and what it must be like to have a home which wasn't a home, even if they had never experienced similar. She was so focused on what was happening that she was almost startled when Dritz touched her again.

His whispered words brought a smile to her face. Of course she could not say anything, so she nodded slightly. Despite Tvek and Vri and their protests, everyone else seemed to think that helping the Aurians would be the right thing to do. When the one Dritz called the "grand overseer" began to speak, Vela almost felt as though she couldn't bear waiting for the answer any longer. She didn't know the significance of this Chrysalan, but the ultimate decision seemed to lay with her.

It wasn't a surprise when the two who opposed the vote made this clear. But it was heartening to see the others agree, and for the grand overseer to say that Chrysala would assist the Aurians... Vela almost wished she could sit down from the sudden weakness of her relief.

[Thank you. It isn't enough to show my gratitude, but that's all I can say for now. I deeply appreciate what you will do for my people, and they will too.] She had signed while looking at most of the overseers, but looked to Tvek and Vri next. [You will not find reason to regret this was done, I assure you. The Aurians will be prosperous again one day and I feel you will find them a worthy ally.] Finally she turned her gaze to Szna. [And thank you for agreeing to bring this to your counsel. I think we will never forget you for that.] She wanted to add a thank you to Dritz, but only directed her smile back at him again, knowing she could do that better later.

Szna beamed at the news of the voting, and there was a rapid series of events for Vela, with the overseers who voted in favour wishing to speak to her, congratulate her, and Szna hoping to speak to her about other matters, while Tvek seemed to be contemplating the results of the vote.

After a moment, Dritz stepped in and put an arm around Vela, seeing the situation could become overwhelming for her very quickly.

"Overseers, thank you for your time. Perhaps we could speak another time, as our Aurian ambassador is needed elsewhere," he said graciously. He turned to Szna, "Thank you, ma'am,  we will be in touch to further discuss our actions in relation to Aurctas."

Soon, he had led her out of the building and to somewhere quiet and peaceful.

"How are you feeling, flower?" he asked softly, pulling her into his arms and kissing her forehead, "I'm so, so, so proud of you. Wow. I can't even believe how well that went!"

With nearly everyone trying to talk at once, most of them directly to her, Vela had started to feel a little overwhelmed. Fortunately Dritz was there to handle the situation, speaking to everyone easily and guiding her away from the noise to somewhere more quiet. As much as she wanted to continue to converse with the overseers, she also needed some time to process what was a very emotional situation for her.

She felt herself leaning most of her weight on Dritz when he held her, just allowing his warmth to seep through to her own body in the way that was so comforting. [I feel alright,] she answered once she had collected herself somewhat again. [But I feel... overwhelmed. I wanted them to agree to help, but there was a part of me that doubted they would. And now I admit that I'm not sure what to do.] She smiled weakly before moving forward to rest her face near Dritz's shoulder, breathing in his scent and feeling herself gradually relax further.

After a few moments of the two of them standing quietly, Dritz stroking Vela's hair and chatting in that idle, unimportant way about what he could see while she was squished against him, Szna rounded the corner, in the process of untying her hair from the bun she held it in, letting it fall before shaking it out and sighing.

"Hello, dears," she said weakly, "How are we doing? I just wanted to come out and speak to you about what we need to do next," she said. She touched Vela's shoulder gently, "I think you did very well. You spoke clearly about what the needs of your people were, and you have done them a service. I believe with the right guidance from you, we can take the majority of the work from you now. You've set this in motion, and I would like you to allow Chrysala and Aurctas to continue your work. Do you think that will be possible? Is there anything more we will need to consider before we set this in place?"

Vela began to turn as she heard the footsteps coming from behind them and around the corner. She was not sure what she had been expecting, but was relieved to see Szna again. She had wanted to thank the Chrysalan woman further for her help in making everything much more of a potential reality.

[I think we are well. Mostly relieved and somehow exhausted, speaking for myself,] she signed for Dritz to translate, though she smiled at Szna. [Thank you. I only did the best I could, and if it had not been for the two of you, I might not be where I am today. I really can't thank you enough.]

It took some contemplation before she realized what she needed to say. [I think it's possible. The only problem is that I have not convinced any of the rest of my people that it's in their best interest to leave. So I thought that with the promise of a world for them, and a means of getting there, they would see it could be done and agree. Trelos was not fully decided on whether we might join them, so we will need to wait and see if they send word. After that happens, maybe we could send a small group of Chrysalans along to Aurctas to help persuade them? I know Dritz would have to come along as interpreter, but would we need anyone else?] In all honesty, she was uncertain exactly how many or even who might most impress the other Aurians enough to make them see that their lives could be different, in a good way.

Szna listened thoughtfully, her eyes bright as her smile turned into an impressed smirk. "You truly have considered every avenue. It's my hope that your people will see the effort you have put into their future. As for Chrysalans going with you to Auctas, I believe that is up to you. I am happy to accompany you as another ambassador for my people, and we could perhaps bring the grand overseer; I believe she may also be a good representative for the whole."

"Once we've heard from Trelos, we could set off from Hesperus Alpha together, depending on how many of us there are in the... I guess it's like a first contact mission, almost? But not?" Dritz rambled.

Szna bit back a grin and glanced at Vela, teasingly saying, "And this is your translator. Are you certain he's doing it correctly?"

Vela nodded, promising to give the situation more thought later and decide who she would like to accompany them to Aurctas.

[That's a good idea. Another small ship may be needed to get us there since the Nova can't carry too many comfortably.] She could sense that Szna was teasing about Dritz even without seeing the Chrysalan woman's expression. [He is. And he... usually gets it right.] Now she was teasing too, she realized, as she turned a small but playful smile toward her lover. [I think I would trust no one else to interpret for me now, truthfully.]

[But I have a question from earlier, if you don't mind my asking,] she continued to Szna after a time. [It seems to me as though you have a deeper reasoning for wanting to help me and my people? I know you are a good person, but something about the way you spoke... I might have imagined it. You don't have to answer.] Vela felt her phrasing had been awkward as she listened to Dritz translate, and she hoped Szna wouldn't be offended somehow.

Szna chuckled, glancing down at the ground with a smile when Dritz protested, insisting it was not often he got his translations wrong now, at least.

The overseer took Vela's question and considered it very carefully, nodding.

"Well. If I am being honest, I am in a relationship with a human woman myself. We are each others' primary partners; she is seeing another human, and I have two other Chrysalan lovers, but... she is special. I have to confess to your story being significant to me personally. The thought of my partner being in the same position as your people..." she said quietly. "This is more personal information than I should share as an overseer, but I want more Chrysalans to be open to alien relations in every sense, and I suppose I have personal stake in that... I hope you don't see it as selfish."

Rather than being surprised, Vela only had a sense that her suspicions were right all along. [I think that's wonderful,] she signed, her gestures slower to indicate a quieter and more reflective tone. [It's not selfish at all, because your personal stake will allow you to help many others who wish to be free with the partners of their choosing. And we will all be grateful for that.]

With a few more details worked out, Dritz and Vela were soon on the way back to their lodging, the Aurian slipping her pale fingers loosely through the Chrysalan's beautifully colored ones for a little while as they walked. [Did that surprise you?] she asked eventually, releasing his hand. [Your overseer is a wonderful person in addition to leader. And I'm glad you were willing to choose me as a partner when I am so different. I guess in a way, I'm surprised and proud I was able to choose you, too.]

The sensation of Vela's slender fingers slipping between his own brought Dritz out of a reverie he hadn't realised he was even in. Overseers were just citizens the same as any other Chrysalan, but they were mostly very private people, and for his own to have told them such a personal thing... And for it to be so close to their own situation, it was a strange thing to come to light.

"I am a bit surprised, yeah. See, I guess it's one of those cultural things. I know the overseers are no different, but it's so hard to separate them from their work. I couldn't even imagine Szna having partners. Not through her being unattractive, or anything of the sort, of course. It's weird though, learning that made me feel like it's getting better. It's not so ‘weird’ as people think, maybe we can begin to open minds in that way."

He squeezed her hand, "I... For a while I didn't think you would want me. Not because of anything you do, just... I had already assumed it wouldn't be something you would want. I wouldn't be something you would want. I'm glad I was wrong, I made the best choice." He grinned, throwing an arm around her and holding his head high as they walked.

It sobered Vela just a little to hear Dritz had thought she might not want him. She chose to add nothing further for the time being, instead letting him hold her close while they continued to walk. There were a few curious stares from passersby, but nothing truly hostile or rude. He might very well be right that it was getting better.

When they arrived back at their room, Vela wasted little time after the door had closed behind them. [Thank you again for what we've accomplished today. It's been truly incredible. And, I... I should tell you that it took me a little while to realize I was attracted to you, but when I did... of course I wanted you.] She brushed at some imaginary dust on the front of his jacket, temporarily distracted as her hand slid over his midsection. [I guess this might be sudden, but I want you now, too. I usually do.]

Vela glanced up at Dritz quickly, almost shy with this sort of admission, but was soon working at the buttons on the jacket. [I don't want you to get your pretty clothes wrinkled, I mean,] she explained in between, though the intent in her eye made it obvious that this was not her main concern.

Their walk gave Dritz time to contemplate. Had he ever shown that side of himself to her? He knew he must have done, they were so intimate emotionally, but something about the admission that he had developed an attachment to her so quickly had made him feel especially open to her. Not vulnerable; if anything Vela made him feel stronger.

When they returned, he felt strangely emotional, in a good way, in a passionate way, closer to Vela even though he thought that impossible. Her hands on his front and the sparkle in her eyes told him all he needed before she even began signing.

He shrugged off his jacket and shirt (that Vela had so kindly loosened) letting them both hit the floor as he cupped her jaw with a feather light touch and kissed her deeply.

"To be honest, flower, wrinkles in my clothes are the very last thing on my mind right now," he whispered against her lips.

Vela smiled against Dritz's lips in turn as he spoke, then leaned back to regard him playfully. [If that's the last thing on your mind, what's the first? Maybe there are a few things.]

While awaiting the answer to this, she took the opportunity to remove her tunic and let it drop to the floor as well, moving back to Dritz to press her body against his and kiss him hungrily. The mere feeling of his skin on hers was enough to send a pleasurable shiver running along her spine. She nudged him closer to the bed, eventually getting him to lay down and kneeling next to him in order to pay special attention to his neck, kissing and using her tongue along with the softest nibbles, which he quite evidently enjoyed very much.

His breath growing short, Dritz muttered, "I think you can guess-"

He stopped talking to let his gaze drag over her body. Everything about her was incredible to him, and it was all he could do to contain himself and allow her to lead him. As they moved, he nudged his shoes off and started on his trousers, staggering in his haste and fumbling with the fastening, more focused on Vela than the task at hand. He couldn't help a loud, appreciative sigh at the sensation of her teeth against his skin, just firm enough to allow for a contrast to her soft lips.

Dritz relished the attention for a moment before lacing their fingers together and tugging her into him, easily rolling them into an upright position and perching her on the bed's headboard, his own lips paying special attention to her chest and stomach, before moving to her hips and thighs.

At some point along the way, Vela realized they both had removed the rest of their clothes without even thinking about it, focused as they were on each other's bodies. It was amusing, but not something she was about to dwell on for too long in the current circumstances.

As always, it was surprising yet delightful when Dritz grabbed her and easily moved her to another position entirely. She began playing with his hair as he kissed her thighs, fingers moving just lightly around the base of his antennae. Eventually she slipped them gently down around his jaw and pulled him up to look at her, noting the desire in his gaze which no doubt matched the same in her own.

[What if I couldn't guess?] she signed, in some strange need of continuing their previous conversation. [Show me what you're thinking about the most.] She watched him, not really caring if there was an answer or not, but finding the situation somehow more arousing than even before.

There was something about Vela being more vocal that set extra fires in Dritz. He smirked up at her, trailing his fingers over her thighs, lighter, then harder, then feather light.

"Why don't I tell you?" he purred, leaning up to kiss her temple, "At the moment-" he kissed her jaw, "I am thinking about the expressions you have we we're together. When I touch you, and I find the exact spot you want to feel. The way you wiggle your fingers in my hair when..."

He trailed off, kissing his way back down her body, moving between her soft thighs.

Feeling slightly feverish at his words alone, Vela watched Dritz work his way down her body and stop in between her thighs. She drew in a sharp breath, even knowing what to expect beforehand. It wasn't entirely accurate to say she was shocked by how good it felt, but the sensation was always so much better than she might have anticipated.

Dritz had been right, however; her expression had changed to one of utter bliss, and she was moving her fingers erratically through his hair as it was nearly impossible to keep still when feeling this way. Before too long, she had to gently push him away and lay down on the bed, resting on her side as she faced him. She had needed to feel his body against hers, seeking the extra pressure as she moved one leg over his, breath quickening again.

(IT FADED OUT HERE. SORRY FOR TYPING THIS XP)

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #26

(Vela’s part in italics.)

Of course, Vela was already awake by the time Dritz woke the next day. When his eyes focused, she was already climbing back into bed with him, apparently having fetched the datapad.

He stretched out with a lazy smile, reaching up to stroke her cheek. "Morning. You sleep okay?"

It still was an odd thing for him to think of her as only sleeping a few hours, and then going about her morning with him completely fast asleep, but there was something comforting about it at the same time.

"We'll grab some breakfast and head right over to the ol' homestead, if that sounds good to you?" he said, sitting up and idly fiddling with his messy hair.

Early that morning, Vela had awoken with a mind which remained full of curiosity. She had gotten the datapad from where it rested on the table (she really felt she ought to start bringing it to bed with them to save the trouble of extracting herself from whatever form of snuggle she had been in with Dritz), and was eagerly looking through as much further information as she could about Chrysala. He could tell her a lot of things, but she didn't expect him to give her history lessons, explain the weather patterns or teach her about which exports and imports were vital to the economy, for example.

When Dritz finally spoke to her, touching her cheek gently, the Aurian smiled back at him and tried to help smooth his mussed hair. [I slept very well, thank you. I think you did, too.] Her smile was teasing then. Dritz seemed to snore louder after they had spent an intimate evening together, which she had remarked on before. It made her think he was extra tired after what tended to be an intense period of activity.

She quickly agreed to his ideas, and they both dressed and made themselves presentable before paying for their room and finding a small but pleasant place to eat. Vela had chosen a vegetable dish which was oddly sweet, but incredibly delicious once she got used to it. Almost before she knew it, however, she was thinking of more questions to ask.

[What exactly is... the sort of place where your family lives? I don't have a sign for it.] Her studies of Chrysala the night before had not yet reached that subject: what Dritz had referred to as a "homestead."

If Vela remained nervous, she did not show it, her bright curiousity seeming to be in full force that morning. Dritz was beyond happy about this, feeling more confident in his ability to tell her about Chrysala than his ability to put her nerves to rest.

"Ah, it's kind of... Usually you'll find a lot of Chrysalans live very closely. It'll be a bit more clear when we get there, but basically there are very large buildings that accommodate lots of families at once. Each one has their privacy, of course, but you wouldn't think twice about eating dinner with another family, or offering food to them, or looking after their kids. Traditionally, that tended to be how partnerships formed, but as our culture takes on more ideas from other planets, more tend to seek out specific traits in their partners, like..." Dritz wave his hands as he tried to think how to explain his meaning, "Okay, it was never simple convenience before, there was still affection, but these days it seems deeper. Bonds are stronger because they're built on more common ground than simple proximity. Am I making sense, or just rambling?" He laughed, shaking his head.

Vela listened carefully to Dritz's explanation, nodding at the end. It did make sense, but it was difficult to imagine living in the way he described. Aurians lived close together, but not in any sort of family unit at all.

[Yes. Our experiences in life are very different, so I'm eager to see what it's like there.] Something about saying this made her a bit anxious again, and she focused on finishing her food before they left and began walking through the streets again.

[Is it far?] she signed absently, glancing at the buildings around her and wondering if it looked similar to any of them.

"Depends on if we want to walk or not," Dritz said with a laugh. Between them, they decided the walk was pleasant, and Dritz led them through streets that grew gradually wider, the buildings growing taller and more closely compact.

They came to one eventually that had frontage that had seemingly been made from hammered out copper that caught the light in splashes of green, pink and shimming orange. There were different materials jotted about where repairs had been needed, and a strip light that lay above the main door.

Dritz lead them inside and down a corridor. As they turned a corner, a short cry could be heard and small, swift footsteps. As quickly as it had started, the running stopped and a small Chrysalan crashed into Dritz's legs, causing him to grunt and double over. The tiny body was chirping and buzzing excitedly, and when they looked up, it was a bright eyed girl with her hair  pulled into an elaborate plait that had become very messy to reveal short, active antennae. She was grinning up at Dritz, who raised both eyebrows and held up a finger with a few short clicks and buzzes. With that, the little girl looked over at Vela, her twinkling eyes wide and curious.

"Dritz says I have to speak Basic because you don't speak Chrysalan," she said softly, slowly extracting herself from Dritz. She looked Vela up and down and turned back to Dritz, "They are really pretty." Turning back to Vela once more, she repeated herself, "You're pretty. Even if you can't speak Chrysalan. And your eye is cool. I'm Tvie... We should be friends." She smiled hopefully, idly slipping her hand into Dritz's. Behind her, the older Chrysalan was looking apologetically at Vela.

The home Dritz brought them to fascinated Vela, who stared at everything in a sort of wonder, trying to imagine him having lived there for so many years previously. It looked comfortable and inviting, setting her further at ease. The sudden appearance of a small Chrysalan, darting toward them and straight into Dritz, caught her slightly off guard even though she recovered quickly, realizing it was Tvie before she even introduced herself.

She listened to Tvie's explanation before giving her a gentle smile, lowering herself down to one knee so the girl could see her signing fully and understand it was her form of speaking. [That's right, though I wish I could speak Chrysalan. I can't speak Basic aloud either, but I can understand it, at least. Thank you. I think you're pretty, too. And I do want to be friends. My name is Vela, and I'm from a planet called Aurctas. I came here with Dritz to meet you and your family.] She looked to Dritz to translate, though her gaze kept returning to Tvie in hopes that she would remain interested.

Tvie's eyes widened as she watched Vela sign, and she looked up at Dritz as he translated.

"Why can't you speak?" she asked sadly, reaching a hand up and touching Vela's neck, "Are you sick?"

Behind her, Dritz out both hands on her shoulders and bent over to lean right above her, beaming, "Vela can speak a little, she's not sick, but it's like learning any language; it takes time. Speaking aloud makes her very weak right now, so we won't ask her to do so, will we?"

"Nuh uh," Tvie said firmly. She took Vela's hand and tugged, seeming more  "But you have to come meet mum and dad, if you're Dritz's friend! Come on! And you have to teach me how to talk with hands!"

Vela could feel her heart warming further as Tvie seemed so concerned about why she couldn't speak aloud, touching her throat as if to feel a reason there. Of course, Dritz explained, and she nodded her agreement with what he had said. She marveled at the way the young Chrysalan accepted this explanation, and indeed seemed to accept Vela herself, with an open mind and no prejudice at all. She was aware that Tvie was young, which might account for her reaction, but had hope that the others she met would all be the same.

Tvie was now gently pulling at Vela's hand and asking her to come see her parents and teach her signing, which gave the Aurian an idea. [I do want to meet them, but first I have a question,] she gestured once the girl could see she wanted to speak and let her hand go. [You have a beautiful name, but my language has no sign for it. We had to choose a name sign for Dritz as well.]

She paused for a moment as Dritz translated, as well as showing the sign he had decided on, which was a hand brought from the throat down to the chest. [How would you like your name to be signed, so that I can use it when I speak to you?] she asked Tvie.

The young Chrysalan seemed completely enraptured by this idea, her eyes wide as her smile. "You mean you choose your own name with your hands?" she asked, looking at both of them again.

"Cuz our names don't exist in Aurian, kiddo, like Vela says. See how I chose this, because that's where the sound comes from?" he repeated the gesture. Tvie frowned, apparently deep in thought.

"Can it be pretty? Vela, Vela, show me your name!" she demanded, watching it carefully. She repeated it awkwardly, getting it quite incorrect, but apparently understanding the gestures a bit better.

"I know," she said eventually. She held out one finger to show them, and pointed to the opposite cheek on her own face, bringing it in a 'v' shape to the centre of her lower lip, then straight down to her chin. "Tviiieee. Is that okay?"

Vela smiled and nodded, repeating the gesture Tvie had made for her name. It was quite unusual to sign across the face, but she thought the uniqueness was suitable for someone like the small Chrysalan.

[That's a good sign, Tvie. I'll remember to use it when I speak to you. You'll be able to learn some of my other words if we practice for a little while.] It seemed she would be eager to learn, and Vela had no reservations about teaching her as time allowed. Someday it might even turn out to be useful.

[Are your parents busy right now?] she continued absently, trying to peer further down the corridor. [I wouldn't want to disturb them if they had any plans this morning.]

When Dritz translated that Tvie's name was a good sign, the little girl's​ face lit up, and she looked incredibly proud, and somewhat in awe.

With the younger one dragging Vela mercilessly, Dritz opted to answer her questions for her, "Ah, I don't think they're that busy today, since they had a rough idea of when we were coming. Chances are their plans will be to chat at us nonstop until we have to fight to leave!" He chuckled, but the tone of it suggested it was not quite the joke he made it out to be.

Tvie led them into an open room with a circular couch sunken into the floor, plush and worn, with a table in the centre and a small step down to the right level. There were some very old machinery parts on the table, and a rag discarded next to a small pile of tools.

"Dritz is here! Come and meet his friend. They're really nice and we're best friends already," Tvie called, letting Vela go and scurrying off to another room, returning shortly after with an adult.

The Chrysalan was a male with very short, wiry hair, a round face with a fixed grin, and a substantial figure. His bulkier frame, and general facial features made him believably Dritz's father, but when he flung his arms out, enveloping Dritz in a huge hug, his delighted chuckle removed any doubt.

"It's good to see you, kiddo," he boomed, giving him a light and playful slap on the arm. "Been a good old while, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty damn long! But I'm here now," Dritz beamed. He put a gentle hand at the small of Vela's back and turned between the two of them, "I brought my partner. This is Vela,  and this is my dad, Vizn."

Vela glanced around in curiosity as she was brought into the next room, but her attention was all on Dritz's father when Tvie reappeared with him.

At first she was somewhat taken aback by how loud his voice seemed, but soon she was staring in wonder, maybe a bit more than she would have considered polite any other time. He was... well, he was larger than Dritz, that much was for certain. For some reason Vela had never considered such a thing possible. She was almost envious of the hug he received from the older Chrysalan, feeling sure it must be very warm and comfortable. Otherwise, he had such a pleasant and friendly demeanor that she relaxed until being introduced as Dritz's partner.

Before Vizn could react to this information, she stepped up to him and held out her hands in the greeting she had learned, bowing her head. "I am pleased... to meet you." This had come out very well despite her nerves, but now she was holding her breath and starting to feel a little dizzy. What was he going to think of her?

Vizn's expression seemed to change so rapidly it might have looked almost comical from the outsider perspective. He'd gone from surprise bordering on concern to shock, and then even more surprise.

None more surprised than Tvie, apparently, as the little Chrysalan pointed accusingly at Dritz, shouting, "You liar, you said Vela couldn't speak!"

There was a moment of clamouring chaos where Dritz tried to calm Tvie while keeping one eye on his father and the other on Vela, Vizn tried to confront Dritz while trying to acknowledge Vela's gesture, and the poor Aurian was literally stuck in the middle.

"Tvie," Vizn boomed, clapping a hand on her shoulder, "Go and play, love, Dritz will be here a while, but we need to talk. Alright?"

The girl nodded, evidently eager to get away suddenly.

Vizn took Vela's hands and bowed too. "It's a pleasure," he said softly. "Vela. A nice name."

"I know what you're thinking, dad, and it's-"

"Partner, you say? Do you know that none of my family has ever partnered with an alien, hm?" he said conversationally, addressing both of them.

"Yeah, 'course. But that doesn't mean I shouldn't either! Vela and I have a stronger bond than I ever thought possible with a partner," Dritz said softly.

Vizn looked at them both seriously for a long, painful moment. His size seemed to be useful in intimidating as well as endearing. "I see. Well, I think it's probably time I made drinks. I was going to make a pot of tea if you're interested.”

In the action which ensued after her greeting, Vela went from dizzy to lightheaded to suddenly weak, slumping a little toward Dritz, who naturally tried to support her. The words had taken much from her, but to hear the rest of what was said...

She shook her head vaguely at Tvie, wanting to remind her what happened when she talked and to say it hadn't been a lie, but the little girl was being told to leave for now. The look Vizn was giving them made her shrink back slightly to the extent her current energy allowed. Of course this wasn't going to be easy. There had been no possible way it could be.

[Dritz is right,] she signed when she felt able, turning toward him so he could see. [Our bond is strong. My people's bodies adapt to our partners, and if he had not been the one for me, it would not have done so. I know that doesn't help now, but it's true.] She paused a moment, wondering if she had gone too far. [I'm sorry for any inconvenience. Your tea is wonderful and I would like to have some, but only if you are comfortable with me staying.] It felt too difficult to look directly at Vizn now, when she had wanted to stare before. What if he didn't like her at all?

Dritz translated with a warm smile that did not quite mask the frustration and concern in his eyes.

"We cannot produce children together, but we care deeply for one another, love each other. How is this," he said to Vizn, gesturing to himself and Vela, "Any different from you taking a male partner? You can't reproduce, it's about companionship, love, pleasure."

This had, evidently, been the wrong thing to say, as Vizn's expression darkened.

"A male Chrysalan is not an alien," he said firmly.

"Don't yell at them," came a tiny voice from the doorway. Tvie was peeking around, barely visible. "Why are you mad... I don't get it? Vela is nice, and pretty, and they make Dritz happy. That makes me happy, because I love Dritz lots. Why aren't you happy, daddy?"

The room stayed silent for a long moment, and Dritz beamed at his young sibling. Vizn seemed to consider this for what felt like a physically painful amount of time before sighing deeply.

"Forgive me," he said. His antennae had started to drift from their arched position back to a more relaxed one. "Perhaps we may have gotten off on the wrong foot." He took Vela's hands and did the gesture she had, but in reverse. "You have chosen my son, I owe it to you both to be more open to the idea. Hopefully you can forgive my outburst."

At the doorway, Tvie was smiling to herself.

For quite some time, Vela felt as though she had been squeezing her hands together in worry. Yet when all had been said and done and Vizn was seeming to relent a little, she relaxed enough to allow him to take her hands in the gesture she had done before. What Dritz had said made sense to her, and it bothered her that it was her very alienness itself that might make her an unworthy partner to him in the eyes of some.

At the same time, she couldn't blame Vizn. Her own people would not know what to think of her and Dritz, and there had never been a pairing between one of them and anyone from off world. She hadn't expected to be such a "pioneer" in so many areas of her life, either.

Tvie's help also made her smile warmly at the little girl, pleased that she could understand. [Thank you for your hospitality,] she signed to Vizn, bowing her head again. [Your willingness to give me a chance. I forgive you, but I understand. My people, the Aurians, may not know what to make of my pairing either. But I am willing to risk the displeasure of anyone at all if it means I can remain by Dritz's side. You will see that we do so much for each other, and in fact we love each other.]

Her strength was coming back to her, but her legs remained just the slightest bit wobbly. [I'm sorry, I would like to sit down for now. Speaking aloud is a difficulty for me, though I am practicing.]

This time, Vizn focused on Vela while Dritz translated (with warmth that bordered on the emotional). The larger Chrysalan smiled and nodded.

"Well... that's lovely to hear. I hope your people are understanding. Now," he said, "Do have a seat, I wouldn't have the slightest clue what to do if you were to faint. I'll get you a drink." His manner was still slightly awkward as he processed the information, but with his shock fading, there was more of what was very recognisably Dritz's humour coming into his voice.

Once he left, Dritz flopped next to Vela and enveloped her in a huge hug, kissing the top of her head. "You okay, flower?"

From the doorway, Tvie was still watching, only her hand on the doorframe and the top of her face visible as she watched them.

"Tvie, what are you doing..." came an amused voice from further in the house. A Chrysalan woman appeared, having scooped up Tvie, and quickly turned around again, "Oh, sorry, do you want me to leave you?" Despite what was a visibly slim and toned frame, she was petite and almost goofy with her manner, averting her eyes in every direction with a little smile.

"No, ma, it's fine. This is Vela. And this is my mum, Nisk. I'm sure you heard everything else..." Dritz said, sheepishly, still holding Vela gently.

Vela sank down onto the couch gratefully, watching Vizn leave before Dritz joined her. A drink would be just what she needed at this point, to relax and hopefully re-energize herself.

[I'm alright,] she signed after Dritz had held her a little while. [Just tired.]

She was content to stay there, not noticing they were being watched, and a voice from further down the hall made her move again slightly in time to see a petite Chrysalan woman entering the room with Tvie in her arms. Vela was curious about her behavior, but as she was introduced to Dritz's mother, she tried to sit up again.

[I am pleased to meet you. My apologies, I wanted to greet you aloud and with the traditional gestures, but I underestimated how much energy it would take to do twice in a row.] She paused a moment before simply deciding to be honest. [I hope you can understand that what's between Dritz and myself is real and it's both what we truly want. I'm glad to be here in your home, it's lovely.] The flow of her statements seemed awkward, but she was not exactly sure what to say when she knew so little about Nisk and how she felt about Vela being her son's partner.

Nisk blinked and glanced at Dritz with a small smile, waiting for him to translate.

"Oh, darling, don't worry. I mean... I dunno how most alien physiology works, but if you don't normally speak aloud, I can understand. I get exhausted from speaking and I do it all the time!" she laughed; an undignified, snorting, but completely contagious giggle. Adjusting Tvie in her arms, she nodded, "I trust Dritz's judgement. He's never really been one for partnering before, so for him to do so, you must be special."

Tvie nodded firmly, her hair bouncing as she did so. "Make daddy understand too," she said, in what was a childlike whisper (so, essentially louder than a normal sentence.)

[Really?] Vela signed without thinking. [Why do you say that?] Suddenly it was a little embarrassing to realize she was asking a question about Dritz which he could either answer himself or translate for his mother to answer. But she did want to know why he hadn't seemed to show much interest in partnering, and if she was really special in some way.

Nisk seemed different from Vizn in ways Vela hadn't expected either, beyond her size in comparison. While she hadn't known the reaction from either in advance, she found it was a pleasant surprise that one would be so accepting, while the other seemed open to the idea given some time. [Thank you for your understanding. I will be fine soon. I hope we aren't imposing on any plans you might have had today.] She eyed both Nisk and Tvie curiously, wishing she could speak more aloud already, which would be so much more convenient. She would have to redouble her efforts to practice.

Dritz snorted as he went to translate, holding back giggles. "Go on, ma, I wanna hear what you think is the reason."

Nisk looked pleadingly at Dritz before giving him a mocking glare and shaking her head, "Oh heck... Well, I don't know why he hasn't really had a partner yet. He's always been more focused on work, and ships."

"No one here really caught my eye the same way you did. I've had..." Dritz glanced at his mother, evidently less forthright with his language around her, "Experiences with others, and it was fun, but absolutely nothing compared to you. You're fascinating, and strong, and unique."

Tvie wriggled out of Nisk's arms and wandered over to Vela, sitting on the arm of the chair next to her.

"Nooo, not at all, we were looking forward to seeing you, both of you!" Nisk said brightly once she had been informed of the translation.

Soon, Vizn returned with a tray of tea in shallow, wide cups. "Here we go. You feeling any better?" he said, handing one to Vela. His manner was still awkward, but now it seemed almost sheepish.

With a little smile, Vela listened to Dritz explain why he hadn't yet taken a partner, amused at first by his interaction with his mother, then in sentimental appreciation of his kind words to her.

[There are many wonderful Chrysalans on this planet. I know you haven't met them all, but to think you would choose me over anyone you had met previously...] Her hands slowly moved onto her lap in what would be the Aurian equivalent of trailing off into silence. All she could do was gaze lovingly into Dritz's eyes until she was distracted by Tvie sitting near her.

She gave the girl a smile as well, reassured that no one had other plans to attend to, and looked at Vizn cautiously when he returned. He did seem more calm, and maybe a little embarrassed by his previous behavior.

[Yes, thank you. The tea will help even more.] She accepted the cup and sipped carefully as Vizn distributed the rest, waiting until everyone had been able to drink before carefully setting hers on the table in front of her to sign further. [Dritz introduced me to your wonderful tea not long after I met him. I find it soothing, even more than other warm drinks I've had. They mean more to me than some would think.]

She was feeling remarkably relaxed now, surprising considering how nervous she had felt before. [If I can answer any questions you might have, I will try my best to set your minds at ease about anything you want to know.]

With a translation, Vizn seemed impressed. "You like it? Marvellous, I don't trust folk who don't!" he said with a bright laugh, slowly relaxing into the company.

"I have never heard anything of Aurians," Nisk said, leaning forward and adding a small pink capsule to her tea that melted into the water, tinging it further. "Are... Well, forgive me if this is a rude question... Are you a new species, mixed with-" she cocked her head, "human?"

Tvie jiggled her knee eagerly, though she waited quite politely until she was able to ask, "How did you lose your eye? Does your metal one do cool stuff?"

Vela nodded, pleased to see that Vizn was seeming much more at ease. Nisk's question was one she was expecting, but she found herself a little distracted by wishing she could ask what the Chrysalan woman had put in her drink.

[It's understandable. Aurians are not well known in the galaxy. Our species actually arose long ago, but I do expect human involvement at some point shaped us more into what we are today.] Her smile then became a little amused as she thought they may at least have that much in common. [Our records are damaged, but my research showed we were a society based in and near the ocean. We had to leave our original planet over a thousand years ago to find a new home, and the result has been... less than ideal.] She exchanged a glance with Dritz, wondering if he would tell them more or if they should wait for another time.

Tvie's question was answered a little more easily. [I know this sounds strange, but I voluntarily gave up my eye to experiment with this prosthetic. It allows me to see great distances, but it's not quite telescopic. I may have some modifications done at some point to see if it can be improved.] It was a matter she had been debating but hadn't yet brought up with Dritz, and she wondered what he would think of that too.

Dritz translated it all somewhat sadly. "That's actually one of the things that brought us here, but that's a discussion for another time," he explained.

Tvie seemed fascinated by Vela's augmentation, peering at it with a tiny smile. "Did it hurt?" she asked in awe once Dritz had explained, sounding quite surprised at the idea of modifications.

"More importantly, will further tampering hurt?" her lover asked, a slight sternness to his voice which mingled with his obvious concern. "Maybe... Maybe I could be the one to do it, huh?"

[It hurt for a little while, yes,] Vela admitted to Tvie, with a wary glance at Dritz. [A friend performed the procedure, but we didn't have the best technology for it. There are times I get dizzy and faint with rapid or sudden motion, but maybe modifying it further could help with that too.]

She turned to Dritz then in order to address his concern. [I'm not sure. I think it could help more than hurt. As I said, it could be better stabilized to take away some of the motion problems. I know I don't really need it to be telescopic, but... I think it would be fun.] Pausing, she gave Dritz an apologetic smile. [I suppose you could do it, yes... but would that be something you'd be comfortable with?] She remembered his general squeamishness, though since the operation shouldn't involve any living tissue this time around, he might actually be alright with it.

Before she could forget, her curiosity prompted her to look over at Nisk. [What did you put in your drink?] she signed for Dritz to translate, her eagerness to know unable to be held back any longer.

"Whhhoooaaaa!" Tvie whispered, "You let a friend do that?"

"Hey, you, don't go getting any ideas," Vizn said with a laugh. Tvie pouted, but did not seem upset by the notion, just continuing to be fascinated by Vela's eye.

Meanwhile, Dritz was frowning sternly. The thought of the initial procedure did make him feel a bit odd, but the actual mechanical eye was interesting, and if it meant she would experience less dizziness, all the better. "If anyone is laying a hand on you for something so delicate, I'd rather it was me," he said, squeezing her knee. "I'll do extensive studying first though. I'm not even considering doing anything to it without as much knowledge as possible."

Nisk's antennae flicked and she smiled sheepishly, "Ah, it was a sweetener... Would you like one? These are rose flavour."

"She'd put the damn things in everything if she could," Vizn sighed, putting an arm around his partner and kissing her temple, "Not like you even need any sweetening!"

Tvie's response was rather amusing, but Vela had to make clear that her friend had been an adult who had specifically studied modifications to the fullest extent available to them beforehand.

She then considered telling Dritz they could find someone else who would be entirely capable of working on her eye, yet something about his stern expression told her that he wouldn't hear of it. Besides, she trusted him to do the research and could help him, and it would mean more to her if he was the one to modify it. It seemed to mean a lot to him, so she nodded her agreement.

When Nisk offered what she had called a sweetener, Vela was eager to accept one of the capsules. It was true that she didn't care for a lot of sweetness, but the novelty was one she wanted to try at least once. She took another sip of her newly pink-tinged tea and declared it was delicious without exaggeration. She had to wonder what different flavors there might be. Other worlds certainly had a lot of variety.

[What is it that you both do?] she signed respectfully to Dritz in order for him to translate to Vizn and Nisk. She felt sure he had told her previously, at least in a vague form, but it could be that her nerves had made her temporarily forget.

The young Chrysalan pouted a little, but it seemed to be her general 'listening to grown-ups' face, as there was no hurt, frustration, or otherwise behind her eyes.

Vizn smiled proudly, and proceeded to talk at length about his work, which he was evidently very pleased with. Like Dritz, he was keenly interested in ships, but he dealt more with the design and testing stages, working out the kinks and quirks and flaws with his team before the parts went for fabrication. It was clear he had many a story about various design flaws, as  nearly fifteen minutes had passed before he seemed to be letting Nisk speak.

"Are you quite finished, love?" she sighed, patting his midsection affectionately. "He is such a workaholic. But then, historically, Chrysalans tend to be. I own a little repair service. It's not much, but it was a job I could make money from, and aside from the health of those I care about,, that's more than I could ever wish for." She smiled warmly, "What about you, Vela? What was your job, or your role or position in your community?"

Vela listened attentively to Vizn speaking about his work, nodding every now and then to show she understood. He did go on quite a while, but she was certainly finding it interesting. [That's wonderful,] she managed to sign eventually. [It's very admirable to be that passionate about what you do.]

She turned her attention brightly to Nisk as she spoke, smiling at her reasoning. [And that's understandable. I'm glad you enjoy it so much.] Her smile did falter, however, when asked about her own life on Aurctas.

[I had nothing truly special or unique. Aurians have to fend for themselves, because the only way we survived was by trading for food and supplies. The planet could not provide for us otherwise.] Though she tried not to look sad, it was impossible to mask all of her disappointment. [So we are all miners and traders there; there is no other way. Which is part of the reason why I had to leave to find a better way for us.]

She couldn't just leave it at that. [I never meant to get Dritz caught up in this with me,] she signed, glancing down. [I didn't mean to... to fall in love with him. I just hope you will both understand. He wants to help me better my people and I can't talk him out of that.] The question that had been asked of her felt as though there could be no other response. She didn't want to hide anything from Vizn and Nisk.

Dritz watched his father's eyes as he translated what Vela had said. Vizn was reconsidering her, and Dritz knew it. He knew she would be liked.

His heart fluttered when he had to repeat what Vela had said, but he did so word for word, as he always did and always would do, though he did falter as he said the word 'love', which was still such a wonderfully dizzying thing to feel.

"I wanted to help. I would have helped even if nothing more than friendship had developed between us. Before I fell in love, I already loved you, you could have asked anything from me," he muttered. It was weird to say these things in front of his parents, but if anything, he imagined it might make a difference to how his father viewed the relationship.

Dividing her attention between Dritz and his parents, Vela noted the sentimental way he translated and how their expressions all changed slightly. Vizn in particular was watching her closely, but he didn't seem so intense as before. Maybe he approved of her more now? She was only hoping for the moment.

[I see. It's good to know that. Regardless of anything else, I'm glad we did fall in love.] This had been for her lover alone, and she could tell he knew that since he didn't translate. They gazed at each other in passionate emotion for a little while until they were both distracted by Tvie bouncing up to get their attention.

Growing bored with so much talk, Tvie had hopped up to sit on Vela's lap, via clambering all over Dritz. Because clambering right onto Vela directly would be rude. And anyway, her parents had not said anything for a little while.

"Are you gunna be joined? Like... M-... Marriaged? I heard that's what humans do, and you get to have a party and a pretty dress? Do Aurie-yans do that? Can I please touch your hair? Is Dritz your primary?" she babbled, not waiting for a response before reaching up and stroking a strand of Vela's hair in awe, muttering "pretty" under her breath.

They made more small talk for a while, his parents catching Dritz up on the current affairs of their district, when the door opened and another Chrysalan slipped in, looking confused and surprised when he spotted Dritz. He was very slender and had a symmetrical face, along with the long, willowy limbs and soft hair that was considered so attractive on Chrysala.

"Surpriiise!" Dritz said, waving his hands excitedly.

"You never said you were coming! But now you're here you can tell me what your message was about," Kli huffed, tugging off the heavy duty gloves he had needed to wear for work.

At first Vela rested one arm loosely around Tvie, holding the little girl gently on her lap as she chattered away. It was an unfamiliar experience, one which made her vaguely wish for the first time that having a child like this might be possible for her too.

[I'm not certain yet. I'm not so familiar with the customs of humans, but that sounds nice. Dritz and I might have quite a while before discussing any of that.] She exchanged an amused glance with her lover. [My people bond in a different way. Yes. And I believe that would be what you call it... though Aurians only take one partner. I won't want another.]

She had done her best to answer the stream of questions despite Tvie already reaching up and touching her hair, and then the door opened to further bewilder her. Certain this was Dritz's brother, Vela only gave him a smile in the hope that Dritz would be explaining her presence shortly. It was definitely obvious he had not gotten the meaning of the message, at least.

Tvie responded quite happily when Vela put her arm around, leaning into it and smiling. "That's nice," she said softly when Dritz had translated, adding that he didn't want another partner either (they were both aware of Nisk's eye's widening, though she did not look displeased, and Vizn's mouth curled up in one corner, but neither of them said anything), "It's weird to just have one partner, but maybe it would be weirder if you only wanted one but Dritz wanted more..." She started to muse aloud to no one in particular, "I think maybe I will have lots, because I like lots of people."

Meanwhile, Kli had finally seemed to notice Vela, and was staring at her.

"You wanna gawk any more, ooor...?" Dritz teased, leaning back and putting his arm around Vela. "This is Vela. She's the reason I wanted to visit. Vela, this is Kli, my totally-not-usually-this-rude brother."

This seemed to finally make the scrawny Chrysalan realise what he was doing, and he smiled warmly, almost flirtatiously, at Vela. "Sorry, sorry, I'm not used to meeting aliens. I mean, not that that's a bad thing. I mean, I know some aliens, but they're mostly... I mean..." he babbled, giving her an awkward grin.

"Well, now you know another. Vela is my partner," Dritz said proudly.

"They might get married! Like humans do! Isn't that cool?" Tvie said brightly.

Though she didn't say so, Vela agreed it might be a little strange if Dritz were to want more partners while she only wanted him. As they had discussed before, there was a sadness behind the idea in her way of thinking, but it was fortunate it had turned out that Dritz couldn't imagine another partner, either. The idea of Tvie wanting "lots" was amusing, still being so young.

Kli finally stopped staring and responded to her presence, though the way he smiled made her curious. [We might,] she signed cautiously, not wanting to ignore what Tvie had said or disappoint her by telling her it was unlikely they might undergo a human ritual just yet. [I'm pleased to meet you,] she continued to Kli, bowing her head slightly before looking up in curiousity. [Yes, I am Dritz's partner. You know some? They are mostly... what?] Maybe there was something extra unusual about the way she appeared, or it was something else, but she realized that she very much wanted to know what he had been referring to.

"He's trying to say that most aliens are outsiders," Dritz added after his translation, with a pointed glance at Kli, who visibly tensed.

"No, not in a bad way... They... They keep to themselves, I'm just surprised is all!" he babbled. "I really don't mean offense. Honest! And wait... Partner? Really?"

Dritz sighed, a rare moment of impatience for him, "Yes. I am very, very in love with her, she loves me, and we connect perfectly, so can we please leave it at that? I brought her to meet the other important folk in my life."

Kli seemed to sort of realise what was said, and he nodded. It was clear he had questions, but Dritz's face meant he kept them to himself for the moment.

The explanation troubled Vela a little, but she supposed Kli didn't really mean anything bad by it. Personally she could understand if those alien to a world tried to keep more to themselves out of fear of offending the natives or just plain general anxiety over being in such a strange place. She had to wonder if she would be the same here on Chrysala without Dritz.

[He's right about what he says,] Vela confirmed in an attempt to smooth over the situation. [We are very happy together. Your brother is a wonderful person.] Then she tried to change the subject in order to calm everyone further. [Where did you just come from? A job? What is it you do?] She was assuming because the gloves he wore were similar to Dritz's that the younger Chrysalan had been at work and wondered if he was similar to the rest of his family when it came to it.

Dritz chose to keep Vela's words about him being wonderful to himself, like a secret just for him. Kli didn't need to know that. He didn't need to know anything about their relationship. Frankly, Dritz was irked there was not so much support for them as he had been expecting.

Instead, he translated the rest. Kli seemed quite pleased to answer, patting his bunched up gloves inside his hand. "Oh, I'm an apprentice, learning how to repair the trams. It's... Pretty hard, but I think I'm okay. Learning the ropes, so to speak."

Dritz chuckled, nodding in approval, "Nice one."

"One what?" Kli asked innocently, unaware of the pun he'd made. Given the trams being suspended. Using ropes.

Of course, Vela didn't understand what Dritz was referring to either, but for a completely different reason, as she had never seen the trams being repaired.

[That sounds nice. I'm sure you'll do well,] she offered hesitantly, still aware of a certain amount of tension in the room. It wasn't a lot, though she could see her partner wasn't as happy with how everyone had responded as he might be.

Considering this, she turned her attention back to the one who had been most excited for them, who was still sitting on her lap. [And what would you like to do someday? Do you have any ideas?] Tvie seemed delighted to be asked a question, and Vela had been careful not to suggest the girl might be too young to know yet.

Tvie, seemingly unaware of any tension in the room, babbled happily to Vela about how she wanted to be a pilot who was also a fashion designer, but she wasn't sure which would be her more important job, and explained a very complicated method she had decided on to balance the two.

Soon after, Dritz made some pleasant enough excuses for them, saying he had some errands to run, and he ushered the two of them out (once he could pry Tvie off Vela and help the Aurian promise to come back and visit her, because they were friends.)

With many goodbyes out of the way and the streets outside of his home somehow more quiet than the house itself, Dritz sighed, pulling Vela into his arms.

"You did great. I know it sounds patronising... But I really mean that. You really... Really helped avert the gripes I was having with Kli."

Tvie's response was rather delightful, and Vela felt herself relaxing as she listened to the complicated (and definitely improbable) plan she had come up with to handle working two such very important jobs.

It would be untrue, however, to say she wasn't the least bit relieved to depart the house for now. Likely the rest of Dritz's family had to discuss them privately and it would be for the best if they could do so soon. Promising to return to see Tvie, who was very insistent on this matter, Vela said goodbye to everyone else and eagerly returned Dritz's embrace when they were outside again.

[Thank you. I did what I thought I could, but... are you sure everything will be alright?] The way half of them had reacted was slightly troubling. [What were you upset with him for?] She wondered if it had to do with Kli's disbelief when it came to their relationship, but wanted to ask to be sure.

Dritz sighed, shaking his head and kissing Vela's temple.

"I might have expected something like that from dad, but Kli is part of my generation... We've seen change in Chrysala more than my parents ever really did. Sure, the changes started years ago, but it's only recent that it's been so rapid, like... Heading headfirst into a completely different world beyond just work and family. More and more are deciding to be monogamous, and I know I've seen alien couples. Yeah, it's rare but... It's not as though it should be this big thing. It's just so... Archaic to think of partnerships as only being for reproduction," he ranted, rubbing his forehead. "After dad's reaction it was just especially frustrating. He's an idiot and I love him, but I just expected better."

He stroked her hair, just long enough that it sat obediently behind her ear for a second before springing back to where it clearly preferred to sit.

"I love you. They will too, they just need time to process, I think."

Though she hesitated briefly, Vela nodded. [I think I understand. You would want them to be accepting of your choices no matter what they are. You already know how different my planet is. I'm not sure if they will react the same, or if they won't care. It's going to be a new concept for them.]

She let him play with her hair, watching him with the smallest smile. [I never had considered it before, but after I met you, I knew that I didn't need a partner for reproduction. I will be happy with you no matter what we can and can't do.] Leaning up to kiss him, she decided maybe it was time to leave the subject behind for now.

[And I love you. We'll give them a chance to think about it. Do you know if... Are there any gardens on Chrysala?] Her sudden interest had made her switch from one sentence to another awkwardly. She gave him a hopeful smile, thinking it would be nice to relax and look around.

Dritz smiled, pleased that Vela seemed to see where he was coming from so readily. It was one of the many things that made him certain they were good together. Better than good, in fact. It baffled him that his family could not see things from his perspective in the same way.

The thought of fathering children had never been one which had held much weight to Dritz; he loved looking after Tvie, but beyond that he hadn't thought much about it, and so to hear such a thing from Vela reassured him in a way he didn't know he'd been wanting.

He beamed in response to her question, which was sudden and completely adorable. "Actually, yeah... in a manner of speaking," he said with a chuckle, leading her towards the nearest tram station.

When they arrived in the farming sector, it looked fairly industrial, while also being clinical, until Dritz led her up in a lift which opened out into a wide expanse of verdant greenery and widely spread exotic flowers in deep crimsons and purples, all covered in a thin sheen of moisture from the humidity. The smell was heady but earthy, and inviting.

Dritz explained that they had come to the farming sector, and Vela wasn't sure what to expect. It was not like the gardens she had experienced thus far in her limited travel, but spread out in a wide swath of land in front of her, nearly as far as she could see. Most of the plant growth was low to the ground and arranged in neat rows; she was happy to note that the plants were still covered in many flowers. When she remembered they were actually above the ground at the moment, she had to turn back to Dritz in wonder.

[This is amazing. And it's all above the surface of the planet... Your scientists must have worked very hard to accomplish this idea. You say it is a farm, but it's so beautiful. I didn't expect a farm to be like this from what I had read. And the smell is incredible. I have never...] She trailed off, shaking her head. The smell was intoxicating, in fact, and the major component that had been missing in the holographic garden on Hesperus. Everything was so fresh and alive, which was not something she was used to in the slightest.

After a little while of gazing about further, she dropped to her knees for a better view, just at the edge of the farmland. [These are all food crops?] she inquired of Dritz, directing her signing up at him. She wasn't aware how much he knew of Chrysalan agriculture but thought it was worth asking.

Watching Vela when she was around new plants was one of Dritz's favourite things, he decided. The wonder in her eyes, her eagerness to take in absolutely everything at once, no matter how impossible that might be.

He knelt next to her and plucked one of the flowers, a deep purple that almost looked indulgent. "Yeah. This floor in particular, and I chose it for a very important reason, is where we grow tea." He beamed at her, reaching up and tucking the flower behind her ear. "Beautiful."

He picked a different one, this time plucking a few bright red petals off it and rubbing them between his finger and thumb for a few moments, "It's not quite the same, buuut..." He held it up for her to smell. The heat from his hand and the crushed petals made a smell almost identical to the tea they had earlier.

There was a moment of further amazement for Vela when she heard Dritz tell her the plants were tea. Really, she should have known, but there were so many different types that she had not imagined it to be the case. She sat in quiet contemplation of this for a time, smiling slightly when he placed one of the purple flowers behind her ear.

Eager to verify for herself, she leaned forward and inhaled the scent of the flower lightly crushed in his hand. It was exactly the aroma of the tea, more concentrated and even headier. [It's so beautiful,] she echoed Dritz's sentiments, though she was referring to the smell instead. [I wish you had a proper garden full of tea flowers. The farm is lovely, but I imagine they won't want us sitting here too long.]

Yet they did linger, Vela eventually leaning against Dritz when she had stared around her for what felt like nearly long enough. She was pulled to his warmth, how soft he felt and how comforting as she gently nuzzled her cheek against his chest. All of the tension and worry seemed drained, leaving her feeling so much better than she had before they had reached the farmland.

"You are right, flower, but as it happens, because we don't have much natural landscape anymore, the farms are open for the public for some hours a day," Dritz explained softly, lazily playing with Vela's hair while they cuddled, sitting at the edge of the tea plants and looking out over them. "But yeah, we should go soon, I guess."

Eventually, he stood, scooping her up with him. Vela still cradled in his arms, he beamed, "So, what say we grab something simple, food-wise, to take back to the room, and have a nice hot bath together? It's been quite a day, and it'll be nice to just enjoy you all to myself for a while." He kissed her cheek before setting her down carefully.

Finding out that the gardens were open at times to anyone who might like to visit was very comforting to Vela. [That's good. We will have to come back later and see more of the farms.] Even if the rest weren't as pretty as the tea farm, she had an unquenchable curiosity when it came to any and all plants and knew she would love it anyway.

Though she agreed with all of Dritz's ideas after he had swept her up, she was initially concerned that he was about to carry her through all of it. When he kissed her cheek and set her down again, however, she nearly felt like she could laugh in her amusement over her own thoughts. Instead she only smiled but didn't explain, moving closer to kiss him sweetly before taking his hand to leave the farm.

It had been a long day, but with Dritz remaining at her side, she realized she did not mind nearly as much.

[the-vaporverse]

Starless Horizon RP File #25

(Vela’s part in italics.)

The next few days did go fast. The busyness helped keep Vela's mind off her worries, but once they had bought all their supplies, packed and loaded everything on the Nova and said goodbye to Orion (with an added grudging farewell from Fera), she was getting nervous again.

[It seems like not long ago when we were headed to Trelos like this,] she remarked, trying to keep her hands from trembling as she gestured. They were both currently watching Hesperus Alpha dwindling in the viewscreen as their ship pulled away from it. She couldn't look away, now, wondering if it would be best to just go back, to forget it all. But her people needed her.

What was this sudden fear?

It wasn't until their trip grew closer, until they were boarding that morning, that Dritz began to feel the beginnings of his own nervousness. He was not too worried about returning home, or seeing his family, but if he were to be honest, he was concerned about how they would react to his relationship with a "human" (because that's probably what they'd see her as), and indeed to the fact that Vela was all he wanted. That part might not be so bad; it wasn't exactly freakish to be monogamous. He reasoned that it wasn't freakish to fall for an alien either, of course, but it was something that hadn't come up before.

"I know, right? But at the same time, doesn't Trelos seem like... a different world entirely? Almost like a dream?" he asked as he engaged the stability controls. "This will be good, though. It's going to be hard work, but I think we can do this." He stood and moved to where Vela was, kneeling in front of her, "It's going to be great. You're going to be great. You're doing a wonderful thing for the Aurians, flower. And I can't wait to show my family the beautiful person who chose me to be hers."

Vela nodded absently, though she turned her gaze to Dritz as he knelt in front of her. The mention of her people helped to remind her that she was doing the right thing, but the mention of his family still raised so many doubts in her mind.

[It does seem different. I have a better feeling about approaching your leaders than I did on Trelos. But your family... I guess I'm worried. I'm very different from a Chrysalan. So different that our... reproductive systems are incompatible.] She might as well state it plainly. Though she had developed the ability to interact with Dritz outwardly, her inner parts were not the same as a Chrysalan female's would be. [And my appearance as well, but I suppose that's of lesser concern. They are not totally unused to offworlders, from what you've told me.]

Still she remained restless, behaving as though very distracted, unusual for her most of the time. And their flight had only just begun, how was she to continually handle this?

Neither of them had ever spoken aloud about their incompatible biology, and it did take Dritz by surprise for a moment. Of course, they needed to talk about it plainly, it was just weird for him to acknowledge.

"Yeah. I'm a bit worried too, flower, so I do understand, I promise," he said softly, stroking her leg with a smile. "But beyond that, you're a sweet person; intelligent and wonderful and, as my family will see, good for me." It felt odd to admit, but she was. Dritz was known to be frivolous, too laid back. He knew Vela would keep him focused and thinking about what was truly important. "They are unused to non-Chrysalans, yes, but what will matter in the end is how we feel about each other, I'm sure of it."

Vela nodded slowly, thinking over Dritz's words. With her own attempt at a smile, she bent down to kiss the top of his head. If she was good for him, if they could see how much he meant to her... of course they would understand. They had to.

[Alright. It's funny, I'm more nervous about this than about talking to your overseers.] She gave Dritz a hand to help him to his feet again, even if he didn't need it. [I'll try not to worry about what your family will think, for now. Maybe we should go over our plan?]

After being certain all systems were reading operational, Vela led Dritz into the Nova's kitchen. She let him have a seat while she began to expertly prepare two cups of the Chrysalan blossom tea, thinking it would be comforting and familiar now.

[What do we do first?] she asked him seriously, after setting a cup down in front of him. [Do we go straight to your family, or an overseer? Will any of them do, or is there a specific one to see?] Maybe knowing which to expect first would help her better prepare.

Dritz allowed himself to be helped up, and they made their way to the kitchen together. He'd been thinking for a long time about what they would need to do.

Pulling his legs up so that he could sit cross-legged on the bench at the table, he sighed softly, "I think I know the course of action to take. We need to go to the offices and see if Szna, the overseer for the district my family lives in, will see us or if we need to get an appointment. But she's a feisty leader, I think she'll be easily persuaded. Like I said though, it'll be the rest of the overseers that will need convincing. We'll escalate it, flower. Don't worry, we will make it work, and Szna will be on side. We'll all fight for the Aurians." He smiled confidently, a great deal of fire in his eyes. "She's very focused on the less fortunate, she organises a lot of support for poorer neighbourhoods, rare as they are. She'll be eager to help; we're lucky she's the first port of call." He quickly added, "It's not really the done thing for a citizen to go to the overseer of another district; it's seen as disrespectful, like you don't believe in their ability to lead."

Dritz's level of determination almost surprised Vela. It was plain to see he felt strongly about helping her people, and she wondered if it was only for her sake, or more that he was a good person. She thought it must be both, in nearly equal measure.

Encouraging Dritz to drink his tea, she smiled back at him. [That is good to know. She will attempt to help us, I'm sure, as you already know what she's like. I hope the other leaders can be persuaded.] For a little while she blew gently at her teacup to cool it, watching the blossom swirl slightly. [So we will go to her first? What is landing on Chrysala like? Will they need to board the ship and inspect it, especially since it's not Chrysalan in origin?] These small matters were helping her take her mind off her bigger worries, and she was glad Dritz was willing to talk through them with her.

Dritz waved a hand dismissively, "Nah. Chrysala doesn't experience a lot of crime, or the like, so they're not too hot on security detail. They'll do a quick scan for hazards and unregistered lifeforms, but that'll be it. We orbit in the import traffic until we're contacted, then we get our clearance and register ourselves and the ship. It might be just a little awkward because they've got me registered to ol' Pappy, but I should be able t' sweet talk them." He smiled, "Hey, and you'll get to hear full Chrysalan. I'll sign everything for you though, so you know what I'm saying. Don't worry, though, every Chrysalan is taught Basic, it's only the very elderly that don't like to speak it. As soon as I ask, they'll switch to Basic. With the ship being alien, I might not even need to ask."

He took an eager gulp of his tea; it was what he referred to as 'perfect chugging temperature.' Gazing at Vela, he reached over and stroked her arm. "I'm honestly excited to show you my homeworld. I love it there. There are more industrial places, remnants of before, when we were strictly all work and no fun, but the further into the cities it gets brighter and more lively. I think we'd do well to go to the offices first though, which will take us through my district."

Dritz seemed to be relaxing slowly, more excited to show Vela the planet than worrying about what might happen. He hoped it was helping her too.

Vela sipped her tea at a slower pace, listening to everything Dritz told her and storing it away to remember later. He seemed to be getting excited about the idea of arriving on Chrysala, and she couldn't help but catch on to a little of that excitement. It did make her happy to see Dritz happy.

[Alright. Thank you, knowing that will help. I look forward to seeing how wonderful it is, and hearing more of your language. I wish that I could learn some but I... can't make those noises at all.] It was difficult enough to speak Basic aloud, but the chirps and buzzes of the Chrysalan language were quite beyond her. At least she might be able to converse in Basic someday, with enough practice.

[There will not be as much to show you, when we finally go to my planet. But my people need a world where they can rebuild their culture first. Someday... we might be able to see what their civilization is like.] They might not get to see the fullness of their plan realized, but setting the groundwork and seeing the beginnings of it would go a long way to settle her mind. [At least you will be able to talk to the other Aurians when we arrive. They may trust you more this way.] If Dritz focused, at least, he was fairly good with her sign language. This gave her another idea. Leaning forward earnestly, she signed again.

[I want to greet some of your people aloud in Basic. Especially your family and your overseer. But I don't want to just say hello, I want to say something to show how glad I am to meet them, something they would be impressed to hear from a stranger to their planet. Do you know what might work? I will need to start practicing before we arrive.]

Dritz shook his head, "It's not about seeing sights, particularly. I want to see where you came from, what shaped something so seemingly perfect. But... I do think it's important for me to understand what life has been like there too, flower." After a serious second, he laughed, "No, and I wouldn't ever expect you to learn Chrysalan. It's remarkable enough that Fera was able to speak it that one time... I don't know the exact science, but I think it's to do with tiny hairs or something? In the throat? I dunno, it's weird. But I should be able to teach you something cultural. Or at least as cultural as it gets."

He shifted, standing and coaxing her to follow. He took both her hands, gently turning them palm-up, "It's not practiced often now, so doing this will really impress older Chrysalans, I tell ya! So, you take their hands and turn them, make sure you're gentle and you smile. This is a sort of... 'I wish to know you' and 'I accept your hospitality'. Hold their hands with your palm to the top of theirs like this, don't grip with your fingers. Then, you tilt your head forward. I'd say that, unless you're intending to flirt, just bow your head a little bit. This is 'I am open to you', because you're offering your antennae, see? If you want something to say with it, I'd just say in Basic, 'I'm pleased to meet you' or something simple like that."

While Vela didn't agree that Aurctas had formed her into someone who seemed perfect by any means, she quietly accepted Dritz's reasoning for wanting to see her planet beyond simply persuading the Aurians to leave. She wanted to see Chrysala for many of the same reasons.

Then he showed her the motions to go through as a special greeting to Chrysalans, and because it mainly used the hands, she watched with a very solemn expression. In a way she gained a feeling of connection, almost as though there was a tiny similarity between her race and Dritz's. Carefully she repeated the motions using his hands, committing it to memory right away, and struggled through the words "I'm... pleased..." before she had to stop. [I will practice. I must say it faster, easier. Thank you for showing me. It means so much to me.]

Since she was already so near, Vela couldn't help but stretch up the short distance to kiss him gratefully. She put her arms around him for a moment, soothed as always by his warmth and presence. Then she leaned back and smiled, returning to the bench at the table and her tea. [How many will there be to meet, in your family? Just your parents and siblings? What about their other partners? Or cousins? Will you need to introduce me to all of them?] This was potentially a lot of greetings to give. Maybe she would limit them to his parents and the overseer, and any other older Chrysalans she might need to interact with, in order to save her energy for speaking aloud.

Delighted, Dritz returned the kiss and held her against him for a moment when she tried to turn away, grinning. When he did let her go, he took his own seat again.

"Ohhh, no no no, I wouldn't expect you to get to know everyone by any means! My parents, maybe my younger siblings if they're not too busy with schooling when we get there. My ma has partners even I've never met. It's sort of... their private thing? Sometimes partners will be more involved, but I think at least a couple of them have families of their own, children to take care of. Usually you'd interact more with your siblings, if your parent and a secondary partner choose to raise another child. It can get a bit in depth and confusing for offworlders. Heck, it gets that way for me too sometimes!" He shook his head, pulling a face.

"So just immediate family, I think," he added, just to confirm. "What about on Aurctas? Will I... meet family?"

Vela nodded again, the relief evident on her face. If she only had to greet a few out loud, it wouldn't be too stressful for her weak vocal cords. She resolved again that they would be stronger someday.

[That's interesting, but it does sound complicated. I do look forward to meeting them. As for myself, I don't have a family.]

She had to pause a moment as she saw the look on Dritz's face. [It's alright. Though we used to have family units long ago according to the records, the practice disappeared sometime after my people arrived on Aurctas. I don't know who my parents are, though they are probably still alive. We are raised by elders, and the ones who raised me, of course...] This time she did shake her head a little sadly. There were about as many elders remaining as there were children born, which was not many.

Vela didn't have a family? The thought almost physically pained Dritz to consider. His own family life was complicated and sometimes a bother, but he adored every single one of them and would never be without them. Even so far away, he knew they were there if he needed them.

[This fills me with sadness,] he signed slowly. "But, consider all of the Aurians to be your brothers and sisters. Because they are, they endured the same things you did, and now you're here to save them from enduring. So that they can live." He squeezed her hands tightly, nodding more to himself. Their family situations were so different, but he thought his own family might make a nice one for Vela.

Seeing Dritz react with concern, Vela's expression softened. She squeezed his hands gently in return as she listened to him, nodding. He seemed to understand that she was not upset about it for herself, but at the same time it was unimaginable for him.

[I will do the best I can. And I think I am, with your help. They are all my siblings... yes, in a way. There are times I feel bad that I escaped when they would not, but there was no choice. I will help them escape too, someday.]

The days passed surprisingly quickly, with Vela practicing her phrase aloud as well as reading all the info she could on Chrysala, passing on the information to Dritz as well, which seemed to amuse him. Almost before they knew it, weeks had gone by and the planet itself was looming in the viewscreen before them.

Vela had dressed as nicely as she could, in dark clothes from Aurctas which were reasonably closer-fitting than most of the rest she owned, wanting to represent her people and yet not wanting to be too uncomfortable. The looser clothes she had tended to wear in the past no longer suited her personal taste as much.

Anxious as she was for herself, she turned a curious expression toward Dritz to see how he felt upon finally arriving, and how he would handle their landing process, as she could not communicate with the other Chrysalans.

Vela practiced relentlessly on her gesture and phrasing, and regularly entertained him with snippets of information, which only made Dritz happy. Her enthusiasm was amusing and endearing, he could see she truly wanted to be welcomed into the community, to impress them as well as earn their help.

Soon enough, as the time passed unbelievably quickly, Dritz was instructing Vela on where to pilot the Nova.

Chrysala from orbit appeared to be a smokey blue green orb, surrounded in stark contrast by a vast station system that was funnelling ship traffic through to the planet. They were hailed almost immediately, a delicate, oval-faced Chrysalan with picture perfect straight hair and immaculate white uniform, wearing a comm headset appeared on the screen. Dritz had situated himself near it in preparation, beaming widely in greeting.

The Chrysalan, with minimal movement of his lips, chirped and clicked having been greeted with one of his own.

"Hey there. Thanks, but could we do Basic, please? My captain doesn't speak Chrys!" He gestured behind him to Vela.

"Absolutely. My apologies, friends," said the operative, bowing his head. His Basic was soft and lilting, less confident that his native tongue. "I will need your manifesto, crew listing and reasons for your visit."

"We ain't carrying anything, the crew is myself and my captain, and we've come to visit," Dritz responded cheerily. He and the operative went through the checking procedures, which took longer than expected as Dritz tried to explain the whereabouts of his registered ship, and needed to be verified as a citizen with their census records. To one side, where the operative would not see, he signed in slow motion to Vela, [Booorrriiing.]

Vela watched and listened to everything carefully, as if she could extract even more information from the exchange with the Chrysalan operative. In the back of her mind she was vaguely thinking how very different this would be from landing on Aurctas, which she had also never done before.

This Chrysalan was different than Dritz in appearance, of course, smaller and more delicate looking, which did not seem to interest Vela in particular. She had not seen any other Chrysalans during her time on Hesperus, from what she could recall. She felt certain Dritz would have mentioned it if he had. Yet she had seen many pictures during her search for information, and knew she should expect a variety of body types as opposed to the Aurians, who were all highly similar.

When Dritz signed to her, she smiled but shook her head. It was a lot of detail to go through, but all of it fascinated her. When it was all concluded and they were allowed to proceed, she carefully began to maneuver the ship forward again while following the instructions she had received from both the operative and Dritz.

Once the operative was off the line with a soft "welcome to Chrysala", Dritz shut the comms off with a sigh.

"That took much longer than it needed! I bet he's new to it, the experienced customs folk would never presume to speak Chrysalan, no matter who answered," he said, plopping back down in his seat and helping Vela (when she needed it, which was rare) move them through the traffic picking its way down to the planet.

The port was vast and bustling, with bays branching out from a central hub in a starburst shape, and they were guided down to bay Q6 by another Chrysalan over their voice comms, this one's​ gender not so easily identified, but their manner infectiously bright and welcoming.

"Right, are you ready for an explore, my flower?" Dritz asked as they settled and the engines were cooling down. He was acting almost jumpy, visibly a mixture of nerves and excitement.

The navigation down to the port and their docking bay wasn't overly difficult. While the area was crowded with other ships, they were all moving in a reasonably controlled manner, and the layout of the port was well thought out and designed to minimize travel time, or so Vela thought. It was still a relief to finally land and shut the engines down, letting the Nova take a well deserved rest for safely delivering them to Chrysala.

[It's not so much exploring for you, is it?] she signed with a little smile, moving to where he was once everything had been shut down properly. [But I think I am. Where do we go first? Should we get to your overseer right away? How do we get there?] Remembering the transports on Trelos, she gave a little shudder before squeezing Dritz in her arms gently for a moment. [Are you alright? I'm very nervous, too.]

Dritz kissed Vela's temple with a fond roll of his eyes, "Okay, so it's not a grand adventure for me, as such, but it will be for you, and that makes it more explorey." He nuzzled against her, soothing his own worries in a way.

"What say we take it a little bit slower? Maybe go somewhere for some tea and a snack, then make our way over to the overseer?" He offered, smiling. "It's up to you, we could always go to the overseer first, and then have a lot relaxing wander through the city? Oh, transport, yes. There's lifts between the levels, and suspension trams that should be okay for us to grab."

Vela shrugged playfully, leaning against Dritz a little for a moment. It was certainly an adventure for her, but one which worried her more than she might like it to.

The idea to take it slower was appealing. They were not in a true rush now that they were on Chrysala, and Vela nodded as she thought it over. [I suppose so. Tea is always good, and we haven't had much decent to eat while traveling.] She wasn't exactly hungry, but the simple act of eating might settle her somehow.

They left the ship and made their way into the dock, down a lift and onto the ground level. At this point, Vela had to stop and stare at the bustle around her. [There are so many,] she signed weakly, glancing around at everyone walking about on their own business. And this was only a tiny fraction of the population!

The foot traffic outside of the port was even thicker than before, and Dritz was aware that the noise and activity could be overwhelming for Vela, so he kept one arm thrown over her shoulders, keeping her close, but her hands free for signing.

The ground level was dimmer by default, but the smooth, almost metallic streets were lit with strip lights in the roofing that mimicked natural sunlight. Everywhere there were people going about their business; many of them in workwear, and the vast majority of them Chrysalans, though other races weren't particularly rare. The streets were narrow and while everything was clearly built for practicality and cheap with cheap materials, as time advanced, it was obvious they'd been built on and redesigned, with the same uniform base, and signs for shops or services were low and made of neon tubing, with the largest text being in Chrysalan, then a Basic translation beneath.

Dritz led her slowly, picking his way through the streets. Thankfully everyone was as polite as he'd recalled, and everyone was afforded a good amount of space.

"I got you. This is usually the most crowded area, since it's the first port of call after, well, the port! As we make our way in some more, it'll thin out," he promised.

Grateful for the arm around her shoulders to help keep her steady against the noise all around her, Vela leaned into Dritz slightly as they walked. It was similar to being on Hesperus in a way, but the lights were brighter and the sound much louder. It was fairly bewildering to her as someone from a planet with people who did not surround themselves with very much technology.

She watched in something like a daze as a small group of Chrysalans of various skin shades and heights and sizes walked by, all seeming to be chirping and buzzing at the same time as they talked among each other. Offhand she began to wonder if she could at least learn to understand the language even if she couldn't speak it, the way Dritz had learned her sign language for her.

True to Dritz's word, the crowds began to fade the further they walked from the ports. Vela found herself reading every sign they passed, trying to remember the Chrysalan writing along with the translation beneath. The majority so far were repair shops or other small businesses. [Will we need to use that to find a place that sells food?] She had pointed at what looked like a station from what she could tell, though what Dritz had called "trams" had no word in her language.

Dritz found that he was also thankful for the way the crowds were thinning out, feeling more at ease when they could walk with a bit more space. Eventually they approached a tram station, which was a small terminal directing users to which car they would need; each car was lowered to the ground to collect the passengers, then drawn up to a cable to travel above the foot traffic.

"Well, we could probably find somewhere a bit closer," Dritz said, "But if you wanna try out the tram, we could! It's free. I've known kids to get trams just two minutes along the street out of pure laziness, just because it doesn't cost. Heh, I... Uh, I actually did it once. I decided to see how long would take to get from one end of the city to another via the trams. It took a long time." He chuckled, shrugging.

Vela nodded slowly, considering. [I would like to try them. We can go somewhere closer to where your overseer is.] Now that she was able to watch one of the trams moving and could see it was not going at a high speed, she was more than eager to try what she now considered part of Dritz's culture after the story he told her.

As she thought, the ride was smooth and actually pleasant. Of course Dritz knew where to go and was able to make sure they arrived in his own district, and Vela walked off the tram in a new sense of awe. This was where the one she loved had grown up and lived a large part of his life, and she gazed around fondly as if she might be imagining him there.

[Where do we go?] she signed eagerly. Her appetite was returning while she was so excited, for now, so it was best to take advantage of that before her thoughts returned to approaching the overseer and Dritz's family.

The tram rocked gently from side to side as they were lifted and moved above the streets. The interior held advertisements for new fashions, work insurances, some new eatery, and one small, partially scrubbed bit of graffiti which was roughly recognisable as an insult to the next district over. Other than that, however, it was well kept, a long carriage with plenty of hard metal seats. In recent years, the metal had been engraved with a pattern that resembled a map of the city.

Below them, the industrial, darker buildings gave way to sleeker, modern buildings, though some older architecture remained where the owners might not have wished to change. The neon signs became more elaborate, the streets boasting citizens in similar, though more tastefully matched, fashion to Dritz himself. A trend amongst Chrysalan women seemed to be small rings on their antennae, and glittering chains clipped to the tips of their wings, while the most stylish men seemed to favour thick heeled shoes and shades of red. The streets opened up, almost like a collection of town squares, and towards the centre there was a low, plain building in the older style.

"That's where we'll need to be," Dritz said, pulling Vela to look out of their window. "If we get off at the next stop, we can find my favourite place to eat. It's too big a place for them to, say, know your order or your face, but it's really nice food, and they do a huge variety of different blossoming tea!"

The place in question was a large canteen with individually tended tables. A short Chrysalan woman with heavy, and very bright, eye makeup greeted them with a bright smile.

"Hi! I'm Cirtz, I'll be your server," she chirped. She seemed to be eyeing Vela with sparkling curiosity. "Your hair is gorgeous!"

Vela was staring again as she took in all there was to see of the city from the window of the tram, feeling as though it would be impossible to look away. She had not ever experienced anything like it, of course, her only experiences with planets thus far being her own and Trelos. To think of Chrysala having such a long and interesting history, during which all of this was built and rebuilt, was certainly fascinating to her. In fact, she decided to look up as much information as she could about the history of the district later.

They arrived at their destination and Vela sat across from Dritz at one of the tables, still in wide-eyed awe at everything around her. When the woman who introduced herself as Cirtz appeared to take their order, Vela was also staring at her perhaps more intently than would be appropriate. She had seen makeup on others before (leaving Fera aside, he didn't count to her,) but of course not on a Chrysalan. She wondered briefly what makeup would look like on herself before dismissing the idea almost right away. The thought didn't appeal to her.

Smiling shyly, she nodded in acknowledgement of the compliment to her hair, though it surprised her. [Thank you,] she signed as well, having no other choice, and Dritz translated for her as well as helping her make a choice on the menu and decide on one of the tea varieties. It was almost overwhelming, but she felt herself relaxing again once Cirtz had left with their orders.

[How do you feel now that we're here?] she asked Dritz while they waited, before reaching over to gently brush a hand over his.

Cirtz didn't seem to notice Vela's signing, and so there was a glimmer of confusion when Dritz seemed to speak for her. Evidently, though, she didn't think much of it, as she showed them to a table and took their order before scurrying off with a little bow.

She returned shortly with their tea, which was served in a long, clear cup. This blossom, seemingly oddly, was at the bottom, unfurling into silky pink tendrils, tinging the water a light rose colour.

"This kind is pretty sweet, but it shouldn't be unpleasant," Dritz explained, "Well, I hope not anyway. If it's too sweet, we can get another kind!" He stroked her hand and nodded, "It's almost weird to be back, you know? I guess it seemed bigger when I left, as silly as that sounds."

Cirtz returned with their food; an earthy-smelling rice dish peppered with red and yellow flakes and served in a soft, oval vegetable that had been halved and hollowed. Together, they combined sweetness and warm spice.

"I hope you like this, I figured it'd be a good introduction to home," he said, prodding at his own food.

Vela carefully inspected the tea when Cirtz brought it out, finding the cup to be very interesting and strange to her, and the color of the blossom and water quite pretty. She sipped at it before it had cooled enough, being too eager to wait, and shook her head quickly when it came to the taste.

[No, it's fine. It's not too sweet, I will drink it.] The taste lingered over her tongue in a pleasant way that was different from the regular teas she had shared with Dritz before. Similarly, the food was also unique and fascinating to her, with a taste she would be unable to properly put into words, though not for any negative reasons.

[It's delicious,] she signed truthfully after just a few bites. She almost asked what the ingredients were, but decided that she wanted the challenge of finding out on her own later. [But how does it feel strange to be back? I think it sounds normal to feel that way, but of course I'm not sure.] Would Aurctas seem different when she returned?

[I want to try as much Chrysalan food as possible while we're here,] she signed after they had eaten a bit more. [But about the overseer... how will we approach her? Do I sign first, or will you explain why I can't speak to her properly?] She felt bad to bring the subject up while they were still eating, but it seemed her mind would keep returning to it until it was over.

Dritz frowned and set his cutlery down.

"Hey. Don't put it like that. You do talk properly," he said firmly. He re-enforced this with a long, stern gaze before his expression returned to normal and he picked up his fork again. "I personally think it'd be good to represent the Aurians, so I'd sayyy... Sign, and I can translate. Szna is highly knowledgeable on aliens, so she might recognise that you're communicating even if she won't know what. I think she'd appreciate it. I'll obviously translate for you and back you up with my totally important local knowledge!"

After a moment, he realised something else, "Oh, and... As for it being strange, I honestly didn't think I'd be back for many, maaany more years. So the change here is minimal, it's like I never left!"

At first Dritz's response bewildered her, but then she had to smile as he gave her such a stern look. [I'm sorry. Of course. I only meant I can't talk in the same way that you do, but it's perfectly normal for me.] When Dritz's expression relaxed, she nodded in agreement with his next words.

[Alright, I will sign. She sounds very understanding... in fact, like quite a wonderful person. Somehow I'm less afraid of being rejected by her. But I feel I will continue to worry about the rest of the overseers.] Rescuing the Aurians and transporting them to another planet would be a large use of Chrysala's personal resources for what Vela was certain was of very little benefit on their end. The concept of others being willing to help without the expectation of being paid back in some way was unusual to her.

[Really?] she continued, her curiosity roused further to learn more about Dritz, as usual. [Did you ever see yourself as planning to stay here before you left? Or did you always want to travel? What made you decide to leave in the first place? I imagine it wasn't easy to leave your family behind.]

"She was actually one of the youngest Chrysalans to become an overseer. I think she was like, 42? Chrysalans are considered adults at around 50, so she wasn't taken very seriously for a long time. She's good, been the overseer for my lifetime. Apparently before her there was a bit of drug crime in the port area, and she had it nearly halved in two years or so," Dritz said. Talking about his home was strangely comforting, reassuring.

"Nah, I always knew there was more galaxy for me to see. I'm not quite so starry eyed as our pretty ol' human friend," he chuckled, "But I liked the idea of being where the aliens were. As many different folk as I could find. Chrysala has many visitors, but not enough alien residents. I wasn't getting to experience everything I could. It's not the longest life in the galaxy, but a Chrysalan's is long enough, so why not fill it with different things? It... Heh, actually, leaving Tvie was hard. She's my little pal, she used to follow me around when she was very young. But she'll do the same one day, I know it. See now, she is definitely like Ori. Tvie will be outta here the first chance she gets!" He grinned fondly, "I can't wait for you to meet her."

Vela listened in fascination as Dritz talked first about Szna, then about his reasons for leaving home and seeking a new life in the galaxy. His description of Tvie made her smile as she saw how happy the thought made him, and she nodded.

[I look forward to meeting her. I also wanted to see what else the galaxy had to offer, beyond helping my people, and I found more than I ever imagined.] Her own fond smile was directed at Dritz, wondering what she would have done without him. Soon enough, however, she focused on finishing her meal so they could at last locate Szna and attempt to accomplish the main purpose of their visit to Chrysala.

Vela's signs of affection stopped Dritz for a moment. His smile grew and he leaned over to kiss her, narrowly avoiding leaning right into his meal. In the corner one Chrysalan seemed unnecessarily interested, but soon went back to their conversation.

"I know what you mean, flower. I never expected this," he said softly, stroking her cheek lightly.

The two of them remained comfortably quiet, their knees touching under the table, until they had finished and paid. As they left, Dritz bounded to the counter, returning with two small plastic-wrapped parcels.

"Dessert, for later," he beamed, tucking them into his pocket. "They should be fine in there. Shall we start walking?"

The approach was understated, with a small fountain in the centre of the square, surrounded by low, plain metal benches. The humidity seemed especially high there, with real sunlight filtering through the levels.

Inside the building, clean and simple desks flanked a walkway to a staircase. For someone of authority, the decor was very basic, and somewhat older than one might have expected.

Although Vela was curious about whatever it was that Dritz had bought for "dessert," she was more concerned about the meeting with Szna. She soon had forgotten all about it, though it would likely be a pleasant surprise later.

The area Dritz led them to was not as ornate as one might expect to find in the office of someone important, though Vela had held no prior expectations. She was unused to how thick the air felt, especially here, and she found herself wiping at her forehead absently, noticing it was a little damp. This was not any sort of weather she was accustomed to, and she was still dressed too warmly in her Aurian clothing.

She gazed around at the desks in the building and glanced up the staircase, wondering where they would go next but conserving her energy instead of asking. Already her nerves were slightly on edge, though Dritz's familiar form next to her was comforting.

Dritz took her over to the first desk, where an older Chrysalan was peering at them over his glasses in a kindly manner, "Welcome to the offices of Overseer Szna. May I help you, dears?"

"Hiya," Dritz said brightly, "My companion and I have an issue to discuss with the overseer. We would like her to elevate the matter to the counsel, as it is an offworld concern. Does she have a free hour as soon as possible?"

The Chrysalan seemed incredibly interested in this, his eyes twinkling as he looked down at an old, slightly dented datapad, "Ooh, an offworld matter? How thrilling! As it happens, she is returning from a meeting in about an hour or so. You're welcome to wait if you wish, and I can fetch you something to drink? Terribly stuffy in here today." He muttered the last part more to himself as he reached for a small glass of amber juice from his desk.

Dritz turned to Vela to see if she agreed with the idea of waiting. "You wanna do this now? Or come back tomorrow?"

The older Chrysalan behind the desk seemed kind, and Vela smiled at him gratefully before she turned to sign to Dritz.

[Let's wait. I think an hour is better than another day.] To be honest, she wanted this part over with so she could stop being so nervous sooner. Meeting his family seemed to bring a different anxiousness almost entirely. After a moment's hesitation, she added, [Tell him I would like a drink, and thank you. It is a little warm here.]

Once they had their drinks, Vela and Dritz sat together on one of the benches to wait. She wasn't familiar with the liquid in her glass, but it was the same as the other Chrysalan had been drinking, with a warm color and slightest hint of a bitter taste that was somehow refreshing and made her feel less uncomfortable with the temperature. Dritz was telling her more about what an overseer did for their district, and she listened carefully, but her gaze slipped to the door nearly every minute.

"Honestly, it took me so long to understand what it is an overseer does," Dritz had started, managing to make his hopefully comforting rambling sound almost natural, "But it's actually pretty damn simple... or my understanding of it is simplified! It was always important that they were not seen as above the rest of the citizens; hence why their office buildings are usually a bit more understated, or even run down. They can't be seen to be prioritizing themselves when their home needs them. Similarly, it's not very often someone from a different district can become an overseer for another district, you see? Inter-district fighting or prejudice, anything of that nature, doesn't happen, it's just that to become the overseer for a district, you have to have lived there, or how else would you know what works and what doesn't?"

"They consult with new businesses, assist with severe legal disputes; someone building on another's property or something, for example. Mostly they represent the interests of the area for a higher stage, if that makes sense. An overseer listens to her district, and makes sure their needs are communicated to the counsel; then other districts can assist, or she can appeal for funding for her district and stuff. I'm sorry, is this boring?" Thankfully, Vela seemed interested, and he was able to continue explaining up until the doors opened and a Chrysalan woman entered.

She was tall and sinewy, with dark purple hair held in a relaxed, but fairly neat, bun at the side of her head, held in place with a small pin in the shape of a yellow flower. Aside from that, her clothing was dark and plain; clean, crisp worker's overalls and lightweight boots. She was visibly more mature in age than Dritz, but at the same time, her years were hard to determine.

Without even speaking to the clerk from before, she strode up to them, bowing slightly, "You must be my next meeting. I was told you were waiting for me, I'm so sorry I'm a bit later than I needed to be." She was incredibly well spoken, and her smile was soft, but she was looking at Vela with a curious warmth.

"Welcome to Chrysala, friend. I am Szna, and if there is anything I can to for you while you are in my district, please don't hesitate to ask."

When Szna entered the room and introduced herself, Vela felt almost frozen in place briefly. This was the woman she had to speak to in order to help her people further.

Immediately she was rather taken with Szna's appearance, thinking her quite lovely. She hadn't ever studied any female Chrysalan closely, but she kept her gaze earnestly on Szna and was able to easily notice the small differences. It was also impossible not to notice the way Szna was looking at her in specific, seeming to know their visit was mostly about her.

Finally composing herself, Vela stood and moved forward to gracefully hold out her hands. If Szna was surprised, she showed little of that as she also held out her hands so that Vela could clasp them in the way Dritz showed her, bowing her head at the same time. "Pleased to... meet you." It was a shortened form of what she had wanted to say, leaving the "I am" off the front, but those two extra syllables had been making it hard for her. She was reasonably proud of how she had only needed one brief pause in the middle this time as well.

As she drew back from Szna, she was able to add one more word. "Vela." She pointed to herself before signing, [Thank you. I'm honored to be here and to meet you. I'm here on behalf of my people, the Aurians, and we have an important matter to discuss with you.] She nodded at Dritz, indicating that he was included and would translate for her.

Szna's already friendly expression became one of warmth as she was greeted. She bowed her head and responded in kind, "You are welcome here, Vela. I'm very impressed, I don't think I've ever met a Chrysalan who has greeted me traditionally, let alone a friend from offworld."

Dritz began to explain when Szna held up a hand, "Let's go somewhere comfortable, yes? I have a feeling I will want to talk to you for a long time."

She led them up the staircase to a quiet room with a low table and small, rounded armchairs. Taking a seat and pulling her legs up underneath her, she gestured to the two of them to sit. "Now, that's better. Please, do continue. You are their translator?" she said politely, gesturing to Dritz.

"Friend and partner, primarily," Dritz said cheerily, "But yes. I'm Dritz, and it's honestly an honour, ma'am. Anyway. Vela comes on behalf of her people, the Aurians. We have a great deal to discuss with you."

"Then please, discuss," she said, leaning back in her chair and watching Vela with a smile.

Instantly feeling welcomed, Vela followed Szna along with Dritz in something of a daze. Of course she had known she would not be rejected, and there was so much more work to do, but something about the female Chrysalan brought Vela an even greater sense of hope than before.

The room they came to was close and comfortable, and Vela relaxed into her chair as much as she could. After Dritz finished explaining and she had been prompted to begin, she leaned forward to start signing, pausing every now and then so he would not have to translate too much all at once.

[I come from a planet far from here named Aurctas. It is a cold, harsh world where nothing grows and the only means of survival is trade with alien ships. We mine a special metal found only on our planet, but it is hard and dangerous work. The population is declining and may die out completely within the next one hundred years if the current trends hold.]

She shifted in her seat restlessly, trying to find the right words. [The Aurians have lost hope and don't believe they would be better suited to a life elsewhere. My goal is to convince them otherwise. I repaired one of the old ships that brought us to Aurctas and flew alone to the station Hesperus Alpha. I didn't know exactly what I would do, but I met Dritz there and he has helped me with so much. It was his idea that we might come to you for some help.] Vela stopped here, not wanting to continue with her request until Szna had time to process the information so far.

Overseer Szna listened with a frown that didn't speak of anger, but of an understanding of the gravity of what she heard. She focused her attention on Vela, glancing at Dritz occasionally and nodding, ensuring she understood properly. Once Dritz had solemnly translated the information, she leaned back in her chair, her hand on her chin and deep thought in her eyes.

"The situation is a critical, delicate one," she said seriously. "What made you believe Chrysala could assist?"

"Ma'am, while we're not a wealthy planet, we are resourceful, and nothing if not motivated by community. Look at the structure of our families. We have to extend this care and kindness or what use is it?" Dritz said desperately.

"I agree," Szna said, turning back to Vela. "I believe the planet is in a position to help your people. I confess to having never heard anything relating to you. Perhaps if we had been aware of Aurctas we might have intervened sooner. Now isn't the time to lament what could have been done, though."

Szna leaned forward once more, steepling her fingers, "It will take time to escalate this; what aid would you have from us, Vela? I'd like to know what's needed so I can put it to the others."

Vela couldn't help exhaling softly in relief. Szna was taking the subject very seriously, with great care and attentiveness. She should have expected nothing less, but it was good to see it as it actually happened.

[Thank you. Perhaps the reason you have not heard of us is because I think those who trade with Aurctas are dealing unfairly and keeping the information private for their own use. It might have been known we were there some time ago, but not near the lifetime of any of us. We slowly fell from being what I believe was once a great civilization, though with the right assistance I'm sure we can return to that."

It took a few moments for her to collect her thoughts further. [What I'm asking seems fairly simple, but at the same time, I know it is a massive undertaking. We have potentially found a planet to move the Aurians to, called Trelos, though it will take some further negotiation. But they do not have the capability of transporting my people, and that was what I would like to ask of the Chrysalan government: the use of your ships to transport them.] She hesitated again in her worry. [We can't repay you, yet. Someday I think we could, if that's an issue. I mainly ask that it be considered while we finalize matters with both the Trelosians and Aurians. I, for one, would be deeply grateful if you could.]

Finished for now, Vela bowed her head again as she listened to Dritz translate.

"Ah, Trelos. I've not been there, but I have heard minimal information on it," Szna muttered. From her tone it was as though she was too distracted with her thoughts to say much more. She tapped her steepled fingers against her lips, frowning.

"My friend, were the decision mine and mine alone, I would give you everything you need. Transport, food, the promise of future trade agreements to help your people prosper. Unfortunately, that decision is not mine to make," she explained, the frown never leaving her face.

"However, the decision to persuade the counsel is mine, and I will work to ensure we can work with the Aurian in the future. The Aurians do not ask much; ships in peace time are never used." She nodded to herself, "I may need your input at the next meeting."

Of course Szna would agree to help. And she would agree to do so much more, but Vela understood the need to seek approval from the rest of the overseers. Even having been fairly certain in advance, she still sank back into her chair with a weak, relieved feeling before finally being able to sign her gratitude and direct a genuinely happy smile at Dritz.

[I think we would not turn away any help offered,] she signed hesitantly, [but we will only ask for the use of your ships. Dritz and I still need to finalize the negotiations with Trelos, and speak to my people, but I have confidence on both of those matters. It doesn't seem like the ships are much, but I know there is the cost of fuel as well as the time of the pilots who will need to fly them. As I mentioned, we are willing to make repayments for those, as there should be credits from the sale of whatever metal we can carry from Aurctas.]

This was something of a gamble on her part, as she didn't know absolutely that the other Aurians would even agree to migration to another planet. But it was better to cancel negotiations with the others than disappoint her people, and they might need that extra persuasion of resources already being secured for them.

[My input?] she continued curiously. [What would I have to do?] The thought of standing in front of a lot of other Chrysalans and explaining was a bit intimidating, though she was willing to do so if necessary.

"Having a representative from Aurctas adds gravity to their needs," Szna said almost apologetically, "It could be considered an underhanded way to go on my part, but giving them a face, a point of reference, the- excuse the phrase- human face of the Aurian struggle. You may not need to say anything, in fact, especially if it makes you uncomfortable."

Gracefully, the overseer rose and paced for a while, "I won't hear anything to do with negotiation of price. Many years ago small colonies in jeopardy would seek assistance, and the aiding individuals wouldn't ask for payment. We are in peace time, you already said you have a viable planet for your new home... I personally see no difficulty."

It was then that Dritz spoke up, "Ma'am, if I could make a suggestion? I'm not especially up on the laws, but perhaps Overseers Tvek and Vri would be persuaded to view it as a potential for a sister 'nation' and the potential to add to their militia?"

"Are any of your people trained to fight, my friend?" Szna asked with a light frown.

Vela nodded in understanding, pleased that the Chrysalans were honorable enough not to ask for payment from a people who were suffering. The extra credits could be put toward other uses or given to the Trelosians if they required any form of compensation, though she had a feeling they would not either.

Dritz's suggestion did make her pause to think about what she knew of the Aurian's past. [There is no need for it at the moment, so no. However, in the distant past a great war was fought on our original planet, before we migrated to Aurctas. There were skilled warriors in an organized force, then. I think it is something we can learn to do again, but I'm afraid it's not an asset to offer initially.] While it worried her to have so little to offer to potential rescuers, she still hoped they would see that the Aurians were resilient and would be a great people again one day.

[I will stand as a representative in front of the counsel,] she signed decisively, already seeing how good this would be to present their case. [And I will answer questions if they are asked of me. I won't be afraid now, when I've already come so far. How soon will we be able to do this?] She had no idea if the counsel ran on any sort of schedule for meetings, or if one could be called whenever necessary.

Both Chrysalans seemed interested in Vela's answer, with Dritz looking decidedly more intrigued, given his improved understanding of Aurian. Szna, however, seemed to be taking the opportunity to watch her signing rather than worry about what she would be saying. She listened with interest to Dritz's translation.

"That is not an issue to me, friend," she said kindly. "While it was a clever enough suggestion, I do not believe Tvek and Vri will be swayed by that point in particular. I hold out hope they will simply be as taken with the request as I have been. Vela, you are a remarkable individual to come in search of help for your people, and I cannot thank you enough for agreeing to come as a representative."

She pulled a datapad, far older than Dritz's but almost unusually well kept, and tapped out a few things. "I am due to meet with the counsel next week, but in an effort to further emphasise the gravity of the Aurians' plight, I suggest I call one. Waiting would suggest a lack of urgency, and I would like to move on this as soon as possible. I propose two days' time, how is this for you, my friend?" she said, looking at Vela.

Bowing her head, Vela accepted Szna's praise gracefully. [It's all I could do for them, and for the memory of the ones I knew who were lost to a life much too harsh for anyone to be living.]

The idea of a counsel being called early had its appeal. The sooner help for the Aurians was assured, the sooner they could be rescued, not to mention how much easier she would be able to rest. [That sounds like a good idea. I will be able to do that in two days.] She glanced hesitantly at Dritz. [I think we will only be here in the district. I want to see what a wonderful place your world is, and meet more of your people.] Of course by this she mostly meant Dritz's family, but she supposed it went without saying.

[And thank you for agreeing to this. It may not be enough, but you'll have the gratitude of an entire generation of Aurians if this works, and hopefully many more to come.]

Dritz beamed, feeling less of a need to be serious now that their business had concluded favourably. His faith in Szna had not been misplaced, and even more so, he was proud of all Vela was achieving.

With a few more words of determination and reassurance, Szna stood to bid them farewell, gently embracing them each in turn, even going to give Vela a chaste kiss on the cheek and commend her once more.

They were given a time to meet her at the building, and Dritz offered to escort themselves out in case Szna was busy, which it happened she would be.

Alone again, Dritz led Vela out of the building in pleased silence until they were out in the street. There he scooped her up into his arms and spun around, squeezing her.

"You did so well, flower," he breathed, "I am sooo damn proud! Everything went so well! How do you feel?"

Somewhat weak with relief, Vela was glad to let Dritz lead the way out of the building. Szna had been lovely and good to her, the added kiss on her cheek making her a little shy once more. All the details had been set, and even if the real test was to come, she was personally proud of what she had accomplished so far.

She gratefully clung to Dritz as he picked her up and spun her, needing to wait for him to release her before she could sign a response. [It did go well. Thank you. I feel... good, but kind of tired. Like it was draining, somehow.] She smiled at him before leaning up to kiss his lips. [And thank you for being there with me. We'll see it through to the end together, and that means a lot to me.]

Then she hesitated, her smile a bit nervous once more. [So we will go to your home now?]

Leaning in to kiss her forehead, Dritz shook his head, "I dunno, flower... I think maybe we've had enough nervousness and tension for today. Why don't we go tomorrow? There are plenty of places to stay that'll be cheap, and, well... I just don't want to drain you further. We could go and get a room, have a bath and relax for the rest of the day, basking in a job well done, then get up early tomorrow? We have plenty of time, so it's up to you. Cap'n." He smiled and gave her a wink at this.

After a few moments of thought, Vela nodded. [That might be a good idea. We've had a long journey here, and the stress of the meeting with the overseer, though she was very nice. It would be alright to wait for tomorrow. Not that I think getting to see your family will be tense,] she quickly added. [As I said, I'm tired from all we've done already.]

Trusting Dritz to lead them somewhere they could secure a room, she walked a distance before having another realization.

[They won't be expecting you. Is that alright? Or maybe there's a way to contact them beforehand, if you wanted?] She had no idea if Dritz's family appreciated surprises like the one they would surely have when he walked in suddenly with an alien companion who couldn't talk directly to them yet.

Dritz lead Vela through the streets of the district, and on another ride in the suspended trams, to an area with a good deal of greenery in the form of plant boxes lining the streets, containing small shrubs with almost spherical yellow and green leaves that gave off a scent similar to very subtle citrus fruit.

Where he had chosen for them was small and perhaps a bit more modest, but the room was clean and tidy, with a large bathtub (as he requested). Big enough for two, Dritz had noticed with a saucy grin when they inspected it.

Tugging off his shirt and pulling Vela to lie with him on the bed, Dritz sighed happily. "So, to answer your question from earlier- I know, I'm sorry, I got to chatting- I did send my brother a quick note to say that something amaziiiiing would happen soon. He told me I was a cryptic jerk. But honestly, if he's mentioned it to anyone else, they'll know. Kli is one of these... Okay, I love my brother, but he's a little less smart than some. Relies too much on his looks. So he can be a little slow to catch your meaning if you speak to him even remotely cryptically. What I'm sayin' is they may be a bit surprised, but it'll only be a good thing!"

Despite Dritz's chatter, Vela had sometimes found herself lagging almost behind him at certain points during the walk whenever her attention was caught by anything particularly interesting, which was often. The smell of the plants especially made her drift closer to them to inhale more deeply and reach out to touch them with gentle, curious fingers.

She could make no distinction between the building or room and that of more expensive ones, though she obviously would have been fine with anything. The sight of the bathtub even made her relax. She lay down contentedly with Dritz when he directed her to the bed, curling up next to him and closing her eye, resting her head against his bare chest for a long moment as though to recharge. After listening to him talk for a little while, she sat up again to sign.

[If that's enough for you, then I'm alright with it. They will definitely enjoy the surprise of seeing you again.] She didn't add that they might enjoy the surprise of meeting her, as well. [Your brother sounds interesting. Do you think he will like me? How many are living in your parent's home right now?] Already having been reassured that his small sister would have an interest, she turned her worry toward anyone else who might be there.

"Hey, they're enjoy seeing you too, getting to meet someone so important to me will make them happy, I'm sure," Dritz said reassuringly, kissing Vela's forehead. "He's an odd one, quite a bit different to me, even though we grew up together. I'm sure he'll like you, even if he might not show it; we are very different. His idea of affection is a pat on the shoulder or something. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's a good guy, but I love showing affection, I have to force him to hug me." He chuckled, shrugging slightly.

"Ah, there was only the five of us in that particular homestead, but we had another... six living near; my mum's partner and her children, with her primary. They're cute, but I'm not so close with them. Tvie plays with their youngest all the time though, which is pretty cute." After a moment, he added softly, "Are you nervous?"

Dritz's reassurances made Vela smile and nod, finally able to set aside her worries just a little. She decided she would be cautious when it came to Kli, though she had never expected to embrace anyone there as it was. In the end, all she wanted to do was make him comfortable around her.

She listened carefully to everything he said, being sure she would remember it all, but had to answer truthfully when it came to the question of whether she was nervous. [Yes. I'm trying not to feel that way, but it's something that seems impossible to fully control. You probably understand. I want to be sure they have a good impression of me, and simply like me, but I'm sure I shouldn't let it bother me so much.]

Vela leaned over Dritz then, kissing him softly and lingering with her lips near his. "Love you," she forced out in a quiet voice, finding the admission helped steady her further.

Dritz shook his head with a soft smile, "You should feel the way you feel, and no other way. If you're nervous, you have the right to be, flower. That's... well, that's kinda how it is. I'd be just the same with those closest to you. I mean, I will be! I'll probably end up saying something really silly..." He chuckled, grimacing.

He stared at her for a long, quiet moment when she spoke. The rarity of her voice made it all the more precious when he did hear it. He pulled her close, into a soft kiss that grew in heat after a moment, as their kisses tended to. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against hers, his antennae curving forward as though to hide in her hair.

"I love you too, Vela," he sighed, closing his eyes and smiling as he basked in the moment, having her there on his home planet with him.

[Only if you don't keep practicing your signing,] Vela replied in amusement. It was possible he would get one of the motions wrong, but unless he completely changed one sign into another, the other Aurians probably wouldn't notice in their awe of someone who knew more of their language than any of the traders did. [I suppose being nervous is only natural.]

She returned the kiss, feeling her body warming through the longer it lasted. As he pulled away and returned her sentiment, resting their foreheads together, she gave a soft sigh and a slight nod. She knew it, but it never got any less special when she heard it again.

It seemed they lay together cuddling for at least an hour, sharing more kisses and teasing caresses through each other's clothing, though Dritz's shirt being off gave Vela an unfair advantage. She finally sat up with the hint of a playful smile around her lips. [We should take a bath before bed, so we'll be clean for tomorrow.] Which was a silly thing to say, but she thought he knew what she meant by it.

Dritz scrunched his nose up in faux offence, but laughed. He had been practicing at every opportunity just recently, but those times when Vela was not around were rare. He sort of wanted to surprise her with how his signing had improved, but was unsure if it actually had.

Though neither of them were moving towards being more intimate, the desire was almost palpable, and Dritz couldn't fight the lazy smirk that came across his face at the suggestion of a bath together.

"We definitely want to get clean," he said softly, leaning up with her in his arms. He carefully stood and carried her with him to the bathroom, smoothly opening the door and just about managing to start the water while paying special attention to her neck, and what little he could reach of her collarbone.

Vela was momentarily distracted, herself, as Dritz carried her into the bathroom and started the water, enjoying his kisses against her neck. Eventually she did have to nudge him to let her down so she could add soap to the water and finally turn it off, giving them both time to shed their clothes and return their attention to each other.

Taking a moment to admire the colors of their skin together for what must have been the thousandth time (yet never felt like it would get old), Vela stepped away and climbed carefully into the bath, her gaze inviting as she reached out a hand for Dritz to join her.

With Vela naked and beckoning him closer, Dritz needed very little encouragement. He tugged off his remaining clothes and stepped in with her. He immediately leaned in and resumed kissing her deeply, fingers trailing over her lean shoulders and down her arms.

With a sly smile, he trailed kisses down her front, over her collarbone, her breasts and stomach, down to her hips. He knelt in the water, giving her an adoring look before he started kissing her thighs, bringing his warm hands up to stroke the backs of her thighs.

Vela could feel herself beginning to shiver as Dritz kissed his way down her body; not from coldness, as every part of her felt radiant with warmth, but with sheer anticipation of where his lips might next meet her skin, and with a growing desire for more.

As he knelt and began paying attention to the softest skin of her inner thighs, her hands moved automatically to touch his head, fingers lightly trailing through his hair before she used firmer pressure to direct his mouth where she currently most wanted it to be. There was a certain way he had of moving his tongue there, which...

Dritz hadn't needed any further prompting before he nearly rendered her breathless with pleasure, her head tilting back just slightly as his own hands continued to roam at the same time. At last she had to gently push him away, not wanting to feel all of it just yet. She managed to seat herself in the bathtub and lean back, though she still moved restlessly with longing as she held her arms open for him to join her.

Their bath lasted long enough for the water to cool significantly, though by the time they noticed it was only because they had become so flushed, clinging to one another with weak, blissful smiles until Dritz felt one of them (unsure whether it was himself or Vela) begin to shiver.

Lazily, Dritz ran more hot water into the bath and they washed, tempting as it was to simply repeat everything.

As he massaged citrus scented soap into Vela's hair, Dritz kissed her shoulder and chuckled, "I dunno if I told you recently how much I love baths these days..."

With a slight smile, Vela turned her head to look back at Dritz, feeling his hands move to continue soaping her hair. There was little she could do to respond when he couldn't see her signing, so she only nodded in agreement. Their baths really had grown quite extended from what they had been originally, even when it was only Vela by herself enjoying the feeling of being immersed in warm water. It was hard to believe baths could be improved, but she had been happy to find out otherwise.

After having taken turns washing each other's hair and bodies (nearly leading to a repeat of their earlier actions if they hadn't gotten themselves so tired), Vela and Dritz finally left the bath. She attempted to dry him first, then found herself wrapped in a fluffy towel and swept off her feet a second time as Dritz carried her back to bed. They spent the rest of their evening cuddled close, sharing pleasant talk and more soft kisses until at last they both drifted to sleep without too much worry about the next day.

[the-vaporverse]

Custo Barcelona F/W 2015 Menswear New York Fashion Week

[the-vaporverse]