Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - Printable Version
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Wisteria and Violets [Closed] -
Tindome - 05-13-2015
Grilka was quite pleased by the turn Nova's response had taken, tendrils winding through her fingers and along her forearms. It was useful information, how
memti affected her kind, and Grilka loved useful information. Then again, there was really no such thing as useless information, as far as ey was concerned.
Nova was well on her way to smothering him in kisses, and Ix was smitten and angry and sad and helpless. "
Never," he said, and even knowing she wasn't in her right mind didn't stop him from aching with the force of how badly he wanted to kiss her. She was so pretty and so sweet and he didn't know how he could have let her out of his sight, her skin all sparkling and still smelling like the beach.
Even Onion, the little traitor, was making himself comfortable amidst the scales of Grilka's tail.
"Ixaaliot is
very loyal," Grilka affirmed, which was not, in Ix's opinion, helping.
Grilka's mouth spread in an anglerfish smile, tongues darting at the two of them as Nova wrapped herself around the both of them. Ey propped eir chin on two hands, elbows resting on a coil of eir tail, taking a final drag of
memti before crushing the butt of it in eir talons.
Ix stiffened as Nova wrapped her arms around him, and he had to brace two hands against Grilka's tail to keep from tipping over onto his girlfriend. "You. I. We. Should. I don't. Want to mess up your clothes. With. My Clothes." A hand left her face to press against the side of his neck.
"She's been
waiting, Ix," Grilka said, and ey drew out the final consonant of his name like a hiss. "Maybe she can help you clean up?" Rather than prod him, a tendril gently stroked Ix's back, which was so much more unsettling for him that he practically leapt out of his skin and plastered himself to his girlfriend.
"That's. Not. That is. A bad idea. Can we. Later? Later. We can talk later. You can go. To. Not here."
"Nova doesn't mind if I stay." As in all things, Grilka took the absence of refusal as consent, and anyone not asking em to leave did not object to eir presence.
"
I mind."
"You don't count. You mind everything."
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] -
megs - 05-14-2015
He stumbled towards her. Much closer than he probably would have liked, since she had parted her knees to make room for him. He was near enough now that if she leaned forward just a touch she could brush her lips across his jaw. "I have other clothes," she murmurs, when she'd kissed her way up to his ear. Smaller tendrils, traced a line from the hollow of his throat to his collarbone.
Nova was commonly affectionate in her own small ways, but the memti out her desire to touch and be touched at the forefront of her mind. It also pushed equally important concepts to the back. Such as a concern for observers, and listing better ways to end a second date.
He moved closer still, and Nova thought it a reward for her efforts. Continually unaware of Grilka's harassing him. However, he also mentioned that something was a bad idea. Her tentacles released anything she had anchored them on, and flared behind her shoulders. They curled in on themselves, until they resembled that short swinging bob that was usually a bad sign, and she finally ceased her previously undeterred kissing.
"You think I'm a bad idea?" She cocked her head and met his eyes, shifting until she was sitting upright once more. She clearly had not heard one of both of them properly. Or her own strange insecurities were more prominent due to the smoke. Before he could answer, her shoulders hunched and she glanced around her immediate vicinity briefly before looking to Grilka.
"I'd like to get down now, please." She either didn't trust herself to slide off of her purchase gracefully on her own, or thought she was being held much higher off the ground.
"I mind a little bit." A statement that was quiet, and possibly a signal of her finally coming down. She did not feel nearly as light as she had before, and she was noticing her mouth was dry. She was also doing an impressive job of keeping her hands and her mouth to herself.
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] -
Tindome - 05-15-2015
It was a very good thing he was not wet. A very, very good thing. Which of course was why Grilka was trying to engineer scenarios where he was.
They were going to have a long talk about boundaries at some point. Again. Which Grilka would ignore. Again. Because why should ey care?
All that affection disappeared, as if Nova was the one who'd been splashed with water. As uncomfortable as he'd been with all the kissing, it turned out that this was much, much worse. So much worse. Literally the worst. Everything was ruined forever and it was all definitely Grilka's fault and not his even a little. "That's not. No. You're wonderful. As an idea. And also. As a person. And reality."
But it was too late, with Grilka clicking eir teeth at him like ey was disappointed in him. Ey was wrapping the end of eir tail around her waist, picking her up to set her down on the couch. Then ey bent down to pet her gently on the head, setting Onion down beside her. Onion attempted to jump back on eir tail, because he thought it was playtime, but Grilka put him back with a hiss that made his ears pin back.
"Aww," ey pouted as Nova made her preferences known. "But it has been a long day, hasn't it? And I must find out what happened to the injured girl who Ixaaliot failed to protect."
"
Hey," Ix protested, but Grilka was already winding towards the door.
"If my courier is damaged," ey said on eir way out, "it will be your fault." Ey said it very cheerfully, and Ix glowered after eir tail, taking as long as it did to completely leave the room. He sagged as the door shut, stressed beyond reason.
"I am
so sorry," he said again, and in two steps he was in front of her. This time when his hands framed her face he kissed her cheek, then her other, then her forehead. "Do you want coffee? Coffee is supposed to help, that never should have happened, I never should have let that happen – are you okay?"
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - megs - 05-15-2015
She remained silent for a few heartbeats, before she cleared her throat and licked her lips. "I. Ah. That is. I just wasn't sure if Onion was really mine. I was just going to wait for you, and find out. When Grilka showed up. I. Didn't want to to be rude. So…" she trailed off. The rest of the situation was likely obvious. "I'm sorry if I made a bad impression."
It was not what she should have been concerned with at the time. Others would probably be dealing with being blackmailed and drugged. She was handling those points surprisingly well - since he was unaware of the blackmailing part.
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - Tindome - 05-15-2015
Nova pushed him away, seemed almost to recoil, and he stiffened. His face went blank as he stepped back to give her room. Standing straight, he clasped both pairs of hands behind his back. He was very still while she spoke, being careful to keep his breathing as regular as he could.
"He's yours," he said, "if you want him." He looked at the dog in question, then away. "You did very well," he said, "under the circumstances. It won't happen again." He struggled to think of something else to say, something that would fix things or make her feel better or both. But all he could think of was the way she'd pushed him away, and no words came.
"I need to go change," he said abruptly. "There are drinks in the kitchen if you need them. The bathroom is down the hall. If you'll. Excuse me." Then he turned on his heel to disappear into his room, closing the door as quietly as he could so as not to slam it.
"Ala ta nena duadella din tana fuckity fuck fuck fuckshitdamn." He did not so much take his shirt off as tear it, throwing it across his room in a fit of pique. He rubbed his hands over his face, a rumble through his chest somewhere between a growl and a car engine. "Fucking idiot," he muttered, slamming a fist on a wall panel to get a towel. He rubbed it over himself irritably, enough that he wouldn't look completely disgusting. Just… feel like it. Was all.
He balled up the towel and threw it to join his discarded shirt, and when he started to rumble again he slammed a hand against his sternum to try and quiet it. What was he even doing? He had to have known that this was going to happen. This, or something like it. He'd been stupid from the beginning, thinking he could keep her safe and separate from the vast majority of his stupid life. He'd gone too fast and brought her home, and now she was both traumatized and aware of the company he kept.
"Fuck today," he said again, opening his closet to look for a clean shirt.
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - megs - 05-15-2015
She felt bad for pushing him away. She could tell he was bothered by it, but for the moment she needed the space to breathe. The last hour was coming back to her in fragments. It was good to know that whatever the smoke had been did not permanently effect her memory, but she could do with out reliving how she practically thrown herself at him.
Her brow knitted together and a violet blush flared beneath the scales across her nose. She turned her head to look at Onion in an attempt to hide the involuntary reaction. The nap he'd taken earlier seemed to have done him some good. He panted up at her like he was smiling, his tail wagging so furiously it was shaking his entire backside.
She looked up at Ix again when he mentioned that she had done well. The odd thing was it made her feel better. She nodded slowly in response, pressing her lips together. She should have said something reassuring. Should have mentioned that she didn't blame him. That they would be okay. She could have promised that everything would be fine tomorrow - because as far as she was concerned it would be.
But the words didn't come quick enough, and he made an excuse to leave. Her tentacles cascaded over her shoulders and twisted against her chest. At some point she'd stopped petting Onion and he hopped off the couch, to snuffle around the room.
"Ixaaliot," she calls simply, after a few uncomfortable moments of sitting alone. Her need for space had been fleeting. She did not know if he could actually hear her, but it was worth a try if it meant he would come back sooner. She smoothed a hand over her tentacles, forcing them out of the strange knots they formed when she was upset.
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - Tindome - 05-15-2015
He was being childish. He knew that he was. But he couldn't seem to stop himself, and he wasn't quite sure what else to do. He buttoned up a plain white shirt, more like what he usually wore, though he didn't go so far as to put on a tie. He still, he suspected, looked like hell.
He shouldn't have left her alone in his living room. But surely it was better than letting her see him throwing a temper tantrum. Still, the better option would have been… not to have a temper tantrum. To control himself and be there for her if she needed him. Which really should have been the bare minimum, and clearly she was going to dump him now after this whole mess, and he was going to deserve it, and she wouldn't even want the dog because she only pretended to want it out of pity and Kreska was probably dead and he was going to have to buy the dog a tiny suit for her funeral and the Jobari Empire would go to war with the Terran Alliance–
Nova's voice was small, but he heard it anyway. He emerged from his room, and attempted to look… collected. Like someone who had his shit together. Which meant, mostly, that he looked stiff and expressionless, which was how he looked the vast majority of the time. Grilka could bring out the worst in him, in more ways than one. It wasn't so bad when it was just him, having spent years honing his ability to ignore the Krotazi's inappropriate behavior.
"I apologize again," he said. "This was not what I wanted to happen today. Or. Ever."
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - megs - 05-16-2015
She stopped fiddling with her tentacles, and smiled when she saw him. It wasn't something she was forcing to make him feel better. Despite the situation it was bright and genuine because she knew that being with him was better than being without. She had dealt with much worse in the past. Regardless, she did not even consider it to be his fault. Even if he was quick to blame himself.
She wasn't so disillusioned to think that she would not have to deal with the Krotazi again if she stayed with him. At this point, leaving him probably wouldn't keep Grilka away. Ey could have been bluffing, but Nova had fallen for it. She'd admitted to using an alias, and implied that it wasn't just for fun. Nova knew that Grilka would use the information to get something ey wanted, if needed.
I should tell him. The thought flickered across her mind as she looked him over. Not about everything, no. AWOL from the military with a stolen AI, and stealth fighter ship was too much information to follow up the night's previous events. A name, perhaps. That would suffice, but she would see how what was left of the night played out first.
"Ki'viatus," she replies, with a wave of her hand to his third apology. She could have easily been telling him, that it was okay. Her tone was kind enough. In reality, she was seeing if she could get away with a pet name. He'd not seemed so fond of terms of endearment when they'd met at Radius, but Nova was good at getting her way. It wasn't anything too specific, a phrase as simple as sweetheart, or darling. "Come sit with me." She motions to a space on the couch beside her.
If he chose to sit, she would immediately change her position. Instead of remaining upright, she would lay down and drape herself over his lap. Quite literally drape, nothing so timid as resting her head against his thigh. Her middle would be spread across his legs, with her arms and legs outstretched on either side. Like a cat that was trying to get attention.
However, if he chose to remain standing, she would draw her knees to her chest, and lock her arms around them.
Either way, she would still ask him: "Why is it your job to babysit Kreska?"
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - Tindome - 05-16-2015
All things considered, he probably should not have trusted her smile. But he wanted very badly for everything to be okay, and so he took the slightest suggestion of such as a lifeline, something to cling to and believe regardless of circumstance. His suspicious nature fell all to pieces when a pretty girl who said she cared for him smiled and sweet things.
At least, he assumed they were sweet things. He didn't actually know what she'd just said. But it sounded sweet. Maybe a reassurance. Or maybe she was complimenting his shirt. That would be nice. He was perfectly pleased to join her on the couch, though he was still a little tightly wound.
Whatever he expected, it was not the way she sprawled over him, various soft curves framing and pressing against not-particularly-soft legs. He may have looked slightly alarmed, all four arms held in the air as he tried to determine where would be the safest place to rest them. This was futile, because there were no safe places. As long as he wasn't using her ass as an armrest, he was probably okay, right? Or was he supposed to be rubbing her back. Was that what was happening? What was happening. Very gently, he began using all four hands to rub circles over her spine, because that seemed like the least awkward option.
Yes. Good. This was fine, and normal. Everything was fine, and normal. Except for the things that weren't.
"Not a job," he corrected as a reflex, a twitch of displeasure in his face at the automatic statement. "But. I wasn't asked. Or anything. She just. Came here. Which made her… my responsibility." She hadn't wanted to ask Grilka for help, had wanted to minimize eir involvement, but involving Ix always involved Grilka. "She can handle herself," he said, "except when she can't. As long as she's not. That is. She probably went underground. She's good at. Hiding. She'd call for help if she really needed it."
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - megs - 05-16-2015
She had gotten away with her pet name, so her smile remained. It shouldn't have been surprising, since she had cheated and used a Calrathiion term. It wasn't completely unfair, since he sometimes said things she didn't understand either. Though, she mostly assumed those were curses.
There had been no particular agenda when she changed her position. She wiggled and readjusted for a few seconds until she was comfortable. She would have been amused to witness his dilemma, but if she had a preference for where his hands should be she did not say so. She crossed her own arms and propped her chin on them. Her tentacles fell over the side of the couch and tapped against the floor, idly. She hummed a sound of approval as his hands moved along her spine.
She couldn't help but to chuckle when he corrected her. It was familiar and with it she felt like they could go back to the way things had been just earlier that day. "It just seemed like a really big deal that she had left," Nova commented, lifting her head and resting her cheek against her palm. She almost regretted not lying on her back so she could see him. The hand she wasn't leaning on drew circles against the fabric of the couch. She looked over to where Onion had rolled over onto his back and put both feet up into the air. She left the specific question of why it was such a big deal unasked, verbally. She felt it was mostly implied.
"You know I am okay, right?" She had given up on thinking it was obvious by the fact that she hadn't run off already. She turned head to look at Ix over her shoulder. Pushing herself up, she slid off of him, but remained close. Close, so she brushed her knuckles upwards along his jaw, before tracing the scar on his cheek with a fingertip. "I won't be too assumptive, but I think we’re okay? At least, I'm not going to leave you."
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - Tindome - 05-16-2015
She didn't object to the way he touched her, so he… kept going. Partly because she seemed to like it. And partly because he liked touching her. Touching her and having an excuse to touch her, and knowing that she liked the way he touched her. He liked everything about it. He may have spent an inordinate amount of time touching the small amount of skin bare at the small of her back. Because… reasons.
At least he wasn't staring at her ass.
Mostly.
It wasn't his fault if it was a very nice… shape. For a person to be. In places.
She already knew about Grilka, now, so he supposed there wasn't any point in trying to dance around the issue. The issue being his shady, shady acquaintances. "She is… there may be some people trying to murder her. Or. Enslave her. Or both. Not the same person. Multiple. Persons. Or organizations. More than are usually trying to do… those things." He sighed. "It is. A problem she has. Only sometimes related to her charming personality. It's complicated. But. My apartment would be safe, if she were here. The fact that she's not, is. Irritating. Grilka would have taken care of it by now, if she'd asked, but. She doesn't want to. It's hard to blame her. Ey won't help her if she doesn't ask, but she's useful, so. Everyone's kind of. At an impasse. As it were."
Grilka could help her if she didn't ask, but then it would be an imposition on eir part. Favors that weren't asked for couldn't be collected on. Part of the complex web of obligations they'd woven, that he'd helped em weave.
His hands slid over her as she sat upright, and he took one of her hands as she did so, lacing two sets of fingers through hers. The touch along his scar made him shiver near-imperceptibly, and he squeezed her hand. "I know. I mean. I didn't know. But I should have. Thank you for saying it. Thank you for being okay." Impulsively, he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth.
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - megs - 05-16-2015
His explanation of situation presented more questions than it actually answered. She didn't want to seem too nosy by asking them all at once. She took her time, selecting a few that she thought might actually be answered. He'd already explained to her once that he might not be able to tell her everything. "If it's so dangerous for her, why doesn't she stay put?" A few tendrils passed over the length of Onion as he made his rounds around the room again. It was possible that he was looking for the woman in question. Her scent lingered, but he couldn't find her. "What do you mean by useful?"
Nova thought back on what little she had met of Kreska. Small, green and somewhat crass. Not a lot to go into. Though, Nova was convinced that the last was just a farce. She was no expert, but she read people better than most. A majority of her training went to waste, but she wouldn't lie and say none of it was practical.
She squeezed his hand in response and that familiar half-smile made an appearance. "I'm pretty tough over all. I guess it will take a bit more than very, very large and kinda scary Krotazi to get rid of me."
She was surprised when he kissed the upturned corner of her mouth. But not so much so that she was going to miss an opportunity. Before he could pull away she turned her head the fraction she needed to press her lips to his. Her hand fell away from his face to settle where their others were already intertwined.
"I guess it's getting kind of late," she murmurs, when she was finally content to pull away. "Should I head home?"
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - Tindome - 05-16-2015
"She doesn't like to," he shrugged. "If she has better reasons, she has not shared them. She may not share our concern for her safety. Bravado runs in the family. As it were." She was taking the more general facts of the case rather well. Then again, she worked at Radius. Talk of attempted murder-slavery might have been par for the course. Much as it pained him to imagine her involved in anything even remotely like his own life. It wasn't his place to decide what was and was not safe for her, anyway. Putting her on a pedestal did no one any good.
"She is. Ah. Private." He frowned. "Or tries to be. It may not be my place to say. Due to her… unique heritage… the Terran Allied Legal System gives her a significant amount of leeway. Not that she isn't. That is. She's a good navigator. Fast in her own right, if you need something moved fast. But. Mostly it's the name." He was being much more delicate than she ever would have been for him, and the irony was not lost on him. Raising more questions than he answered, which didn't feel fair to Nova. And it wasn't as if she could ask Kreska about it, when that would just make matters worse.
He hummed thoughtfully, rubbing the spiral on his forehead as he tried to think of the best way to explain. "Dirk Robinson was… a hero. Terrans adored him. The old video logs are still online, I think. Jobari do not usually. Mingle. So to speak. Because they're designed to be perfect. But Teraka Ido… hm. The, ah. The only important part is, Kreska is… there aren't other hybrids. Jobari hybrids do not exist, except for Kreska. They cannot, because unlike many other species, Jobari cannot be. Hybridized? Without their, ah. Consent. Their natural state is toxic. They are poison. But they can alter themselves, if they choose. Which is how she could… they could… uh. Anyway. That gives Kreska a certain amount of diplomatic importance. But she is also… people want what they cannot have. And Terrans, I'm told, have a thing. About green women. And there is a planet of green women they can't touch. Except for Kreska. Which is… what I meant by complicated."
Kissing was a highly preferable turn of events. There were not many circumstances that could not be improved by Nova kissing him. Or him kissing Nova. He wasn't quite sure who was kissing who, since he'd started it, but she seemed to be finishing it. Their fingers twined together, and one hand gently stroked one of the tentacles that framed her face. "Should?" he murmured in return. "Probably. Probably should. But. I. Don't want you to. I am very selfish. And would very selfishly like to keep kissing you. If you let me."
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - megs - 05-17-2015
Nova's comprehension of murder-and-or-slavery as it were spurred just as equally from personal experience as it did from working at Radius. The club was not exactly known for it's respectable practices, but neither had she at one point. She could handle herself, not that anyone was truly aware of how well. At most they thought she was soft and generous, and carefree and it caused others to worry. The nature she conveyed was misplaced in her dismal sector of the colony.
Her brow furrowed slightly at first mention of the Terran Alliance. It wasn't caused by some distaste for the conglomeration, because she never had any dealings with them personally. Camdis spoke of the organization, erratically. Only bits and pieces here and there when he was talking to fill the silence. The expression garnered on skeptical, but she tried to mask it. The TAF always seemed to brought up somehow.
"This is much more information than I expected," she admits, sounding somewhat defeated. She did not have enough of a foundation of knowledge on the TAF, or Dirk Robinson, or the Jobari for this to clear anything up for her. She pushed a smaller tendrils behind her ear. Understanding why Kreska was important or why human tended to find her a novelty was easy enough. She could have done research on her own, with the information he had given her thus far, but Nova really didn't need to know anything about the other woman. Besides, she lived in a constant haze of fear that revolved around someone finding out a bit to much and doing research on her. "I probably don't need to know anymore. I don't want to seem like I am trying to pry."
When she shivered at his touch, it was much more obvious, then when she had touched him. A tremor that cascaded down her spine, and was easily noticeable with how closely she sat, practically pressed against him. The tentacle he handled, curled against his palm, and the others draped against her side at varying lengths. She brushed her lips against his, not quite kissing him again before she spoke. "I think you should take every opportunity to be selfish."
Wisteria and Violets [Closed] - Tindome - 05-17-2015
"Was it too much?" he asked, chagrined. "I didn't mean to. Ramble. I don't usually speak at length about other women on dates." His mouth twitched. "I just wanted to be sure you understood. It. Will probably come up again. As an issue. So. I don't want any misunderstandings, if I seem. More concerned. Than would be usual for a friend." And it was so hard to explain any part of it, without having to explain five other things. If he said she was important because of her parents, that gave the impression that they were powerful, that she was spoiled. To say only that she was genetically unique was to ignore important aspects of her personhood. And he certainly didn't want her accidentally getting jealous. "It's all public record, really. Aside from the, ah. Cultural aspects. I don't share secrets."
His own understanding of the TAS Theodora had been minimal at best before Grilka had taken Kreska under eir talons, so to speak. Only broad strokes, names and important legal precedents and treaties. Citing Captain Robinson was considered a cheap way to appeal to majority Terran juries or judges. He'd attempted more research, but it made him… uncomfortable. Strangely uncomfortable, to watch Kreska's father smiling and laughing and kissing her mother and saving worlds, nevermind that billions had done so before him. Knowing her made it different. He had not spoken to her about it, and probably never would.
"You say that now," he murmured, and he moved his hands to wrap one arm around her waist, another around her shoulders, the others brushing along her tendrils to try and find the places she best liked being touched. "Until you are late for work," he said with a kiss, "and completely exhausted," he said with another, "because someone very selfish," and again a kiss, "talked you into spending the night waist-deep in water." He kissed down her neck and over her shoulders. "Not to overestimate my persuasive abilities," he added, "but I was a very good lawyer."
