Starless Horizon RP File #20
(Vela’s part in italics.)
The first week or so of their travel back to Hesperus was fairly quiet, at least on Vela's part. While she was naturally quiet, she didn't engage as much with Dritz for a time, leaving him to simply talk at her or ramble his thoughts aloud, which she didn't mind listening to, adding what little she felt like when needed.
She had also withdrawn from the intimacy they had shared during the later part of their trip to Trelos, finding herself uninterested and too troubled to even think about it. Dritz never pushed her into anything, as she knew he wouldn't, but she could tell his attraction to her hadn't gone away. Despite what she had said about being hopeful, those first days were ultimately depressing for her as she worried over whether their plans would work at all.
One "morning" found her laying in bed with Dritz after he had just woken up. There were times when she couldn't force herself to do much at all beyond sit and watch him as he went about checking the Nova's engines, but today she felt might be a day to do more.
Without thinking about it much, she ran a hand back through her hair, turning her head to give Dritz a little smile.
Vela had retreated into her own thoughts in a way that might have worried Dritz if he hadn't been able to see that she was working through her thoughts, all of the hope and disappointment and worry and effort she had put into their trip. It must have been exhausting for her, and the last thing she would need would be additional stress from him fussing over her. And so, he kept their conversations, such as they were, bright. He rambled, kissed her gently but frequently, and made her the best meals he could manage. He would try and share her worries as much as possible, but she would need someone to give her perspective, a clear vision.
With a bemused half-smile of his own, he reached up from where he was lounging back on the bed to stroke her face, "Now look at that. It's lovely to see you smiling again, even a little." He propped himself up on one elbow, pulling her close enough that he could kiss her forehead. "How're you feeling, flower?"
After a moment of looking her over with a soft expression, his gaze flickered upwards, and a far more amused smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
[I feel alright,] Vela signed, sitting up and thinking about moving closer to rest herself against him, until she caught his amused glance upward for some reason. It wasn't at anything far overhead...
She reached up to touch her hair, finding there seemed to be a lot more of it than when she'd last looked in a mirror. How long had it been since then? She wasn't even sure. The hair was fluffier than usual, and likely sticking out in every direction and farther away from her face, she had no doubt. Her expression grew somewhat pained.
[Do I look strange? Aurian hair takes a long time to grow, but when it does...] She indicated a distance away from her head as if to show how big it would get. [That's why we keep it short.] With a frustrated exhalation, she attempted to smooth her hair down but could feel it springing right back up again as soon as she removed her hands.
Once Vela seemed to realise what had amused him, Dritz did nothing more to stifle his affectionate laughter, covering his mouth with his free hand as he reached up and fluffed her soft hair.
"You don't look strange, flower. You look cute. So cute," he giggled, apparently particularly enchanted with how her hair seemed defiant, refusing to stay smoothed down against her, "I don't know how I hadn't noticed before. I saw you were getting fluffy bits here-" he tickled the wisps of hair by her ear, "But it didn't seem so obvious that it'd gotten so long."
He tugged her down to lie atop him, admiring the way her hair looked at that moment. It was relaxed, like she was completely relaxed with him. "So cute," he reiterated, grinning.
Vela found herself puzzled at Dritz's insistence that her hair was "cute." She willingly laid down on him, immediately soothed by his warmth, allowing him to reach up and play with the fluffiness of her hair for a little while before she moved again to sign.
[I'm glad you don't mind it, but I'm afraid I don't think the same. It's troublesome - I can feel it - and I don't much care for how it looks, personally.] She shook her head, feeling how it moved against her, and frowned. [I wish we had some sort of scissors or even shears. Unless you do?]
On the topic of hair, Vela inspected Dritz's for a moment before actually smiling again. [Yours is longer too. We've been gone quite a while.] Gently she reached out to pick up some of his hair where it rested against his neck, letting it slip through her fingers. That wasn't something he could do with her own hair. [It looks fine too, but I think even longer... it might be nice.] She indicated a length just barely past his shoulders, tilting her head as she imagined it.
"Oh yeah?" Dritz asked with a wide grin. He'd always kind of fancied growing his hair long, but for one reason or another he had always ended up trimming it again. He relaxed against the feeling of her fingers in his hair, smiling.
"It's a shame you don't like how this looks though," he said, playing with her thicker hair with a slight pout, "Buuut, I think I can help. If I find something to trim your hair with, do you want me to neaten it up for you? I'm pretty sure we could find something nice and sharp to make sure it's neat and cropped again."
Much as he enjoyed playing with the additional length of her hair, he understood the need to trim it. Expertly rolling Vela onto her back with a kiss, he tugged the blanket up to her chin, "Now, you wait here, and I'll see what we have that will take your fluffiness."
Vela had expected Dritz would take her along to find something to cut her hair, but was willing enough to wait. She nodded, feeling a little silly to be covered by the blanket, yet amused at the same time. There was no end to the amusing things he seemed to do, however, which was another reason why she enjoyed his company so much.
She awaited his return patiently, wiggling her toes against the blanket in an absentminded manner. Dritz would probably be able to cut her hair in a way that was satisfactory, or she could show him how if he wasn't sure; she wasn't worried about how it would turn out. She found her thoughts drifting to other things in the meantime, specifically what else she might like to do once they had finished with her hair.
Soon after he left, Dritz returned with his tools, seemingly trying to decide between them with a comically thoughtful expression. He had a heavy pair of bladed pliers in one hand, and in the other hand were a slightly less frightening-looking set of shears. He plopped down next to her, holding them up for her to look at.
"I think one of these will work, if not both. Like, the heavy clippers for getting rid of some of the length, then the little ones to neaten it up?" he asked, holding them up. "You're gunna have to trust me, though, I've never cut anyone's hair before. We'll make this work between us, yeah?" He beamed, gesturing for her to move and sit on the floor by the bed before grabbing a spare blanket from the locker at the other end of the room. "I'll sit on the bed, and you should be at the right height for me to snip."
Vela sat up, the blanket slipping away from her as she studied the tools Dritz had brought. She nodded seriously, thinking that plan should work. [I trust you,] she signed simply, standing up from the bed. [It won't matter so much what it looks like, as long as it's shorter.]
He had spread the spare blanket out on the floor for her to sit on in order to catch the hair clippings as they fell. Vela thought this was a good idea, and also removed the long tunic she had been wearing to sleep in and tossed it onto the bed before sitting down and leaning back against the edge. After all, wearing clothes would mean they might pick up little bits of hair, which would be an annoyance.
[Here. And here especially,] she signed, showing him where to cut most of the hair. [If possible, as close as you first saw it, if you can remember.]
Settling himself down on the bed, Dritz nodded as he was instructed, examining where she was gesturing. Before starting, he leant down and kissed her neck, wanting to relish in the soft fluff for a moment before they parted ways.
He slowly and carefully snipped in what was a seemingly meticulous order, regularly running his fingers through her hair to check the length (as well as to enjoy how soft it always was). The process took far longer than he intended it to, but when he leaned back and stood, coming to crouch in front of her and inspect his work, he beamed. It was closely cropped and, aside from the ends of her hair being fairly blunted from the incorrect tools (the sort of thing that would grow out fine in a week or so), it looked okay.
"Perfect," he said softly, reaching up and brushing some loose strands from her face and neck, his hands lingering on her shoulders.
Dritz was moving slowly as he cut her hair, which meant he was taking the time to be thorough and careful. Yet Vela also got the feeling he was simply enjoying it, with the way he would stop and frequently caress it, though it was possible he was just removing loose pieces that had fallen against her head. Either way it was a relaxing experience, and when he was done and had moved in front of her to inspect it, she smiled at him.
[Thank you. I can tell it will be fine already, I'm never worried about my hair except when it's too long.] His hands brushing across her shoulders felt intimate all of a sudden, and Vela leaned up quickly to kiss him. After a long moment of gazing into his eyes, she glanced away a bit shyly and gestured to the hair surrounding her on the blanket.
[Do you want to keep some?] she signed in amusement, thinking he might if he really did like it so much.
Despite how warm he had found himself feeling. Dritz chuckled at the suggestion of keeping her hair. He stroked against her temple in a way that would have tucked her hair behind her ears were it long enough, and shook his head with a little smile, "I think I prefer it on your head. But... if we were ever apart for a long amount of time, then maybe..." He felt somewhat odd admitting that he'd find the softness a comfort if they were apart for a long time.
He carefully brushed the last few hairs off her as best he could, helping her tidy up. As they were finishing up, he slipped behind her, wrapping his arms around her and kissing softly at her neck. "I know it wasn't very, very long, but I still like how much more neck there seems to be," he murmured, nuzzling her pale skin.
[Would you miss me that much already, if we were apart?] Vela signed with a smile, thinking the admission was sweet. She knew she would miss him if such a situation arose, having been around him so much of the time now that it was difficult to imagine being without him. [I would give you a bit of hair then. Maybe a piece of my clothing...] Likely she would feel the same, wanting something belonging to Dritz with her, but she didn't want to contemplate a distance between them for now.
They had cleaned up as much of the hair as possible, discarding the clippings and returning the blanket (still mostly clean) to the locker. Dritz enveloped her in an embrace suddenly and Vela felt herself relaxing back against him, enjoying the feel of his lips against her neck. [I'm glad you like it,] she finally signed, turning to face him. For a moment it seemed like she would say more, but she simply felt a longing she hadn't experienced at all in the past week, the need to be even closer to him. She moved to embrace him again, sliding her hands up his back and tilting her head enough to kiss his lips, first softly, then more insistent as her need grew.
There was no hint of embarrassment as Dritz nodded. They had grown close in what, really, was quite a short time, but their close proximity for the extended travel time had facilitated that, and he was nothing but thankful. "Of course I'd miss you that much. I'd be too used to having you about here for me to cuddle," he said, gesturing to a space under his arm, close to his left side and over his chest.
Once met with her kiss, Dritz returned it with perhaps more enthusiasm than he meant to begin with, but with her hands on his back after little contact throughout their time on the ship, he soon lifted her into his arms, supporting her legs around his waist, deepening the kiss.
Dritz's response to her touch and kiss made Vela exhale softly. It startled her a little when he lifted her up, but her legs almost naturally went around his waist while he supported her comfortably. They continued kissing but at last broke away from each other, near breathless, and Vela nodded to show she wanted to continue.
With the utmost care and gentleness, Dritz set her down on the edge of the bed and leaned over her, his arms resting on either side as they resumed sharing a passionate kiss.
The months passed quickly. Vela had many conversations with Dritz as they attempted to sort out their future plans for trying to unite the peoples of Trelos and Aurctas, but they also had many times where they simply lay together talking of nothing in particular, or shared a quiet enjoyment in each other's bodies.
When the day finally came when they would arrive at Hesperus Alpha, they both had a sense of excitement to return. There was something familiar and lovely about the station now, and Vela had a great fondness for it as the place where she had first met Dritz.
They were getting dressed together as Vela found herself smiling wider than she normally might. [I can't wait to get there,] she signed to him, watching as he selected one of the brighter shirts he had brought. [I've had a wonderful time with you, and we did good work on Trelos. But I think of the station as home, for now. I'll be glad to see it again.]
Despite how he enjoyed travel and despite how much he was comfortable in his own company, Dritz had always thought he would grow bored with long stretches in space, but with Vela, it was almost like he couldn't remember having so much fun. They were comfortable together, they talked all the time, even with the very minor language barrier, they taught each other things, and cooperated on the running of the ship. It was, as with takeoff and landing, like they were a well-maintained machine.
Dritz, dropping the bright orange shirt he had been about to put on, scooped Vela into a big hug, lifting her off the ground, happy to see such a radiant smile on her. "I'm looking forward to being back too. It is our home, really! You know the first thing we should do? Get some real food!"
If Vela had the capability of laughing aloud, it was likely she would have just then. But she had to agree with Dritz's assessment of getting "real" food; their short stay on Trelos between two long stretches of space travel had not been nearly enough time to feel they had gotten enough decent food to eat.
After Dritz had managed to get dressed at last, they spent the remaining few hours of their time on the ship making certain everything was ready for a smooth landing, and talking with excitement (and greater detail) about the things they would like to do after arriving. The landing itself was, naturally, just as smooth as always, and they exited the hangar hand in hand with genuinely happy smiles on their faces.
Of course, they had to be practical and return to their room to be sure everything was still there, and drop off the few things they needed to return to it. Nothing was out of order, and they made their way into the bustling streets of the food district with a sense of familiarity that was comforting. Vela let Dritz choose where he would like to eat, as he was the most eager to find something that was, as he put it, "cheap but amazing and, best of all, real."
It turned out that Dritz was incredibly discerning when it came to the first meal after a long time in space, and he led Vela by the hand through lots of streets at a casual pace, perusing the restaurants and freestanding market food stalls they came across until he found a Karpathan place that specialised in lots of small dishes to sample.
Dritz pulled Vela's chair our for her and encouraged her to sit. "Have you had Karpathan food before? It's really nice, but some dishes are quite rich, so you combine them with the softer dishes. I'll show you!"
The dishes were laid out on the table in a pleasing pattern, each plate seeming to be a different colour of a rainbow. One contained what looked like a pale yellow-green grass spiralling into a crispy nest, with shreds of a fine red spice picked out in it, another seemed to be a dark red meat in a heavy, sweet sauce, there was another bowl of thin broth with cubes of white and green vegetables in the centre. All of them were accompanied by a variety of sauces, chopped vegetables and soft, fluffy breads.
"Yes. Now this what I was talking about," Dritz said excitedly, rubbing his hands together. "I hope you enjoy!"
Vela shook her head; obviously she had never had Karpathan food, but she likely would never have thought to try it on her own, either. Everything was so colorful and visually interesting that she spent a little time staring at it before she was finally able to begin to eat. When she did, the combination of flavors and textures was enough to keep her fascinated in a way she had never been with food before.
[It's very interesting,] she commented to Dritz before dipping a piece of bread in yet another sauce to try together. [And it's made me wonder what traditional Aurian food would have really been like. There are a few records but... I think that was largely considered information that was too unimportant to preserve.] The thought was sad, but there was nothing to be done about it, so she didn't focus on it long.
[This was a good idea, though. What is Chrysalan food like?] She may have remembered some of this information from her studies, but she liked to hear Dritz talk about his home in his own words.
Despite how eager he was to dig in to the array of different foods in front of them, Dritz held back so that he could watch Vela enjoy it all first, wanting to make sure she had gotten to try it all. There was such an indescribable beauty to experiencing her expression as she tried new things.
"You seem to be enjoying it a lot, I'm really glad we came to this one in particular," he said, before his expression turned sad. "Maybe the ancient Aurian diet was similar to the Trelosians?" he suggested.
He beamed at Vela when she asked about his own home world, and its food. "Wow, well... It tends to be light and vegetable-based, with... I guess it's a floral taste? It's hard to describe. The Chrysalan tea we make is a good example; the blossoms can be dried and baked with some oil to make savoury snacks, but I don't really like them much, cuz the blossom is too bitter. I'll have to cook you something traditionally Chrysalan sometime, won't I?"
[It must have been similar,] Vela replied thoughtfully before prodding at some of the white vegetables. She wasn't sure how much meat was consumed, but had determined there was at least some, based on what little information she had been able to find.
[I would like that. Your food sounds very interesting, and I do like flowers. But you should eat, you've just been watching me.] She gave him a smile and gestured around at all the plates, wanting him to begin and share the meal with her.
A handful of tables away, Orion was enjoying a similar meal. He'd been looking for something new and interesting to try, and Karpathan food was definitely new and interesting. His companion had refused to accompany him, but that wasn't unexpected, and Orion was determined to keep working on him.
The last few months could also be defined as "new and interesting." Never in his wildest dreams would he have expected his life to take this sort of turn, but he was willing to embrace it for exactly what it was.
Finishing up the last of his food, he began glancing idly around the room when he spotted two familiar faces: Dritz and Vela were also enjoying a Karpathan meal, and a slow grin took over his expression as he realized how lucky he was. He had been searching for them for a while now, but the only information available seemed to be that they had left the station for an undetermined amount of time.
The sight of them together was also comforting. Orion had seen many mixed-species couples fail because they simply couldn't reconcile their differences. But he could see these two were devoted to each other from their expressions and the way they interacted, and there was a little something extra in their manner which suggested to him they had grown even closer. He was genuinely glad for them and would likely tell them so shortly.
He did decide to wait until they seemed nearly finished eating before cleaning up his own table and strolling over in what he hoped was a casual enough manner. "Hi there," he offered with a grin, sticking his hands in the pockets of his jumpsuit. "Good food, huh? And it helped me find you at last, which is pretty helpful."
Of course Vela had noticed. Not much went by her, and Dritz couldn't help the grin that took over his face as he started gathering small amounts of each dish to his plate, tasting some together and either scrunching his face up, proclaiming the combination a mistake, or flapping a hand excitedly to encourage Vela to try the same combination of flavours.
They were just discussing their next plan, to perhaps return to the hologarden and see what new planet's season it had taken on, knowing it wouldn't be the same as the fresh and very real plants on Trelos, but making the best of it nonetheless, when Orion of all people approached them. Dritz had stared in delighted awe for a second before leaping to his feet and throwing his arms around the scruffy man, slapping him on the back.
"Ori! What kind of luck is this, huh?" he said brightly, grabbing a free chair from an empty table and pulling it up to their own, "Sit down, sit down! How are you? It's so nice to see you again!"
Dritz's greeting was genuine and enthusiastic, and Orion found himself with a wide grin as he returned the quick embrace and sat down as he was invited to do so. Vela was her usual more reserved self, though she did give the human a warm smile and signed 'hello' along with something else which Dritz translated as her being glad to see him too.
"And it's great to see you both," he said, settling into the chair. He had a feeling a lot of explanations might be on the way. "It really is luck, since I had been looking for you ever since I came back to the station, and it's only when I was minding my own business that I found you. I've been well. I mean, I've had my ups and downs, but... things are going pretty well at the moment." His own explanation seemed complicated to him, so he thought hearing theirs would be best first.
"So what have you been up to the past... well, it's been almost a year, hasn't it? I came back to Hesperus around a month ago, pretty intent to find you and repay you somehow now that I've found my feet again, for the most part. The only information I could get was that you'd left but were holding your room open for when you returned. So I thought I'd wait and see if you might turn up."
Vela seemed to want to respond, facing Orion but signing toward Dritz in order to allow him to translate. Orion watched both her hands and her expression, able to tell the topic was serious, but not much else until the Chrysalan spoke.
Something about Orion's equally warm and bright response made Dritz incredibly happy. While he did have companions on Chrysala, none were ever so... Boisterous as he was, he supposed. It was nice to have a similar response, especially since he had taken to the man so quickly.
He watched Vela's signs with a smile that was unabashedly adoring, almost like he forgot Orion was there for a moment. Gosh, she was the most beautiful in the galaxy, though. Turning back to arguably the most beautiful human in the galaxy, Dritz explained, "We've been looking into helping the Aurians find a new home, and Trelos was the nearest suitable planet. There's some other options, but hopefully we'll be able to work with Trelos. It was sort of spur of the moment, really. We just... Up and left! It was an adventure." He smiled more softly then, looking over at Vela.
"But what about you, my friend? I can't believe you came here just to wait and see us! That's... Wow. I'm really touched."
"Ah, that sounds incredible. What a great thing to do for your people. I hope it works out the way you'd like." There wasn't a lot Orion could say on the subject, but from what little he had managed to discover about the Aurians, he knew they needed a change to their lifestyle. "You're both really admirable for taking on such an enormous task. And I'm a bit familiar with Trelos... Nice place, not too populated. I could see that working."
He leaned back, running a hand through his hair in a way that only made it more unkempt, before giving his usual lopsided smile. The look on Dritz's face as he watched Vela was unmistakable. "And it's good to see you two still together. It can be difficult for two different species trying to make their way together as a couple. And I guess you never know where life's going to take you. You probably didn't think you'd be off on a journey like that, just the same as I didn't think I'd end up romantically involved with royalty from Coronus."
He began chuckling to himself over the very thought, but stopped when he noticed the reaction to his words. Vela was staring at him in concern, her one normal eye wide, before turning a disbelieving look toward Dritz. Orion would have explained further, but their reactions were so strange that it gave him pause.
"Er... what? Did I say something wrong?"
"Yeah, I always figured I'd just end up with someone fr-," Dritz stopped, comically frozen as something occurred to him. He looked at Vela intensely. Somehow they seemed to have a conversation in an instant. Did he just...? Yes. He did? Yeah, I know. Are you gunna...? No. Should I...? One of us has to.
Dritz seemed to lose any semblance of his usual bright, polite and diplomatic self as he began to giggle uncontrollably before spotting Orion's confusion. He turned to the scruffy man, tittering nervously, "Sorry, friend, I thought you..." The expression on Orion's face told him all he needed before he even finished the question. "Oh. Oh... Oh wow. Okay. You're really serious."
They remained quiet for a long moment before Dritz cocked his head. Fera, because it had to be, was not particularly receptive to them, but... he might be different with someone he deemed pretty enough. The Chrysalan smiled more genuinely this time, "That's wonderful. I... really hope he makes you happy. He's... never seemed like the romantic sort to me, but then, I've never been involved with a royal." He gave Orion a wink.
Obviously still baffled by their responses, Orion stared between the two of them. "Of course I'm serious, I... Wait a minute... you know him?"
Vela took over, even though she knew Dritz would have to translate first. Her expression was grim now, as she thought Orion must be very confused to make what she felt was probably a big mistake. [We've made his acquaintance in the past. He is a horrible person.]
"Uh... Dritz, I appreciate that, but... I think Vela isn't too happy about it, from what I can gather. And let me tell you, if we're really talking about the same prince of Coronus here, I completely understand if you're not on the best of terms with him." Orion did look pained then, so Vela thought he must know what he was doing... but why?
Dritz laughed sheepishly again, wincing at Vela's signing. As if he worried that Orion might understand, he reached over and stroked her hands gently. He sort of agreed, in a way, but he wouldn't want anyone to say anything against his own lover, so he wouldn't want to say anything against Orion's. Even if it was, apparently, Fera.
"I think there's only one prince of Coronus," he joked. "See... We blew a resonance tube, and Prince Fera picked up our distress beacon. He..." Dritz gestured vaguely, glancing at Vela, "Wasn't the nicest to us. He was very rude to Vela in particular... but he did help. In the end. But no, you and him don't really see eye to eye, huh?" He offered Vela a slightly apologetic smile.
"Yeah... there is only one," Orion agreed heavily, too distressed to think about how Dritz's statement had been intended to sound. If they already knew Fera, already knew how difficult he could be... In a way, that made things both easier and harder.
"That sounds like Fera," he continued, looking closely at Vela. "From my experience so far, a bit less than a year, he can be rude and abrasive, but like Dritz said, he did end up helping you. Fera has... a lot of issues. That doesn't excuse his behavior, so for now I'll apologize to you, seeing as how I'm sure he never did."
Vela didn't look convinced at all, just nodded stiffly and continued to watch Orion with some mixture of suspicion. He sighed, realizing the difficult path which lay ahead. "Long story short, my ship was destroyed and it was in large part due to our troublesome Prince Fera. Before you get too alarmed..." -because they already looked alarmed- "...I'm fine with it now. Mostly. But of course I wasn't at first, and only hung around him in an effort to get him to pay for it in some way. As more time went by, I got to know him better. And, well... he's not so bad. Needs work though. A lot of work. Underneath that cold exterior, there really is someone vulnerable and... well, pretty wonderful."
With the weakest of smiles, he shrugged. "I'd understand if you no longer want anything to do with me because of my association with him. In fact I'd not hold it against you in the slightest." It was all he could do to explain, but Orion liked Dritz and Vela, and hoped they were willing to give Fera a chance.
While Dritz had been listening intently, his expression had been growing softer and softer, and when Orion even suggested that they might no longer want to associate with him, he looked almost physically pained. He threw himself forward and bundled the human into a huge hug, shaking his head.
"Absolutely not," he said firmly when he finally let the poor man go. "Okay, so... Fera iiis not the easiest guy to be around. He was rude to my flower, and that is not cool, but you're with him. And I think that's more than enough to tell me there's something more to him!" He shrugged, "Plus, I like you too much to not be friends. Right?" He looked over at Vela for her input, smiling hopefully.
Vela watched in some concern, thinking Dritz was being perhaps a little overly emotional about the situation. It was true she liked Orion as well, but her caution meant she simply couldn't accept all of this too easily.
She beckoned at the Chrysalan after apologizing to Orion for the moment and asking him to wait, walking away through the streets a good enough distance so they wouldn't be overheard. Facing Dritz with a little frown, she signed, [I'm not sure. Orion seems to be a good man. But Fera... what if this is some kind of elaborate plan? Even if I'm not sure he has the patience to draw out a plan for almost a year.] That was certainly true. The prince of Coronus seemed the type to lose interest quickly, so remaining with Orion that long might mean he was being genuine in this case.
[I just want to be safe,] she continued, hoping he would understand. [You heard what happened to Orion's ship. What if the Nova...] It was too difficult to complete that statement. It would be an enormous loss not just to herself and Dritz, but to the cause of the Aurians.
As soon as they were alone, Dritz drew Vela close, looking at her with concern. He watched her signing and her expression closely. He nodded, considering her concerns, before cupping her face and kissing her, soothingly stroking his thumbs over her cheekbones.
"I get it," he said softly, "But I don't think Fera would have done such a thing on purpose. He may be a stupid jerk, but I don't think he'd take any pleasure from physically harming someone. Heh, I know that's not especially comforting. What I'm saying is that I don't think you need to be concerned. Orion is a great guy, I think some of his goodness will rub off on our friend, the prince. You like Ori, right? I trust his opinions, and I really think he wouldn't have anything to do with him if he didn't see something good there. I mean, he's friends with us, and we're amazing!" He pulled her into his arms, ducking his head and looking at her seriously, "And if he tries anything, or says anything to you, I'll have words. I won't let anything happen to you, flower. And I won't let anything happen to the Nova. Okay?" He smiled softly, adding, "Cap'n."
As usual, Dritz's tender actions and words broke through some of Vela's skepticism. Her own expression softened as she watched him carefully, listening to what he said and debating the matter in her mind. When he pulled away to let her speak, she nodded first.
[Orion is nice. I think I can trust him. But I won't trust Fera. You can't ask me to, but I will tolerate him... or try.] It was going to be quite a task, but if the prince was going to be rude to her then she thought she was within her rights to act the same toward him. Within reason.
Most of all, however, the reappearance of Orion seemed to make Dritz so happy. Vela didn't want to take that away from him, or the fact she was certain the two could be good friends. That made her happy, in turn. She still felt she owed him so much, even if she wouldn't bring that up. [Thank you. I feel a little better about it now.] One more time she moved to embrace him and they shared a gentle kiss, before returning to where Orion was waiting.
"Hey. Uh... I hope it's all okay. Like I said, I'll understand no matter what." Orion seemed nervous and worried as well, and Vela began to understand that he truly did want their companionship. Maybe he was lonely if Fera wasn't around.
[We'll remain friends,] she signed to Orion, though she had turned toward Dritz so he could see. [I don't know that Fera likes us at all, but I guess we'll have to see if that's changed.]
Dritz chuckled affectionately, shaking his head. "I would never ask you to trust Fera. I think he should appreciate the fact that you're trying at all, after how he's treated you." After a moment's embrace, he added in a softer tone, "I think you're amazing, you know?"
Poor Orion seemed more than a little concerned when they returned to their table, but Dritz smiled at him in a way he hoped was reassuring. He'd taken to Orion's messy, relaxed appearance and kind eyes almost instantly, and he truly wanted to keep their blossoming friendship healthy. However, he did think he would have sided with Vela were she unhappy. Of course he would have. He cared too deeply not to.
"We're a bit worried that Fera doesn't like us much. It just might be a bit of a struggle, yeah?" he said with a shrug. "But we want to stay friends. Maybe we could all... Spend some time together? Could be fun?"
When they finally returned to the table, Orion was able to relax somewhat. He had hoped they would actually come back, though he worried they wouldn't. But Dritz and Vela didn't seem the type to abandon him without so much as a farewell.
"Ah, great. Thank you both. I understand this might be difficult at times, but believe me when I say it's something we can handle and will be worthwhile in the end." At least, he hoped so. "As for whether Fera likes you... well. I can't speak for him. But I honestly think there's no reason he shouldn't. We'll work that out if needed."
He leaned back and blew out a long breath, thinking. "Yeah, actually meeting up is the first step. What about the hologardens? You've been there before, I'm sure? I can't decide if I should tell him about you beforehand. He might not come if he knows. But it would be just plain easier if he doesn't know, anyway. If that's alright... maybe tomorrow evening? I want to give you guys a chance to rest, too."
Pausing, he looked them over with a sheepish smile. "Stop me if I'm trying to plan this all out myself. I guess I'm a little stressed out by wanting this to go well."
Dritz pulled a face, not because of Orion, but because of the unexpected offense he felt at the idea that Fera hadn't even mentioned them, let alone given any indication of whether he liked them or not. Of course the prince would not be the type to do something like that, but Dritz still could not help feeling disappointed.
Nevertheless, Orion seemed to want them all to spend time together, which was nice to know. He knew they would be able to make the effort for him, even if doing so for Fera might be... difficult.
He glanced at Vela, his smile both soft and amused at the same time, "Ah, yes. We know the gardens well. I think that's a great idea, but do you have any objections, flower? And don't you worry, Ori, we will do our best to make this work."
The mention of the hologardens made Vela want to smile but frown at the same time. Of course she wanted to go there, but not with Fera around. Her fond memories of being there with Dritz didn't need to be tainted in the future. Still, it might be their best chance at some sort of reconciliation which, despite everything else, she did want. If they could get along with the prince then it would be for the best... but she couldn't imagine it happening.
[That's fine. We'll meet there tomorrow night.] After deciding on a time, and offering more reassurances that everything would be alright, they finally parted ways, with Dritz and Vela walking together slowly back to their rooms.
Vela didn't say anything for some time, keeping her hand in Dritz's and intertwining their fingers softly. She listened to him ramble a little about the meeting, and how things could have changed in the meantime, but after a while she decided it was better to focus on something else.
[Let's relax for a while,] she suggested to him once they were safely in their rooms. [I'm looking forward to resting while not traveling. Maybe... a bath before we go to bed?] With their new intimacy since their departure, there was an extra delight to the idea now which took her mind off annoying princes entirely.
As they retreated to their room, Dritz happily chatted away to Vela, who remained as quiet as usual, her hand tucked sweetly in his. He wondered idly if, could she speak aloud, she would remain so silent while they were together. It was strange but pleasant to never feel like she wasn't listening, even when she didn't respond. He was learning to take other cues from her body, guiding their conversation even while one wasn't speaking.
Their room was a welcome sight after so long. Of course, they had already dropped their things off, but they hadn't stuck around too long, so finally getting in and knowing they would be staying for the next night, without leaving, was bliss.
Vela's suggestion sounded anything but relaxing, however. Dritz's antennae rose in a low arc as he looked her over with a slight smirk. "Well, what a suggestion! One that I would be a damn fool to pass up," he said silkily, kissing her gently.
From Dritz's reaction, Vela knew her suggestion was very well received. She kissed him back, but wasted no time in leading him into the bathroom, where the clean bathtub awaited them. The staff at Hesperus was dutiful, she noted offhandedly, having already been in to remove the dust that would have accumulated since they left.
Leaning over the edge of the tub, she used the handles to adjust the temperature the way Dritz had taught her, making it hot but not too hot, and adding the mixture for the bubbling soap which she found so enjoyable. She was aware of the Chrysalan's eyes on her, followed closely by his hands, making her turn back to him with a fond but slightly teasing smile.
Slowly she began to remove her tunic, finding he was eager to assist her in the matter. Once her leggings also lay on the floor, she began tugging at his clothes to help him, her hands sliding across his skin in a way that betrayed her own eagerness.
However, at that point she stopped and eyed the tub critically. [How do we get in together?] she signed, not having considered that part yet.
Soon the bathroom was filled with the soft, sweet smell of the soap, and a warm haze of steam. Vela's pale skin shimmered in the light, and Dritz couldn't keep from laying his hands on her shoulders, brushing his fingers around to the small of her back before glancing at the bath as though he was only just noticing the tub.
"Hm. Well..." He hopped in, slipping into the water and taking her hand, pulling her in after him. He arranged her so she was kneeling between his legs, facing him, and brought her to rest against his chest. "How is this, flower? I'm thoroughly prepared to play around until we get it right," he said slyly.
Vela quickly decided there was not much nicer than her current situation. There simply couldn't be. The water was warm, the air itself was warm, and she was resting against Dritz, the softest and warmest individual she could imagine; she wouldn't want to imagine anyone else.
Unable to sign properly, she simply nodded, raising herself up a little in order to put her arms around his shoulders and kiss him softly, bringing a new and even more satisfying feeling of warmth to her body. His hands were brushing down her back again, and the added sensation of the water on them was somehow more pleasurable than she might have imagined. They continued to kiss as she moved again, feeling almost unable to stop herself.
The water had cooled off a bit, most of the soap having disappeared, by the time they left the tub. Vela took one of the towels and gently began to work at drying Dritz's body, even though she was currently dripping on the floor, which seemed to amuse him at the same time as he enjoyed it. They were both still a little flushed, she noticed, which was perhaps not surprising at all.
Dritz was chewing on his lower lip as Vela gently swept the towel over him. She seemed to be paying special attention to his stomach, which only served to amuse him. He grabbed another towel from the rail and opened it with a flourish, wrapping it around her shoulders as he kissed her forehead. "You're dripping everywhere," he sighed exaggeratedly, "Whatever will we do with you?"
He scooped her up in the towel, gently starting to dry her off and whispering, "I don't want you to get cold."
With a flirtatious smile, he carried her through to the bedroom, laying her on the bed and carefully drying her hair, following each brush of the towel with a gentle kiss to where it had been.
Vela shivered a little as Dritz spoke to her, though she was not actually cold. It was more of a pleasant feeling, having enjoyed a wonderful time and being sure there was more to come.
He carried her to the bed and set her down with the utmost care, beginning to dry the parts of her hair that had gotten wet, and she smiled as he kissed her at the same time. She would have never suspected this before, but it seemed she enjoyed being taken care of to a certain extent. Once they were both dry and the towels discarded on the floor to be picked up later, Vela lay facing Dritz on her side, though turned just enough so both arms were free to sign.
[We'll take another bath tomorrow night?] Her motions were lazy, as she still felt incredibly warm and relaxed. [I'm sure we'll need one, after dealing with Fera. Is it possible to take too many baths?] She hoped not. Taking her right hand, she traced her fingers along Dritz's collarbone and trailed them lower down his chest, enjoying how vibrant his skin appeared next to hers, as she usually did.
To his own surprise, Dritz let out an involuntary string of happy chirps as he relaxed under Vela's gentle touch. He laced his fingers with hers, smiling lazily.
"There is no such thing as too many baths, flower," he beamed, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her fingertips. He groaned, which crumpled into a slight giggle, "We're definitely gunna need some serious relaxation after time with our very, very favourite royalty."
He leaned up, propping himself on one elbow and stroked her jawline gently, his gaze trailing over her before he shifted closer and kissed her.
"For now, though, we won't think about that, hm?"
[Good.] Vela returned the kiss before resting on her back, smiling up at him as he leaned slightly over her. [The sounds you make are very... cute,] she signed, changing the subject immediately and trying out a word which was still new for her. [I wish I could say more, make more sounds. I'll practice soon.]
"Driss," she tried softly, thinking the 't' and 'z' were almost there now. [What should we think about instead?] Reaching up, she traced a finger over his lips and then placed it on her own, a form of indirect kiss which could be used when it was too cold to have skin exposed on Aurctas, though she hadn't thought of the motion in a long time. And it was difficult to think of not being able to be unclothed, at the moment.
Dritz shook his head, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but it was flattering to him that she found the noises he made to be cute. He smiled, further colour coming to his cheeks when she traced his lips.
"I... really like how you pronounce my name," he mumbled, clearly amused by it, but in such a way that it was clear he found it incredibly endearing. Her voice was soft and hesitant, and so pleasant the rare times he got to hear it. With a quick kiss to her forehead, his smile turned more playful, "Maybe we could think about our lovely bath instead."
He leaned down again and kissed her neck where it joined her shoulder, and down to her collarbone.
