Futuristic Transsolar

[Dragongal]

Adira wasn't sure how to respond to that. She thought for a silent moment, then reached out with her free hand, gently taking his chin and pulling his gaze back to hers. No more staring off into the distance, that wouldn't help anything. She took his hand in both of hers as she said, "Does it bother you that I have innumerable scars? And not all of them are visible either. Do the silver and gold flecks in my eyes bother you? Those aren't part of my natural eye color, they're from enhancements." She tilted her head to the side and brought his hand up, pressing his fingers along a slight bump. "Universal translator implant. Does it bother you?" After a few moments she took his hand away from her neck and just held it between them. "I'm not writing your unease off, Vince. I'm just saying... I don't mind. So I wish you wouldn't either. Because... I don't like seeing you bothered." She hadn't known how to phrase her last words, so she just said them honestly. There wasn't much he could do about his arm being synthetic; he'd lost his real arm. While she could definitely understand where he was coming from, she wanted him to be happy. She didn't know why the thought of his being upset or embarrassed about his arm bothered her so much, she just got an impulse to make it okay for him.

 

[Marianne]

Saundary hadn't expected a hug, and she hugged him anyways. Her hand frozen on the carpet as the other wrapped around his shoulders and held him firmly. "It's quite alright," she laughed softly. Unsure of saying anything else, or if the next words that would come out of her even makes sense. There are dangerous things about Saami that Sandy was not aware of, of all things she's heard - they were just things she heard and nothing more. Closing her eyes, she rested her chin on his shoulder, nodding her head gently. "I promised, right?" Sandy's mere intentions with these three words were to remind Saami of their friendship, she promised him that one amazing thing - to never leave him alone, and for her it was to be his friend, a personal promise. A promise that she was going to keep, for he turned out to be her first friend; it not being like she was unequipped for friendship, for she was always capable of it. People just never dared to, but this time Sandy was changing. If only just a little bit, she was and she wasn't sure whether or not it was a good thing, but she was going to embrace, and enjoy it, for as long as she can.

​

 

[BookWyrm]

The reminder of Adira's scars instantly made Vince feel foolish for having been bothered by something as trivial as having a synthetic arm. But the feeling vanished after a moment when he realized what she was doing for him. Vince held her gaze until she finished talking, and then he walked forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug. "Its not that the...my arm bothers me. It's the memory attached to it." Vince pulled away after a moment, his right hand cupping Adira's cheek as he looked into her beautiful eyes. He didn't care about the flecks, or the scars, or the translator. "I'd never been afraid for my life before. When I fought that Xyvir by myself....when I realized that my arm was gone, and that I couldn't staunch the blood flow, I was terrified. If it hadn't been for the symbiote they put inside me I wouldn't be here."

 

[Dragongal]

Adira leaned her head into his hand, showing just how little she minded that the hand was synthetic. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close. "It clearly has its advantages, then...." Why did he hate it so much if it had saved his life? He had clearly shown that he despised it. Where was the drawback that was bugging him so much? What could she do to make it better for him?

 

[InsanEleven]

Saami simply held Saundary, knowing there was little he could say to improve things. He had seen enough promises broken in the chaos that followed death, had been part of enough well executed lies, to know that words meant little. But what would he tell her? That he was so broken he couldn't even find the trust to believe someone as kind as her? That he didn't trust her not leaving him?


What good would that do, earn him a badge for honesty? In the end the only thing he hoped was that maybe she was different, that maybe she could fix some of his faults. But then again wasn't it quite lazy to expect her to do that for him? If he didn't want to burden her, to hurt her, then maybe he just had to be her friend. Unconditionally and forever. Even if she wasn't his anymore, even if she would break that promise. So instead of complaining, of being paranoid, of being broken, he just quietly held her until time would become their enemy.

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince sighed as he leaned against Adira. She was right. The symbiote had saved his life, and there were other advantages to it as well. He could feel it moving now. Somewhere under his skin and above his muscle, he could feel it there. It used to be just along his spine, but now as it moved around he could feel it along the back of his ribs, along his shoulders, and even down the back of his legs. It was spreading over his body now that it was awake. He could even feel the faintest sensation of it reaching out to the synthetic arm. But what bothered him the most was the fact that it had been moving around his body and he hadn't known about it until he actually thought to look for it. Was it becoming a part of him? "If you want the truth Adira," Vince started as he pulled back from their embrace, though he kept his hand against her cheek. "I don't know what I am scared of the most. I don't know if it was what they forged me into, or what I did for them before I got out?"

 

[Dragongal]

"I don't think what you did for them matters any more. You're not part of SIAD, you were relieved because you refused to keep killing for them. I'm not going to hold your past against you. As for what you were forged into," Adira took his free hand in hers, slowly running her thumb over his palms. "Well, I think you're just fine." That wasn't too much to say, was it? Nothing too... clingy? She didn't want to scare him off, but that was her honest opinion. He seemed like a fine guy to her. Maybe that was just because she was broken too.

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince smiled at the warmth and sentiment behind Adira's comment. It felt good to have at least one person who admired you, but how could he reply to her? Did he say thank you and come off as far too by the book, or did he try and put some effort into a poetic flourish to sweep her off her feet and make her heart patter? Make her heart patter? Vince, Adira is not some farm girl fantasizing about knight's in shining armor. His hand was still cupping her face, his thumb still rubbing her cheek. Well, that's an idea. Vince decided against putting too much thought into the moment, went on impulse, and pulled Adira into a kiss.

 

[Dragongal]

That was definitely an unexpected move from Vince, but Adira didn't mind. After a second she relaxed against him. She was starting to puzzle out how this whole kissing thing worked, and each kiss she took less time to get over the surprise. Every previous time they had kissed it had seemed almost rushed, slightly nervous, but this was considerably more relaxed. Again she was completely lost in the moment, and when they finally pulled apart she was still rather frazzled, but she didn't mind. The only thing she could compare it to was intoxication, but this felt considerably better. She leaned her head against his chest, mostly to hide her blush - she was simply embarrassed by how she couldn't process anything. After a moment she managed to shakily say, "Um... well. That... was very nice."

 

[BookWyrm]

The first couple of time Vince and Adira had kissed they had been not much more than just the two of them pressing their faces together and hoping for a thrilling outcome. This kiss, though, seemed to be closer to the mark of what the gesture was meant to be. There was movement yes, which in and of the fact that they were actually performing a kiss was far more interesting than just a peck on the lips as their previous experiments had been. Yes, this was noticeably more involved on both of their parts, and as they continued to explore this new sensation they probed further than only just using their lips. When he had pulled Adira to him, and her slender frame had pressed against his own, Vince had felt the slight tension in her muscles which had now eased off, allowing him to notice the gently rising rate of her heartbeat. All of these sensations, all of them attacking his senses at once, made for an experience worthy of the intoxication he felt after their lips parted. "Very nice?", Vince asked as he slowly began to rub his hand against Adira's neck. "I'd venture to think that was our best kiss to date."

 

[Marianne]

Saundary fell into silence with Saami, not willing herself to speak as she pulled her hand in, beneath Saami's chest as his hug cloaked her in warmth. All of this before both arms were withdrawn, her head ducking, attempting to prompt itself comfortably beneath his chin as she closed her eyes. She had promised, and she intended to keep that promise, for the extra terrestrial female never trusted anyone beyond her parents - well, she has, but that story a lone is left unsaid, for it was unnecessary. It was for a later time, and as she kept her eyes closed, long dark lashes brushing her porcelain cheeks, she soon fell asleep. Nuzzled in the chamber of Saami's arms as she enjoyed his company very much, so much so that she hadn't felt it necessary to inquire any more than what she already has in her care free curiosity.

​

 

[Dragongal]

Adira shivered a bit at the sensation of his hand rubbing her neck, and nodded. "We seem to be figuring this out, slowly but surely." How much should she allow them to figure out, though? She didn't want him hurt in any way.... But she didn't want to give him up... not yet.... Stop thinking about that! Go... have fun. Like in the old books. She took his hand in both of hers and smiled up at him, feeling oddly... playful. Was that the word? Playful? It seemed so. "Why don't we go to the kitchen? I'll cook up something nice, and you can help too."

 

[InsanEleven]

Saami held Saundary ever so slightly tighter as she fell asleep, deciding to switch positions so she'd be more comfortable. Never had he thought he'd find purpose as a pillow and a blanket, but now he was he would do that task well. Even if maybe his body wasn't the best material to fall asleep on; he was fairly thin, and resting her head on his chest she'd surely lean against his ribs. Not to begin speak of his back as his vertebrae were slightly more pointy than a normal human's and he had two more to top it off.


Still he simply wanted her to be comfortable, that was the least he could do for someone who trusted him so much. He still wondered why she would do so, but knew it wasn't worth ruining the moment with unanswerable worries. So he supported her back and shoulders with his hands, holding her firmly and shifting his legs so she could lean against him. Eventually, after doubting about it for far too long, he just laid his head down on hers. Closing his eyes he took note of every other sense, scratching it deeply into his memory so he'd be able to relive it once his life had returned to a darker function of itself.


Then, after a long far too short moment, noon hit, and he knew it was time to leave. He didn't want to wake her up, and if he had been stronger and wouldn't have had to worry about people seeing him he'd carried her to her room. For now though he had to pick between abruptly ruining the moment, or letting her sleep and linger on it for a while. The latter seemed preferable, so he gently moved her, laying her down on the carpet. Though it looked odd seeing her sleeping on the middle of the floor, he couldn't help but think that it probably hadn't been the weirdest place she had fallen asleep.


Though it appeared a bit unsatisfying, cold even. Not physically cold, but more like it wouldn't suffice simply leaving her there like that. In a moment of what he could describe as blissful madness he unbuttoned his jacket.


"I do need my jacket back tomorrow before work Miss Saundary." He said softly as he leant in to carefully place it over her, knowing she probably couldn't hear him anyway. Then, without much more hesitation, he turned to the door. Before opening it he quickly fixed his shirt and tie, and tried to get some order in his hair once more. Not making the slightest of sounds he left the room, and he might as well have been a ghost by then. There wasn't much left anyway without her, but he couldn't forsake his duties much longer either.


On his way back to his room to obtain his spare jacket he got a lot of strange looks, but he was robotic again so could easily ignore them and look past it.

 

[Marianne]

Saundary slept peacefully, her breathing even, and she could feel herself move every so often due to Saami's change in position. At first, she was quite alright with it, and she had later fell into a deeper sleep, to the point even her consciousness was inactive for a short while. It wasn't until her nose had burned did Sandy actually stir in her sleep. Clinging to a fabric that was most definitely not her blanket, Sandy cracked upon one bloody eye as it immediately transitioned to the minty green it once was before she fell into a content slumber. Rubbing at one eye with the palm of her hand, Sandy sat up and looked out the window. The room was empty, she could almost hear the silence as only her breathing could be heard.

Sniffling, Sandy looked down at the jacket which fell onto her lap. Grabbing the collar as she pulled it up towards her chest before sliding it on. Once it was secured over her shoulders, she buttoned the clothing up halfway before she closed her eyes laid back down, using the sack she had grabbed earlier as a pillow. She stared out the window for a few quiet minutes, each one dragged on like a patient hour. She was thinking, thinking about whether or not she should get up and join the rest above deck before deciding against it. Saami had left, and she needn't do much, so she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep with her lips puckered into a content pout.​

 

[InsanEleven]

Saami had put on his extra jacket and combed his hair making it appear as if absolutely nothing had happened. He was fully into mechanical mode again, his thoughts back to the work he had to finish. It was quite an amount he had to catch up to too; the previous night and that morning having taken more time than he ever could've anticipated. Though he didn't regret it in the slightest, and his work wouldn't exactly suffer from it.


The bridge was empty, everyone else from the navigation department obviously making use from the day off. It wasn't like he could envy them anyway, so he decided not to put any thought in it. Instead he just continued the programming he had been working on before, making sure the ship would stay in the most favourable path. Odian was a large gas giant, which obviously attracted space debris. Though it wasn't like the ship would immediately plummet into an asteroid, it did require subtle corrections and movements so it would be flying completely safe. On top of that it would be good to map all those orbits for later use, and that was what his job consisted of right there. Calculating the orbits then mapping them, meanwhile adjusting the ship accordingly.

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince smiled as he nodded slowly. "I think I can agree to some food, especially thinking that my original plan was to take you to dinner to begin with. But, before we go." Vince laid his hand against the back of Adira's neck again before kissing her once more. They seemed to be figuring out the technique behind it all yes, and the other kiss had been great, but whose to say they could have another?

 

[Dragongal]

Adira didn't even tense up this time, but she did lightly shiver when his fingers touched two tiny pin-prick scars right on the nape of her neck. That spot would always be extremely sensitive for her, since that was where the needles from her collar had tapped into her nerves. Just the memories of that were enough to make her wince, but she did like the feeling of his hand on her neck and her lips against his, so she forced the memories away as quickly as possible. Returning her full attention to the kiss, she was soon lost in it again, all of her senses failing except for touch. When they separated she smiled again, being forcibly dragged back to reality. "We really are getting better at that." She took his hand in both of hers and lightly pulled him to the door. She almost hesitated when she remembered that it meant they couldn't hold hands where someone might see, but they'd already made up their minds as to the destination. "Now, come on."

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince complied and walked along with Adira as they left her room and headed towards the kitchen. At the current hour they shouldn't have to worry about encountering too many people, so Vince figured he could be a little more straightforward in showing his feelings. What do they call that? Something like...being romantic? It was taking him a bit to get used to the idea of being romantic with Adira, but they both seemed to be adapting to it well. At least, Vince hoped Adira was. She seemed to be enjoying herself. Of all the things that could have scared him the thought of losing her or doing something to push her away made him anxious. What would cause him to lose her though? Well, there was the fact that they were technically involved in a shady affair by being together. But if they made it public they would have to take some kind of test to make sure they weren't compromised in being able to do their jobs properly. Neither of them wanted to go through another test. Just the thought of everything made Vince sigh.

 

[Dragongal]

Adira walked into the kitchen with Vince and was glad to notice that it was empty. She gathered a few ingredients, mainly vegetables, and sat on the counter with a cutting board in front of her, chopping up the vegetables. After a few moments, she pulled out honey, butter, and some spices, mixing them into a metal pot by memory and putting the pot on a stove to simmer while she continued working on the vegetables. "I hope you like this, it's a real quick meal an old engineer gal taught me on my first ship. Quick, but really good." She got up and set some rice out to cook, then returned to her seat on the counter, putting the vegetables in a pan on the stove next to her. "Could you sautee a bit of beef or no? It's not necessary, it just adds to it."

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince watched with curiosity as Adira went to work on whatever recipe she was preparing. Vince thought back over the years that he had spent learning how to fight, survive, anything that pertained to accomplishing his mission. "I think I can." Vince found some beef and a pan, but looked around a bit as he tried to decide what to use. "Would you rather olive oil or butter for the sautee?"

 

[Marianne]

Saundary slept for what felt like forever, turning over every so often as her small pink petals parted. Every small breath she took led to a faint gasp as she snorted, like a puppy, in her sleep. Her legs were strewn across the carpet and her brows were slightly furrowed. If she were in her bed then she would've been tangled in sheets 'til she woke up due to the knotting she would inflict upon herself. "What'd I do?" she mumbled in her sleep. Another dream, a small nightmare as she voiced her confusion, her frustration, in the smallest of voices barely audible to man. Her blue hair picking up static as she turned to and fro every thirty minutes. Her small hands parted, the makeshift pillow that her sack supplied fairly comfortable as she would grip the cuffs of Saami's jacket. The jacket appearing large on her torso as it would cover part of her caudal; she mumbled as a soft groan bubbled at the base of her throat. "Noh," she would whine.

​

 

[Dragongal]

Adira smiled a bit. "Butter will do fine." Once the rice was done she split it between two plates and then poured half the cooked vegetables on top of each. Once Vince was done, she added the meat, then poured some of the honey-based sauce over it. The curry and spices in the sauce countered the sweetness wonderfully, making a zesty and sweet flavor that enhanced the food. She turned off everything and set aside the dirty dishes, taking her plate and sitting on the counter again, leaving space so he could sit next to her if he wanted. She was honestly very nervous of what he would think. She didn't cook often, but she liked it when she did, and she'd always been told it was good. She usually had cooked a lot to prove to the crews she was with that she was worth keeping as a member of the crew and not a hitchiker, and she'd gotten pretty good at it, learning some rather exotic recipes in her spare time. But since she'd become a Captain she hadn't gotten much time to cook. This was just a simple recipe, but she hoped it impressed him to some extent. There was really nothing to it but the sauce, but it was one of her favorite meals. She tried to hide how nervous she was about what he would think, but the butterflies in her stomach made it hard to focus on anything else.

 

[BookWyrm]

Vince walked over and sat on the counter next to Adira before taking a bite. The combination of sweet, spicy, and savory blended well together. It was in truth maybe a little more than he had eaten in quite a few years, but he found that he couldn't get enough of it. Completely forgetting to compliment Adira directly, Vince focused on making short work of his food, and it didn't occur to him until his plate was cleaned that he probably needed to say something to her. "Oh...uhh, well...it was delicious."

 

[Dragongal]

Adira laughed at Vince's embarrassment. She was very glad that he liked the food. By the time he had finished, she'd eaten about half of her plate. "Thanks. I guess I'll have to make that for you another time." Finally she could eat her food without glancing at him every few moments to make sure he liked it. Once she was done they cleaned up, and she leaned against the counter. "So. What would you like to do now?" Her smiled faded for half an instant. Was she being pushy or assumptive? Perhaps he didn't want to spend any more time with her.... Maybe he had decided he didn't like her as much as he had thought. Could someone change their mind so quickly? She didn't want to be left alone.... She didn't want to go back in her room or do more diagnostics.... She wanted him to stay with her, to keep her warm and protect her, keep her company. She could do all of her jobs, but she didn't want to do them alone anymore. Couldn't he accompany her if she had to work? "Or... we don't have to do anything. I mean if you want to just be alone...."

 

[Anaxial]

Marshall sat on the bed in his cell, his elbows resting on his knees with his head in his hands as his wild bloodshot eyes darted around at the ground beneath him. A cold sweat soaked his head and torso and he constantly was wiping away his forehead and smearing locks of wild hair back against his scalp. Clearly delirious as he muttered to himself and seemed incoherent with the world around him.


"Jackie... haha... no no, I'm good. I'm not done. Jackie go watch her, go watch her hehe..." his voice wasn't audible unless one was right next to him as he whispered. He had entire conversations with himself, stating something and then waiting and responding as if someone where there talking back to him. "Garrett? No, Marshall. I like Marshall, Jackie. Jackie where is..." his voice stopped and he looked up sharply and stared ahead with an uncanny possession in his eyes. With how wide his eyes were and how thick the veins bulged on his head it almost seemed as if his head would explode at any moment.


He took in a sharp breath and stood with impunity. He began pacing the cell, placing his palms against his temples as he continued to stare at the ground.


"Jackie go get... her... what's her name? What did I name her? Jackie?" His voice became frantic and tears began to well up in his eyes. His whispers became shouts, his shouts became yelling, his pacing became tugging angrily at the bars of his cell and screaming out at anyone who dared passed by.


"HER NAME?! I'M NOT DONE YET, JACKIE I DON'T... I CAN'T RECOLLECT... HER NAME."


This persisted for the better part of an hour before Marshall finally seemed to become winded and he collapsed against the wall of the cell. He leaned his head against the cool steel of the wall and sighed as he continued to whisper about his inability to remember her name, that he wasn't done yet. However that too came to an end within another hour, Marshall had moved from the floor to the bed and had rinsed off his head in the cell's bathroom sink. After all that screaming and frantic behavior, it seemed he'd finally grabbed ahold of reality and fell into a deep sleep that lasted for several hours.


Once awake, he merely took a short wide gaze at his surroundings and silently laid his head back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.


"Sorry Jackie, they got me." Though this was said aloud, it wasnt directed at anyone in peticular and could be easily over looked by the guards, especially after his erratic behavior earlier.


Now he merely stared at the ceiling and counted rivets, watching the simulated sunlight pass by and awaited his judgement. He couldn't remember anything, but he supposed that didn't matter, the only thing that mattered was that he was in a cell, a familiar surrounding to the Outlaw and he knew that he wouldn't be there very long. One way or another, he'd be leaving this cell-