*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 8, 2021 20:22:35 GMT -5
Before Devon could leave, Parker stopped him to once more thank him for bringing him to the city. He tried to offer the money promised to the Rider, assuring him that he wouldn't be needing it, but he was denied. So he simply told him he would be more than happy to return the favor, so long as it didn't involve the capturing of Seth. Had his sister not be head over heels for the guy, his answer might have been different, but it was all he could do. When Devon departed, Parker called Apollo to follow him up to their temporary room.
~*~*~
"I'm sure patience is the only quality I have mastered," Anya replied with a small laugh. Growing up in a household of boys helps with that. However, she did appreciate Cresseida's advice nonetheless, and followed the woman out of their rooms.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 8, 2021 21:17:43 GMT -5
The Ocean Dancer was crowded, as usual. Sol and those of his crew who arrived were greeted warmly by most everyone already there, employees and guests alike. Sol returned the greetings, but with much less enthusiasm. Of course, no one really noticed. Sol had never been the overly friendly type.
Angel and another waitress got his usual table in the back ready for him, and by the time he sat down, there was already a tumbler of his drink of choice being set on the table. Sol gave Angel a smile of thanks. She beamed at him and sashayed off. Sol took a sip of his drink and leaned back in his chair, gaze traveling across the room.
It took all of five minutes before she ambushed him.
"Sol!" was his only warning before her arms wrapped around him from behind and she just about choked him unconscious. He choked on a laugh and wrangled her arms away from him. "Get over here," he told her, and she all but bounced around and jumped into his lap.
Instead of her usual side saddle sit, she straddled his lap and proceeded to choke him again. "Gods, it's been too long! Why did you stay away so long? What happened with your sister? Is she okay? Are you okay? You looked so sad. And where is Apollo?" She sat back suddenly with a gasp, one hand raising to cover her mouth. "Oh my gods. He's not...? Is he...?" She couldn't say the word "dead," but she looked close to tears at the very thought.
"No, no, no. Hey, relax." Sol caught her wrists and made her meet his stare. "Apollo is fine. He's just... not here."
The threat of tears abated, but the concern and confusion remained. "Where is he? On the ship? Is he sick?"
Sol shook his head and lowered his gaze to their hands. "No. I... gave him away. To someone who needs him more than I do right now."
Rita's eyes were the size of saucers as she digested that. Then she gasped and freed one if her hands so she could hit his shoulder. "Solaris Comet! You fell in love! Why would you let them go?"
Sol smiled ruefully. "Because it needs to be his choice."
He could have explained more, but he didn't need to. Rita got it. She relaxed, their joined hands falling to their lap. Then she freed herself and hugged him again, nicely this time. "I can't wait to meet him," she said by his ear.
Her confidence made him.smile again. "You're going to like him," he said, following her lead. Because it was easier than dwelling on the possibility that she may never get a chance to meet Parker Dorreh.
☆~☆~☆ The trip to the mess hall was short, though the twists and turns of the tunnels made it feel longer. After the final turn, a shorter tunnel ended at a wide cave entrance. Thick curtains were pinned to each side, leaving the way in clear. Inside, tables and chairs made from a combination of rock and wood took up the floor space. There were several dozen tables, each with at least four chairs, often more.
Along the back wall was a long buffet style table laden with food that was constantly being replenished by a group of younger people coming and going from a door behind the buffet. Every time the door opened, a blast of heat escaped the kitchens.
As soon as the two women entered, they were spotted by Morgan. He was seated at a larger table with Callum and Kyra. Morgan raised one hand and waved until Cresseida saw him and headed that way.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 8, 2021 21:43:48 GMT -5
Parker spent the hours of the afternoon catching up on some rest. While the journey to the city hadn't been as long ir though as it normally would have been, it was still nice to just rest. When his growing butterflies and nerves let him. The young man tried to get himself to accept the fact that it might be weeks before Sol returned. His worry that something might have happened to the ship wanted to rise, and he had to push it away. Nothing happened, and the ship would return in a timely fashion. Until then, he could deal with the waiting.
As dinner time rolled around, he left his room with Apollo at his heels. The voices from the main room could barely be heard, but the was quickly rectified the farther down the stairs he went. When he got to the bottom, he looked around the busy taproom. It took a moment, but as he went to find an empty table he thought he saw a familiar face or two.
~•~•~
As much as they might be hesitant about staying here, Anya had to admit that the whole layout and just the way the hideout was made was impressive. She hadn't said anything about it yesterday due to joy wanting to give in to Sebastian's joking manner, and she was just too tired to care. Now, however, it was quiet fascinating to see.
Upon reaching the table where the others were sitting, Anya smiled and offered good mornings to everyone. Though she didn't really expect anyone but Morgan to really respond.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 8, 2021 22:17:23 GMT -5
Apollo started at Parker’s heels, but as soon as they reached the main floor, he gave a little woof/whine and suddenly slipped away to hurry across the room.
His destination: Sol. Rita was just releasing him from her hug. She patted his cheek — rough with two week's wirth of growth — and smiled. "While we wait, you can tell me everything that's happened since you were last here. And, go."
Sol sighed. "Can't this wait for tomorrow? I'm not really in the mood tonight."
She pouted, but before she could push, one of her bar maids approached with a sheepish look. "Rita? Um, sorry to bother you, but there's a problem... um, upstairs..."
Rita sat up straight, her hands on Sol's shoulders. He wasn't aware of it, but his were resting on her waist. "Of course, Tami. I'll be right there."
Tami nodded, and shot Sol a shy smile. "Thank you, ma'am," she said before turning and heading off.
Rita sighed. "Looks like you get a reprieve after all. But I will be back to collect, mister."
Sol smiled. "I would expect nothing less from you."
"Good." As she went to stand, she dropped a chaste kiss on his lips. He blinked and shot her a mildly disapproving look, though he didn't truly mind. She just winked at him and slid off his lap. He let her go, watching her retreat as he mulled over everything she had said and —
A giant furry ball of excitement crashed into his chair and tried to crawl into his lap. Sol jerked against the seat back, his eyes going wide. "Apollo?" he asked, as if he could be anything other than his dog. Sol's hands moved of their own accord, petting and scratching, as Apollo did everything he could to get closer. Then he spotted Artemis and bounced over to tackle her. For once, she let him without any attitude at all.
It was at that point that that reality caught up with Sol and he realized what Apollo's presence meant. His head snapped up and around, his eyes almost frantically searching the room.
☆~☆~☆ ( Will reply tomorrow. )
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 9, 2021 15:17:38 GMT -5
As soon as Parker recognized the members of the Comet, Apollo took off for the other side of the room. When he looked to see why, his heart nearly stopped. There was Sol, sitting at a back table. For a moment, he was so overcome with nervous excitement that he didn't register the woman sitting in his lap. Now, he might not have thought much of it had she been sitting in his lap. But Straddling? And hanging off if him in such a way? He halted in his steps, watching and waiting for Sol to remove her. But he didn't. It was another girl who worked there that got the woman to leave. But not before leaning in to give his lover a kiss. From his angel, he could see the look Sol gave her. If he did he might have still gotten the nerve to go see him. However, his happiness shattered at the thought that Sol had moved on so quickly. Not bothering to call Apollo back (why should he? He was with his own master again), he turned and headed out if the tavern, tears burning his eyes.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 9, 2021 16:23:14 GMT -5
He had been stupid coming back. Parker knew he was getting too attached, read too much into things. Sol might have liked what they had, but that didn't mean he would feel the loss of his presence like Parker felt his. After all, he was used to going through multiple lovers. The captain probably just liked him because he was there every night and let Sol have his way. Now, he never thought Sol wouldn't find another companion, he just didn't think he'd bounce back so quickly. Or was he really not that memorable? Gods, he was so stupid! The young man reached up to angrily wipe the tears falling down his face.
~•~•~
"I'm not easily scared by grumpy cats," Anya assured, and, as if to prove her point, took the spot closest to Callum. "I got Stel to like me, after all."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 10, 2021 0:03:12 GMT -5
Sol's breath caught, and he almost didn't hear anything after "the man I love." He hadn't been expecting to hear that word. He had thought it was there between them, but since they never said anything about it one way or the other...
Sol shook his head and step closer. "Hold on, back up. I haven't moved on or kissed anyone. I —" He stopped, and tilted his head back with a groan. "Damn it, Rita," he muttered. He looked at Parker again. "I haven't moved on, Parker," he said again. "What you saw in there wasn't romantic at all. Rita is a friend, and while yes, she pushes the boundaries of friendship from time to time, we have never been more than friends."
☆~☆~☆ ( Ummm... good question. xD I've no idea. The only thing I can think of is he seeks human contact. Like, just kinda reaches across the bed until he touches someone? And he only does that if he's sharing a bed with someone. If he's alone he won't." )
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 10, 2021 13:18:10 GMT -5
"Well she seemed very concerned climbed on top of you as she was," Parker spat. She might have been his best friend, but he had never seen best friends act that close.
~•~•~
(Perfect. XD)
Anya blushed slightly at Morgan's question. "I-I'm still getting used to it to be honest," she said, smiling sheepishly.
"He still like to be handsy in his sleep?" Kyra asked. The question was asked in jest, but she remember all the times they used to camp out or slept over.
Anya, however, couldn't tell the joke. Her smile faded a bit, her mind thinking of other reasons for why Kyra would know Seth's sleeping habits. "Oh, um," she started, not sure how to respond.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 10, 2021 16:43:42 GMT -5
"And just how and why would that have cheered you up?" Parker demanded.
~•~•~
"And what makes you think, pray tell, that I want to know every detail of Seth's sex life? Especially when we currently don't have have one? Not that it's any of your business anyway," Anya continued. "He doesn't have to answer to me for what he did in the past when it comes to lovers, nor will I hold it against him when I don't ask. Same goes for everything else. Seth has never tried to hide anything from me, and if there's been anything he doesn't want to talk about, he let's me know. And I respect him enough to give him that privacy, to keep that information to himself until he's ready to talk about it. If it concerns me, then he tells me. If it doesn't, then I leave it be."
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 10, 2021 17:34:13 GMT -5
"Because she finds it funny when I reprimand her, and her amusement is contagious and she knows it," Sol returned, a little mire sharply that he intended.
☆~☆~☆ Callum said nothing to that, just gave a faint smirk as his eyes darted to something behind her.
Or someone, as the case may be.
"I'm behind you," Seth said just before placing his hands on the back of her chair. He leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "Thank you," he murmured. He straightened to pin a glare on his brother. "But for the record, I don't have a sexual history with Kyra. The only sleepovers we engaged in included Morgan — platonically," he added, with a pointed look at Morgan, who instantly shut his mouth and shrugged, grinning sheepishly.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 10, 2021 20:16:38 GMT -5
"You would if you knew her," Sol retorted, rapidly losing patience. He had been a live wire the last two weeks because of this man, and now suddenly he was being questioned about the one relationship the Sol had never had to think about. Him and Rita just were. He'd never had to explain that before, and he didn't like doing it now.
☆~☆~☆ "No one needs to know that, Kyra," Seth muttered wryly.
"Hey, I don't mind," Morgan replied, completely unabashed.
"Of course you don't."
Aidan climbed into the seat beside Anya just as Cresseida and Cami arrived. It was at that point that the quiet in the room became noticeable. Where before there had been a steady stream of conversation going on all around them, upon Seth's entrance a few minutes ago most everyone had gone quiet. Some were muttering amongst themselves, but most were glaring at Seth. Seth, Morgan, and Cresseida were ignoring it, while Callum and Cami were shooting looks at anyone who caught their eye.
Cresseida placed a plateful of food in front of Anya, and touched Seth's shoulder. "You found us sooner than I thought. I'll go fetch you boys some food."
"You don't have to do that, Mom," Seth said, straightening to go get his own food.
"Nonsense. I haven't been able to take care of you in far too long. You sit. I'll be right back." The look she gave him said argument would not he tolerated, so he didn't.
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 10, 2021 21:16:55 GMT -5
Parker could tell Sol was getting irritated. That should have been a sign to take a step back or even walk away. No. That would have been far too easy.
"If I knew her, she would have known better than to kiss you!" He snapped. "If I knew her, I would have slapped her face. If I knew her, you should have tried a whole lot harder to keep that from happening. But you didn't. You might not have known I was here, but you're a bastard for thinking that you have a right to be offended by this. You don't get to be mad at me for reacting this way when you clearly could have prevented it. Just telling me she's a friend and thinking that will smooth it all over is not going to fly, Solaris. That doesn't give me reassurance. That makes me terrified, and doubt why I'm even here if you have a best friend who doesn't want anything romantic to give you all the attention you need."
~•~•~
"Besides, do you not want me to clarify things so she's not over there being jealous?" Kyra added.
"I wasn't -" Anya started, but was quickly cut off.
"Girl, you looked ready to cry when I hugged him yesterday. You're jealous, and you don't hide it well," Kyra said.
Anya was a little taken aback by Kyra's blunt manner, and a bit offended if she was to be honest. But she didn't get a chance to say anything about it because Cresseida and Cami soon joined them. She held her tongue, listening to the conversation between mother and son. When it was over, the young woman looked up and Seth. "Sorry, I was going to do that, but got distracted," she apologized.
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Heterosexual
✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧
"You never have to prove yourself to anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are."
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Post by ✧☽ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴏᴇʀ ☾✧ on Oct 10, 2021 21:42:27 GMT -5
Sol didn't have a ready response to any of that. He knew what he wanted to do, but he doubted Parker would let him right now. "I don't need attention, unless it's yours. I don't want to kiss anyone but you. I doubt I could have stopped Rita's kiss, because I was too distracted thinking about you. I almost didn't even come tonight because sitting in my cabin alone, remembering everything we said and did in there, held more appeal."
He took a step closer. "Telling you Rita is just a friend may not smooth things over, but it is the truth. As a friend, she's allowed to sit in my lap from time to time because we hardly ever see each other. You know what I haven't ever let her do? She's never seen my bedroom, let alone shared my bed. She's never steered my ship. She's never met my hawks, or watched over my dogs. She's never called me Solaris and left me wanting to kiss her senseless. Just you. It's only ever been you."
☆~☆~☆ Seth ran a hand through her hair. "Don't worry about it. She likes cooking for people, especially us, and this is the closest she can get right now. I'd rather you were here with me, anyway."
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*Nightwhisper
"And guilty I may be, but don't give up on me... We will still be thick as thieves."
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Post by *Nightwhisper on Oct 11, 2021 6:19:02 GMT -5
Parker looked up at him. He knew he'd be throwing away the chande to see his family often, throwing away safety and predictable season and weather and conditions for the chaos of the ocean. "I tried to go back to normal life at home, but I couldn't," he said, anger slowly giving way to other emotions as he finally got to the while point of him being here. "It didn't feel right. Something was missing, and I couldn't take it. I missed you and the crew and everything. I love you, Sol and I'm sorry I was too stupid not to say it before. It was eating away me, and I know know it was dumb on my part, but I thought it'd be easier if I didn't say it..." More tears fell and Parker more or less just rambled, not realizing he was doing it.
~•~•~
(But he's thinking it. XD)
"Only if you take a seat," Anya told him. She didn't want to make him stand there and watch her eat.
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