dejah_thoris | [milliways] Run Home

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[milliways] Run Home

After their run around the lake was ended by meeting Curtis's unfortunate partner in the whole body swap debacle, Dejah headed back to the room for a good long shower. It was pure indulgence, standing under the hot water for so long, but she was allowed. Here, anyway. She'd be extremely mindful of bringing these bad habits back to Helium with her.

Her mind keeps going over the implications of Curtis having a double here. A doppelganger who is genetically enhanced somehow. Healthy and whole. It makes her wonder if she's not doing enough to make sure he's healing. Replacing the arm was one thing, but an extended period of malnutrition and captivity left other physical scars.

It is all a work in progress, one that will take many years to see gains. Much like the Work back in Helium. She makes a mental note to research the drawings he'd spoken of. If there is any record of all of his time on the train, surely the library here will have it preserved. Maybe something to help Edgar understand the whole picture. Even if he can never forgive, the least he can do is to try to understand it.

She steps out of the shower and towels off, still turning over the human ideals of morality, of fairness and justice. She tries to put the thoughts aside for now, knowing full well, she can easily drive herself mad if she doesn't. Instead, she dries her hair and tries to clear her mind.

And not think about random magical spells that could rip her consciousness from her body and put into another's. Yeah, comforting.

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"I love you too."

The smallest movement, just enough for their lips to meet in another gentle, lingering kiss.

"Also I think we got some mail," he adds, half-laughing.

She pulls back, touching her fingertips to her lips for a brief moment, and nods. She tucks her hair behind her ears and smooths her robe.

"Yes, we do. Hang on, let me see what it is."

Curtis nods. Before he can reach for Dejah again, he forces himself to take a step back. It's not like she's going back to Barsoom -- just to the front door.

(Every so often, he still marvels at how ridiculous this whole situation has gotten: both of them fallen so hard that sometimes, even being ten feet apart is too much. Jesus, this is bad.)

Retreating to the couch, he collapses onto it with a sigh, rotating his left shoulder as he gets used to the feel of his prosthesis again.

"Is it bothering you?" Dejah keeps a hand on the tie of her robe as she bends to pick up the flyer.

"Hmm." She reads as she walks. She settles beside him, tucking her feet up beneath her. "Something about a fire festival? Down by the beach." He can hear the shiver of curiosity running through her words.

"Not really," he says. "Just kinda need to settle back into it."

He peers over her shoulder as he slips an arm around her waist. "Huh. ...'Dressed to the nines?'"

Yeah, that doesn't sound like his kind of party.

She looks up into his face, trying to better gauge his response. Her hand reaches up to touch the junction of metal and flesh, gently, to make sure there's no irritation. Also, just to touch him. Because she can. Because he lets her.

"It says there's music. And dancing." Her eyes flash bright for a moment. "And it's on the beach?"

Curtis eyes her, a small smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

"Do you want to go?"

She can't help but mirror that smile. She draws her lower lip between her teeth for a moment, thinking about it.

"That depends entirely on you. I mean, do you want to be seen with me? In public? I mean, in an official capacity?"

"I'm seen in public with you all the time," he counters, gently. "And it's not that official, it's just a party."

A fancy party, but still. It's not like they're going back to the palace or anything.

"So yeah, I'm cool with it."

"Oh of course. How silly of me, of course. Of course."

He can feel the rising delight in her, bubbling up from a place of warmth and light.

"Do you think the bar could provide us with something to wear? I mean, I haven't got anything here, and I don't even know if you own something like that. I mean, you don't, obviously. I'm sure she can find something suitable. Not too Front, but nice. And I can do my own hair, I suppose. Goddess, listen to me, babbling on like a fool."

Her joy buoys him up; he's already starting to chuckle before she's even halfway through that ramble. Curtis drops a kiss on her forehead.

"I think it's cute," he says, serene. "Yeah, Bar's got everything, I bet she could loan us a suit and a dress."

Not too Front. Another bubble of relief rises. Nice, but not too stifling. Maybe it'll be good practice for whenever he's doing this shit for real on Barsoom.

She leans into the kiss, laughing under her breath at herself.

"I'm sorry, these things -- in Helium, they are a rather big deal. Being present in public. It would take weeks of preparation. There would be dignitaries from all the city-states. The whole of Helium would grind to a halt for a festival like this."

She takes a deep breath and lets it go. "Are you sure you're all right with this?"

"I'm sure."

It's been...god, probably weeks since he felt this kind of fizzy joy overtake Dejah. They've been dealing with one damn thing after another for way too long. They're overdue for some fun -- even if it's the kind of fun that's going to stick Curtis in a suit.

Straight-faced: "We need to win the shit out of that golden apple."

Edited 2015-11-20 03:35 (UTC)

That gets a full-throated belly laugh from Dejah. "I like this plan, but I have no idea how we're going to do it! Formal dancing on Barsoom is -- very sedate. And the less formal dancing, well..." She wrinkles her nose in a conspiratorial grin.

"It gets a little wild, if I must say."

"Really."

He arches an eyebrow, struggling not to laugh.

"Can you teach me?"

She bites her lower lip and dips her chin, her own eyebrows drawing high.

"If you promise not to laugh. I may be a little rusty."

Her hands slip around his waist and she places a very gentle kiss just in front of his ear.

"And after, maybe we can go walking in the surf?"

"Mm." His smile grows. "Is the water still warm this time of year?"

Even if it's not, he'll dip a couple toes in for her.

"Oh yes, have you not been to the Caribbean inlet?" She pulls back to look at him, eyes wide.

"It's another of these magical anomalies. There's a whole separate and static microclimate. The waters are warm and clear, the sand is a pure white, it's simply beautiful." She's wanted to take him there for months, but the timing was never quite right.

"Huh."

That sounds vaguely familiar -- either someone's told him about it, he's overheard someone else talking about it, or...

Sheepish, "If I've gone there already, I forgot about it."

There's a prickle of concern about his memory, but it disappears in the wash of her anticipation.

"No matter. We'll go and after the dancing? We'll go for a walk by the sea." The last word rings with a certain quality. The very idea of a sea is holy to her. And to share this with him? It makes her light-headed, almost giddy.

"I've been wanting to share that with you. For awhile now. I just -- we never seemed to get a chance to relax. Things have been so..." Her words taper off, and she shakes her head.

Her concern vanishes so quickly that it's easy to brush aside. Good.

"Shitty?" he offers, quiet and more rueful. "Yeah."

A brief sigh.

"Maybe this'll help calm things down. A little."

It's still there. She's noticed his comments, his general distrust of his memory in the past. There's simply nothing she can do about it in the moment. In her life, triage of such things is second nature.

"Well, if not calm them then -- distract us for a little while. The priestess at the temple likes to remind me, one must feed and rest the spirit the same way one feeds the body." She gives him a crooked grin. "This counts, I think?"

"Definitely counts," he murmurs, leaning to kiss her forehead. "We're both allowed to have fun sometimes."

Curtis eyes the flyer again.

"I could go get the suit now...?"

She leans into his kiss. When he pulls back, he sees that quiet, gleeful grin again. She nods, excitement blowing through her like a warm wind.

"I'll only need a few minutes, I'm sure. I can be ready by the time you get back."

He can't help but return the grin as that warmth brushes past, catching him up in her excitement. "All right."

Okay, one more kiss before he goes. He intends for it to be quick, but once their lips meet...nah, he can linger a little. Just a bit.

Okay, more than a bit.

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