I was wondering why I always post these updates in lots of two. I think it's because if I do one, it feels way too short, but I have not the patience to wait for more. Maybe next update I'll give you three, what with the updates coming more slowly anyway.
---
Doctor Brückner was turned away while Emily was getting dressed, partly out of a peculiarly old-fashioned sense of modesty for a woman who just had her fingers inside Emily's vagina, and partly to save time, reviewing the lists of entries in Emily's examination record on her laptop. It suited Emily either way – she was grateful for the moment out of sight to lose her composure completely. How anyone found a speculum arousing was entirely beyond her comprehension, despite having seen more than one person insist on its use.
As Emily finished, Brückner turned back. “You remain entirely too healthy for a high risk woman, I'm happy to say. Your blood pressure is one of the lowest I've ever seen without hypotension, no signs of cancer or STDs. If you were anyone else I wouldn't have you come in for another two years. You are in what is probably the healthiest part of a human life.” Emily nodded as Brückner ran down the list of normal and healthy results from the examination.
“The lab work on your Pap smear is probably going to take at least three or four days – the lab we use is undergoing equipment upgrades. If you need the STD check turned in before then you probably can get a blood test done before you leave.”
Emily shifted on the chair where she had settled down. She had been avoiding the topic throughout the examination given where it was inevitably going to end up. “Actually Doctor, that won't be necessary. This last one's just to make sure I'm clean, but after that I'm letting my license expire.”
“That's good news.” Brückner's tone had a questioning note for it, and for all she was smiling, Emily imagined there was a sharp look in her eye. Brückner was as aware as she was that ending a period as a licensed prostitute was at least as likely to end in unlicensed prostitution as any other profession. Best to get it all out before Brückner got too many bad ideas.
“Yes, well, I have a girlfriend now, and she's been helping me out.” Emily pinked saying that out loud. She was endlessly grateful to Srihevana for having all but bought her out of slavery, but her dependence was hardly inspiring when put that way. Brückner did not seem to share that opinion, her expression easing.
“That's very decent of her.”
Emily nodded, smiling at the remembered the look of a maddened cavalier on Srihevana's face as she settled the remaining few of Emily's debts and set up an expense account to see Emily through till a place had been set up that was large enough for both of them.
“It was. But I had a question.” Emily's flush deepened enough so as to be noticeable. Not that she expected Brückner to be anything but professional about the questions she had about an interspecies relationship, but it was still something that was socially unacceptable enough that even Emily was uncomfortable about admitting it around anyone other than Srihevana herself. Brückner motioned for her to continue.
“Well. My girlfriend is a Taloran. And I wanted to know if there was anything I should know about them, physically, before I found out by embarrassing myself.”
That got Brückner's attention. She was, as Emily expected, entirely polite about it, but she did not even bother to conceal the keen interest she now took. “Physically speaking? Beyond of course their height and other immediate visible features, their biochemistry is markedly different from our own. Disease isn't a problem usually, although there are more cases of bacterial and viral afflictions crossing species the longer we are in contact. I could point you to a number of good works on it that do not require extensive biochemistry backgrounds to understand if you're interested in all the details.
“Sexually,” Brückner spoke in a way that left no doubt that she knew that this was the sort of information Emily was after. “Talorans are compatible with us for the most part, insofar as sexual intercourse is possible and enjoyable cross-species, although not reproductively fruitful. Their saliva does contain significant quantities of acetic acid, making it between hundreds and thousands of times more acidic than ours, albeit dependant on a great many factors. Kissing her will not quite be like gargling vinegar, but rinsing your mouth afterwards would probably be wise, and be sure to brush often. The fluoridation process makes your enamel more resistant to acid.
“Their external genitalia is reversed ordered compared to us. Instead of clitoris, urethra, vagina—“ Brückner punctuated her explanation with a top, middle, bottom gesture for illustration. “—their genitalia arranged vagina, clitoris, urethra..” She repeated the gesture to emphasise the point. “Along with the height difference, it will almost certainly take some practise to find positioning that is comfortable and pleasant to you both, along with making different elements of intercourse more attractive. For instance, the position of Taloran clitorises makes penetrative sex more enjoyable for them and so on.”
Doctor Brückner paused for a moment, turning something over in her mind before asking, “Emily, if you do not mind sharing the information, who did you start dating?”
Shaking her head, Emily answered, “Of course not. Srihevana Uxohliu.”
“I see.” A most peculiarly calm expression came over the doctor as she again sat in thought, this time for a considerably longer period. “And you are fully aware of the nature of the relationship that Srihevana is interested in?”
The words stopped Emily cold. Either Brückner was a secret racist, which seemed vanishingly unlikely for the educated and cosmopolitan woman, or she knew something of Srihevana personally, maybe even the entire truth about her sexuality. “I think I do, Doctor.” Emily danced around saying anything compromising outright on the off-chance that Brückner was referring to something else entirely.
Brückner smiled wryly as she guessed what Emily was doing. “I assure you, Emily, that speaking as her physician, there is nothing that you could tell me about Srihevana that would come as a shock to me.”
Emily's eyes widened in surprise. “You're the doctor that removed her ovaries?”
The anxious undertone to Brückner's posture left her, and she leaned back in her chair to a more comfortable position. “Yes and no. I was not the surgeon who actually removed her reproductive system, but I was the one who ordered it done. I assume then that you are aware that Srihevana's sexual preferences are exclusively limited to children of her own species?” Emily nodded. Brückner did know.
There was a silence as Brückner looked Emily over appraisingly. “I can see where she might find similarity. Do you intend to dye your hair?”
“Yeah.” Emily nodded in assent. “I don't know which colour yet, but she's called brown drab before, so I'm not going to be keeping it this way.”
“She would call it that. Green, blue or something similar would be appropriate if you have in mind making yourself more attractive by her standards. You might consider finding a guidebook on rainforest birds for ideas. The way they use their plumage as advertisement for mates is very much like how Talorans use hair colour.”
Brückner glanced down at her computer's clock, frowning. Pulling out a sheet of paper, she scribbled down a number on it and passed it to Emily. “My cell number should you need to contact me. Srihevana is one of my oldest and most interesting patients, and I would appreciate it a great deal if you would keep in touch with me regarding her. She is an incredibly difficult person, as I'm sure you'll find out if you don't know already.” Brückner sighed in frustration. “But be patient with her regardless. Everyone is granted the most invaluable gift in having been born. It is a blessing that most take for granted in a supreme arrogance birthed of our assumption that it was inevitable that we are here existing.”
She placed a hand on Emily's shoulder, looking deep into her eyes. “Srihevana is one of the extremely rare people who has earned her right to be alive, and at enormous personal cost. She deserves something to be happy about. Please, be careful.”
“I promise, Doctor.” Emily was a little overawed by the gravity of Brückner's words. Trying to remember exactly how long the two had known each other, she wondered how deeply the relationship between the two ran. Clearly it was more than just the casual friendship that Srihevana had intimated earlier.
“Good. I unfortunately have to attend a staff meeting shortly and don't have much more time if you don't have any further questions.” Brückner glanced at Emily who shook her head no. “Your test results should be back with you within a week or less. If they don't, or if you have any other concerns, get in touch with me.”
Doctor Brückner stood and clasped Emily's hand. “It's always a pleasure to see you, and I hope to be hearing from you again soon.”
Emily flashed her a grateful smile. “Thank you very much, Doctor. I'll be sure to keep in touch.”
---
The swirls of colour moving through the basin were a bright, vibrant red, diluting as they approached the drain into streamers of lighter shades. It did not look at all like blood. That annoyed Emily for some obscure reason she couldn't quite fathom. She had seen blood in her basin before at her old apartment for a variety of reasons, but always when she was feeling her very worst. Staring at the streaks of crimson had become a comfort to her, a reminder that she was not dead yet. The excess dye now being rinsed out of her hair just did not measure up.
It wasn't even something she felt should be annoying her, but with hair that fell midway down her back, it had taken a considerable amount of time to rinse it completely. Now, as the water finally ran clear, she turned off the tap, wrung out as much water as she could with her hands, and wrapped the entire mess up into a towel, not bothering even to check if the dye job had been a disaster or not. It wouldn't like right until it was dry anyhow, not with this severe a change.
Securing the towel with a hair clip, she tottered out into the main part of the hotel suite in search of a shirt. It was a more difficult task than it at first seemed. She did not have many shirts left after she had thrown out all of the trashiest ones she had previously worn to work, and most of the rest she couldn't fit over the mass of towel and hair.
Finally she retrieved a camisole that she managed to pull on, the spaghetti straps widely spaced enough to allow her to wiggle into it. In retrospect it would have been easier to just put on a shirt before drying her hair, but that would have left it wet, and possibly stained.
Emily collapsed back onto the bed, letting out a long breath as she hit the surface, sinking in to it ever so slightly. It was perhaps the nicest bed she had slept in since she was twelve, clean and well-maintained by the rather expensive hotel she was now staying in.
She had blanched when she realised that it cost more per night than her apartment had per month, but Srihevana had insistied, refusing to let her stay in her old room after having seen Emily's accommodations in person. And she was only going to spend one more night there, or two at the longest, just enough time for Srihevana to finish making the arrangements for the new place she had appropriated for them.
She was awoken from her light doze some time later by a frantic knocking on the door. She considered ignoring it – Srihevana would have called before coming she suspected, and she did not particularly want whatever the hotel staff was trying to sell her – before reluctantly rolling out of bed. She let out a shriek of surprise as she fell nearly a metre to the floor, saved from barking her knees painfully only by the deep carpet. It was the third or fourth time she had done it as well, unused as she was to having a bed higher than a cot. She sighed as she pushed herself up. She was either going to have to stop getting out of bed that way, or get a whole lot better at catching herself before she hit the ground.
A second round of knocking followed, although Emily could not tell if it was inspired either by her yelp or simple impatience. She adjusted the towel – it was only lightly damp, feeling as though it had sucked all the water it could from her hair, and then released it again into the air. Still, it was better to leave it on than to look like a bedraggled swamp monster, especially before checking the colour herself.
A third flurry of taps exploded even as Emily was reaching for the latch, causing her to pause for a moment. It definitely wasn't Srihevana – she couldn't imagine the staid woman beating down a door in any but exceptional circumstances, and the staff were far too polite for that either. Curious now, she opened the door.
“Aislin!” Emily started in surprise, as she opened the door wide enough to let the girl enter. Aislin looked like someone had beaten her soundly with a trout: A mixture of dishevelled looks and a stunned expression it was hard to do justice to. Her mascara had run and her hair was mussed, and although she had clearly tried to clean up a bit, it was an imperfect job done with tissues and fingers that ironically made her look even more unkempt than if she had left it alone. The clothes she wore were clean, but gave the impression that she had been through a hurricane with them on and never stopped to straighten them.
All that alone was cause enough for alarm, but what made Emily pull Aislin in, squeezing the girl in a hug so soon as the door was closed was the look on her face. The girl looked lost. It was a miracle the hotel staff hadn't intercepted her on the way in and tossed her out as a vagrant.
“Sweet Jesus, Aislin, are you okay?”
Emily could feel Aislin's mouth open to speak, only to dissolve into a strained, hiccuping laugh. Finally, she managed a soft, “I don't know.”
Breaking apart, Emily tugged the unresisting Aislin into the lavatory, seating her on the commode. ”Well, let's get you cleaned up anyhow.” Pushing aside the mess she had left from her earlier dying, she dampened a cloth and set about dabbing Aislin's face, scouring it free of the now ruined make-up. It worked, and by the time Emily she had moved from cleaning her face to brushing out her hair, Aislin seemed to have regained most of her composure.
A faint, somewhat rueful smile appeared on the girl's lips. “Thanks. I didn't mean to barge in like that. I just, I just didn't know where else to go.”
“Well,” Emily said, a hint of exasperation creeping into her voice. “I'm flattered I was your first thought, but what in the world happened?”
Aislin did not answer, instead grabbing her purse from where it had fallen unnoticed, and retrieved from it a slip of paper and passed it to Emily. It was slightly crumpled, and had a few crinkled spots that looked like dry tears, or perhaps ocean spray. It was otherwise a very neat and formal document, a bank draught for sixty-five hundred Taloran rialas.
Emily had to be very careful not to drop it. It was not quite as much as the expense account that Srihevana had opened in her name, but it was still probably more money than Aislin had ever possessed put together. Gingerly, she smoothed out the paper, and placed it carefully back in the purse.
“It was from Srihevana,” Aislin said as she watched the draught disappear, although Emily had already guessed that. “For being kind to her beloved.”
An image of Srihevana saying almost exactly that drifted through Emily's mind, prompting to her despite having caught a glimpse of the letter that had accompanied the money. It was a very believable image, although that Srihevana could drop that much money on a prostitute she was only cursorily familiar with simply because she had been nice a few times made Emily wonder how wealthy her new girlfriend was. And, with a twinge of guilt, how much she had passed up in turning down Srihevana's offer to be a concubine paid half her salary.
Turning the thought aside, she focused again on Aislin. “So, what are you going to do with it.”
Aislin shook her head. “I don't know. I don't know what I can do with it.” She looked abashed now. “I don't even know if I can deposit it.”
A quirk of amusement twitched over Emily at how hopeless Aislin looked over it. “Well, it's got your name on it.” Aislin went a deep cherry red. “It doesn't?” Emily reached back to the purse to check again, only to have Aislin's hand shoot out to hold her wrist back.
“No! It is. I mean, sort of.” Her gaze was pleading. “My name is Aislin Malory. Just, not legally. I couldn't afford to get it changed. But it's on my documentation, most of it, and I do want it changed. I just needed to eat first, and then there was the weeklies, so it had to wait. But then—“
Emily raised a hand, placing it on Aislin to forestall the girl's babble. “So what is your r– legal name?” She caught herself before she said your real name. Aislin did not seem to notice the slip.
“Aislin Saunders.”
“I'll just send Srihevana a note telling her to have the bank cancel that draught and have a new one made in that name, then.”
Aislin seemed to collapse where she sat, looking up at Emily with a wondrous relief, on the verge of breaking down in tears. Emily moved to head them off, skipping for the moment asking why it was that Aislin wanted to change her name. Instead, she pulled Aislin to her feet. “Help me with my hair?”
“What?”
With a grin, Emily finally pulled off the concealing towel, letting her still slightly damp and very tangled hair fall free. Aislin gawked.
“It's pink.”
Emily raised her eyebrows and picked up a strand with forefinger and thumb, making a show of inspecting it carefully. “So you're right. Well spotted.”It was a well done pink, too. Apparently the dye job had gone off as seamlessly as she had hoped. It was not professional by any means, and she would have to redo it regularly to avoid having her roots become very noticeable, but it was a very even shade of bubblegum pink.
“But why is it pink?” Aislin rephrased her implicit question.
“Well, if I'm going to be a professional trophy wife, or something close enough, I ought to be attractive to my beloved, shouldn't I? She's all but called my hair drab and lifeless before.”
Minutes later they were ensconced on the bed, Aislin having kicked off her heels and overly tight pants so she could curl herself up behind Emily, where she ran the brush through the long pink strands with practised care.
“What are you going to do with it, anyway? A legal change of name can't cost that much.” Emily was more than a little concerned now that the shock had worn off. She doubted Aislin had the fiscal sense to use it wisely and pull herself out of prostitution—the girl was simply too young to be expected to be that mature, for all the lack of silliness she had displayed so far.
“I don't know yet. I haven't thought much about it yet. I haven't thought much about anything today.”
Not surprising. Emily started from the beginning. “Did you ever finish school?” Emily had not believed until that moment that someone could blush so hard you could hear it. “If you live simply, and study hard enough to win a few scholarships, that could put you all the way through university.”
“I guess.” Aislin sounded ambivalent to the idea, although followed it with a harsher rap on Emily's head as Emily turned around took at her, pulling her hair aside as she did so.
“Not an academic sort, are you?”
Aislin shrugged, pausing from her work for a moment. “Maybe. I never really gave it much thought. Back when I lived with Da, well, we never had too much, and I was going to look for work when I got old enough to help out a little. I don't know what I'd do at university.”
“Singing lessons?” Emily offered, prompting a laugh from Aislin.
“I'm not a bad singer, but I wouldn't want to do it professionally.” She smiled wistfully. “I remember one of the girls in my neighbourhood, her father was an inspector at the rail yard, checked the tracks and cars for safety, I think. I always said that I was going to be one too, because he made more money than anyone else around, and so every Sunday at church she had a dress on that was a year newer and half as threadbare than mine. Not something that needs a degree, though.”
“How very blue-collar of you. You never had aspirations above your class?”
Aislin made a non-committal gesture, and returned to combing Emily's hair. “I dreamt of being a lost princess who had been hidden away for my own safety while my kingdom was ruled by a usurper. Does that count?”
“That makes you female, not a social climber.” Emily sighed. “Look, how old are you?”
“Seventeen.”
That was two years younger than Emily when she had started working as a prostitute. “Just go to college, then. You can afford an extra year or two to figure out what you want to do, or find a technical school or something like that. If it's too much, drop out after a few years and work data entry. Just do something. I worked at the Stardust for over four years. A life of unfulfilled dreams and dreary monotony is a far better thing than that. You've just been handed a way out. Don't let it sit there till it disappears. ”
Aislin was quiet as she listened to Emily, the only sound that indicated she was still there the methodical rasp of the brush.
Dialogue of a Courtesan (TGG fic)
Moderator: LadyTevar
It's been bloody ages since I updated, I know. Spring semester came and beat me with a tire iron, and only lately has it been easing up. To make up for it... boobies! (That is, no kiddies reading, m'kay?)
The response to Emily's life-altering change of hair colour had been underwhelming, but in retrospect she should have expected it. She must have looked like a tourist or business traveller, moving down the main passages of the station with the suitcase that represented the aggregate of her accumulated wealth clicking over seams in the faux tile behind her. Even with her newly exotic hair she barely got more than second glances. Many of the humans that made a living closer to the centre of the Taloran Star Empire had adjusted their appearance to blend in better with the people they worked with.
That would not last. While there were millions of people that filtred through the station on a regular basis, there were less than a hundred thousand that could be counted as residents, and the population density was phenomenal. And with Srihevana one of the scant few Talorans not there just long enough to resupply and move on, it was going to become very obvious very soon what was going on between them.
Emily was not yet sure if she was looking forward to or dreading that prospect. She had the sinking suspicion she was about to become more unpopular than she ever had been back at the Stardust, but for the moment she couldn't help but be giddy. That morning the key to her new condominium had arrived with Srihevana's compliments. Emily had laughed when she learned Srihevana had actually sent her compliments, and had immediately set about packing.
There was not much to pack. She had left behind most of her furnishings. She had intended to bring her computer, but Srihevana had insisted on getting her a new one, that was supposedly now waiting for her. That left her with a storage disc, and a half week of clothing. Even the suitcase had been one loaned to her. There had been a positively lustful look in Srihevana's eye as she informed Emily that they were going to be fixing that just so soon as they had time to shop together.
The region Srihevana had selected was a great deal nicer than where Emily used to live, sitting firmly in one of the official residential districts, rather than the scratch conversion jobs that made up the low-income housing by the docklands. It even had a receptionist who looked like he was there to help and not evict troublesome tenants.
The lock clicked and the door opened smoothly to reveal a room that made Emily drop her suitcase in shock. It was a two-tiered room, with a step leading from the entranceway to a living room that had to be half again as large as Emily's old apartment. The furniture was nicer as well, and if it weren't new, it certainly could have fooled her.
Tugging her suitcase in, she dropped it and closed the door behind her before dashing through the place. It was a six-room suite that made Emily feel extremely small by comparison. She had lived her entire life in space, or on small moons, and ironically space had always been a premium as a result. Even living with two parents and three siblings she had never lived in a place this large.
Emily smiled. Srihevana had even set up two bedrooms – a master with a massive double bed, and a second smaller one, presumably for Emily if she decided she wanted to sleep alone. Even after Emily had consented to be kept on as a lover, Srihevana had been nervous and polite to the point where Emily wanted to smack her a few times.
And she had put this all together in less than a week. On top of paying off Emily's not inconsiderable debt, and giving on a whim over five thousand risalas to someone who might, for all she knew, spend it on drugs and cheap thrills until it had vanished. Emily needed badly to find a way to ask how wealthy Srihevana was without sounding too mercenary. Clearly more than was healthy for her. A small smile slid over her face – she certainly could help with that.
As if summoned by her very thoughts, Emily heard a rattle from the door as someone worked the lock. Dodging boxes she moved to peak out into the living room, only to find herself face to face with the long features of a violently purple coloured opossum. She tried to stifle her cry of surprise, only to turn it into a strangled squawk, which the opossum returned in kind, dropping from the shelf it had been clinging to and racing out of the room.
The exchange brought Srihevana running into the room on the heels of the clatter as the entrance door closed. Concern, and perhaps a little panic was written over her face, frozen there as she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Emily. After a moment, she took a hesitant step forward. “Emily?”
Emily gave a look of faux surprise. “Why yes. Well spotted.”
She scarcely had time to even yelp as Srihevana burst into motion, lifting her bodily and letting the momentum carry them both back onto the room's bed. It took Emily several seconds to recover her breath, and already she could feel Srihevana's fingers searching nervously for the catch that fastened her skirt.
She stifled her giggle before she could damage Srihevana's ego, gently pushing her back into a sitting position. “Sri, up.”
The momentarily hurt expression faded as fast as it appeared as Srihevana stared at her again, her eyes nearly unfocusing at times. “God, you're beautiful.” The words slipped out as a sigh, Srihevana unable to compose herself for longer than a few seconds.
Emily smiled wanly as she scooted back until she was resting against the bed's headboard. “Yes, I am. Here, help me get undressed properly.”
She made much more headway this attempt with Emily's subtle guidance, stripping her shirt and skirt off, her shoes having been surreptitiously kicked off some time before. Srihevana's hands had rapidly gained assurance, slowing down to caress Emily's sides as they worked, only to be stopped dead once again. She flushed her sickly grey-green, and glanced up from where she had been staring at Emily's chest. “Emily, how do you remove a brassiere?”
Emily did giggle then. Of course she wouldn't have known. Human women were nearly unique in needing them: the females of most species had swollen breasts only while child-rearing, if they did at all, and Talorans were no exception. “Reach back here.” Emily guided Srihevana's hand back until she found the catch. “And just squeeze.”
It took two tries, but the bra came undone. Emily's breasts were not terribly large, never having invested in the implants many sex workers did, but Srihevana still looked as though she didn't quite know what to make of them. Six fingered-hands gently brushed over the sensitive skin, tracing sweeping circular patterns before she gingerly rolled each nipple between forefinger and thumb. Srihevana's ears bounced delightedly as she elicited small noises of pleasure from Emily.
It took a fair time for the novelty of Emily's breasts to wear off, encouraged as she was by the soft squeaks and chirps of encouragement. When it finally did, Srihevana sank down, pushing Emily against the bed once more and breathing in deeply, basking in their scent as she wrapped her arms around her lover. Letting them lay there entwined for only the briefest of moments, Srihevana sat back up, bringing Emily up into her lap, their faces almost level with one another.
Her fingers wound their way through Emily's hair, cradling her head and bringing the two closer together until their lips met. Srihevana's vinegar taste flooded Emily's mouth as their lips parted, tongues dancing while they kissed. A shudder ran through Srihevana, and she squeezed Emily tightly against her, tightly corded muscles trembling as she sought to envelope Emily within her embrace.
Srihevana's tongue ran over Emily's teeth, making her start as it flicked back nearly to her throat, longer than Emily's even if they had been the same height. Srihevana broke off the kiss for fear of being bitten by Emily's jerk, her expression apologetic. “I'm sorry Emily, I didn't—”
Emily swatted at her playfully, interrupting the nervous regrets. “Stop that, I've just never slept with a Taloran is all. It'll just take some getting used to.” Srihevana nodded, but her movements became noticeably more tentative anyhow, fingers skittered over Emily's back and sides as she laid lines of gentle kisses along Emily's neck.
All but purring her approval, Emily leaned forward into Srihevana and caught the ear dancing in front of her face between her teeth and flickering her tongue over it within her mouth for good measure. Srihevana froze, her back arching as she let out a long, quavering breath. Emily gave another experimental flick of her tongue and ran her teeth gently down the length of Srihevana's ear, releasing at the very and allowing it to droop back.
The long, low moan that accompanied the delighted shiver prompted Emily to push forward, pinning Srihevana to the bed beneath her. Emily's hand drifted down, brushing against Srihevana's thigh as she continued to nip and lick the apparently sensitive ear. Recovering enough to be able to open her eyes again, Srihevana's arms snaked around to caress Emily's hips and thighs, one hand slipping gingerly down into her panties.
It took Emily a moment to adjust to having one too many fingers against her, but the advantages buried her unease in short order as the slender digits tentatively explored her sex. Emily giggled softy into Srihevana's hair as she had trouble finding Emily's clit, apparently as clueless about humans as Emily had been about Talorans. Shifting upwards so she wasn't having to contort so much, Emily returned the favour, thrusting her hand down into Srihevana's pants and fondling her with a great deal more enthusiasm.
Scarcely seconds later, Srihevana let out a loud gasp, her fingers stopping cold, curling around Emily as every muscle in her body seemed to tense. After an infinite moment of perfect silence, she cried out, her back arching, her hips bucking against Emily's hand. Then she collapsed to the bed as suddenly as she had exploded into motion.
She lay there with her eyes closed, gasping for breath. She pulled Emily close, entwining their bodies and slowly stroking her as she recovered her wits. Her breath was slowing, and the trembling that had gripped her as she as she lay there cuddling was also subsiding. Srihevana smiled down a little dreamily at Emily, her eyes misted over. “That was...” She trailed off, resting her head against Emily's and breathing in deeply.
A minute later she moved again, tilting Emily's head up until they were eye to eye. “Could we possibly do that again?” Emily arched an eyebrow.
“Already? I thought we would have the entire weekend for that.”
Srihevana flushed. “I know.”
After a moment's pause, Emily gaped as it occurred to her exactly what the implications of that were. Srihevana took it as an invitation to continue.
It was very hard not to think of the low rumble that Srihevana was making as a purr of contentment, even if it were more likely that she had simply drifted off to sleep and was snoring in some alien manner. It was a small miracle that she hadn't long before now, having stayed awake all night in her fervour to shower her lustful attention on Emily.
Being careful to avoid disturbing Srihevana as best she could, Emily disengaged herself from the tangle they had landed in. Srihevana made nothing more than a murmuring protest as Emily softly padded away and out of the room – the woman was insatiable, but when she finally had crashed, she had done so hard. Emily herself was only functional as a result of a long practised detachment from intimacy, leaving her more or less coherent even if she was sore in places she had forgotten she even had.
Gambling that Srihevana would be asleep for a while now, Emily hunted around for her clothes. Most of them were missing, although how they had managed that in a single almost empty room was entirely beyond her. Emily shrugged internally, rooting through her luggage. She probably needed a change by now anyhow.
Gathering up the tightly rolled clothing into a bundle, she went in search of the washroom, never having made it that far in her earlier exploration before Srihevana had ambushed her. It was quite as marvellous as the rest of the household, gleaming tiles framing a large bath. That alone nearly took her breath away. She could count the number of times she had been in an actual bath at all without running out of fingers, let alone the seeming behemoth before her. Years later she would realise exactly how small this was in the hierarchy of baths, but for the moment it seemed to her unimaginably opulent.
She yelped, stumbling as she approached it, an outraged chitter coming from her feet. Looking down, she saw again the purple opossum glaring back at her. Or a purple opossum anyhow – after a second look it clearly was not the same one that she had met earlier. Probably the creatures that Srihevana had spoke of keeping weeks past. K-somethings.
Shooing the small pseudo-mammal out of the room and silently promising to make amends, Emily discarded her clothing carelessly on top of the commode and drew the bath. As she slipped into the hot water she marvelled that she could have lived for so long without it. She caught herself in an a sigh that came dangerously close to becoming an erotic moan as she settled in, blushing at no one in particular. She couldn't help but wonder how much Srihevana was rubbing off on her. She had never been a sex fiend before, but the bath had such a delightfully sensuous feel to it that she could hardly react any other way so soon after dealing with the honest to god sex fiend that Srihevana was turning out to be.
Slipping in deeper, she let her chin and mouth dip down beneath the surface, luxuriating in the sensation of the warmth creeping into her, watching her hair spread out on the water, a halo oriented along the wrong axis about her head. She had been soaking in the water for nearly ten minutes, her skin starting to wrinkle as she amused herself by dipping her nose under the water and watching the bubbles form directly in front of her eyes as she breathed out. The noise nearly drowned out the footsteps behind her, and only the sound of the door shutting caused her to start, just barely avoiding getting a nose full of bath water as she spun around.
Srihevana had woken up, surprisingly as Emily had not anticipated seeing her before the next day the woman had seemed to utterly exhausted. Even now, she thought she could pick out the subtle marks of fatigue on her, but she wasn't familiar enough with Taloran body language still to be certain. Even so, Srihevana was beaming as she came in, her ears brightening, unable to look away from where Emily was lounging in the bath. It occurred to Emily belatedly that she had probably woken up in a panic to find her gone, convinced the entire thing had been a demon-sent dream to torment her further.
“May I join you?” Srihevana's voice was fatigued but even so irrepressibly filled with a sense of dazed awe. Emily gave a wry smile and gestured her assent, moving aside to let Srihevana sit next to her.
It was the first time she was able to see all of Srihevana clearly, and it was a little disconcerting. For all she had possessed all the right bits in bed, it was a little startling too see her fully naked in a clear light. Emily could have counted her ribs from across the room with little difficulty and her skin was ashen. More unnervingly Emily now realised that it was blotchy, with discolourations along her sides and across her stomach.
With a sudden start and a surprised yelp, Emily nearly jumped out of the water, the hand that was drifting up her thigh jarring her from her thoughts. Srihevana looked alarmed, jerking her hand back and immediately deflating in contriteness. “I am sorry-”
Emily cut off the apology with a sharp look. “No, you just startled me is all.” To emphasise the point she retrieved Srihevana's hand and guided it back to where it had been feeling her up. It was amusing to watch Srihevana turn green with nerves as Emily pulled her back, but she did not protest again.
They remained there for a long minute, sharing a comfortably awkward silence as Srihevana squirmed. Emily found it surprisingly relaxing, the water and the company soothing her to the point where she probably could have fallen asleep again right there, save for the increasingly active hand between her legs as Srihevana slowly regaining her confidence.
"Your hair is, you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Srihevana's words were so earnestly said, her eyes wide and guileless, that Emily couldn't help but smile back. "When I saw you standing there, I thought that somehow the impossible must have happened and a child had found her way into my room and I was going to-" Her voice cracked, and she lapsed into silence. Closing her watering eyes to help regain her composure, Srihevana continued, "And then it was you. And then..." She trailed off weakly, taking another moment before finally opening her eyes to look at Emily and adding, "Please, Emily, please never leave me. I, I have never before in my life enjoyed being intimate with someone, and I do not believe I could now live without it.."
Srihevana was trembling violently now, her movements sending ripples out from to to blend and interact with each, deflecting off the walls of the bath until the surface of the water look like a storm-ridden sea. Even the hand that had been exploring Emily was absent as Srihevana was overcome by her fit. "Decades through will and exertion alone I have been able to overcome my desires, and now never again. I have been strong enough because sex has been deeply shameful and terrible to my mind. You have made it something beautiful, and there is nothing in this universe or any other that will be able to save me now should you choose to leave."
Emily moved to straddle Srihevana's lap, hugging the woman tightly to her as the tremors subsided. "Shh, Sri, I'm not going anywhere." She smiled wryly then. "But no pressure there, huh?"
There was an ear movement that matched the sentiment of Emily's smile. "Emotional manipulation is a venial sin."
The response to Emily's life-altering change of hair colour had been underwhelming, but in retrospect she should have expected it. She must have looked like a tourist or business traveller, moving down the main passages of the station with the suitcase that represented the aggregate of her accumulated wealth clicking over seams in the faux tile behind her. Even with her newly exotic hair she barely got more than second glances. Many of the humans that made a living closer to the centre of the Taloran Star Empire had adjusted their appearance to blend in better with the people they worked with.
That would not last. While there were millions of people that filtred through the station on a regular basis, there were less than a hundred thousand that could be counted as residents, and the population density was phenomenal. And with Srihevana one of the scant few Talorans not there just long enough to resupply and move on, it was going to become very obvious very soon what was going on between them.
Emily was not yet sure if she was looking forward to or dreading that prospect. She had the sinking suspicion she was about to become more unpopular than she ever had been back at the Stardust, but for the moment she couldn't help but be giddy. That morning the key to her new condominium had arrived with Srihevana's compliments. Emily had laughed when she learned Srihevana had actually sent her compliments, and had immediately set about packing.
There was not much to pack. She had left behind most of her furnishings. She had intended to bring her computer, but Srihevana had insisted on getting her a new one, that was supposedly now waiting for her. That left her with a storage disc, and a half week of clothing. Even the suitcase had been one loaned to her. There had been a positively lustful look in Srihevana's eye as she informed Emily that they were going to be fixing that just so soon as they had time to shop together.
The region Srihevana had selected was a great deal nicer than where Emily used to live, sitting firmly in one of the official residential districts, rather than the scratch conversion jobs that made up the low-income housing by the docklands. It even had a receptionist who looked like he was there to help and not evict troublesome tenants.
The lock clicked and the door opened smoothly to reveal a room that made Emily drop her suitcase in shock. It was a two-tiered room, with a step leading from the entranceway to a living room that had to be half again as large as Emily's old apartment. The furniture was nicer as well, and if it weren't new, it certainly could have fooled her.
Tugging her suitcase in, she dropped it and closed the door behind her before dashing through the place. It was a six-room suite that made Emily feel extremely small by comparison. She had lived her entire life in space, or on small moons, and ironically space had always been a premium as a result. Even living with two parents and three siblings she had never lived in a place this large.
Emily smiled. Srihevana had even set up two bedrooms – a master with a massive double bed, and a second smaller one, presumably for Emily if she decided she wanted to sleep alone. Even after Emily had consented to be kept on as a lover, Srihevana had been nervous and polite to the point where Emily wanted to smack her a few times.
And she had put this all together in less than a week. On top of paying off Emily's not inconsiderable debt, and giving on a whim over five thousand risalas to someone who might, for all she knew, spend it on drugs and cheap thrills until it had vanished. Emily needed badly to find a way to ask how wealthy Srihevana was without sounding too mercenary. Clearly more than was healthy for her. A small smile slid over her face – she certainly could help with that.
As if summoned by her very thoughts, Emily heard a rattle from the door as someone worked the lock. Dodging boxes she moved to peak out into the living room, only to find herself face to face with the long features of a violently purple coloured opossum. She tried to stifle her cry of surprise, only to turn it into a strangled squawk, which the opossum returned in kind, dropping from the shelf it had been clinging to and racing out of the room.
The exchange brought Srihevana running into the room on the heels of the clatter as the entrance door closed. Concern, and perhaps a little panic was written over her face, frozen there as she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at Emily. After a moment, she took a hesitant step forward. “Emily?”
Emily gave a look of faux surprise. “Why yes. Well spotted.”
She scarcely had time to even yelp as Srihevana burst into motion, lifting her bodily and letting the momentum carry them both back onto the room's bed. It took Emily several seconds to recover her breath, and already she could feel Srihevana's fingers searching nervously for the catch that fastened her skirt.
She stifled her giggle before she could damage Srihevana's ego, gently pushing her back into a sitting position. “Sri, up.”
The momentarily hurt expression faded as fast as it appeared as Srihevana stared at her again, her eyes nearly unfocusing at times. “God, you're beautiful.” The words slipped out as a sigh, Srihevana unable to compose herself for longer than a few seconds.
Emily smiled wanly as she scooted back until she was resting against the bed's headboard. “Yes, I am. Here, help me get undressed properly.”
She made much more headway this attempt with Emily's subtle guidance, stripping her shirt and skirt off, her shoes having been surreptitiously kicked off some time before. Srihevana's hands had rapidly gained assurance, slowing down to caress Emily's sides as they worked, only to be stopped dead once again. She flushed her sickly grey-green, and glanced up from where she had been staring at Emily's chest. “Emily, how do you remove a brassiere?”
Emily did giggle then. Of course she wouldn't have known. Human women were nearly unique in needing them: the females of most species had swollen breasts only while child-rearing, if they did at all, and Talorans were no exception. “Reach back here.” Emily guided Srihevana's hand back until she found the catch. “And just squeeze.”
It took two tries, but the bra came undone. Emily's breasts were not terribly large, never having invested in the implants many sex workers did, but Srihevana still looked as though she didn't quite know what to make of them. Six fingered-hands gently brushed over the sensitive skin, tracing sweeping circular patterns before she gingerly rolled each nipple between forefinger and thumb. Srihevana's ears bounced delightedly as she elicited small noises of pleasure from Emily.
It took a fair time for the novelty of Emily's breasts to wear off, encouraged as she was by the soft squeaks and chirps of encouragement. When it finally did, Srihevana sank down, pushing Emily against the bed once more and breathing in deeply, basking in their scent as she wrapped her arms around her lover. Letting them lay there entwined for only the briefest of moments, Srihevana sat back up, bringing Emily up into her lap, their faces almost level with one another.
Her fingers wound their way through Emily's hair, cradling her head and bringing the two closer together until their lips met. Srihevana's vinegar taste flooded Emily's mouth as their lips parted, tongues dancing while they kissed. A shudder ran through Srihevana, and she squeezed Emily tightly against her, tightly corded muscles trembling as she sought to envelope Emily within her embrace.
Srihevana's tongue ran over Emily's teeth, making her start as it flicked back nearly to her throat, longer than Emily's even if they had been the same height. Srihevana broke off the kiss for fear of being bitten by Emily's jerk, her expression apologetic. “I'm sorry Emily, I didn't—”
Emily swatted at her playfully, interrupting the nervous regrets. “Stop that, I've just never slept with a Taloran is all. It'll just take some getting used to.” Srihevana nodded, but her movements became noticeably more tentative anyhow, fingers skittered over Emily's back and sides as she laid lines of gentle kisses along Emily's neck.
All but purring her approval, Emily leaned forward into Srihevana and caught the ear dancing in front of her face between her teeth and flickering her tongue over it within her mouth for good measure. Srihevana froze, her back arching as she let out a long, quavering breath. Emily gave another experimental flick of her tongue and ran her teeth gently down the length of Srihevana's ear, releasing at the very and allowing it to droop back.
The long, low moan that accompanied the delighted shiver prompted Emily to push forward, pinning Srihevana to the bed beneath her. Emily's hand drifted down, brushing against Srihevana's thigh as she continued to nip and lick the apparently sensitive ear. Recovering enough to be able to open her eyes again, Srihevana's arms snaked around to caress Emily's hips and thighs, one hand slipping gingerly down into her panties.
It took Emily a moment to adjust to having one too many fingers against her, but the advantages buried her unease in short order as the slender digits tentatively explored her sex. Emily giggled softy into Srihevana's hair as she had trouble finding Emily's clit, apparently as clueless about humans as Emily had been about Talorans. Shifting upwards so she wasn't having to contort so much, Emily returned the favour, thrusting her hand down into Srihevana's pants and fondling her with a great deal more enthusiasm.
Scarcely seconds later, Srihevana let out a loud gasp, her fingers stopping cold, curling around Emily as every muscle in her body seemed to tense. After an infinite moment of perfect silence, she cried out, her back arching, her hips bucking against Emily's hand. Then she collapsed to the bed as suddenly as she had exploded into motion.
She lay there with her eyes closed, gasping for breath. She pulled Emily close, entwining their bodies and slowly stroking her as she recovered her wits. Her breath was slowing, and the trembling that had gripped her as she as she lay there cuddling was also subsiding. Srihevana smiled down a little dreamily at Emily, her eyes misted over. “That was...” She trailed off, resting her head against Emily's and breathing in deeply.
A minute later she moved again, tilting Emily's head up until they were eye to eye. “Could we possibly do that again?” Emily arched an eyebrow.
“Already? I thought we would have the entire weekend for that.”
Srihevana flushed. “I know.”
After a moment's pause, Emily gaped as it occurred to her exactly what the implications of that were. Srihevana took it as an invitation to continue.
It was very hard not to think of the low rumble that Srihevana was making as a purr of contentment, even if it were more likely that she had simply drifted off to sleep and was snoring in some alien manner. It was a small miracle that she hadn't long before now, having stayed awake all night in her fervour to shower her lustful attention on Emily.
Being careful to avoid disturbing Srihevana as best she could, Emily disengaged herself from the tangle they had landed in. Srihevana made nothing more than a murmuring protest as Emily softly padded away and out of the room – the woman was insatiable, but when she finally had crashed, she had done so hard. Emily herself was only functional as a result of a long practised detachment from intimacy, leaving her more or less coherent even if she was sore in places she had forgotten she even had.
Gambling that Srihevana would be asleep for a while now, Emily hunted around for her clothes. Most of them were missing, although how they had managed that in a single almost empty room was entirely beyond her. Emily shrugged internally, rooting through her luggage. She probably needed a change by now anyhow.
Gathering up the tightly rolled clothing into a bundle, she went in search of the washroom, never having made it that far in her earlier exploration before Srihevana had ambushed her. It was quite as marvellous as the rest of the household, gleaming tiles framing a large bath. That alone nearly took her breath away. She could count the number of times she had been in an actual bath at all without running out of fingers, let alone the seeming behemoth before her. Years later she would realise exactly how small this was in the hierarchy of baths, but for the moment it seemed to her unimaginably opulent.
She yelped, stumbling as she approached it, an outraged chitter coming from her feet. Looking down, she saw again the purple opossum glaring back at her. Or a purple opossum anyhow – after a second look it clearly was not the same one that she had met earlier. Probably the creatures that Srihevana had spoke of keeping weeks past. K-somethings.
Shooing the small pseudo-mammal out of the room and silently promising to make amends, Emily discarded her clothing carelessly on top of the commode and drew the bath. As she slipped into the hot water she marvelled that she could have lived for so long without it. She caught herself in an a sigh that came dangerously close to becoming an erotic moan as she settled in, blushing at no one in particular. She couldn't help but wonder how much Srihevana was rubbing off on her. She had never been a sex fiend before, but the bath had such a delightfully sensuous feel to it that she could hardly react any other way so soon after dealing with the honest to god sex fiend that Srihevana was turning out to be.
Slipping in deeper, she let her chin and mouth dip down beneath the surface, luxuriating in the sensation of the warmth creeping into her, watching her hair spread out on the water, a halo oriented along the wrong axis about her head. She had been soaking in the water for nearly ten minutes, her skin starting to wrinkle as she amused herself by dipping her nose under the water and watching the bubbles form directly in front of her eyes as she breathed out. The noise nearly drowned out the footsteps behind her, and only the sound of the door shutting caused her to start, just barely avoiding getting a nose full of bath water as she spun around.
Srihevana had woken up, surprisingly as Emily had not anticipated seeing her before the next day the woman had seemed to utterly exhausted. Even now, she thought she could pick out the subtle marks of fatigue on her, but she wasn't familiar enough with Taloran body language still to be certain. Even so, Srihevana was beaming as she came in, her ears brightening, unable to look away from where Emily was lounging in the bath. It occurred to Emily belatedly that she had probably woken up in a panic to find her gone, convinced the entire thing had been a demon-sent dream to torment her further.
“May I join you?” Srihevana's voice was fatigued but even so irrepressibly filled with a sense of dazed awe. Emily gave a wry smile and gestured her assent, moving aside to let Srihevana sit next to her.
It was the first time she was able to see all of Srihevana clearly, and it was a little disconcerting. For all she had possessed all the right bits in bed, it was a little startling too see her fully naked in a clear light. Emily could have counted her ribs from across the room with little difficulty and her skin was ashen. More unnervingly Emily now realised that it was blotchy, with discolourations along her sides and across her stomach.
With a sudden start and a surprised yelp, Emily nearly jumped out of the water, the hand that was drifting up her thigh jarring her from her thoughts. Srihevana looked alarmed, jerking her hand back and immediately deflating in contriteness. “I am sorry-”
Emily cut off the apology with a sharp look. “No, you just startled me is all.” To emphasise the point she retrieved Srihevana's hand and guided it back to where it had been feeling her up. It was amusing to watch Srihevana turn green with nerves as Emily pulled her back, but she did not protest again.
They remained there for a long minute, sharing a comfortably awkward silence as Srihevana squirmed. Emily found it surprisingly relaxing, the water and the company soothing her to the point where she probably could have fallen asleep again right there, save for the increasingly active hand between her legs as Srihevana slowly regaining her confidence.
"Your hair is, you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." Srihevana's words were so earnestly said, her eyes wide and guileless, that Emily couldn't help but smile back. "When I saw you standing there, I thought that somehow the impossible must have happened and a child had found her way into my room and I was going to-" Her voice cracked, and she lapsed into silence. Closing her watering eyes to help regain her composure, Srihevana continued, "And then it was you. And then..." She trailed off weakly, taking another moment before finally opening her eyes to look at Emily and adding, "Please, Emily, please never leave me. I, I have never before in my life enjoyed being intimate with someone, and I do not believe I could now live without it.."
Srihevana was trembling violently now, her movements sending ripples out from to to blend and interact with each, deflecting off the walls of the bath until the surface of the water look like a storm-ridden sea. Even the hand that had been exploring Emily was absent as Srihevana was overcome by her fit. "Decades through will and exertion alone I have been able to overcome my desires, and now never again. I have been strong enough because sex has been deeply shameful and terrible to my mind. You have made it something beautiful, and there is nothing in this universe or any other that will be able to save me now should you choose to leave."
Emily moved to straddle Srihevana's lap, hugging the woman tightly to her as the tremors subsided. "Shh, Sri, I'm not going anywhere." She smiled wryly then. "But no pressure there, huh?"
There was an ear movement that matched the sentiment of Emily's smile. "Emotional manipulation is a venial sin."
"Hey, gang, we're all part of the spleen!"
-PZ Meyers
-PZ Meyers
Hooray for tasteful sex scenes and Pick drawings!
And don't worry about the lack of updating. I for one have absolutely no room to complain.
And don't worry about the lack of updating. I for one have absolutely no room to complain.
DPDarkPrimus is my boyfriend!
SDNW4 Nation: The Refuge And, on Nova Terra, Al-Stan the Totally and Completely Honest and Legitimate Weapons Dealer and Used Starship Salesman slept on a bed made of money, with a blaster under his pillow and his sombrero pulled over his face. This is to say, he slept very well indeed.
SDNW4 Nation: The Refuge And, on Nova Terra, Al-Stan the Totally and Completely Honest and Legitimate Weapons Dealer and Used Starship Salesman slept on a bed made of money, with a blaster under his pillow and his sombrero pulled over his face. This is to say, he slept very well indeed.
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The Duchess of Zeon
- Gözde
- Posts: 14566
- Joined: 2002-09-18 01:06am
- Location: Exiled in the Pale of Settlement.
The Earth conquered by the Talorans, yes.Junghalli wrote:I'm curious, is this taking place on (or around as the case may be) the Earth that got conquered by the Talorans or somewhere else?
The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth. -- Wikipedia's No Original Research policy page.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
Marina's quite right. It's not entirely obvious, since I'm painting Talorans as being pretty rare anyhow - Earth is largely self-governing, so in many respects they almost might as well be another. The largest clue is going to be some elements of both prejudice against Sri, and sentiment towards Emily as a race traitor. Both are played down for the moment largely because I want to talk about they themselves before the rest of society.The Duchess of Zeon wrote:The Earth conquered by the Talorans, yes.Junghalli wrote:I'm curious, is this taking place on (or around as the case may be) the Earth that got conquered by the Talorans or somewhere else?
And boobs. I wanted to write about boobs. All must fall by the wayside before that.
"Hey, gang, we're all part of the spleen!"
-PZ Meyers
-PZ Meyers
I heartily endorse this philosophy. And I sympathize with Emily, having tripped over more than one pug-dog in my time.Eris wrote:Marina's quite right. It's not entirely obvious, since I'm painting Talorans as being pretty rare anyhow - Earth is largely self-governing, so in many respects they almost might as well be another. The largest clue is going to be some elements of both prejudice against Sri, and sentiment towards Emily as a race traitor. Both are played down for the moment largely because I want to talk about they themselves before the rest of society.
And boobs. I wanted to write about boobs. All must fall by the wayside before that.
And I swear to god, for one full second I thought that was Umber.
Crazy Kuj strikes again...
JADAFETWA
I don't know - Srihevana's certainly thin enough to be Umber. If there was a hidden scene in the beginning of DC with Umber molesting Ryvara and Shader, we're certainly have cause to start wondering.Kuja wrote:And I swear to god, for one full second I thought that was Umber.
"Hey, gang, we're all part of the spleen!"
-PZ Meyers
-PZ Meyers
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The Duchess of Zeon
- Gözde
- Posts: 14566
- Joined: 2002-09-18 01:06am
- Location: Exiled in the Pale of Settlement.
A normal, healthy, and average weight for Talorans leaves this... As thin as Umber. They are thin. But she rather obviously has a very different face. Thankfully. The ears are also attached differently, and those hands--well, that is rather an immediate change. Talorans look almost two-dimensional at times, though, they are blisteringly skinny.Kuja wrote:I heartily endorse this philosophy. And I sympathize with Emily, having tripped over more than one pug-dog in my time.Eris wrote:Marina's quite right. It's not entirely obvious, since I'm painting Talorans as being pretty rare anyhow - Earth is largely self-governing, so in many respects they almost might as well be another. The largest clue is going to be some elements of both prejudice against Sri, and sentiment towards Emily as a race traitor. Both are played down for the moment largely because I want to talk about they themselves before the rest of society.
And boobs. I wanted to write about boobs. All must fall by the wayside before that.
And I swear to god, for one full second I thought that was Umber. :shock: Crazy Kuj strikes again...
p.s. I've tripped over small animals before too, and always, always felt bad about it, yes.
The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth. -- Wikipedia's No Original Research policy page.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
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Adrian Laguna
- Sith Marauder
- Posts: 4736
- Joined: 2005-05-18 01:31am
Unless I'm mistaken about Taloraan life cycles, and human ones for that matter, that's going to pose a problem down the line, because in about eight decades Emily will not to have a choice about whether she stays or leaves. Which would make Sri's eventual fate rather self-evident.Eris wrote:"I have never before in my life enjoyed being intimate with someone, and I do not believe I could now live without it."
"You have made it something beautiful, and there is nothing in this universe or any other that will be able to save me now should you choose to leave."
Talorans do indeed live quite longer than humans, and although Emily's younger than Srihevana, and going to be receiving the nearly best life care money can buy, this is indeed going to be a problem. It's also going to be touched on later, so I won't say any more about it directly for fear of spoiling things. You're absolutely correct about it being a potential nightmare, though.Adrian Laguna wrote:Unless I'm mistaken about Taloraan life cycles, and human ones for that matter, that's going to pose a problem down the line, because in about eight decades Emily will not to have a choice about whether she stays or leaves. Which would make Sri's eventual fate rather self-evident.Eris wrote:"I have never before in my life enjoyed being intimate with someone, and I do not believe I could now live without it."
"You have made it something beautiful, and there is nothing in this universe or any other that will be able to save me now should you choose to leave."
"Hey, gang, we're all part of the spleen!"
-PZ Meyers
-PZ Meyers
-
The Duchess of Zeon
- Gözde
- Posts: 14566
- Joined: 2002-09-18 01:06am
- Location: Exiled in the Pale of Settlement.
With the genetic therapy presently available in TGG, human life expectancies are about 300 years (350 at the extreme outside), whereas Taloran life expectancies are now pushing about 1,000 +, closer to 1,100 (though the longest yet to live is 849--nobody who's had their version of the gene treatments have died of natural aging yet). Srihevana is 45 years older (these are all HUMAN years) than Emily, which means, oh, they have 300 years before the problem comes up, most likely. Beyond that, I won't say, since it's just a recital of the present biology and medical facts.
The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth. -- Wikipedia's No Original Research policy page.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
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Master_Baerne
- Jedi Council Member
- Posts: 1984
- Joined: 2006-11-09 08:54am
- Location: Wouldn't you like to know?
Would the lack of Talorans dieing of natural causes be because of their habit of suicid- err, valorous deeds?
Conversion Table:
2000 Mockingbirds = 2 Kilomockingbirds
Basic Unit of Laryngitis = 1 Hoarsepower
453.6 Graham Crackers = 1 Pound Cake
1 Kilogram of Falling Figs - 1 Fig Newton
Time Between Slipping on a Banana Peel and Smacking the Pavement = 1 Bananosecond
Half of a Large Intestine = 1 Semicolon
2000 Mockingbirds = 2 Kilomockingbirds
Basic Unit of Laryngitis = 1 Hoarsepower
453.6 Graham Crackers = 1 Pound Cake
1 Kilogram of Falling Figs - 1 Fig Newton
Time Between Slipping on a Banana Peel and Smacking the Pavement = 1 Bananosecond
Half of a Large Intestine = 1 Semicolon
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The Duchess of Zeon
- Gözde
- Posts: 14566
- Joined: 2002-09-18 01:06am
- Location: Exiled in the Pale of Settlement.
No, it's just that the life-enhancing treatments are too recent of an innovation for anyone to die naturally after having received them yet.Master_Baerne wrote:Would the lack of Talorans dieing of natural causes be because of their habit of suicid- err, valorous deeds?
The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth. -- Wikipedia's No Original Research policy page.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
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Darth Raptor
- Red Mage
- Posts: 5448
- Joined: 2003-12-18 03:39am
I don't think it'd be a huge problem. 300 or even 80 years is plenty of time to find another short small-breasted woman who's willing to have sex with you for large amounts of money, to put it rather bluntly. Hang around a red light district and you could probably find one within 80-300 minutes. If you're more picky ... well, like I said, decades is a long time.
I also wonder about the state of Taloran VR technology. If they have VR that's passably close to actual experiences I would think she could probably have solved her "problem" rather easily that way.
I also wonder about the state of Taloran VR technology. If they have VR that's passably close to actual experiences I would think she could probably have solved her "problem" rather easily that way.
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The Duchess of Zeon
- Gözde
- Posts: 14566
- Joined: 2002-09-18 01:06am
- Location: Exiled in the Pale of Settlement.
Taloran society is highly religious. That was never an option. Particularly since she is highly religious.Junghalli wrote:I don't think it'd be a huge problem. 300 or even 80 years is plenty of time to find another short small-breasted woman who's willing to have sex with you for large amounts of money, to put it rather bluntly. Hang around a red light district and you could probably find one within 80-300 minutes. If you're more picky ... well, like I said, decades is a long time.
I also wonder about the state of Taloran VR technology. If they have VR that's passably close to actual experiences I would think she could probably have solved her "problem" rather easily that way.
The threshold for inclusion in Wikipedia is verifiability, not truth. -- Wikipedia's No Original Research policy page.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.
In 1966 the Soviets find something on the dark side of the Moon. In 2104 they come back. -- Red Banner / White Star, a nBSG continuation story. Updated to Chapter 4.0 -- 14 January 2013.