[Wordless assent given, she turns to the work of gathering Miorine's things and neatly hanging them. There's still residual warmth there, too, and out of sight, she presses the fabric to her cheek, nuzzling it like a cat. Her gaze softens, goes distant. The gesture soothes her even as she feels embarrassed by it, and with her head mostly cleared, she ponders Miorine's unpleasant mood. Had she done something wrong, she wonders? Surely she had, if Miorine was upset, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She taps her forehead in an attempt to jangle the memory out, and then realizes that she's leaving her waiting, which was going to make her more upset...
She quickly shuffles into the bathroom, and as expected, she quickly turns when she notes Miorine's state of undress. She's still dressed, save her shoes, and is puzzling over how to get out of her dress on her own when Miorine's voice cuts through the air, making her jump.]
Wha - weird? Is it weird... ? [She's midway into awkwardly trying to grab the zipper to her dress and freezes. ] It's only, [She fumbles with her words.] it's just, I'm not used to it. I don't want to stare. It's rude.
[Her cheeks are flushed: from the exertion of trying (and failing) to undo her dress, from the steam, from bashfulness. Maybe this was why Miorine was upset with her. ] I'm sorry.
[ The guilt is immediate and rolls over her like a mighty wave, even if not apparent in her features. Miorine lets her frown grow less severe and gestures to Suletta to come closer. ]
Here, I'll help.
[ She has to stand on her toes but she's able to get the zipper. Suletta's skin is also marred with slight welts from having to squeeze into one of Miorine's dresses— the tailor had only had time to fix the hemline to match her height.
Her fingers trace the lines left behind by the the ribs of the bodice, gentle and confident in how she massages the markings away. ]
Stop apologizing.
[ She sounds defeated, not mad. ]
You didn't do anything wrong.. you were the only reason I got through the night without losing it. Well, you and the bartender anyway.
[ With that she steps away, and before she fully enters the shower she calls over the stream of water: ]
You don't have to look if you're not comfortable, just sit here and make sure I don't fall. But.. if you want to, you're allowed to look.
[There is no real judgment in Miorine's tone, but Suletta is sensitive to the moods of others, reads too much into it, so she perceives disappointment anyway. She has to fight the reflexive slump of her shoulders, her shame in her cowardice leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. Miorine's closeness both soothes her, and makes her feel worse — the touch of her hands bringing goosebumps in their wake. Suletta is very still, barely breathing, and represses her shiver by biting down hard on her lower lip.
By the time the buzzing in her head has stopped enough for her to register Miorine's words, she's already disappeared into the shower, her pale skin and hair seeming to melt into the steam, the lines of her body growing blurry and indistinct. Suletta does not look. Instead she sits, clenching and unclenching her hands until she's made grooves in her palms. ]
Run away, [she mumbles, so quietly that someone standing next to her would be hard pressed to hear her,] you gain one.
[ She could stay here, in her nervous chasteness, and things would be fine. She believed Miorine when she said that it would be okay either way.
She always believed Miorine.
But Miorine had a bad evening, hadn't she? She'd been stressed, Suletta remembers it now. For all her confidence and ease, she hadn't let Suletta out of her sight, and had held on so tightly to her arm at points that Suletta was worried that it might bruise. The barely-there tightening of her jaw at some of the questions, when she was called "young lady" instead of her name, or at inappropriate laughter. And Miorine had complained very little, by comparison, had only asked Suletta for these little gestures, barely anything, unselfish despite everything she had done, and continued to do, for herself and Aerial.
So she could stay here, true. But if she didn't... she could help Miorine, make her feel better. Happier. (She could be useful.)
Move forward, gain two.
Suletta stands up so quickly that she makes herself lightheaded . Her jaw sets, comically serious. She marches over to the glass shower door, made opaque by steam. And then...
She very politely knocks. ] M... Miorine! [ Too loud. She winces. ] I'm- I'm coming in now! [She adds:] If that's okay!
[Carefully, she opens the shower door only enough to step inside, placing a hand on the wall behind her to steady herself as she shuts it. It occurs to her that she should have practiced what to say. Something cool, or charming.]
[ She watches Suletta move through the mosaic of steam on the shower door, a weary look on her face unbeknownst to Suletta. ]
I can see and hear you, you know.
[ but she makes sure to mumble it so quietly that Suletta can't hear.
It's a bit like watching a foal stand for the first time, unsure and excited, wavering on thin legs but putting in its best efforts.
Whatever tension there had been dissolves into thin air thanks to Suletta's one liner. Miorine does not look at her directly in an effort to ease Suletta into this form of intimacy. She offers Suletta this: ]
Good.
[ The shower and its spray are big enough to accommodate them both without it being too tight of a squeeze. For a moment Miorine does nothing but soak up the warm water and the odd feeling of calm that Suletta's presence offers her— by herself without being alone was her ideal state of being, she'd realized. ]
We should really get you your own formalwear. I'm going to take you shopping when we go back to school.
[ She looks over her shoulder at Suletta, though her eyes are only half open from the water. ]
You can't keep wearing my hand me downs. They don't suit you and they can't be comfortable.
[Having gotten to the beginning, and end of her plan up until this point (getting into the shower), Suletta doesn't... know what to do with her hands, or where to put them. Her own nudity is a source of faint embarrassment, but truthfully, she's too focused on not doing anything stupid, and not staring directly at Miorine, to really think about it. Small blessings.
When Miorine turns to address her, she stands at attention, more like a soldier than anyone even remotely comfortable with anything going on, as if to prove that she wasn't staring. Then what Miorine says catches up to her. She presses her index fingers together in front of her, feeling sheepish, but pleased too, if her shy smile is any indication.]
Oh, I guess they're a little tight on me... [Every day, it seemed, she got taller and more awkward, growing out of things too fast to keep up. She had bemoaned this issue to her mother. Would it ever stop? She was taller than some of the boys. Miorine, however, sermed to blossom into her looks. Or perhaps it was affection coloring her judgment. Either way, she's touched by the consideration.
She almost says that it was okay, she'd figure out something, that it was manageable. Instead, she says quietly:] It's on my list. "Go shopping with friends." I'd like that.
[ She says it like an afterthought, eyes shut as she runs her hands through her wet hair. ]
When I say shopping I mean having a stylist ship things in but.. yeah, I suppose we could go shopping.
[ it's the first time they've been fully nude in front of each other. They'd shared rooms for awhile, but Suletta always made sure to change out of sight or give Miorine privacy even when she hadn't asked for any.
She'd always been confident in her own appearance, and gradually she became more curious about Suletta's— Miorine just hadn't realized until tonight (angered and emboldened) that those two things had weighed like two ton weights in her stomach. What a stupid, pointless, pathetic thought: wondering if her fiancé found her attractive.
Miorine reaches for the shampoo and lathers it up between her hands. Her sudsy fingers wiggle indifferently. ]
[Suletta mumbles this, awestruck. She had recently begun to think about the differences between her upbringing and Miorine's own. The way that Miorine wasn't careless, but she simply didn't think anything of the cost of things. It just didn't occur to her. Suletta thinks of the people on Mercury, all the hard labor and harder living, and how no one ever seemed to smile much, and feels something: a simmering discomfort. She feels guilty and undeserving of something so lavish as a shopping trip, but to refuse a gift would be rude, and it might hurt Miorine's feelings, wouldn't it? To be so callous to refuse, just because she thought it was too good for her.
Her gaze dims, her expression going somber, and she thinks she is being too quiet; she should say something. It was weird, to just stand here quietly. It was weird to be so nervous around one's fiancée. To not know what fork to use at a fancy party, that was strange too. To not have anything nice to wear. Anxiety creeps its way up her throat and through her veins, and she feels the faint stirrings of panic.
Miorine's request gives her something to do, and the voice in her head (cruel, cutting, uncomfortably familiar) goes quiet. Suletta brightens again and crouches so that she might be able to reach her hair.]
Is this okay? Should I go lower?
[Something about this strikes her as funny — it's cute, that Miorine can't reach her without standing up on the tips of her toes, or without her needing to crouch down. And she doesn't mean to, but she giggles a little, a short little huff of laughter that she covers with her mouth.]
[ She's never done this for anyone else, but thinks about how nice it always feels when she goes to a salon and mimics that— rubbing circles across Suletta's scalp with her fingertips. She stops suddenly with her hands still tangled in Suletta's hair. ]
Huh? What's so funny?
[ It's delivered like a threat, one more suited to be spoken by a big thug and not whatever Miorine was. ]
I could make you bald in an instant, so you better be careful about what you say next.
[This is so soothing that it surprises her, turns her bones into jelly. She relaxes beneath Miorine's touch, finally, the nervous and tensr energy that seemed to haunt her every step dissipating. Her eyes close, and her head bobs a little, until the threat comes. Flustered, Suletta's hands fly up to cover Miorine's own, as if to stop whatever vague horror she has planned preemptively. Her eyes are still closed, so she just looks silly.]
Nothing!
[And then, timidly :] I was only thinking, that you wear heels so much... I hadn't noticed how small you are. You always seem much bigger, so you're cute this way.
[ She scowls immediately, embarrassed in a way she usually isn't. When other people called her cute it was usually demeaning, but when Suletta calls her cute she knows it's earnest— it's uncharted territory, so she reacts with annoyance (her default state). ]
What did you say?!
[ She does not pull on Suletta's hair, but her fingers do grip harder— a gentle tug, as if to signal that she cannot be stopped. ]
Not all of us can be like you! What do they even feed people on Mercury. Are you all giants?
[Suletta squeaks in expectation of pain that doesn't come, and cranes her head up to look at Miorine, squinting to avoid suds in her eyes. ]
I didn't mean anything bad! [Because Miorine has taken offense, she moves to clarify. Now that the immediate threat has passed, she seems calmer.] It's cute, that's all. I wish I wasn't so tall — I grow out of things too quickly. But you always look nice in whatever you wear. That's what I meant.
Miorine let's her know this by letting go of her hair and swatting Suletta's hands away. ]
Move. I need to wash the shampoo out!
[ She mulls over Suletta's words while rubbing the suds out of her scalp- as gentle as she is thorough, admiring the long strands of red that fall through her hands. ]
I like that you're tall. It suits you- and if we were both short we wouldn't fit together as nicely.
[ She will not admit more than this: but she likes that Suletta towers over her, watchful and always there when she may need a boost, shade, or simply something to admire. It's attractive, but despite her own angling for this kind of validation she can't quite offer Suletta the same in as many words. ]
It's not how tall or short you are that decides how good you look in something, anyway. It's about knowing what you feel good wearing and acting like it was made just for you even if it wasn't.
[ All the while Miorine lathers her own hair, eyes closed as soap and water trickle down her face. Throws her head forward and down so that her head is tilted in a way to make the whole thing easier and she yells over the water. ]
Well? Are you going to stand there? Or are you going to scrub my back?
[Miorine yells and she postures, but her hands are gentle as she washes the shampoo out of her hair, and what she says makes Suletta blush. Miorine doesn’t think that her height is unsightly; she thinks that it suits her. Miorine thinks they fit together this way.
Suletta smiles, closing her eyes again, and for a moment indulges in this thing rarely experienced: someone giving her their undivided attention, caring for her. She soaks it up like a flower in darkness, craning helplessly toward a beam of sunlight. That’s what Miorine’s attention felt like — something integral and necessary.
Her eyes open again at Miorine’s request (more like a demand), and she straightens up.] Right! [Her cheeks are still a little red, and she hopes it isn’t noticeable.
Miorine’s back is as pale as the rest of her, and her hair shines as it clings to her back, shimmering with water droplets. Suletta swallows hard, and cautiously approaches, reaching for the shower gel without pulling her eyes away. There is color along Miorine’s bare skin, she realizes: spots where the hot water has flushed her skin pink. Suletta’s fingers twitch in the air, and then she pushes Miorine’s wet hair over her shoulder to expose her back. Closer now, she becomes fixated by the spot where her neck meets her shoulder, the pale expanse of skin there. There’s a freckle, barely noticeable. She wonders if anyone else has ever seen it.
She hasn’t even started washing her back and she’s going to pass out. Suletta steels her nerve, works soap into a lather into her hands, and steps closer, beginning to wash Miorine’s back. Her hands are warm and gentle, a barely-felt pressure. She’s afraid to even talk. She can hear her heart beating in her ears.]
This is okay, right? [She’d been worried that her voice would tremble, or that she’d be too loud again, but her voice is soft and steady.]
[ Miorine is again, unaware of Suletta's internal crisis. She's both familiar and intimate enough with her at this point to be aware that any new experience for Suletta came with some degree of panic and fear, to what extent she doesn't know (because she's facing away, obviously).
The answer Suletta seeks comes in the way of a pleasant sigh as she tilts her head to stretch her neck— feeling the tension slowly be rubbed away by Suletta's hands.
Her hands are careful and strong, they feel nice for all the reasons they should and in part because they belong to Suletta.
Miorine is quiet for a moment, and then suddenly erupts: ]
Man!
[ it's hard to tell if she's groaning in annoyance or exhausted. Miorine leans back slightly, resting her weight against Suletta. ]
I hope every single man in that room goes to hell.
[The sigh runs its way up Suletta's spine, makes her head buzz pleasantly. It's an affirmation too, and it makes her feel proud and embarrassed in equal measure.
The sound of water around them obscures the surprised noise she makes when Miorine leans against her. She's soft, warm, slippery from water and soap.
Gradually, it occurs to her that Miorine is complaining about something. She catches enough of it to give what she hopes is an appropriate response.]
They were rude to you. [She agrees, carefully. A memory comes to her.] The one with the silly mustache was the worst.
[An investor in their company, but keeping up with their names and what they controlled was not Suletta's forte. All she knew is that one had too much to drink, and had put his hand on Miorine's shoulder. Without thinking, Suletta had placed herself between them, and asked him a question that was likely woefully simplistic. But he'd humored it, perhaps finding it cute, and more importantly he'd left Miorine alone.]
[ She knows she's a difficult person to comfort. Many had tried, either earnestly or for gain and few had succeeded. So she's surprised too when Suletta's words bring her some level of calm, like a balm to her bruised ego. Words usually meant little to her, but Suletta was so earnest in all that she did Miorine knows and trusts she would do something about all of them if she could. ]
I could bring him back his investment by tenfold and he still wouldn't take me seriously. Men are like that.
[ She looks up at Suletta and from this view the difference in height is even more apparent. If Suletta is tense behind her she doesn't seem to notice, too busy taking note instead of how firm and steady she feels. ]
You know, you were almost smooth when you intercepted him. I was actually impressed.
[ The smile she offers is teasing but as genuine as it usually gets with Miorine. She had been impressed, and she'd appreciated it.
With each of these events Suletta grew more confident and in turn had begun to be a source of support instead of someone to babysit.
Hm. [Suletta thinks of some of the elders on Mercury, how most had no love for her or her mother, but the men seemed to be most vocal in their dislike.
The memory is an unpleasant one, and luckily what Miorine says distracts her from it.]
Really? Ehe… [Sheepishly, Suletta rubs at the back of her head. The compliment was sparse, but from Miorine it was high praise. It didn’t take much to please Suletta, anyway.] I’m happy it worked. He was, [a pause, as she tries to work out an insult that was not too biting.] pushy. He was making you uncomfortable.
[She had been able to tell this. After spending so much time with Miorine, she was realizing that her moods, normally so impenetrable, were beginning to make sense the more time she observed. So she had seen the way Miorine’s shoulders jumped so slightly when the man touched her, and had felt not panic but something else. A bristling irritation — didn’t he see that she didn’t like that?]
[ Whatever ire Suletta had avoided Miorine delivers tenfold. She pulls away just slightly, enough so that she is maintaining her own balance again. Miorine lathers soap between her hands and keeps her gaze above Suletta's shoulders in an effort to avoid ruining whatever progress had been made in the way of soothed nerves. ]
Here, I'll get your back too.
[ Suletta's shoulders are broader than she realizes, well worked muscles hidden beneath soft tan skin. Freakish stamina aside it made sense she was strong, working a mobile suit was hardly for the weak, especially one of Aerial's caliber.
She has to stand on her toes to reach Suletta's shoulders and when she notices just how taut those muscles are she can't help but firmly work her fingertips against the muscle. ]
Figures, you carry all your tension in your shoulders. You need to relax more you know.
[ A case of the pot calling the kettle black if there ever was one. ]
[Physical contact had been commonplace between them from the start, though it had been largely comprised of Miorine flicking her in the forehead, or something similar. This sort of intimacy is newer, however, and she is torn between enjoying it and feeling slightly guilty about it. Things like this from Miorine seemed rare a precious, though by now she's noticed that she got preferential treatment in the matter.
(Understatement of the year.)
For now, her shoulders hunch reflexively before she remembers to relax. Miorine's hands are firm and confident, working away stiffness she hadn't even realized that she was carrying. Her closeness flusters Suletta, who feels clumsy and unsteady, worried that she would do something to cause it to end prematurely.]
You don't relax either. When you're not sleeping, you work all the time. So I thought.... I should work that hard too, so that I could help you.
[ Suletta is more observant than she gives her credit for. It had been a bit condescending of Miorine to assume she didn't notice things if they didn't threaten her internal world in any way. She realizes she may be no better or worse than the others for internally undermining whatever sense of responsibility Suletta felt toward her- not just out of duty, but affection.
And for that reason she offers an apology in the way of this concession: ]
Your list- what's something on that would be relaxing?
[ Her hands move more central, both working in tandem to get the muscles closer to Suletta's neck. She has a comment about how Suletta's slouching has contributed to her poor posture brewing but she bites it down for now.
Miorine's hands come to rest around the base of Suletta's neck, grasping lightly- liek a threat. ]
We'll do it. It'll be good for both of us and it'll be productive.
[Miorine's hands move over her skin, fingers working away all the kinks and knots at the base of her neck. An odd feeling comes over her as a result: an intermingling of discomfort and sleepy pleasure. Suletta's head lolls before she shakes herself back into semi-alertness.]
Mm?
[It's a miracle among miracles. She seems relaxed, which was almost unheard of in their day to day.] Ah... [a little yawn that she covers with her mouth automatically before beginning to count off the ideas on her fingers.] All sorts of things. Going to the movies with a friend, having a sleepover, [Her voice drifts off before she finds her train of thought again.] going swimming...
[ She says definitively, sealing the promise by squeezing Suletta's neck.
The warmth of the water and the way the alcohol muddles her senses commingle quite nicely, and Miorine finds herself less concerned with the things she might usually work herself up over; things like personal space, composure, and holding herself up.
Almost suddenly, she falls forward some, leaning fully against Suletta. Miorine buries her face against Suletta. The words are muffled and barely audible over the water. ]
I haven't been to the beach in forever. We could go to a pool.. but it wouldn't be the same.
[ Suletta is soft, comfortable despite the lanky bones and covert muscle. She's realized this before, but this is the first time it's really registered in a slow lingering way. ]
I've never seen the beach, not really. But my mom and dad took me to one of those simulated tourist attractions with the fake waves— the ceiling is completely made of screens and they look so real you almost think you're looking at the sun.
[The warmth of the water and the careful work of Miorine’s hands make her relax gradually, her breathing slowing, drifting in and out of semi-awareness. It’s the reminder that Miorine is leaning on her for support that keeps her upright, and so when she rests against her, Suletta doesn’t tense. Instead her shoulders dip some; she smiles. It made sense that Miorine would have been swimming, already — it seemed that Suletta was forever catching up with these things that others had done so much of already. The thought doesn’t sting as it usually does, though. Instead, without thinking, she says:]
It sounds amazing! Mm, there’s nothing like that on Mercury. Most of what I’ve seen of beaches have been in books, or videos… [She turns to glance at Miorine, her brow crinkling in amusement when she realizes that she can’t.] Can you hear it? Oh! [Her hands almost fan out in excitement before she remembers where they are.] I wonder if it smells the same too.
The sounds were easy and the foggy heat of the shower is a tropical climate when she's already warm from the booze. Miorine allows herself the luxury of quietly falling into the optimism of Suletta's imagination. ]
Don't get so excited. You can't go into moving water until you at least learn to float on still water.
[ Miorine sleepily rubs her face against Suletta's back and gets the slightest taste of salt. ]
I have some free time coming up. It's not much but I think it'll align with the school's seasonal closure. We'll plan for something then.
[ And without so much as another word she opens the shower door. Cold air rushes in and the steam flows out. Miorine doesn't bother with a towel and drips water with every step she takes out of the bathroom. ]
I'll practice! I'll do my best. [She's fired up now, eager for these hypothetical swimming lessons.
The cold shocks her out of her pleasant reverie, and she yelps, ineffectually trying to cover herself with her hands. Miorine's halfway out of the bathroom before Suletta manages to scramble out of the shower, grabbing a towel so fast that the bar holding it spins rapidly before going still again.
Suletta wraps herself in it, holding white-knuckled onto it with one hand, grabbing a second towel with the other. There's little puddles of water all over thanks to Miorine, and in her haste she very nearly slips.
She approaches Miorine with the caution of approaching a wild animal, gently draping the extra towel over her shoulders. This done, she breathes out in a relieved sigh, having set the universe right again.]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2023-01-09 02:51 am (UTC)[Wordless assent given, she turns to the work of gathering Miorine's things and neatly hanging them. There's still residual warmth there, too, and out of sight, she presses the fabric to her cheek, nuzzling it like a cat. Her gaze softens, goes distant. The gesture soothes her even as she feels embarrassed by it, and with her head mostly cleared, she ponders Miorine's unpleasant mood. Had she done something wrong, she wonders? Surely she had, if Miorine was upset, but she couldn't figure out what it was. She taps her forehead in an attempt to jangle the memory out, and then realizes that she's leaving her waiting, which was going to make her more upset...
She quickly shuffles into the bathroom, and as expected, she quickly turns when she notes Miorine's state of undress. She's still dressed, save her shoes, and is puzzling over how to get out of her dress on her own when Miorine's voice cuts through the air, making her jump.]
Wha - weird? Is it weird... ? [She's midway into awkwardly trying to grab the zipper to her dress and freezes. ] It's only, [She fumbles with her words.] it's just, I'm not used to it. I don't want to stare. It's rude.
[Her cheeks are flushed: from the exertion of trying (and failing) to undo her dress, from the steam, from bashfulness. Maybe this was why Miorine was upset with her. ] I'm sorry.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-09 02:32 pm (UTC)Here, I'll help.
[ She has to stand on her toes but she's able to get the zipper. Suletta's skin is also marred with slight welts from having to squeeze into one of Miorine's dresses— the tailor had only had time to fix the hemline to match her height.
Her fingers trace the lines left behind by the the ribs of the bodice, gentle and confident in how she massages the markings away. ]
Stop apologizing.
[ She sounds defeated, not mad. ]
You didn't do anything wrong.. you were the only reason I got through the night without losing it. Well, you and the bartender anyway.
[ With that she steps away, and before she fully enters the shower she calls over the stream of water: ]
You don't have to look if you're not comfortable, just sit here and make sure I don't fall. But.. if you want to, you're allowed to look.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-09 09:23 pm (UTC)By the time the buzzing in her head has stopped enough for her to register Miorine's words, she's already disappeared into the shower, her pale skin and hair seeming to melt into the steam, the lines of her body growing blurry and indistinct. Suletta does not look. Instead she sits, clenching and unclenching her hands until she's made grooves in her palms. ]
Run away, [she mumbles, so quietly that someone standing next to her would be hard pressed to hear her,] you gain one.
[ She could stay here, in her nervous chasteness, and things would be fine. She believed Miorine when she said that it would be okay either way.
She always believed Miorine.
But Miorine had a bad evening, hadn't she? She'd been stressed, Suletta remembers it now. For all her confidence and ease, she hadn't let Suletta out of her sight, and had held on so tightly to her arm at points that Suletta was worried that it might bruise. The barely-there tightening of her jaw at some of the questions, when she was called "young lady" instead of her name, or at inappropriate laughter. And Miorine had complained very little, by comparison, had only asked Suletta for these little gestures, barely anything, unselfish despite everything she had done, and continued to do, for herself and Aerial.
So she could stay here, true. But if she didn't... she could help Miorine, make her feel better. Happier. (She could be useful.)
Move forward, gain two.
Suletta stands up so quickly that she makes herself lightheaded . Her jaw sets, comically serious. She marches over to the glass shower door, made opaque by steam. And then...
She very politely knocks. ] M... Miorine! [ Too loud. She winces. ] I'm- I'm coming in now! [She adds:] If that's okay!
[Carefully, she opens the shower door only enough to step inside, placing a hand on the wall behind her to steady herself as she shuts it. It occurs to her that she should have practiced what to say. Something cool, or charming.]
...
So that you won't fall.
[Nailed it.]
no subject
Date: 2023-01-09 10:48 pm (UTC)I can see and hear you, you know.
[ but she makes sure to mumble it so quietly that Suletta can't hear.
It's a bit like watching a foal stand for the first time, unsure and excited, wavering on thin legs but putting in its best efforts.
Whatever tension there had been dissolves into thin air thanks to Suletta's one liner. Miorine does not look at her directly in an effort to ease Suletta into this form of intimacy. She offers Suletta this: ]
Good.
[ The shower and its spray are big enough to accommodate them both without it being too tight of a squeeze. For a moment Miorine does nothing but soak up the warm water and the odd feeling of calm that Suletta's presence offers her— by herself without being alone was her ideal state of being, she'd realized. ]
We should really get you your own formalwear. I'm going to take you shopping when we go back to school.
[ She looks over her shoulder at Suletta, though her eyes are only half open from the water. ]
You can't keep wearing my hand me downs. They don't suit you and they can't be comfortable.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-10 12:12 am (UTC)When Miorine turns to address her, she stands at attention, more like a soldier than anyone even remotely comfortable with anything going on, as if to prove that she wasn't staring. Then what Miorine says catches up to her. She presses her index fingers together in front of her, feeling sheepish, but pleased too, if her shy smile is any indication.]
Oh, I guess they're a little tight on me... [Every day, it seemed, she got taller and more awkward, growing out of things too fast to keep up. She had bemoaned this issue to her mother. Would it ever stop? She was taller than some of the boys. Miorine, however, sermed to blossom into her looks. Or perhaps it was affection coloring her judgment. Either way, she's touched by the consideration.
She almost says that it was okay, she'd figure out something, that it was manageable. Instead, she says quietly:] It's on my list. "Go shopping with friends." I'd like that.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-10 02:36 am (UTC)[ She says it like an afterthought, eyes shut as she runs her hands through her wet hair. ]
When I say shopping I mean having a stylist ship things in but.. yeah, I suppose we could go shopping.
[ it's the first time they've been fully nude in front of each other. They'd shared rooms for awhile, but Suletta always made sure to change out of sight or give Miorine privacy even when she hadn't asked for any.
She'd always been confident in her own appearance, and gradually she became more curious about Suletta's— Miorine just hadn't realized until tonight (angered and emboldened) that those two things had weighed like two ton weights in her stomach. What a stupid, pointless, pathetic thought: wondering if her fiancé found her attractive.
Miorine reaches for the shampoo and lathers it up between her hands. Her sudsy fingers wiggle indifferently. ]
Kneel down a little. I'm going to wash your hair.
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Date: 2023-01-10 04:37 am (UTC)[Suletta mumbles this, awestruck. She had recently begun to think about the differences between her upbringing and Miorine's own. The way that Miorine wasn't careless, but she simply didn't think anything of the cost of things. It just didn't occur to her. Suletta thinks of the people on Mercury, all the hard labor and harder living, and how no one ever seemed to smile much, and feels something: a simmering discomfort. She feels guilty and undeserving of something so lavish as a shopping trip, but to refuse a gift would be rude, and it might hurt Miorine's feelings, wouldn't it? To be so callous to refuse, just because she thought it was too good for her.
Her gaze dims, her expression going somber, and she thinks she is being too quiet; she should say something. It was weird, to just stand here quietly. It was weird to be so nervous around one's fiancée. To not know what fork to use at a fancy party, that was strange too. To not have anything nice to wear. Anxiety creeps its way up her throat and through her veins, and she feels the faint stirrings of panic.
Miorine's request gives her something to do, and the voice in her head (cruel, cutting, uncomfortably familiar) goes quiet. Suletta brightens again and crouches so that she might be able to reach her hair.]
Is this okay? Should I go lower?
[Something about this strikes her as funny — it's cute, that Miorine can't reach her without standing up on the tips of her toes, or without her needing to crouch down. And she doesn't mean to, but she giggles a little, a short little huff of laughter that she covers with her mouth.]
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Date: 2023-01-10 01:28 pm (UTC)[ She's never done this for anyone else, but thinks about how nice it always feels when she goes to a salon and mimics that— rubbing circles across Suletta's scalp with her fingertips. She stops suddenly with her hands still tangled in Suletta's hair. ]
Huh? What's so funny?
[ It's delivered like a threat, one more suited to be spoken by a big thug and not whatever Miorine was. ]
I could make you bald in an instant, so you better be careful about what you say next.
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Date: 2023-01-10 02:56 pm (UTC)Nothing!
[And then, timidly :] I was only thinking, that you wear heels so much... I hadn't noticed how small you are. You always seem much bigger, so you're cute this way.
[After a moment:]
Please don't make me bald.
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Date: 2023-01-10 03:46 pm (UTC)What did you say?!
[ She does not pull on Suletta's hair, but her fingers do grip harder— a gentle tug, as if to signal that she cannot be stopped. ]
Not all of us can be like you! What do they even feed people on Mercury. Are you all giants?
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Date: 2023-01-10 06:33 pm (UTC)I didn't mean anything bad! [Because Miorine has taken offense, she moves to clarify. Now that the immediate threat has passed, she seems calmer.] It's cute, that's all. I wish I wasn't so tall — I grow out of things too quickly. But you always look nice in whatever you wear. That's what I meant.
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Date: 2023-01-10 07:50 pm (UTC)Miorine let's her know this by letting go of her hair and swatting Suletta's hands away. ]
Move. I need to wash the shampoo out!
[ She mulls over Suletta's words while rubbing the suds out of her scalp- as gentle as she is thorough, admiring the long strands of red that fall through her hands. ]
I like that you're tall. It suits you- and if we were both short we wouldn't fit together as nicely.
[ She will not admit more than this: but she likes that Suletta towers over her, watchful and always there when she may need a boost, shade, or simply something to admire. It's attractive, but despite her own angling for this kind of validation she can't quite offer Suletta the same in as many words. ]
It's not how tall or short you are that decides how good you look in something, anyway. It's about knowing what you feel good wearing and acting like it was made just for you even if it wasn't.
[ All the while Miorine lathers her own hair, eyes closed as soap and water trickle down her face. Throws her head forward and down so that her head is tilted in a way to make the whole thing easier and she yells over the water. ]
Well? Are you going to stand there? Or are you going to scrub my back?
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Date: 2023-01-10 09:31 pm (UTC)Suletta smiles, closing her eyes again, and for a moment indulges in this thing rarely experienced: someone giving her their undivided attention, caring for her. She soaks it up like a flower in darkness, craning helplessly toward a beam of sunlight. That’s what Miorine’s attention felt like — something integral and necessary.
Her eyes open again at Miorine’s request (more like a demand), and she straightens up.] Right! [Her cheeks are still a little red, and she hopes it isn’t noticeable.
Miorine’s back is as pale as the rest of her, and her hair shines as it clings to her back, shimmering with water droplets. Suletta swallows hard, and cautiously approaches, reaching for the shower gel without pulling her eyes away. There is color along Miorine’s bare skin, she realizes: spots where the hot water has flushed her skin pink. Suletta’s fingers twitch in the air, and then she pushes Miorine’s wet hair over her shoulder to expose her back. Closer now, she becomes fixated by the spot where her neck meets her shoulder, the pale expanse of skin there. There’s a freckle, barely noticeable. She wonders if anyone else has ever seen it.
She hasn’t even started washing her back and she’s going to pass out. Suletta steels her nerve, works soap into a lather into her hands, and steps closer, beginning to wash Miorine’s back. Her hands are warm and gentle, a barely-felt pressure. She’s afraid to even talk. She can hear her heart beating in her ears.]
This is okay, right? [She’d been worried that her voice would tremble, or that she’d be too loud again, but her voice is soft and steady.]
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Date: 2023-01-11 12:27 am (UTC)The answer Suletta seeks comes in the way of a pleasant sigh as she tilts her head to stretch her neck— feeling the tension slowly be rubbed away by Suletta's hands.
Her hands are careful and strong, they feel nice for all the reasons they should and in part because they belong to Suletta.
Miorine is quiet for a moment, and then suddenly erupts: ]
Man!
[ it's hard to tell if she's groaning in annoyance or exhausted. Miorine leans back slightly, resting her weight against Suletta. ]
I hope every single man in that room goes to hell.
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Date: 2023-01-11 03:12 am (UTC)The sound of water around them obscures the surprised noise she makes when Miorine leans against her. She's soft, warm, slippery from water and soap.
Gradually, it occurs to her that Miorine is complaining about something. She catches enough of it to give what she hopes is an appropriate response.]
They were rude to you. [She agrees, carefully. A memory comes to her.] The one with the silly mustache was the worst.
[An investor in their company, but keeping up with their names and what they controlled was not Suletta's forte. All she knew is that one had too much to drink, and had put his hand on Miorine's shoulder. Without thinking, Suletta had placed herself between them, and asked him a question that was likely woefully simplistic. But he'd humored it, perhaps finding it cute, and more importantly he'd left Miorine alone.]
They should take you more seriously.
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Date: 2023-01-11 03:55 am (UTC)I could bring him back his investment by tenfold and he still wouldn't take me seriously. Men are like that.
[ She looks up at Suletta and from this view the difference in height is even more apparent. If Suletta is tense behind her she doesn't seem to notice, too busy taking note instead of how firm and steady she feels. ]
You know, you were almost smooth when you intercepted him. I was actually impressed.
[ The smile she offers is teasing but as genuine as it usually gets with Miorine. She had been impressed, and she'd appreciated it.
With each of these events Suletta grew more confident and in turn had begun to be a source of support instead of someone to babysit.
She's still getting used to that. ]
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Date: 2023-01-11 09:33 pm (UTC)The memory is an unpleasant one, and luckily what Miorine says distracts her from it.]
Really? Ehe… [Sheepishly, Suletta rubs at the back of her head. The compliment was sparse, but from Miorine it was high praise. It didn’t take much to please Suletta, anyway.] I’m happy it worked. He was, [a pause, as she tries to work out an insult that was not too biting.] pushy. He was making you uncomfortable.
[She had been able to tell this. After spending so much time with Miorine, she was realizing that her moods, normally so impenetrable, were beginning to make sense the more time she observed. So she had seen the way Miorine’s shoulders jumped so slightly when the man touched her, and had felt not panic but something else. A bristling irritation — didn’t he see that she didn’t like that?]
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Date: 2023-01-11 09:54 pm (UTC)[ Whatever ire Suletta had avoided Miorine delivers tenfold. She pulls away just slightly, enough so that she is maintaining her own balance again. Miorine lathers soap between her hands and keeps her gaze above Suletta's shoulders in an effort to avoid ruining whatever progress had been made in the way of soothed nerves. ]
Here, I'll get your back too.
[ Suletta's shoulders are broader than she realizes, well worked muscles hidden beneath soft tan skin. Freakish stamina aside it made sense she was strong, working a mobile suit was hardly for the weak, especially one of Aerial's caliber.
She has to stand on her toes to reach Suletta's shoulders and when she notices just how taut those muscles are she can't help but firmly work her fingertips against the muscle. ]
Figures, you carry all your tension in your shoulders. You need to relax more you know.
[ A case of the pot calling the kettle black if there ever was one. ]
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Date: 2023-01-12 01:24 am (UTC)(Understatement of the year.)
For now, her shoulders hunch reflexively before she remembers to relax. Miorine's hands are firm and confident, working away stiffness she hadn't even realized that she was carrying. Her closeness flusters Suletta, who feels clumsy and unsteady, worried that she would do something to cause it to end prematurely.]
You don't relax either. When you're not sleeping, you work all the time. So I thought.... I should work that hard too, so that I could help you.
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Date: 2023-01-13 02:44 pm (UTC)And for that reason she offers an apology in the way of this concession: ]
Your list- what's something on that would be relaxing?
[ Her hands move more central, both working in tandem to get the muscles closer to Suletta's neck. She has a comment about how Suletta's slouching has contributed to her poor posture brewing but she bites it down for now.
Miorine's hands come to rest around the base of Suletta's neck, grasping lightly- liek a threat. ]
We'll do it. It'll be good for both of us and it'll be productive.
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Date: 2023-02-06 07:20 am (UTC)Mm?
[It's a miracle among miracles. She seems relaxed, which was almost unheard of in their day to day.] Ah... [a little yawn that she covers with her mouth automatically before beginning to count off the ideas on her fingers.] All sorts of things. Going to the movies with a friend, having a sleepover, [Her voice drifts off before she finds her train of thought again.] going swimming...
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Date: 2023-03-04 02:20 am (UTC)[ She says definitively, sealing the promise by squeezing Suletta's neck.
The warmth of the water and the way the alcohol muddles her senses commingle quite nicely, and Miorine finds herself less concerned with the things she might usually work herself up over; things like personal space, composure, and holding herself up.
Almost suddenly, she falls forward some, leaning fully against Suletta. Miorine buries her face against Suletta. The words are muffled and barely audible over the water. ]
I haven't been to the beach in forever. We could go to a pool.. but it wouldn't be the same.
[ Suletta is soft, comfortable despite the lanky bones and covert muscle. She's realized this before, but this is the first time it's really registered in a slow lingering way. ]
I've never seen the beach, not really. But my mom and dad took me to one of those simulated tourist attractions with the fake waves— the ceiling is completely made of screens and they look so real you almost think you're looking at the sun.
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Date: 2023-03-04 05:41 am (UTC)It sounds amazing! Mm, there’s nothing like that on Mercury. Most of what I’ve seen of beaches have been in books, or videos… [She turns to glance at Miorine, her brow crinkling in amusement when she realizes that she can’t.] Can you hear it? Oh! [Her hands almost fan out in excitement before she remembers where they are.] I wonder if it smells the same too.
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Date: 2023-05-29 09:33 pm (UTC)The sounds were easy and the foggy heat of the shower is a tropical climate when she's already warm from the booze. Miorine allows herself the luxury of quietly falling into the optimism of Suletta's imagination. ]
Don't get so excited. You can't go into moving water until you at least learn to float on still water.
[ Miorine sleepily rubs her face against Suletta's back and gets the slightest taste of salt. ]
I have some free time coming up. It's not much but I think it'll align with the school's seasonal closure. We'll plan for something then.
[ And without so much as another word she opens the shower door. Cold air rushes in and the steam flows out. Miorine doesn't bother with a towel and drips water with every step she takes out of the bathroom. ]
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Date: 2023-05-29 10:24 pm (UTC)The cold shocks her out of her pleasant reverie, and she yelps, ineffectually trying to cover herself with her hands. Miorine's halfway out of the bathroom before Suletta manages to scramble out of the shower, grabbing a towel so fast that the bar holding it spins rapidly before going still again.
Suletta wraps herself in it, holding white-knuckled onto it with one hand, grabbing a second towel with the other. There's little puddles of water all over thanks to Miorine, and in her haste she very nearly slips.
She approaches Miorine with the caution of approaching a wild animal, gently draping the extra towel over her shoulders. This done, she breathes out in a relieved sigh, having set the universe right again.]
You'll catch a cold.
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