[ Miorine doesn't like hotel rooms— maybe it's because she's never had much of a real home; they're too big, too cold despite all the pointlessly luxurious amenities. She's had enough cold to last a lifetime. Resorts and suites were never anything special, just simply another miserable constant in her life.
She's said very little since they'd left the event, too tired from schmoozing and posing and pretending every investor and journalist wasn't looking at her (and them, their company and brainchild) with paternal contempt.
Without a word she reaches up, grasping Suletta's shoulder between her fingers— standing on one limb like a flamingo as she undoes her shoe. Silently, she switches between feet and when that's done she leaves her shoes where they are (dead center in the middle of the room) and strips out of her clothes (no thank you's for Suletta's patience as a fixture).
Thousands of dollars sit on the floor in the form of satin and silk. Miorine faces away from her and tilts her head to the side, holding her hair up with one hand. ]
Take it off.
[ She is of course, talking about the jewelry she's still wearing— dangling diamond earrings and a delicate pendant draped across her neck.
There's a slow creeping flush scaling up her chest and into her hair, it'd been hidden by dim light and then explained away by stage lights. But now, Miorine acknowledges it for what it is. ]
[Suletta is uncomfortable. But then, she usually is. In or out of fancy clothes, she’s still most at home tucked in Aerial’s cockpit or cleaning the armor plates of her chassis until it shined. Making idle conversation, talking about her worries and hearing the comforting thrum of Aerial’s voice in the back of her head. Aerial isn’t here though, far away and safe in a hangar, and it would be a little while before she and Miorine returned. Instead she’d spent the evening fielding questions as best she could, trying not to stammer, and remembering to keep her head held high. She’d been too nervous to do much but drink water and stay tucked close to Miorine, who always seemed to be so confident and in control. But Miorine had gotten quieter when the party began to wind down and they were finally freed from it. This in itself wasn’t unusual — Miorine tended to be quiet most of the time, especially when she had a lot on her mind, and often gets a look on her face that makes Suletta think of the way atmospheric storms used to form on Mercury, all dark churning clouds. Lost in thought.
As a result of all of this, Suletta had gotten quiet too, her awkward and well-meaning attempts at small talk fading into nervous mumbling, then nothing at all the closer they got to their room. She visibly relaxes when they arrive, her shoulders falling into a familiar and comfortable slouch. The hotel is nice, nicer than most places she’d been, and she always gets distracted looking at the way everything shines — the shining gold of the bathroom faucets and the sleek lines of the furniture, how soft the bedding was.
Miorine’s hand on her shoulder makes her jump. She squeaks, straightens up immediately as if in expectation of chastisement, and then goes very still, not wanting her to topple over. She is already kneeling to pick up the discarded clothing when Miorine issues her command.]
Eh? Oh, um, sure. [Dutifully, she turns her attention to the clasp holding Miorine’s necklace together. The metal is warm from hours on her skin, and closer now she can smell her perfume. Her gaze becomes distant and a little distracted before Miorine’s voice snaps her back to reality. She freezes mid-necklace removal, certain all of a sudden that her thoughts had been read and that something (she was not sure what) terrible was going to happen, but then the words and their meaning catch up to her.]
M-M-m, [A moment to compose herself, and then, scandalized:] Miorine!
[As far as scolding goes, it’s hilariously tame.] You shouldn’t — [she realizes midway telling Miorine that she shouldn’t do anything was a useless gesture, and instead,] I’ll-I’ll get you water! You should drink water!
[She immediately abandons the task given to her to go search for the aforementioned water.]
[ She is so desensitized to Suletta's incessant fretting that she can hardly be bothered to respond or be bothered by it, especially in her inebriated state. Mostly, she's just vaguely annoyed (but that's more like her resting state, and not anything remarkable).
Miorine sighs, and then crawls into bed gracelessly. Between her general inclination to behave like a bridge troll when alone (or around Suletta) and the liquor, she can hardly be assed to care how the nicely made bed or pressed linens crumple under her knees and elbows. ]
Jeez, you're so loud and annoying. I just wanna' sleep, okay?
[ She falls like a starfish right into the middle of the bed, diamonds the size of berries sticking to her skin and jingling against one another. ]
I won't get a hangover, if that's what you're worried about.
Water, water, water, water… [Fixated on her task, Suletta mumbles the word to herself as she searches for a glass, and so Miorine’s griping barely registers. She approaches with a glass and a bottle of water from the mini fridge, still fully dressed and with a furrowed brow.
Surely Miorine knew best if she’d get a hangover, but…] B-b-but… you could be dehydrated. [She takes a breath. Calm, slow down, she thinks.] You should drink water. [She says finally, without stammering. Her tone is gentle, but resolute: she would not be swayed in this.] And… I have to finish taking off your jewelry. And you have to get ready for bed properly, or…or you’ll be cranky in the morning!
[There, she thinks, a little proud of herself. She reaches out to cautiously touch Miorine’s wrist.] Please?
[ Miorine sits up with the sudden force of a jack-in-the-box, finally wound up enough to spring forward. She opens her mouth, ready to tell Suletta that she's going to be cranky no matter what.
But then, whether out of guilt for taking this out on her or embarrassment that Suletta is technically right she freezes mid syllable. Miorine sighs tersely and reaches around her side to unhook the clasp of her bra. It falls away easily, leaving behind welts on her skin from a long night. ]
Fine.
[ Miorine takes the the bottle, not the glass, and chugs it furiously. Lines of water spill from the corners of her mouth and run down her neck, though she seems unbothered by the mess she's made.
When she's done she crushes the bottle between her hands. ]
I need you to shower with me. I don't want to slip— the last thing we need is a tabloid article about me getting concussed.
[ She stares off at something in the distance, and then she throws the bottle across the room.
[At the very least, she was drinking water, though the offered glass had been eschewed for something more direct. Suletta finds herself staring at the way lines of water trace down Miorine's neck, droplets pooling in the dip of her collarbone. Shortly thereafter, she realizes that she's gawking, and turns away too sharply, settling her hands into tight fists in her lap. The expensive dress Miorine had given her creases slightly under the pressure.]
Shower?
[She looks over, then turns away again as Miorine removes her bra. Her shoulders briefly lift, tighten, relax again.] Okay. I don't want you to, um, slip.
[On the inside, her emotions can only be described as: ????
She allows her hands to unclench, then sets to the task of removing Miorine's jewelry, keeping her gaze tilted up and away. Despite their closeness, she was still chaste when it came to these things. She doesn't need to look at her to do this, anyway — it's muscle memory to undo the clasps. She is always much neater than Miorine, and handles the jewelry carefully as she sets it aside.
Her gaze turns to the discarded clothing and the crumpled water bottle.
It occurs to her at last that Miorine is upset about whatever had happened this evening, but her moods run deep, and she's harder to understand than most. Even for Suletta, who had a way with the reticent. She tries to think of a specific incident and finds that she's having trouble — the events they had to attend always made her so nervous. Had she missed something?] Ah...let me clean up a little bit first.
[ Suletta's squeamishness is vaguely noticed but duly noted. Relieved of her jewelry Miorine feels 10 pounds lighter, enjoying her relief feels more pressing than harping on Suletta's bashfulness. ]
Just don't take too long.
[ She grumbles and clambers off the bed, almost tripping when her feet almost miss the floor— Miorine raises a palm up in record time, a silent gesture that if Suletta so much as frowned in her direction she would detonate.
Only when her feet feel the cold marble of bathroom floors does she relax. Her underwear comes off too, sitting in a silky blue patch on the floor.
By the time Suletta returns she's in the process of taking off her makeup; the water is running, steam powdering every surface of the room with mist. Miorine watches Suletta's reflection and wipes the red from her lips. ]
You always freak out when you see me without my shirt on.
[ She says this, knowing this is the first time Suletta has really seen her without her pants. ]
Why are you so weird about it? You're my fiancé, aren't you?
[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. ]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2023-01-08 02:15 am (UTC)She's said very little since they'd left the event, too tired from schmoozing and posing and pretending every investor and journalist wasn't looking at her (and them, their company and brainchild) with paternal contempt.
Without a word she reaches up, grasping Suletta's shoulder between her fingers— standing on one limb like a flamingo as she undoes her shoe. Silently, she switches between feet and when that's done she leaves her shoes where they are (dead center in the middle of the room) and strips out of her clothes (no thank you's for Suletta's patience as a fixture).
Thousands of dollars sit on the floor in the form of satin and silk. Miorine faces away from her and tilts her head to the side, holding her hair up with one hand. ]
Take it off.
[ She is of course, talking about the jewelry she's still wearing— dangling diamond earrings and a delicate pendant draped across her neck.
There's a slow creeping flush scaling up her chest and into her hair, it'd been hidden by dim light and then explained away by stage lights. But now, Miorine acknowledges it for what it is. ]
I'm drunk. I was sneaking drinks all night.
no subject
Date: 2023-01-08 02:51 am (UTC)As a result of all of this, Suletta had gotten quiet too, her awkward and well-meaning attempts at small talk fading into nervous mumbling, then nothing at all the closer they got to their room. She visibly relaxes when they arrive, her shoulders falling into a familiar and comfortable slouch. The hotel is nice, nicer than most places she’d been, and she always gets distracted looking at the way everything shines — the shining gold of the bathroom faucets and the sleek lines of the furniture, how soft the bedding was.
Miorine’s hand on her shoulder makes her jump. She squeaks, straightens up immediately as if in expectation of chastisement, and then goes very still, not wanting her to topple over. She is already kneeling to pick up the discarded clothing when Miorine issues her command.]
Eh? Oh, um, sure. [Dutifully, she turns her attention to the clasp holding Miorine’s necklace together. The metal is warm from hours on her skin, and closer now she can smell her perfume. Her gaze becomes distant and a little distracted before Miorine’s voice snaps her back to reality. She freezes mid-necklace removal, certain all of a sudden that her thoughts had been read and that something (she was not sure what) terrible was going to happen, but then the words and their meaning catch up to her.]
M-M-m, [A moment to compose herself, and then, scandalized:] Miorine!
[As far as scolding goes, it’s hilariously tame.] You shouldn’t — [she realizes midway telling Miorine that she shouldn’t do anything was a useless gesture, and instead,] I’ll-I’ll get you water! You should drink water!
[She immediately abandons the task given to her to go search for the aforementioned water.]
no subject
Date: 2023-01-08 03:54 am (UTC)Miorine sighs, and then crawls into bed gracelessly. Between her general inclination to behave like a bridge troll when alone (or around Suletta) and the liquor, she can hardly be assed to care how the nicely made bed or pressed linens crumple under her knees and elbows. ]
Jeez, you're so loud and annoying. I just wanna' sleep, okay?
[ She falls like a starfish right into the middle of the bed, diamonds the size of berries sticking to her skin and jingling against one another. ]
I won't get a hangover, if that's what you're worried about.
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Date: 2023-01-08 04:12 am (UTC)Surely Miorine knew best if she’d get a hangover, but…] B-b-but… you could be dehydrated. [She takes a breath. Calm, slow down, she thinks.] You should drink water. [She says finally, without stammering. Her tone is gentle, but resolute: she would not be swayed in this.] And… I have to finish taking off your jewelry. And you have to get ready for bed properly, or…or you’ll be cranky in the morning!
[There, she thinks, a little proud of herself. She reaches out to cautiously touch Miorine’s wrist.] Please?
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Date: 2023-01-08 04:37 pm (UTC)But then, whether out of guilt for taking this out on her or embarrassment that Suletta is technically right she freezes mid syllable. Miorine sighs tersely and reaches around her side to unhook the clasp of her bra. It falls away easily, leaving behind welts on her skin from a long night. ]
Fine.
[ Miorine takes the the bottle, not the glass, and chugs it furiously. Lines of water spill from the corners of her mouth and run down her neck, though she seems unbothered by the mess she's made.
When she's done she crushes the bottle between her hands. ]
I need you to shower with me. I don't want to slip— the last thing we need is a tabloid article about me getting concussed.
[ She stares off at something in the distance, and then she throws the bottle across the room.
It just barely misses the trash can. ]
Our market value would drop within the hour.
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Date: 2023-01-08 06:58 pm (UTC)Shower?
[She looks over, then turns away again as Miorine removes her bra. Her shoulders briefly lift, tighten, relax again.] Okay. I don't want you to, um, slip.
[On the inside, her emotions can only be described as: ????
She allows her hands to unclench, then sets to the task of removing Miorine's jewelry, keeping her gaze tilted up and away. Despite their closeness, she was still chaste when it came to these things. She doesn't need to look at her to do this, anyway — it's muscle memory to undo the clasps. She is always much neater than Miorine, and handles the jewelry carefully as she sets it aside.
Her gaze turns to the discarded clothing and the crumpled water bottle.
It occurs to her at last that Miorine is upset about whatever had happened this evening, but her moods run deep, and she's harder to understand than most. Even for Suletta, who had a way with the reticent. She tries to think of a specific incident and finds that she's having trouble — the events they had to attend always made her so nervous. Had she missed something?] Ah...let me clean up a little bit first.
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Date: 2023-01-08 10:34 pm (UTC)Just don't take too long.
[ She grumbles and clambers off the bed, almost tripping when her feet almost miss the floor— Miorine raises a palm up in record time, a silent gesture that if Suletta so much as frowned in her direction she would detonate.
Only when her feet feel the cold marble of bathroom floors does she relax. Her underwear comes off too, sitting in a silky blue patch on the floor.
By the time Suletta returns she's in the process of taking off her makeup; the water is running, steam powdering every surface of the room with mist. Miorine watches Suletta's reflection and wipes the red from her lips. ]
You always freak out when you see me without my shirt on.
[ She says this, knowing this is the first time Suletta has really seen her without her pants. ]
Why are you so weird about it? You're my fiancé, aren't you?
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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.
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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.
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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.]
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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.
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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.
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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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