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The Pleiades Complex [Spidey + Worm] [M]
---Moving over from another site. Any potential readers, this could get....Mature....---
♥ -----t h a g h n e e l Neel cocked her head listening to the Zeryx introduce her to the idea of physical copies of books. Neel had always known they'd existed, but just assumed that digital databases contained all of the information needed. "Well. Can I see one when we get there?" She didn't tell him, but she mainly wanted to see if it was possible to find the same information online. Just because she was in such disbelief. As the hoverboard was whipped out, Neel blurted out "Woah!" and shook her head when Zeke asked if she had her own. Looking over the board in a sweeping motion, she closed the bedroom door behind her and it automatically locked. She took a cautious step onto the board and let it level out her weight. With an uncomfortable squeeze, she was able to balance. She put her arms around Zeke, a light blush on her face from the awkward closeness. "Alright, let's do this." She grinned, excited to see how fast this thing could move. ♥ ----- m e e q a Meeqa couldn't understand what it was like to be a creature heavily fetishized, but tried to seem supportive to her growing friendship. "You're not being selfish." She said calmly. "This seems like the least selfish thing you could do." She didn't want to say much more, as she wasn't sure of the customs on Magali's planet. So she tried to offer a warm smile instead. "I would be more than happy to take you on a tour!" She brightened, completely surprised by the request. It was rare that Meeqa would have someone to stay up with here. "The art studio next to our dorms is awesome and interactive! Plus, its open 24/7." She started moving around the room, searching for her computer and chips. "Actually, most things here are 24/7." She lifted her head, realizing this. It really was great for someone who needed little sleep. "Did you take the shuttle down here? Cus there's a great performance center too just a little further down poppy stretch." She slid a thin screen of a computer into a small pocket of a jacket. She then slung the see-through, plasticene jacket over her gown and pulled her strands from under the collar as it went on. And the shuttle is a quick way to get around. Plus, I've got a pass to ride free and a free voucher." She tipped towards her desk to grab the voucher, only remembering to grab it after she'd mentioned having one. She handed the tile of a voucher to Magali. "If you sign up through the administration building, they'll let you ride for free - well 5 credits for the semester." She shrugged, noting the small expense. |
Z e k e
Zeke couldn't help but smile at his new roommate wanting to see the books, “Of course. Some of them are fragile as they are so old, but you'd be surprised how often humans that live on Earth still use them!” He hopped onto his hoverboard with the ease of one who was well-familiar with the contraption. Soon, he could feel her tighten her grip around him and he grinned as it lifted off the ground. Sensing two pairs of feet, the hoverboard latched onto them so they didn't simply go flying off. George, too, was flying beside them, ready for speed. The little lizard loved it when Zeke took out the hoverboard as it gave her a chance to show off. “You ready?” With that, he leaned forward and the board took off. The speed felt incredible. They weaved through buildings expertly, never slowing down. George expertly kept up, stopping only when the pair did in front of the coffee shop. “Well? What do you think? I could probably get you one too, if you like. We can go boarding together!” M a g a l i Magali looked up just in time to catch that warm smile and returned it with one of her own. “I'll find some way to send money back to them. I will.” Her voice was resolute. If she could get better at art, she could sell her pieces for almost as much as she could sell herself. “A 24/7 art studio?! This place sounds like Heaven...I've always been more of a night person, so things being open all the time is really neat!” She was practically vibrating with excitement. Her village of Sheshmu was one that operated mostly during the day (save, perhaps, for those that were signed under contract, but most of those resided with those signed to). She'd always been one to stay up late into the night drawing and painting. “I'm glad I'm here too...You seem really nice, and I think I'm going to like it here!” Her cheeks reddened, “Thank you for....for your hospitality.” |
---- THAGHNEEL ----
Neel cocked her head, unsure as to why Earth citizens would still be using bound books. Technology had advanced so far that even her little farming planet was using screen books and data chips. Then again, all technology started on Earth. So why wouldn't they have keepsakes from where they started? She still was in disbelief that books could contain more information than the massive intergalactic web. Neel gave a sharp head nod, grasping firmly onto Zeke. "Ready. Her eyes squinted and before she knew it, they were whipping forward. A toothy smile instantly appeared on her face. When George came fluttering by, she made eye contact with the bugger. She was a fast one! Neel giggled, holding onto Zeke tighter as they made twists and turns. Before she knew it, there was the shop. It was called "Central Cup" and had a transposed image on the window of a coffee cup which changed colors. She licked her lips, the smell of warm drinks flooding the street. "Oh, no - no!" Neel's hands waved in front of her. "I couldn't ask that of you! If I would end up getting one, it'd be through my student loans. That would make me feel much better." She flashed a smile and gestured to move inside, leaving the question behind her. "C'mon then. I want to see the menu." She chirped, excited to see what sorts of drinks they offered. The windows were one way, so until they entered the shop, there was no way to tell how full they were. It seemed pretty busy at this time. There was a short line and several android servers. Two baristas took care of the drinks, both with extra limbs. It must help in a fast paced position like that. Neel slid a menu from the door slot and thumbed through it. "What do you normally get?" While Neel was happy with black coffee, she wanted to see the specials. ---- MEEQA ---- Meeqa didn't understand why her roommate was so adamant about helping her home world. If they were getting paid more than her becoming escorts, then why would they need her help? Was it social pressure, or just familial pressure to show that she was doing well without them? But she nodded, showing her support. She really just wanted the girl to be happy. Plus, it would be easier to focus on school if she tied up loose ends with her family. "Well, I'm glad to hear that! I don't need much sleep, so we can always hang out at night if - you know - you aren't busy with school work and such." She gave her a closed eye smile. "And don't worry about it!" She blushed with the girl's compliments. "The dorm monitors usually do a good job of putting people together. So, I wouldn't say you're lucky. But I will admit, this will be great!" She bounced a couple of times. "Let's take the shuttle and I'll give you the grand tour as it makes stops." She pulled a pamphlet from the kitchen and handed it to Magali. "Here, its a map of the Poppy Sector. It also shows the other sectors, but ours is the best." She stuck out a sliver of a tongue. "But lets get going! Early morning is great for the studio, cus only the nutjobs are there." Of course crazy people made the best artists. She didn't feel the need to mention this. Meeqa rather liked the unusual types. She grabbed Magali's hand and started tugging her through the front door excitedly. |
Z e k e
Zeke walked in, bag slung over his shoulder like he did everyday. No one bat an eye at George anymore and it quickly became obvious that he was a regular at this place. He'd had George registered as a therapy animal, which for all intents and purposes would only allow her in the dorms, but she was so well-behaved and didn't shed that they just let her in. Now, the little dragon was perched on his shoulder, her tail curving around to rest on his other shoulder. He inhaled deeply and grinned, “Home sweet home. Me? Oh I usually just get whatever the special is or the ol' reliable Red Eye. That one's good for study because it's loaded with caffeine.” They took their place in line and Zeke's black eyes drifted to the special board, “I'll have that.” “Sure thing, Zeke! How's little George doing today?” the barista asked, reaching over the counter to scratch George under the chin to receive a happy chirp from the creature in return. “She's fine. Happy to meet new friends as usual,” Zeke grinned back. The bartender's gaze shifted to his companion. “And for her?” “I've got it.” “As expected, Zeke. Go ahead and sit down, we'll bring your drinks right out.” Zeke motioned for her and they took a seat by the window. Other species were often disconcerted with the black eyes of Zeke's, but his smile could dispel any negative feelings almost instantly, and now was no exception. His black and silver eyes shone as he rest his bag on his lap pulling out one of the books, “You said you wanted to look at one? This one is my current Bible. I use it for everything. It's uh...actually fictional, but it's what was considered 'realism,' so it closely reflected the day to day life of the author. Of course, it's Euro-centric, and still in English as opposed to Galactic Common. You can find the translations on the web, but not the original. I'm pretty good with English, but the rest of it...Sheesh, I can only pick up a few words here and there.” He leaned back watching her take the book in her hands. “This is one of the oldest books I'm able to take home. The rest must be studied in the library as they are worried about the condition. Thankfully, I've got connections, so I'm actually allowed to handle them...” The familiar android stopped by the table, drinks in hands and set them down in front of their respective owners, Zeke thanked her and promptly took the top off of his, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a small pouch containing a white powder. This he emptied into his drink and stirred it around. “So tell me about your studies. What do you plan on doing with it? Translation, probably?” M a g a l i Magali grinned, “I'd like that very much, actually. They must have taken species into consideration as well. Felis don't sleep often either. More than your kind, I'm sure, but we are back up to normal after three or four hours' rest.” She didn't mention that this was yet another reason felis were so sought after; their perseverance was remarkable and unlike their feline counterparts were able to be...working...late into the night without tiring. She took the pamphlet barely having a chance to glance at it before being tugged along by her excited roommate. “Well of course ours is the best. We're here and it's full of artists! I don't think we'll ever get bored...” She followed along, half dragged, with a giddy smile on her face. Thoughts of her village disappeared behind them and she now was looking forward to the future. It was certainly going to be a semester to remember. “Hey, careful what you say about those nutjobs! I'm probably going to be one of them!” |
---- THAGHNEEL ----
Neel wasn't used to the lap of luxury that the campus had to offer. The ambient music in the background was soothing. Everyone seemed classy and sophisticated. On her home planet, coffee was something you only got at home. Her mother's was really tasty, but the smells which wafted through here seemed to put mother's to shame. It made her feel slightly guilty when she said "I'll have the same." Even though she'd never tried a Dirty Central Chai, she was practically drooling when it came out. She followed the routine of Zeke and lifted her lid up promptly. It was spicy and sweet, but she could still tell there was black gold inside. She lifted the cup to her nostrils and took a big whiff. Nutmeg, Syrr spice, and something she couldn't place, which must've been the chai itself. "Excuse me, could you tell me -" She grabbed the pseudo skin of the android server. "What exactly is chai?" Neel said in a hushed tone. "Certainly! It is a black tea with several different aromatic spices in it. The dirty chai also contains two shots of espresso." Neel blushed, bowing her head to let the android know she was pleased. "Well, thank you." She smiled. The android gave a smile as well. "Certainly!" And wheeled itself back towards the baristas. When Neel turned her head back to the table, she noticed the archaic book in front of her. Eyes widening, she delicately traced her fingers along its spine. "The Bye-Ble?" She stretched out vowels where they didn't need to be accentuated. "I'm pretty sure I've heard of this one before." She carefully opened it up to small text and flipped through verses. "It doesn't have a light or anything?" She grinned, looking back at the spine and the back of the book. "If I'm remembering correctly, this is a book that has been translated for basically every ancient Earthican language. In fact, it has caused many problems because of poor translation." She squinted now, reading above her finger as she traced along verses. "It reads a lot like poetry!" She smiled. "It's funny that people would think this was fact, when it is obviously heavily influenced by intoxicants." She continued to read, not looking up at Zeke, but taking a sip of her chai. It was super hot, but she rolled her tongue around a couple of times to let it cool in her mouth. A small gasp and she continued. "They drank wine as ritual. Some even think they had a special drink which caused hallucinations. While I'm not sure if that's fact, its obvious that these people were trying to scrape away at the human condition and what happens after death." She skimmed through the old testament, filled with revelations and fear tactics. "Plus, they had a real problem with women." She pursed her lips, looking up briefly to blow on her drink before sipping. "This is really good." She muttered, pointing at the cup. "But uh, I've only read small parts in my English and Arabic class." She closed the book. "I'm surprised you were able to get a hold of this gem. It shows us how far humanity has come." Though Neel was not human, she was just like many other outworlders, a distant cousin to these primal beings. "Imagine how scary it must've been to believe you were alone in the universe..." This was the only rationale Neel had for creating a God. It was what they covered in their basic Mythology class. Many cultures begin with rituals and often they have deities to cope with a lonely existence. Perhaps this was no different than the idols many of the Pleiades inhabitants worshiped. Maybe the new age of intergalactic space travel was just as lonely as the first world. ---- MEEQA ---- When in good health, Meeqa would only sleep two hours every five days. If the synthetic weather was particularly hot or bright, she might sleep more. She was used to a cool, tranquil blue which would wrap around her and comfort her. Back on Parush, instead of sleep, Meeqa and her family would float in a circle to photosynthesize the little amount of light their planet received. This would charge and prepare them for travel. Here in Outurn, there was sufficient light, even if it was synthetic, that she barely even tried to photosynthesize. She had so much energy, which made her feel great most of the time. She came to sleep once a week out of routine. And the soft blue light of their sleeping chambers almost reminded her of home. When she'd wake from her chamber, she'd be calm and renewed. Meeqa and Magali made their way towards the lifts and were vacuumed down to the main level. "Just wait til you see them though. The art in the morning is amazing. It wouldn't surprise me if you ended up being one of them." Meeqa stuck her tongue out playfully, teasing the idea of Magali being a nutjob. The main level of the Poppy complex was still quiet at this time of day. However, you could start to see the red of sunrise start to emulate wakefulness. At the front of their dorm was a stop for the shuttle. It stopped every two minutes. They'd gotten there just as the shuttle arrived. It was a rectangular metal box which hovered six inches above the ground. The doors slid open, revealing a short line of Poppy residents returning to their dorms. The sliding sign showed their next stop "Poppy - Information District". They would get off at the Art District. Meeqa weaved between the few arrivals and slid her card into the automated driver slot. It flashed green to let her know that she was valid. She motioned for Magali to follow. Once the girl was on the firs step into the shuttle, she let the driver eat her temporary pass. It flashed green but did not return anything. Meeqa nodded and smiled. They walked towards the back of the bus, even though there were plenty of seats. The shuttles were nice and private. A soundproof screen would enclose them into their four-seat area. Once in a while, there were always troublemakers. But the shuttle was fairly safe in transit. "So, there's our dorms. Building's a lot bigger than it seems." She craned her neck to try to see the top of it. "Next to us is the bookstore. So if you need books for your classes, its real convenient." Glued to the window, she continued to give travel guide information. "Then after the bookstore, there's the library. Oh and behind the library, see the buildings? That's where your classes will be. So they're easy to walk to. Well, unless you're still taking prereqs. I still need to take robotics, so I'll need to shuttle to the Orchid sector a couple times a week." She rested her chin on her hand now, a little bummed that her vacation was nearly over. |
Z e k e
Zeke lifted his coffee cup to his face inhaling the savory sweet scent and sighing contently. “You know? I almost spend as much time here as I do in the dorm. It's soothing, a nice atmosphere, and the coffee can't be beat.” George clicked her agreement as she flew up. The windowsill jut out just far enough that she could use it as a perch. It was obvious she was as used to coming here as Zeke was at this point. “Yeah, that's the book right there,” he said, beaming with pride. “Yeah, Psalms especially reads like poetry. The first part of the book, the Old Testament, was used by a couple of different religions, actually. The Christians and the Jews both used it, but the Jews called it the Torah, that is if my studies pointed me to the right spot. It's essentially laws and the like, really giving insight as to how that particular group of people lived, long before humans figured out even ground transportation.” He explained this with the ease of someone who had read the book at least once. “It was translated so many times simply because of the how prominent the sky god religion was. It caused wars...countless wars. Lots of massacres too, and not just Christianity. All people went to war over religion at one point, Muslims, Buddhists, you name it, the humans have probably fought over it.” He took a sip of his tea, if only to rest his mouth for a second, furrowed his brows and produced another packet of the white powder from before, dumping it in. Taking another sip, he smiled, “That's better. Sorry, was up late last night studying. Sometimes even the espresso shots don't do the trick. Anyway, yeah, I agree. Some of their views were really fucked up.” Here, he took the book from her for a moment, flipping to Deuteronomy, “Check it out. Deuteronomy 22:28-29, If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, which is not betrothed, and lay hold her, and lie with her, and they be found; Then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days. How fucked up is that?! A guy meets a virgin, rapes her, and doesn't make it up to her but her father?! That was a thing! That happened!” He ran a hand through his hair, once again flabbergasted that these were actually laws that were followed, and followed faithfully. Want a wife? Just rape a virgin! He was still wrapping his head around the fact that there was such a huge disparity between the sexes when his own species didn't even have sexed names. The sexes were simply for procreation and there were enough of them that procreation wasn't even a big deal anymore so even homosexuality was alright in their book. Any kind of hate for things like that...he just didn't get it. It made humans all the more fascinating for him. He cleared his throat, a bit ashamed at his ramblings and slid the Bible back over to her, “Sorry... I uh...get excitable. I mean, it kind of makes sense, them turning to religion like that, thinking about death and looking at the sky and seeing nothing but void as opposed to opportunity. They needed to hold on to something. This invisible Sky God was their method...” He trailed off shaking his head, “And don't get me started on their practices with the dead...” |
M a g a l i
Magali bit her lip, feeling suctioned down. The elevators were fast, almost instant, but it felt like they hadn't moved. She hadn't really noticed it going in so much because she was distracted by the put off 'guide' if the lady could even be called that. Now in a new light and in the presence of one who was actually glad that she was around, she saw clearly. Even with the just now emulated rising sun, there were lights. Lamps with an almost warm orange glow adorned the streets, and a few morning folk traveled below them. Of those the species that she could recognize, at least, all appeared to be her age, some older and few younger. “I can't wait to see it,” Magali breathed. She didn't mind being compared to a nutjob; she was used to it. Of course, she preferred to think of herself as unique, but you can't always choose your descriptors. As it was, she looked at the shuttle with the wide-eyed stare of someone who had never left their somewhat primitive (at least by these standards) home planet. She was grateful for Meeqa's choice of seating, allowing her to see how many different species she'd be going to school with. Her entire life, she'd been used to felis and the occasional customer answering an advertisment for felis escorts. Now she was residing among them as one of them, as something other than a pleasure worker. Her eyes darted every time Meeqa went to point something out and she repeated each of the names to herself silently as Meeqa started her tour. Fuck her guide, her roommate was much better. “I've got a couple of books I need to buy but--” she flushed, “But I can't...I was hoping to maybe find a job and I'll play catchup...so I...I don't know. Maybe one or two jobs a semester I could--” Meeqa had unintentionally brought up a sore subject for her. With the village's disapproval of her coming, she had to come up with her own funds to make even the transportation funds. The need for books loomed in the near future and she had absolutely nothing. If there was one thing being a felis was good for, it was coming up with funds fast, though she wouldn't like the way she'd have to. |
---- THAGHNEEL ----
Neel was embarrassingly happy to be with someone who could hold an intelligent conversation with her. While she had met some intellectuals on her home planet, scholars and the sort, she never had these sort of conversations with them. She'd met people online who she'd ramble with off planet. But this brought a tingle to her cheeks, making her light fur fluff up a bit. "Yes, this place is quite charming." She smiled, genuinely. Neel looked down at her cup, swirling it around a bit before noticing the second packet. She wasn't entirely sure what was in it, but apparently it helped Zeke with energy. It reminded her of some of the plants back home. They had so many natural remedies. Which is part of the reason they were a farming planet. "What is that stuff?" She asked cautiously. Her drink was sweet enough, so she couldn't imagine putting more sweetener in it. Though, to each their own. She took another swig. This time it was the perfect temperature. Neel's roommate flipped through and frantically found a piece from the Bible. She was wide-eyed and gasping. "That is ridiculous!" She looked at him and back at the verse. "No, no need to apologize! This is right up my alley." She skimmed through the verse again and again. "The English here is archaic, yet this book remained in common knowledge all the way through the 23rd century! The language had changed so much, that it became obsolete." She shook her head, a little surprised that her new friend could even make sense of it. "To think, that's where humanity started. That is how we would think. Of other people nonetheless!" Neel was just as outraged as her coffee shop partner. However, there were still some undeveloped planets which functioned on a system much like this ancient book of myth. "If you need someone to rant with, I can do this all day!" She chuckled. And then, he brought up the dead. Her jaw dropped. "Ohhhh, I've gotta know some of those details!" She rubbed her hands together in excitement. History was not her subject of inquiry, but it still fascinated her. "Oh, I forgot to answer your question earlier." She tapped herself on the head. "Got too excited 'bout the book. I uhh- I just really want to travel a lot. So yeah, a translator would be great. I'd like to work with the Galactic Federation and be a linguist on their ships." She blushed. It seemed like a far fetched dream. Sort of like wishing to be an astronaut in first world days. "But anyways!" She shooed away her thoughts. "Back to dead people." She grinned cheekily. ---- MEEQA ---- She turned to the concern of her roommate. "Well, they've got programs to help you out with funding here. I could always spot you too! I'm not low on cash or anything. Can't promise to feed you every day though." She chuckled, returning her glance to the window. She was completely oblivious to the statement Magali had made about finding jobs. The shuttle stopped in what was called the Party District. The title dragged across an electronic banner on both sides of their booth. "Poppy - Party District". Meeqa grinned. "So the Party District is great for artists and - anyone really. We've got arcades down that alley there. Right in front is a popular bar." A couple people were bantering outside of the bar. "Next to that is a club. But its been really slow since they opened a new club on the next corner. I'll point it out." She only turned her cheek 25 degrees towards Magali when she spoke. "Oh and there's the dance venue I work at on weekends! You should come see me sometime!" She clapped her hands together. The venue clearly showed neon girls on poles, classic for exotic dance. Meeqa just thought of it as regular dance though. Its sign flashed "Class Acts and Exotic Pets". The pets were of course, the girls. It was run by a woman who double majored in business and fine arts. She made sure that her girls were safe. Meeqa just worked for some extra cash, but some made a living off of the place. Which nobody judged them for. The shuttle stopped in front of another club. Crystal Palace. It lived up to its name. It was a high rise building with crystal walls and bumping music. Some patrons were stumbling out of the club. "This is Crystal Palace, the club I was telling you about earlier." She smiled, waiting for the shuttle to take off again. The banners now read: Poppy - Art District. "Okay, we're almost there! Right there's the dance studio. I practice routines there. There's the art supply shop. Oh, and there's the art studio!" She pointed at an angle towards a not so far off little building. It was covered in street art and perfectly square. A sculpture of a bubble tree sat on top of it. "Right there is the museum too. So we can check that out too if you want." She smiled, the shuttle coming to a slow stop. She stood, lending a hand to Magali and sliding the privacy door open. This made a little jingle, letting the shuttle know that people were exiting. As they stepped off, the smell of paint fumes and canvas came into breath. The smell of alcohol and sweat, not too far in the distance. "Here we are!" She spun around, arms wide in the air. The studio was just across the street. She bounced towards it backwards, prompting her new friend to follow. |
---ZEKE---
Zeke looked up to his dragon. No wonder she was a creature of the morning—she could take naps whenever she damn well pleased. He grinned at his new roommate, satisfied that she was happy with the place, “Well, I'm glad, because it's close, easy to get to, convenient. Not to mention, if I'm not at the dorm or the library, I'm most likely found here. I'm ah...not too into parties.” He colored with the question, simply assuming that everyone crazy enough to become a student at the university would have been familiar with it, “It's uh...chellix. You know...I guess it could be described as an 'upper'? I don't know, I drink it with my coffee, but hardcore users sniff the stuff if they have noses. It's got a lot of applications, half of them incredibly irresponsible and all of them addictive. Guess you could call me an addict by now, but I use so little of it compared to others that I don't really think anything of it...” His voice trailed off, hoping that he didn't spoil his roommate's feelings about him. If he did, he'd just be more secretive about it. When he realized his rambling did the exact opposite of chase her away, he offered her a lopsided smile, “Yeah, actually. Exactly. That's what makes humanity so...curious. Nothing that they do should work, but it does. That, I think, is the human condition. It was their struggles with themselves that spurred them in to space to begin with, so I guess we should be grateful, but shit.” He took a sip of his, and finding it had cooled to a drinking temperature as he spoke then took a larger swig, sighing contently. He was already starting to look more awake. “Then I think they chose us as roommates perfectly. Hmm, a lofty goal, but I think it's one attainable nonetheless. Especially given the intelligence that seems emanate from you. We'll see how well you do in school, ultimately, that's what will decide it.” If Zeke's grin was wide before, it was larger now, black eyes lighting up, “Wanna find a former civilization? You find it through graveyards and the like. A tomb or something similar dictates quite a lot about how a particular human civilization lived. If you think about it, it's something that all civilizations have in common—citizens die. What do you do with the bodies? Well, it varies from culture to culture. Some simply buried them, which caused problems in and of themselves, but if you take a look at others, they burned them. Shit, some even turned their dead into decorations! Well, maybe not their dead, per se, but definitely their enemies! I should uh...clarify...that not all human cultures did this, but it's still spectacular to think about! Then, you look at others and the tombs are...just...massive, giant monuments to a single mortal life...almost always male, to be expected from a primitive species, but it's just...Actually, when we get back to the dorms, I'll show you. I went on a dig on Earth over the break and took lots of pictures.” ----MAGALI--- Magali followed behind, eyes wide and ears pressed back with the air of one who had never before been in a city, much less one almost exclusively inhabited by others her general age. It was almost too much to take in. The banner seemed to welcome new students and Magali could almost feel the embrace of belonging somewhere—of not being the only artist. There were other likeminded individuals here. “Whoa,” she breathed, eyes dancing from one attraction to the other in awe. “Oh, I'd love to see you dance!” She tried to take in the location as best she could, knowing that she'd be needing to return on her own terms, alone. “You said there were escorts too? Other felis like me?” In all actuality, she didn't give a shit if there were other felis there or not, she simply needed to know if there was a safe way she could do what any felis was bred to do to make money and not get killed and sold into slavery. She gulped. The idea was terrifying for her having no experience. She craned her neck to look up at the giant building. The building by itself could have housed her entire village with room to spare. “There's....there's so much to see. Show me your favorites first!” |
---- THAGHNEEL ----
The Kraileck listened intently to her roommate's rantings. To her they were quite enjoyable. Especially as the fellow upped his dosage of magic powder. It seemed to take an instant effect. "You know, that reminds me of this stuff we had back home. On Kanna." She took a sip of her half drunk chai, still looking at Zeke's spiked cup. After placing her own cup down, she looked back up at him. "Well, we've got a lot of stuff that might drive people bonkers out here." She shed a shy grin. "But uh, mind if I try some? I'll pay you if its expensive." She licked her lips. It had been a long time since she'd messed with anything mind altering. And perhaps that was the only way she was able to handle living on Kanna. They had uppers, downers, psychedelics and even personality enhancers. Stuff for sleep, stuff for mood, stuff for the silliest things. Krailecks especially were good at coming up with new concoctions. Neel's mother used to give her this tea every time she'd need to do something creative. For some reason, Neel felt like a completely different person on the stuff. She even had an imaginary friend that only showed up when she took the stuff. After middle school, she didn't have any other creative endeavors. She focused primarily on language and math. "You know. Maybe it was also the mind altering substances they were taking." She tried to keep up with Zeke's fast paced mind. "I know that's a bit off topic, but... I've heard that they used to eat these mushrooms. And maybe they were so primitive that they weren't aware of the psychedelic properties. Or maybe they didn't have the language to properly translate their experiences." Neel had thought about this long ago in her first language class. It was actually about a planet near Earth named Mars. They took plenty of drugs to sustain their own lives on their first colonization venture. Not long after colonizing Mars, it seemed like humanity started branching off into different species. "I mean, we all use them. No matter what planet or time period. It seems like we're always trying to find a new state of mind and maybe that's what drives evolution. A silly concept I know..." She blushed, brushing away the thought. After Zeke's comment about her intelligence, she began feeling a little embarrassed. Like she had a lot to live up to. Then he began talking about death. This was a subject that Neel had no experience in whatsoever. Her eyes were wide. On Kanna, they would burn the dead, like most other industrialized planets, and use the fire for fuel. But the death rate was so much smaller than that of ancient Earth. Especially with all of their wars and famines. It blew her mind to imagine a tomb dedicated to a single life. The only one who might desire such a thing would perhaps be the Emperor of the Pleiades. Even he seemed more humble than that. "I would love to learn more. Please, feel free to show me what you've got." She grinned, not sure what to expect, but nonetheless excited to find out. ---- MEEQA ---- Meeqa could see the concern in Magali's eyes as she asked about other Felis. "Yes, darlin'. I have met some other Felis. Though I wouldn't say they're all too common." She gave her a warm smile. "The ones I've met have been good at what they do and are very friendly. There are currently two that work at Class Acts. And our boss lady is real nice." She grinned, turning her head to rapidly turn to the next attraction. When they finally got off the bus, she wanted to wrangle Magali towards the art studio before the primo artists started leaving. "This way!" She shouted, running ahead of the Felis. The street was really just a track for the shuttle. It had a long, neon strip where the shuttle would drive. After they exited, it darted off onto the next stop. The art studio was playing some obscure music which could be heard just outside. It sounded like insects or something similar. Meeqa couldn't quite put her finger on it. The door was a perfect little circle, an eyeball painted onto it. The walls on the outside were also covered in art. As time passed, the walls would shift and show different sides to new pieces. Before they entered, the walls shifted once. Upon entering the place, everything changed. It was dark through the first hallway. And it was surprisingly quiet. All that could be heard was the soft muffles of music that was much clearer from the outside. The smell of paint and different gasses clouded the rooms. There were respirators hanging on the walls. There were plenty of hooks for the respirators and perhaps your bags. Many of them were empty. As they continued through the dark hallway, covered in glow in the dark art, they reached an archway. This led into the main room. There were three artists set up. One was working on a canvas, the second had four arms and was splattering paint on a wall, the third was tinging bowls with colored water on the ground. They all glanced up at the newcomers, then back at their projects. "So... Here we are." She chuckled. |
----ZEKE---
“Hm? The chellix? You had it on your homeplanet? Damn, I thought this shit was invented here for students,” Zeke mused, itching just at the base of one of his his horns. “Yeah, if you can get it sent here, it'd be a lot easier than going all the way to the Daisy District. I usually buy in bulk for that reason, but fuck, getting it back is a pain in the ass.” He shrugged. He could never ask his parents to send the shit. Of course, he knew they both were on it, they had to be, but there was no way their little boy could be. Instead, he'd resorted to buying from a scary looking economics major. It wasn't her species that was creepy, far from it, it was her. She had this cold way of addressing everything; her voice was mechanical, her small movements calculated and methodical. He shivered thinking about her. With a different personality, she would have been quite attractive to most, but as it stood, she appeared to not want any romantic attention, or even forge friendships. Theirs was a simple customer supplier relationship, and Zeke was happy to keep it at that. He leaned forward, wrapping his hands around his cup as if warming them and grinned, “Actually, that's one of the theories. Their religions started that way, ehm, mostly anyway. Their language would eventually evolve to incorporate those things, but by the time they have set definitions they're already so engrained in a culture that they can't be rid of. Of course, there was massive prejudice against any mind altering drugs in some cultures, while still managing to be extremely prevalent. It's crazy.” He pointed his finger at Meeqa as she made a point that he liked, “No, no, it's not silly. It makes sense. That, and think about it, we make the drugs to suit our needs, right? This uh..chellix.. is great for study and...just uh...general wakefulness if that makes sense? And look who it is that's using it. Students. Party-goers. There's a drug for every kind of person. No wonder that economics major is loaded.” He shrugged. It wasn't spending money on it that bothered him; obviously he could afford it, it was only the trip, but he could see why others would be interested in it. “Ah, well, those pictures are at home, but I'd be happy to show you!” ---MAGALI--- Magali blinked. She wasn't alone! But then, they were working. There was a high possibility that they weren't students. “Are they dancers or...or...” She couldn't bring herself to say the word escort. She shook her head attempting to chase the thought away, “I'd...I'd love to meet them! You'll have to tell me when you work so I can watch you dance! If you're going to school for it, you must be really good!” Magali changed the subject as quickly as she could, happy to divert attention to her companion rather than herself. Her words, however, weren't empty. If simply watching Meeqa walk through life wasn't mesmerizing enough, the woman was a dancer on top of it. Magali's breath caught in her throat as she took in all the art. All different styles surrounded her, and this was only the entrance. She could only dream of having her art featured here. The smell of paint was one that was all too familiar to her, and one that she'd grown to associate with comfort. As tempting as it was to breathe in deep, she knew what smelling too much of the stuff did, so she refrained. “This...this is lovely,” the felis breathed. She wanted to sit and watch the various artists with their projects but decided that would be weird. It was only to easy to imagine herself set up here, steadily working on her own projects, projects that would eventually be turned in for a grade. “This is better than anything I could have imagined,” she whispered to Meeqa, afraid that being loud would ruin the sacrality of the moment. The sight made her want to turn around immediately to grab her own art supplies. “Thank you for showing me this place...” She wanted to see everything there was, and this was an amazing start. To think that she'd be spending most of her days in a place so splendid! In her excitement, she had to refrain from giving her friend's hand a happy squeeze, so she quickly clasped her own haneds together. “Oh, I want to grab my supplies!” |
---- THAGHNEEL ----
"Uh, well I'm not sure if its the same. But I'm sure we've grown the plants to recreate it. Our planet has been modifying plants of all kinds for endless purposes. If one none other than curiosity." She paused, realizing the role that her planet might actually have in the galaxy. "However, that's all we are really good at. We're expected to be farmers... Well, my family was. We were lower class. They weren't really excited for me to go here. Well, unless I was going into botany or genetic engineering. And here I am - going into exolinguistics and rambling." She blushed. "Would you maybe want to get something to eat? I'm okay with cooking, if you prefer." A catlike grin. She stood up, adjusted her blouse, and walked towards the recycle bin to throw her cup out. "And then I need to get my schedule. I still haven't done that and I know we start next week." She scowled slightly. "B-but I can do that on my own. Just need to find the library." She suggested, not wanting to seem needy. Honestly, she just wanted some time to read. ---- MEEQA ---- Meeqa's head was bouncing as if she were listening to inaudible music. "Mhm, they were escorts." She smiled, bobbing her head. "I work tomorrow night. So tonight, I'm all free. I'd like to go pick up some books for my classes. I just got my schedule. Ooo, we should compare when we get home!" She glowed. The artists seemed so in tune with their spaces. Some wore earphones which allowed a certain bubble of privacy. If one were to step inside a bubble, you might hear grunting or screams or music playing. Meeqa pointed towards a certain one who splashed paint against a wall. It was an incredibly accurate rendition of an Kannian pear. It looked delectable. "Let's head back, I'll show you the art museum if you'd like? Well, honestly, we could do anything! I feel so good right now! Last day until we sell our souls to school." She giggled. "We could stop by Class Acts?" She never found it necessary to say the whole name of the place. |
----[b]ZEKE[b]---
“Mmm, nothing wrong with being known for botany. I wouldn't say it's all you're good at so much as all they've tried to do. Understand what I'm saying? If you find something that works and you enjoy it well enough, why not farm?” Zeke said, drumming the tips of his fingers together before switching to the table tap tap tapping to his own beat. “First of all, buerocratic horse shit is just that—horse shit. Low class or not, it beats sitting in a stuffy office all day,” he added, not even thinking about the fact that he spent a vast majority of his days at a desk in a stuffy room surrounded by books. That is, if he could help it. “But,” he added when she mentioned her actual field of study, “If botany isn't your thing, don't fuckin' do it. You have an aptitude for exolinguistics and if it's something you enjoy and you want to work with the Galactic Federation to be a linguist, then shit, that's what you should do, and will do if you work hard enough at it.” He leaned back, continuing his drumming until he realized what he was doing, quickly pulling his hands into a lap, clasping them as if to keep them from moving on their own. The double dose was starting to take effect. “You said that you grow plants that have effects like chellix? Interesting. I'd bet you could make a lot of money if it's a healthier way of consuming it,” he said offhandedly, quickly moving from topic to topic. “I put stuff like that off all of the time. Only reason I didn't wait until the last second was because I wanted to reserve my seat in my particular classes,” Zeke said with a sheepish grin, “I could eat, certainly. I wouldn't want to make you cook, especially since I rarely cook. I usually order take out.” His cheeks colored admitting to this laziness, but he kept his steady grin to show that that was something he wasn't going to be changing any time soon. “Besides, I can cover us if we're hungry.” ---MAGALI--- Tomorrow then, Magali thought, Tomorrow I'll go to see if I can find a job. What am I going to do about money until then? She needed her books as soon as possible, but surely she could wait at least until the first day of class to order them. After all, everything was digital, so she could have access to it instantly the second she did have any readings. She would make this work, no matter what. Her being an escort would only be temporary. I hope... Magali hid that she had anything else on her mind and offered up a smile, “We should! We may have some generals together, but I'm guessing you won't be taking Advanced Archaic Sketching.” She laughed as she said this. No one drew with lead anymore, but it was one of her favorite mediums. It was a class she'd had to apply to get into, but upon seeing her work, she was admitted no problem. Now, it was all a matter of money. Magali peered over the shoulders to each of the artists, noting both strengths and weakenesses in each of their work and thinking to herself what she'd do differently, but then, these were probably second or third year students. She would be out of her place correcting them. She stayed silent and chose instead to focus on their strengths. “The museum sounds nice! I'd love to see it! Or Class Acts, honestly,” The last part was added as more options came to the table, and Magali wanted to see it all. Something told her that she would be. |
----- T H A G H N E E L -----
The Kraileck was shocked at the amount of support she'd gotten from her new friend. If she could call him that so soon. "On Kanna, we have plants that will make your hairs stand on end. Herbs that will make you see into other dimensions. Plants that will heal any ailment. Mental or physical." She thought about her planet pridefully. "In fact, my parents sent me with several seeds... If I can grow them, I could make a tea that would kick this Chellix into gear." She said quietly, trying not to seem overcompensating. "Its customary to give seeds as gifts there." She added on quietly. She blushed at the mention of Zeke covering her food. She wasn't sure what to say or how to take the offer. "What sorts of things do you have to eat here?" She thought about the food on Kanna. It was rich and spicy. She couldn't bare the food on her trip. It was bland and doughy. She wondered what sorts of money she really could make from her plants. ----- M E E Q A ----- She lit up, wondering how intense of an art student Magali really was. "Archaic Sketching? What sorts of software does it use?" She grinned, honestly curious. "And no - I'm definitely not taking that." She chuckled softly. "I am taking Impressionism, uhm... Post-Modern Dance Appreciation, and something for robotics. Which I'm not too stoked about." She grimaced. At the mention of Class Acts again, her bulbs brightened. "Yes! Class Acts is great. Plus we could get in for free." She winked. "Especially if you're thinking of dancing with us." Meeqa grinned, still oblivious to Magali's true intentions. Not that she would judge her either way. The place was just a thirty second walk down the accelerated walkways. "But make sure you've soaked this all in, 'cus you might be staying here a lot." She took a deep breath of the paint infused air. A painter next to them turned his bubble off and started packing up. They looked at the two observers with anxiety and packed up quicker. Sometimes its easy to get lost in those noise bubbles. |
-----ZEKE-----
Zeke was thankful to have been (however inadvertantly) checked on his rambling. He knew he was doing it, but until someone spoke, usually he just kept talking. At least, this was the case with people that he liked. With people that he didn't like (as well as people he found to be unintelligent), he rarely spoke. Now, he laced his fingers together, elbows resting on the table. His hands, at least, for now were stable, but below the table, his knee still bounced up and down. Thankfully, the chellix he put in was more likely to increase his concentration rather than destroy it and now he listened, rapt in his friend's words. “Well, I know you said that botany wasn't one of your interests, but perhaps we could try growing them? It'd be a healthier alternative. You wouldn't believe the shit they put in this powder. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not terrible, until the other shit is added. The chemical itself is about as harmful as a sweets bar. Yes, I think trying these plants out would be great. Would you care to teach me? I can pay you for it, of course.” A smile stretched across Zeke's face at the mention of food, “Oh man, oh man. What kinds? Well, you've seen about how many species have been meandering about right? We've got foods from everywhere! Earthen isn't as bad as it sounds, really, but shit, there are even foods from my own home planet here. Just tell me what sounds good and I'll get us there.” -----MAGALI----- Magali chuckled. It was obscure at this point; not many knew of it. “No software, but led and paper. Some of the materials are a bit different from what they used...but it's pretty close,” she beamed at her friend, hoping to show her maybe one day, “I'm in a robotics class too! I hope it's the same one. What do you think the odds of that would be? We can compare when we get back to the dorm.” Magali was excited to see Class Acts, and the mention of 'free' was a nice touch. But there was one problem, “I...I can't dance, ehm...not really. I've never been trained.” She looked down abashed, knowing that if she wasn't going to be taking a job as a dancer, she'd be taking a job as the other...Then, she could also see about tending bar. How difficult could it be to learn? If she could help it, she didn't want to escort her way through college, but if it was her only option then...What could she do? “Oh, I look forward to the hours and hours that I'll be spending here.” |
----- T H A G H N E E L -----
Neel was impressed by her roommate's curiosity. Though on Kanna, growing plants was just part of daily life. She wondered what sorts of plants lived on Zeke's home planet. "Yes, of course. No need to pay me, just help me keep the plants healthy, and that will do." She smiled warmly. "Certain plants can be quite finicky. Like the Jezza Root. Its really hard to tell when it's in need of water or sunlight. And when it dies, it leaves a horrible decaying smell. And there's no way to bring it back. Though the Jezza is often used in stimulant type medicine." To Neel, all plants were medicinal. Even though there was a large population of addicts on her planet, at least they were able to sustain their habits through their own gardens rather than resorting to violence and trade. Neel was completely unaware about the laws on this planet. She didn't see any signs of authority or notices, or even the passing official. On her planet, though rural, they always felt watched. There were drones which collected information from every resident on Kanna. She was still concerned about her own database there. Here, the skies were so high above the ground, and the buildings were so tall, it seemed impossible to keep track of everyone. But there had to be someone watching them. And it must've been even more secretive than the drones on Kanna. "I know that on some planets, these mind altering substances are regulated. Is there anything I should be concerned about here? Because I don't need a prison record." She smiled. "I just want to grow these things safely and use recreationally. However, with each plant, it will yield much more than I can personally use. So if you and some friends would like your own au natural substances to abuse, I'll give you a good deal." Her stomach purred, vibrating in her seat. She winced and hoped that Zeke wouldn't have noticed. "I actually haven't tried Earth food. I wouldn't mind giving it a shot." She was willing to try anything, and hungry enough to eat anything. She curled into another awkward smile and adjusted her things so that she was ready to jump up and out at any given moment. Neel was ready to eat! ----- M E E Q A ----- Meeqa's eyebrows furrowed, concern in her naivety. She'd never used lead and paper before. At least not to write on or draw on. She'd used seaweed paper for origami before, but she never saw it having a practical use. However a lot of ancient scripts were written on the stuff. Ink and seaweed paper wasn't used anymore in her society. While it was outdated, the few manuscripts and ancient texts that still remained were encased and preserved for new generations to observe. Meeqa was one of the many who were uninterested in the texts. However, she found a sort of beauty in calligraphy and the written word. "Lead and paper? Hmmm..." She lowered her head, humming. She didn't want to ask what it was out of a fear of seeming unintelligent. "Well, I sure hope we have the class together! That would make it less boring." She rolled her eyes, sticking her tongue out in an endearingly strange face. Once Magali mentioned her lack of training in dance, Meeqa lit up like a lightbulb. "Oh oh! I'll teach you! Its so fun!" She smiled, every tooth bore in pure excitement. "Yeah! I've got plenty of moves that you could start with! Oh my gosh, I can show you when we get there!" She jumped up and down, giddy with anticipation. The fast walk zones helped them reach Class Acts with no problem. They didn't have to weave in and out of other students because it was still so early. However, there were always customers at Class Acts, so the space they had here would come to an abrupt end upon reaching the exotic dance facility. There was a large rock creature who guarded the place. His name was Ivory. Ivory was far from ivory, he was almost an onyx color. He stood, arms crossed, with the neon lights glowing against his slick surface. "Ey Meeqa. You're not on the schedule are you?" His voice was rough and chattery. "I wanted to show a friend around. She might join us girls." Meeqa flashed a bright smile. Ivory couldn't help but smile back. "A'right!" He looked Magali up and down quickly. "Always in need of more Felis ladies." He gave Magali a friendly smile. It was sometimes hard to tell what his expressions were, Meeqa relied on the lights of his eyes to tell her his emotional status. Though he was particularly good at voicing his emotions. "Yeah! She'll fit right in. Are Anniq and Rein in?" "Uhm, I believe Anniq is full service tonight. Not sure when Rein's next day is." He shrugged, a crunching rock sound following. "Thanks!" Meeqa grinned, patting the rock man on his shoulders. "Anytime, Meeqa." He stepped aside, letting them take the long red carpet inside the vicinity. Music quickly became overpowering. Meeqa's bulbs flashed with each beat. [/size] |
=-=ZEKE=-=
Zeke nodded. Botany was never his thing and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to...at least, without major guidance. His planet was all infrastructure and buildings. Few plants grew in the wild there, and the few that weren't were almost always for decorative purposes. Zeke had never bothered. A couple of the maids kept house plants, and he was sure one his dad's contracted felis kept her own garden. She was always his favorite of his dad's meager attempts to make his self-absorbed mother jealous, and he actually hoped he'd marry that one. He scratched his head, “Well uh....I can certainly try. I've never grown a plant before in my life, if you want me to be honest. Shit. My room is the only room in the entire place that doesn't have a window. Erm...maybe it did. But I needed another bookshelf.” He blushed at his confession of having useless books in favor of light but brightened up again quickly; the chellix would never allow him to be down for too long, thankfully. He found that he dealt with himself a lot easier with the stuff, so he eventually just incorporated it into his daily habits. “Oh yeah, this shit? It's verrrry illegal. Some addicts get ah...carried away. It can make people crazy in excess. But it's the same for all the drugs on campus I guess. Chellix is just my poison of choice. The entire system is pretty underground, but it's established as it is. I get my shit from the business district. My lady is very...good...at what she does. I've heard some shit about her though. If we do decide to start doing this more au natural method...we'll want to keep it hush hush. She's got some shady connections and won't like the aspect of competition.” Zeke noticed, black eyes turning to his companion's belly and grinned, “Earthen food it is! I know a few popular human places. Uhm... brace yourself for some very odd choices...” He got up and stretched and at the same time George spread her wings, swooping down and claiming her spot on Zeke's shoulder. “Well then, shall we get going?” =-=MAGALI=-= Magali laughed seeing the confusion on Meeqa's features, “It's okay, I'll show you one of the nights we both are at our dorm rooms. I was actually hoping to ask you if I could use you as a model for future projects...so if you say yes you'll definitely be seeing it!” Already her mind was reeling in different ways she could use Meeqa if she accepted. She was beautiful and would make for the perfect subject. She'd been eager to get to her easel almost since meeting the woman, but of course she'd never do anything with her as the subject unless she gave permission. Magali's ears perked up and her tail swayed, already excited at the fact that she wouldn't have to escort. Dancing sounded like a lot more fun than actually selling her body as the other felis did. She knew there was real money to be had there, and she knew it would make her family proud but if she could avoid it, she was going. “I can't wait for lessons to begin! Will we be uh... practicing in the dorm room then or here?” She could tell when they were nearing the club, as suddenly there were people. There were people everywhere, of all different races. Her cheeks flushed with the excitement. Her village could have fit several times inside this huge building and she had never before been exposed to so many people. The figure at the door was intimidating but seemed friendly enough. She couldn't keep eyecontact for long, choosing instead to look up at him through glances from her toes to his eyes and back down again. “It's... it's a pleasure to meet you,” she squeaked. Inside was another series of wonders. Any windows that the club had were darkened in order to make way for the dazzling synthetic ones. The pair walked through a short narrow hallway which soon opened up into a massive space. Loud music was pulsing and there were dancers on a stage with customers all around them throwing their qanta at the dancers just simply for existing in front of them. It seemed perfect, and more important to Magali, fun. A permanent smile seemed to stick to Magali's face as she took it all in. “So this is home for you, huh?” she breathed almost inaudibly over the music. |
----- T H A G H N E E L -----
Will I get caught? How illegal is it? How easy would it be to get away with? Her mind throbbed with questions and assumptions. However, she ended up with one conclusion. "Well, I guess I'll keep it on the down low, as some Earthlings would say." Her annunciation was on the word "on" and so to a native Earthling, it might've sounded strange. She smiled a bit nervously, unsure what exactly she would be getting herself into. Its not like she really saw herself becoming a drug dealer. And then the thoughts began rustling again. Is this really drug dealing? Or is it plant dealing? Is it any different? Well, Zeke told her she should be worried, and she was. Neel knew that the more dangerous and illegal, the more profit one could make off of it. She'd seen some strange characters on Kanna. She wouldn't say addicts, however. Because these substances were so easily accessible, it was hard to be stuck on a single plant product. Most Krailecks had a garden filled with several different plants, some for eating, some for healing, and some for escaping. She couldn't say if it was the same for some of the other Kanna inhabitants. She could imagine that if you had these substances restricted, and had to go through dangerous avenues to access certain things, it would be easy to take a route you've taken before. And to do it again and again and get lost on that street. Still, she was curious to know how far some had taken the Chellix. Now it was just figuring out the perfect place to grow those plants. Once she had a safe space, it would be second nature to grow. With her starter seeds, she would be able to grow a couple herbal blends. Since it was her first week here, she wouldn't mind taking some stress off with a fresh brew of Koug. With her hunger drifting in and out with her anxious new thoughts, she found herself grateful to be with Zeke. His anticipation and agreement made it rather easy to decide on a place to eat. "Let's do it!" She smiled warmly towards George. She loved how her little claws grappled onto Zeke's shoulder. It must've been a thick jacket to handle the wear and tear of the little dragon's claws (and perhaps teeth). "I'm open to anything at this point." Her stomach growled again. Hopefully Earthicans ate vegetables. She wouldn't mind a wireworm either, or maybe a charred gecko. Though, she was entirely unsure what an Earth restaurant's menu would look like. She followed Zeke from the coffee shop towards the now busying street of the Orchid sector. The sound of the streets filled their ears after exiting the coffee house's sound bubble. ----- M E E Q A ----- The throbbing of the club felt natural, like her own heart beat. Meeqa found herself swaying with the hypnotic beats without thinking. Her eyes slanted, head down, she tried her best to focus on her new friend. It became easier as she mentioned using Meeqa as a model. "You want me to model?!" Her eyes lit up, glimmering with excitement. "I've always wanted to model!" She beamed, shaking her body so fast that it could remind someone of a dog shaking water from its fur. When she slowed down, so did the lights in her orbs. "Just tell me when and where, and I'm there!" Though the club was filled with many creatures, cash flying through the air, Meeqa found a calmness in it. There were focal points, the girls, and everything else was out of the radar. It made her feel safe. Though, this could be quite the opposite for some. One of Meeqa's friends had gone missing in this place, not even a trace or a clue. When she was reminded of Claris, an emptiness always washed over her, as if there were a hole in the club. So she tried not to think about it. "I'll give you a - an example. How 'bout that?" She winked, clambering onto the open stage near Magali. With a sort of grace, she grabbed the pole and swung around it like liquid. She made eye contact with the Felis, and then slowly pulled herself from the ground, levitating. Meeqa liked to think of dance as a form of magic. Her body slid up and down the pole, using incredible control and strength to guide her. The orbs on her body added to her movements, making it a sort of light show, especially as the lights flickered. In the darkness, only Meeqa showed. Her orbs pulsed from a glowing green to a frosty purple. She got an elongated whistle and hoot from a group of gentlemen at the enclave next to hers. After the song ended, she took a bow and giggled. Panting, she found her way to Magali. "Phew! That'll be fifteen qanta please!" She stuck out her hand, giggling. "I'm kidding!" She laughed and sat down. "But uhh - I just love dancing. Anytime, anywhere. So I'd love to help you any way I can. If you're comfortable here, I can show you some steps, but there's a bit of pressure being on stage so I understand if not." She smiled warmly, placing a friendly hand on Magali's shoulder. "This is my second home. Home is where the heart is, and right now - this is where I like to be." She nodded. Things changed fast for her, but this place remained throughout her school experience. She hoped to continue having good experiences here. She hoped that whatever happened to Claris was a one time thing she could struggle to forget. |
=-=-=ZEKE=-=-=
Zeke's mind was also obviously racing, though it was only in part due to the fact that they were probably thinking about getting into the drug trade. If she wanted to, she could be one of the wealthier students on campus. He was sure that even the plants would be as illegal is the synthetic substances, obviously. Any mind-altering chemical, natural or otherwise, was generally frowned upon in the scholarly community ironically enough. Zeke, when pressed, couldn't think of any scholar that wasn't on something, but he remembered reading that even caffeine was on the books for potential no-no's on campus, and as far as he was concerned, it was one of the lesser of any of the drugs. The other part was definitely the chellix he'd just partaken in. His hands now tapped on his thigh and his mind was in several places. The aforementioned taking up about half of those places. The other half were consisting of food possibilities, wondering when one or the other of his parental units would bother him (he was grateful that it'd been a few weeks, which meant he was due for a holo-video session with one or both of them soon), his class schedule (now beyond the agitating gen-ed shit that should have been learned in primary education), and his books (both physical and digital, all safely in his possession). He'd also already met with several of his professors and had firmly established himself as one who would not take false information to heart so they had better know their shit. George, seeing the smile, lifted her head and as Zeke was standing fairly close to Neel was able to nuzzle her head against her shoulder as he passed. “Then Earthican it is,” Zeke said grinning. He didn't even seem to notice George's claws digging into his shoulders. Though, if one were to look closely, they'd find that the fabric was much thicker on his shoulders than any other part of his top. He'd had his shirts custom-made to deal with a dragon's claws, playing a large part to the miracle that was the wholeness of Zeke's clothing. “You ready for another hoverboard trip? The joint I've got in mind is on the other side of the Poppy District.” =-=-=MAGALI=-=-= Meeqa seemed to meld in with her surroundings, her body immediately liquifying and moving to the beat in that hypnotic fashion of hers. Magali, however, was stiff as a board, taking everything in with wide eyes. She became aware that she was staring at her roommate and shook her head coming back to life when she spoke, “Well, it seems we're in luck then, huh?” She giggled, looking at her friend sheepishly, “As I've been needing a new muse.” Magali wet her lips as her mouth had gone dry (presumably because of all of the open-mouthed gaping she'd been doing) and watched as Meeqa snaked her way up onto the stage. None tried to stop her, instead, heads were turned in her direction. Magali couldn't take her eyes off of her. Meeqa's movements were fluid, graceful...hypnotizing. The colors swirled on Meeqa's bodice like technicolor creamer swirling in the brown of the coffee and the darkness of the rest of the club. “I'd love to learn...I want to learn!” Magali added, nervous at her own lack of confidence. She'd never been on a stage before. And to think she was offering to teach her to dance like that! |
----- T H A G H N E E L -----
To be honest, even after their thrilling experience on the hoverboard, Neel had completely forgotten that they'd need to take it again. She lit up, brushing George's chin gently as she nuzzled. "Already warming up to me I see?" She smiled. "And yes! The board was so fun last time!" She giggled, just anxious to leave the coffee house and get some food in her. The idea of drug trade only bothered her initially. She remembered all of the things she'd read about the university, how liberal and accepting and lenient they were. The only thing that might be an issue, would be competition with other suppliers. While there was always regulation, she'd heard some pretty ridiculous on campus stories. Luckily, Neel never planned on getting that fucked up. Or at least, that stupid. She wondered where this restaurant would be and how expensive it was. She remembered seeing a history video about Earth and how they used to eat tubes filled with animal byproducts. They called it a hot weiner or something like that. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she'd eaten some pretty weird things in her time. Though she was lucky to grow up on one of the healthiest areas in the galaxy. Probably because of her planet's high vegetation rate and purely vegetarian diet. ----- M E E Q A ----- After her tiring example of dance, she was ecstatic to have such a positive response from her friend. After all, its best to learn under pressure. "Yay! This is the best place to learn." She grinned from ear to ear and reached out her hands to Magali. "C'mon up here. Let me show you some basics." She gazed over Magali's head and her seating row. Behind her was a dancer and two scaley onlookers. The one next to them was the one hooting and hollering, much to the dancer's dismay. Any distraction was not appreciated with most dancers. But Meeqa just shot her a silly, tongue out wink. The girl shook her head and continued to reel her audience back in with four armed stunts on the suspended hoops. "Okay, so its really easy to get attention from people. First step is to follow the beat." She counted the beat from the Saturn jazz which exploded from each corner of the venue. "One, two, three. One, two, three." She took a step forward and back with each count to show her visually. Once the girl was following along, she added a spin on three. "And you've got such a cute lil' bum and tail, people love the quirky traits each dancer has. So use that tail to your advantage! Swing it around!" She encouraged Magali to go wild. When some onlookers realized training was happening, they turned back to the four armed sister. The mistress could be seen in the back of the venue, though Meeqa couldn't see her, the mistress was taking tallies on her. She was in a long, slitted dress, with a leather body suit underneath. Morticia Addams in a bondage suit, and green skin. Meeqa was just so delighted to have an understudy that she didn't notice. She continued to dance with Meeqa until they were both too tired to continue. |
=-=-=ZEKE=-=-=
Zeke chuckled watching his small scaled companion nuzzling Neel, “She's generally a pretty judge of character. I'll take it as a good sign, considering we're living together. It's the first year I've been able to get a roommate, so we'll see how she gets along with another person living with us.” He opened the door letting Neel go through first, then him. The second they were out George was up in the air gliding circles around them. She knew it was time to go flying again and she was both visibly and audibly excited letting out happy chirps as she flew. “Alright! Here we go!” Zeke said as the hoverboard lifted off the ground. He didn't seem to mind having another person on it; after all, his was able to carry a lot more weight than the first models had. It was a trend quickly picking up, but they were still seen as luxuries mostly afforded by the upper-middle and upper classes. The pair weaved in and out of buildings, George complicating the knot by flying dangerously close to them, then farther away. The little dragon loved showing off her prowess in the skies and it showed. They flew faster this time than they did last, Zeke expecting Neel to expect a little more. He delivered, not seeming to mind her arms around his waist. To others looking on, the pair didn't look out of place. Save, maybe, to those that knew Zeke. He was one to operate mostly on a solo basis and everyone knew it. If anyone ever considered a friendship with him they were generally deterred by his solitary reputation. He was generally liked wherever he went, but his close friends were few...and seemingly on another planet. When they came to a stop, Zeke bounded off his board gracefully, holding his hand out for Neel to take it. “Welp! Here we are!” The restaurant itself was bustling, mostly with humans. There were a few other species, Neel and Zeke adding to that number, but humans obviously loved it. It was apparent that this was why Zeke chose it. He could get authentic homosapien cuisine. “This place has pretty much everything people eat from pizza to pasta, sushi and hamburgers to fuckin' salads and sandwiches. They have dishes from around the Earthen globe! It's pretty much the hot spot for humans. Today I'm feeling sushi...Uh....I'm guessing you eat vegetables? You can have a salad or really anything here, and don't worry about prices. I've got this as a 'welcome to college and thank you preemptively for dealing with my shit' gift.” =-=-=MAGALI=-=-= Magali blinked dumbly as she reached her hand up to Meeqa by instinct. She thought that learning would happen in private, perhaps in their dorm room or maybe even a dance studio? She gasped, her cheeks darkening as she looked around to the onlookers who had been watching Meeqa doing well just moments before this. Magali gulped watching Meeqa's feet. Soon, she was mimicking her mechanically. She felt like a child repeating steps for a play put on for the amusement of the parents to record and use against them for the rest of their lives and she was hyper aware of how clunky she looked beside the graceful Meeqa. “L-like this?” she squeaked. She finally got to the point where she could spin on “three” only stumbling on her feet once and once she got to that point she began to lose some of her stiffness. Me? A cute bum? she thought, blushing again. Regardless of her own self-doubt, however, Meeqa had given her the bout of self-confidence that she needed. She found herself loosening up and even added a couple of tail swishes for added flair. |
---- T H A G H N E E L ---- |
---ZEKE--- |
----- T H A G H N E E L ----- |
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---- T H A G H N E E L ---- |
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---- T H A G H N E E L ---- |
----ZEKE---- Zeke snorted at her obvious thinking of school when it was something that had been on his mind literally since he could sign up for class the semester prior. He'd been a 4.5 student, taking courses well beyond the levels intended for grad students in his field, getting only top marks (as opposed to above top marks) on the classes he couldn't care for. The man lived and breathed the academic life. He lived and breathed learning. Speaking of, his other learning project was going quite nicely. The “Solar System” box was fascinating to him. So this was how the farming races kept plants for their own use. The entire time Neel explained how it worked, Zeke furiously scribbled notes, and the cycle Zeke was able to repeat back everything Neel had taught him, even asking questions to add to his current knowledge. He was tenacious. He brightened though, “Wait, really? That's great. We can just go together, and I can teach you how to hover. It's incredibly useful, you'll see. Also,” he said with a wry grin shooting finger guns in her directions, “I told you I could get you one with no down side to me. My parents just beg to spend money on me, I'm just a competition for them, so, I might as well let them, right?” He chuckled lacing his fingers just behind his head and under his horns. “I can pretty much get away with anything. It's kind of ridiculous. But,” he said, raising his black eyes to look at her, a glint appearing on white irises, “It certainly came in handy tonight, didn't it?” He unlaced his hands, got up from his desk, and moved to his bed sitting down. George raised her head to see what he was doing and lowered it again seeing that they weren't going anywhere. “As for classes? I've got that robotics class, a few history classes, an Earthen politics class, and advanced mathematics. Not looking forward to the latter.” -----MAGALI----- Magali lit up, eager to relay the good news, “I have it too!” The past few days led to the roommates becoming faster friends than Magali had ever experienced in her entire life. And to think she had befriended the most beautiful woman that she'd ever laid eyes on! It was one of two classes she had the first day, followed by a beginner's art class and hour later in two totally different buildings. She hoped she'd be able to find it. ”Well, I'll be there,” Magali said, so softly it was almost a whisper. “If you get to dance at all like you did that night at Class Acts, I bet you'll do great!,” she said grabbing a hold of one of Meeqa's hands reaching over the gap between their beds. |
{ T H A G H N E E L } |
{---ZEKE---}
Zeke could tell that Neel was still at unease, and if Zeke was being honest with himself (as he rarely was), he'd be forced to acknowledge that he himself felt slimy when he first realized it was option. He played the two of them like a fiddle. Neither had any actual care for him, a blind person could see it, but it did initially feel wrong. But the first time was easy. It was too easy. Then, he tried it again, believing to be trying his luck. And then again. And again. Neither bothered to stop to see if his claims were fabrication or not. Neither cared. Was his hoverboard broken? If he said so, it had to be. Sick enough to need to visit the campus's medic ward? No problem, just throw money at it. That was how everything was solved. Money. How else could it be solved? He sighed and looked up at her through the tops of his black tinted eyes, “If it would make you feel any better, I can stop. I can stop it any time.”{---MAGALI---} Magali reveled in the obvious joy Meeqa exuded, basking in the emotions as they seemed to permeate into her own body. Robotics was actually one of the classes that she was looking forward to, hoping that somehow she could just turn her final project into an over-elaborate working art project. Now she had reason to be doubly excited and she didn't have to be as nervous as she would have otherwise been. |
{ T H A G H N E E L } |
{ZEKE}
“Well, that's changing now. I have too much. I don't know what to do with it. So, you're gonna get spoiled by proxy. Uhm, don't think I need anything in return either. Seriously,” Zeke said moving his hands for emphasis.{MAGALI} Magali couldn't help but laugh as she was pulled to her feet, “You look almost as excited as I am.” Really, it was everything she could have hoped for. She'd been wanting to capture Meeqa entirely, completely, for what she was. “I...I think it's you doing me on the honor. Uhm...we can begin with initial sketching right away...erm, that is, if you're ready.” |
T H A G H N E E L
Neel just shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck unsure of how to respond to her friend's "spoiling by proxy". Its not like she had much to give in return besides maybe some natural chellix and god knows what else she could grow. As she left the bathroom, she wasn't sure if Zeke would notice her hormonal changes, so when he mentioned her appearance, she blushed and growled lightly. "No?" Her voice was slightly defensive as she wandered back over to the door to put her shoes on. George was yawning, stretching and preparing to race with them. Neel couldn't help but smile. George was a fast lil bugger, so surely this race would challenge Neel to ride properly. This would be a nice way to take her mind off of school and her underlying changes.M E E Q A
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ZEKE
Zeke put up his hands defensively, fingers splayed, “Oi, I didn't mean anything by it. It's just, something about you feels different—though you were only in there a short time. Can you change your appearance?” He was trying to be as careful with his words as possible, not wanting to upset his friend. It'd make for an awkward living and this was the first friend he'd made in a long time. He scratched the back of his head with one hand, his other was in his pocket fingering the small flat square that would fold out into his hoverboard.MAGALI Magali blinked amazed that this opportunity just fell from the Heavens and shook her head as though she was still trying to process what she'd do with the chance she was given. “Well, ehm... ah...” she squeaked, watching her roommate prance about the room in a variety of poses and swallowing. Her ears tilted back slightly and she shook her head again, “I...I think a laying down position would make it easier for you to stay still without tiring...” |
T H A G H N E E L
Was it really that easy to see through their changes? Maybe if they denied it long enough, Zeke wouldn't catch on. "Maybe the load I just dropped brought back my feminine glow." Neel scratched the back of their neck, slightly fluffier armpits exposed as they let out a little nervous chuckle. Neel noticed Zeke playing with the hoverboard square and dug for her own. After honing in on Zeke's movements, they too expanded the board, though it took a few presses for them to find the correct button. Neel's eyes widened, ready for the excitement. "I think I've got it." Neel tapped the board with a toe before trying to balance atop it. As Neel shifted their weight onto it, it became unstable, leading Neel to ride it like a surfboard stuck to the ground, arms flailing for balance.M E E Q A Meeqa did as told, her head nodding up and down with excitement as she found a good clear space to sprawl out on. She grabbed the bedding from her closet, since she never used it in her sleep chamber. She spread it out on the cold, metal floor for some texture and pattern behind her. Plus, it wasn't as uncomfortable. Her arms tucked behind her head, legs twisted over each other. "Is this good?" And just like that, the door behind her slid open. The sound of the seal breaking made her jump up and wrap her body in the surrounding blankets. |
ZEKE
Zeke blinked for a moment, utterly confused. 'Feminine' was not the word Zeke would have used to describe the particular glow that Neel exuded. Quite the opposite, in fact. Though, he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Instead of saying anything on the topic he switched over to the topic of Neel's brand spanking new hoverboard and held out his disc, dropping it.MAGALI As Meeqa found her positioning, Magali was frantically searching for her notepad and pencils, successfully producing them with an elated, “Ah!” and a quick look over to where Meeqa was settling. Magali quickly situated herself with a seat in front of Meeqa's position, getting back up to adjust a lamp before settling back down, “This is...it's perfect. In fact, that pose is better than the one I would have put you in.” The felis was beside herself with giddiness finally being able to have someone so beautiful as the subject of her work. |
Neel grinned, watching Zeke hop onto his board with ease. They struggled to balance initially, the board swaying from one side to the other. But with straps now around their feet, they felt more comfortable and began leaning forward just enough to jolt them a little too quickly. They quickly reared back and stopped. It would take some getting used to, but Neel was ready to speed! ”Hah. I’ll race you!” And they waved their hands in circles trying to remain balanced. ”Destination?” Neel clicked open navigation through their wrist chip. A hologram floated in front of Neel’s face, it showed a map with about 20 miles in proximity. ”What about, this nightclub?” Neel zoomed in trying to find the name. ”Class Acts?” |
ZEKE
Zeke cocked an eyebrow, gliding his hoverboard back and forth, waiting for Neel to catch their balance, chuckling a bit as he waited. He wouldn't give out a helping hand as there were none to aid him when he first learned. It was an undertaking one needed to make alone, and he had no doubt that Neel would get a hang of it.MAGS Magali's hand was cold and a bit clammy and she withdrew it looking up at the one called Garaq, this....this boyfriend of Meeqa's. Of course she had a fucking boyfriend, she thought bitterly to herself, It would be too good to be true to find someone like her and have her be single, wouldn't it? Magali's face betrayed none of these emotions, however as she quickly jammed the aforementioned hand into her pocket looking down at the ground, obviously sulking. |
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