Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)
<h1 id="title">Elliquiy Role Playing Forums</h1>
		<h2 id="linktree">Play-By-Post: Bondage, D/s, S&amp;M =&gt; Bondage: Human Solos =&gt; Topic started by: Zeal on 07-02-2011, 22:28:51</h2>
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				Title: <strong>Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>07-02-2011, 22:28:51</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://i52.tinypic.com/2us7w3n.png)</div>The villa of Senator Aulus Vernius Terentius lay lay on the shoulders of a broad, green hill overlooking the placid, crystal waters of the Bay of Falcons.&nbsp; It had been sited by his grandfather after the conquest of this region as a place of untouched natural beauty, where he might build a retreat from the stresses of war, business and politics.&nbsp; High columns of marble ring shaded atriums and boldly mark the porches of classically styled bungaloes and studios, where the Senator entertains guests and houses visiting dignitaries year round.<br><br>Tonight, the waters shimmered under the pale blue gaze of two full moons, the third tucked away on the other side of the world.&nbsp; For this villa was set upon the shores of a shallow sea on the world of Astia, in the Second Expansion Zone of one of humanity's great Star Nations.&nbsp; The Republic of Ermor was a bizarre anachronism, the offspring of feudal corporate states left to collapse after the withdrawal of the United Nations of Earth centuries ago and a resurgence of ancient, sometimes half-imagined cultural traditions in the now isolated hinterlands.&nbsp; While the plutocrats of the homeworld withdrew their forces to fight each other to annihilation over the core of human civilization their outposts were left to their own devices, and there created new structures all their own.<br><br>That was all distant history for the Ermorians, though--their neo-Roman cultural affectations had, through generations of repetition, become accepted modern tradition.&nbsp; The architectural, political and even religious ideals that had been half play-acting in the first years of isolation were now established fact.&nbsp; And the Republic, one of the first states to emerge from the chaos of Earth's withdrawal, were now riding the crest of a vast wave of prosperity, their armies and fleets striking victoriously into the flanks of bitter, feuding micro-nations scattered across the stars.<br><br>Much of that prosperity was on display at the villa of Senator Terentius: slaves, some of them rendered bizarrely alien by gene-manipulations meant to prepare them for hostile environments, served drinks and food with necks wrapped in platinum control collars.&nbsp; Aristocratic scions, features sharpened and bodies strengthened by successive generations of highly expensive and exclusive gene therapy, lounged on divans or walked together through the vaulted halls of the villa's primary residence, draped in tunics and gowns of the most exquisite nano-woven material.<br><br>Among all these elegant figures were scattered a handful who looked, and felt, entirely ill at ease amongst the finery.&nbsp; The party was in celebration of a great victory of Fleet's a week previous, and here stood the heroes of that battle--a handful of officers selected by the political class to share some private entertainments, as recompense for their risks and bravery.&nbsp; Though the Admiral, Gorgo, was of the Senatorial class herself, her fellows were provincials, of inconsequential breeding, hard-augmented with nanotechnology from baseline human stock as they climbed the ranks rather than refined by generations of genetic manipulation.&nbsp; <br><br>Their coarseness showed against the careful cultivation of the nobility, particularly the man of the hour: Centurion Titus Hostus Atratinus, or simply Hostus, captain of a wing of fighter-bombers whose desperate attack on the barbarians' flagship had occasioned both the victory and this party.&nbsp; Hostus was a taller, broader man that was typical for a star pilot, the former a legacy of life on a low-gravity alpine world, the latter a result of nanomachine treatments all military personnel underwent to improve bone density and muscle mass combining with an elongated low-gravity to turn Hostus, who had been a walking scarecrow as a youth, into a walking tower of muscle and bone, scarred and hardened now from years living the dangers of war in the stars.&nbsp; He cultivated a short beard, as much to hide deep scars along his cheek from years-old shrapnel wounds as anything else, and his ceremonial armor glimmered darkly in the villa's simulated torchlight.<br><br>Though he drank the Senator's wine and ate the fine, elegant hors' dourves, and though his fingers had all the nimbleness required of a star pilot, his provincial accent and uncultivated manners had the aristocratic guests complimenting him in tones that reminded the centurion of masters clapping for a pet's antics.&nbsp; Even now as he endured a conversation with another clutch of nobles he scanned the crowd, looking either for a more welcoming face or a way out.&nbsp; In the midst of his search Hostus stopped, a fig roll halfway to his mouth, as he was arrested by a chance glimpse into two brilliant, captivating eyes.&nbsp; It took a moment for the centurion to fully regain his wits--then he made his excuses to the nobles and set out into the swirling crowd of the party, hoping to find those eyes, and the woman they belonged to, again.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>09-02-2011, 21:04:30</strong>
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				<div class="floatright">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/f/f1/Lucinda2.jpg)</div><br>Lucinda was an hour late to the function already. Scores of dresses and designer shoes lay strewn about the dressing room in her private bungalow on the west side of her father’s villa. Laughter from the party carried across the courtyards and bounced off the roofs like rain, but the Senator’s daughter seemed anything but amused. Her pert mouth was set in a deep scowl completely at odds with the brilliant smile she so often donned on magazine covers. She hated the publicity and the loss of anonymity that came with being the daughter of a Senator, and lamented it even more so when the popular press had gotten hold of her. <br><br>One of her father’s slaves tugged and fussed at the elegant updo that she had sculpted Luci’s dark waves into, lacing bejeweled embellishments amongst the chestnut strands and tugging a few strategically placed wisps free to drape over the woman’s pale brow and trail at the nape of her elegant neck. Another slave was just finishing up applying a heavy flick of eyeliner to the outer corner of Lucinda’s lids, making her coal-dark eyes glimmer like polished onyx beneath the fringe of thick black lashes. When not required to put on a show for the public, Luci tended to eschew all the fancy to-do, though her natural beauty was just as striking. <br><br>A knock sounded a the door and she waved for one of the girls to tend to it. Likely her father had noted her absence and sent one of his messengers to fetch along his daughter. Heavy footsteps resounded on the polished tiles of her antechamber, and she heard the soft muffled voice of the slave answered with a rumbling bass that she recognized all too well. The set to her scowl deepened, just as the girl doing her makeup had begun to paint the rosebud of her lips a soft petal color. <br><br>Lucinda did not turn around, even when she heard the door to her dressing chamber creak and the thud of her father’s footsteps approach a few steps and then stop. She knew he would be standing there with his normal stony set - one that her own expression currently mirrored very closely - his arms crossed heavily over the chest of his gold-trimmed tunic. <br><br>“You are late. People are looking for you, expecting you. It doesn’t look good for me, you know, when I have to excuse myself time and again to seek out my own daughter. And good gods, what are you wearing?” he rattled off in a single breath, not even pausing for her to answer until the last. <br><br>Lucinda peered down at her gown. The silken white folds of the garment certainly resembled the patrician toga she generally donned for such things, but it had been hemmed quite aggressively to where it fell just above the knee. The front had a high slit offset to the right, and the neckline plunged nearly to her navel, offering a generous glimpse of her modest assets. The edges were sewn with crystals that reflected the soft lighting of her dressing room, glimmering softly when she moved. <br><br>“It’s a Sofia Minucia,” she answered, waving the girls doting on her away as she stood. "The newest in her Spring line."<br><br>Her father winced when he noted that the dress seemed even more immodest when she stood, baring her creamy flesh to nearly mid-thigh. “Well, whatever it is, no daughter of mine is wearing that to a function. This isn’t one of your clubs down in the valley, Luci.” He looked down the bridge of his aquiline nose at her. Senator Terentius was a tall man, lean, but she still came up to nearly his shoulder, quite tall and slender herself. He could see her about to protest and held up his hand to quell any further discussion. Spying one of her discarded gowns on the floor, he bent and picked up the modest frock. “Here. Wear this. I expect to see you in the main hall in ten minutes.”<br><br>With that, he turned on his heel and returned quickly to his guests, leaving Lucinda glowering even more than ever. His over-protectiveness had only gotten worse after her mother’s death, but he seemed to forget that he was the one who had pushed her to accept all the offers from fashion magazines and photographers, he was the one who had urged her to claim the spotlight being offered. And now he wanted her to wear…She looked down at the gown he had chosen and scoffed. One of the girls was already trying to helpfully untie the lacings on the back of the Minucia gown, but Lucinda batted her away and shook her head. <br><br>A few moments later, Lucinda appeared in the doorway of the main hall, those darkly gleaming eyes of hers jumping back and forth between the noisy throngs to find the quietest corner she could. Senator Terentius was involved in an intense conversation with a few other senators when he heard the soft murmur bubble through the room, his own eyes flitting to the doorway to spy his daughter standing there in the dress he had asked her to change out of. He narrowed his eyes a little, but went back to his conversation. It would be even more of a scene to confront her now publicly.<br><br>Lucinda’s heels clicked across the marble as she glided in amongst the crowd, offering soft smiles and nods of her head to those she knew and those who recognized her from photos. It would be only a matter of moments before…Her shoulders sunk a little when Marcus Servilius spied her and glided over on cat’s feet, reaching down to clasp her hand and press a soft kiss upon it. His father and her own were desperate to see their two houses combined, and time and again she was forced to endure his bland personality at these functions. She pushed forwards a polite smile and chattered inanely with him for an appropriate amount of time before pretending to see someone else across the room. <br><br>As she crossed the room, she halted briefly to lift a glass of wine from a serving tray, her dark eyes washing over the crowd and fixing here and there when an interesting individual caught her attention. She noticed a few of the Fleet officers peppered amongst the refined upper classes, giving the uncomfortable-looking guests a warm smile if they caught her looking. Her attention fell upon a broad-shouldered, bearded man who was trapped by a group she knew personally to be some of the biggest dullards in these circles. She watched him for a few moments, and she knew he saw her too, freezing for the space of seconds when their eyes met. A dip of her chin and she was gone, swallowed again by the fluctuations of the crowd as they milled. Lucinda made her way to a dark alcove off to the side of the bar, a recess where the light hardly touched, and the Senator’s daughter might go forgotten for at least a few moments of reprieve.&nbsp; 
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				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>18-02-2011, 18:51:41</strong>
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				The chance glimpse across the room obliterated what little attention Hostus had paid to the conversation of the clutch of nobles besieging him--and suddenly, he no longer had any patience for it.&nbsp; He excused himself from their company on the pretense of freshening his drink, and began to forge his way through the crowd in search of the woman with those dark, captivating eyes.&nbsp; She'd turned away as soon as they'd broken contact, he'd seen, and even with his height allowing him to peer over the crowd Hostus only barely kept up with the woman.<br><br>A chance glimpse of dark, jewel-webbed hair, a flash of pale skin in the midst of the swirling nobles, were all the hints Hostus had to guide him towards her, but his broad form and imposing armor, ceremonial though it was, did much to part the crowd before him.&nbsp; By the time he'd reached the bar though, Hostus feared he'd lost her for good--the guests had pressed too thick, and he'd lost the woman's trail.&nbsp; He slipped a glass of the Senator's rich red wine and hazarded one more sweep of the party with his gaze--and then he saw it.&nbsp; A lean, shapely leg ending in a delicate high heel, extended just beyond the shade of an alcove near the bar.<br><br>He turned, followed the line of that leg up over daringly bared thigh and provocative, elegant tunic, to the dark eyes he'd been seeking through the crowd all along--the woman was only a few yards away, sequestered alone in that shaded hideaway.&nbsp; He met her gaze, and for a moment felt a thrill of apprehension--formidable though he was, Hostus was here among nobles whose riches and breeding outclassed anything he'd ever known, and to a man who's spent most of the last several years on the frontier, the woman he sought was nothing less than radiant.<br><br>Hostus brushed his apprehension aside and headed towards her with long, quick strides.&nbsp; Soon his shadow joined that of the alcove in which Lucinda had taken refuge, though he had to duck a little to approach close.&nbsp; "Hello, my name is Hostus," he said, meeting those dark, shining eyes that had held his gaze so thoroughly before.&nbsp; "What's yours?"&nbsp; It was not the sort of introduction one expected at a party like this--he'd voiced neither his family name, nor his military rank, against the rules of polite protocol in the nobility.&nbsp; But Hostus was not seeing a woman of, no doubt, a great family and high rank when he looked at her.&nbsp; He saw only dark, shining eyes he wanted to <em>keep</em> looking into.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>19-02-2011, 20:22:33</strong>
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				Lucinda propped one of her long-fingered hands to her forehead, stricken with a sudden headache over all this. Even in her little hideaway to the side, she couldn’t get away from the loud yammering of the crowd and the stuffiness of the air hanging stale and still in the villa. Now she just had to hope her father didn’t see her avoiding socializing over here and try to drag her back in to babble inanely with the boring nobles littering her home. The party would go on well into the night, and these things tended to only get worse once the guests had drunk more than was advisable for people of their stations and started getting nasty or grabby. <br><br>She took a small sip from her wine despite knowing it certainly wouldn’t help with her headache. Her gaze swept over the guests carefully, watching with a half smile curling up the corners of her lips. She could tell by some of the exaggerated hand gestures that they had started talking politics, and she was happier than ever that she had chosen to retreat. Politics made her head absolutely spin. She had no taste for it, much to the dismay of her father. He had only recently relented in pushing her to participate, letting her explore the other options available to her on their planet. <br><br>Those dark pools fell upon the centurion she had seen briefly before, and she took another small sip of her drink to cover over the wider smile threatening to overtake her, though she continued to meet his gaze. Before had been a chance meeting from across the room, but now she was quite certain that he stared intently, as did she, only verified when he began to stride over to her. Lucinda set her glass down as the man came over, his formidable silhouette blocking out most of the light that streamed into her little alcove. Yet still, her dark eyes glimmered like stars in that blackness as she peered up at him. <br><br>She did smile broadly then, when he spoke in that deep rumble, addressing her so familiarly. Her wine glass clinked softly on the table next to her as she set it down, extending out one of her delicate hands to him. “Lucinda,” she replied simply in her mellifluous tones. Her head tilted aside slightly, regarding him carefully. Either he truly did not know who she was, which was a rare enough thing, or he was just pretending not to in order to gain her favor. Both potentials intrigued her. <br><br>Her attention shifted past him for a moment to check the status of the partygoers. Perhaps she even hoped her father would peer over and see her talking to a centurion. Lucinda gestured to the bench next to her. It was a small seat, certainly, but both of them could fit there, albeit closely. “Please, won’t you have seat, Hostus?” she asked, uncrossing her legs in a flash of silken flesh and then re-crossing them once more in the opposition direction so that she could face him to converse. “I see you are a part of the Fleet. Were you involved in the battle?”
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				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>20-02-2011, 02:48:24</strong>
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				Hostus took the offered hand in his, dwarfing her utterly.&nbsp; Her skin was so soft against his it genuinely surprised him, but the centurion's fingers were a surprise as well--not blunt and rough but long and dexterous, they would have been spindly if not for the the strong, precise muscle that corded through them.&nbsp; He released her as he took took the seat she indicated, eyes straying to her body as she recrossed her legs, drawn irresistibly by the display she'd been so careful to put on.&nbsp; Again, amazed--she was gorgeous, lean and supple and cultivated, unlike anyone to be found out on the borders. <br><br>Still, as he settled in his gaze rose to meet hers and stayed there.&nbsp; He still had to hunch slightly in the close confines of the alcove, so he seemed to loom over Lucinda even while they simply sat together.&nbsp; At her question, he nodded.&nbsp; "Yes, I was in the battle.&nbsp; I am the centurion of a cohort of star-fighters.&nbsp; The reward for my actions there was a month's leave in a civilized sector, at the republic's expense--so long as I came to this affair first."<br><br>He looked out at the swirling crowds of increasingly animated, progressively inebriated nobles clustered in knots around the other soldiers and officers, and was unable to hide the crease around his eyes--of distaste, and some discomfort.&nbsp; Then he turned back to her, and resumed looking into those shining, dark eyes.&nbsp; "Having filled that requirement of my reward," he continued, "I was planning to extricate myself and leave."&nbsp; He paused and and a smile creased his bearded lips.&nbsp; "Then I saw you across the room, and decided to stay a bit longer."<br><br>He took a sip from his wine, cleared his throat.&nbsp; The stuff was potent, and not entirely <em>wine</em> in the traditional sense--not a little of its kick came from designer drugs engineered into the grapes themselves.&nbsp; "What do you do, Lucinda?" he asked, when the rush of the wine was through.&nbsp; "Why are you at this party?&nbsp; And why in this dark corner?
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				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>20-02-2011, 20:58:58</strong>
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				If Lucinda noticed that the centurion was looking at her body in less than an appropriate manner, she didn’t say anything. She let her silken fingers slip out from beneath the grip of his limber digits and smoothed down the front of her rich tunic, tugging the hem down over her half-exposed thighs. He was quite a large man, and she actually found it exciting to be in the shadow of such a strong individual, rather than the tall and willowy politicians her father kept throwing her way. Those hands, especially, seemed well suited to handling a woman’s body, and she inadvertently found herself focusing on them for a moment before she shook the thought away with a shiver. <br><br>Her eyes swept back up to his, peering out like polished stones from between her heavily kohl-lined lids. “Congratulations,” she said softly, letting her hand stray to the loose lovelock curling at the nape of her elegant neck. “I hear it was an intense fight, though I know little of battles. But a month’s leave - that sounds wonderful. Are you staying on our world then, or headed out somewhere else?” <br><br>She wasn’t sure why she even cared. He was a stranger, and a centurion at that. Not someone who would fall in her normal circles. But she found herself hoping he would spend more time on Ermor. When he named the stipulation to his leave, she let out a soft burst of silvery laughter, waving her hand in apology right away.<br><br>“I’m sorry…I promise I’m not laughing at you. That just sounds so much like a stipulation my father would put on something I really wanted as well.” She leaned towards him a little, bringing the scent of her perfumes into focus, and lowered her voice almost conspiratorially, “I hate these things, if you must know. The people are…well, everyone has an agenda shall we say. I just can’t stomach politics.”<br><br>She watched him in profile as he peered away, saw the pinch of his expression for a brief moment, and surmised that he felt the same way about the guests at this affair. Her head tilted a little, lips curving up at the corners in surprise. “You stayed to speak to me?” She laughed a bit and worried at the creases of her tunic. “That’s quite flattering.” Many of her friends found the pilots to be boorish heathens, and were quite vocal on the subject. Lucinda, for her part, had never extensively dealt with any, though she had to say that Hostus seemed anything but. <br><br>“What do I do?” As he sipped his wine, she seemed to remember hers, gathering it up from the table next to her and running her fingers around along the edge of the glass. An amused twinkle sparked in her gaze, followed by an expression to match. “You really don’t know who I am?” She had already decided that she liked this man with his down-to-earth mannerisms and casual way of speaking, but that made him all the more attractive. <br><br>“I’m Senator Terentius’ daughter,” she said, nodding across the room at the man still engrossed in a heated conversation. She was actually pleased about that. It meant she was forgotten for now. “And like you, I’m here because I have to be. And I‘m here,” she said, gesturing to the little alcove, “because I hate these things.” Her head canted again as she took in his hunched posture. “Are you comfortable? We can move to an atrium or the gardens if you wish. It’s a nice enough night and bound to be less noisy out there.”<br>
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				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>21-02-2011, 06:12:26</strong>
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				Hostus listened to her intently, the light of the party glinting on his dark dress armor.&nbsp; He found Lucinda was very easy to listen to, in the close space of the alcove her voice was a jingling silver bell.&nbsp; She seemed to draw him in, leaning close, toying with her hair, whiffs of her perfume teasing his nostrils.&nbsp; For the first time at this party, Hostus found his attention entirely, and pleasantly, occupied.&nbsp; Then she gestured to her father, the senator, the host of this affair.&nbsp; He glanced towards the older man, then back to his daughter, considering.&nbsp; He was a pleb, thoroughly--her parentage made the social gap between them a chasm.&nbsp; Protocol called on him to bow politely and excuse himself.<br><br>Instead, he smiled at her.&nbsp; "Then you must be eager to have all these unwelcome guests out of your house."&nbsp; He leaned forward and offered his arm to Lucinda as he made to rise.&nbsp; "I'd like to see your gardens.&nbsp; It's your house, you must know a way that'll keep us out of the crowds."&nbsp; Presuming she took his arm, he let her guide him through the halls of the villa and out into the night.&nbsp; Now that the party had been in full swing for some time, the moons were at their highest.&nbsp; Their thick, clouded faces glowed a soft blue that illuminated the garden.&nbsp; The villa was far enough from the world's sprawling cities that the stars were bright above them, countless thousands flowing together into a river of lights once their eyes adjusted outside the lights of the party.<br><br>Hostus walked with Lucinda through the groves and sculpted hedges of her family's garden, his eyes more for the reflection of the moonlight in her own than for the sky itself.&nbsp; He dwarfed her when they stood together, his towering roughness at odds with her bright, slim elegance.&nbsp; Despite his imposing form, the centurion was congenial.&nbsp; He admired the gardens, though with an untutored eye.&nbsp; He asked after her life here in the villa.&nbsp; And he never once gave noticeable heed to the class distinctions between them.<br><br>"As to what you asked inside," he continued, after a sip from his glass.&nbsp; "Yes, I'll be staying on this world for my leave.&nbsp; The Republic will foot all my bills while I'm here, but I've never been free to wander such a...settled world before.&nbsp; I have the time, and money is no object, but I'm a stranger here--I don't really know what to do with it."&nbsp; He looked down into the dark, shining pools of her eyes, and smiled.&nbsp; "I'd appreciate it if someone showed me what this place had to offer."&nbsp; As he watched her, Hostus let one broad hand come to rest on the small of Lucinda's back, the most forward he'd been so far.&nbsp; He'd felt her gaze on him in the alcove, the same as he expected she'd felt his gaze on her, so he rubbed his hand slowly over the base of her spine, wanting to see her reaction to the touch as much as to hear her reply to his question.
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				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>21-02-2011, 22:21:06</strong>
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				Lucinda laughed gently and nodded. “I like things…quiet,” she answered, again fussing with her lovelock and looking almost embarrassed about it. The daughter of a senator was supposed to like socializing and parties. And she did, just not these kind of parties. She rose when he did, glancing towards her father once more before she reached to accept his arm. She did hesitate slightly. Her father aside, it was likely to raise brows if anyone saw a centurion attempting such an escort of a patrician lady. <br><br>Her delicate arms laced through his and held fast, and she ducked them quickly out a side door before they would draw too many eyes. She led him through the main atrium and out into the vast gardens that ringed the villa. Her dress was almost translucent in the pale blue moonlight where it caught the skirt and his armor seemed almost aglow as the light glinted off of it. <br><br>She let out a long, slow sigh, her shoulders seeming to drop some from the tension that had gripped them in the main hall. The sounds of the party barely drifted out here, a muffled melange of voices laughing and chattering. Instead, the chorus of insects and the soft burble of a nearby mountain stream reigned supreme in the quiet gardens. Lucinda drew in a deep breath of the fresh air, tinged with wisps of night jasmine and the various succulent plants cultivated in the gardens by a cadre of gardeners under the senator’s employ <br><br>“Oh that’s very nice,” she said as he answered her question from earlier. “The Republic owes its brave warriors at least that much,” she said without a hint of condescension. Her head tilted aside and she gave him a warm, intrigued smile. “Never? Oh you’ll enjoy Ermor, I think. I’ve lived here all my life. Actually, I’m quite jealous of you. I’ve never gotten to go anywhere off-world before.”<br><br>The moon caught those almost charcoal-colored hues of hers and reflected back in a dull gleam as she peered up at him. She tensed almost imperceptibly when that warm, strong hand pressed lightly against the small of her back. It was very forward, considering his social class, though she made no move to jerk away from him. She swallowed thickly when he started to caress against the rich silk of her tunic, the heat of his hand melting against her own skin through the thin fabric. Her lithe form turned slightly towards him and almost seemed to arch a little. <br><br>“I know this planet inside and out,” she said quietly, “though I doubt it would look very proper for me to escort someone-” She cut herself off quickly, a ghost of a blush crawling over her high cheeks, hopefully hidden by the dim light. Her hand came up to fuss lightly with the front of his armor, a thoughtless action which she realized a moment after it began, gasping softly and bringing her hand back down to clasp with the other.&nbsp; <br><br>That was far too forward for her, indeed. She was used to courting done in the patrician circles, where most everything was communicated between aides and actual contact was rare except for state events. The parallel drawn even in her mind startled her and she mentally chastised herself for even making it. This was not courting at all. This was a nice walk in the gardens with a stranger whom she found interesting, a fresh change of pace from all the boring dignitaries she was used to dealing with. It certainly didn’t help that the wine she had imbibed seemed to be catching up to her.<br><br>“Our stations being so different,” she finished softly, finally, not wanting at all to insult him. 
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			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>22-02-2011, 01:19:48</strong>
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			<dd class="postbody">
				Hostus had very keen eyesight, all part of the nanomachine package the Fleet installed in him when he became a pilot.&nbsp; He saw the faint red flush as she reacted to his touch and felt her lean, press herself just slightly towards him.&nbsp; He took it all as a very good sign.&nbsp; He listened as she circled the question, felt her press her fingers to his armored chest--then yank back, realizing what she'd done.&nbsp; His gaze never left hers.<br><br>It occurred to him, as she mentioned the chasm of class between them, how far out of line he <em>already</em> was.&nbsp; Accorrding to protocol, he should have excused himself as soon as he'd learned she was a senator's daughter.&nbsp; Strictly speaking, he shouldn't even have followed her through the crowd.&nbsp; Just speaking to her intimately would earn him an upbraiding from his superiors, much less going with her alone.&nbsp; A plebeian soldier <em>touching</em> a woman of such high rank could be grounds for disciplinary action, not to mention the potential extra-legal reprisals from her father.&nbsp; But when he looked down into Lucinda's flushed, upturned face, and felt the warmth of her body through the thin, gauzy material of her tunic, he found he didn't care.<br><br>He stopped their walk beside a stone bench, and leaned over to set his glass upon it.&nbsp; Then he reached towards her, his long, broad fingers wrapping around hers as he pulled her hand towards him.&nbsp; He pressed her fingers, gently, to the spot she'd brushed on his armor before pulling back so suddenly, while he rubbed her palm with long strokes of his thumb.&nbsp; "I didn't expect to find anyone I'd enjoy talking to at this party," he said, looking down into those dark, shining eyes.&nbsp; "I'd be...very disappointed, if I left Ermor without seeing you after tonight."<br><br>He turned a bit where he stood, leaning to face her fully.&nbsp; The warm, solid presence of his hand rubbed slowly up her back, following the gentle sway of her spine.&nbsp; Hostus knew he was taking an enormous risk, having gone as far as he had already.&nbsp; But looking down into Lucinda's eyes, he also knew that he <em>wanted</em> this woman too much to turn away now.&nbsp; "You're right.&nbsp; It wouldn't be proper for us to be seen together," he said, his voice growing softer, almost conspiratorial.&nbsp; "But if you know this world as well as you say, you must know some place we can meet, and spend time, away from prying eyes."
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>22-02-2011, 20:57:20</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Part of Lucinda’s flush was due to the fix of his gaze upon her. She was quite used to being looked at. Her image was currently plastered across a half dozen magazines, for gods’ sakes. But she was certainly not used to being admired so openly, as that seemed what his gaze spoke to her. She had to admit that her own darkly shining attention was returning the admiration. Hostus was handsome enough, to be sure, albeit more ruggedly than she was used to. Lucinda’s past was littered with playboys and politician’s sons, clean cut and straight-laced. Hostus was different, he was bold, and that’s what attracted her to him. <br><br>As she stayed in step with him, peering up at the centurion, her mind not once went to the possible repercussions for him. Her attention was rather focused still on the feeling of his hand against her back. When he stopped her and pulled her hand forwards, her body came with, stepping in towards him so that they were separated by a space of inches. She felt like a heady little teenager, the warm clasp of his strong hand around her delicate one sending a rush of excitement down her spine. She looked at her hand for a moment where he held it pressed to his chest, to that gleaming armor, then traced her gaze back up to his eyes. <br><br>The wind tugged lightly at the trailing edge of her tunic, though it did little to cool the heat raising in her cheeks. “Nor did I,” she murmured back, still wondering what the hell she was doing in the gardens with a centurion. She nodded slowly at his words, her fingers curling over the hard shell of his armor. “I would be as well. There’s…I….” She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts, feeling more drunk for a second than she knew she was. “There’s something about you…” she whispered, the admission only bringing more color to those high cheeks. <br><br>Her other hand raised up slowly to toy with the armor as well, both hands propped against his chest as he squared his shoulders to face her. The hand caressing her back was more than delightful, it thrilled her in ways she never had imagined. Part of it was the forbidden nature of all of this, the thought of what her father might say if he knew what she was doing at this moment. She could hardly believe herself as it was. This was very much unlike Lucinda to be doing something of this sort. And even more startling thought surfaced as she looked up into the centurion’s eyes. She wanted so badly to press her lips to his, to feel his mouth covering hers. She even half darted forwards before remembering herself and shying away. To be seen would be a scandal, but to be found kissing a centurion in the guardians would be an outrage. She knew her father would see him stripped of rank and relegated to flying one of the taxis in the valley. And she wouldn’t do that to him, not for a simple indulgence urged by wine.&nbsp; <br><br>She licked her lips and whispered, “Do they have masquerades on your homeworld?” She realized she had no idea where he was from, or anything else about him for that matter. “They’re clubs here…guests remain masked and the press isn’t allowed anywhere near them. A lot of patrician socialites frequent them due to the anonymity the clubs afford.”<br><br>And a lot of them went to meet with lovers or otherwise that society would normally frown upon. She shifted a little, that flush only deepening again. Though she commonly attended many of the raves and other clubs established in the valley, she had never yet gone to a masquerade. She was uncertain how to explain it to him without completely losing her nerve or making it appear that she was suggesting something improper. Part of the reason anonymity was so protected at the clubs was due to the rather explicit nature of many activities that occurred within them. <br><br>She left the details shady for now, but the wine had indeed made her more bold than usual so she pressed forth. “If you let me know where you are staying, perhaps I could meet you at one for a drink?” she said quietly. <br><br>“Luci! Luuuuci!” a loud cry from the direction of the villa sheared the quiet.<br><br>Lucinda jumped and ripped away from the centurion immediately. “Oh gods…that’s my father. I can’t be seen with you or he’ll destroy you professionally,” she whispered, stepping backwards slowly.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>23-02-2011, 03:11:01</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucinda stepped closer, pulled in as he pressed her fingertips to the chestpiece of his armor.&nbsp; As she looked up at him, her body rippling under his exploring hand, Hostus was seized by the desire to touch and be touched by her without a sheet of pointless metal separating them.&nbsp; He listened, intrigued, as she described this strange noble nightclub.&nbsp; "No, we don't have anything like that where I'm from," he replied.&nbsp; His voice a deep, low rumble in such close quarters.<br><br>She asked after his address, and he was about to reply when her father's calls carried to them in the garden and she all but jumped out of his arms.&nbsp; Which was all to the good, the shock reminded Hostus of exactly what was at risk if he were caught with Lucinda, well before her next words reached his ears.<br><br>"You're right," he said, glancing back to her one last time.&nbsp; "I'm staying at the Aulus Livius Hotel, in the capital.&nbsp; Penthouse suite.&nbsp; Reach me there as soon as you can."&nbsp; He reached out himself, capturing her hand one more time, brushing his thumb over her palm.&nbsp; "Goodnight."&nbsp; Then, reluctantly, he turned away and headed into the moonlit garden, in the opposite direction from her father's voice.<br><br>Hostus made his way by a circuitous path back to the main party, which by then had degenerated considerably under the influence of Senetor Terentius's powerful wine.&nbsp; No one had noted Hostus's absence so far as he could tell--he was the lowest ranking officer invited to the party, only really there because he directly led the sortie that turned the tide of battle.&nbsp; With the festivities already winding down, it was an easy thing for Hostus to acquire a place on a transport headed back to the capital, and from there to make his way to his suite.&nbsp; He lay awake for a long while after he returned, thinking about that conversation in the garden, the moonlight in Lucinda's hair, the feel of her warmth beneath his fingers.<br><br>He awoke the next day with a mild headache, and half-believed the encounter in the garden had been just a dream.&nbsp; He had not yet grown used to the sheer <em>space</em> his accommodations afforded--the suite was the size of his family's home and utterly dwarfed even the finest cabin on a warship: it took up the whole roof of the hotel, taking the form of a luxurious villa with grass lawns, landscaped trees and its own pool in the midst of the capital's skyline.&nbsp; It was filled with the finest amenities: nano-mimetic furniture that molded to the user's body and preferences, gravity controls within the villa itself, unlimited access to the planet's infosphere via a state of the art, hands-free personal computer system.&nbsp; For a month, at least, Hostus had the sort of luxury at his disposal that usually only nobles enjoyed.<br><br>He set to using it, exercising in the fully furnished, gravity-controlled gym adjoining the residence wing of the villa, swimming in the pristine pool, followed by breakfast in one of the capital's finest restaurants.&nbsp; But through it all, his mind kept refocusing on his conversation with Lucinda.&nbsp; He checked and rechecked his palm computer to see if any message or mail had arrived for him at the hotel, though in the light of day he had convinced himself that waiting for the radiant little noblewoman he'd met last night to follow up on her invitation was a fool's hope.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>23-02-2011, 05:34:43</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucinda glanced hurriedly over her shoulder. “Aulus Livius, got it,” she said quickly, halted in her swift parting only by the light brush of his hand over hers. “Goodnight,” she replied breathlessly, slipping away in a moonlit flourish of white silk. Her heels clicked loudly against the paving stone path through the garden as she hurried away towards the sounds of her father’s call, her slender form picking easily amongst the well-kempt hedges and greenery.<br><br>When she reached the cusp of the patio, she skidded to a stop and patted her hair back up into place, straightened her dress as best she could. Her heart was raging in her chest and she knew the red tint on her cheeks had only been accentuated by her brisk job back towards the house. She took a deep breath and slipped into the atrium, attempting to sneak back towards her bungalow without being discovered. <br><br>“There you are. Where have you been? Marcus has been searching half the night to see you,” came her father’s voice. Lucinda turned slowly, likely looking for all the world as guilty as she felt. Terentius strode towards her with wobbly steps, his own cheeks bearing the bright flush of drink. His eyes narrowed. “What have you been up to? I have seen that look…”<br><br>“Nothing, father. I didn’t feel well, so I went for a walk in the gardens to clear my head. Too much wine, I think,” she said softly, gathering him in a hug and kissing his cheek. “I think I just need to rest now.”<br><br>He stared at her for another moment as she pulled back, then nodded. “That’s a good idea. Rest well and I’ll see you in the morning.”<br><br>Lucinda wasted no time lingering in the atrium, lest she get dragged back into the party or discovered by Marcus. She retreated swiftly to her private little flat then, unpinning her hair and shaking it out to tumble wild about her shoulders, stripping her heels and her expensive dress off and sliding nude and dizzy onto her massive bed. <br><br>The senator’s daughter flipped onto her back and stared at the ceiling, her heart still not calming from the rush of adrenaline. The cool breeze swept through her open window and helped to somewhat douse the fire still burning on her cheeks, a mixture of drink and of the new, unexpected excitement she had found tonight. She closed her eyes to stop the room from spinning. One hand closed over the other, rubbing her thumb along her palm as Hostus had done, remembering and savoring the feeling of his strong hands on hers, his fingers walking her spine surprisingly gently. <br><br>She fell asleep after a while, a content smile still on her lips, her body wrapping around a pillow and clinging tightly as she had so desperately wanted to do so to the centurion’s own form. When the sun spilled in through her bedroom window in the morning, she groaned and rolled over, rubbing at her aching temples. That wine got more potent every time. She rubbed at her neck and stood just as her girls came to tend to her for the morning, ushering her along to the baths and setting out breakfast for her for when she emerged freshened. <br><br>Lucinda slid into a casual frock, a loose-fitting tunic that draped off one shoulder and dipped to her knees - nothing quite as spectacular as her gown from the night before, but she had to play the good and chaste daughter today in order to convince her father to let her head to the city for the night. As she nibbled on the fruit and toast and sipped at her coffee, she sorted idly through a database of magazines and catalogues until she found the one she was looking for. <br><br>She touched the screen of her tablet and brought up a larger image of the Cartier catalogue, thumbing through the images until she found the one she was searching for: an elegant black half-mask edged in gold. She excused all of her servants except for her most trusted confidante and then bade the girl come close. Turning the screen of her palm tablet towards the girl, she said quietly, “I want you to head to the city and purchase two of these masks for me, one male and one female. Bring the one back for me. Have them giftwrap the other and have it sent to the resident of the penthouse suite at the Aulus Livius along with this message: 9 PM at Galleria. L.”<br><br>Lucinda stared long and hard at the girl. “I trust you won’t speak a word of this to anyone. If you do, you’ll find yourself wanting for a new owner.” It wasn’t in her character to be so cruel or even so exacting with her words, and in truth she probably wouldn’t follow through with her threat. She just did not want Hostus to bear the brunt of a stupid girl’s loose tongue. Once the girl dashed off on her chore, Lucinda strode over to her closet and looked over all of gowns, already debating what to wear tonight when she met up with her centurion. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>23-02-2011, 06:23:30</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hostus had returned to his suite and taken his lunch on the front porch of the villa when message came that he'd received a package and a note.&nbsp; As the alert chimed from his palm pad he felt a rush, a thrill that began in his stomach and raced up his spine.&nbsp; For a while, he did nothing.&nbsp; He merely sat on the porch, drinking his luncheon wine, thinking back to the soft, soft hand he'd taken in his own the night before, and wide dark eyes catching the moonlight.&nbsp; When he came to himself again, he shook his head.&nbsp; 9 PM was a long ways off.&nbsp; He had to get ready, but he had a fair amount of time left yet.<br><br>He took another swim in an attempt to clear his head, but more and more his mind returned to Lucinda.&nbsp; She <em>had</em> followed through, she <em>had</em> arranged a time for them to rendezvous.&nbsp; It was <em>happening</em>, against his conscious expectations, just as he'd hoped.&nbsp; When he emerged from the pool he he went to the penthouse's antechamber and picked up the box he'd received.&nbsp; He pulled out the black mask edged with gold and hand-written note from Lucinda's slave, remembering her mention of masquerades.<br><br>Hostus called up the holographic display of the villa's computer system.&nbsp; With a few commands he ordered a tunic he hoped was suitable from the hotel's auto-tailor, and looked up where exactly this Galleria was.&nbsp; With the location found, and his clothing en route, Hostus had nothing left but time.&nbsp; He whiled away the hours sunning on the penthouse grounds, exercising in its gym and swimming, took an early dinner at one of the hotel's several restaurants--and then, finally, it was time.<br><br>He'd ordered a black tunic edged with gold and striped with scarlet, which he hoped complimented the mask Lucinda had sent.&nbsp; On his towering frame the carefully tailored cloth tunic was darkly imposing.&nbsp; By the time he'd summoned an air taxi and set off for the Galleria the sun had set and the moons were peaking over spires of the capital's skyline.&nbsp; After a brief flight he found himself emerging onto a landing pad perilously high above the city, on the north face of a towering black skyscraper in the midst of the city's entertainment district.<br><br>He made his way to an inconspicuous doorway with the word <em>Galleria</em> written in holographic light above its arch, flanked by bouncers with obvious nanomachine augmentations he recognized from the military.&nbsp; The guards seemed to note his mask, and parted before him without a word.&nbsp; Hostus stepped through the threshold and into the club, searching for a woman with a mask to match his own.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>23-02-2011, 09:10:56</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				The intercom on Lucinda’s wall buzzed and startled her from her reverie, making her drop the black silk tunic she held in hand. She cast her eyes skywards for a moment when she saw it was a text-based message from her father summoning her to his study. Really? He couldn’t even send a slave anymore? She hurriedly pinned her hair back and slid on a pair of slippers, stealing quickly across the atrium to the main villa and circling around to her father’s study. He met her at the door and looked her over with a satisfied grunt, apparently happy to see more of her legs covered.<br><br>“Marcus wants to see you tonight,” he said bluntly, watching her carefully. So far the planned merger between their families had been less than successful.<br><br>Lucinda blinked, folding her arms with a soft scowl forming. “He has my number, yet he still chooses to speak through you?”<br><br>“This is how it is done, Luci,” he answered with measured patience.<br><br>“It speaks of cowardice, if he refuses to talk to me directly,” she retorted, immediately comparing the other politician’s son to a much bolder acquaintance she had made last night. Marcus had been somewhat unofficially courting her for over six months and they had a luncheon maybe every other week, saw each other at state events. He had done nothing more than clasped her hands in greeting once a few weeks ago, whereas the man she had met only last night had managed to make chills dance her spine just by one well-placed, strong hand. She realized in hindsight how possessive that gesture seemed, how inappropriate, and it made a slow smile curl over her face. <br><br>“What are you smiling about? Luci, this is serious. Marcus Servilius will make a perfect husband for you.”<br><br>She snorted and shook her head. “He will make a perfect political merger for <em>you</em>. As long as we are playing this game, you can tell him that I am unavailable tonight. I’ve already made plans to spend the night in the valley with friends,” she lied. She did not like spewing falsehoods to her father, but she sure as hell wasn’t about to tell him where she actually planned on going, and certainly not who she was meeting. Years of dealing with this same sort of situation led her to whirl around before he could answer her and head back to her private chambers. He would let things lie for now. Protective though he was, he rarely managed to reign in his daughter. No one did. <br><br>The hours passed slowly. She broke into a wide smile when her girl returned with the mask and told her the other had been delivered to the guest at the hotel. Lucinda let her fingers trace over the dark fabric covering the mask, wondering what the man who held its twin was doing. Why? She kept asking herself why he filled her thoughts? She could have any man she wanted. She had other, braver suitors than Marcus. So why was a simple centurion with bold hands still making her pulse jump to think of him?<br><br>Looking back at the mask, suddenly she knew exactly what to wear. It was even bolder than some of her other things, but seemed perfectly suited for the sort of club she would frequent for the first time tonight. She had seen masquerade revelers passing by her downtown before, clad in leather or even shiny synthetic material. She pulled her loose tunic over her head and replaced it with a gauzy, voluminous tunic of translucent black silk trimmed in gold. Over the top of it she laced a richly embroidered corset of black brocade, calling for the slave to help her cinch it tight and tie it in front, pushing her assets to the forefront. <br><br>She found a pair of exquisite black heels to match, ones with laces that crisscrossed to halfway up her toned calves before tying in back. Her hair was still curly from the bath this morning and she shook it out to fall loose and wild over her shoulders, lending a certain edge to her ensemble. Her eyelids again were dark-lined to emphasis the glinting coals within, but her lips remained bare except for gleam of gloss. Jewelry was minimal: drop pearl earrings and a matching pendant. She was careful, ritualistic about everything. She kept up the pretense of a simple social meeting in her mind, though her heart knew much better that this was a date, pure and simple. And she wanted to impress him. <em>Him</em>! He who was far beneath her, by social standards. <br><br>When the time came, she snuck out quickly before her father could see her, diving into the waiting limo shuttle and giving her driver the directions to the Galleria. She snapped open her clutch purse and withdrew a small vial, dabbing the rare liquid inside onto her pulse points sparingly. It was a scent concocted personally for her by one of the world’s greatest perfumers, steeped with orchid and sensual, woodsy notes. It was a date. She knew that the look in his eyes last night had said without hesitation that she needed to do nothing more to impress him, but she wanted to leave nothing to chance. <br><br>She fixed the mask to her face and drummed her nails impatiently on the sideboard, almost leaping out of the shuttle as soon as the driver opened the door for her. She was used to throngs of paparazzi and press whenever she arrived at a venue, so it was nice for a change when there was…nothing. Without any sort of to-do, she made her way across the landing pad for the door. Her driver took off for back home with instructions that she would contact him when she needed him to return. The bouncers out front nodded to her, perhaps recognizing her despite the mask, but they said nothing. The masquerades continued to exist because of the anonymity, and the employees knew well that they were to do nothing to unmask the patrons. <br><br>The music was already pulsing wildly, the lights low and dim in the club except for a few red spotlights illuminating scene boxes along the walls. Within those boxes, figures writhed bound to beds, crosses, chairs - all sorts of devices - while their scene partner worked on them. Some were receiving punishment, others were enduring any number of the more popular fetishes to entertain guests, and some were just being fucked. Lucinda’s cheeks flushed a little at such shameless displays, though she found herself staring at the shows. She had no experience with such things, but it was intriguing nonetheless and piqued her curiosity. She wasn’t the only one, for rows of chairs ringed the boxes, jammed with revelers already falling drunk or high from the stools as they looked on. <br><br>Away from the boxes were several scattered booths tucked back into shaded alcoves, semi-private for couples to meet, drink, socialize. A split curved stair led up around the bar to the second level. Some party-goers lolled on the railings, while others disappeared with a friend into the numbered doors ringing the upper level. Lucinda threaded through the shouting crowds, receiving more than a few appreciative stares, searching for the centurion. She almost didn’t recognize him without his armor on, but soon enough those dark eyes fell up Hostus and brightened with unmistakable elation.<br><br>“Hostus!” she cried out over the crowd, pushing and maneuvering through the nighttime rush to get to him. Her pulse quickened the closer she got, completely beside herself with excitement, exhilaration. She had nothing to drink and had indulged in none of the popular party drugs, but just seeing him there made her almost dizzy. When she finally managed to reach him, she simply slid her arms up around his neck, lacing into the locks at his nape, and leaned forwards to press her soft lips against his in a hard, quick kiss. Pulling away breathlessly, she laughed and looked off for a moment, that same pink hue rising to her cheeks. “I wanted to do that last night, but figured it might get you killed,” she shouted over the din, laughing softly. 
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>23-02-2011, 18:41:00</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				After spending most of the last several years on spartanly equipped starships or in frontier outposts, wiling away the hours with cards and drink and the occasional fight, spending time in the Galleria blasted Hostus's senses.&nbsp; He had heard stories of the extravagance with which people in the core worlds entertained themselves, but tales of drug-fueled orgies and midnight soirees had done little to prepare him for the reality. He saw more bare, writhing flesh in more creative positions after a few minutes in the Galleria than he'd seen in all his years in the military--and the sights and sounds, combined with memory of the woman he'd come here to meet, conspired to raise a heat under his collar the likes of which he hadn't felt since his teens.<br><br>After scanning the crowd for some time, he'd been about to retire to a booth and wait when he heard Lucinda's call.&nbsp; He turned just in time to find her throwing herself around his neck and planting that sharp little kiss on his lips.&nbsp; Instinctively his massive arms, mostly bare from the short sleeves of his tunic, wrapped around Lucinda's waist and pulled her in close even as she pulled back and glanced away.&nbsp; He looked down at her, taking in the provocative neckline of her corset, the elegant mask with her blush rising just beyond its edges, and smiled right back.<br><br>"You were probably right," he said, raising his deep voice over the din of the club.&nbsp; "I don't think anyone will note it in <em>this</em> place, though," he grinned, eyes beaming behind his matching halfmask.&nbsp; He slipped to the side, one arm still wrapped firmly around Lucinda's back, and nodded towards an alcove.&nbsp; "Let's get out of the press," he shouted--the dance floor was an amorphous thing at best, and the outer edge of the gyrating club-goers would overlap them soon if they stayed put.<br><br>Each alcove was carefully engineered and shielded so that sound from outside was muffled, while sound from inside could not escape at all.&nbsp; Subtle hologram projectors muddled the appearances of any occupants as soon as a booth detected them, so that anyone looking within would see only indistinct, blurred reflections of whoever was inside.&nbsp; Hostus sat beside Lucinda, his hand resting on her hip, and looked down at her with undivided attention.&nbsp; When he'd cleared his throat from the strain of shout outside he asked in his his deep, rough voice "So, this is where the nobility goes to enjoy itself in private?&nbsp; I had no idea a masquerade on Ermor was so...aggressive."&nbsp; He did not seem put off by it though--that warmth she and the place had provoked in him was only growing now that they were alone, and close enough for the heady scent of her perfume to fill his nostrils.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>23-02-2011, 20:54:24</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucinda didn’t know what came over her, rushing up to the centurion and kissing him like that. She would try to tug back quickly as she looked away for that moment, though the pull of his arms, so strong and warm around her slender waist, indicated her had no intention of losing her to the crowd. She colored darker as he made mention of the venue. It was truly not something she had a taste for, and she was even slightly embarrassed by bringing him here, as it might suggest a carnal underlying motive. With his hand still wrapped around her, she threaded through the crowd with him towards the indicated alcove. <br><br>Once they entered into the soundproofed ambience of the booth, she let out a long breath. “Whew…I never knew these things were so crowded,” she said, shouting at first despite the quiet of the alcove as her ears still rang from the noise outside. She was keenly aware of the heat of his hand propped against her hip and the strength of his gaze lancing at her. <br><br>Lucinda laughed softly and toyed with her hair a bit anxiously. “Some do…I guess. I’ve never actually been to one. It’s not really my taste. All those…things.” She gestured broadly to the bondage scenes going on past the dance floor, another quick flush jumping in to her cheeks. “I’m not really that kind of girl…” she murmured, rubbing at a dent on the tabletop in front of her, looking down for a moment. “I didn’t mean to suggest anything by recommending this place. I just wanted to see you again and this was the first idea to spring to mind. I’ll ask my friend Cassandra about other places. She once had a plebeian lo--” <br><br>She stopped herself with another nervous laugh. She was just babbling now, and scarcely giving him a chance to get a word in. “Do you want a drink?” she asked, scanning the menu on the screen in the wall where it sat just above the receptacle where the drinks would appear after being mixed. “My favorite is an Ermorian sunrise but…” She laughed a little and cast her sparkling glance over to him, lowering her voice a little bit as she finished, “It’s kind of a ‘girly’ drink.”<br><br>After waiting for his response, she settled back against the seat and just smiled at him. He was such a quiet, powerful presence, so unlike anyone she had experienced. Her conception of plebs was rudimentary at best, as she had not known enough to draw an educated conclusion, but she just always thought that they must be even duller than the patrician men she had to deal with. Hostus certainly erased that notion, for he had such fire and mystery nestled in his gaze. Admiration, too, it seemed, that was answered by her own. He looked dashing in his tunic, a bold, strong presence that clearly dominated the room. Lucinda had considered last night that she was excited simply by the glitz of his uniform, but she found now that the shine had not even begun to fade. <br><br>Her hand slid in to cover over his where it rested on her hip, soft fingerpads caressing the top of it slowly. She was certainly not the kind of girl to be frequenting this sort of club, but she found herself longing at least for those arms to wrap around her again. The heat of her cheeks had spread down her neck, and her entire body felt warmed just by his presence. “Tell me about yourself,” she said quietly as she waited for her drink, enraptured by the dark heat of his gaze. <br>
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>24-02-2011, 02:35:41</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Hostus ordered a Black Hun from the mixer at Lucinda's prompting, a mix of vodka and coffee liqueur, and waited expectantly for it while she spoke.&nbsp; She was giggly, excited--it seemed this experience was at least as novel for her as for him.&nbsp; The drinks poured just after she finished, and Hostus sipped his before replying.&nbsp; "This is amazing," he said, feeling the liquor work its way to his stomach and start a slow warmth that only added to the heat he was already feeling.<br><br>He set the drink down and refocused all his attention on Lucinda.&nbsp; He smiled at the feel of her hand upon his own, and let his fingers rub slowly over the curve of her hip.&nbsp; "Well," he said, "I come from a world on the frontier.&nbsp; It's very low-gravity, something about the low density of its minerals.&nbsp; It's covered mountains and the valleys between them, some so deep they only get full sunlight for a few seconds each day."&nbsp; His eyes lost some focus as his words conjured up memories of home--he had not been there for many, many years.<br><br>"Growing up there there's not as much gravity weighing down on you as here, stunting your growth.&nbsp; Everyone grows to be tall, mostly around seven feet, some eight or nine."&nbsp; He lifted his free hand before her and extended his long, dexterous fingers.&nbsp; "That's why these look strange.&nbsp; All the bones in the body grow longer and thinner there.&nbsp; I would've looked like a scarecrow compared to people on this world, before i joined the Fleet.&nbsp; The treatments they give all new recruits to build bone strength and muscle mass made me broader but they didn't make me any less tall.&nbsp; So they turned me into a giant."&nbsp; He smiled at her and raised his hand from her hip before them both, with hers still pressed to its back, to show the contrast between them, before returning his palm to her side.<br><br>"Back home almost everything that moves can fly or glide.&nbsp; Most of the animals, even some of the plants have some way of floating over the valleys.&nbsp; Out there we don't have the resources to give everyone an aircraft, so we've taken to using hang-gliders.&nbsp; I started flying when i was a little boy.&nbsp; When the recruiters from the Legions came round a few wars ago, the pay was good and the Fleet seemed like a natural fit.&nbsp; Now, here I am."<br><br>Hostus took a swig from his drink, to freshen his throat.&nbsp; He hadn't realized how he'd started to go on about home.&nbsp; "But that must all be boring to someone brought up on the capital world," he said, looking down into her dark, shining eyes&nbsp; They were what had drawn him to her in the first place--he loved they way they gleamed in the nightclub's flashing lights.&nbsp; "What about you?&nbsp; If this isn't the kind of place you usually go, what do you do?&nbsp; How does a senator's daughter spend her time?"
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>24-02-2011, 04:30:50</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Lucinda was only too happy to lift her drink from the tray once it arrived, taking a deep gulp of the orange-tinged liquid within the tall glass. She didn’t know why she was acting this way, almost flaky. Actually, she knew why, but it was hard to understand why she had taken such an immediate liking to the rough centurion. He was not at all her type, and not just due to his social station. But there was something inherently mysterious and compelling about him, and she stared at him in rapt attention as he spoke, those eyes he seemed to like so much completely trained on his. <br><br>A slow smile curled across her lips when she felt his fingers caress at her hip, partially because she was so very ticklish, and it showed in the way she shifted a little and bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. She took another small drink of her cocktail, already feeling the warm tingle of the alcohol start to calm her nerves a little. As he drifted off in his thoughts, she smiled again, this time at the clear nostalgia stamped in his expression. <br><br>When he raised their hands together, she let her digits trace up and down his, dancing over the top and then clasping to twine with his own fingers. “They don’t look strange to me,” she said softly, though the thought of the broad man as a scarecrow tipped up the corners of her lips once more as she tried to imagine it. “That sounds very nice. Are you happy in the Fleet?” she asked, reaching for her drink once more and regarding him over the rim of the glass. <br><br>She pressed her lips together as she sat the cocktail down and shook her head, letting those dark strands cascade lightly over her shoulders. “Not at all. I would not have asked of it, if I didn’t want to hear all about you.” She peered up at him, chin tilting back, both mischief and quick affection gleaming at him in her gaze. “About the centurion bold enough to dare touching a senator’s daughter,” she said, moving their hands down from her hip to her thigh and letting him settle his palm there, her body turned towards his in their quiet little alcove. <br><br>The scenes and dancing going on had only intensified outside, and even though the sounds were muffled, they also grew slightly louder, the ground underfoot pulsing with the heavy electronic beat of the music. It would only get more crowded and crazy in there as the night went on, and the masquerade establishments - what few of them there were - tended to stay open until the morning. Lucinda rolled her shoulders in a deep shrug and looked back at him once more. <br><br>“Don’t laugh - but I spend most of my time modeling nowadays.” She held up her hands preemptively. “I know I know…how boring. It really is, to be honest. I don’t really like it. But they just kept pushing and pushing and my father thought it was a good idea to bring attention to his own campaigns so…” She shrugged again and took another small sip of her drink, nearing the bottom now. “That’s why I was surprised you didn’t know me. The most recent fashion ads have been splashed all over town. Which was not my idea at all.” She flushed a little and toyed with the hair at the base of her neck. “I actually don’t like to be looked at. I guess it’s because I’ve always sort of been an <em>object</em> for my father to use to his advantage, you know? So I usually end up at some nightclub or another just not...these types. I’m sorry…now it’s me running on about boring things…”
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Zeal</strong> on <strong>24-02-2011, 20:13:09</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Despite growing up in the lap of luxury, Lucinda's background seemed sad to Hostus.&nbsp; His family had not had much, but neither he nor any of his siblings had been used as tools by their parents the way Lucinda felt her father used her.&nbsp; It seemed an awfully lonely way to grow up--and might, he though, have some bearing on why she'd decided to slip away from home, against her father's wishes, with a man so far below her station.<br><br>"We don't get many fashion magazines on the frontier," said Hostus, having drained his glass while listening to Lucinda.&nbsp; A model...he could believe it, looking at her.&nbsp; Even in the midst of all the elegance on display at the party, she'd stood out among the carefully sculpted nobles.&nbsp; "I'd never seen you before last night."&nbsp; His gaze swept over her, the heat of his finished drink mingling with the welcome sensation of her warm, slight body nestled against his.&nbsp; His fingers rubbed over her thigh, feeling the lean muscle and soft, smooth skin beneath his fingers.&nbsp; He decided to make his move.<br><br>"Why don't we <em>both</em> stop talking for a while," he said, raising his free hand to brush his fingertips over her cheek, then back along the curve of her ear.&nbsp; He slid those long digits to tangle in her wild, curling tresses as he leaned forward, his palm resting firmly on the back of her head by the time he crossed the last distance between them.&nbsp; He met her lips in a kiss, not the fleeting thing they'd shared when she'd jumped into his arms before, but long, slow and powerful, his lips melding with hers, rubbing and sliding hungrily.<br><br>The heat Hostus felt continued to rise at the first wet, electric contact, and his breathing deepened with each further moment of their embrace.&nbsp; He rubbed the hand on her thigh up and back, trailing along her hip to cup Lucinda's tight little rear.&nbsp; He broke the kiss, staying very close, staring into Lucinda's eyes as he used his grip to lever her up and around to straddle his lap, her thighs parted on either side of his broad waist.&nbsp; His strong arms wrapped around her, one hand still meshed tightly in her wild hair, the other rubbing up and down her back, his grip pulling her corseted chest against his own.&nbsp; "I've wanted to do that," he growled, his voice left husky from the from their embrace, "since I first laid eyes on you."&nbsp; Then he closed the distances again, mat met her with a hungry kiss, parting her lips to slip his broad, rough tongue between them.
			</dd>
			<dt class="postheader">
				Title: <strong>Re: Star-Crossed (Zeal and Alika Luminos)</strong><br>
				Post by: <strong>Alika Luminos</strong> on <strong>24-02-2011, 22:01:26</strong>
			</dt>
			<dd class="postbody">
				Luci <em>was</em> sad. Her father’s position and wealth assured that she never wanted for anything in life. Except…freedom. Those freedoms had certainly been restricted even further after her mother’s death in a shuttle accident. It had taken long after that for him to even let her leave the villa. <br><br>She laughed a little and toyed with her hair. “No…no I don’t imagine you get a lot of magazines.” Though never having really left Ermor, she didn’t know much about the frontier at all. She felt almost stupid for even bringing it up, not wanting him to think of her as some vapid, vain model trying to slide it into conversation at any chance. It wasn’t even something she was proud of, almost more embarrassed than anything. <br><br>Her eyes settled on his as those strong digits worked at the satin flesh of her thigh that emerged from beneath the translucent silk draping of her skirt, though they swept shut for a moment as his other hand traced over her cheek. Goosebumps rose as the feeling of his fingers twining in her hair, his broad palm cupping the back of her head. Her chest rose and fell in quick, short breaths when he leaned in towards her, the heat of his hand against her head only matched by the fire of his lips as they found hers. Her soft, full pout wrapped with his, pressing and kneading against his mouth in that sensual embrace, savoring the bold taste of him. <br><br>Her pulse was maddening, her heart beating so hard and fast that she was sure he must feel it leaping against him. As his hand rolled around to clap possessively over her rear, she pushed her body up against him, crushing her lips even harder to his. Her arms were coiled tightly around his neck, her manicured nails toying with the locks at his nape. And just when she could feel her chest begin to tighten in need of air, he pulled back. She gasped in a deep breath, her lips tingling and her cheeks burning from the passionate kiss. <br><br>It surprised her when he hauled her up over onto his lap, the hem of her dress inching up scandalously high as her legs came down on either side of his. An amused, approving smile played on her lips, her eyes alive with adoration when the warm hand caressing her back with his searing heat pushed her in a tight pin against his chest. The corset was tight enough as it was, but being so pressed against him nearly made her breasts pop free of their enclosure. Not that she even noticed at the moment. Her eyes were only for him, the club and everyone and everything else in it forgotten. <br><br>“I’m glad you got the chance,” she whispered back to him, her fingers straying to stroke at the edge of his beard as she peered lost in his eyes. She took a deep breath when he bent towards her again, her lips already half-parted expectantly when she felt the light prod of his tongue against them. The soft petals opened pliantly to accept his tongue, her own darting out to meet it in a slow, sensual twine. Her body surged forwards against his, a soft groan escaping her at the taste and feel of his lithe muscle wrapping with hers in that erotic dance, their lips sealed inextricably against each other for a long moment. She thought of nothing in that time but the feeling of the centurion against her. Not his station, not her own, nor even the fact that he would only be within reach for a month’s time. <br>
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		</dl>
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