Author Topic: Droplets on a Razor's Edge (Read 5759 times)

Daglobster · « **Reply #60 on:** March 12, 2020, 08:49:35 pm »

"I'll get you something," Torien said, not even knowing how or where, but... for her, he would do it.

"Something to chew, hm?" he said, and even managed to tease her with a smile as he showed her his teeth.

"Me too."

He stretched up his good arm to catch the rim of the glass tank and cover her hand. He'd never thought that someone could find comfort in his cold steel limbs.

"And maybe I'll find something to stand on, too. So you don't have to bend down all the way like that."

DragonSong · « **Reply #61 on:** March 12, 2020, 09:57:09 pm »

She giggled a bit for that, her own sharp teeth revealed in a brief flash. The smile softened a bit, teeth hidden again, when he stretched up to touch her hand. She turned it over so she could trace her fingertips along his palm, as much because she was intrigued by the feel of how the metal fit together as because she simply...wanted to.

It was nice, to be able to touch and be touched without fear or pain or some other punishment for the transgression.

She chuckled again and nodded, allowing herself to slide back off the rim so she could fold her arms over it, letting her cheek come to rest against one forearm. "Maybe...step-ladder?" she offered up; her tone was bland, but those black eyes gleamed with a hint of teasing mischief.

The mirth faded a bit as she looked into his face, her lips drawing into a thin line. "Be careful...okay? I can't...I wish I could go...with you. Can't do anything to help...from here."

Daglobster · « **Reply #62 on:** March 24, 2020, 12:18:18 pm »

"Yeah, a step-ladder," he repeated, and he gave a short chuckle followed by a sharp wince. He gave his throat a stroke. His fingers gave small twitches as she stroked his palm. The touch felt hollow through the prosthetic but he was still desperate for it.

"I'll be back as quick as I can," he said, and he shifted his hand to thread his fingers through hers.

"I promise."

Then, he let her hand go and let his touch travel upwards until he could cup one side of her jaw with his good hand. He didn't forget about how she seemed to almost treasure that contact, and he wanted to do anything to make her feel better. He looked up to meet her eyes, and offered her another smile.

Water dripped onto him where he touched her and once again he found it strangely soothing as it ran down his arm and seeped into where his limb was connected to his shoulder. He gave her jaw and head a few strokes, going a little farther to stroke the tips of his fingers up into her "hair", and then stepped down from the loader.

The sight of something metallic caught his eye, and he remembered the sidearm he'd tucked into the loader's chassis during their panicked run. He took that, and a section of scrap cloth large enough to use as a makeshift cloak.

When he finished donning his equipment, he approached the tank one last time and laid his hand on the glass.

DragonSong · « **Reply #63 on:** March 28, 2020, 03:25:39 pm »

Seexa winced with him, and when he stroked at his throat she reached out unthinkingly to run three webbed fingers down the column of his neck.

She quickly snatched her hand back when she realized what she'd done. Or tried to--he'd already laced his fingers through hers, at least as best he could with the webbing. She smiled and nodded for his promise, then released him, letting her head tilt slightly into his touch as he cupped her jaw. Her eyes fluttered, first one set of lids sliding closed, then the other.

Her eyes snapped opened again when he stroked her hair, earning a full body shiver that went all the way down to the tip of her tail fins. That was...interesting. The hundreds of thin barbels that grew from her head were sensitive by nature, meant to help her navigate in the black of the depths. No one had ever touched them directly like that before--at least, not in a nice way. It was...

Well. Interesting.

She watched Torien prepare to leave, and when he came closer to once again place his hand against the glass she mirrored the gesture. It was automatic at this point to do so.

"Come back...soon?" she urged with a small smile, eyes searching his face intently.

Daglobster · « **Reply #64 on:** March 29, 2020, 03:41:21 pm »

Something in him fluttered when she stroked his neck like that. It'd been so long since he'd been touched like that, he could scarcely remember...

He nodded and pressed his hand against the glass more.

"As soon as I can, Seex," he said, and his finger tips lingered against the glass even as he pulled away from it. He made sure the sidearm was secured on his belt and that his makeshift cloak covered his damaged body and bloody clothes.

He walked over and lowered the boarding ramp. He looked back to her, as if reluctant to leave their little hidden place.

DragonSong · « **Reply #65 on:** March 29, 2020, 09:01:18 pm »

The mercreature deflated a bit as he walked away, once more allowing herself to sink down toward the narrow bottom of the tank. She tried to perk back up when he paused and glanced back at her though; she didn’t want him to worry about her when his attention should be focused on keeping safe.

“I’ll...be fine,” she assured him, rasping as she tried to raise her voice to be heard over the farther distance than they’d as yet spoken. “Promise. I’ll be safe.”

Daglobster · « **Reply #66 on:** March 30, 2020, 05:47:15 pm »

It wasn't hard to navigate towards the Markov Ultradome. Even though the slums themselves were foreign to Torien, he knew well enough to keep his head down and move along like he lived in the place. It wasn't like the infrastructure was bad or the structures crummy, but the overall life in these places was unsavory. Cancer's population included pirates, criminals, and even worse sorts. Many found their riches in the spires, but many more remained here, in the slums.

He spotted a grouping of thugs hanging out on their turf and ducked down a narrow street.

He could only hope that the Old Doc still lived in the same place.

After some skulking around, Torien peeked around the corner, spotting the doctor's residence. Two loaf-shaped habiation modules, one stacked right on top of the other. It was tucked between a support column for a larger structure and a liquor store.

Torien didn't trust staying on the street, and so hurried to the building and knocked a token couple of times.

"Hello?"

When there was no immediate answer, he tested the door. Finding it open, he came inside and shut the door behind him, leaving him in almost total darkness. He remembered that the old doctor always preferred his house to be dark...

"I'm not seeing any patients right now," came a rough, annoyed voice from the room beyond. Torien saw a glint of red eyes in the dark, and stood his ground.

"I need help," Torien said, and he let his cloak fall away. The shape in the darkness crept closer, and a clawed hand reached out a bit further in recognition. It came closer and Torien reckoned he could make out the old man frowning at him.

"What the hells are you doing here?!" snapped the old man, and he lifted his cane.

By the time Torien returned, the station's night cycle had already activated. hat the ship's ramp opened again, letting in the sound of a pair of voices. Torien, and someone else, with a much gruffer voice.

"And y'stole this heap? Kia's tit, boy..."

"Didn't exactly have many choices," came Torien's voice, always kept low for fear of pain.

The old man chuckled, which evolved into a full laugh as they finished coming up the ramp.

Torien was back in his cloak, and the Old Man with him was dressed in full slacks and tie, tucked in shirt and everything in a style that hearkened back to Le'Ranna's nuclear age. He had it all under a sturdy coat to keep the falling condensation.

DragonSong · « **Reply #67 on:** March 30, 2020, 07:32:25 pm »

Despite herself, after the first hour or so spent waiting in anxious silence, Seexa realized she was...bored. It was boring, sitting in the tank and gazing listlessly out at the flickering, sometimes beeping controls of their stolen ship.

Boring was better than the only alternative she knew, of course. Boring was better than fear. Still... She sighed to herself and floated up toward the top of the tank again, propping her arms on the rim and trying to see how far out she could lean without falling out--or tipping the whole tank over.

Hmm. Not very far. She couldn't even really reach the far side of the pilot's chair, not even with the tips of her fingers if she stretched her arm to its full extent. Pity.

She had no idea what she'd planned to do if she could have reached, but still.

Somehow, Seexa had actually fallen asleep at some point while waiting for Torien to return. Well, it wasn't like there was much else to do--and she supposed it was nice, in a way, that she felt safe enough to actually sleep here, for a reason other than sheer exhaustion stealing her consciousness, which was what she had grown accustomed to in recent months.

The sound of the hangar door opening roused her, and she blinked a little groggily, peering around. Then she heard a voice, an unfamiliar voice, and she came awake all at once, shooting to the top of the tank and grabbing at the rim of it on either side of her body. She looked around wildly, as though searching for some sort of escape--

Torien. Torien's voice was also there. The breath left her body in a sharp, shuddering sigh, gills rippling rapidly, and she allowed herself to lower back into the water slightly. She kept her grip on the rim of the tank, still wary, but when she caught sight of her friend she gave him a small, relieved smile.

"You're...back." Her black eyes moved to his companion, smile fading quickly, replaced with a tense, wary expression. "This...is help?" she asked softly. Hopeful, but still leery of the stranger.

Daglobster · « **Reply #68 on:** April 06, 2020, 01:42:07 pm »

Even though they were laden down with things, they both paused at the sight of Seexa, albeit for different reasons. Torien was just taking a moment to feel relieved that she was safe, and he nodded and opened up his cloak to reveal he was carrying a step-ladder under his arm. The old man looked more awed than shocked or surprised. Torien had told him his friend couldn't exactly move around on her own, but...

The old man regarded Seexa with something akin to recognition, plainly visible on his tight features, as his skin seemed to stick too tightly to his skull to form anything other than the most token of wrinkles. His ears came to more of a point than Torien's and he wore a hat to cover up the fact that he was completely hairless save for a short beard and mustache.

He remained there even as Torien approached Seexa to let down the load he was carrying.

"Boy, you told me your friend wasn't exactly mobile, but I sure as shit didn't expect a mermaid," he finally said, cane tapping as he made his way closer to set down his tools and get a closer look at her.

"A mermaid?" Torien echoed, and he looked over to Seexa. He didn't necessarily expect her to know, but it felt different knowing he had a name for what to call her.

"What's that?"

DragonSong · « **Reply #69 on:** April 06, 2020, 02:14:38 pm »

Seexa flinched a bit at the sound of the older man's voice--new and strange, if not necessarily loud--and her sensitive ears flickered back against her skull briefly. She looked from Torien to the other man, still sort of cautiously bobbing in the water around the middle of the tank.

When Torien looked to her, she widened her eyes and shrugged. "Never knew...what it was...called." She gestured to herself to indicate it. "Only heard...snippets. In the before-place. DNA splices. Magic." She shrugged again and shook her head. That was pretty much the extent of what she knew about her creation.

Her eyes flickered to the older man and she cocked her head to one side, a soft, low chirping sound burbling in the back of her throat. "You can...help Torien?" She looked to her friend again, trying to see if his injuries had in fact been taken care of. It was difficult to tell with the cloak on.

Daglobster · « **Reply #70 on:** April 15, 2020, 09:14:28 pm »

The old man huffed with an exascerbated smile, and he motioned to Torien with his cane.

"Stubborn. Insisted I do the work here," he said, and almost as if he sensed the mood, Torien set down the pack he was carrying and the Old Man did the same. Finally, Torien shrugged the cloak off to reveal that his injured arm was still hurt, but he was carrying a folded step-ladder under his good arm!

He shot Seexa a knowing smile, but then the Old Man cut in again.

"And he gave me good enough puppy eyes to convince me to bring food, too. And some other things," he added, almost growling as he poked Torien's chest with his cane, which Torien barely noticed. Indeed, along with a old-fashioned doctor's bag, the Old Man was carrying a heavily laden bag filled with foam containers.

"Burger-Mat, mostly. Some steaks, from my own fridge, too, so y'better be grateful!"

As the Old Man started to unpack and set up his tools, Torien grabbed a thick, vacuum-wrapped steak made out of synthmeat and put the step ladder down in front of her tank. It easily let his chest clear the rim of the tank and he climbed it, excited to finally be at eye level with his new friend.

DragonSong · « **Reply #71 on:** April 16, 2020, 09:32:31 am »

The promise of food had Seexa perking her ears up--literally--but the more obvious reaction came when Torien climbed up on the step ladder to stand beside the tank. She smiled, sharp teeth flashing for a moment, and made a chirping sound as she poked her head above the water to look up at him.

"...Hi." She gripped the edge of the tank, pulling herself closer and a little higher out of the water so they were face to face. Moving slowly, ready to pull back at the first sign of discomfort, she raised one hand up to lay her palm against his cheek.

Her smile grew and she gave another little chirp, a noise that she didn't seem to be entirely conscious of making.

Daglobster · « **Reply #72 on:** May 17, 2020, 02:37:51 pm »

Having her suddenly so close was a little stunning, at first. Not in a bad way, but his words left him when they finally came face to face. Instantly, Torien accepted her touch with a breathless smile.

He didn't notice the way the Old Man stared at the two of them. Not with spite, but just sheer dumb curiosity. As if he couldn't quite grasp the circumstances.

"Hey," Torien answered.

Holding the steak in his good arm, He lifted the package up and used his steel teeth to catch the tear point on the wrap and opened it up for her. Once she'd taken it, he'd return the affection by giving her a stroke on the jaw and cheek.

"This is much easier," he said with a slight chuckle.

DragonSong · « **Reply #73 on:** May 18, 2020, 07:39:43 am »

Seexa barely had the restraint to keep herself from falling on the offered food like a ravenous animal—which was what she was, really. But she managed to keep at least some semblance of control, though she still scarfed it down pretty quickly.

A soft, thrumming sort of sound tumbled through her ribs and she tilted her head into his hand with a soft, happy curve to her lips. “Much,” she agreed with a soft giggle of her own.

She raised a hand to his cheek again, then let it trace the shape of his jaw, down along the line of his throat to land on his shoulder. “Are you still...hurt?” Her head cocked the other way and the smile has morphed into more of an expression of concern. “You’re okay now?” Her eyes moved to the stranger. "What work does he...have to do?"

Daglobster · « **Reply #74 on:** July 17, 2020, 01:29:50 am »

Torien couldn’t help how quickly he snapped his hand back. The water churned and clouded with bits of meat, only for the detritus be filtered out by whatever advanced filters kept the tank going. Despite the sudden, animalistic display, Torien couldn’t help but give her a breathless smile when she came back up. She laid her hand on his shoulder, and he winced for a moment before the dampness soaked through and took the pain away.

More and more, he was starting to notice she had a habit of making it all better with just a touch, or a stroke.

“Still hurt,” he said, and he lifted his good hand from her chin to cover the hand on his shoulder. By now, he’d learned his lesson with the webbing, and instead he just covered and stroked her hand.

With a reassuring look Seexa’s way, he stepped down from the ladder towards the Old Man, who’d been busy unpacking and unrolling his tools and spare parts.

“Your friend wanted me to work on him here. Felt it’d be safer to get surgery in a scrap dump. Angsar’s name,” he grumbled. He singled out a rusted crate for Torien to sit on, and once the damaged cyborg was comfortable the Old Man slipped a pair of insulated gloves on.

He took up a handheld drill and unbolted Torien’s arm from the ruined shoulder joint, letting the battered, soiled limb fall down to the ground.

“Yup, this whole joint is blown. Don’t even get me started on the bio-components, shit...“

DragonSong · « **Reply #75 on:** July 17, 2020, 10:23:34 am »

A crooning sound rang low in her throat when he winced, and she started to pull her hand back, afraid she'd hurt him. But then his hand was covering hers and even just that simple contact still felt so good after so long in utter isolation that she couldn't force herself to be the one to pull away first.

Another soft sound, more of a chirp, followed Torien as he stepped down from the ladder, and she watched the doctor warily as he set about working on her friend's arm. She gave a sharp, distressed squeak when the limb detached entirely, hauling herself a little further out of the water--but Torien didn't seem to be in any undue distress, and she quickly realized that was supposed to happen.

Or at least that the older man had meant to do it.

She swallowed thickly, her eyes drawn almost magnetically to the wound. "Sorry," she whispered, voice low and rough. Almost as it had been when she first spoke to him. "I'm...sorry. My fault. It was...my fault..."

Seexa slipped back down into the water, one hand still pressed to the glass as she allowed her tail to coil beneath her and rested most of her weight onto it.

Daglobster · « **Reply #76 on:** August 19, 2020, 06:48:59 pm »

"Don't say that, Seex. It was my choice," Torien offered quickly, and the Old Man only scowled as he adjusted his arms to Torien's movement. He took a few more pieces off. The arm had basically fused into the joint's socket, so after the limb itself came the shoulder housing, and finally the armor plating that sat just beneath the skin of the shoulder. The Old Man even shone his surgical light through the hole in Torien's shoulder, frowning at the burn marks at the edge.

Without the housing, Seexa would be able to glimpse at the inner workings of Torien (or at least, his shoulder). The augmentations went all the way to the edge of his collar, but she'd be able to see the ends of cables that would've threaded through his shoulder and into his arm, patches of ruined flesh sticking to chrome pistons and actuators.

The doctor probed, cranked, yanked, and even took out a blowtorch at one point to mend the critical damage, but Torien barely flinched the whole time, eyes set on Seexa.

"If anything, I think I'm the one that should be apologizing," Torien whispered with a tiny smile.

"I got us shot at, and scared you half to death," he continued, and the Old Man dinged him on the head with a socket wrench, which would've bruised a person but merely made a metallic clonk against Torien's head. He frowned back at the Old Man, who proceeded to speak.

"Stop moving so much, I don't want to trip your regulator."

Torien's fell still, but still kept his head turned to look at Seexa.

"You still hungry, Seex?"

DragonSong · « **Reply #77 on:** August 19, 2020, 07:18:59 pm »

Seexa shook her head quickly, sending her hair floating around her in a miniature cyclone for a moment before she stilled. "No. No, it wasn't your fault. You...got me out." She smiled, sharp teeth flashing for a moment, and pressed her palms against the glass. "You saved me, Torien."

The smile was short lived, as she winced and gave a distressed little shriek when the doctor whacked Torien's head with the wrench--but he seemed fine, so she subsided easily enough.

She held his eyes, and when he asked if she was hungry she sort of fidgeted sheepishly--which was an interesting sight for someone floating in the water--then nodded, twisting her fingers together in front of her body. "Yes," she admitted quietly. "I...they didn't...feed me. Days..."

She glanced away, adding hurriedly, "The water, the--the algae...helps. I'm not starving. I'm...okay."

Daglobster · « **Reply #78 on:** October 07, 2020, 10:14:40 pm »

Torien looked back at the Old Man, and the geezer sighed and nodded, but just as quickly put his hand on Torien's shoulder.

"Not just yet, though," he grumbled, and then he went and opened the duffel bag that he brought with him. Inside the bag was a jumble of spare cybernetic parts. He rummaged through and picked out a new casing for Torien's shoulder, and went about fitting it onto Torien, taking note of where he had to make adjustments.

Even as he did, he looked to Seexa and spoke.

"Don't you worry about Torien here. He's built tougher than starship steel. I'd know, I'm the one who put 'im together after his first showing."

Torien smiled and chuckled, but it didn't quite make it to his eyes.

"And, lucky for him, I've still got some of the old X12 series parts I put him together with, so quit your fussin'!" the Old Man snipped, and he pointed his wrench at Seexa.

"I'm an old man, you know! I need peace and quiet to work, not..." he trailed off when Torien laid the one hand he had left on the Old Man's shoulder.

"Adjust the housing, Crem. Less fussing."

The Old Man narrowed his eyes at the use of his name (even if it was a part of it), and grumbled to himself as he took out a plasma cutter and started trimming the new housing for Torien's shoulder.

Torien himself grabbed yet another steak, and without a second hand to hold it in he opted to hold the plastic in his sharp metal teeth as he went back onto the stepladder and used his one hand to hold onto the rim. He leaned his head past the tank's rim to offer Seexa the cut of meat.

DragonSong · « **Reply #79 on:** October 08, 2020, 09:57:49 am »

She was gentler about taking this piece. Mostly because she didn't want to accidentally hurt Torien, with the way he was holding it between his teeth. She swam up to meet him and carefully plucked the plastic packaging away from his mouth, slicing through it easily with wickedly sharp claws before she glanced up at him again and smiled.

"...Thank you." She hesitated a moment, then gave a sharp flick of her tail to propel herself a little further out of the water so her face was level with his and nudged her forehead against his gently for a moment before she allowed herself to sink back down.

She tried to be a little more sedate eating the offered food this time around, and thought she managed okay. She hadn't been lying, she wasn't starving anymore, though she was still plenty hungry.

The second steak certainly helped though.

When she was done, Seexa gripped the rim of the tank again, one on either side of Torien's as she brought herself level with him again. She cocked her head, brow furrowed over too-large eyes as she glanced at his shoulder, then his head again. She chirped quietly and reached up to drag her fingers lightly over his scalp, trying to feel for any injury. It wasn't that she didn't believe the doctor when he said Torien was fine, she just...felt better checking herself.

Satisfied, she dropped her hand again and smiled at him almost sheepishly. "Sure you're...okay?"