Adjusting

[Lovely]

June 22, 2006
late afternoon
Trent's apartment


Sapphira returned from gathering supplies for Trent, slipping through the shadows and into his apartment again. This time he woke to the stirrings from the livingroom and he joined her out there, where she greeted him with a mischievious look in her eyes. "I hope you don't mind."

he's like... "what? no issue 'please don't eat me'... umm.."

"just a little nibble?"

"alright... nibble's fine, just not down the bone, alright? I need those attached..."

chuckles and leans in to lick his neck -giving him a gentle nip

He watches her carefully. "You're... doing that because... well, not because you're hungry, right?"

bites lip and looks at him with an almost innocent expression. "Hungry.. sort of.. a different hungry.. I can't quite explain.. " Tugs at the bulk of his coat which she'd worn to cover herself when she'd gone out for the supplies. "I ate.. while I was out."

"Y-... um... didn't I tell you not to eat the natives? They sell us things we need... none of them were officers, were they?"

"I.. but.." She started to protest, then lowered her head, like a naughty child, pouting a little. "I was.. very hungry.. I didn't.. mean to.. He was a bad man.. he hurt that woman.. I didn't mean to.. only meant to help her.. "

"Sapphira... nevermind, I probably would have too... but that's not the point. We need to fix your diet ... somehow. Did Gil.. when you were there, how did you survive? There's not exactly a lot of people around him..."

"Fasted.. starved.." She whispered softly. "I was allowed to hunt.. he'd take me places and I was allowed to have.. and blood.. it's not as filling, but I can survive on it. There was something he gave me.. I don't know what it was, that helped so I could go longer without.." Her eyes studied the floor with keen interest as she was ashamed for having displeased him. "Animals.. often, not people.. but it's different.. like a craving.. a need.. I have to have a man.. it's what I am supposed to be eating."

"Sounds familiar," he murmured, trying to come up with some way... or there wouldn't be much of a town left. "I mean about the fasting," he defended, realizing the rest of what she'd said. "Wait... there's... I have an idea. I was given something... it was a gift from one of the other planes and not likely something either of us will be getting any time soon - mainly because I couldn't decipher where this one was or when..." he started, wondering if the blood bark he'd been given had something to it that could be cultivated or duplicated to sustain either... or both of them... and others like them.

She growled softly, angry with herself for losing her control and eating the man, even if he deserved it. She's troubled Trent and she felt bad for that, though the man had been filling... Her blue eyes lifted to watch Trent now, her brow furrowed and her hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat, it itched against her skin and was starting to become uncomfortable. She'd not gotten any blood on his coat as it had been flung aside when she sprang at the man earlier. But she wore only the coat and her boots at the moment and with Trent already not happy about her eating the man, she felt uncomfortable asking him for anything more. "What is it.. that you have?"

"Hm? Oh... sorry... it's this... well I don't know what kind of plant it really is, but she called it blood bark. Smells like hamburger... and its sap is like the real deal. I was going to take it to Gil and ... well I got a little distracted," he said, offering a bit wider of a smile than he would normally. "It's warm enough in here... why don't you take that off now, hm?"

[Lovely]

"You should.. we should try to, go see Gil. I'm sure he can figure out.. something." She shrugged, smiling a little back at him, though still feeling out of place for having done something 'wrong'. Sapph sighed softly. "He'll probably take me back too.. so you'll not be disturbed by my activities or needs further. I'm sorry that I have not behaved as you need me to." Her fingers brushed and curled over the collar of the coat, not taking it off yet, but seeming to think about it, now that he'd mentioned it.

"What? No... no.. you're... Sapphira, you did what... no. You're fine, okay? You're not going anywhere and no one's displeased with anyone. Well not much - I'll get over it. Not like I haven't... you have to do what you have to do, but we should find some alternatives, okay?"

She nodded slowly, bringing her gaze slowly to his, her icey eyes intense as she searched his. "Like the animals.. and Gil's potions?" She nodded a little, smiling a bit to hear him say he wasn't sending her away.. he wanted her to stay?

"Exactly like Gil's potions... not sure on the animals... some of those I don't even know what they are or how safe... not like his potions are really any better, but.. this town has enough hardship without us eating out every night, that's all, alright? We'll take the bark to him and see what he has to say, but if not that, then's there's gotta be something."

She nodded again, a little more enthused now and her smile begining to return more fully and light up her eyes. "Gil would know.. how to fix me.. as for you.." Her hand shifted the collar away from her neck. "It does not really hurt me.. like the humans, that you worry so much for.." She offered gently.

"Huh? What doesn't... what?" He didn't understand at first what she meant, thinking that the coat was what she referred to, or her feelings about the animals. As for you... he watched another moment before realizing she meant sustenance for his sake. "Oh... no.. no, Sapph, I really can't. I mean, yes, I really could, but I shouldn't."

Her lips pursed slightly, a confused expression coming to her face. "Why not? If it doesn't hurt me.. and I am willing to let you.. why shouldn't you?"

Trent wasn't sure he really had an answer. He watched her expression a moment in silence, trying to come up with a reasonable explanation. He shrugged a little and seemed smaller and boyish for the moment. "Let me think about it, okay? I haven't... I don't like... how can I explain? Do you know what a mooch is?"

She shook her head, her expression easing into a pleasant curious. "Maybe.. but I do not see how you would be a mooch.. "

"Mooching... sucking off your friends... except ... that would really be su-... Sapphira... you're not a pet and you're not a doll and the intent was for me to teach you and help you, not... thank you. Thank you for offering, but I need to think about it. I haven't purposely ... not off anyone coherent... or really willing in about three hundred years."

Her nod was slow and her face showing confusion and hurt, she didn't really understand. Sapph folded her arms around her middle, her eyes moving around the room in search of something to focus on. Her thoughts at the moment were probably not entirely rational. Her gaze settled on the stack of boxes and bags she'd lugged into his living room, a wide assortment of supplies she felt were needed. Everything from restoring, to practicing, to organizing his artifacts and books.

"What? What is it? What did I say?" He was at a loss. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings if he had. He followed her gaze around the room at the items she'd brought back. "Hey, no.. this is great - all this is wonderful and you're great and wonderful... it's... it's not you, okay? I'm just a little... not ... so used to .. having people around is all. It's not you. C'mon. Let's get this off and let you get comfortable, okay?"

[Lovely]

"I've invaded your space.. You did not want me here.. hadn't planned on anyone.. and I was dumped off on you.. tossed into your world and your life.. and I have made you uncomfortable.. angry.. I do things that you do not want me to.. things you are against. I am wrecking.. thats the word? your system and way of life."

"Nooo... no, you're not, now stop it. You're fine, this is fine and... everything's fine. We're not going over this again, alright? You're not wrecking... it's called adjusting... probably something I could use a lot of anyway or Gil woulnd't have chosen me in the first place to help you. Because... I mean look at this... how much you're helping me already... I can't ask for anything else, okay?"

"You're not just saying that cause you're worried I'll eat you if you upset me, are you?" She was half serious in the question, but her expression softened and relaxed some as she turned her gaze to him again. "Are you sure.. you want me to stay?"

"No... I mean yes I do... I want you to stay, but I'm not worried... not about... no I'm not just saying that... alright? I want you to stay," he said more quietly, reaching to the coat to slide it away from her. "And staying means putting up with me, so if you're willing, then... please."

Her hand reached to grasp his for a moment, she smiled more now, showing him how his words and feeling brought her some joy. She caught his hand long enough to give him a small warning and then let it go so he could take the coat if he still wished to. "I'm not wearing anything else." Other than her boots she was bare beneath the coat.

"Sooo... I start learning to adjust to that too," he grinned shyly. "Or I can get you a robe or whatever, but... coats aren't worn indoors too much."

Her hands dropped to help ease the coat off of her and she shrugged, she was not against being without clothes. "Whatever you'd like.. I have nothing to wear."

"I like... comfortable," he nodded. "That's what I like, so if you're comfortable, we're good. If you get cold, we'll fix it, if not, then we're still good. I don't mind... at all."

She shrugged again. "I have nothing to wear anyway.. I am fine however. I only borrowed your coat because it is required to be covered most places here."

"You have whatever you need, okay?" His gaze leveled with hers and he moved closer. "Anything here you want, you're welcome to... I mean it."

"Anything I want?" She licked her lips gently, a slight smile curving her lips as she reached towards him, touching his cheek lightly.

[Lovely]

He swallowed lightly against the words he nearly said. He did say anything and meant it. "Sure. Anything... name it...," he added, taking her hand in his, but not moving it far.

"Trent." She answered him softly, taking a step closer to him, lacing her fingers gently with his in the hand he'd taken.

"Well... I guess I did say anything...," he smiled, tightening around her fingers a bit. "Another adjustment... getting used to how this feels. Something I'm learning to like a lot," he whispered.

She nodded, inching closer still, her blue eyes full of joyous sparkle. "You did.." She murmured softly, leaning to bring her lips to his for a soft kiss. ".. and what about how that feels?" She whispered, offering more.

"That too," he nodded, reaching for a more lingering one. "Like how it looks, too," he added watching the sparkle dance in her eyes again.

Her arm draped over his and curled up behind his shoulder, bringing them closer together as she brought the more lingering kiss that he sought, to his mouth. She was gentle yet passionate in her exploration.

Whatever... whomever it was that had been consumed... gave her even more warmth that he seemed to want to curl into at the moment, not that he felt cold. The dark shade of his eyes seemed to sparkle a little on their own as he sought that warmth a little more, thinking over her offer as he'd said he would.

For a man-eater, the last thing that seemed to be on her mind was eating him, though devouring him with gentle, sweet, lingering kisses might have been. She curled as he did, matching, molding, sliding along him to entwine then closely, warmly.. she pulled back to catch his gaze, watching the sparkle in them with a slight delighted smile.

"What?" He murmured, amused, concerned that he'd said yet something else to worry her as she pulled away. His fingertips spanned coolly over her shoulders, 'adjusting' to the smooth skin and warmer sensation. "Like how this feels, too," he mused further like a sculptor appreciating the form that emerged from the clay in his care.

She shook her head slightly to assure him there was nothing wrong and confirmed it with a few feathered kisses over his neck. "I like how this feels too.." She admitted, a cool breath tickled his ear as she made her way with tiny kisses along his jaw until she reached his mouth.