Futuristic A Final Dawn

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian laughed darkly. "Then I don't think you'll like the Black if that is the case." He leaned over and picked up the '87 iacchus, turning over in his hands. It was a long clear bottle, with stylized ridges cut into the glass in a wave pattern. "I tried some while I was on the surface. The closest of your extracts that this," he held up the '87, "can compare to, would be what you call rum." He unscrewed the cap and poured a small measure from the bottle into the two cups that Nike had brought. He held up one cup, looking at the light brown liquid through the glass. "Although, I find it has a much smoother aftertaste, with a hint of Pesonium stalks." Octavian drained the glass, throwing back his head. "Yep, excellent vintage. Iacchus can be a hit or miss depending on the year." 


His eyes drifted over to the bottle Nike held in her hands. It was short, with an almost teardrop shape up to the neck. It was made of a dark ceramic-metal alloy, the only adornment being a circular seal stamped into the middle of the bottle.


"That, on the other hand, is something else entirely. I'm surprised it's even in here, as the tariffs on that stuff are astronomical. Must be left-over from some rich prince's stay." He grinned mischievously, memories from long ago coming to the forefront of his mind.


"I don't think it's even classified as an alcoholic drink, as it's more of a stimulant than anything else. The exact recipe is a close-guarded trade secret, but it's said to use the caustic blood of the great Prædatorii beasts on the Oromathi homeworlds in its creation. Does interesting things to you."     

 

[volchan]

“Oh, really? Well, I like rum well enough I guess.” She replied, watching as he poured a little of the brown liquid into their glasses. Setting down the bottle in her hands and taking her own glass, she watched as he downed his cup in a single swig. She took a moment to smell it first, curious as to the scent it would have. It was alien liquor, after all. She then took a small sip, blinking at the taste. It was similar to rum, but there was some other flavor to it she didn't know how to describe. Perhaps it was the Pesonium stalks that Octavian had mentioned.


“It's not bad. I like that it smooths out at the end...makes it easier to swallow.” She said, finishing off her own glass.


"So, what kind of alcohol did you like on Earth? Was there anything different or unique from what you've had offworld?"


Nike looked from Octavian to the bottle and back as he explained more about what it was. It sounded a bit dangerous.


“Interesting?” She asked, picking it up again in her curiosity.


“Interesting how?”


A stimulant? So...it was some kind of drug? She supposed it was a good thing she'd waited for Octavian before trying anything; she'd have never known otherwise.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~
 


"I was quite fond of Vodka, the good stuff mind you, not that paint thinner type. You also have a great selection of wine. It's the most akin to what we have back home." His eyes grew distant, staring ahead as he spoke. "I haven't been back in, what, ten years? Maybe twelve. My sister Julia must be all grown up by now....." He blinked, shaking his head and putting on a smile. He reached up and popped open the metal lid of the Vanduian Black. Dark red vapors began to rise up from the bottle, a sharp tinge of metal mixed with something akin to cinnamon accompanying it.   


He tipped the bottle so it filled his glass, holding it up and admiring the deep red color of the drink.


"Interesting like this." He downed the liquid in one smooth motion, throwing back his head. He grunted appreciatively, feeling the drink begin to settle in his stomach, the effects working their way through his system. Octavian closed his eyes, then opened them lazily. His green cat-like eyes were gone, replaced with a swirling vortex of darkness, dozens of pinpricks of light and splashes of color making it look as if each eye was its own miniature galaxy set against the vastness of space. He drew in a deep breath, blinking slowly as he adjusted to his new vision. Waves of heat washed over him, electric power coursing through his limbs. The drink granted Octavian the ability to discern most forms of temperature gradients, but not like any form of infrared optics Octavian had ever used. Nikes form was outlined in deep reds and yellows, the air around them swirling with eddies of hot and cold air, making it look as if a painter had splashed color throughout the room. His normal vision was unimpaired, the added colors and outlines seeming to only enhance his sight. "Hmmmm, even better than I remember." He let out a low sigh, sinking deeper into the cool waters of the pool, steam beginning to rise from his fiery skin.  

 

[volchan]

“Hmmm....wine is pretty good. I prefer floral notes or light sweetness; nothing too heavy.” She explained.


“I like minty or licorice flavored things too....or lavender.”


She'd never really been a huge fan of overly sweet or bitter drinks. The heavy flavoring tended to overpower the drink, which in her opinion made drinking in the first place a bit pointless.


She took notice when Octavian mentioned his home, sensing a bit of homesickness in him.


“You have a sister?” She asked, surprised. Somehow she'd thought that Octavian would be an only child. Actually, it was a bit hard to picture him as a little boy, for some reason.


“Once things settle down, do you think you'll go back home and visit?” She asked. Now that she thought about it...what was she going to do? What kind of future could she have, now that her planet had been seized and she was basically being forced into joining the Imperium? Would Octavian go off somewhere and leave her behind? Even if he'd been the one to bring her into all this, the thought of him leaving her made her sad somehow. He was the only person she had to talk to. If he went away, what would she do?


Octavian popped open the bottle and red vapors began to rise out of it, making Nike's eyes widen. Was he really going to drink that??? She watched him pour a glass, then gulp it down in one smooth motion. She paid close attention to him, wondering how he'd respond to whatever the drink was. He seemed to relax, closing his eyes and opening them again lazily. She noticed right away that his eyes had changed, and leaned in closer to get a better look.


“Whoa! You're eyes...they look strange...I mean....different from usual.” She said, staring at them. She wasn't certain what the drink was doing to him, but he seemed happy about the effects. Maybe he was having some kind of high? She was curious, but a little afraid to try it herself. She'd never even smoked a cigarette before, so the thought of doing some strange alien drug didn't sound all that wise to her.


Octavian let out a sigh, muttering something about it being better than he remembered, and began to sink further into the water. His skin was letting off steam, which was a little startling to Nike. Was he going to catch on fire or something?


“Hey, hey....not so sure you should be swimming while you're like this.” She said, reaching out and grasping his arm to try and keep him from sinking too far. Unfortunately for her, she'd leaned a little too far over and lost her balance. With a loud splash she fell into the water, her head poking out a moment later as she pushed some of her wet hair out of her face.


“Well....so much for dry clothes.” She muttered, making a face at her own clumsiness.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian let out a low laugh, blowing steam out of his nose as he rose up further from the surface of the water. "Hmm, the water feels nice. I should have the techs graft some gills to my neck so I could just stay like this forever." He twisted over until he was floating on his back, closing his eyes and savoring the feeling of near weightlessness. "Well, I was going to see if you wanted to join me, but it seems you just couldn't wait." He opened one sparkling eye, squinting over at her, speaking in a lazy drawl. "You need help with those clothes? I find swimming completely covered to be most tiresome. But then again, it could be completely normal to swim clothed from head to toe where you come from."   

 

[volchan]

Nike made a face as Octavian laughed at her. Well, at least she'd gotten him in a good mood; it certainly beat him being angry at her.


“Can they do that?” She asked in bewilderment as she watched him float on his back. It would be interesting being able to breathe underwater...but the gills might be a bit much.


Nike's face went beet red when Octavian asked if she needed help stripping. Maybe he was high, maybe he wasn't, but it still flustered her all the same.


“Um...I think this'll be fine.” She replied awkwardly, keeping her arms and legs going so she wouldn't sink. She thought for a moment about climbing out, but the water was nice enough that it wasn't such a terrible thought swimming in her clothes. The problem would be when she had to get out...how was she going to keep from dripping pool water everywhere?


Taking in a little breath, she dove down under the water and approached the window to get a look outside. It was pretty fun swimming with such a scene spread out below, and the pool was quite deep for a private, indoor one. She closed her eyes and listened for a moment to the sound of the water, savoring the feeling of her hair floating around her head and the sensation of being suspended. There was something familiar about being submerged; almost like some phantom memory of her mother's womb.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian smiled to himself, content to float for the moment, feeling the warmth from the drink course through him. Damn, that stuff is stronger then I remember. Hope I don't do anything stupid. He opened his eyes, finding that Nike was gone from her previous location. Craning his neck around, he spotted her under the water near the window. Octavian let out a long breath, the air in his lungs reaching equilibrium with his body, then decreasing even more. He slowly sunk down to the pool floor, the added weight from his metal implants and strengthened skeleton allowing him to combat his bodies natural buoyancy. The water around Octavian began to grow warmer as he moved through it, feet firmly planted on the floor of the pool as he walked across it to stand to the side, and slightly below, Nike. He clasped both hands behind him as he gazed out through the submerged portion of the window, small streams of bubbles issuing from the corners of his mouth and nose as he admired the view. He thrust out one hand, pressing it against the glass, a sense of calm washing over him that had nothing to do with the stimulating drink from earlier. Octavian felt better then he had in a very long time, and he absently wondered why that was the case. Surely it was not all due to the shot of Vanduian......was it?      

 

[volchan]

Nike's oxygen ran out, and she scurried back up to the surface, heaving in a huge breath of air. She glanced around a moment before realizing that Octavian was down under the water.


“I hope he's not drowning...” She said to herself, watching him. He seemed fine for the moment, at least.


Swimming around for a few minutes, she made her way back to the edge of the pool and held onto the side, letting her arms and legs take a rest. She glanced at the dark bottle of Vanduian Black. Maybe if she just took a small taste...no, that probably wouldn't end well. Besides, at least one of them had to be aware of their surroundings. They'd probably both drown if she didn't remain at least a little sober.


Glancing back at Octavian, she then took the clear bottle of Iacchus and poured herself another glass, gulping it down this time. After all the stress she'd been under these past few days she wanted to try and relax and just have some fun. As she put the glass back down, she felt a subtle warmth creeping into her skin. She wasn't drunk, but she was getting a bit of a buzz now. It was nice.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian stood like that for awhile, absently noting Nike as she swam back to the edge of the pool. The air still left in his lungs began to grow stale however, and Octavian turned back, walking along the bottom of the pool until he reached the far side. He crouched down and launched himself up from the pool floor in one powerful leap, grabbing hold of the edge and hoisting himself up out of the water. Water streamed off his steaming body as he stood, taking a deep breath to reinflate his lungs.


"Wonderful pool they have here, shame we'll have to leave soon. Oh, wait, we don't." Octavian spoke, eyes sparkling with mirth as he sat down next to Nike, pouring himself another glass of the Vanduian. He sighed in contentment as he took a pull from his glass. "Now this, is a vacation."    

 

[volchan]

Nike looked up at Octavian as he drank more of the Vanduian.


“I hope you don't make yourself sick.” She said, motioning to his glass. Of course, she ended up pouring herself another glass of Iacchus and drinking it down. Afterwards, she slowly managed to pull herself up out of the water and plopped down on the edge, her soaked clothes clinging to her.


“I think I might need a towel...and some dry clothes.” She stated, looking down at herself. Her head was swimming a little by now, and her body felt warm and a little numb. It was sort of nice not feeling so much. It was easier not to think on everything that had happened when she was like this.


"Do you know where I could find something to change into? I don't want to track water everywhere."

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


"Hmmm? Oh, new clothes." Octavian looked down at himself, the water on his skin having already evaporated from the increased heat, leaving him dry. "You do look a bit, wet." He nodded over at the far side of the main room, towards where the bedrooms were located. "There should be plenty of options in one of those rooms, you want me to show you?" 

 

[volchan]

Nike shook her head.


“Nah, I think I'll be alright on my own.” She said, standing up with a small wobble and wringing out her clothes as best she could to keep excess water from dripping onto the floor.


“I'll be right back.” She assured as she left to try and find something to change into. She ended up going into the master bedroom that Octavian had entered earlier, taking notice of the clothes on the more feminine half of the room.


“Hmmm.....these look really expensive...but I guess it wouldn't hurt.” She said to herself, her eyes scanning the different outfits on display. She wondered whose they were, or if she'd get in trouble should she damage them.


It took her several minutes to change; partly because of her tipsiness and partly because what she ended up changing into was a bit hard to figure out. She walked out of the room and over to the pool, wearing a dress that was both colorful and fluid. It seemed to shift with each movement she made, as if the fabric was made of the lightest material imaginable. She tucked a bit of damp hair behind her ear, looking a little embarrassed.


“Everything looked so nice...I feel a little bit like I'm playing dress up.” She admitted, carefully sitting down a foot or so away from the edge of the pool.

Spoiler

Here is the dress she's wearing 8P

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian watched as Nike came back from the bedroom, eyes following her as she sat down near the edge of the pool. He had stretched out on the marble floor, one arm folded to prop up his head. "Not at all, you look....good in that."


He rolled onto his back, folding both arms behind his head and closing both eyes as he continued absently. "Once we get back to the Capitol, I'll buy you enough clothes so you can play dress-up every day."


Octavian sat up hurriedly, eyes wide. "I- I, um, didn't mean it like that. Sorry, it's just I always end up spending my money on stupid things like that when I'm on leave......" His eyes grew even wider at what he had just said. "No- not like buying you clothes would be a waste, just that....."


Octavian rubbed the back of his neck, face heating in embarrassment. Sighing, he got up. "I'm going to go lay down now. There's probably food in the kitchen if you're hungry, its past the bar and next to the lounge." With that, he walked away, heading to the master bedroom.


Nice going, Octavian you imbecile. He sighed to himself, dropping down onto the massive raised bed. The affects of the multiple drinks were beginning to wear off, and Octavian was feeling slightly feverish. He laid back onto the soft surface of the bed, eyes closing, and breathing beginning to calm as he drifted off to sleep.

 

[volchan]

Nike felt herself blush a little as Octavian complimented her, a bashful smile creeping across her face. Of course, as he continued on, stating he'd buy her tons of clothes once they returned to the Capitol, Nike's eyes widened a little in surprise. What was he saying?


Octavian seemed to catch himself, but a little too late. He quickly sat up and tried to cover his tracks, only to go a little too far and then panic again. In the end, he stood and excused himself, telling her where to find food before leaving her to go lay down in the master bedroom. The whole time Nike had just stared in shock, uncertain how to react. She blinked as she tried to register what had just happened. Had Octavian accidentally revealed deeper feelings for her...or was he just impaired? He'd gotten so nervous and jumpy after he'd said all that...it was sort of cute.


Not wanting him to drown in his embarrassment or beat himself up, Nike quietly stood again and walked to the master bedroom. Peeking in, she could see him flopped onto the bed, seemingly asleep. She didn't know if she should wake him or not, but she approached. Coming closer, she took note of the light sheen of sweat on his body. He looked hot again; hopefully he wouldn't get as hot as he had back in his apartment.


Quietly leaving the room again, she found a cloth and got it wet with cold water. She could recall having fevers in her childhood, and her mother putting a cool cloth on her forehead to help sooth the discomfort. She wondered where her mother was, where her father was, and if they were alright. She hoped so...she hoped they'd be happy without her.


Coming back into the master bedroom, she walked over to the bed and carefully sat down next to Octavian, placing the folded, damp cloth on his forehead and just watching him. Maybe it was the alcohol coursing through her veins...but at the moment she felt herself wanting to be near him. She felt happy.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Dirt and broken rocks cascaded down as the ground shuddered, the dying sun sending shafts of red throughout the oppressive haze of grey smoke. A much younger Octavian crouched down, his back against a large slab of the volcanic rock that was so prevalent here. Sweat poured off his face from the oppressive heat, eyes wide with barely-suppressed fear as they searched the swirling eddies of smoke and gaseous fumes, every shadow and ripple of movement a potential enemy. He clutched his battle-rifle in a vice-like grip, knuckles white from the tension.


"Hey, hey, you still with me?" Octavian reached over and jostled the shoulder of the grizzled old soldier next to him. The man, who's name was Cato, sat with his back against the rock, legs stretched out in front of him, his middle a wreathed mass of blood soaked bandages. He coughed, nodding his head in silence. His voice came out as a gravelly croak, the smoke and toxic vapors in the air doing no favors for his lungs. "Yes dammit, I'm not gone yet." Octavian let out a nervous laugh. "Good, I thought you'd gone and died, leaving me alone in this hell-hole." He peered up over the top of the slab of rock they now huddled behind. "You think-" He was cut short by a burst of gunfire, chips of rock spraying up around him from near misses as he ducked back behind cover. "-You think the rest of the legion knows what's going on over here." Octavian spoke in a shaky voice, one hand coming up to feel his face. It came away bloody.     


"Doubt it, the damn Skavs cut the lines when they 'circled us, and nothin's getting out with this atmospheric interference." Octavians reply was cut short, as the ground began to shake with a renewed bombardment. Gunfire could be heard picking up in the distance, and faint shouts and screams drifted down from the northwest.


"Poor bastards, that must be Vilus and his men." Cato craned his neck to try and see over the rocks, grimacing with pain before abandoning the attempt. "Damn gut wounds."


Octavian squeezed his eyes shut, mentally pushing down the rising terror threatening to overwhelm him. The crunch of boots on gravel brought him back to the present. He carefully peeked over the top of their barricade, sighting down the barrel of his rifle, blinking the stinging sweat from his eye. Moving shapes soon revealed themselves, and Octavian squeezed off a few short bursts, downing one of the figures and sending the rest dashing for cover. He ducked back down just as a returning burst of fire slammed into the place where his head had been moment before.


"They're coming."


"I can hear that you dumbass."  


"What should we do? I can't keep them down for long." 


"We wait until they get bogged down in the sulfur pits, then you make a break for that ridge over there." Cato jerked his head up at a distant rocky outcropping.


"I'm not leaving you." Octavian replied, gritting his teeth in anger and fear. 


"The fuck you are. I'm done for boy," he let out a hacking cough as if to make his point. "And it's no use both of us dying in this gods-forsaken place. Someone has to get out of this mess and warn high-command."


Octavians eyes shone with unshed tears as he nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Understood, sir."


Cato gave a grim smile. "You'll make a fine legionary some day boy, just make sure you live long enough to see that happen. Now, get going." Cato withdrew a large handgun, checking the magazine and priming the action before resting it across his out-stretched legs.


Octavian gave one final salute, then took a deep breath and dashed out from the covering of the rocks. Bullets kicked up red dust and rock chips in his wake. He could hear the booming report of Cato's handgun as he ran, the old soldier swearing at the top of his lungs as he opened fire on the advancing enemy.   




"No!" 


Octavian sat bolt upright, chest heaving with ragged breaths as he snapped awake. He brought a shaking hand up to his head, as if to see if he was still bleeding. He let out a long sigh, eyes growing sad from the flood of newly dug-up memories from his past. He blinked in surprise as he noticed Nike sitting on the bed near him. "Oh, sorry about that. Must have been a dream." He glanced down at his lap, noting the damp cloth, then realized that his skin was still very warm. Odd. "Did you need something? I can move to one of the smaller rooms if you wanted to sleep here, I wouldn't blame you." He spoke, gesturing at the richness of the surrounding room. 

 

[volchan]

Nike had spent a while watching Octavian rest before lying back herself. She didn't sleep, but she did lay there pondering some of the things she'd been going through lately. A lot had changed in the past week. She'd gone from being a reclusive waitress at a cafe/bookshop to fighting shadow monsters with a group of alien invaders. When she thought of it like that, it just sounded ridiculous.


Octavian suddenly jerked awake with a shout, causing Nike to sit up too and stare at him. From the look on his face he must have been having a bad dream. He seemed shaky and disturbed by whatever it was he'd been seeing.


“It's alright...are you okay?” She asked once he'd apologized.


She smiled when he asked her if she'd wanted to sleep in the room, explaining he'd move somewhere else.


“No, it's okay. You just sort of ran off, so I thought I'd check up on you.” She replied. She moved a little closer, reaching up to press the back of her hand against his forehead.


“...You're still pretty warm.” She stated, a slight look of concern entering her eyes.


“Do you need any water...or...maybe you'd want to eat? I'm not used to cooking for other people, but I'll give it a shot if you're hungry...unless you'd want to help?” She asked, finally moving her hand back to her own lap.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


"Drinking some incredibly potent alcohol probably wasn't the wisest thing to do right after a bout of stasis. I always did suffer from cryo-sickness more often then not." Octavian glanced down at Nike, suddenly becoming aware of her close proximity, along with the fact that he was dressed only in a pair of tight military shorts. "Thanks for your concern though, sometimes I don't take care of myself like I should." His mouth was suddenly dry as he spoke, and he hoped he wouldn't start to get a headache. 


"Some water sounds nice, but I'm not really in the mood for food right now." He started to get up, planning to go get the water, then sat right back down on the bed, head swimming. "I- I think I'll just rest for the time being." Hopefully dream free, he added as an afterthought.

 

[volchan]

“Well, someone's gotta watch out for you, right?” Nike smiled teasingly. She watched Octavian as he started to get up, then sat back down. He was obviously not in the state to be moving about at the moment.


“It's alright, you stay here.” She said, getting up herself. She scurried off to get him some water, coming back within a minute with a glass in hand.


“Here...let me know if you need anything else.” She said, handing it to him. She felt a little like a mother at the moment...was this how her mom had felt when she'd been sick as a child?

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian gratefully took the water that Nike handed him, draining the contents in one long pull. "Thanks, you'd make an excellent medic." He muttered absently as he sunk back down onto the bed, folding one arm up over his eyes. "Better then the usual bonesaws they send us...prettier, to..." His voice grew quieter as he quickly dozed off, mouth partially open, and chest moving slightly with shallow breaths. 

 

[volchan]

Nike watched as Octavian gulped down the water and lay back. He didn't look too well.


“Here...put this on your forehead. It'll help.” She said, picking up the wet cloth and folding it before placing it on his forehead for him. She managed to hear him when he called her pretty, feeling her face flush. In the next few moments Octavian fell asleep and she carefully pulled a thin sheet over him; thin enough not to overheat him, but warm enough to be comfortable.


Taking the empty glass, she went and filled it with water again before leaving it next to Octavian's bed. She then left him to rest, going into the large open space and sitting down on one of the chairs there. Some time had passed while Octavian had been resting before, and the sun was beginning to set. The sky was filled with gold, purple, and pink tones as stars began to emerge and night began to take shape. It was interesting watching it from so high up; it really did feel as if she were standing right between heaven and earth.


After a little while, Nike's attention turned back to the pool. Now that Octavian was asleep, and would probably be so for a while, she was thinking about skinny dipping. She'd always been curious to try it...but wasn't really keen on doing it with an audience. Glancing back at the master bedroom, she then got up and went to the edge of the pool.


'It'll be fine. I'll just do it for a little while.' She thought before carefully starting to remove her dress. She let it drop down around her feet, feeling a little weird standing naked in what was basically a huge living room. She carefully slid down into the water, trying not to make too much noise lest she wake Octavian.


“Wow...this really does feel kind of nice...” She said to herself. It was such a different sensation from wearing clothes, or even a bathing suit. She took a breath and dove down, enjoying the feeling of the water brushing across her bare skin. She could see herself really enjoying this.


She spent quite a bit of time swimming around and diving down beneath the water. There were lights in the bottom of the pool that cast a greenish blue glow and illuminated her body as she explored the watery depths. She felt like a teenager again for a moment; or at least more like what she assumed most teenagers would be like. She was an adult, and yet somehow it just felt so strange to her to be swimming around naked like this.


She popped back out of the water to catch her breath, then made her way over to the window. There was a small space between the glass and the water, which allowed her to hold on and rest there. She propped her arms on it and let her head rest on top, taking in a few breaths while she stared out at the now darkened sky. It wasn't really possible to see much of the world below from her current perspective, but out in the far distance she could see lights from vast cities sitting huddled in the void. She felt herself missing the ground at the moment. Would she ever be able to walk on earth again? How long would she be here before she'd get sent off somewhere? Of course she liked the idea of exploring and seeing different worlds...but at the moment she just wanted to be home again. Maybe it was because of all the trauma she'd just been put through, but right now the universe just seemed so much scarier than she'd always thought it would be.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


"Oh I knew this would bloody well happen." Octavian groaned quietly as he sat up, putting a hand to his pounding head. He picked up the glass that Nike had set on the bedside nightstand. He downed the contents, then rubbed at his aching eyes with the palm of his hand. 


"I wonder if there's any SleepTM in the kitchen." Octavian got up, hand against his head as he walked across the cool marble floor of the atrium, eyes downcast as he absently studied the intricate mosaics set into the floor near the lounge as he walked. He reached the kitchen, opening a few cabinets before finding what he was looking for. He grabbed the container of medicine, pausing for a moment before deciding to fill a small pitcher full of cold water. Water and medicine in hand, Octavian turned to go back to the bedroom, taking a shortcut along the edge of the pool, his eyes still lazily focused on the floor as he quietly padded across it. A small splash from the swimming pool brought his head up in mild curiosity. Now what......


His eyes grew wide as they focused on the form of Nike resting against the wide observation window.


The crash of shattering glass broke the silence, the pitcher of water having slipped from Octavian's numb fingers, falling to the floor. He just stood there, mind drawing a complete blank, a dumbfounded expression on his face. 

 

[volchan]

A sudden crash caused Nike to turn in surprise, only to find Octavian standing next to the pool staring at her in disbelief. Her face went purple as she realized why he was staring.


“Ah...uh...I....” She stuttered in embarrassment, flustered beyond belief. She wanted to hide, but there was nowhere she could go. Even if she ducked under the water it was clear as day. She did the only thing she really could do, and turned herself away so that she wasn't fully facing him.


“I-I'm sorry! I thought you would be sleeping.” She insisted, the warmth in her face still lingering. It wasn't like Octavian hadn't seen her naked before...but somehow this felt different from last time.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


"Ummm, the pills....in the kitchen..." Octavian muttered absently, weakly gesturing back at the kitchen with one hand. He realized that he was still staring even as Nike turned her back to him, and abruptly averted his eyes. "Well, I- I'll leave you too it then." Octavian stammer as he quickly backed away from the pools edge, turning on his heel and swiftly walking back to the bedroom. He dropped down onto the bed, bottle of medicine still clutched forgotten in one hand as his eyes stared straight ahead, the image of Nike seemingly burned into them. Get yourself together Octavian, gods man, it's just a naked woman, stop acting like it's your first time. Octavian mentally berated himself; the thought that it was Nike who was the one naked went unspoken. "Not like you haven't seen her uncovered before either." He muttered darkly to himself, flopping onto his back and throwing one arm over his face. But he knew that those times were different somehow, more professional, clinical even. He let out a long sigh as he lay there on the bed, mind whirring. "And I dropped the bloody pitcher. No water and no way I'm going back out there while she's still around." Octavian muttered angrily to himself until he eventually fell silent and started to doze off.  

 

[volchan]

Nike watched as Octavian stammered and muttered an explanation before awkwardly leaving. As soon as he was out of the room she swam to the other end of the pool and pulled herself out, grabbing up her dress and pulling it on. She could still feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment as she took a few breaths. She supposed she should have known better than to go swimming naked, even if the only other person around had been sleeping.


She took note of the broken pitcher that Octavian had left behind and picked up the larger pieces, throwing them away. A few minutes of searching later and she had a broom and dustpan, carefully sweeping up the remaining shards. Once everything was cleaned up she looked towards the master bedroom. She thought about checking on Octavian to make sure he was alright, but after what had just happened she didn't have it in her to face him. Instead, she made her way to one of the other bedrooms to rest.


“I need something more casual...” She said to herself, looking through some of the clothes there. She found a long, baggy shirt and loose pants and changed into those instead, carefully hanging up the dress. The new clothes were quite comfortable; perfect for pajamas.


Climbing into bed, she brought the sheet and comforter around herself. For a good thirty minutes she couldn't relax. She kept thinking about the look on Octavian's face when he'd seen her naked, and the other things he'd said over the past few hours. She was fairly certain he liked her...but she wasn't about to just assume. She'd made that mistake before, and boy was it humiliating. Finally, though, her eyes began to grow heavy and she slowly slipped away into a deep sleep.

 

[Icerex]

Octavian~


Octavian rolled over onto his back, opening his eyes to stare at the carved ceiling of the bedroom. He let out a long groan, rubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands to rid them of the last vestiges of sleep. His head ached, but not as bad as before, so he swung his legs over the side of the bed and got up. Stretching his arms, Octavian walked into the closet and pulled on a pair of loose sweat pants; dark green with a red stripe running up the side of the legs. He ran a hand through his hair as he walked out into the lounge, noticing that it was starting to get a bit long and mentally reminded himself to get a haircut soon. He padded over to the door that led to the bathroom, sliding it open and moving to stand in front of the shimmering mirror. He rubbed at the stubble on his chin, frowning as his reflection stared back at him with slightly blood-shot eyes. 


"Looking less then presentable there Centurion." Octavian drawled in his best parade-ground officer imitation, old memories from his earlier days as a legionary coming back. He shook his hand, waving open the sliding partition to the large shower as he stripped off his pants and undershorts, stepping into the shower chamber once the water turned on. He leaned forward, pressing one hand against the shower wall as he bowed his head, letting the hot water run across his back. His head ached, but that didn't stop him from trying to think of a way to apologize to Nike for last night. She must feel pretty insecure with me around. I wonder if I should move into one of the other apartments, leave this one to her. Octavian mentally nodded to himself, deciding to bring it up later in the day, once the inevitable morning awkwardness had passed.