2018-10-04: Dance With Me
- Log: Dance With Me
- Cast: Riesenlied, Noeline
- Where: New Petra
- Date: 4th October 2018
- Summary: Riesenlied struggles with her new deformities. Noeline helps.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied kind of ducked away from prying eyes sometime towards the end of the day; as people settle down from their routines to go have a round at VAL-H4LLA and do other things as the Outreach is wont to do, the Hyadean leader's said her good nights and good job todays and ducked... into her room a little bit early.
It's not often you see Riesenlied and Noeline's collective door closed, if they're not already in there; usually she at least leaves it slightly ajar for anyone to come speak to her if needed.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's a little behind Riesenlied, if only because she's trying to take a little more than her fair share of administrative duties - which is to say, some of the kids were fussing over her and she decided to oblige them with a little in the way of Crimson Noble acting. She does catch Riesenlied slipping away - but she's gotten used to giving the other Hyadean some space when she needs it.
Something plucks at her mind afterwards, though, and when she goes to check if Riesenlied is alright the closed door gives her a little pause. As if it might bite, she furrows her brow - and then carefully knocks. "... Riese?" she calls.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
There's a very gentle, almost strained surprise from inside the room... but there's a moment where she clearly realises who it is. There's a clearing of her throat, and she calls back, "Come in, Noeline..."
A little pause, but after her partner comes into the room, it's rather clear that Riese has been staring at herself in front of a mirror... wearing a relatively light nightgown, as if she wanted to just stare at how scaley a good portion of her body has become. Lighter, around where younger scales have just formed -- or more like dragon-skin, where they haven't quite yet.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
The tone of Riesenlied's voice is enough to make the other metal demon pause, her hand on the wood; she frowns softly, then chooses to slip carefully inside rather than risk opening the door fully for someone to perhaps see through. It turns out to be a good idea, given the source of Riesenlied's worries.
Riesenlied's degredation is something that Noeline has done her best to avoid thinking about too closely - not because it would diminish Riesenlied in her eyes in any way, but because it's one of the few things on their list that need resolving but that she has absolutely no idea how to cope with. The creeping worry is something she's expressed before to others - but it's not like she can just lock Riese up and force her to while away the rest of her days in safety. She knows full well that would be anathema to her.
That much is all written on her face for a moment as she catches sight of Riesenlied in the mirror - but she tamps it down and instead steps forward to rest a hand on her beloved's shoulder, spread across skin and scale both. Rather than say anything just yet, she simply brings herself close - slowly, to give Riese time to be used to it.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied swallows just a little gently as she looks and reads over Noeline's expression. It isn't as if she's blind to her partner's own concerns, especially with how inexorable it seems sometimes... but...
She swallows gently, and then tries to smile, if a little delicate and bashful. "... I'm not-- about to say I'm ugly or anything," she tries offering, if nothing else then at least as an icebreaker, given how she knows she can dwell on these issues negatively sometimes.
She's already leaning rather close, though, the warmth of Noeline's hands on her shoulders welcome.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"You had better not," Noeline chuckles quietly to herself - and leans up as Riesenlied looks back at her, the better to place a kiss on the other Hyadean's lips. It is over quickly - but only because the twintailed demon seems to have more to say, drifting closer as she lets her arms slip around Riesenlied's waist. "Because as far as I am concerned, you are still breathtaking. As far as I am concerned, you are still beautiful. You always will be."
She chuckles lightly, letting her head rest on one shoulder - and though she is careful of the sharp scales there, her skin is tough enough that she doesn't need to be too careful, not when she can treat it as commonplace instead. "... perhaps I should say 'majestic'," she wonders with a lopsided and fond smile, etching the line of one bank of scales with a finger. "Somehow, it seems like it might suit better."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied lets out just the slightest of pips as she roses up, their lips meeting for that quick kiss. It's very helpful, a sign of encouragement and support at a time when she's standing alone here in the near-dark staring at herself and finding herself wanting.
In darker days, she'd have protested it with a, 'I'm monstrous...' but she seems to be able to hold it back today.
"Majestic...? I--I don't..." Riesenlied whines quietly. "I don't want to put on airs like I'm a royal."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline follows up her kiss by redoubling her embrace from behind, taking a moment to remain there as she rests against Riesenlied's back. "I know /that/ much," she chuckles richly, shaking her head out of sheer amusement before she lets herself sound a little wistful. "... but I suppose there's something romantic to it, in a way. The pride of a Metal Dragon, perhaps - or perhaps I've just got enough pride for the both of us?" she finishes playfully.
It's as much an attempt to keep Riesenlied's mind occupied and away from the topic than anything else - but then she thinks better of it, pausing as she finds one of Riesenlied's hands to lace their fingers together. "No-one here thinks any less of you for how you look," she states plainly instead. "Least of all myself. We trust you for a great many reasons, and follow you for just as many. Whatever happens, we are at your side."
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied lets out a little squeak, but smiles more quietly as Noeline asserts herself and drapes her arms around her. "Romantic... mm, well, perhaps I can--I can allow it, just for us two..." There's a very delicate sigh and a smile as she says, "Pride for the both of us. I... I like the sound of that."
She draws her hands around to Noeline's as she says, as they lace their fingers together, "... help me exercise some more. Make me move, with you..." as she leans closer.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
"... perhaps that is making light of it all a bit too much," Noeline admits more quietly, her eyes closed as she lets her fingers brush at Riesenlied's skin and scale alike. "But... I would rather focus on the positives of it. Whatever happens, we will carry on together. Whatever may come, we will face it together, and I am not about to flee from your side at this point," she reiterates with a lopsided smile. "... besides, I'm not about to kid when it comes to how beautiful you look."
She half-moves around to Riesenlied's front, half-coaxes Riesenlied around to face her. Hands clasped in hers, she squeezes them for a moment, and looks up to meet the other Hyadean's gaze. "... don't look down. The goal is to try to walk without needing to, or else you'll rely on it and always be looking downwards," she advises with a remarkably serious air, but lets it go with a chuckle; she did have to learn her own agility, after all. "The idea is to ensure it is second nature. If you make a mistake, that's alright - you'd have to do much more than step on my toes to hurt me," she adds with a teasing grin.
Then she's moving, quiet and private in the dim light of their room, in a slow sway that tugs Riesenlied into small steps.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Whatever little mercies exist, at least, Riesenlied is always appreciative that her scales still retain a sense of touch. It prevents it from truly being armour, but she'd rather feel pain than nothing at all; she closes her eyes tighter and says, "I know. I know you wouldn't be jesting at all," she remarks with a little bit of bashfulness still on her cheeks.
She moves around as well, glancing towards the mirror still; she squeezes tightly, then nods as she steps around, as if they were doing the most basic movements and motions of a simple dance. More than once or twice, her feet begin to hitch a little, she glances down... but bites her lip. "Don't look down. Don't look down..."
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline's dance is definitely a very deliberate affair. Not something that needs music, she simply seems content to share touch and space with Riesenlied as she coaxes the other Hyadean along with her. The space of their room allows her to draw Riese into a step forwards one moment, or drift to the side the next; occasionally her eyes flick downwards to watch the movement of her companion's legs, watch for anything else she might be able to advise upon.
And there are also moments where she draws forwards, tightening her embrace to offer Riese affectionate kisses or quiet noises of encouragement. "You don't need to accomplish everything in a day," she teases to draw Riesenlied's eyes back to her, but answers the gaze with a smile. "... you're doing well. Just-- try your best to let yourself go, and not worry. You're not going to fall with me here with you," she adds with a rich and prideful huff.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
A step forward here, a shuffle to the side... Riesenlied is visibly slower and less able to move than she did before; but she's getting there, working out each moment with a vigorous look on her face as if she's not going to give up.
Really, the fact that they're not exactly flat humanoid feet is going to take a while to get used to; the way the talons curl a little make for uneven footing, and that her heel is now different, too, contributes to the whole matter.
"I know I don't," Riesenlied answers, looking more encouraged and affectionate with Noeline there. "Let go... and not worry..."
And then with that, a rare, bold Riese just swoons as she expects Noeline to catch her as she falls.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
More than once, it crosses Noeline's mind that they may have to find some other form of dancing for the future - that it may be a matter of changing how they move to accomodate Riesenlied's new feet, rather than trying to get her used to moving as she has been all this time. It's not something she admits to herself lightly, not least because it wounds that pride of hers a little that she doesn't know how best to help - but she soothes that feeling by watching the determination on her partner's face, feeling it light up her own in turn.
And then Riesenlied swoons-- and Noeline breaks into a surprised and amused laugh. Fortunately, she's versed enough in dancing to catch the other Hyadean safely, spinning a little to turn the motion into a full dip that naturally ends with another brief kiss on the lips. Still, when she lifts her head to look down at Riesenlied, her eyes glitter with both clear affection and clear amusement. "--I /think/ that getting me to carry you is perhaps cheating a bit," she plucks the words out past a bright grin. "As much as I am always happy to do so."
Case in point, Noeline shifts, sending Riesenlied off-balance enough to be able to take the entirety of her weight and up into a princess carry.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
If nothing else, it never is that Riesenlied is looking for answers from others, let alone from Noeline. And even just from when she first entered to where they are now, the company does help as she chuckles just a little... and even if it isn't fixing the problem at its root -- it can't really be said enough how much worse she'd be on her own.
"Ah--" she laughs in turn as she's tucked upwards and remarks, "... it would be cheating, yes. But perhaps I'm still rather charmed by it," with just the slightest of bashful murmurs, smiling cozier as she cuddles up towards the carry.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline closes her eyes, letting out a quiet chuckle as Riesenlied curls up in her arms; the Hyadean brings her closer, closing her eyes as she rests her forehead against the other woman's for a long moment and simply lets herself recharge a little. "... I'm glad, then," she adds after a quiet pause for silence, and opens her eyes to offer a warm smile forwards. "You really are doing better, day by day. I apologize if I'm a little harsh," she adds with an amused huff of air.
She takes the time to turn, settling onto their shared bed with Riesenlied in her lap. It looks perhaps a little odd, given she's a little smaller, but it's not as if Noeline's going to complain about something like that. Rather, it gives her a chance to settle the other Hyadean on her lap, and proceed to brush at her hair and offer her another kiss.
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied's cheeks redden a little more as Noeline doesn't put her down or sit down for a while; it's a bit weird to other people to just be carried, maybe, but... this has happened often enough -- and maybe Riesenlied herself has fantasized about it for long enough too that it simply feels comfortable.
"... it's what I aim to do. I don't want to just give up and let life overtake me, after all," Riesenlied smiles with a confident look on her face-- then they sit. And far be it for Riesenlied to comment about oddity, given that their heights are in a constant state of limbo. They kiss.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
Noeline pauses, struck by Riesenlied's declaration; in one of those rarer moments, she's the one to blush, as taken as ever by those moments that Riese's inspiring nature comes through and doubly so when she's the one it's directed towards. Once the kiss breaks, she stays hovered protectively close, letting out a pleased and remarkably gentle sigh in response to it. "... I know. Time and time again, you have proved that. I simply cannot help but worry, I suppose," she chuckles quietly.
Staying where she is, she brushes at Riesenlied's hair with more of that quiet affection - not wanting to push things too hard given Riese's worries over her body, but simply unable to stop herself from some touches. "... let us walk, later. If you are feeling up to it. One step at a time... is usually what I say for other matters, but seems rather appropriate here, doesn't it?"
<Pose Tracker> Riesenlied has posed.
Riesenlied smiles ever wider as she keeps her eyes closed, just relying on a sense of emotion and feeling in their closeness as she says, "A night walk? I could be up for it... though-- ah, well, I'll want to dress a little more," as that bashfulness comes on in again since she's wearing a touch less than she'd normally would to look at herself.
"... it's okay to worry. I'll just have to make up for it, mm?" Riesenlied winks gently in turn.
<Pose Tracker> Noeline has posed.
... for a moment, Noeline pauses - and then huffs bashfully, giving Riesenlied a rather mock glare as she possessively holds onto the other Hyadean. "... I was meaning more in the morning," she grumbles openly, before flicking out her hair - and letting her hand wander slowly back up her love's side with a more confident and fanged grin. "After seeing you like this, do you really think I'm going to let you go any time soon?"
She makes a show of it - but it's more than obvious by now that's a bit of a cover for how she's feeling, and the grateful note beneath her voice and the tenderness of her hand certainly give it away.