fateandfortune | Just two vampires, traveling the galaxy... [For Todd the Wraith]

Rogue was still asleep when Todd came knocking, and it took a few moments for her to realize what was happening. She'd been up for hours after he'd left the night before, first winding down from the slight high of the enzyme, and then alternately thinking over everything and remembering the way his hands had felt on her skin. When he'd held her face...

She rolled her off and stumbled to the door, running a hand through her sleep-messed hair and straightening the blue pajamas she wore. He got a smile when the door opened, though it would have been even bigger if he'd had a cup of coffee in his hand. Maybe in a perfect world.

"Come on in," she told him before moving to sit on the edge of the bed again. "I assume you want to try again." She certainly did.

Perhaps he ought to have waited before coming to her as she'd obviously just rolled out of bed.

No, this was better actually. If the enzyme hadn't been the key to her ability to switch her ability, then now, while she was barely awake without it in her system, was the best time to try.

"Indeed so." he said, following her over and standing in front of her.

This was it.

A moment, and then he held out his feeding hand for her to touch.

She took a deep breath and concentrated. It still took time to find that place, to flip the metaphorical switch in her mind, but barely a minute had passed before she reached out to wrap her hand around his.

Nothing. Not even a spark of her powers.

Rogue pressed the back of her free hand to her mouth. It worked. Still. It hadn't just been a side effect.

He'd prepared for the worst. Instead, she'd done it. All on her own now. Whatever had happened yesterday had kicked her down the right path to finding the so-called switch to her power.

Turning it on and off at the blink of an eye would take further practice, but Rogue had taken a monumental step. Everything else was the icing on the cake as the saying goes.

He grinned broadly. "Well done. Well done indeed."

Todd lifted his free hand and touched her jaw like yesterday. No residual draining, no tingling, nothing at all. If he didn't know better, he'd say she was as normal a human as they came. But she was better, she was an extraordinary human with an extraordinary power that she could finally control.

Edited 2015-12-21 05:09 (UTC)

She leaned into that touch, closing her eyes and letting her free hand fall into her lap. If only he would always touch her like that now. Even if it was all she ever received, it was more than she'd had before in her life, and that it was Todd made it that much better. More meaningful, more satisfying. Sensual, even.

"I couldn't have done it without you," she told him, looking up at him with an expression that was grateful and something more. "My Commander."

The wraith made a noise in the back of his throat, though still smiled. He did his part he supposed.

"My commander?" Todd repeated, taken aback by the possessive title she'd called him. But commented no further on it.

He patted her jaw and withdrew. "Come, get dressed so that you may eat and then we may spar." He'd been waiting for far too long to spar with her again thanks to her carelessness with fighting Ronon. And now that her ability was on a tighter leash, he wouldn't have to worry about suddenly feeling like he'd been hit by a truck.

He was her commander, in the purest sense of the phrase - the one on whose ship she resided, who she was loyal to. But she had also meant it in that possessive way. Her friend, her Commander. She was both pleased and grateful that he hadn't rejected her outright for it.

Rogue would claim him in any way he would allow.

A grin was the response to his order/invitation and the prospect of finally being able to spar with him again. She'd missed it more than words could express. Dressing took less than a minute, green shirt and jeans, and she spared a few seconds to pull her hair back to keep it out of the way when they fought.

"Let's go," she announced eagerly, practically bouncing out the door and leading the way.

They went to the kitchen and while she made her coffee, he worked on some scrambled eggs for her, as anything heavier right before a spar wasn't exactly the greatest idea.

He sat beside her as she ate and enjoyed her cup of Joe, looking over the list of the week's meals and thinking over who among his crew still could use a bit more practice in the kitchen.

When she finished and all was cleaned up, they headed down to the sparring arena. No surprise they weren't the only ones there but it was more crowded than usual, a good portion of the crew had turned up to watch or fight. The current spar was between two, with no weapons. Still, when wraith sparred they didn't hold anything back and the floor was already spotted with black blood from both their fight and a previous one or two.

Having breakfast with Todd, even when he wasn't eating anything himself, was one of Rogue's favorite things. She enjoyed the companionship of having him there beside her, and it was sweet when he made the eggs, even if he hadn't intended it to be so. Sweet and endearing, and something she wouldn't trade for anything.

Watching the other wraith in the arena was fascinating for her. Seeing the way they fought each other, the way those assembled watched as well. She drank in as much of it as she could, cataloguing each action between the two combatants in the hopes of learning something that might be of use in her own bouts with Todd.

After watching for a short while, she leaned in slightly closer to Todd and commented, "Think I'll ever be that good?" There was a smirk there to make sure he knew it wasn't a completely serious question.

He'd made the eggs for her to speed things up so that they could get to the arena, unaware it meant more to her than that.

While she observed trying to learn new moves and the movement of wraith in a fight in general, Todd was observing differently, seeing what needed practice and what the wraith was good with. He'd been about to tell her that unless she was okay with getting some more broken bones, a full out fight with a wraith was not the best of ideas, but quickly saw she was kidding and chuckled, chuffing in reply before turning his attention back on the fight.

Hand-to-hand combat might be rare these days, it was a skill set worth ensuring didn't go lax. Most of the moves the pair made in the fight were good, occasionally one slipped up and paid the price with a punch or a kick. Eventually, one dominated the other and when the loser dropped to his knees, the attacker stopped, helped his exhausted and defeated comrade to his feet and they went to go clean themselves up. Another wraith from the sidelines followed, perhaps to report what he saw as a spectator.

Kenny came in next, along with two other wraith. Like the fight Rogue had witnessed with Cody, this one had weapons.

They started without so much as a "go!" from anyone, the second in command flying forward with his sword and the clang of metal on metal filled the arena.

Edited 2015-12-21 06:25 (UTC)

Rogue had never had the chance to see Kenny fight before, and it gave her a new perspective on Todd's second in command. He had a definite skill with the blade, and like the others he never hesitated in his movements. But there was something that was uniquely him in his style, just a hint here and there that was different from the others.

"He's certainly deserving of being your second," she mentioned to Todd in an off-handed manner, much of her attention focused on the fight. "He's incredible." There might have been a bit of admiration in there - she'd never been very good with a blade, herself.

She tilted her head as she watched, completely transfixed by the proceedings as Kenny held his own against the other two wraith. That was definitely something she couldn't do with a blade, and likely not without either.

Kenny was what wraith referred to as a "flyer", or rather the term was never used but described when elaborating on another's techniques. Some wraith used their weight with a strike, others sometimes dropped to get under their opponents defenses. Then there were others, like Todd's second, jabbed quickly, remained light on their feet, even jumping often to put their strength behind a strike or to dodge a blow.

The second was quick, seemingly blocking blows from two different directions at once and rarely taking a hit.

"He is." Todd agreed. There were times when he was sure the other wraith would fight him for command over the hive, but he remained loyal and content with his current position, though he might gripe about things occasionally.

The fight was over. One wraith surrendered with a sword to his chest, the other had been knocked off his feet and had Kenny's boot on his throat. Kenny wasn't even winded, but he nodded to his commander and went with the other two wraith to wash up. Sometimes spars were quick one-round fights, just enough to get the blood moving. Others, like the match before, were full out exhausting.

It was a bit strange to see so many wraith gathered in the arena, where before there had only ever really been a handful when they'd visited. Strange, but nice in that Rogue had plenty to keep her attention. She made a mental note to mention to Kenny sometime her admiration of his fighting ability and style - she wasn't quite sure how the second would react to compliment, which made her even more determined to see the idea through.

It occurred to her while she was watching the trio exit the arena that she had never seen Todd fight with another wraith, only with Teyla, who had bested him many times. She wondered how different his style might be with another wraith, and what his favored tactics were with his own species. Things were always a little different when he fought with her, Rogue knew, since he didn't want to cause any permanent damage, but some part of her would love to see him in that real test of strength and prowess if given the chance.

"There are a lot of others here today," she remarked to Todd, gesturing slightly to those scattered around the room. "Is there any particular reason?"

The commander was actually considering jumping into the arena to fight his fellows, but he wanted to save himself for a spar with Rogue today.

As the next group entered the arena, another pair this time, Todd looked to her at the question.

"Hive ships have no shields, not like the Dadaelus anyway. Instead the hull is a very thick organic matter. As a result, after long periods in subspace, we have to stop and let the hull regenerate, otherwise the whole ship could be ripped apart. And thus, many are left with little to do on board with a ship simply in orbit. Sparring is a good way to burn off energy, renew bonds with fellow wraith on board, and in general pass the time. Our engineers are also working on upgrading our baths to showers so keeping the crew out of their quarters while they work is best."

Ah, that made sense then. The new information about the ship added to the list of things that fascinated her about the organic vessel, and the news of the showers was incredibly exciting. Baths were relaxing, but they did take a lot of time that could be devoted to other things.

That took her down another line of thinking entirely, contemplating something that had been on her mind for a while, since they left Atlantis and perhaps even before then. She was quiet for a moment, then glanced at Todd briefly, scanning his expression before turning back to the sparring duo.

"Commander, when we're done here, I have something I'd like to ask you," she informed him, her tone measured and even. "Something personal."

Edited 2015-12-21 07:40 (UTC)

"Hmm? Of course." he said, curious to what it could be, but far more eager for their spar.

Soon it was their turn, and several wraith still remained to watch the commander and the cook fight.

They kept to hand-to-hand, as now that Rogue no longer had to fight to keep control of her ability, they could be less touch-and-go with their strikes. Still, he avoided blows that could break bones.

It was good to be sparring again, especially with her.

It wasn't good to be sparring with Todd again. It was amazing. Exhilarating. Perfect.

Rogue didn't have to worry about seriously injuring Todd, the strength of wraith bones being what it was, but she did make an effort to avoid his nose because of that one time. Beyond that, though, she barely held back, resorting to a fighting style akin to what Logan had used in his cage fights and what she herself had favored during an all-out bar brawl. Not that she'd gotten into many of those. Just a dozen or so over the years.

Todd's ability was still vastly superior to hers, in her own opinion, but she did manage to get the upper hand after a little while. It didn't last for long, of course, she was fairly out of practice after her injury, but it was still a nice boost to her mood, and there was more than one moment where she flashed him a huge grin before striking out in some way.

They went several rounds together, some he won, some she did. Her all-out fighting style was almost completely different than that in the past, so he had to learn around it as though fighting her for the first time. Eventually, feeling her exhaustion, he called for an end to the day's match to avoid unfair fights like the one he won against Teyla back on Atlantis.

A new group took their place as they exited the arena. As they headed back to his chambers for a bath-or a shower if the engineers had finished with his room-he asked, "What was it you wished to tell me?"

Part of her had hoped he might have forgotten she'd said anything. Some inner voice that was entirely her own was shouting at her that she never should have said a damn thing, this was stupid and might ruin things. But that was only a small part of her, and while she was more than a little nervous to broach the subject, she fully believed it needed to be done. It was better to know than to always wonder.

Crossing her arms protectively over her chest, she glanced at Todd quickly, but kept her gaze straight ahead when she asked the actual question. "I just wanted to know..." A pause, a deep breath. "Have you had a sexual relationship with a human before?"

Oh lord, she'd actually said it. She barely breathed while she waited for his reaction.

Once again she never failed to surprise him, but instead of laughing at her, or brushing it off, or even asking if she really wanted to know the answer, he actually answered her, and honestly.

"Of course." He said. "Back when we had worshipers on board, some would favor a particular wraith and as having sex with your own kind can get repetitive when you're as old as some of us, taking a human to bed is not all that unheard of. Queens do it all the time as the only wraith she may sleep with is her commander while he is spoiled for choice as it were. However I prefer to avoid allowing worshipers in my bed. They're far too eager to please and..." He thought a moment "I believe the term is "slutty". They try to put on a show with little feeling or satisfaction in it all, desperate to be tied to a wraith to ensure they're not fed upon or use sex as an easy skill to keep them on board."

Hearing Todd say the word 'slutty' was one of the more comical things she'd experienced in her life. While it did paint a rather vivid picture of the type of person he was describing, it was just weird to hear him say it. Such a small reminder of the time he'd spent with humans, specifically those on Atlantis who would have used such a term, though on what occasion such a thing would have come up, she had no idea.

She was silent for a handful of seconds after he finished speaking, and then decided to just take the plunge before she chickened out for good. "Would you ever consider such a relationship with me?"

For a moment she thought she might actually be sick from the swell of nerves within her. But she wasn't like the humans he'd described. She wasn't a worshipper trying to avoid being fed upon, she wasn't out to win him over for her own gain. Yes, she was somewhat desperate for physical touch now that she could actually have it without harming the other party, but she never would have asked him if she didn't trust and care for him, and she certainly had no intention of bringing up anything of the sort with any others on the ship if Todd dismissed the idea.

Boredom had been quite prevalent when he'd been on Atlantis, there were many topics that circulated around with him and his guards when it struck, and did so often until he was allowed books.

And yet, another surprise.

He paused in their walk and looked to her. Todd smiled, "I'd be honored" he replied, inclining his head. He knew she must be desperate for physical contact after so many years without, but he also knew humans were largely choosy about their mates and she'd picked him for a reason.

Honored. Of all the things she thought he might say, that particular option had never once crossed her mind. She stared at Todd, mouth open as if to say something...

And then she laughed and sighed in some relieved combination, and she covered her eyes with a hand. "I didn't think you would say that," she admitted quietly. "You have no idea how nervous I was to even bring it up." Her heart still might leap out of her chest, actually. She felt as if she'd just run a marathon and it was a struggle to calm down.

Females were few and far between with wraith, as yesterday's bad news continued to kick back into light. So when one, human or wraith, wanted to be with a wraith, from the lowest underling to the highest commander, it was indeed an honor to be chosen, to be allowed to share such intimacy with-at least in a wraith's opinion-was the better of the sexes.

"Nervous? Why? Think I'd reject you?" he asked, blinking curiously at Rogue.

Her hand moved up to press at her forehead and she gave him a small, slightly sheepish smile. "Kind of, yeah," she told him before folding her arms again and turning her gaze to her shoes.

"And also, I was worried about things changing between us," she admitted carefully. "With humans, sex makes things complicated, and I don't want that. I wasn't sure how things worked with wraith, beyond what you've told me these past few weeks."

She didn't want to lose their easy friendship. Rogue would rather spend the rest of her life in complete celibacy than risk that, because of how much their relationship meant to her.

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