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

It was the first time that Rogue had been around wraith who weren't from Todd's hive, and she wasn't entirely comfortable with the way they were looking at her. She couldn't begin to interpret what those looks might mean, but she was at least fairly certain none of them were contemplating having her for dinner, which would have been the case with any wraith who hadn't already received the gene therapy.

While Todd spoke with the other wraith, she watched the cattle grazing, her gaze taking note of the large space and the way the animals filled it. When the topic of Atlantis came up, she turned to Todd and suggested, "It might be good to speak to the Atlantis crew about getting some dogs to help with herding the livestock. There are quite a few breeds on Earth that have been used to keep cattle in groups for easy handling, or getting them to different pastures for grazing. I'm not sure how they'd work with the drones, but if trained properly, I think they could be really effective."

Her discomfort grew as the strange new wraith focused their attention on her, and she tried not to let on how it affected her. Todd was still there beside her so she wasn't exactly afraid of the other wraith, but wasn't about to try joking with them like she occasionally did with the crew she'd gotten to know so well in the kitchen.

Edited 2016-01-11 06:46 (UTC)

"Dogs?" the wraith asked.

"Canines." Todd clarified, not liking how this one was looking at Rogue in a mix of confusion, disgust, and sizing her up for a meal, though he knew for a fact he'd taken the gene therapy.

Unlike he and his crew, who were regular visitors to Atlantis and were relaxed around humans-especially this one with them, other wraith like these didn't have nearly the amount of exposure as they did, just with worshipers.

"We shall look into it." Todd nodded to Rogue before the group headed to the stables. There were horses kept as well, as the wraith learned quickly they were far easier to get around on-and round up the cattle for the night-than trying to with a dart, which were very noisy and hard to maneuver in such a relatively confined area.

She stayed close to Todd as she walked to the stables, but she couldn't help but stop at one of the stalls to inspect the horse within. A few of the people in her mind had ridden at some point in their life, either simple riding or as part of a sport, and there was a sense of nostalgia circling her mind, feeding her own memories of the stables at the mansion. She'd never been much for riding herself, but she still reached out to smooth her hand along the nose of the horse, who sent a puff of breath at her playfully.

It was a struggle not to jump at the wraith that appeared close to her, especially with the way he was looking at her, the way he was holding his feeding hand. She glanced at him for just a moment, trying to keep her expression calm despite her racing heartbeat, and moved closer to the wraith she knew, the ones who knew her and didn't see her as a walking meal.

[ooc: Just found out David Bowie passed away :< So sad...]

"They seem to be well-taken care of." Todd said, wanting this inspection done with, but they still had several other livestock to check on before they could.

"Yes, we don't plan on eating them but they do receive some extra care." the wraith answered, then glanced to Rogue. "Much like pets..."

Todd decided to nip this in the bud right now. "She's not a pet, nor worshiper, nor food. She's a consultant, and those on Atlantis would not take kindly to finding out she was taken advantage of by you." While everything he said was true, they weren't exactly interconnected. Still, the commander knew his way around a lie to get what he wanted. And what he wanted was for this underling to cease his hungry looks.

The other frowned, but Todd out-ranked him, even if he was from another hive, and didn't press the matter, instead leading them to the pig pens next.

More like wild boars than your large pig oinkers back home, they were very vicious and their pen was electrified to keep them from butting against it. Still, they were being treated well too with full troughs and plenty of room.

"Unfortunately they are the worst to manage." the underling said

"You should have heeded our hive's advice and barter for ones from humans, not go collecting from the wild." said Todd.

"All those we looked at didn't have stock big enough to take from, and these are far larger in their weight." the underling elaborated. He was telling the truth, they were quite massive, but so were some of their tusks. Fortunately when it came time to slaughter, wraith stunners would make the job fairly easy, both for wraith and pig.

[ooc: It was heartbreaking news. He was such an incredible man.]

When the wraith had assumed Rogue was a pet, there was a brief moment in which she was incredibly afraid. Of this unknown wraith, of the knowledge that so many other wraith would see her in exactly that same light and would treat her no differently than every other human. She was like little more than an animal to them, a prize piece to be kept and used until the usefulness wore off. That realization had her pulse pounding so loudly in her ears that she almost didn't hear what Todd said afterward.

It would have been such a shame if she had missed it.

It was a masterfully crafted story, not entirely untrue but certainly not the way others were likely to tell it. And he had gone to the effort for her. Sure, it might be true that it was in his best interest to make sure nothing happened to her because Atlantis would react badly to such a thing, Colonel Sheppard in particular, but that wasn't all there was to it, not by a longshot. She had to put forth real effort to not smile at him, to save her reaction and gratitude for when they were in private. So instead she simply stayed close to Todd, trying to keep her head high to live up to the 'consultant' title.

She didn't get overly close to the pig pens though. Even she could see that this whole thing screamed of being a bad idea. All it would take was one wraith getting cocky and overconfident to get someone badly hurt or killed. But at the same time, the reasons for choosing these animals did have merit.

They moved onto the sheep next, woolly and many with young nearby, their baa'ing clearly heard as the group approached the field.

"They're quite simple creatures." the wraith said. It wasn't a compliment. "Rounding them up, even on horseback, has been very trying."

"You said something about dogs doing such work?" Todd asked Rogue.

She nodded and turned to address Todd specifically. "There are different kinds of dogs that have been bred for herding," she explained. "They're trained to respond to a series of commands, usually words or whistles, even hand gestures. They can keep the animals in place, round them up, herd them from one location to another... It all depends on how well they're trained and handled."

A glance at the other wraith, just for a moment. "There are also breeds that are good for protecting livestock from predators. If there's anything in the area that would find lamb a tasty dinner, it might be something to consider as well."

Todd resisted the urge to smile as she demonstrated her..."consultation" side.

The wraith seemed less aggressive after that, realizing she was indeed there for a purpose, not to just look at the pretty animals. He nodded and the fellow with him made a note on his tablet about that. "You said Atlantis would provide canines?" he asked

"No guarantees." Todd said firmly "They haven't even come to visit this planet yet to see our progress, but it will most definitely be brought up when we meet them again."

The other nodded again and they moved onto the goats. Which were not only more active than the sheep but less spooked by any that approached, one even head-butting a couple of them. The barn and open area for them seemed to meet Rogue's approval, which meant the tour was done and they could all head back to the ship to wash up after the busy day.

It was easy to see the change in the foreign wraith after their little demonstration, and it helped to set Rogue just a little more at ease. Enough so at least to enjoy the natural humor of the goats - they'd always been one of her favorite animals, despite their temperament.

As nice as it had been to get some fresh air, she was glad to be back on the ship. The cool, dry air was wonderful on her skin, and the dimmer lights were soothing after the tension she'd felt on the planet. She stretched her arms above her head when they arrive back at the ship, breathing in deeply and finally fully relaxing. It was good to be home.

After a quick word with the others to see how the worshiper colonies were fairing, Todd gave the order to set off for the distress signal once the ship was ready to endure hyperspace again. Then he and rogue went to his chambers, finding out that the shower ability had finally been incorporated into his bathroom. The tub had not been removed but now a new knob on the wall had grown and in a portion of the room, the water fell as hard or light as you liked.

Todd set about removing his clothes and putting them into the closest to clean, stepping up behind Rogue and resting his hands on her shoulders as she worked her own clothes off. He breathed softly in her hair, closing his eyes. "You did well as my consultant" he smiled.

"Thank you," she said with her own smile, stepping out of her near filthy jeans, adding them to the rest of her pile of things that she would put into the closet later. She had other things she could change into before they were clean. "It was a clever explanation, though I'd expect nothing less from you."

She set her hands on his and turned her head slightly to look back at him over her shoulder. "Thank you for protecting me down there," she told him softly. "Saying the things you did."

Edited 2016-01-15 01:02 (UTC)

"You're welcome. Other hives, while they've changed their diet, have not yet changed their habits. Eventually, perhaps, but for now, throwing them off before they can get any ideas is the best solution."

He stepped in under the comfortably hot spray, a wonderful change from soaking in a bath. It felt good after such a long day in the sun and dirt. His tired worked muscles were already healed, and his mind was drifting to the distress signal and possibility it might hold.

Eventually didn't seem like it would come very soon, with Todd's hive being the ones to have the most non-hostile interactions with humans. Rogue wondered idly how long it would take before the rest of his species took that step - old habits like that would be difficult to break, after all. What Todd had managed with his hive was little short of a miracle.

She watched him for a moment, reaching around to press at her back muscles that were sore from bending over so often to examine crops. "You're thinking about the ship, aren't you?" she asked him quietly, almost hesitantly. "The one with the distress signal. You're thinking about what we'll find there."

He looked to her and chuckled. "I'm getting to be more like a human if you can read what I'm thinking so easily" he grinned

"Yes, I am thinking of the ship, though the more I dwell on it the more I wonder just what happened to cause its disappearance in the first place." True he was also thinking about the obvious possible queen on board, but the ship itself was becoming more and more disconcerting.

He was only glad they weren't going to be the first to arrive and assess the situation. He was getting tired of being the hive who poked everything possibly dangerous first.

She smiled at his joke but just shook her head. He still wasn't much like a human, she was just getting used to his ways, and it made sense that he would be thinking of the thing looming in their future.

"It sure doesn't make sense that they'd just disappear to take a vacation, especially not with everything going on in the galaxy right now," she remarked, reaching up to carefully undo the braid he'd given her, the one she wore all the time now. "But I'm also living proof that a lot of weird things are possible."

He also worked to undo his new hair decorations to properly wash everything. Another chuckle at that last bit. "You're quite right."

After they let down their hair and were thoroughly wet from head to toe, Todd began to wash Rogue's back, as always, careful of his claws as he massaged the soap into her skin and scrubbed away the grime and sweat of the day.

It was as wonderfully relaxing as every other time he had done this for her, the simple act of having the soap worked across the expanse of her back releasing a tension she hadn't realized was there. She sighed deeply and glanced back at him as she had earlier, her thoughts circling back around to that ship and what it could represent for him.

"I wish I could help you more," she said softly, the words laced with sadness. "I can do some things, sure, but I can't be what you need most. I can't be a queen, and I can't find one for you." The words cracked a little as her throat tightened and her jaw trembled. "I would, you know, if I could. Even though it means I would have to leave. Because you deserve it. Your crew deserves it."

Todd paused as he listened to her.

"Kind of you, and I know you would. Also know that regardless of whether the ship we're headed for carries a queen or there will be one in our future later down the road, I'll do whatever I can to ensure your home remains on the hive." he said. "You've done much for me and my crew already. The least I can do is convince a queen. And as you already know I can be quite convincing." he grinned.

Her smile in return was strained, but still genuine. "You certainly can," she agreed, and tried to do her best to believe that would be enough. Because the thing she was most afraid of was losing him and her home in one fell swoop. She'd already lost so much, she wasn't sure she could take that too. Not when she'd let herself get so attached. It would have been different if she'd left even just a few weeks ago, but now...

"You mean a lot to me, Todd," she told him quietly, looking forward again so she didn't have to see his reaction to her words. "You... I can't even really describe it. But losing you - I don't think I could survive that kind of pain again."

Todd resumed washing her back. He was fairly confident he could put in a good argument for keeping Rogue on board. While their time together would be severally reduced, especially while the queen settled into life on board the hive, Rogue would still be among his crew and have a place to call home.

During his imprisonment, after the ache of starvation seemed to reduce him to his weakest point, he remembered feeling what humans call "homesickness". He'd changed hives many times in his long life for one reason or another, but still, the familiarity of a hive was among the things he'd longed for most.

Rogue would undoubtedly feel as he had should their queen boot her off the ship, only difference was that there'd been a glimmer of hope during his imprisonment that he'd see a hive again. For Rogue, it was either Atlantis, or the worshiper world and the farmland, and never again board a hive.

"Cease your fears of the future" he advised. "There are a lot of unknown factors regarding that distressed ship, including the possibility of there not being a queen on board at all."

"You're right," she acknowledged, resolving to do as he'd said. When they had more answers about the ship, then she could resume the hours of worrying and being terrified of losing the only home she had left. Until then, she just had to take it one day at a time.

Rogue felt a bit of that homesickness every day, despite the life she'd managed to create in this dimension. The only thing was, as much as she missed the world she'd come from, nothing would ever be the same there. The world she'd loved was gone, on the verge of complete and utter destruction because of the monsters in power - humans who would rather see a building burn and crumble than let the mutant inside live, even if that building was full of priceless cultural treasures like the Louvre.

As strange as a hive ship was for a human, this one truly had become her home. She enjoyed the challenge of learning her way through the ship, studying the strange organic structures that formed furniture and shelving, and she'd even gotten used to the low lighting that had previously strained her eyes. But what really made it home were the wraith on board, her mate and her students. She would miss them more than anything.

After they finished washing up, they dressed in clean clothes and headed down to the kitchen for something to eat. Today's group were cooking completely unsupervised, but thankfully when they arrived, nothing had gone horribly wrong.

The pair ate in a comfortable quiet after the others had left. Cleaning up, they returned to his chambers. He wanted to read a little more but he could tell Rogue's mind was elsewhere, on the ship several days out. So after they dressed for bed, instead of taking up the book, he pulled her close, stroking her long damp hair and then pressed a blunt nip and kiss against her throat. They hadn't had sex since their first time and he thought it might not only relax her but shift her mind away from the fear and anxiety that lay ahead. Didn't need her having more nightmares if he could help avoid it.

It had been a long day, and while part of Rogue wanted nothing more than to snuggle into the blankets and sleep for a week, it didn't hold a candle to the need she felt to be close to him. There was no telling what the situation with the ship would mean for her, for them, and she didn't want to waste the time they had together when that uncertainty was weighing so heavily on her thoughts.

She let a quiet moan slip out as she tilted her head to give him better access to her throat. One of her hands slid up into his hair, the thin braids still a little damp against her fingers.

He'd thought she might push him away, too caught up with events to let herself enjoy the affection. Glad she didn't, he intensified things quickly by kissing her hard and pulling her to lay on top of him.

Todd caressed her back, his other hand cupping her jaw, drinking in her moans and enjoying each one he managed to get out of her.

The hand on her jaw moved down, sliding between her breasts and then further down to then slide up her shirt and tease along her stomach and ribs.

Rogue would never be one to turn away an affectionate touch, especially not one from Todd. It would take something incredibly distressing or her being royally pissed off for her to push him away. Neither was the case just now, so she nothing short of eager for each and every kiss and brush of hands.

There was something incredibly empowering about being on top of him. As his fingers teased her stomach, she arched slightly into that light touch before quickly sitting up and tugging her shirt over her head. Since they'd been dressed for bed, there was nothing under the shirt but her own skin, which became completely apparent when she leaned back down and her breasts brushed his own shirt. She set a hand on either side of his head as she kissed him just as intensely as he had her, and still being just as vocal.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject