Problem Solving

[Melanctha Dallamoor]

[member="Zye Woden"]

Mel followed Zye as he stumbled back to the wall, "it was going to happen one way or another." It was true, "Yes its frightening..the blood and all but let's not think about that right now. You are hurt...and need attention."

Why wasn't he healing like he use to..."Why aren't you healing quickly?" When had he fed last ? She frowned, "Come on let's get you some attention. We can debate what I want and don't want later." She put her arms under his and pulled him to his feet. "I bet those pirates won't be back for a while..."

Course she still had that one thing she needed to find out but she'd have to do it through other channels...what one of the nobles had given them the money to track her to this ship..she would find out. There were politics in play and getting to the bottom of it was now becoming priority one.

She looked up at Zye, "Can you walk some?" She bore as much of his weight as she could as she tried to get him down the hall.

 

[Zye Woden]

[member="Melanctha Dallamoor"]

Zye struggled to his feet with Mel's help. She was right, he needed attention.

"I was hoping--I was hoping that," you would think I was different than I am, Zye finished the thought in his own head. That maybe I could be different because of that.​ Zye shook his head, it was a fool's dream that wasn't even worth the oxygen it took to express it. "It doesn't matter. Your right, we need to get going."

He tried to put as little weight on Mel as he could, but with his first step, he instinctively fell back on her, giving her a lot of his weight. The vampire's pride would have to suffer for a while. It was slow going to just get out of the room, Zye tried to put as little weight on Mel as he could, and it probably made it take even longer than things could have been if he was more cooperative. He wasn't heavy, but he also didn't want to crush her.

"I don't know," he confessed, "Mel, I haven't eaten in days. And--" Zye grimaced, "Things may get even worse soon. There's a strong chance they took spice. If their blood got in the wound, its slowing me down even more. My body is trying to heal, but it stops it."

He stopped and looked down at Mel. There was a strong chance that things could get very bad for him, very soon too. Zye would have been lying if he said that hadn't been in a situation this dangerous in quite some time. It showed with the concern etched on his face. He could go in a feeding frenzy and lose control, even worse than last time, or he could bleed out from the wound. "You need to go, it isn't safe for you here."

They were together, alone with just a few droids on the fringe of Hapes space, far from anyone who could rescue her from him. "There are escape pods, you can get out now."

They finally reached the passenger bay they had been in seconds ago. This time the quest had taken four times longer. Zye halted in the doorway, "I wouldn't blame you. I am just the hired help."

 

[Melanctha Dallamoor]

"Hoping what, that I'd run away at the very first sight of blood? You're not a monster Zye. What are you thinking that you can shield me from everything about you? " She pushed him up just a little, "cause you know I'm made of stiffer stuff than that..." She was after all descended from pirates right. She felt him growing heavier on her side.

"Lord Zye we've spent the last few weeks together, I've shown you my weaknesses...you sleep in my room...I've shared some of my fears...don't you think I deserve to see you in all forms..." She pushed up with her knees again he was a bit more bulkier than he looked, why was that?

"Worse huh...learning a lot of things at once won't overwhelm my poor hapan brain." Even if it did unnerve her she looked at him what was he thinking really? That she'd hate what she saw him do? That she would turn away from him because of the ferociousness of the violence he exhibited...god you don't throw babies out with the bath water...you learn about them, nurture them and pay that in the end things slowly change.

She had seen a gentle passionate side of him she knew that the violence came from another place within him, she wanted to know that place along with the bad..maybe he needed to hear that..."Good with the bad Zye no matter what it is."

She nodded, "I'm safe...i'm with you....you won't hurt me I know you won't...so...you need to stop all of this..pushing me out of the door talk and tell me how to help you instead."

then he said something that made her want to slap him, she opted for something else she leaned up and kissed him softly, "You're not the hired help if you ever say that again...I'll bite you." He may not have realized how deep a cut it was to her that he had said that to her. But she wouldn't discuss it now, later...when all of the heat from this mission passed then they'd talk about it.

"So tell me what to do." She never in her life ever asked someone to tell her what to do this was a giant leap for her another change in her that being around him brought on. Everywhere else in her life she knew what to do, when to do it, and how...with him...she needed guidance.

[member="Zye Woden"]

 

[Zye Woden]

[member="Melanctha Dallamoor"]

"Your right," he relented. It was a bitter pill for him to swallow. Zye was a proud man, and he didn't often admit when he was wrong. Even saying the words was a leap for him in character. It had been decades since he had last admitted to being wrong. "You deserve better, you deserve the truth," he grimaced, "I just hoped that with you I could be something different that what I am. A new start."

He didn't know if he could be anything more than the murderer he had been for so long, but it was worth a try. His free hand absentmindedly wrapped around Mel for comfort. At least she didn't turn tell and run. Mel was right, she was made of things much stiffer than he had given her credit. A load of guilt settled on his shoulders as he realized it. His body was shaking from the pain and exertion, but she deserved a moment. He stopped and looked down at her, "I'm sorry. I am just used to being alone--when the dust settles."

His knees buckled, Zye did his best to ease himself back onto a crate by him--but he likely pulled Mel down with him. He leaned back against the bulkhead. The plasteel was cold, even colder than normal because of the barely-function life support. Emergency systems were running on the redline, the gravity and life support were desperately trying to hold on through the reduced power. Ice crystals were forming in gentle flakes along the plasteel behind him in beautiful crystalline lattices. Small droplets of water and blood began to harden into frozen orbs of beautiful white, blue, and crimson. The life support in his suit kept Zye from being too cold.

"Message received," he said gently, his breath came out in puffy clouds from the cold. He swallowed, "I--I need blood to heal, and it has to be fresh. These pirates are laced with spice, it will make it worse, or kill me."

His hand gently caressed Mel's cheek, his face stating the unasked question. He would rather die than feed on Mel without her permission. Her life, her protection, and her trust in their short time had come to mean that much to him. Even before his exile, Zye had barely been existing for anything, but finally had someone he was so deeply attached to he couldn't describe how much it mattered to him.

When she said yes, he pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around Mel. His eyes looked into hers for a brief moment before pulling her close, his lips pressed against the small of where her neck met her shoulder. He cradled her back intimately as he partook of her blood. His hand rubbed along her lower back, soothing Mel. He didn't know how it felt to be fed from, but he didn't want her to suffer. His fangs sank deep into her skin at last, the taste of her essence filled his mouth. She tasted warm, refreshing, fulfilling, and satisfying like nothing he had before. Her blood was pure and clean from a lifestyle of healthy living. He savored every drop as it passed from her into his being. Zye could feel himself getting stronger from her offering, he felt his wound healing rapidly again.

Zye was careful not to drain her to death, or anywhere near the danger level. He retracted his fangs from her and pulled away to look into her eyes with a gentle gaze. "Thank you. Are you alright?"

 

[Melanctha Dallamoor]

Oh she wanted to reach him get him to understand, she reached up and cupped his face. "With me you are different don't you see it?"

She moved closer to him as his arm inched around her to pull her closer. She worried about him dying but maybe he needed something else right now. Maybe he needed to know she cared she was here...she wasn't going anywhere unless he pushed her there.

"You're not alone Zye" She whispered, "I'm here. I'm not running." She placed a hand to his cheek then slid it to his chest, "don't leave me alone in the dark, please don't go where I can't follow." That was when his knees buckled they both slid to the top of the crate.

"Please tell me how I can help you.." Her voice had a foreign sound to it. She was pleading with him. For all the strength she possessed to do her job, to be a Hapan this one man had reduced her to some very basic things. Emotions that she had long over looked, desire that she thought she would never deserve, and a need to know someone else was safe.

Everything was becoming darker again as the ship shifted back into emergency mode. It was cold, she thought for a moment she would die here. Die with him. There were worse things dying alone was one.

So much around her she could just barely make out but she felt him still there her. He hadn't left her a monster would have. He could easily say she died and be off, well paid, and retrieving his titles at home.

He finally told her what he needed, she swallowed hard she had given some thought to this before the trip. She was a contingency planner and it had not escaped her that he might need blood. He looked at her not through her seeking her permission for the one thing he could take without asking.

But he was asking.

For all her talk did she back out now all she could do was nod yes, it was alright. She felt his breath on her neck. Her heart jumped up she put her hands on his chest looking up looking down and waiting she closed her eyes.

She felt the sharpness of his teeth puncture her skin she wanted to cry out and couldn't. She thought she could smell her own blood. Somewhere on the floor her helmet laid the dull thud had been lost in the moments. She held onto to him as tightly as she could she whispered through it all, "take what you need dearest" It might mean all she was ready to pay that price for him.

As quickly as it started it was over his voice filtering through the haze that she found herself lost in she laid against his chest, "I feel...tired..." Her fingers tried to curl around his armor, "Can we go home? I just want to lay with you close to me, please" She wanted to sleep

 

[Zye Woden]

[member="Melanctha Dallamoor"]

If she ever had a chance to leave, he had given it to her. As he cradled Mel's form, he knew that he knew she earned it and then some. He gently stroked her hair, he wouldn't leave her. Even if she was mortal, even if she would wither away and die in a few mere decades, he wouldn't leave her. Even if age withered her to nothing, he wouldn't leave her. He would find a way to stop that from happening to her. He had to, Mel was everything to him now. The throne that hate, murder, revenge, and rage had in his heart was now replaced with her.

"Let's go home," he said softly. He picked her up in both of his arms, rising to his feet. He was stronger now, thanks to her sacrifice.

She was light to him, even in her armor. It wasn't much effort for him to carry her through the hallways through to the escape pods. Even further, the lowered gravity made it even easier. But the chill was starting to creep into Zye's bones through the armor. He felt the chill, but didn't shiver. He was a cold-blooded being (literally), it didn't affect him like humans usually did. Still, he felt the ice crystals forming on his armor and face, stinging the skin and making it harder for him to move.

"Here," Zye said holding her closer as he ducked through the hatch. His elbow smacked the eject button. They pushed off with a lurch and the auto thrusters took over, directing them to the nearest planet. Since this elegant escape pod had been designed by the Hapan people, it was certainly bright enough for his light-sensitive love to see, even in the challenging dark. And it was, certainly, tight. Just large enough for the two.

Zye sat back on the bench seat, pulling Mel close. It was much warmer here, but he didn't care. The icey frozen sheen melted off his face as the vampire held her to his chest. He nuzzled her, his lips pressing against her's tenderly. What had started as just a paycheck had radically changed Zye's life. What that meant for the rest of his life, Zye didn't know. They were there for what felt like eternity when at last a voice came over the intercom, "This is the Hapes Navy. Stand by for boarding and rescue."