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Post by Fateful on Oct 19, 2016 17:03:30 GMT -5
Mello was surprised it took so long to hollow the tree. Of course, Matt did almost all of the work, but Mello helped where he could. The black water was the reason he was strong enough to keep up with it and the two of them had gotten things basically all set within two weeks. Since where they were was secluded enough, they christened it when it was hollowed out and the two of them did work together from that point. It was a good two weeks of fooling around. Somehow, it felt better that way, the ecstasy of holding off on most things. Not all, of course.
The blonde laid in the bed they'd dragged it one morning, able to feel the warmth of the sun outside. He rolled over and ran his hands through Matt's messy mop of red hair and leaned down to kiss his neck, wanting to wake him as gently as he was able to.
/.../
Near managed to slip away from his training every few days to come visit Gevanni. The time he had was limited and that meant he didn't get to spend time with anyone for any great length of him, but he had more time when it was dark. So, it was often that he would come to the camp later in the evening to see Gevanni. Sometimes Aletta would be in bed and sometimes she would be awake. Sometimes they hung out together and other times, Aletta would drag Near off for herself. He never complained, but always spoke to Gevanni for a while before he left.
This particular time, Near came intentionally after he knew Aletta had fallen asleep. he scaled up the wall and climbed in through Gevanni's window. He studied the mortal, who looked surprised to see him come in this way, as he never had. The boy blushed, having not expected the male to be in the room. Near had a small box in his hands and shifted in front of Gevanni. "I-I wanted to leave you something... I didn't think you'd be here or that you'd be asleep if you were. My training lasted a long time today..."
Since his training had started, the only real change was that he had grown a few inches taller, which of course had nothing to do with the training, just his body. He looked stronger in a few aspects and of course, his hair had grown as he could not cut it during the rainy season, it was seen as bad luck and could hurt the goddess within him. Sometimes he had a few bruises here and there, but nothing outwardly alarming. "I missed you." The boy finally said, having not been able to have a conversation with Gevanni in a little over a week, given his training, ALetta's forcefulness, and his other duties.
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Post by otakulady89 on Oct 19, 2016 17:21:15 GMT -5
After a while, Gevanni was seeing less and less of hte red-headed prince. But at the same time, he was also seeing less and less of Mello. It was a ltitle odd, but he could only assume they were doing some sort of project. Maybe Mello had talked the prince into giving up some secrets on how to manage this land, or better yet, to get an udience with the king. He sat at his desk in his room, plugging away at old farming journals kept from earth days, and copying things that seemed relevent into a new file. He'd share the information with the roughly 70 other botanists in their colony.
Of course, this distracted his attentiona way from the lithe, beautiful prince crawling through his window. He had been wondering why he hadn't seen Near around as much, but assumed it was due to his training, and simply put it out of mind. Now, however, a sound had him startling, turning with a pen between him and the noise as if that would protect him.
Only after he realized it was Near did he burst into laughter. "Oh Near, don't scare me like that." The boy's explanation fit perfectly with Gevanni's suppositions, and he smiled, "YEah? How is your training going, by the way?" He was curious what it took to turn a crown prince into a high priest. Back on earth, the catholic church had required actual colleges to study in. It had been wild. Here...
"I missed you too." He fuond his smile turning softer. "It must be really important, your training." He doesn't mention Aletta because honeslty his sister was crazy and he wasn't willing to touch that with a ten foot pole, no matter how jealous it made him.
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Post by Fateful on Oct 19, 2016 17:27:54 GMT -5
Near smiled, glad Gevanni wasn't upset. Of course, he knew he wouldn't be, but it left him flustered because although he had wanted to see him, he did not mean to climb in through his window. All the same, he approached the human and moved the box in his hands. He knew that humans exchanged gifts without reason sometimes, so he offered the box to Gevanni, excited for him to take it. The gift was quiet simple, all things considered. He just wanted to do something for him to make the human more comfortable on the planet.
It had taken a long time and a lot of material, but it was done. During his training, he had been encouraged to make things for people who were important in his life. Of course, his brother and father had been easy enough and he accomplished it quickly. But, he wanted to make something for Gevanni. So, he had created a shirt for him, almost identical to the one Gevani wore now. Theshirt was button down and white, and minced a dress shirt perfectly. The only difference was the material it was made from.
"It's lighter and you won't sweat like you do in your own clothes." Near stated at the shocked look on Gevanni's face. He smiled after, quite proud of his accomplishment. "I made it for you, so you would be more comfortable here." The inside of the material was soft as silk against the skin, but the outside, although soft, was like cotton. The garment as a whole would wick away moisture and was resistant to the flammable water, at least to a certain point. The rains were mostly all black water now, so there was hope it would come to a close at some point in the near future.
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Post by otakulady89 on Oct 19, 2016 18:14:15 GMT -5
The box being pushed into his hands was small, thin. He sighed a little, "You really didn't have to get me anything, Near... I don't... really have a gift to give back." He gave a self-depricating smile, and untied the ribbon, pulling back the lid. What he saw was white cloth. He frowned, pulling it out, and setting the box on the desk. It...
Near's explanation interupted his thought process, and he found himself running fingers up and down along the seams. It was well made, well stitched. Gevanni could hardly tell the difference between his manufactured clothes and this. Then he paused, "There's no embroidery? Am I to do my own then?" He had, after all, heard the explanation on the clothing, and how it was sacred and personal. This... This whole thing felt oddly like an intimate gesture.
"Thank you, Near. This is the most thoughtful gift I've gotten ina long time." He started undoing the buttons of his own shirt, shrugging it off to try on the one Near made for him. "You have a good eye for measurements." He stretched his shoulders, finding that it was quite comfortable, and smoothed along his skin like silk. "Is this silk? We have a fabric like this... or, did anyway. Sythetic silk doesn't feel quite the same. But..." He smiled, "Silk is made from the coccoon of silk worms. If I can get some mugwort trees growing, we might be abe to introduce some." He rubbed along the fabric and sighed, "This ireally is kind of you."
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Post by Fateful on Oct 19, 2016 18:46:10 GMT -5
Near perked up at the mention of embroidery and then he turned slightly red again. As usual, even his ears flushed. "I-I can... embroider it for you, but it would send the wrong message, I'm afraid. Should I give you anything with any sort of embroidery, it... would indicate that you are mine." The statement was soft but utterly genuine. It was something he had thought about, putting designs on it, but Gevanni always wore plain clothes with very little decorative elements. Just a watch around his wrist, which was apparently a gift from his late grandfather.
"I did... do something to it." He approached and indicated to a small 'S' that he had stitched into the pocket on the front. It wasn't visible, but it was there and Near somehow found it to be more special this way. It meant he had given something hidden to the man he had come to adore, in his own way.
Silk. He recalled the definition and then had it repeated. He blinked a few times and tilted his head. "That is not where this comes from, but I suppose the materials are somewhat comparable." Near lifted the clothing around his legs and pulled a knife from a strap on his thigh. It was a small dagger with two dectrative sapphires. "Let me see." He gestured with the knife and when the human offered his arm, Near cut at it and the fabric did not cut despite the knife. Near smiled and put the knife away, sliding back into the strap.
Then, Near smiled up at him. "I wanted you to have some protection from the plants and animals when you go romping around in the woods. The last time... you were pickled, your shoulders ached and you didn't say anything, but I could tell you were in pain." It seemed as if Gevanni didn't want to concern his mother.
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Post by otakulady89 on Oct 19, 2016 20:39:12 GMT -5
Ohhhh, so embroidery meant something romantic in their culture. He supposed he could see that, considering the connotation of embroidered handkerchiefs and sewing in even his own italian culture. He nodded, rubbing his fingers along the cuffs. He could undersand why Near wouldn't do something so blazen and possessive then. Not that there was any reason to be sad over it either. Clearly this was a romantic thing, and he and Near did not have any sort of romance at all.
Or so he thought, until Near pointed out the tiny, hidden S. Gevanni blushed, and then found himself smiling, which he had to cover up with a hand. He found himself chuckling, and his shoulders shook under the strain of not letting Near hear it. "It's... It's very sweet, Near. Thank you." Further demonstration commenced, and Gevanni realized he'd basically jsut been given armor.
"How... How was this cloth made? I really... If it's alright to share the technique, my people need this sort of thing."
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Post by Fateful on Oct 19, 2016 20:46:08 GMT -5
The blush wasn't visible, but Near knew he was hiding it under his hand. He could hear the faint chuckles and smell the change in his scent, how happy he was at the gift. The humans' fascination with the cloth was much the same, as he found everything in their world strange and entirely new. "It's made in one of the cities, the second largest city outside the capital, which truthfully isn't all that far from the main city. Most of the fabric exports come from there." He wasn't sure as to if his father would let him share this, as Light would disapprove of Near sharing it to begin with.
"I-I can see if maybe we can have some material brought to you, but it is one of the more expensive fabrics in our world. I... I just wanted you to have it because I don't want anything to happen to you." He glanced up and made eye contact with Gevanni for the briefest of moments. A small pink tint returned to his cheeks. "I can maybe see about getting some for some of your people, but you would have to cut and weave the fabrics yourself. I wouldn't be able to make them for the gifted few, but I have the feeling your sister would be more than happy to learn and feel as if she could give back." It also meant she would have less time and would have a job to occupy more of her time. And... it might also mean Near would be able to see Gevanni more.
"You're welcome..." he finally added, having forgotten to say it earlier. He made sure everything was perfect, but most of that was just an excuse to run his hands over the cloth that covered Gevanni's body. "I'm glad it fits and it suits you." Now, somehow, Near was considering making him pants, thoughts about which followed with him tilting backward and looking down at Gevanni's hips and legs, studying them briefly before looking up to him and smiling.
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Post by otakulady89 on Oct 20, 2016 14:42:41 GMT -5
Ah of course they wouldn't want to share the secret to making such miraculous material. He should have thought before he asked. He smiled, taking a seat on his bed, the wrinkled and unmade sheets slipping around the weight of him. "It's alright. I understand. Maybe you could get us in touch with some of the merchants who sell the fabric? We don't have much to trade yet, but I'm sure we can figure something out." He offered, thinking that perhaps once they had crops going, real human food, they could trade some of that. Of course, they had to be careful, so that they didn't accidentally cause an ecological collapse in the area.
"I'll talk to Aletta, see if she would want to do some mending and weaving for us. I don't think she will, and it certainly won't slow her down, but... Well, I can ask." It was the least he could do, considering it would be an opportunity for her to really give back tothe community.
He didn't catch Near's perusal of his hips, but he did catch the smile, and found himself smiling back. "What's got you so happy, hm? Seeing results from your training?" he set a hand on Near's hair, and measured against his own chest. "You've certainly gotten taller, that's for sure. I wonder what they're feeding you down there."
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Post by Fateful on Oct 20, 2016 19:12:09 GMT -5
Near nodded, knowing he could likely find a way to trade with them. After all, it would be worth it to learn nd get something from these people before they left. Even Naomi would agree to that and Near didn't know her very well. The thought of them leaving however, was a strange one and he didn't want to imagine them going. They were somehow fixtures in his life and it would be sad when he couldn't come see Gevanni. The humans were interesting creatures, different in a good way. The Nahulians had learned a great deal from them and it was not something Near would forget in his lifetime.
"I can talk to my father and some of those in charge of trade. We should be able to work something out." After all, they had space ships, that could be worth a great deal of the fabric. It all depended on what his father wanted at that moment.
The mention of Aletta made him nod, but he didn't want to focus on her too much. As of late, she had been entirely too much of his attention and that was a bit depressing to Near. He did enjoy the girl, but she was suffocating in a rather pushy way, lately. "It would mean a lot to me if she did it, and I might have some time to teach her, if that would help her to agree." Near smirked as he said this, knowing he had more sway with her than most.
"I'm happy because I get to see you." He answered, content when Gevanni's hand ran through his hair, which was messy from the run to get here. "I actually do more fasting than I used to. They do have me eating specific things more often than I usually ate, and that might be helping me. I'm the only chosen to have been premature, which is why I'm smaller than my brother and father." Of course, Gevanni had never met the rest of his people, so there was little else to compare to besides Rester the stoic giant, Matt, and Naomi. "Does it please you that I'm taller?"
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Post by otakulady89 on Oct 20, 2016 20:00:28 GMT -5
Talking to the King sounded like a futile effort to Gevanni, honestly. The man seemed pretty deadset on not doing anything at all to help or hinder the human settlement. Ah, should he perhaps refer to it as an a refugee camp, instead of a settlement? After all, they were supposed to be trying to get off the planet. Day by day, L and the other engineers did equations and tinkered with the engines that were still functioning to see if there was any way to escape the gravity well of this planet, and... Well, the prognosis they offered the simple-minded people like Gevanni wasn't good.
"Maybe just talk to the merchants? Let's leave your father out of this. He doesn't seem like he cares one way or another, and to be honest, I think he'd probably veto the whole idea." He admitted, and it was clear that he and his people had formed a very bad mental image of the Tlatoani at this point.
The fact that Near had more sway with Aletta was just that, a fact, and Gevanni grinned upon seeing the boy attempt to use it to his advantage. "I'll be sure to pass along your message. Of course, this trading will have to happen after we sow our first crops, and might even have to wait until after the harvest. We have to make sure we can feed ourselves before we start handing over food and tradegoods." He sighed, rubbing at his temples. "I wish some of the older statesmen had survived. I'm not cut out for this diplomatic stuff. I'm supposed to be focused on plants." He gave a rueful smile.
He shifted, sitting on the bed, and settling his hands in his lap. "To answer your question though, I'm just happy to see you healthy." He smiled, "It's difficult for anyone born premature to put on weight. Aletta was born premature too, and she's thin as a rail." She was also slighter and smaller than even NEar, which was saying something. "But I think that whatever it is you're doing, it's making you feel good, and that's what matters."
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Post by Fateful on Oct 20, 2016 20:14:47 GMT -5
Near frowned, upon hearing Gevanni's assessment of his father and his ways of doing things. He thought about arguing for a moment, but hesitated and inevitably let it go. After all, if they ever met light, saw the size of their cities and the number of people that they had, it was more than likely that they would feel differently. He had a lot of people to care for and his interest always had to be on his own people, rather than these others who were simply here.
I believe with all this rain, that won't be far yet. Have you been using the black water to fertilize the soils and plants like i told you to?" He asked, curious as to how much this human listened to him. Somehow, he wanted to hear how much Gevanni cared for him, but knew it would likely never be something ever to be stated out loud. So he contented himself to just sit on the bed beside the older man, close enough that his shoulder brushed Gevanni's arm. "I think you make a good diplomat. You hate it, but you are good at it and I suppose that says something of your calling."
Near wrinkled his nose as he smiled, as if to tease him, knowing the distaste Gevanni had for authority and having to make choices for people. It was odd for him to be a leader, which was strange also for Near, as he had been trained to be a leader, only to suddenly be thrown into a position where he would never be one. He only chuckled at how thin Aletta was, as Near wasn't much better than she was, but his body was more often exposed. Aletta did seem to want to expose more and more however, given she tried to do her best to be as close to naked as possible in post instances.
"I do feel good." He added, looking up at the ceiling. "And I'm glad you can see it to." Another pause during which Near swung his legs from his seated position on the bed beside the one he wanted to be close to. Part of the reason for it was so he could smell that deep, captivating smell that only Gevanni seemed to have. His odor was stronger than the other humans, but not in a way that Near found unpleasant. He liked that smell and stood closer to him so he could be caught up in it.
"Tell me about what you're working on how." Near gestured to a small plant on Gevanni's table that he had been tinkering with.
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Post by otakulady89 on Oct 20, 2016 20:50:56 GMT -5
"Well, to answer your question, I've been doing some experimenting with using the black water as fertilizer. That's what this little guy is, actually." He leaned forward, brushing the leaves of the plant where it sat just in front of the datpad and notebooks he'd been using. "He's fully watered only with earth-based water, what we have left from our filtration systems and such. So he's the control. I call him Mortimer." He smiled at the little joke. "Anyway, there are four others like him downstairs, each with their own specifics as far as how much black and purple water is involved. I'm trying to find the exact, perfect amount and how to apply it." He smiled, tilting his head, "Your people probably already have this knowledge, and have been doing this for years, but... Well, a scientific eye with a new perspective never hurts, right?"
If Gevanni noticed Near getting closer and closer, he didn't say anything. He was loathe to admit to himself that he liked the boy sitting close to him. He liked the warmth of Near's skin, and how he smiled at Gevanni as if he were something made of gold. "of course, I've got other projects going right now too. I'm taking all of the books you gave us and comparing the information to old farmer's journals that we kept from old earth. Trying to prepare for planting season, and make sure we get the best harvest we can, you know? The other botanists are working on it too, and we plan on meeting up once the rains stop to compare, contrast and make a plan."
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Post by Fateful on Oct 20, 2016 20:59:56 GMT -5
Near studied the plant closely, wondering what the others ones looked like. Perhaps when the experiment was over, Gevanni would let him see the results. "We have perfected it, but we've done so with our plants, not with yours. I suppose there has to be some sort of learning curve on things like this. However, it is rare for us to use black water on plants, simply because it is worth more to us. Some places do, the other city, where Naomi lives." He rarely used his language around them as a form of respect, normally sticking to easier things for them to understand.
"However, we do it for some plants. It depends, I suppose. It's not my job, so I'd be hard pressed to explain it." He laughed and knew that the rains did most of that and the soil kept the nutrients for quite a long time, years, by earth standards, and the rains came once a year, so there was always a lot of nutrients, so the water normally helped to well.. water things down and make the nutrients more easily absorbed. However, there was always way to improve and Near knew better than to get in the way of botanists, especially ones as dedicated to their work as Gevanni.
He laughed softly. "Somehow, I feel any season you're involved in is the best planting season and the harvest would follow with that. It is rare to see someone so dedicated and in love with their work as you are." He meant that too. Looking at Gevanni, he looked over the shirt the human had put on and Near decided he liked the way it looked on him that it suited his muscle structure and looked as flattering as he'd hoped it would be.
"Oh!" Near grabbed Gevanni's hand and put the human's palm on his chest. "I have to show you something I learned to do." The boy closed his black eyes and seemed to focus his attention. When he did this, his body temperature rose just enough to feel like an incredibly hot bath. Near opened his eyes and smiled, looking at the surprised human.
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Post by otakulady89 on Oct 20, 2016 21:26:17 GMT -5
"Really most of the work that I've been able to do is thanks to those books on agriculture you were able to bring us, so..." He smiled, "Even without specific knowledge, you've done a lot to help us out Near. Our very own patron, so to speak." He had to admit that without Near, they probably would have starved to death on this goddamn rock. It was a slow process, really, going through all the information, but luckily, that wasn't all his job. That was for the sociologists and librarians to deal with.
Still, the praise that Near heaped on him was something of an oddity. Sure, he knew he was good at what he did, he knew that he was one of their top scientists, even. But that still wasn't the same as hearing it from an outsider. It meant that he was beyond just recognisable, it meant that he was someone. And that... that was an oddly powerful feeling. It made him feel indebted to the little prince somehow. Maybe that was whyhe didn't immediately pull his hand away when Near went to grab for it.
His eyes widened, and he was very, very surprised. "...That's.. oh man, what was the name of it." He frowned, trying to remember. "Ah, Humans do something similar, when our heartrates go low enough, and we're relaxed enough, but I can't remember the name for it..." He sighed, "Still, it's amazing! We certainly couldn't get quite THIS warm. Ah, are they teaching you mind over matter things then?"
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Post by Fateful on Oct 20, 2016 21:33:23 GMT -5
Near wondered how to put it to words, what they were teaching him. Well, Gevanni's words. "They're teaching me a lot, mostly around how to make my body easier to take over by the goddess. My body temperature is supposed to raise and they said with practice, I will know when she's coming and will be able to raise my body temperature in anticipation of this, so my body won't be so hot to others. It means others can touch me without burning."
"I wouldn't quite call it mind over matter, however, I think it's more..." He said a word in his own language, struggling to find a translation for it. "Preparation, is the only word I can really think of. Mental and physical strength to stay alive, knowing what will inevitably happen to me." He looked into the human's warm blue eyes and found himself swimming in them. What he exactly wanted, he was not sure, but somehow wondered what the mortal thought of this. He'd heard Wedy outright say there was no goddess and that Near was seriously ill at one point, but that had been a while back and he hadn't told Gevanni. Still, he wondered what the man thought, but was always too afraid to ask directly.
He bit his lip for a moment, still holding Gevanni's wrist and didn't move the man's hand from his body. The hands on his skin felt good, a sort of electric energy that Near didn't mind feeling. "Do you think the goddess exists?"
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