Chapter Fifty-Six - Tease

Humanity has always had dragons.

From the most ancient of times, in the most ancient of civilisations, when banging two rocks together to make a spark was humanity's greatest technology, humanity has had its monsters. Great serpents, powerful lizards, fire-breathing creatures of myth and legend.

These were spoken of in hushed whispers, painted in glorious details, stories were traded, exaggerated, and expanded upon. These beasts and monsters became the symbols of power and the slur for those too rich and powerful for their own good.

Humanity needs its dragons, because we need something in the dark to keep us moving.

In the past, the dragons were myths. Now, the dragons are people.

In some places the Three Emperors go by another name. The Three Great Dragons.

Ivil considered this as she ate some dragon-egg cake. It was a small, oval-shaped macaroon with striations and blotches over its surface, the paste within was a sweet fudge-like confection, warmed a little over room temperature, and the entire 'egg' was nested in a base of vanilla ice cream, with real dairy.

She smiled across at Twenty-Six. "Want to crack it?" she asked.

Twenty-Six, after having her tastebuds forced through an orgy of new and interesting flavours for the past hour, simply nodded. Her own dessert was the simplest thing on the menu. A chocolate brownie with a dab of cream and warm chocolate syrup. She had never had a brownie that didn't come from a vacuum-sealed package with easy-tear tabs.

"How do I do it?" Twenty-Six asked.

"Just give the egg a good smack with the back of your spoon," Ivil instructed.

Twenty-Six leaned forwards and pinched the end of her tongue between her lips. Ivil was unreasonably tempted to reach out and grab the little pink thing, but she restrained herself.

"Oh! It broke," Twenty-Six said. She leaned up and stared into the broken shell, where the warm insides were already melting the 'egg shell' exterior. Ivil helped her cut out a gooey slice to put onto Twenty-Six's own plate, then she dug into her dessert.

This was nice. The food was of acceptably if middling quality for a fine dining establishment, but Ivil couldn't expect too much from someplace around Jupiter. The company made up for any deficiency.

"Ohhh, it's so sweet!" Twenty-Six said. She had a habit of kicking her feet up and down when excited and when eating sweet things. She even closed her hands into little fists and wiggled them.

"It is a little sweet, yes," Ivil replied. "I'm glad you're enjoying it so much."

Twenty-Six nodded, then she stared across the table at Ivil, blushed some more, then sat up straighter. "Sorry," she said.

"Sorry? What are you apologising for?" Ivil asked.

"I mean, that was a little... childish of me? You're all mature and adult and, well, I'm obviously an adult too, but I don't always act my age."

"I wouldn't want you to act in any other way," Ivil replied. "Please, just be yourself. I like you the way you are, trust me. I just hope that you don't mind if I'm not as obviously emotional as you."

"Obviously emotional?" Twenty-Six asked. "Does that mean that you're un-obviously emotional?"

"I suppose that it might mean something like that," Ivil replied.

Twenty-Six leaned her elbows on the table and squinted as she stared at Ivil. Really stared, with the sort of intensity Ivil imagined was usually reserved for schematics viewed in poor lighting. "Oh! I see it," Twenty-Six said with a grin.

"And what do you see?" Ivil asked.

Twenty-Six pointed at her, specifically her brows. "It's all in the eyebrows. Yours go... wait, how do you only move one? Yours tilt just a little. It's like instead of smiling with your whole mouth, or frowning, your eyebrows give it away." Twenty-Six frowned, then glared, then opened her eyes wide, all seemingly in an attempt to gain some control over her own brows. It wasn't very successful, except in making Ivil want to laugh.

"You've caught on to my secret, then?" Ivil asked. She purposefully raised one eyebrow with the question, which set Twenty-Six to giggling.

Soon enough, however, it was approaching time to go. "I think you might have to roll me back," Twenty-Six said as she tapped her belly. "I don't think I've ever been so full."

"It was my pleasure," Ivil said. "Let me take care of the bill, and I'll be right with you."

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Twenty-Six hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

Ivil stepped out of the room, then slowed time down to a crawl. She needed a moment. Both to control herself--because resisting the urge to hug and cuddle and pinch Twenty-Six for over an hour was taxing--and because she needed a moment to think.

This had... gone about as well as she could expect. She'd learned a little about Twenty-Six, and they had a nice time. Did she feel a spark? She was pretty sure she did, but Twenty-Six just wasn't great at the more traditional sort of flirting that was charged with tension and sexual energy. This was a lot more friendly and sweet.

Ivil took a deep breath, then let time snap back to its normal rhythm. Yes, this had gone about as well as she could expect.

She settled the bill with the maitre'd, who had already received payment from an unknown source, tip included, then returned to find Twenty-Six waiting for her in their private room. They left for the exit, where Twenty-Six's dolly was still waiting.

"Hup!" Twenty-Six said as she put her weight into pulling the dolly back. "Back to the ships?" she asked.

"I think that would be best," Ivil replied. She held the door open for Twenty-Six who quickly started to push her things along. Ivil kept pace next to her. "Did... did you enjoy yourself?" Ivil asked.

Twenty-Six nodded. "It was nice. You know, that's the first date I've ever been on, and, uh... Evelyn, do we have to end it with a kiss?"

Ivil perked her brow, then stilled it when she realized what she was doing. "Do you want it to?"

Twenty-Six's cheeks reddened, but she nodded, then shook her head. "I... yes? A little?"

"Then maybe we'll just end it with a little kiss, if that's what you want," Ivil replied.

Twenty-Six swallowed, but nodded all the same. "Okay then! By the way, can you help me with something? It's related. T-to the dating, I mean."

"Oh?"

"I need help arranging a date with someone I like. Two dates, actually."

"Go on," Ivil said.

Twenty-Six stared ahead for a moment, then nodded to herself before looking back up to Ivil. "I need help arranging a date with Aurora."

Ivil didn't miss a step, because that would be clumsy, but she might have, had she had any less control over herself. "You want me to help you arrange a date with Aurora?"

"Yes?" Twenty-Six squeaked. "And maybe one with Missy? Do you think that would work? Between me and Missy, I mean. Have I blown it already?" She slumped against the handles of her dolly, which actually pushed it along faster.

"I'll admit, I'm a little confused," Ivil replied.

"Well, it's simple, isn't it? Everyone is like a ship, going through the world, doing their jobs, taking care of what they need. We all need maintenance, and love, and a good crew... wait, I'm losing the analogy. Anyway, we're all like ships. You're a big sexy Superdreadnaught, Aurora's one of those sleek Martian diplomatic vessels. Missy's more like one of those old Earth Alliance destroyers. And I don't see why you only need to pair two ships up together? Why can't we all be together, like a fleet? And if that happens, then it only makes sense that every ship had good coms with the others, right?"

"What are you in this analogy?" Ivil asked while she processed the whole rest of that.

"Huh? Oh, I dunno, some old tug or something."

Ivil was quiet for a while, such a long while that they were almost at the Held Together. "I think... that you might not be entirely wrong, though I do question your analogy a little. Also, I don't think you're just an old tug, you deserve better than that."

Twenty-Six smiled and shook her head. "Maybe, maybe not. But you know what's nice about old tugs? They're reliable, and no one minds them too much, and maybe they're good at pushing ships together?"

Ivil reached over and patted Twenty-Six on the head. "Thank you, then. I'd be honoured to help you with your... ship-pushing plans."

Twenty-Six's grin was spectacular.

Then they were at the Held Together's airlock, and Twenty-Six's grin changed for an uncertain blush. "S-so, we're here. I have a lot of work to catch up with, inside, in there, uh, alone?"

"I see, I think that means it's time for that kiss? If you still want it?"

"Y-yeah."

Ivil leaned down, carefully used a hand to touch Twenty-Six's jaw. The younger woman's breath caught, and her eyes squeezed shut. Then Ivil gave her cheek a peck.

***