The Caress of the Rain(Blue)

It was almost a week after their return from the Ley Line races and the sky had finally decided to grace the city with the blessings of rain. For most it subdued the feelings of hustle and bustle as people sought shelter against the downpour. But for one thief it meant the start of a very important task. His ability as a thief had been questioned and he had every intent of proving that he, Solomon William Grendel, was one of the best thieves around. And as every good thief knows it is best to hide one’s intention till the target of their theft is long gone. Styx grinned widely as he thought that Blue wouldn’t know what hit her till it was too late, though he was sure that she would be quite happy with the results of the theft even if she was the target.

She was there in her lab, working on something and seemed to be busy. This was perfect for the thief because this particular task would be difficult enough without her stumbling on him in the middle of the setup. The light was already fading as he started creeping through the multitude of security measures that surrounded the lab of the lead inventor of New Dawn. He might have told Blue a number of ways of making her lab more secure, but he had managed to spot a few places where he could still sneak in. After this he would tell Blue about them, but first he had to accomplish his task.

Eventually he made his way to where he could scale the side of the building and slip onto the hidden observation deck that Blue had shown him the stars on not too long ago. With a grin he started setting up the multitude of items he had brought with him in his sub-space pocket. It would take several trips back and forth through the security around the lab to bring everything, a challenge even for one of his skill as he couldn’t let a single slip happen to ruin the surprise. But after three trips he looked around and grunted softly in satisfaction. What had been a mostly empty roof before now had numerous pots of flowers surrounding the edge and a small pavilion tent with a stereo set up ready to play its music on command and a bottle of wine chilling in a bucket of ice. Now came the tricky part.

Dripping wet from his extended time in the rain, Styx carefully made his way to the hidden entrance to the observation deck. Before he couldn’t see how to open the door without alerting Blue, but careful study of similar devices had shown him a potential way of bypassing this particular measure. He worked quickly, using all his abilities to their fullest and finally he was rewarded with a soft click as the door opened. He didn’t hear any obvious alarms, but that didn’t mean there hadn’t been any silent ones. Still he hoped he had done his research right, he wanted this to be a surprise for Blue. As quietly as he could, the thief slipped down into the lab where he could sneak up on his prey.

Assuming that Blue was still ignorant of his presence, the thief would make his way over to where he had last seen her and wait. He wanted to surprise her of course, but he also wanted that moment not to be a repeat of the similar incident where Blue had gotten the drop on him in his apartment and he had managed to hurt himself on the pipe beneath his kitchen sink. When he was sure that the time was right he would speak. ” And so what is our lovely Mistress of Machines working on today?”

If at that moment Blue turned to him she would find him dripping wet with a wide grin on his face. Despite his dampness, it was warm enough that the water on his skin wasn’t uncomfortable. ”I have something to show you if you have a little time to spare.”

And now it was time for phase two of Styx’s devious plan.

About a week had passed since Solomon and Blue had returned home from the races. Waiting for her in her lab was a long chore list of things that she needed to get done. She never minded them though. Keeping busy meant that her mind didn't have time to dwell on Sol or what he might be up to when he wasn't with her. She didn't take him for the cheating kind. But on the other hand, she knew that his job was dangerous and she knew for sure, that he could at any time not return back to her. Thus, she knew that to keep busy was part of making sure that she could remain sane.

Blue had never felt like this about anyone. She'd never really had a crush before. Perhaps that was because all of the guys that tended to come after her would have never understood her the way that Sol could. They were always more straight and narrow really looking for the kind of woman that would make a wife and a mother. Blue wasn't sure she would be either. Not that she didn't have some of those little girl dreams locked up in there somewhere. It was more that, she had totally begun to understand that things like that just weren't meant for people like Blue. For those that got dirty, gritty, and slept that way because they were so tired from working so hard it was the only option. Besides that, she wasn't sure Sol would want children.. ever. He would have to give up his own livelihood, and she would have to tone hers down and the mere thought of that made her shudder.

It wasn't that children repulsed her, she just wasn't sure how she could give up her amazing job.

Currently, she was underneath one of the large machines that was a computer server. Not just a normal one either, it was.. advanced. She had created it, she had hacked it, she had made it virtually impossible to enter or infiltrate. But she didn't really care bout all of that right now. She was currently replacing some circuitry and reprogramming at the same time.

Talk about multitasking.

Which was probably why she had no idea that Sol was here to see her even after he had entered the lab. Albert had no connection to her at the moment because of the fact that her mind was so busy with her programming. So she was completely shocked when Solomon spoke so much so that she jolted up and bashed her forehead into some of the sharp components above her. With a loud and very angry curse she slid out grabbing a rag off the floor that was probably not clean and crammed it down on her forehead having felt the blood welling almost immediatly.

Her connection to the server ended completely and she looked up to see Sol. If she hadn't recognized his voice the guns would have come down out of the ceiling. So in that, he was lucky. But right now she was tired. You could tell mostly from the dark circles around and underneath her eyes. And the grease stains around them from her constantly rubbing them with her dirty hands. Though right now her hands were covered with special white gloves that kept certain parts of the server machine completely clean. Still, she got up as he asked her if she had some time to spare.

Sure, what's up? I did not know you were coming by today. What have you been up to? she asked as she tossed the rag to the side figuring that the cut was probably clotted enough to be done really bleeding. If it needed more pressure she would figure that out in a minute. Blue stripped off her sterile gloves and tossed them in the trash to show her pale white hands which were actually clean, though there was a great deal of grease streaking her face from earlier work.

So .. what are we doing? she asked motioning for him to lead, she was tired enough she was ready to leave work. But she wasn't sure where they would go or how long she was going to last.

((OOC: I'm writing this as a very exhausted person.. so I hope its' good LOL))

Solomon winced as Blue banged her head into the machine that she had been working on. That was what he had been trying to avoid, but it seemed his timing was off. He stepped forward as the inventor tossed her rag to the side and looked at the cut on her forehead. "Sorry about that blue, I was trying to avoid doing that. Guess I was a little off on my timing." He gave her a kiss just above the cut and then started leading her to the roof access he had come in from.

"As for what we are doing, you remember that little challenge that you laid at my feet? Well after about a week of preparations I'm ready to take that challenge and answer it." The thief grinned as he led Blue to the observation deck and into the rain. One hand slipped into his pocket and hit the remote for the stereo so soft dancing music began to play. He spun Blue lightly so that she was facing him and smiled. "I assume you have time to spare to have a quick dance in the rain?"

He didn't settle for just turning slowly in place to the music for this dance, he had other plans that needed Blue a little bit disoriented. Not that she would mind probably once the dance was finished and she saw what he had done. Spinning her lightly in his arms, he tried to move slowly enough that the inventor would keep her feet, yet quick enough that she wouldn't have much time to think. One hand dipped into a pocket when Blue couldn't see to withdraw an object and get it ready.

One of the first things that Solomon learned as a thief was how to pickpocket, one of the most basic skills that he had to master. That skill could even be used to lift the jewelry around a woman's neck now. But a harder thing to do was reverse pickpocketing and placing an item on the person without them realizing. So when Blue was turned back to face him and his hands came up to run along her cheeks to the back of her neck they actually carried the necklace he had bought for her that day. Carefully he slipped the clasp under her hair and as he had practice in the week before coming here it was done up with quick precise motions. All of this hopefully without Blue noticing that she now had a new piece of jewelry around her neck.

The next item was the bracelet, where he stepped up after one spin and caught Blue while he was still behind her. Styx extended her one arm out to the side while gently kissing the inventor's neck to distract her. His other hand slipped the open bracelet closed around her slender wrist and the effort he had put forth learning to close the thing one handed seemed to pay off as the clasp shut and locked.

The song was reaching it's end now and Styx spun Blue to face him. He brought her close to him, there lips barely brushing as the last of the song began to slowly die off. The last piece of jewelry, the ring, was positioned between his fingers before he gently laced that hand's into Blue's, hopefully guiding the ring onto Blue's finger while she was distracted by his close presence. His voice then found it's way to Blue's ear in a soft whisper.

"When you laid down that challenge, I thought I would try to steal something special. Then I thought maybe I would steal a place in that childhood fantasy. Then I would pluck the dream from the world of imagination and bring it to reality." After he spoke he kissed Blue deeply, his arms wrapped around her to hold the woman tightly to his body. He hoped he had pulled it off right, he wanted this to be something special.

He mentioned the challenge that she had given him.

She wasn't so sure that it was a challenge more than it was just a teasing. But she knew easily what it was he was talking about. Blue nodded as he lead her through the lab and towards the roof top access. Which in the back of her mind, she acknowledged, that must be how he had gotten in. She went up the stairs to the rooftop ladder and followed him up and through into the rain. She winced as she was pelted by the cool temperatured little drops that sprinkled down on the world. Librium needed it, that much was for sure, and for some reason it didn't click at all.. in the slightest bit that he was trying to make her dream come true.

Her eyes opened and there was a stereo playing music for them. Flowers, in pots, and glittering rain drops falling all around them. Before she could even understand what she was seeing, before her tired brain could really comprehend what was going on.. he spun her. She was caught off guard, but she flowed with it as best as she could. Dancing with him as best as she could to the music, her eyes wide but on him.

Shocked.

It was all starting to dawn on her.

Dancing.. in the rain...

Like the book she had read when she was smaller, the book that had made her hope that one day there would be romance for even her. She wasn't sure if that would really come true. There was romance between her and Sol. But his life was hard and difficult. Not to mention he told her that it wouldn't be easy for them to get serious. Which was exactly where she wanted to go.

It might have been harder to sneak the jewelry on her body if it wasn't raining. She was sensitive to touch, for the most part because she didn't much care for people she didn't know touching her. But with the rain and the distraction of dancing, Sol got his wish of her complete obliviousness to the situation at hand. When the song ended, Blue was winded. Not from the dancing, but from having a dream that had always seemed so silly in her adult life come absolutely true. It wasn't exactly the spontaneous gesture she had thought about as a girl but it was better than that because.. he had thought of it after she had told him. He had taken that knowledge and made sure that she was able to live that dream. Even if it was totally lame. Little did he know she was working on something for him, but she was definatly not going to tell him about it now.

Her eyes were closed as he held her close. Their fingers entertwined together. He told her that he had wanted to prove himself as a thief. Earning him a soft chuckle as he whispered into her ear. When he told her that he didn't just want to steal something special but he wanted to steal a scene right out of her childhood, and he had. Then he kissed her, and kissed her deeply.

Blue's hands unlaced from his and slid up his wet arms and around him. Her fingers brushed through his hair as she kissed him hard. She was hungry for him, but then, that wasn't knew. They swayed softly in the rain, her excellent hearing picked up the 'ping ping ping' of the rain on metal but she thought nothing of it until she shifted her arm and something slid down over her arm and towards her elbow stopping half way down. She broke the kiss and her eyes shifted to her arm and froze.

The bracelet...

The one she had seen there, at the races, that she had teased the man about. But when had he? They had barely been apart .. she was certain. Maybe at night or something. She knew the vendor still wasn't there. Her eyes were about to shift back to his when she saw at the end of the same hand with the bracelet was the ring glistening against her oddly clean hands, considering that they were almost never clean unless she was eating and even then, only relatively. Her hand immediatly went to her throat where the necklace lay.

He had bought her the entire set.

She was glad for the rain, because she was so touched she was certain that a tear or two might have slipped out of her carefully constructed facade. She was completely touched. The rain, dancing underneath the droplets while he slid beautiful jewelry on her body. It was... better than the book. Because, he had made it real.

I think... I think I just might love you Solomon Grendel. she whispered softly as she brought her lips back to his. Her body was shuddering slightly in the rain, not because of the cold, but because.. she was completely touched. And she had never felt like this before, not with anyone. She wasn't sure how he felt about her, and she certainly wasn't sure exactly how she felt about him. But it was more than like, more than attraction, it was something else all together. She hoped that he wasn't shocked by her thoughts, by what she had said, she didn't know what else to say to express her gratitude properly, that had been the words that came to mind and Blue wasn't normally quiet on how she felt when it came to important things.

The thief watched as the various stages of comprehension played out on Blue’s face. The look of surprise on the inventor as it dawned on her what they were doing out here caused a surge of triumph to swell within Styx. In all truth it was like the moment where he planned a job and had everything come out perfectly, but instead of just him reveling in the feeling he was sharing this moment with another soul. That feeling played along the smile on his lips.

And then came the instant where Blue noticed the jewelry and he laughed in delight at the look on her face. His hand moved to caress her cheek softly as his thumb smeared a little grease that had been there. He didn’t care about the dirt and grease, she was beautiful with it. She wasn’t the sort that just sat and let the world pass her by. Well, in some ways she wasn’t. She made a difference through her work and had made a wonderful life for herself. He liked to think that her interactions with him had opened her up to a whole other part of life that she had neglected. And if she ever decided that he wasn’t the one for her, then at least he had given her enough of a taste of the good of having someone sharing in who she was.

With her soft words before she kissed him warmed him as he kissed her back, but there was that small voice in the back of his head that was wondering if that wasn’t a cruelty. He liked Blue a lot, however he didn’t know if he loved her. And there were parts of his life he didn’t want to expose Blue too, the moments were his hands and soul were stained a shade darker. However would it be fair for him to deny her the choice of to continue if she wished? She knew what he was and she was smart enough to know what that meant. So when their kiss broke his smile was wide and genuine.

”Now I brought wine to share for the evening and a little something to eat, but you seem to be quite tired. Would you like to go downstairs and dry off before getting some rest or is there something else you would like to do?” He would like it if she wanted to spend some time with him, but he understood that there was a good chance she had been awake for a while now. It wasn’t just the inventor that had to adjust her life to the needs of the relationship. Blue loved her job and threw a lot of her time and energy into it. She accepted what he was, could he do less when it came to what she was?

Whatever she decided it would probably be best to move out of the rain. Styx would grab the wine if it was needed, but it could be left if there without hurting anything and could always be grabbed later. Once they were down where there was room the thief would wrap an arm around Blue and hold her as they walked back down into her lab. Solomon would take the opportunity to steal a quick kiss while they moved, just because he could. Whatever she wanted to do he was ready just to spend some time with her.

She hadn't expected him to say it back.

That would have been foolish. Firstly, she hadn't actually said it herself. She said she thought she might love him. Even still, she kind of wished he had given her something. But then, she hadn't expected it and therefore she wasn't too disappointed when he was quiet. She knew that the both of them were probably going to take a while to actually say the L word. And besides that, she wasn't sure how long Sol would put up with her crazy schedules and the like.

He apparently, could tell that she was tired. Blue gave a slight smile, she was, she couldn't help it. It was fully her habit to stay up for days working on something before she passed out. She couldn't remember the amount of times she woke up having passed out on her bench with lines and creases pressed into her face from various implements on the tool bench.

Downstairs, dinner, and wine. Then we will see what else. I am tired, but you came all this way to make a dream of mine come true, and .. I am not going to just go to sleep.

They headed together down the ladder with the wine and his food. Leaving the rest of it back up top he would have to make sure to get all of that later if he wanted to take it with him. Once they were on the actual staircase though his arm came around her and they stopped for a kiss, as they excited the staircase and back into her lab a noise caught her attention.

Good, I was just looking for you...

His voice fell off as he saw her and Sol together standing there with wine. He was sharply dressed. A nice black suit, red tie, and a blue shirt. His black hair was slicked back, and his eyes were a really interesting blue and silver color. He looked at the both of them. Noticing the arm around Blue, the wine, and the way that they were soaked to the bone. Having come down off the roof top terrace that very few even knew existed.

I think, you might need to start explaining, immediatly. Ms Tiran.

Blue blushed. She had never been in any kind of trouble. She had never been caught doing anything wrong but the look on her boss' face was not a good one. This could be bad. Sol had warned her about this kind of thing and she knew the risks that were involved in such a thing and she had told him she was willing to accept them.

This is Sol. He.. came to bring me dinner and something to drink. Knowing about my long hours and things.

The man's brows rose. So you just gave him a tour of a top secret laboratory?

Blue's cheeks redened further. Well, I trust him. Anyway, what were you looking for me about?

It was clear, that this subject wasn't over. He glared at his employee and tapped his fingers on some paper work that was in his hand. He looked back over at Sol and then back at Blue. not really sure what he made of the situation. His silence hung heavily in the room between the three of them.

Dinner and wine sounded like a great way to wrap up the evening if all that Blue had energy for. And if something more came from their evening then that would be fine as well. But as they entered her lab a voice caught his attention and he looked over to see a man standing in her lab. He was dressed in a suit that looked expensive, had slicked back hair and a pair of eyes that tickled the back of Styx's memory. The man stopped mid sentence as he took in Solomon and the expression on his face didn't seem like a pleasant one. The next words that came out of his mouth pretty much sealed the deal that maybe it wasn't the best thing that the thief was there. But a solution didn't present itself to Solomon till he remembered where he had seen those eyes before. After that he grinned widely and took his arm from around Blue.

"Well, well, well, not often I meet an old acquaintance in a situation like this. It's been about seven years if I remember right. Solomon tapped his finger to his lip and then shook his head. "My apologize sir, you probably don't remember me. Solomon Grendel, you hired me for a Special Resources Acquisition a number of years ago. I didn't recognize you at first, but those eyes..... Solomon took his finger away from his lips as he pointed to the face of Blue's boss. He stepped forward and offered his hand.

"You can often remember people by looking in their eyes. Tell me sir, do you remember me?" Solomon locked eyes with Blue's boss with a warm smile on his face and eyes that were laughing even as he spilled his knowledge of darker secrets. "And really you shouldn't blame Blue, I already knew the location of this lab before I even met her. But the fact that I'm here is actually an interesting story. You see after you had a break in here she upped the security for her lab, but while she is a very talented inventor she isn't a security expert like I am. I was hired to make sure that the security was up par. I'm sure you noticed that there was another change in security not to long ago. I just did another test and took advantage of the excuse to bring over something for Blue to eat. And by the time my job is done here fully, her lab will be completely secure. I'm sure you have no problem with any of that, now do you?"

Styx's eyes hardened for a moment and if the man did take his hand by false politeness or habit he would feel the thief tighten his grip. "After all, it would be best if your lead inventor was as secure as she could possibly be. I would hate to think you didn't have her best interests in your mind." His tone held all the warmth that never made it's ways into the orbs locked with Blue's boss' eyes. Solomon had seen the man when he had been the company contact for a dirty little job for New Dawn. No corp ever had completely clean hands, even one that was only concerned with the civilian market.

"So would you like me to leave you two alone while you discuss your business?"

Blue's brows furrowed.

They knew each other? Sol seemed all too confident as he went right up to Mister Knightly and began boasting about how he never forgot a pair of eyes. She knew that it was likely he would never forget her own, as they were a strange mix of blue and green. Blue listened as he mentioned some sort of Special Acquisition Resource. Her brows furrowed. Sol had been thieving for a very long time, if what he said was true that meant he had been doing a job for Pierce Knightly at some point which meant.. that Knightly had needed something stolen.

Blue wondered what.

Blue was strictly forbidden to hack and look into her bosses. It was in her contract. If she was caught going into their history or anything about them she could very well lose her job. She was a good girl. Most of the time she followed the rules and no one could dispute that amazing work and the amount of hours that she put into her job. So she knew that she had a solid ground to stand on. Still, the site of her boss in her lab always made her nervous. Especially, because he was kind of creepy when it was just the two of them. Luckily, he knew that she could make him blood dust on the floor and it tended to make sure he didn't take his little comments into actions.

Solomon told Pierce that he was merely helping her work out some security kinks after the break in that had happened about a month ago. Blue nodded, because to be frank it was true. Every time that Sol got in, she was proud because she knew that it had been harder but he always pointed out weak spots and she knew eventually she would get him to the point where he was goin to have to call her from outside and ask to be let in.

Miss Tiran, you put in paperwork regarding a break in. We watched what footage was not corrupted by whatever means the theif had, and we believe we have given you sufficient funds to hire a contractor. However, it might be best if business and pleasure were to remain seperate.

Blue blushed but she rose her head so that her chin was up and out. We were actually on our way out. I have been here for four and a half days working non stop, it is time I went home for the night and will return in a day or so.

Knightly rose his brow and examined his fingernails before his eyes shifted back to Sol. The man that was taunting him. Obviously, it would do not good for Blue tof ind out what he had needed Sol's assistance for. But the man was more than just a contractor, he was a thief and Knightly knew that something was going to have to be done. But when Sol wasn't around to defend the little elven princess of machines. He would have to call Blue in his office when she came back from her night off.

Sol, I don't want you to leave, just give me one minute to finish up with Mister Knightly.

I came here because we noticed a bit of suspiscious activity with your personal accounts. You know that we have people watch for any sort of unusual activity and we were concerned that perhaps there had been some sort of leak. He handed Blue the papers that he had been holding and she quickly flipped through them before she tossed them in the garbage.

What I work on when I am not here, is none of the concern of others. It is a personal project and it is not interferring with my work here. Your server is nearly done and will be back up in two days time when I return from my day off.

Pierce Knightly looked at the both of them. He didn't want Sol to spill to Blue... but right now he could not do anything about it. But he could later. New Dawn had fingertips everywhere, he could make sure that Sol had a happy accident, or perhaps that he was sent somewhere else. Arrested? Something. He would make certain that Sol was taken care of if he had anything to do with it. Little did he know that would be virtually impossible, as most information on Sol was .. just gone. Blue had done a bit of work on Sol's past, helping him hide his family even more and where he lived and other things. And though she was a technopath there was no way she was going to help them track down Sol. Knightly would have to come up with a better idea.

I will leave you to your night. Miss Tiran, when you return, call my secretary, I think it is time for you annual review.

He turned on his heal and headed out of her lab with his heels echoing in the warehouse until the door slammed shut behind him and Blue and Sol where there alone. Blue was standing there in shock. Eyes wide, she was just.. in awe of everything that had happened and there was a rock in her gut .. something didn't feel very friendly about this 'annual review' that was coming up when she got back from her little night off.

Umm... I .. guess I should get my things so we can go. she said but she didn't move, she still stood there staring at the place where her boss had last disappeared from view.

The man didn't even bother to address Styx and the smile on his face grew slightly feral as he took the implied insult. Solomon didn't say anything, not wanting to get Blue in any more trouble. However the look in the eyes of 'Mr. Smith' as he knew him was not a kind one. Of course someone didn't climb as high as Blue's boss by being nice in as cut-throat a world as business. Blue might have an extraordinary talent at her disposal, but others tended to use less savory means. And Solomon knew that the dirt he had on Blue's boss was as likely to cause trouble as it was to solve anything. But that was the nature of the beast and if he hadn't made the first move then 'Mr. Smith' might have. His next move would have to be soon if he was going to stay ahead in the game and already he had an idea. He just had to make sure that he had a little time.

When Blue's boss turned to leave Solomon spoke up. "Just so you know sir, confidentiality is always a priority in my business as long as my customers keep to their end of the bargain. And I always make sure that my insurance is up to date in case of workplace mishaps, so all the bases are covered while I'm working here." He said it so casually as he moved back to Blue's side, his smile now almost fully feral. If he had been a were he would have said his hackles had risen, but since he wasn't he could just say he didn't like the man. He was the sort of slimy Have that Solomon took great delight in taking down a peg. "And I'm sure that you will give an excellent review to Blue since I know how hard she works here. I don't doubt that New Dawn has profited greatly from her works."

At the end of the day a corp was a business. And in the business world the bottom line could forgive a lot of things in the eyes of the higher ups. So when the door slammed shut after the boss' departure Solomon turned to Blue. He gave her a small, sad smile. "Sorry Blue, seems I dropped a little trouble on your doorstep." He wouldn't tell her about her boss, at least not here. But he did walk over and wrapped his arms around her. "We should probably dry off before we leave here. You have anywhere where we can do so?"

He figured he had about two days before 'Mr. Smith' would try anything. The boss man would probably want to talk to Blue first and see what she had gotten out of Solomon. Blue was to valuable to the company to dismiss or dispose of out of hand, even for someone as obviously ranking as her boss. And the company had to know that Blue had connections in the Terran Guard. And with that he almost froze. Blue's connection with the Terran Guard, that would be something that her boss could use above the board and not even have to get his hands dirty really. Styx knew Blue's sister was in the guard and she might know other people. But if the man let the fact that he had seen Blue with Solomon in her lab and they were spending the evening together. Well the thief didn't know how they would react. And while none of his activities had ever been proven by the LP or TG, he knew that he had files in the two group and Blue's friends might not like his association with the inventor. Not that there was a lot he could do about that.

"So would you like to go to my place or shall we go to yours?" Solomon asked softly, not voicing his concern. He wasn't sure what the man would do, but he would deal with it whatever it was. The thief didn't care about some corp exec, just what Blue wanted. And if the man tried to hurt Blue in any way... well Styx could show him the error of his way, if 'Mr. Smith' survived that long.

Her eyes shifted.

Finding Sol's face there in front of her own. Being slightly tall for a girl thanks to her Elven nature, put them about the same height so she could easily look directly into his eyes without any real effort. He appologized for bringing trouble to her door step. She looked away. It was his fault, but it wasn't. She knew the risks, and had been willing, she just didn't know her heart and stomach would twist so much with the mere prospect that she was in trouble with the bosses.

He asked if she had somewhere they could dry off. She nodded and motioned for him to follow. Leading him through the maze like structure of her laboratory she walked confidently however she was quiet. Thoughtful. Lost in her own mind as she went through her calculations and began shifting some of her money around in various accounts just incase the worst happened she didn't want everything tied to her job. Just in case.

In the back there was a small door and she opened it to reveal a small utilitarian bathroom. A shower stall, a sink, a toilet. No frills, no make up or perfume. Nothing special. Just a hamper filled with dirty clothes that she was taking with her tonight, and a towel that she used when she remembered that she needed to take a shower.

Go first. I'll go next. We can go to my place. I need to do laundry anyway.

When he went into the bathroom, she sat down just outside the door on a small squeaky cot that she slept on when she actually lay down to sleep instead of passing out at whatever work station she happened to be at that day. She put her face in her hands and breathed out a long sigh closing her eyes and letting the world sink in on her for a moment. She didn't want to. She wanted to be happy. Forcing her mind instead to remember the amazing romance of the roof top. The music and the rain. Dancing there above the world that she tended to know more than the outside world, and.. the jewelry.

Her fingers came down from her face and one of her hands' toyed with the bracelet that was so delicate around her wrist. She didn't deserve such gifts. She was not special enough to get such things. She pulled a pendant out from under her shirt. There was the blue pendant her sister gave her. Linking them, she would feel Neona the same as Neona would feel her. She wondered if Neo would know that she was feeling down? Or up? When the door opened Blue looked up and she changed positions with Sol heading into the small bathroom and peeled off her wet clothes tossing them on the top of the hamper.

She put on a pair of jeans and a new fresh shirt, her last. Picking up the hamper she stepped out quietly and looked over at him.

I have a car. We will take that, it's easier. She led him outside and to a small area that was quite camoflauged. She opened a door that didn't seem like it would be there, and she opened it to reveal her car. She unlocked it and got into the drivers seat tossing her laundry in the back waiting for him to get in as well.

Blue looked away and Styx felt a little bit of guilt for what happened. Funny thing that was, he could steal something without a hint of remorse. But when it came to his actions hurting those he cared about, that was a different matter. He shook off that feeling though, guilt wouldn’t help them at the moment. So when Blue nodded that she did have a place they could dry off he followed without a word. She seemed lost in thought, or maybe she was keeping an eye on the computers for some reason and Solomon didn’t want to disturb her at the moment.

Blue told him to go first and he nodded, walking into the bathroom even as he started stripping off his jacket and his shirt. He nudged the door closed with his foot, not sure if Blue’s boss or someone else was going to pop in for a surprise visit. He only saw the one towel so he used that to pat himself mostly dry before he reached down to his clothing. Without looking he reached into his wet jacket pocket and pulled out a small folded up bag from his sub-space pocket. Shaking out the bag so it was completely unfolded, he then reached into it and pulled out the spare set of clothing he kept for just such an occasion. He quickly changed into the dry clothing and then shoved his wet ones into the bag and his sub-space pocket.

Hanging up the towel for Blue, Solomon stepped out and politely waited for Blue to get ready. As he waited he thought on their situation and various half formed ideas sprouted in his head. He would have to do more research before he could come up with any concrete plans, but he had some ideas of where to start. When Blue stepped out she quietly told him that she had a car and that would be easier to take with the weather. He nodded and started to follow her to where she kept her vehicle, a little sadden at how subdued the mood had become. He knew he had to do something, and that is when an idea hit him and his mouth twisted into a mischievous grin.

As Blue lead he silently moved closer and then caught her in his arms. His fingers lightly played along her sides in an unprovoked tickle attack. He only kept it up for a few moments, enough to hopefully draw a few laughs from Blue before he would draw her into a hug. ”Sorry, but you just seemed so serious right then. This is nothing and we can work through it I know. So let’s smile and laugh and enjoy our evening without letting this ruin our time together.” He whispered softly in Blue’s ear before Styx gave her a quick peck on the cheek. He moved up beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist so that they could walk to the car together rather then it just being Blue leading the way.

He got in the car and soon they were off. The radio was playing softly and he gave Blue a smile as they pulled out into the rain. ”Have to say this is one nice ride Blue, where did you get…” Solomon trailed off as something on the radio caught his attention. He reached over and turned up the volume. …ew Dawn is holding its annual Charity Ball for all those that are still suffering from the effects of the Enlightenment. A number of the top executives will be there to lead in the efforts to support those communities still being rebuilt even ten years after the war’s end…. Solomon turned down the volume on the radio with a grin. Blue was just coming to a stop to wherever they were going and he had an idea.

”Hey Blue, do you have anything that you could wear to a Ball?” If the problem was Blue’s immediate boss, maybe they just had to go a little higher on the food chain. And if Blue couldn’t get tickets for whatever reason, well Styx was sure he could ask Delvin for a favor. The man did owe him a few.

Solomon caught her around the waist and tickled her. Blue's knees went weak for a moment as the tickling took effect and she found herself laughing. The thing she loved about Sol so much was the way that he didn't let anything ruin their fun. He was always finding ways to make it come back to a fun time. When he stopped tickling he drew her in for a hug and she clung to him tightly. Inhaling the scent of him. There was something about spending time with him that just made her happy.

Sounds good. she whispered returning his kiss as they finished walking to the car.

Blue loved her car. She had found it as an old broken down heap. Just after she had started New Dawn. Mostly it had been sound. The outter shell of the car had come through mostly unskathed so all she had to do was rework the engine and replace some seat fabric. Still, it had taken her a while because she worked on it when she wasn't busy at work on her actual legit projects. But she had gotten it done some time ago, and now she was more than happy to drive it around everywhere. She put the top up after they got in the car so they wouldn't get wet since that was the point and fired up the good engine and began to pull out of her garage and into the street beyond.

As they rode, he began to ask her where she had gotten the car but stopped in mid-sentence as he began to listen to the radio which was talking about the New Dawn Charity Ball that was this weekend. They raised money for different things every year, something that in the most need and this year it was more support for the Enlightenment torn communities. What really surprised her was when Sol asked her if she had something to wear to a ball. Her brows shot up into her hair line and her eyes shifted over to him curiously.

They were nearing her place. Opposite of his own part of the city, hers was more upscale and growing more so as she continued to drive. Her sister had picked out her place otherwise she would have lived somewhere downtown close to work. But her sister had standards and it wasn't like Blue couldn't afford it. She was very valuable and well compensated for all the time that she spent.

My sister would. I could borrow from her. You do not seem like a charity ball type of person. I am surprised you are interested. Why do you want to go? she had to know what his motivation was because she really didn't expect him to want to go. As an employee she had a few tickets for herself though she had not attended one yet. Normally she just stayed in her lab and continued to be busy. They always wanted her to go. Because she was the lead inventor, they knew that she could talk to some people and get them interested and excited in New Dawn. Doing double duty for the charity and for the further development of New Dawn. Blue was not very good at talking to people or smoozing. So she tended to stay away.

They took a right, and then stopped at a gate. Normally, people would have to roll down their window and interact with the machine that sat by her window. But she didn't, and was lucky for that. The rain was coming down a bit harder. The gates opened and she rolled in and took a left. Around to the back of the large condo complex until they were at the farthest corner. She pulled into a small garage that opened without her pressing any buttons and she slid the car right in. Much like one would think, her garage was filled with more parts, tools, another tool bench, and other things. When they got out the smell of oil was thick in the garage. The door had a huge security panel on it that actually did nothing but alert the security team someone was fucking with her house that wasn't her. Which was the point. Because they would automatically assume that you needed to get past the security panel to get in.

Mentally she used the correct and hidden panel and the door opened and they stepped into a lovely condo. Her sister had found, bought, and mostly decorated the place. Blue dropped her laundry down in the laundry room they walked through to get to the main living area. The walls were beige, the floor was a dark wood. The furniture was black with blue accents and here and there something red. Her sister put thought into the fact that Blue often passed out where ever she was and not always after a shower.

Off the living room was a kitchen with brown moddled marble counter tops, dark wood cabinets and black appliances. It was used from time to time and she had a company that made sure it was stocked just as much as her house was clean when she did decide to stop by. Blue kicked off her shoes and pulled her hair up with a tie from her kitchen counter into a large messy curly bun for the moment.

Well.. this is it. It's not very exciting or anything. Just a place to crash. Do you want something to drink? Or did you bring that wine with you?

{OoC: Woot, 100 posts}

Blue told him that her sister would have something she could borrow and Styx rubbed his chin. "And I would have to rent a tux in time. You know I actually priced out having a suit made for me out of the heat resistant fabric that all my clothing is made out of. But the price of it along with all the other modifications I would have wanted made it close to 10,000 credits. And I would get so little use out of it since I rarely bother to dress up. Ah well, just have to risk not being able to heat up I guess. He shook his head then looked over to Blue. "But the reason I asked is because of our current situation. One of the best ways in a criminal world to deal with a person that you can't just knock off or get to go away by other means is to make friends with their bosses. Almost everyone has someone above them whether it comes to politics, corporations, or criminal enterprises."

He continued to talk as they pulled into the garage and got out of the car. "So since I don't think I made a good impression on your boss, and quite frankly what I remember of him I have no desire to play nice with him, I would like you to introduce me to some of the higher ranks in your corp. Because quite frankly your boss is probably going to tell them eventually when he can figure out the best spin to put on it for his own benefit. However that is probably going to take him some time, maybe more then a week. So if we do get to introduce me to your big bosses before then we can preempt his spin of the situation with our own."

Noting the large, fake security panel and the smaller hidden one Styx chuckled. It was one of the more clever traps that a person could have and it would fool most people probably. "Woah, nice place, I think your living area is bigger then my entire apartment. And of coarse I brought the wine, watch this. Solomon pulled a large cloth from his pocket and held it in the middle so it tented down. He held it over the counter and slipped one hand under the base like he was holding something steady and to keep the cloth spread out a bit. He then whipped away the cloth and there was the wine bottle with two glasses for them to use. The thief looked over to Blue and grinned. "How is that for a trick?"

He moved over to one of the cabinets in Blue's kitchen, opened it up, and without looking reached in and pulled out a large bowl of still steaming chilli to join the wine on the kitchen counter top. This was repeated a couple of times where he pulled out a bowl of rice and a basket with garlic bread to go with the chilli as he set them on the kitchen counter. "Since I know you like spicy foods, I thought you might like to try my chilli." He grinned and waited for Blue to ask him how he had gotten the bowl with his chilli out of her kitchen cabinet. In truth he had just used the cabinet as a medium for reaching into his sub-space pocket, same as with the cloth and the wine. But he watched Blue's expression to see if she was surprised by his ability.

If you need help, getting a tux, and you really want to go. I am sure that I can get you one for rent. That way you are not out all the money to buy one. I never go to these things unless forced, or asked, and since neither usually happen I doubt I'll be asking you to go along. Except this time, because you wish to go.

He told her that his plan was to make friends with her boss' boss. That way he couldn't be touched without harming the individual that touched him. It was a good theory and some of her bosses were actually really nice. She knew that if he cleaned himself up and was on their lead inventor's arm, they would probably start out with a high outlook on the man. Something that would only benefit him in the future.

Well, I think that's a good idea. I can introduce you around. I have met all the people that run New Dawn, probably more so than even Mister Knightly.

Inside they got settled in and he told her that he had brought the wine but she had no idea where it was because unless he put it in a pocket .. she had no idea where it was. Maybe it was still in the car and he would have to go back and get it later or something. But he had her completely enthralled when he asked her to watch this trick and she did because moments later there was a bottle of wine and two glasses sitting on her marble countertops. Then he went over to the cabinet and opened it before he pulled out a bowl of chilli, rice, and bread. Her jaw just dropped. Litterally.

Whoa. How did you.. do that?

He mentioned that he remembered that she loved spicey food and she couldn't help but grin. She got a couple of deep soup bowls out of the cabinet and then she moved the dinner to the dinner table so they could have a nice sit down meal. Blue spooned some rice and chilli into her bowl and then looked down at herself.

If you don't mind, before I eat, I'm going to go change into something cleaner, and more comfortable. Be right back.

There was never a time, in her life, well.. maybe once, that Blue had ever had to think about what she was putting on. Especially, at home. She generally just shoved on the first thing her hands grabbed packed a few weeks worth of clothes and headed back off to work and she would return when the clothes ran out. But, tonight Blue found herself standing in front of the racks in her closet trying to figure out what the hell she was supposed to wear. Something nice. But not too nice. They weren't on a date. But she wanted him to be.. impressed. Speechless. But not slutty either... no lingerie, at least.. not on the outside, maybe underneath.

Blue decided on a little blue dress. It fell down to just above her knees and hid the lingerie she slid on underneath it quite well. Just incase. Since.. they had gotten hot and heavy before, but never.. all the way. But one never knew and she figured that she could take this moment to maybe be ready. Just incase. She let her hair down and ran her fingers through it. Washed her face. No make up. Blue wasn't about those kinds of things. She left her hair down and came back into the other room looking more refreshed and then sat down at the table motioning for Sol to do the same.

Taking a bite of the chilli on rice she could only grin. It was heaven. Pure heaven, actually, amazing and hot. Her grin of course would tell him that she liked it without her having to say anything.

Sorry that our plans were .. somewhat changed because of my boss. But this is kind of nice anyway right, and you got to see my place. So that proves you went up in my view of thievery. she teased softly.

Solomon gave Blue a grin and a nod. "Help getting a tux would be much appreciated, that and I can see your face when we find a good one. And I wouldn't mind going to events like this with you. I would enjoy the opportunities to see you dressed up." It wasn't his usual venue to be sure, he more liked the down to earth atmosphere of the local dive or other places like that. But there were opportunities to be had everywhere and one didn't knock a chance to possibly get some higher end clients. Not that all of Blue's bosses would be in the darker side of the business, just potentially some of them. And Solomon could offer more then just theft to the table. Like he was doing for Blue he understood security better then most since he spent a lot of time breaking it. He knew the tricks of his trade and where someone might improve to counter them. Not that he would tell them everything if they did asked, Blue was a special case in that regard. And now he also had a name to go with the face of 'Mr. Smith'. "So his name is Knightly, eh? Didn't look to knightly to me."

When Blue's jaw dropped at the sight of the appearing food the thief laughed out loud. "It's actually quite simple really, one of my spells is one of those pocket spells. If I have a container that nobody is looking into, then I can put something in my pocket or pull it out if the item would fit in the container and I can lift it with one hand. Doesn't matter the size of the object, just the weight. And anything I put in comes out in exactly the same state as when I put it in the pocket. I took this chilli out of the pot over six hours ago and it is as hot as when I put it in. It's one of the ways I carry all the gear I need to be a thief without carrying all that incriminating stuff on my person. And where I've hidden some of the things I've picked up over the years. Plus how do you think I snuck through your security with about 100 lbs of potted plants. Since they were in my pocket I didn't have to worry about the weight or bulk. Though I did have to make a couple of trips because of the weight limit I have for that thing." He had used the pocket for other things too, but those stories were a little more violent and probably not good dinner conversation. Especially the one with the grenade that someone had thrown at him.

So while Blue changed, Solomon set about fixing the places and pouring wine so it was more a proper dinner and not just slapped together. He even pulled a candle in a holder and lit it with his lighter for a little bit of atmosphere. So when Blue came back he was leaning on the table and let out a low whistle. Damn Blue, the color of your namesake looks good on you. He had pulled out Blue's chair when she came over to the table as a gentleman should and then took his own seat. He raise his wine glass and grinned.

"A toast then, to stolen dreams. Which actually is actually a little better then it sounds the way I just said it."" He chuckled, knowing that the inventor knew what he meant. "And actually its a good thing you did decide that my little show was good enough. Because I'm not sure what I could have done to top that while keeping it in the spirit of our little challenge."

He explained the pockets. That he was capable of transfering multiple things at once. She knew what he meant though. Jack had done something of the sort with her satchel and her tool belt. Allowing her to carry a lot more with her when she was out on a job or doing something she didn't want to have to constantly run back for tools with. She was able to carry a lot more now than she was before. He explained that was how he was able to get all the potted plants and things to her roof top terrace but even then he had to make several trips.

Oh. Yeah. I have something like that. A friend did that for me. With a couple things. But I can't just.. pull chilli out of anywhere. It's only my bag. And my tool belt. Things that are necessary.

Blue was glad she had chosen the dress when she came back into the room. The way that he looked at her. It was enough to make her want to wear dresses around him more often. Just so that she could see his face though she knew the excitement of it would wear off eventually. So she would continue to save them for better times like this and other special occassions. They sat down with their wine and chilli and Blue felt that nothing could be better. She actually felt relaxed at home for once not anxious to get back to work.

Thoughts of Knightly and his future review of her work and what not was not even on her mind at the moment. They toasted to the dream that he had stolen and he gave a little mischevious smile as she had a little surprise of her own. But that was for later. Not even tonight, but later. It was almost done but she wanted it to be perfect because, this one time, she really wanted to blow him away. So she kept her mouth shut and ate her dinner in the lovely romantic setting they found themselves in.

I really do not think it possible for you to top your little show tonight. Afterall, I am not sure there are many things more meaningful to a woman than for someone to make an old dream come true aside from a few things. So you will have a hard time making anything better than tonight.

Oh, it was a challenge, that seemed to be their thing. But she knew that it would be nearly impossible. Unless they got to the point where engagement was some sort of an option. And she doubted they were even remotely close to that. Blue wasn't even sure what she would say if he asked, and if she wasn't sure, then it wasn't the time and she was certain that he didn't think it was anyway.

What have you been up to? Since we came home from the races? she asked him curiously while they ate to keep up some good conversation until they were done so they could decide what to do next.

Solomon nodded when she told him that she had something similar for her work bag and tool belt. It made sense since it was a handy little spell to have. But the thing that made Solomon's spell special was that it wasn't tied to a specific item, just any old container would do as long as it met the criteria he had outlined before. A lot of his magic was that way. Similar to spells of other schools, but with strange twists that seemed to give the magic experts he met a weird twitch in the eye. It was funny to watch sometimes, but it got tiring to keep hearing them say magic didn't work the way he told them. And he couldn't share to many of his secrets for fear of what his capabilities were getting out. It made for an interesting conundrum.

When Blue laid out another challenge he grinned, but had to nod. "I agree, but I'll keep the thought spinning in my head. Give me a little time and I'm sure that I'll think of something. Course maybe I pulled out the big guns too soon. Then again the look on your face when you realized what was happening was worth it. I also liked the look when you finally noticed the jewelry. Reverse pick-pocketing is a lot harder to do then standard practices. And pickpocketing worn jewelry is about the hardest thing to pick pocket besides a belt or the shirt off someone's back. I can do a belt if the conditions are right, still haven't gotten a shirt though. And before you ask, it was one of those courier belts with the zipped up pocket on the inside and the item I wanted was in the belt."

"Now as for what I've been up to, I had a little work up in Bastion." He continued as he took some sips from his wine. "I didn't get to visit my family up there, I try not to visit when I'm in the area because of work just in case there is some heat from the job. But I made it out in one piece and got a nice paycheck for the effort. And I had to plan my little surprise for this evening. Of course for that I had to wait for it to rain, one of the down sides to having to include someone else in the plan. Even if that someone else is Terra herself. Actually I should probably say especially for someone like Terra herself. She keeps to her own schedule without consideration for anyone else. Though I suppose I should be grateful she only made me wait a week for the rain and held off on doing it while I was up north working.

"Oh, and there was one other thing. I got attacked by a gang of magical mimes. I didn't even know there was such a thing as magical mimes, but apparently they can create spell effects by miming them. Like one created an invisible wall by going along across the alley I was in like there was a wall there and... well there was a wall there when he was done." And the sad part was, that wasn't even the strangest thing to happen to Styx in his relatively short life.

When he mentioned Bastion, her mouth opened up to ask if he had gotten to see his family. But before she could ask the question he had already answered it for her. No, and it made sense, his reason. She didn't want his family in any more danger than he did, so she understood why he wouldn't have looked them up while he was there. But still, it seemed sad that he would have been so close and yet, not capable of seeing them. He then explained that he had to spend time making sure tonight was all that he had wanted it to be and he had to wait on Terra to decide that she wanted to rain. Which made her smile softly.

I did not expect tonight, in the least. I didn't even know it was raining outside until you opened the hatch and we stepped out into it. It was perfect. Thank you.

When he began to explain and describe to her the attack by the magical mines, she was .. in shock. She never really thought about them.. or.. anything really. But it sounds like someone you didn't want to mess with if they could take their powers and use their miming to make them happen. Apparently, they were even able to create walls so that he couldn't get out.

How did you get out of that? she asked in wonder.

Blue didn't know what to think about her boyfriend... guy friend... guy.... being attacked by someone while she wasn't there. It wasn't like she could do much against Mimes except maybe shoot one. But then that brought up the question on what exactly could they do, how far could they push their powers.

You know.. I worry.. when you're gone sometimes. I know I don't.. call or anything. Mostly because.. you know me... I lose track of days until you call me or someone calls me and I realize that it isn't Monday anymore. There are times though, that I feel like calling, but then I get terrified it would be at the worst moment. And if I did call and you didn't answer I would be terrified you were not okay and there was nothing I could do about it. Is all.

She put her spoon down. Chilli gone. She finished off her wine and poured them both a fresh glass. It was true, that was how she felt when he was gone and she didn't get to talk to him or see him.. or anything. But, she knew that he had to look out for himself, had been for a while.

He grinned and finished his wine before standing to walk behind Blue's chair. "I'm glad that you enjoyed it." He said before kissing her cheek and placing his hands on her shoulders. He began to massage them gently, figuring that after spending so many days working on her projects that she probably would appreciate a massage. "Everything went off a lot better then I expected really. Though I'm glad I did it this early in our relationship. Knowing how much you improved the security last time I got through I'm not sure that I would be able to sneak in after a few more trips. And defiantly not as many times consecutively as I did this time. I think that was the hardest part, getting everything in secretly so it was a surprise."

She asked him how he got out of the trap the mimes had set and he laughed. "Well, I got myself to thinking and managed to come up with 'they're mimes'. So if they have to be mimes to use their powers, they have to stay silent right? Well I started tearing into them verbally and one of the new guys that they had just couldn't take it. He spoke and all their effects just shattered. I think they tied their powers together to achieve greater things then each of them could do alone, so once one of them spoke the whole of them lost their abilities for a bit. After that I ended up roughing them up and sending them running." Like with Blue, he had avoided killing anyone he didn't have too. Went out of his way to do so in fact. But he doubted that trick would work again if he ever ran into that gang again.

When Blue said that she worried he gave her a soft smile and stopped his massage to wrap his arms around her from where he was standing. "I'll try and keep in contact more, but you shouldn't be afraid to call me. Honestly I learned my lesson about having a cell on when on a job long ago so you won't be endangering me if you give me a call. However there might be times when I can't pick up and when they happen I will call you as soon as I can to let you know I'm alright. So please, if you want to call me then do so." He gave her a kiss on her cheek and then returned to giving her a shoulder rub.

"So what was the big project you were working on when I came over anyways. I know it was a computer, but it seemed that they thought it was important to get it up and running right away." Solomon knew he probably couldn't understand half of all that Blue did for New Dawn, but he could get the general gist of things. He really should brush up his technical skills though, he had to keep up with the latest security technologies anyways.

She was surprised that he had figured a way around the mimes so easily. Impressed as well. She looked up at him as he came behind her and gave her a shoulder rub. She was always tense, it came with the job. She worked long hours, barely ate anything, and slept when she was too tired to hold her head up. She bit her lower lip and then let it go as she leaned into him.

He told her that he would try to contact her more when he was out on trips. That wasn't really the point. She knew, that he.. was busy. And she didn't want to be clingy, nor did she want him to feel like he had to call her because she was worried. But she did worry. She missed him. It was getting to that stage of their relationship that she couldn't help but find herself missing him when he wasn't around. Blue never thought of herself as clingy, and she guessed she still wasn't. It wasn't like she called him, or went to his place all the time, or begged him not to go anywhere. She just missed him when he was gone and thought about him from time to time.

I don't want to turn into some woman that you feel like you have to answer to. I just worry. I supose that just shows that I care. But I will call you more too, just so you know that I am thinking of you.

He asked after her project, what she was working on when he had come into her lab and got her to bang her head on the inside of it. She smiled softly, and she relaxed back against him a little bit trying to relax herself and enjoy herself. Her time off work. Tomorrow she would do laundry, tonight was for her and Sol. She made it so in her mind without ever speaking a word of it.

A new server. I have some upgrades. Reprogramming and working some of the wires. General maintenance and programming upgrades. That is why you surprised me. normally, I am tapped into the lab. she said as she tapped her head where all her power lay. But, tonight I was writing a program and working the wires at the same time. So, I wasn't paying attention when you came in and hence banging my head on the internal parts of the server.

Blue rose, and she took his hand leading him to the living area. Dishes could be done later, she could do a lot of stuff later. She turned on some slow music. No words, just gentle music and put her arms around Sol. Dancing, though this time not in the rain. Slow. More of a sway as she held herself to him, hearing his heart beat, feeling the warmth of his body. Blue found her eyes closing as she fell into the comfort of just being near Sol and knowing that they made a great couple together.

What do you think of, when you think of your future? Blue whispered softly.

He chuckled a little and gave her another kiss on the cheek. "Sorry Blue, but like I council anyone you got to be yourself. I follow my own advice and while I love spending time with you I answer to no one but myself. Now I will always be happy to hear what you say, but like I know you live your life as you want I have to do the same with mine." He then paused and chuckled. "Well maybe that is a little extreme, I know relationships are about give and take sometimes. But I figure you know what I meant when I said that.

She mentioned that she had been programming while she had been working on the physical component of the server and he let loose a soft impressed whistle. He knew that Blue was a wizard with machines, but he hadn't realized the full extent of her multitasking abilities when it came to her work. After all it took a good bit of work to program from what he understood and the physical aspect of working with computers took a careful attention to detail. To do both at the same time was truly talent at work. "I'm sorry again, for causing you to bang your head. I wasn't intending that, just surprising you was my aim"

The inventor then stood and lead him to the center of the room where soft music began to play and she drew him into a dance. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. As her head laid against him he kissed the top of her head and enjoyed the feel of her soft body pressed to him. He question did give him pause though. He knew what he saw in his future, but that sort of thing wasn't the kind of thing he wanted to say to Blue. Styx's life in the underworld was dangerous and he knew that eventually everyone's luck ran out. With that in mind he never made plans too long term as he probably wouldn't have the time to carry them out. However he couldn't say that to Blue. So what did he say and still manage to stay close to the truth.

"Enjoying life with friends and someone I care about in my arms." He told her finally with an air of truth and a squeeze to let her know that he meant her when he spoke of someone he cared for. He would enjoy his life, however much he had he didn't know, with the friends he made over the years. And he did care for Blue and would like her there with him so far. But if she left sometime in the future, he would understand. His future prospects were... dark. He would fight for his future when the time came, but there was always the risk his job entailed. "How about you Blue?"

He was right.

He was his own person, and so was she. She didn't expect him to come into her work place and tell her how to do things or tell her what she needed to do and she wouldn't do that to him. But she wished that they could be more partners than just people that spent the occassional time together. The problem was, she was too work orriented, and so was he. She knew that if they were to ever go further, really go further, one or the both of them would have to make a decision. She wasn't sure either of them were realyl prepped for that. At least she knew that wasn't the case right now.

Blue only nodded.

In his arms, she felt like all was right with the world. She felt like they were getting closer. Getting even closer by the minute. But, she knew that it was harder to label what they were. She didn't know if she was his girlfriend, if they were supposed to be monogamous, though, Blue didn't want anything other than that.. so she hoped she never found out he was going with someone behind her back.

If that was the case, he obviously wasn't the man for her.

When she asked him her question, she could tell that he got pensive. Trying to figure out what he should say. Her fingers toyed with the collar on his jacket, as they moved gently. There was no real dancing, it was more of hugging on the move, but she didn't care. It was perfect. She hoped that even when he left her apartment would have that smell to it. His scent. But she knew that was likely not the case, and if she really wanted his scent she just had to steal his coat or something which.. actually would be fun. That might be a venture she ought to try out.

He turned the question back on her, and Blue sighed.

To be honest. The same place as now. Working all the time. But hopefully, hopefully with someone that understands me in my life. Who can.. really care for me. Maybe even get me to want to come home more often. A reason to come home. I don't know.. really...

What she wanted to say, but didn't, was that she wanted him to be there. She wanted them to be closer still, maybe sleeping together in the same bed more than not. She wasn't a big fan of moving in before marriage, it just seemed like 'playing house' until one got bored of the other and left easily because there was no real tie. She wanted something more when it happened. But she wouldn't mind spending as many nights as possible wrapped up in his arms and legs. Blue lifted her head up off his shoulder and she pulled him close kissing him long and soft. Wrapping her arms more tightly around him, letting her fingers play in his hair.

Stay tonight, please. she whispered as she broke the kiss. Her mind connected with the house, and the lights dimmed to barely any. Just a bit of ambient light so that they could still see one another. She brought her lips right back to his again, letting the world fall away once more.

"Doesn't sound like a bad dream to me Blue. Wouldn't mind being a part of something like that. Though like you I happen to be quite busy a lot of the time. Still I figure that I could at least surprise you a couple of times, keep things interesting." Styx gave Blue a wink when she looked up and leaned into the kiss as they slowly turned on the floor. When she asked him to stay his smile was easy and soft as he spoke before she kissed him again. "Hope it isn't pretentious for me to say so, but I intended to when I came over. Though I hadn't expected to see your apartment so soon.

The lights were dimmed, probably by Blue using her power and he deepened the kiss slowly. She was warm and soft and pressed against him in such a way that left his blood heated. He started to guide the toward the couch that was close by. He didn't want to let her go as they moved, his hands moving to run along her sides and her curves. When they got close to the couch he got an idea and grinned even as he was kissing Blue. So when they were close to the couch he gently spun Blue and wrapped his arms around her so he was holding her from behind. His hands gently gripped her wrists so her arms were trapped folded in front of her. With that done he sat down on the couch while pulling Blue into his lap. Styx made sure that he was holding her firmly while not causing her any discomfort as he whispered softly in her ear.

"You know, I think I'm going to tease you for a bit." He whispered into her ear before he started nibbling lightly on it's tip. He made sure his grip was firm enough that Blue couldn't turn around to face him and that her arms were trapped in front of her so she was completely at his mercy. From there he laid soft kisses on her shoulders, lightly sucked on her neck and nibbled on her ears while never quite letting the mistress of machines catch him with her lips. He wanted to see what Blue would do if he wound her up enough and paid careful attention to how she squirmed in his lap. Every gasp and moan brought a mirth filled chuckle, but still he wouldn't let have a moment to participate in the fun.

And then, when he was sure Blue was sufficiently stimulated he would release his grip with a wide grin. He waited to see what Blue would do and what her 'Revenge' would be.

He twisted her around, keeping her hands so that her arms were locked across her body as he lead her towards the couch. Saying that he wanted to tease her for a little bit. Blue blushed, but she went with him, she had no fear. She trusted Solomon implicitly. He sat her down in his lap and began to tease her. Kissing on her neck. Nibbling on her ears. Running his lips over her bare shoulders around the straps that kept her dress up. Blue was gone. Lost in her own extasy that was created with Sol and his amazingly talented lips. She knew that he had done this kind of thing before. He knew just where to go, just what to do, to send her into bliss.

She ground herself into him. Soft moans echoing, or seeming to anyway, in the room. He tortured her heavenly for what seemed like an eternity of not letting her do a single thing. Her lips could not touch him, her hands were never free... until suddenly they were.

Blue was up out of his arms in seconds and she turned to face him. Her eyes were on fire, for him. Desire flamed in her body. She had never been with a man before. But she was willing to take that step now, with Sol. Blue reached behind her, with nimble fingers and slid the zipper of her dress down until it hit the bottom, right beside her hips. She shrugged her shoulders and let the dress fall slowly to the floor.

There she stood in black, nearly see through lace lingerie. She knew that he would know now, what her intents were. She said nothing as she pivoted on her heel and headed to her bed room. Mentally, she connected with the house and the fire place near her bed flared up as she past it and then she stood beside her bed. When he followed her, she motioned for him, if he would sit for her and when he did, she decided she would repeat what he had done to her in the tent at the races.

Make sure that he was just as in need of her as she was of him before they went on to the next level.

/fade to black

Styx awoke the next morning almost lazily the next morning. He could feel the comfortable warmth and weight on one of his arms and looked over to see Blue snuggled into him. He smiled softly, remembering the passionate night they had shared yesterday as he softly brushed a few strands of hair from the inventor's face. She seemed so peaceful like this, a far cry from what he remembered before falling asleep. It was amazing how wild she had become when her inhibitions were let go and he was glad he was the one she had shared this moment with. He already knew they didn't have to worry about her becoming pregnant, he had seen about getting the male birth control substance when they had shared a tent for the race. And as a sensible percation he had taken it before this evening as well in case the moment came as it had. While he felt strongly for Blue, he knew they both had a lot they still had to learn about each other before they truly were locked together. Still, they were officially a couple now in his mind and they would see where things went from there.

Carefully, so not to disturb the Mistress of Machines, he slid out from under her and began searching for his lower garments. He could do with some breakfast and he was sure Blue would want the same when she woke up. He didn't bother with any other garments though. The floor was clean and he didn't need his shirt for walking around the apartment. Quietly he padded out to the kitchen and took stock of what he had to work with. It soon became clear that Blue was one for quick, easy to make meals, however there were all the right makings for pancakes and he even found a stash of Blackberries for a little flavor. Soon he was pouring batter while the coffee brewed and bacon sizzled. He even found a set of trays which would allow him to present the meal to Blue in the comfort of her room.

With the meal done and the food set on a tray, Solomon walked back into the bedroom with the freshly made bounty and stood for a moment to see if the scent would be enough to awaken the sleeping beauty. If it wasn't he would carefully set the tray down and lean over the bed. From there he could lightly kiss the neck of the inventor. "Wake up sleepy head, breakfast is served." The thief whispered softly from his position leaning over Blue.