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It was seemingly through sheer chance that she first laid eyes upon her, all eight of them. She had given no specification when she requested one of the slaves, although her crew knew to make certain an appealing one was taken up to her. It very well could have been any person, nearly any other slave at all, had the woman stood out less among her fellow captives. As preoccupied as Mindfang was at the time, in both her meeting with Dualscar and her simultaneously measured snubbing of him, once she deigned to actually look at the woman placed before her, she had taken the effort to drink in her appearance.
Most slaves were nearly indistinguishable from one another, with no sign or color to mark them, or tell where they fell within the very social order which Mindfang rarely paid heed to. Unmanaged gray forms and unmanaged black hair, mere vague outlines, and only their horns to give any hope of identifying individuals at a glance.
At the time, all she needed to know was if this slave, so graciously donated by her kismesis without his consent or knowledge, would be an attractive accomplice to furthering her black rivalry, as well as the usual benefit of some hedonistic enjoyment. She didn't find reason to be disappointed with either prospect.
Even in the dim lighting of the room, with the mystery slave so unkempt, mostly hidden under a tangle of hair and clothing which could be charitably called a drab tunic at best, and a potato sack with neck and arm holes at worst, she could tell the woman was rather pretty. A mature face looked back towards her with wariness, and almost oddly unmarred by dirt despite the circumstances. A feminine face, softened with a gently rounded shape and features, and horns of an attractive asymmetry. Her eyes were wide-set, her nose delicate and rounded, and with invitingly full lips presenting her fangs like the fine cushions under ceremonial weapons.
She suspected the rest of the woman would fail to disappoint as well, even as her prisoner's rags did their level best to hide her form, the soft, feminine legs emerging from underneath, with knees meeting demurely, and even with her posture Mindfang could tell the gorgeous woman was taller than her.
As she mentally beckoned her new pet for closer inspection, she continued her byplay with Dualscar uninterrupted, while congratulating herself over what a delightful find she had made, and looking forward to when she could have some time with her minus the unfortunate audience. A period to better get to know her new, unfamiliar acquaintance.
And yet, at the same time, it wasn't the first time she had met this woman. In another time and place, in different circumstances..
***
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] began trolling austereConsiderate [AC] at 5:45 --
TC: So.
AC: Hello
TC: AA said that it would 8e in my 8est interests to talk to you.
AC: I Had A Feeling That She Would Be Sending You Along Before Long
AC: Its Nice To Finally Meet You
TC: Yeah, whatever. 8ut why? What's the 8ig fuss?
AC: She Didnt Tell You Anything More Than That
TC: No! You'd think someone would want to give me some str8 answers instead of just shuttling me a8out like a sleepy 8us passenger. 8ut I suppose it's just more fun to tease me and 8e all flighty and o8scure a8out why they want me to talk to random people!!!!!!!!
AC: I See
AC: I Suppose She Wanted To Leave It To Me Then
TC: Leave what to you?
AC: Im Getting To It
TC: Well get faster!!!!!!!! I've got a scrim in like 8 seconds.
AC: That Being Shorthand For Your Allotted Time Of Computer Game Practice With Your Future Combat 7280 Team Right
TC: Okaaaaaaaay, so you know what games I play. What, did someone give a de8riefing on me? If it was CG I'm going to give him another pair of scars!
AC: That Is Not What Happened
AC: Your Tag Shows You As Being In The Game Lobby At The Moment And I Did Some Rudimentary Mental Calculations To Arrive At That Conclusion
TC: Oh.
TC: Well, what do you want?
AC: To Have A Bit Of Light Conversations
AC: Perhaps Over A Nice Game Of Twelve Squares
TC: Pfft, I don't have time for gru8shit 8oardgames, I've got a scrim, remem8er????????
AC: Then Why Did You Contact Me In The First Place If You Had No Time To Converse
TC: 8ecause I never have time to converse! I have so many losers eating up my time, I can't catch a 8reak!
AC: Do You Have Room In Your Web For One More Person Whom You Have Yet To Determine Whether Or Not They Are In Fact A Loser Yet By Any Chance
AC: Im Sure I Can Make It Worth Your While Somehow
TC: Hmmmmmmmm. I'll give you a point for the metaphor, 8ut I can't 8e accomod8ing to just anyone who 8ugs me online. I'll tell you what. I'll play your loser wiggler game, and if I 8eat you, you go the hell away. If 8y some miracle you win, then I'll deign to listen to you for a while longer. Deal?
AC: Deal
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] ceased trolling austereConsiderate [AC] --
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] began trolling austereConsiderate [AC] at 5:55 --
TC: Hahahahahahahaha! Don't talk a 8ig game if you can't 8ring it! Hasta la vista, green8ean.
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] has blocked austereConsiderate [AC] --
AC: Oh Damn It
AC: That Did Not Go Quite As Well As Planned
***
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] began trolling austereConsiderate [AC] at 2:43 --
TC: Oh my gooooooood just G8VE UP ALR8DY!!!!!!!!
AC: I Think In Some Way You Might Respect Me Just A Little Less If I Did
TC: I'm not even getting any points out of 8eating you any more, your gamer score is so low.
AC: I Wouldnt Say That
AC: Youve Become Rather Versed At A Wide Range Of Less Traditional Competitive Games It Seems
TC: I will give you that much. 8ut it's only natural for someone as 8adass as I am to domin8 at any field of 8attle I come across!
TC: So it's still kind of incidental!
AC: By The Way I Couldnt Help But Notice Your Avatar From Puzzle Pirateers Looked To Be From A Certain Sea Going Gamblignant Themed Romance Novel By Troll Sabrina Jeffries
AC: Are You A Reader By Any Chance
TC: ........
TC: I j8st read that one for the pir8s, the rest of it was 8oring.
TC: 8oring and not ladylike in th8 le8st to read, I skimmed a lot! 8ut the rest was cool.
AC: I Can Probably Suggest A Few Similar Ones You May Find Some More Interest In
***
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] began trolling austereConsiderate [AC] at 7:89 --
TC: So what's with this 8ig game they say we're going to play???????? Everyone's making just the 8iiiiiiiiggest fucking fuss a8out it.
AC: Its Going To Be An Important Game Which Were All Going To Play And Hopefully Work Together Towards A Positive Outcome
TC: Sounds 8oring.
AC: Its Going To Be Anything But That Im Sure
AC: Theres Going To Be Some Rather High Stakes Involved And Quite A Bit Of Challenge
AC: As Such Id Prefer It If You Would Condone To Being On My Team And Bringing Your Considerable Skill Along With You
TC: Well, when you put it that way, it sounds a 8it more pal8a8le.
***
-- austereConsiderate [AC] began trolling tarantulaCorsair [TC] at 2:43 --
AC: How Are You Doing
TC: Oh, just f8cking gr8. I think I rather would have just died than get kissed to life 8y that asshole.
AC: I Know We All Have Our Preferences But I For One Am Glad To Know That Being Picky When It Comes To Osculation Partners Did Not Stop Your Return To The Land Of The Living
AC: Im Very Relieved That Youre Ok
TC: Yeah. Thanks, I Guess. Man. We're losing our 8ack-up lives left and right here.
AC: I Think They May Not Be Simply Back Up Lives
AC: I Have A Feeling That They May Be More Important Than That
TC: W8ever. Says the girl that still has hers. ::::\
AC: Hm Well
AC: If You Want I Can Gather Your Belongings And Meet You On Prospit To Deliver Them
TC: My 8elongings? All I want is my clothes and dice. And those are on my 8ody.
AC: Thats What I Meant
TC: Come on, don't do that. Corpses are gross. You'll get 8lue all over your fancy adventuring sleeves or whatever.
AC: I Assure You Getting Into The Sylladex Of A Corpse Wont Be Nearly As Gross As Having To Kiss One
TC: Man, I hope I don't ever have to do that myself. I'm not sure I'd ever 8e a8le to go through it. I happen to 8e a lady, you know.
AC: What If It Was The Slain Form Of Someone You Really Cared About
TC: Well then that might 8e different! Good luck finding someone I REALLY cared a8out, though.
AC: Well
AC: Hm
AC: What About If It Was
AC: Say For Example
TC: Well????????
AC: Nevermind I Have To Go
-- austereConsiderate [AC] ceased trolling tarantulaCorsair [TC] --
***
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] began trolling austereConsiderate [AC] at 1:01 --
TC: Hey.
TC: Heeeeeeeey.
TC: Answer!
TC: Come on.
TC: Man. What's with you????????
TC: You 8etter 8e 8usy. 8eing all awkward now is no reason to ignore me!!!!!!!!
TC: I have plenty of other things I could 8e doing, instead of w8ing for you to answer.
TC: I'm kind of a 8usy person, given all the domin8ions I'm handing out left and right!
TC: ........
TC: Come onnnnnnnn.
AC: Hey
TC: Finally!
TC: I mean, hey. What's with you?
TC: I was fucking worried sick and then one little 8itty corpse smooch and you start 8l8ntly ignoring me!!!!!!!!
AC: Im Sorry
AC: I Was Really Grateful For That
TC: You should 8e! I don't just hand those things out. I have a reput8ion as a lady to think a8out.
AC: I Know Dont Worry
AC: Ill Be Much More Careful From Now On
TC: Man, and you were doing so good, too. I thought you might almost finish the game with 8oth lives. 8ut now I guess we're in the same place!
AC: Yeah
TC: Anyway, you're on Prospit again, right? Let's meet up at your tower. I'm not going to let you waffle around making sweaters for chess pieces while there's a game to win. I'll 8ring your saws and everything.
TC: Not going to touch the outfit on your corpse, though. I know you loved it, 8ut now it's preeeeeeeetty messy!
AC: Its Fine I Dont Blame You In The Slightest
AC: Just Doing The Deed Was Probably Hard Enough
TC: Eh, it wasn't that completely gross, if I ignored everything 8elow your shoulders.
TC: May8e next time it can happen under 8etter circumstances. :::;)
TC: See you l8er!
-- tarantulaCorsair [TC] ceased trolling austereConsiderate [AC] --
AC: Wait
AC: What
***
As her flagship cut through the waves, Mindfang walked down the wooden steps to her quarterblock. As per her orders, her favorite new pet wasn't far behind, and she had barely stepped out of her boots by the time the tell-tale knock had occurred. Taking a moment to brush a tangle of hair back, she opened her door and let the woman be ushered inside. When she had told her crew not to touch her slave, she supposed some of them were fearful enough of her to take it rather literally, with how everyone had taken a rather hands-off approach to escorting her from the hold to her room and back. Of course, Mindfang found that thought rather amusing.
She grinned at her slave as the door closed, tugging off her gloves as she went to light the lamps, and then sit down upon the sizable cushioned seat the end of her room. Her companion straightened up, immaculate of posture as her hands together folded before her at hip level. She almost looked like a new woman with the reign she had been given to cut her hair, as well as cleaner garments, much more able to flatter her figure. Investments that paid off handsomely, Mindfang thought. After unlocking her wrist manacles, she directed the woman to wash up with her own supplies tonight, as they were headed to port soon and she might show her off when they got there.
The jadeblood glanced from the pirate to the small, cluttered vanity and finely engraved brass basin of water in the corner, the corner of her mouth quirking slightly in uncertainty before giving her simple and polite words of thanks, offering a small nod as she turned to step over and make use of the captain's facilities.
Mindfang watched her walk over, and then pulled out her journal to start her writing for the evening. She tried to make a bit of small talk as she wrote, and as her slave washed up. But sometimes good conversation was a bit hard in this kind of relationship. Or mistress-servant coexistence, rather. She didn't want to get ahead of herself, of course.
So eventually she just set to concentrating on her writing. She glanced over to her slave after a while, and put the quill to her lip, wondering how to phrase her thoughts in regards to her at the moment. But for the time being, she decided to save more about her for later. After all, she might have something more interesting than idle observations to write about after her fleet had their downtime at port, perhaps something she'd be able to report as a more hands-on experience. Next to her infinitely enviable heroism, one of her favorites kinds of experiences to put to ink.
Snapping her journal shut between both hands, Mindfang then tossed it it lightly to the side, to bounce carelessly across the cushions of the loveseat, past her feet. Taking a moment to stretch luxuriously, one hand coming up behind her head to hold the elbow of the arm extending to the ceiling, she let out a satisfied sigh - perhaps a little more dramatically than she would have done in privacy - and slumped deeper against the cushion. She reached over to pluck up her hat by its front brim and drop it before her horns, letting it settle low on her forehead, obscuring her eyes.
"I'm going to rest for a bit.. Rouse me if anything happens." said Mindfang, one leg coming up slowly to cross one bare ankle over the other on the seat upon which she laid, the scant grin easing away into a contented smile as she relaxed fully.
"Yes, mistress." came the response from across the room, the pristinely-spoken mezzo just loud enough to be heard with clarity. Mindfang mulled over the response a moment. It was nearly impossible to tell if her slave was ever being terse with her, given her careful - nearly laborious-sounding - enunciation.
She cracked an eye open under her hat, specifically the one with which she might glimpse through the fine black threads and over at the jadeblood. Her vision was a trick she hadn't yet shared with her new pet, but her inability to reign in her pride over her abilities meant that it wasn't going to be long before that time came.
Glancing the woman over, she noted that she was still facing away, and apparently still busying herself with her bathing, leaving Mindfang to wonder if she had even bothered to look her way when responding. It was hard not to imagine her simply raising her chin slightly as she spoke her response, not even deigning to glance in the lavishly ornate mirror towards her mistress as she continued washing. Thinking of that kind of impertinence was a little annoying, but at the same time she almost welcomed it. Usually a slave acting out of line was only enjoyable as a pretense to punish them; or sometimes better yet, merely play on fear of punishment. With this one, things were a little different.
As accommodating as the woman could be, almost unfailing in obedience, she knew that even years under the seadwellers hadn't fully snuffed the personality lurking underneath the quiet, dutiful demeanor. The question of just how much fire the woman might still possess was a big one, and had become a bit of a puzzle for Mindfang, one she barely managed to stop herself from cheating at by digging deeply into her mind. Trying to guess, and potentially being surprised by her slave, was all the more exciting now. It was a challenge, and one that could affect her quadrants at that.
Of course, she still had enough trouble reading her slave in the more mundane way, as subtle as she seemed to be, that she sometimes found herself hoping for easier, more overt signs to manifest. She glanced from the gray skin of the slave's back, over to the end of the seat, her journal laying face-down and otherwise unguarded. "Carelessly" leaving her prized journal out when her slave was around was a tactic she employed to see if the woman would try to sneak a peak, but so far the bait had remained completely untouched, and she couldn't imagine why, unless her slave was just too fearful to look at it. Perhaps instead of pretending to sleep, she'd have to actually leave the room next time. The absurd thought of the jadeblood being simply uninterested in reading her journal never crossed her mind.
She opened both eyes as she looked back to her slave, her form lit nicely enough in the candlelight. Her gaze was drawn to the shadowy lines of her scapulae moving as she cleaned herself with the damp cloth, and the soft dip of skin along her spine that vanished before the flare of her generous hips, everything below obscured by the loosely-wrapped towel as she sat. Higher up, the indulgence Mindfang had allowed in letting her slave cut her hair paid off with the unhindered view of her slender neck and shoulders, even the delicately-formed nape being nicely exposed under a few scant curls.
The markings along her throat had faded somewhat as well, further evidence of the relative "pampering" she had given in allowing her slave to go without her collar for a while. Mindfang resisted the urge to smile to herself, filling with a bit of smug self-satisfaction at both having such a pleasant-looking slave, as well as treating her well enough that Dualscar would surely scowl in distaste if he knew.
Having finished her impromptu voyeurism, a curious inclination given she was well within her right to behold her pet whenever the mood struck her, she considered abandoning rest for the moment and calling the woman over for a bit of quality time instead. But in the end, she decided that she was long overdue for actual sleep, and there would hopefully be plenty of time for fun later after pulling in to port.
***
With another percussive crash of impact, the untouched glass had finally rattled its way off the end of the table. Its long journey, inching bit-by-bit to the beat of the heavy vibrations rocking the stone walls, came to an end in an explosion of fine crystal and seadweller-hued alcohol across the black and white tiles. The sudden, audible shattering of the snifter didn't faze her in the slightest. It was nothing compared to what was happening outside. Which itself may have paled compared to what she was feeling at the moment.
She continued to stare out the window, slumped slightly against the side of the frame with her arms folded, as her remaining eye laxly followed the trail of one of the innumerable meteors falling across the chessboard landscape. It was no interest in the falling object's trajectory that guided her gaze, but the simple thought that staring at something was better than staring at nothing. After such a harrowing loss, it was almost hard to care that death might be a simple falling rock away.
As the meteor her eye followed fell to the battlefield's surface, she turned from the growing collection of craters and looked to the rest of the room. The wine bottle from which her late glass had been poured was now a few scant inches from the edge of the table itself. With little hesitation, she stepped towards it, her arms unfolding, and the heavier - more artificial - of the two darted forward to snatch up the bottle with instinctive flourish. She regarded it a moment, tilting it aside and watching the slosh of liquid contained within, heralded with the subdued squeak of her wrist's pneumatics.
Were it not for the psionic most likely moping on the roof at the moment, this entire wing of the black king's castle would probably have been destroyed already, and it was inevitably due for it regardless. Those meteors weren't going to stop coming. Without much more thought, she hastened the demise of royal loot as she smashed the bottle against the table, her lips peeling apart in a small scowl as she did.
It seemed like forever ago that the two of them had been flirting with the notion of together emptying a bottle so much like that one, in another castle on the opposite side of the battlefield. Back when everything seemed so much less dangerous. Back when the game was fun. Back before their increasing enduring of failure atop of failure.
Down an arm, down seven eyes, and down a partner with which to enact childish whims of drinking alcohol from fancy glasses while speaking eloquently and playing with one another's hair, late into the morning hours, just like in their stories.
In the end, she had tried to partake, maybe in some kind of gesture of remembrance, but couldn't muster the drive. Even just smashing the bottle had felt hollow, and empty, and nowhere near as satisfying as she had hoped. She raised her hand from the table, regarding the slivers of glass and purple beverage dripping from the metal palm, as her fingers clicked together in a fist. Maybe she should have used her real hand if she had wanted to feel anything..
Before she could entertain the notion of hunting for another intact bottle from the overturned shelf, she heard a clatter from the balcony. Turning, her eye focused upon the colorful shapes now lingering through the stained-glass door windows leading outside, the outline of the red and blue psionics, as well as the fluttering of those enviable insectoid wings. Brow furrowed, she stepped out to see what was going on, in time to see their sole God Tier speak up, shifting his lance over his shoulder to scratch the back of his head.
"Everyone else has, regathered.. It's, uh.. Time, guys."
"Yeah, great. Time to fucking erathe ourthelveth from exithtenth."
Listening to the psionic mangle a sentence like that might have reduced her to snickering fit before. For the time being, she could only distantly watch the two get into a small debate about just how this entire plan was supposed to fix everything.
Losing interest quickly, she looked past to the rest of the friends who had converged on the balcony of the castle. Her fellow blueblood still hadn't moved from his slump against the castle wall, his knees drawn against his chest. The last useful thing he had done was alchemize her new arm, it seemed. But she'd be hard-pressed to blame him given the circumstances. The empress-to-be remained standing at the end of the platform like a sentinel, her trident's lower tip against the floor, gripped in one hand as she stared out over the expanse of the battlefield. And most likely upward, still towards the boss platform they had been forced to abandon. Empress not trumping King may have been a bit much for her to handle, given the difficulty they had in getting her to disengage.
"Come on.. We'll need everyone to uh, help out. They said the game starts, getting really rough if you try to start a Scratch."
Nobody really offered any rebuttal to their beefy friend, nor any real acknowledgement.
In the end, as much as she felt despondent about continuing.. She really wasn't going to be one to give up that easily. She never had been, after all. She was the first to turn back into the castle, and down the tiled stairway towards the transportalizer. But not before she paid one last visit to the friend she had laid to rest in the castle library nearby, sleeping eternally now beneath her pirate coat.
The next time around, she knew she'd be all the stronger. All the more daring. She had to be.
***
As it turned out, there was really a lot less time for fun than she had hoped, and Mindfang found herself mentally congratulating herself for ignoring baser instincts and resting up first. On their arrival, it seemed a small rival group of privateers had made heavy use of the port, and leaving her 'territory' in less than pristine condition was a slight she couldn't abide. Despite being a bit undermanned, given she only had a token force while this far into the eastern territories, she only stopped long enough for supplies before making pursuit.
Fortunately, catching up wasn't an ordeal, given their opponents had no idea they were being followed by anyone, and their cluelessness further aided a swift defeat of their forces under the red boot of Mindfang. Nearly literally, as one of the vessels tried to escape by her own, and she was among the forces that jumped aboard.
Despite the scars her ships and warriors now carried, and now being a few days late to their rest and relaxation, they returned to port with heads held high, and richer for their efforts in keeping their name feared.
Once again the pirates converged and occupied their typical hub, the Dartshorn inn, and when Mindfang was content that they could celebrate without burning it down, she took her leave to her usual room. She closed the door behind her with a flourish, sighing in exasperation as she did. Taking her hat off with one hand, she tossed it over to it's waiting peg on the coat rack.. And proceeded to miss, the hat plopping against the wall before falling to the floor. Giving only a small token frown, she shook out her hair, giving it a toss as well.
"Mistress?"
Mindfang quickly looked back to the other side of the room, muscles tensing slightly as her slave stood from the edge of the cushions she was ostensibly waiting on, her more robe-like wear draping nearly to the floor. The pirate then relaxed herself, hoping she was rather discreet in her flinch. In all of the fuss, she had forgotten all about having ordered the woman sent to her room ahead of her upon her return. She noted the small heating stove was already lit, contributing to the more occupied feel all of a sudden, and some garments were neatly folded nearby. Starting to remove her gloves and boots, she spoke with a bit of ill-repressed annoyance.
"What?"
"You look a touch exasperated."
Mindfang furrowed her brow slightly, scrutinizing the woman's expression, as she immediately took it as a criticism. But the slave's face didn't deviate from that damnably passive inscrutibility, her demeanor seeming as if she had merely made note of something.
"I'm fine. Merely a little weather-worn from a hard sail." After a moment's thought longer, she added; "Start warming a bath."
"It's already nearly ready." said the slave, closing her eyes and nodding slightly, as she clasped her hands in front of her at hip level. Mindfang's eyes turned to the tub, noting the hint of steam rising tantalizingly over the edge, and found herself grinning a bit. And then fading slightly, as she didn't recall giving such an order, but then deciding that this was actually a rather fine turn of events.
Stepping over to the cabinet, Mindfang opened it and pulled out a bottle of brandy, giving it a swirl to weigh the remaining contents. Setting out some rum and another few things, she made herself a bathing drink in a large mug swiped from the tavern downstairs as her slave finished pouring the last of her bath. Setting her pirate's swill on a stool next to the tub, a finely-engraved claw-footed import from the east, she started to unbutton her coat, rather looking forward to her time of relaxation after such a stressful detour.
She could sense the jadeblood still standing by, after preparing another kettle to warm, and looked back to her as she prepared to shrug the shoulders of her outfit down. "Well? Don't just stand there. You're going to be helping out." It was a touch less awkward if she wasn't the only one stripping down, she thought. Besides, she justified that it saved effort for her slave to not have to dry off her outfit if she got it wet while tending to her.
The woman behind her hesitated, before similarly disrobing, without a word, and with quite a bit less time given the simplicity of her outfit compared to Mindfang's. The pirate continued her own stripping as she heard the cloth crumple, her slave neatly folding her own garment.
Mindfang didn't spare a glance as she tested the water of the tub with her hand. Finding it to be satisfactory, she stepped into it one foot at a time, before sinking down, letting out a drawn-out sigh of contentment. She let her lusus-ivory knife settle on the bottom of the tub next to her, the secondary bathtime companion aside from her usual drink. The hot water stung the small bruises along her side, but the pleasant sensations of every other spot the water touched more than made up for it. Her hair floated around her in thick, somewhat matted tendrils, almost like the legs of an arachnid. She took a deep breath, enjoying the vaguely citrus smell she detected from the bath. Yet another thing her slave seemed to do of her own initiative, it seemed. She was starting to find that she rather appreciated that sort of thing.
After taking a swig from her mug, setting it aside again, she started snapping her fingers at the woman to beckon her over. The jadeblood set aside her folded robe, ostensibly having been holding onto it as long as possible to cover herself with, and came over to kneel beside the tub, and prepared the soap for her hair. Mindfang rubbed the last of the makeup from her eyes, blinking a bit, and let her slave get to work, while distantly wondering still what a woman with a figure like that had to be shy about.
To say this was one of her favorite parts might be doing it a bit of an injustice, she thought. A fine head of hair was the envy of many, but actually taking care of such a substantial mop was such a taxing effort, especially with a hard seagoing lifestyle. The ability to trust someone else to do it was a rare treat. And even rarer to the woman who knew better than to trust anyone.
Mindfang closed her eyes as she rested, letting the woman work her way through the ends of the tangles and mess accumulated over a rough few days of sailing and combat. The warm water enveloping her up to her neck, the sound of light scrubbing and crackle of the stove fire, as well as the breathing of her slave, and the soft, warm smell of fruit were lulling her well enough into a state of relaxation, even before the woman began to actually touch her.
Once the slave's fingers began running through the thick tangles at the base of her neck, Mindfang inclined her head to better accommodate her movements, the sides of her lips unconsciously turning up a bit. There was an unparalleled gentleness in the woman's hands, one she had never before experienced. Even the gentle tugs against her scalp as the woman worked, nearly unavoidable in such an endeavor, seemed more of a light, benign sensation which couldn't be called all that uncomfortable.
(She mentally cataloged this sensation as entirely different than the sensation brought on by a different kind of hair pulling, which she preferred relegated specifically to a different kind of activity altogether.)
She found herself "Hmm"ing a bit in contentment, and sighing a bit every now and then, as the simple act of cleaning her hair eventually became more of a massage. The slender, warm fingers, invasive to her personal space in the most pleasing of ways, brushing through her black locks and along her scalp took the entire experience from mind-numbingly relaxing to nearly hypnotic. Mindfang barely even touched her drink or patted her knife for assurance during such an occasion, and this was no different.
Eventually, after what seemed like forever, and at the same time not nearly long enough, it was done, and the slave began to wash the soap out of her hair. Her eyes opened to a contented half-lidding after that was dealt with, having felt the burden of not just the past few days, but almost as if months of trouble had been drained away from her. Something better than gold or drink or sex that made her feel as if all the hardships she endured were worth the effort.
Such a simple pleasure, brought on by a soft touch, that she would be hard-pressed to accurately describe. And one she would be wary actually writing about. Her journal was a catalog of her strengths, not her weaknesses.
Mindfang laxly finished with the rest of her bathing, her slave handing her a towel without prompt as she stood to remove herself from the tub. Drying herself off as she padded to the rest of the room, she had drink fetched as she then wrapped herself and sat down in one of the generously cushioned chairs, and soon patted her thigh, indicating her green-blooded acquaintance join her. The rest of the evening passed in a pleasant buzz for Mindfang, holding her lap ornament by the waist as she drank, speaking more freely as she filled her in on the details of her last battle. Her slave nodded in understanding as she listened, knees together meekly as she sat in a way to where her arms could preserve at least a touch of modesty. Whenever Mindfang offered a drink from her mug, the woman obliged without much complaint, not seeming to hesitate much after the first time she had done so.
By the time the mug was empty, Mindfang had managed to actually run out of things to talk about in regards to herself, and the jadeblood had managed to give the pirate a nice braid in the side of her hair.
"Have I ever told you what a nice slave you are?" asked Mindfang, smiling as she tilting her head to the side and resting her cheek on her knuckle as she inclined. The bare woman in her lap reached up to brush a bang back slightly, her gaze averting. "A few times."
"I should perhaps say it more often."
"That won't be necessary, mistress."
"Don't be so prissy, now." said Mindfang, laughing a bit as she brought her hand up to ruffle the woman's hair. The jadeblood's nose wrinkled a bit and her shoulders hunched in barely-veiled displeasure, waiting for Mindfang to cease before turning her head and discretely bringing her own hand up to try and fix her hair. This just made Mindfang laugh again. "Not every waking moment requires one to be ladylike. Life is too difficult if you don't allow yourself to loosen up every now and then. We're in private, mercifully free from the opinions of fools and imbeciles."
Her slave licked her lips a bit, still looking away, eyes going downcast for a moment. "Even within privacy, I'm still your property."
Mindfang nodded. "And don't you forget it. But if you're good, you may be able to move up in rank. If you're lucky."
The woman didn't respond to that, other than nodding a bit. Mindfang rolled her eyes, a bit in too good of a mood from everything else to be more than a bit annoyed at the distant behavior. Reaching for the woman's face, her fingers found her jaw line, tips tracing along it until she had a grip, and guided the woman into facing her, observing her slightly surprised expression.
She then drew her in, pressing her lips to hers. The woman made nary a peep, but the flutter of eyelashes and the quiver in her lips told Mindfang all she needed to know. And as she suspected, the kiss was returned in only moments, the woman giving into the gesture without more provocation, her full, womanly lips moving against her own. The pirate's hand slid to the back of the jadeblood's head, fingers running through the short and well-managed locks, as she deepened the kiss, flavored by alcohol but not fueled by it.
The fine wood of the chair creaked as they shifted, the woman moving to straddle Mindfang's lap as they embraced one another. The pirate’s towel, already rather loose from the lax way they had sat, fell to obscure only her waist now, and was soon brushed aside entirely.
There were no more words for the rest of the night. There was only contact. Wonderful contact, of hands on skin, fingers through hair, of lips and teeth and breath and every part of the body. And beyond that, warmth.
Sprawled out across the pile of pillows, Mindfang relaxed, with her lover nestled in the crook of her arm with which she held her, the taller woman's arm resting over the pirate's stomach, their legs loosely intertwined.
Mindfang wouldn't call herself much of a cuddler. In fact, she'd normally laugh at the concept of anything carnal not ending in the other person getting kicked out. But over time, she had taken to the notion that she could order her slave to warm her through the night. Like a sentient, more visually appealing blanket.
Even on nights where she didn't satisfy any raunchy inclinations, she found this to be a desirable option. Fortunately, this was another order her slave began to take without prompting.
Wondering if this was fueled by feelings of red, or the feelings of not wishing to displease her mistress, was a question Mindfang had asked herself, and put to ink more than once. Questioning what exactly her own feelings were in return, the pirate had neglected to cement in her recorded history.