#helios and zelania

[rp-bazaar-n-stuff]

Asari skin always had a very peculiar feeling under Helios’ fingertips. It was probably due to the very small scales that composed it, which gave it a more alien texture than you would expect from the pretty blue “women”. It was almost fascinating, if she were honest. It was almost more so in Violet’s case; the contact felt electric. It might be why she didn’t immediately let go of the hand, and instead nodded, looking up at the currently taller woman - thanks to the heels.

“Will do,” she simply answered, and started making her way down to the exit of Purgatory.

It was weird to be back outside. The air felt way less heavy and the music was now muffled behind the doors. She let go of Violet’s hand - after all, now she wouldn’t lose her in the crowd of rowdy drunks, but she could still feel a slight loss - and walked towards the cab’s platform. She used the command panel to flag one down and took a step back.

“We’re going to one of my locations, it’ll be better to discuss matters. No risk of prying ears. Hope you’re not disappointed by the only talking part,” she added with a smirk as the cab arrived. She opened the door for Violet, so she would go in first before she could follow.

(Cont.)

Helios was glad Violet decided to stay with her, and a smirk graced her lips in a way that gave more edge to her well defined cheekbones. She ran a pale hand through her white as clouds - they currently had that purple tone from a deep sea sunset thanks to the Purgatory lights - bringing back the loose strands back from where they met her full undercut. A useless gesture as the locks fell right back exactly to the same place they were before.

“Becoming blue is a human expression, ‘cause some biotics tend to give a light show when they’re drunk,” she quickly explained, scratching her scars around her left eye - a bad habit she developped. “Though I prefer your kind of blue.” The black eyes had something in them. The compliment was sincere. She turned towards Violet more completely, putting her elbow on the bar.

“Are you using me for my tab, Violet?” she asked, the syllables rolling off her tongue as if it were tasting the letters in the alcohol that burned her throat. “Should I be concerned I might be your next mark?”

It almost sounded like a challenge, at this point. And maybe it was. There was a flame in the void of her barely discernible pupils, unspoken words asking: ‘Show me’ to Violet. Helios was curious to see how the asari actually worked her prey. Now, was it a purely professional interest or was it something else behind her interest? Maybe. 

@zelenia

[rp-bazaar-n-stuff]

Omega fell.

If Helios managed to not react more than that to the temporality of Violet’s stay, learning that the Terminus System’s unofficial capital fell in new hands was a visible shock on her face. It left her rather unprepared for the rest of the Asari’s answer. The whiplash almost made her break eye contact right there and then. Almost. Instead she took a deep breath - she was glad that the only smell that came to her was Violet’s - and offered a lopsided smile.

She straightened up and downed her own drink after that, muttering a “Well, fuck me,” in her glass. She had a lot to register, and she did so while flagging the barman for another drink. She might regret it later, but after all she was here to relax. Maybe she would have been more careful if she had known what her conversation partner was thinking.

“I don’t see the point of looking around some more when I already found pleasant company,” she shrugged with a smirk. “Also I was very much forbidden to talk business tonight, and I haven’t seen anyone for pleasure here, so my plan was more to drink until I became blue and couldn't walk straight.”  She grabbed her new glass. “A plan you can join in, if you yourself don’t have any business or pleasure going on,” she offered. “We can drink to Omega and Earth. Two shitholes, but still. Sucks to lose them, V.” She raised her drink.

(Cont.)

Of course, Violet had a point. Timing was all Helios had had on her in the end, and she couldn't help but concede it to her with a nod. She tried not to get distracted by the lips licking tongue and hid her failings by taking a swing of her drink. Her throat felt as dry as Tuchanka for all the good reasons.

Sadly, now was not the time to let her guard down considering who she was talking to. Of course, it was tempting - she was here to relax and forget - but she still had to be careful. The question was tricky in any case. Business or pleasure. Was that Violet trying to find her next mark or was it a genuine question? How willing Helios was to play with fire? As always, very willing.

"On a technicality? Pleasure," she answered, her eyes betraying her on some level when they slid off from Violet's. They came back up quick enough. "I live on the Citadel." It was a quick explanation, true too. Luckily, Helios wasn't dumb enough to not use a fake identity when it came to buying or renting space around. So it wasn't like the information was truly useful, except if Violet had the skills to uncover her aliases. In which case, it was fair game. "I'm more surprised to find you here. Last I heard you were still on Omega, so, what could bring you to this very clean neck of the wood? Business or pleasure?" She smirked, leaning closer and looking to lock eyes as she returned the question.

@zelenia

[rp-bazaar-n-stuff]

Helios listened intently to Violet’s answer. What happened to Omega was rough, to say the least. The human never imagined that place would fall until it had to face the Reapers. Hearing Cerberus was behind the event certainly surprised her. She frowned and brought her thumb to her chin as she thought about all those new information. Why would Cerberus do that? Weren't they fighting the Collectors? At least, that's what you last heard about them. Why risk bringing living organisms back to this side of the Omega-4 relay only to get what? A pile of Eezo? Was it even what they were interested in? So many unanswered questions. Whatever the answers, it was certainly enough to distract her about the fact she wasn’t behind the wheel currently.

"Well, I'm certainly glad you got out of there. Would be a shame if the jewel of Omega fell into the wrong hands," she leaned and grinned to join the Asari in her façade, not willing to push her more on the subject. It wasn't her place to offer her comfort, she thought, no matter how she felt like offering her shoulder to Violet. She doubted she would take her offer. Somehow her hand must have missed the memo, because she reached and offered a light squeeze to her knee in some form of support. Something she tried to hide in some more words, a fish hiding in an ocean of signals. "And maybe if our partnership is as fruitful as I hope there could be a better place than a simple room for you somewhere. Something more deserving for you." The offer was left up in the air, an intensity in the Human's eyes that only disappeared when the skycar stopped in front of their destination. It must have been closer than she thought.

With grace, she left the cabin and extended her hand to Violet in order to help her out. The building they were in front of didn't go as far up as some of the others around it. It looked like most residential lots of this specific ward, actually, with terrasse and decorative plants all around. It was one of the rare buildings that was fully repaired after Sovereign's limbs rained down on the place, as some of the others still had scaffolding around them.

@zelenia

(Cont.)

When Violet slid into the cab, Helios got to smell her perfume. It was subtle, barely there after the time spent in the club, but it was there, enchanting and in a way familiar - a familiarity the human couldn’t pinpoint exactly but it evoked a warmth in her, something calm and blooming. She decided to put that on the side for now; she didn’t want to be too distracted until business was concluded.

"Who knows, if things go well we might find the time to do it more than right," she answered once she sat in the cab next to the Asari, following her tone, voice low and smirk on her lips. Her eyes followed the curves of Violet’s body briefly. She didn’t need her dress sliding up to be incredibly attractive. In the end, so much for waiting until they had worked out an agreement - but after all she was only human and could appreciate a beautiful alien next to her. She brought her hair back with a hand before giving the address needed, only for them to immediately fall back where they were..

Tayseri Ward had seen a drop in prices since Sovereign’s defeat and had been ideal to find a secondary location to hide her group's activities without losing an arm in the process.

The travel shouldn’t take too long thanks to the high speed circulation of the Citadel, but Helios was still disgruntled. She was used to being the one driving around and the only reason she didn’t tonight was because she knew she was going to drink. If she had known she’d bring someone back to base, she might have decided otherwise. 

Uncomfortable with that line of thought, she decided to turn more towards her guest and put her arm around the headrest, careful not to appear possessive or otherwise too forward. Despite their little games she didn’t want to assume anything and especially not in a closed space. “So, what happened in Omega? I’m having a hard time imagining anyone ousting Aria,” she engaged, ignoring the intoxicating presence of the Asari next to her with the best of her abilities.

@zelenia