Luana 12

I was careful to hide the red case away. I could not imagine Erebus going through my things but he might wonder why this one had its own case. Why I had left it closed. My hair adornments. The materials necessary to adorn my husband. Yet, his hair fell in a single braid. An unadorned single braid. Like a child who had only just Bonded. I ran my fingers along one purple feather. It had been my first adornment. Even someone like me had the right to a Siku. Everyone had thought I would die. Water born weren't meant for the trees.

I shook my head from those thoughts. Instead turning my attention back to my easel. I needed to reassemble it. Mainly just keeping myself busy as I tried desperately not to throw what paint I had against the walls here. It was bright and clean. My quills stood up at the unnatural state of my space. However, I could not be sure it was really my space.

At the end of the day this was Erebus' ship. If we got divorced. It would go with him. This room would go with him. It wasn't like back home.

My thoughts shifted to my new husband. Unlike my chosen sisters he wasn't submissive. That much was clear. It wasn't uncommon for the Eckson pair to hunt together. He was sexy enough to make me wonder what he would look like stripped bare. Even so there was very little chemistry between us. He had not even touched me outside the ceremony.

I sighed. Was I that unappealing? I had loved the possessive display when I had landed. A possessive male rarely sought the attention of another. My willful nature and outright enthusiasm tended to get on people's nerves. Maybe I was getting on his nerves.

Maybe with all my staring he thought I was a psyco. He was just so... beautiful. I wanted to twist his hair around my hand. Use it to force him to his knees in front of me where I could touch every single inch of him.

I unfurled my tail and let it flick about as I set about moving things. His hair was a dark black that called to me. In much the way my Noir had. Black. I did wish it was lighter in color but I was not surprised. My research had told me most Stelnubis had dark hair and skin. That was why I had darkened my own hair. I thought that would be better. My natural coloring would come back in a few weeks so no harm done. Erebus had such dark hair I would have to bleach it first to add colors. His eyes were two colored. The upper set being a rich warm brown with the bottom set with bigger eyes was darker. Like dark chocolate. While his skin was a much lighter tone. A mix between golden tan and grey scale. I had also noticed what looked like white freckles on his upper shoulders. I wanted to bite them. Leave my own little marks on him.

Clearly I had been making him uncomfortable with my staring. My tail lashed behind me as my rattle echoed my frustration. I could try to control myself but at this point I was so used to just being. My rank had allowed me to do as I wished for the most part. As it stood I would only be able to fight my nature for so long. It was bad enough that I had been keeping my quills and trail tucked. I didn't know how he would take them. Let alone his own rank in his clan. Back home the higher ones rank the more quills you could display. Only the Sang freely showed their tails.

I sighed as I forced my tail back into hiding along with my quills. Time. Fytin seemed certain that we were a match. Erebus seemed kind enough. Even if he never grew to love me I could be happy in this match. Even though I hoped to tame my beast. I had hoped for love.

I reassured myself as I made my way towards our room. Being a match did not instantly inspire love and affection in someone. That took time. He did not seem outright disappointed in me. Well aside from that first kiss. He had been adamant that our match would secede. If only by seer stubborn will. I sighed at my own anxiety. I was Eckson. I rode Hannibal and Noir. Yet, here I was tucking away like some no name child with unadorned hair and a husband of a single braid.

It made me laugh. His braid was probably for practical reasons. He was a hunter. One that seemed to go out on hunts often. Our males tended to keep shorter hair for that very reason. We had been married for little more than an hour. He had already done more for me than most males had done my whole life. I remember reading somewhere that some races had a saying. Just because a female can do something does not mean she has to. I would never have to cook for Erebus. Considering how primitive my home was compared to his ship it was probably better I didn't touch anything. That made me laugh some more to myself. He seemed set on being a good husband. Surely I could do the same as his wife.

I unpacked the few dresses Drea had made for me. My three pairs of shoes sat in the shoe stand underneath. Something I had to figure out by looking at how he had his own things set. I may have also looked through his things why I was at it. Erebus had more shoes than I had outfits. It made my eyes go wide. I hid my war skirts and tops in the drawers. Along with my rib binds. I placed them in the lowest drawer. I did not imagine I would have much use for them anymore. My shorts and lounge wear went in the one of the top drawers.

I sighed again as I scanned the massive space. The man had a walk in closet as big as the Troupe sleep quarters. I had filled less than a sixth of the area. That was counting the stuff I had hidden away. I opened one of my adornment boxes. There was shelves that I could place these on. That might help it seem like I had more. With a smile I took out the ribbons and beads. My arm cuffs, bangles, and arm rings were next. My eyebrow, lip, and ear rings followed. My two bottles of hair dye, purple and black. My leg bands took up the most space but even that was minimal. I had placed each adornment on a different shelf but that left the rest of each one glaringly open. Not that I could even reach all the shelves. Again I laughed at the novelty. I had not climbed shelves since I was a child. There wasn't any need.

I had hidden away all the things I would have liked to leave at home. I couldn't. My past is still a part of me. I just have to keep them tucked away. I ran a finger over the last red case and slid it to the very back of the drawer. Out of sight. Out of mind.

With that done I made my way to the bridge. I still could not believe the space he had freed up for me. The closet was nothing compared to my new art studio. I was by no means high maintenance. Living with my Sang and their wives I thought I had known what to expect. Erebus had already proven far more attentive. Back home males tended to favor the highest rank female in the house. That was me. From my understanding that was not the norm. Typically males ranked higher. Even among my own people.

I stopped by the studio and grabbed a sketch book along with my charcoal set. I loved working with charcoal. Back home I had started drawing on a tab but I had left it behind. The Tab belonged to the whole Tribe for use not me personally.

I found Erebus on the Bridge as I had expected. He head moved to look at me over his shoulder. Shoulders? How did that work when one had three arms? Was it all one joint? Surely not as they could all move independently. I knew from my studio window that we were already in space. The take off had been unsettlingly smooth. Having gotten used to Tempest and Hannibal my body was used to swift adjustment. Gradual made me want to shift. It made something in me assume we were still on solid ground.

I fouced myself to focus on the here and now. I imagined, for many, the four eyes of his race was unsettling. For me it was easy enough. Tempest had four eyes. Noir had six. Like with them my eyes were uncertain on which pair to follow. I settled for the larger, lower set. The set with the darker color. I gave him a practiced smile. Made sure to keep my teeth covered. A smile back home was not a challenge. We hissed when we challenged eachother. A clear display of our fangs. My quills twitched with annoyance. So much to remember and more still to learn.

He did not return my smile as I approached. I fought my instincts to flick my ears. His own were even sharper than mine. I had not seen them move yet. Base Humans did not move their ears. A few could but not in the way that ours did. One more thing that marked us as other. His expression was unreadable as I moved forward. It made me self conscious. I had become accustomed to people looking at me during the journey but that was not the same. I had removed my shoes now that we were on the ship.

Back home we rarely wore them. So I found it more comfortable to go without when possible.

"Do you require something my mate?" he asked. His deep voice matching his build.

I shook my head. This might have been a bad idea. Maybe I should have stayed away. I had no purpose in this room. He may not want me here. Had no business here unless I needed him for something.

"Not at all," I tried for neutral but I noted the slightest edge to my tone. "I just finished putting everything away. So I thought I would come here. I... thought maybe it would be best if we spent some time in eachother's company?" Great I was doubting myself now. The girls back home would have a field day if they ever found out.

Something flickered in his eyes. It was gone before I even fully noticed it. I braced myself. Surely he was going to send me from the room as we had children back home. I was no help here and therefore had no business being here. That, now wasn't the time for this.

"Of course. Please sit." His lower arm gestured to the seat beside him so I scurried forward. Relief flooded me as I had a seat. I crossed my legs under me. It was uncomfortable given the chair but it ensured I took up as little space as possible. Which was necessary in this case. I already felt like an interloper. Back home I tended to make myself small so it was a habit that worked in my favor. His eyes watched me the whole time. Damn near staring me down as I let the nerves get the better of me. My hands reached up and tucked my hair behind my ears. A habit I thought I had broke. I then looked towards him only to find he had gone back to navigating.