Ask Getting Off This Rock

[Milo Corr]

Zira’s flicking tail did nothing to calm his nerves against the silence, he had never known a tiefling, how was he supposed to read that thing? Her blush wasn’t much of a response either; yet Zira’s eyes, pools of auric wonder, never faltered or looked away and neither did she retrieve her hand. Two soothing elements that kept him placated, nonetheless it felt as though feathers were assaulting his forearm, yearning for him to scratch.

While many others could claim to be collected in the face of rejection, of all the things Milo had experienced in his life, fondness for another was an infrequent occurrence that passed with the setting sun. Rare to find and even rarer for him to act upon, especially with Milo’s habit of second guessing and overthinking, denying what was before him rather than taking chances. Taking chances had always hurt, even after meeting the tiefling, but this time it had been worth it.

Beyond ‘heroism’ he wondered if she saw anything in him. A two-bit vagrant with sunken cheeks and few credits, shaggy, unkempt, and grumbling. There wasn’t a whole lot he saw in himself beyond that burning desire to change.

“Yes!” Milo blurted out without a second thought before suddenly coughing. “I mean- Yes it is, and yes, I will.” Relief, trepidation, and excitement washed over him. Zira had not been as blunt as he had but Milo took it as a sign. Those blue eyes glowed with delight as her hands were briefly squeezed as he eagerly nodded his head, that smile which was slowly becoming familiar returned. His brow furrowed a second later as he realized just what he agreed to, he didn’t know the first thing about planning dates, especially not with a pocket as thin as his.

To recover, Milo briefly glanced around them before his look returned to her. “It is going to be a bit difficult to compete with all this,” he said with a tilt of his head and a tiny chuckle. “But I can sure try.”

The fairground around them had quieted. The lights of more than a few rides had gone dark and those who remained enjoyed a few morsels of food or the twilight of day’s entertainment. “It will have to wait, however, it is rather late. I think they’ll kick us out before long.” Milo did not seem to be in any rush to depart however, instead the man guided their hands down and savored the moment by watching her with that dumb grin plastered on his face.

@Sreeya

 

[Zira Suvan]

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With Zira working nights dancing and Milo with his day job, it took a few days before she had an evening off to go on this date. While they didn’t see much of each other with their opposite schedules, Zira was giddy and eager leading up to it. Any chance she caught Milo she reminded him that he didn’t need to spend credits for it to be a date. Milo was enough.

She had strict instructions for Milo the day of - he was supposed to knock on the door at an agreed-upon hour and pretend he was picking her up for the date. The fact that they had a shared dwelling meant they had to improvise and do a bit of roleplaying. Zira only had Holomovies for reference and she hoped Milo would indulge her silliness at least up to pretending to pick her up for the date.

Zira always got dolled up for her dancing job, and yet dressing for a date with Milo was panic-inducing. She frantically went through multiple changes of clothes and hairstyles before she finally settled on something halfway between casual and dressy. Zira had her hair in a half updo, the silver locks wavy and down her back with a braid crossed above. For a dress, she wore a form-fitting black that was a blend of teasingly enticing and yet classy, ending slightly above the knees. She even got herself some matching heels to go with it, her entire ensemble accessorized with earrings and a necklace. Working one long weekend had earned her an obscene amount of credits to splurge a bit for this date.

She felt entirely silly about being so anxious, but she started to pace back and forth, tail flicking from side to side as she waited for him. Every bit of this was completely different than any way she had ever interacted with a man. Not only was she mentally completely present, but her heart was rapidly beating from a mixture of excitement and anticipation. Perhaps Milo had experienced such a rush before, but it was a first for her after a lifetime of locking away most of her genuine emotions.

@Cartoonkarl

 

[Milo Corr]

Those few days were especially trying for Milo as he not only worked at tables but took a second job which began before his shift even ended, the first time he had done anything of the sort. Even though Zira repeated, over and over, that money wasn’t necessary, Milo wanted everything to be right. Proper. It wasn’t about roles or propriety but anxiety and care. Milo was a penniless transient, and while their feelings were still new, if it was going to work out he had to show to the tiefling that he could rise above his lowly station.

While work was distracting, however, his addiction continued to gnaw at him. Nearly a week had passed since his last hit in the parking garage and those jitters just got worse and worse. His arm grew red from the scratching while his hands made washing movements whenever they weren’t occupied, yet whenever he caught a glimpse of Zira he was reminded of how it felt to hold them at bay as they stared at one another on the bridge.

It helped, easing the mind if not the body.

When the day finally came he was a nervous wreck, kicked out of the room with basic instructions that left him with another problem. Where the hell was he going to clean up? The sandy-haired man had laughed, initially, at her suggestion but he had second guesses after renting out a suit that fit him and having nowhere to put it on.

Forking over more credits to a shady gymnasium in their area, Milo freshened up in a way he never had before, not even for the party which led to his acquisition and the eventual freedom of Zira. He showered, trimmed his beard, shaved his neck, tried and failed to apply a gel to bring order to his mane, and combed out the years of tangles. Despite being damaged it now possessed a light sheen that had been lost in the grease. Feeling a bit vain, Milo stared at himself in the mirror with that vacant-minded grin of his. He didn’t know if he looked good, but he sure felt good for once in his life. That feeling did come to an end however while he hacked and coughed through a spritz of cologne.

Milo did not have the same luxury of choice, and in a way that helped restrain his nerves, at least until he stood before a few minutes early, getting the last few itches and twitches out while he still could. This was a first in its own way due to its more traditional formality. Dates between those in poverty were often spur of the moment, as accidental as they were intentional, at least for him. Experience did little to ease his mind.

More than once the former vagrant patted his chest, as if to the hammer and anvil in his chest, but nothing seemed to work, its rhythm growing heavier and faster as the time seemed to rapidly approach.

Lifting up a hand, Milo rapped his fist against the door five times, having spent more than a little overthinking how many times he would knock, let alone what he would say. The urge to scratch spiking as he waited with bated breath.

The man on the other side was different, yet wholly the same. Cleaned and combed, his hair for once pulled behind his ears rather than spilling over them, tamed to some degree. With the safe choice of a semi-casual dark blue suit, partially unbuttoned, with a typical white shirt and matching pants. He didn’t have the credits to spend on accessories which he made up for by plucking a tiny teal flower whose stem he had twisted around the button hole of the lapel. While he had gone the safer route concerning his wardrobe, it didn’t quite fit him. It was perfectly his size but outlined his thinness from a lack of food security, which he hid behind that jacket of his.

One hand stuffed in his pocket, Milo sucked in a breath, straightened his spine, and cleared his throat. "Zira?"

@Sreeya

 

[Zira Suvan]

She didn’t know what to expect when she opened the door. Zira had dealt with a grumpy Milo since she met him, and she knew he found this whole roleplay thing entirely silly. A part of her fully expected him to look just the same as he already had but maybe with a spritz of cologne. Zira smiled at the thought, knowing it was all those quirky habits of his that she found so endearing. When had they even become endearing?

When she opened the door, however, Zira gave an audible gasp. She stood there in stunned silence as if a child. Her eyes were comically wide and her tail momentarily went limp from the sheer surprise, “Milo?” She asked tentatively, genuinely not recognizing him for a moment. His beard was trimmed, the excess hair was shaved, and his out-of-control mane was mostly tamed. And he was in a suit! It took a moment for Zira to realize her mouth was hanging open.

“You..you look so handsome,” She blurted out. Normally women usually batted their lashes or twirled their hair when paying such a compliment and she normally did when she was working. But here was Zira actually caring to admire a man for the first time. She could only vocalize her direct thoughts and there was no filter or poetic fluff to it, “Really..you…I had no idea you had all that hiding under all the..” She gestured at him, her face growing hot as she realized she was probably being rude and implying he normally looked disheveled. Well, he did! Zira was known for her suave words and seduction, and yet she felt completely uncoordinated and inexperienced in addressing him. Addressing a man she actually liked.

“W-Where are we going?” Zira asked after clearing her throat. She straightened up her posture, finally managing a smile after recovering from the shock of seeing him. Her tail swayed eagerly. Once they started to walk, he would notice her repeatedly casting glances his way, her face still hot and flush with color. Even more than his improved appearance, the fact that he put in so much effort meant more to her than she could comprehend or express.

@Cartoonkarl

 

[Milo Corr]

Despite having practiced his lines more than once the moment the door opened it was as though he were seeing Zira for the first time, her sigh stealing the words right from his mouth as he echoed her, albeit more quietly. He had seen her dolled up before, to entertain crowds both high and low, but this was different. The tiefling wasn’t trying to impress a crowd in something risqué, but rather look elegant. For him, in a manner of speaking.

“Zira?” Goggling in surprise, taking in every little detail from heels to horns. Zira had spared no effort and, in comparison with his rented suit, Milo was both enamored and intimidated. A pale blue beauty, yet not the same, his tongue twitching to admit it. Shaking his head to dispel the haze clouding his thoughts, he held out a hand. “I-I’m here to take you out on a date.” Milo’s tone was uncertain at first though was reinforced with each word, only for his cheeks to turn scarlet as the tiefling gave him words that should, and had, never been attributed to him.

As if to prove his mental point her next words both stung, twisting his face into a familiar scowl, before letting out a nervous but authentic laugh. “All the what,” he coyly teased, stuffing a hand into his pocket to disguise the anxious fist he clenched and unclenched, eyes gravitating between her own and her argentum locks, only to steal a second and third glimpses of the rest of her. Even after collecting himself he was stunned by her appearance and genuine reaction, burning brightly from a reaction the former vagrant ever received. Surely Zira was just overreacting, but she had kept her bluntness. One of the aspects that he valued in her, having somehow transformed from an annoyance into charming. It felt caring.

“Out,” he stated, trying to sound mysterious and cryptic, though coming out flat and a little plain given his slight grin. “And you’re one to talk, I know you probably hear this a lot but I swear you got prettier while I was gone.”

As the two of them walked towards the main thoroughfare, Milo drew out a piece of paper, likely his plans for their date. There was more than one bullet point and some written directions in illegible handwriting, which he stuffed away after figuring out just where he was going again. He really was prepared for it, not just in looks but planning, even if they were lacking a ride.

More than once Milo stole a glance at Zira, catching the tiefling staring back more than once. Similarly, Milo’s face was brightly colored, a sheepish smile curving his lips as though he were trying not to get caught but also hoping for it, by the thumping of his chest.

“So,” Milo began after summoning the ability to speak. “It was kinda hard to compete with the amusement park, and I’ve never really had to pick a place before. At first I thought a museum, then I remembered I don't know anything about art. Then an art class, that could be fun, but that cost even more. Dancing? To soon. Maybe dinner, but I didn't know what would be the best place, and the ritzier places weren't cheap.” It had taken some time wracking over his brain and the holonet to figure out where he was taking Zira, and even now he wasn’t sure of it but as the day drew closer Milo had to live by the words he had shared on the bridge. To simply act. The overthinking returned in adding a couple more additions to the list, just in case. “I bought some tickets.”

The two of them passed through the streets, luckily not overly crowded given the time of day, and into a smaller park with a simple terrace, usually appropriated for a band of some sort, but today sat a rather large holoprojector.

Various individuals milled about, talking and laughing with one another, or sat upon a colorful array of towels and blankets which had been strewn about in preparation for some sort of event. Rather than lead them through the crowd, Milo approached one that had been drawn away from mass but was perfectly centered with the stage. Close enough to hear, far enough away for some privacy, and while the sun wouldn’t set

It was clean, likely just bought, a cooler sat in its place. It had been quite an effort to get it all situated without roughing himself up and being on time, but somehow he had accomplished it. Hoping that it would all be there by the time they returned.

“Sit, sit,” he encouraged her, only getting off his feet once he was sure that he wouldn’t get grass stains on the suit. “I know it’s not… Fancy, but I thought you might like it. You mentioned wanting to watch something animated,” he motioned to the projector while scooting closer, his hands slipping into the container to draw out wrapped platters to set between them.

Having never really asked what Zira liked, and kicking himself for it in the interim, Milo chose the safe option. Cold cuts, bread, fruit, and other small assortments, yet there was more hidden in that container that he didn’t reveal while assembling it before them.

They were overdressed for such an event, something he was now plainly aware of after seeing a few of the others, but tried not to bring attention to it beyond the redness of his cheeks. “It’s called Blue Moon, and is about a girl who, without spoiling too much, chases after a cure for her sickness and stumbles into a far larger conflict. A classic,” he remarked with a bookish drawl, as if knowledgeable about what the classics were.

Yet that didn’t seem like the only thing on his list, either way it wasn’t long before the crowd began to quiet and, despite there still being some light in the sky, the projector activated.

@Sreeya