Heading out yet? Brian should be meeting you at the base.

- Z

(Vela’s part in italics.)

Having been checking over a console on the other side of the cockpit, Vela immediately made her way over to Dritz when he spoke, glancing at the viewscreen before kissing the top of his head between his antennae. She rested her hands on his shoulders, lightly massaging as she kept a contemplative gaze on the sight of the station slowly approaching. It had been a long journey once more, but nothing about it seemed long. The days had been filled with engaging conversation and discussion, games, and long hours spent in simple enjoyment of each other's bodies. There was nothing in the universe she would have traded that time for.

[I'm glad we're here,] she finally signed to him after they had been cleared for docking with station personnel. [It's been a wonderful trip, of course. But I've been looking forward to our quarters, and even if the hologardens aren't as wonderful as Chrysala, I've missed it too.] It might have been the time she had spent there with Dritz which made her so fond of it, but she also loved how frequently the scenery could change there.

Suddenly she frowned, the sight of the dock interior bringing up a memory. [You don't think... he is still here, do you?] From her slight scowl, one she never wore otherwise, it was absolutely apparent who she was referring to.

Dritz groaned in a way that seemed to be agreement, "I can't wait for our actual room again! The Nova's bunks are actually comfier than I'm used to, but there's never anything quite like a real bed, especially if you've not been in one for a while!" Truth be told, he was also looking forward to making love in what felt like their own bed again. He smirked a little at this thought but didn't express it further.

He stretched, his antennae flattening against his hair as if also doing so. He of course knew who Vela meant. "I dunno, flower. I can't see that he and Ori really need to stay in the station? He's probably got some fancy property elsewhere in the galaxy, he's probably whisked the guy off or vice versa. I'm sure there won't be anything to worry about."

Unconvinced, Vela made no reply as she moved to the navigation console and began entering the sequence for landing. It would be easy enough to think that Dritz was correct and the snobby prince of Coronus had taken Orion to some amazing destination or another far away from the station. But Vela had a feeling it was not going to be nearly that easy.

Once they left the Nova safely in dock, she did feel a little better. The paperwork necessary, such as it was, didn't take too long as they were only returning instead of new visitors. As they carried their small bags of possessions from the ship and toward their lodging, she almost even sighed in relief.

"Hey! You two! Aren't you a genuine sight for sore eyes."

Vela could make no sense of this expression, but turned toward the instantly recognizable voice of the human they had met what felt so long ago. Orion looked the same as before, but with a little more stubble on his face along with an extra weariness around his eyes. "It's good to see you. Listen, I... hope you're not upset with me for this, but I had someone I met in management keep a watch out for your arrival. I didn't want to miss you in case you had plans to fly off somewhere else soon."

Though she signed a brief greeting, Vela hung back a little to be sure Fera was not about to appear. Orion held his arms out, apparently expecting Dritz would want to hug him, but he only extended one hand to her and bowed over it when she accepted, which she preferred at the moment. Maybe Fera had left on his own and cut contact with Orion. Again, she thought that was too simple an outcome.

The sights of the station, the clean (ish) streets, neon signs, the bustling and busy folk, all felt strangely like a welcome. The station had become a home, one that he'd build with Vela, despite it being neither of their "real" homes.

Dritz turned at the sound of the voice with instant recognition, a wide grin already in place as he laid eyes on Orion. The human was notable in his scruffiness, but Dritz wondered if that was just because he hadn't seen him for a while. Of course, he lunged forward without much warning, dropping his bag and scooping Orion up with ease into a big hug.

"Ori! It's sooo good to see you!" he gushed, squeezing the man before finally putting him down gently. "How have you been? Where's that prince of yours? How's he been?"

Not surprised at all by the gigantic hug Dritz gave him, Orion's eyes did widen to be lifted completely off the floor in the process. He knew he wasn't exactly the heaviest but it was still impressive, even considering an average Chrysalan's strength.

Dritz placed him down again with the utmost gentleness, and the human stepped back with a wide grin, running a hand through his already messy hair. "I'm pretty glad you're so happy to see me. I've been alright. Just... busy. Real busy. Between work and Fera, I've had so little time that I really was worried I'd miss you when you got back. I've been eager for details of your trip."

He paused a moment, watching Vela. She looked lovely as ever, but was currently squinting at him in a way which he thought meant she was a little suspicious. Maybe she just wanted to know where Fera was. "As for the prince himself, he's been... well. As well as he can be, anyway. He gets pretty mad sometimes when I refuse to leave the station, though. But I still have work to do. He hasn't left me yet at least. Right now he's probably aboard his ship. Been spending a lot of time there lately... I think we're doing well together. Or I hope we are. Never a dull moment with Fera around."

That was an understatement. The prince of Coronus had many moods, but generally he tended to be either extremely flirtatious or incredibly grumpy. It took some getting used to; Orion thought he had done a good job with that.

"Hey, but I know you two want to get your stuff to your room and settle in. I'll walk you there, and then maybe we can meet up sometime later? You're... not leaving again real soon, right?" He fell into step beside them, fighting back further curiosity despite how difficult it was. Dritz and Vela had become two of the best friends he had ever gotten to know, surprisingly, and they had begun to mean quite a lot to him.

"Phew, yeah, I don't imagine having a royal partner is any kind of fun," Dritz laughed. After a beat, he added, looking somewhat panicked, "Not that I don't think he's fun or anything, I just mean, what with being kinda spoilt, being... I dunno, handed stuff from birth? I don't know much about how royalty works, since Chrysala is so different. But from my understanding, it sort of elevates someone above others? He's probably used to folk following his every whim and word. I guess you don't do that so much!" He laughed, thinking of Fera asking something ridiculous of Orion and how the human would likely refuse in some incredibly lovely and reasonable way. He was not a pushover, but then, Dritz suspected one couldn't sustain a relationship with Fera if one was.

"I can't see us leaving again for a good while yet. Out business is important, but it's also something that can wait for a while so we can enjoy actually being back!" Dritz explained, glancing at Vela to ensure he was thinking correctly.

Despite himself, Orion had to laugh at how quickly Dritz tried to cover over his first statement. Fera was definitely "fun," but maybe not in the conventional ways some might expect. "No, you're fine. You're exactly right, there's no one above him except his parents on his planet. So he always got his way and could tell anyone what to do... and that doesn't work with me. Seems like he doesn't mind it too much for some reason." In fact, he suspected a structured relationship with boundaries and mutual respect might be the biggest reason the prince was interested in him. From what Orion could tell, previous lovers (when they lasted long enough) had been too willing to bow to his every wish. And strange as it sounded, Fera really just needed someone willing to tell him "no."

"Spoiled is definitely a good word for him," the human chuckled fondly. "Just don't ever say that to his face. He'll never forgive you. Or at least not for a very long time."

He nodded enthusiastically at what Dritz told him, also looking at Vela for her confirmation. [No, we will not leave again soon. There are preparations yet to be done by others, and we will need more credits again. So we will stay here and work for some time... but not just work, of course.] It looked like her mood was softening, and Orion smiled as she reached for the Chrysalan's hand to hold as he translated. Besides being good friends to him, Dritz and Vela were just an adorable couple who he liked to admire whenever he could.

By this time they had reached the room, and Orion gave them both another friendly grin and handshake. "It's been so good to see you. I'll send you a message... tomorrow maybe? I'll help you look for work if you need to, and we'll plan out a time to meet. I'll also get my princely boyfriend to join us. On his best behavior, or at least I'll try to make him be," he added with an amused shrug.

There was something immensely reassuring, not to mention satisfying, about Orion saying Fera's orders wouldn't work with him. The scruffy human was, if there were any doubt, very good for the spoilt prince.

"I'd never say that to his face," Dritz said immediately, almost sounding slightly offended. He always tried his best to be as accommodating and friendly as possible, with everyone.

As he translated for Vela (noting with fondness that Ori seemed to be listening harder, and was watching Vela more closely, clearly trying to pick up more Aurian), Dritz squeezed her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.

With the promise of seeing the other two men again (as well as further hugging), the two of them were left alone once more outside of the room they rented.

"It was so nice to see him so quickly, wasn't it?" the Chrysalan was asking as they wandered into the room, "I'm glad we're alone now though."

[Yes, it was nice,] Vela had to agree, shutting the door carefully behind them after they entered. Even if it had brought Fera to mind again. She wasn't looking forward to seeing him again, and wished there was some way to avoid it. Yet she couldn't leave Dritz to have to go through such an ordeal on his own.

For now, however, she was quick to forget all about princes, or anyone other than herself and Dritz. She dropped her bag on the floor and nodded at what he said, showing she felt the same by kicking off her soft boots and leaving them where they lay.

She took a long, slow moment to look at him, then smiled slightly and removed her leggings as well. This left her in the oversized dark tunic she had chosen to wear that day, as it tended to be colder in the Nova than the station in general. She walked over to the bed and sat on the edge, arranging her pale legs carefully to one side but not signing anything, just watching Dritz to see his reaction.

Dritz watched Vela with half lidded eyes, languidly taking his time over removing his own shoes. As her leggings slipped off, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. Her slim, pale legs looked as invitingly soft as always, and his fingers itched to trail over them again.

Nevertheless, he took his time in removing his jacket, folding it over the narrow-backed chair that sat by the compact desk, before slowly tugging off his shirt and stepping towards her. Once he was stood over her, he leaned down and kissed her very gently, slowly moving to kneel on the floor in front of her.

"You comfy there?" he asked teasingly, gesturing to her bare legs, "We've only been here a few minutes and you're already stripping off." He grinned, kissing her again.

Vela followed Dritz's actions closely, alert and attentive to all he was doing. It seemed her idea was working, and he had similarly removed his shirt before kneeling in front her. She returned his kiss, then smiled faintly as she nodded.

[I am. I have realized how much I miss being here. It's like a sort of home, isn't it? At least for now. I just want to be comfortable... with you.] It would be a good enough reason in any case, but it was the truth. The desire to be close to him, the way their unclothed bodies were so different yet fit together almost as though made for each other...

Having said this, Vela's smile grew. [That's true, but then you did the same.] Her gaze slipped down his front, and she couldn't resist touching his chest and stomach with worshipful fingers. He was so warm, so soft... Surely she would never tire of how beautiful she thought he was. There had been no one like this for her on Aurctas.

She drew her legs apart slightly so they were touching him, her anticipation and increased pulse causing the soft down covering them to raise in a barely noticeable manner. For the moment there was little she could say, but she leaned forward to press her lips to his again in a way which left no doubt that her passion was rising as well.

"Hey, I just copied you, flower," Dritz chuckled as he trailed his fingers further up her legs. He leaned down and kissed her thigh sweetly.

She was right, though. They had made such a nice space for themselves on the station, not through decor or things, but the life they'd started to build, the friends they were making... It was strange how comfortable it had become. As he thought about their surroundings, trying to imagine how they could make it even more like a home, he lifted her top up, sliding it up over her flat stomach, replacing the fabric with his kisses.

"I feel like we make ourselves comfortable anywhere together," he mumbled against her skin before being pulled up and kissed in a way that told him all he wanted to know. He shifted them, moving Vela further up the bed and settling with her, kissing at her neck and shoulders.

Lazily, Vela nodded as Dritz moved her to lay more fully on the bed, joining her before covering her in more kisses. She sighed softly, sitting up long enough to just remove her top instead. Once Dritz had his trousers off too, she couldn't resist signing with a playful smile, [But we seem the most comfortable here, I think.]

Very carefully, she pushed at his shoulder until he lay down, moving her slighter weight on top of his. She could feel all of him underneath her, which was exciting in more ways than one. It amazed her all over again to consider the day they had first met. If she could have seen herself now, the way it had all turned out... her past self never would have believed it.

Without noticing, she had begun moving in a way which was obviously pleasing to them both, keeping her legs on either side of Dritz as she went from his lips to his neck to his collarbone with soft but sensuous kisses. Most of the rest of her thoughts were quickly leaving her as she began to focus on pleasure instead, but for now this wasn't a problem to either of them.

Dritz leaned back long enough to admire Vela's naked form, angular and firm with the gentlest suggestion of curve. He signed slowly and carefully [I agree. And you look perfect at this moment.]

He couldn't help the smirk that came from Vela's more forceful hand. She was very upfront with him, even without a word, and it was a trait he very much enjoyed. As soon as her hand came to his shoulder, he knew they wouldn't be remaining so casual and gentle for long.

By the time she had moved on top of him, however, he wasn't really thinking about their pace any more, focusing instead on only Vela, as he knew she would be focusing on him.

Afterwards, they had collapsed with heavy breaths and loving kisses, remaining quiet for a long time, content to lounge together until Vela pointed out that they had left their bags, and should unpack. Despite some protests, they managed to untangle themselves from each other long enough to unpack before immediately resuming their embrace, falling asleep shortly after.

Early the next morning, Vela awoke to the sound of Dritz's snoring and the feel of his warm arm wrapped around her, holding her loosely but also pressing her against his side. She had to wiggle free cautiously in hopes to not disturb him, but he must have been incredibly worn out from their arrival or, more likely, their lovemaking the night before. He barely moved, but did shift a little more onto his back and stretch his arm out, almost as though trying to find her again.

With a loving smile, Vela went to grab the datapad from where it rested on a table, returning to bed to curl up next to Dritz once more. The room was a comfortable temperature, and she delighted in the fact that she didn't need to put on any clothes. Being naked was such a novelty to her that she almost wished she could remain so more often.

She hadn't noticed it before, but the green light on the corner of the datapad was blinking. Instantly curious, she touched the screen and could see that Dritz had received a message. The short preview said it was from Orion, and actually addressed to her as well, so she pulled it up to begin reading.

'Dritz and Vela -

Hey. I hope you've settled in alright. I hate to be really abrupt with this, but there's a problem with Fera and I'm pretty worried. Can you guys meet me around 0900 station time near the shopping district? I'm not sure it's safe to send a message about it. Reply to this if you can't make it, which I'd understand. Thanks,

-Orion'

Vela set the datapad down and glanced over at Dritz's sleeping form, frowning. A problem with Fera? What would that mean? A very small, selfish part of her wanted to delete the message and to pretend they just hadn't received it. But if Orion needed help, she didn't want to leave him in an uncomfortable position, no matter who he chose to associate with.

After a little while she began to read on her latest topic of choice, doing her best to forget about the message until Dritz was awake. At the very least, she wasn't about to wake him up early for whatever this might be, especially considering there were hours left before Orion asked them to meet.

Dritz was just on the cusp of waking, unable to feel Vela near him, but soon dipped back into proper sleep for a while, finding that when he woke up a little more again, she was back where he expected her, reading as she always did while she waited for him to wake up.

"Good morning," he mumbled into her side, squishing up against her. His voice was thick with sleep still, but he smiled against her soft skin. Her body has cooled somewhat where she was without bedding, but given that Dritz was still bundled in bedsheets, it was a pleasant sensation to be against her.

"Sleep well? What are you reading about today?" He whispered, rolling onto his side properly, running a hand over her thigh.

Vela smiled as Dritz slowly woke, gently smoothing a hand through his hair before she replied. [I did. What about you?]

She glanced down at the datapad. It had proven harder to forget about the message than she thought, but she answered his second question truthfully. [I was reading about the royal family of Coronus. I think their people are very odd and superstitious, but it's almost heightened in their rulers of the past. Apparently they used to have barbaric customs involving ritual and sacrifice, though I couldn't find any evidence they still practice such today.] Knowing the current prince, she entertained a dark (and probably unfair) opinion that he still might.

Sighing gently, she shook her head. [The reason I was reading about it is because we received a message from Orion. It was about Fera. I don't really know what to make of it.] She gestured to the datapad on her lap. [You can read it now if you want, or wait until you're ready.]

A soft chirp came from Dritz's throat as he tilted his head into her caress, nodding, "Yeah, good. Felt good to be back here, didn't it?"

The subject of Coronal royalty made Dritz raise his eyebrows. It wasn't particularly a subject that he would have picked, or even one that he thought she might have picked to research, but then, he knew she was incredibly knowledge thirsty, eager to learn of everything and anything in the galaxy. Coronal royal history seemed... far too dark for his liking. Sacrifice? He couldn't help but cringe a little. Sounded pretty gross.

He sat up with a frown, "Ori sent a message about Fera?" He took the datapad and read it over. "Wow... I think maybe we should help if we can,  but if you don't want to go, I can see what I can do alone?" He wrapped an arm around her, kissing her temple, "I know how you and Fera don't get on."

Vela leaned against Dritz, debating with herself. She had no urge to see Fera or deal with any problem he might have. At the same time, she just couldn't leave the Chrysalan to handle it on his own without her, even if she knew she would be no help whether she came or not.

[No, I will come with you. I want to help you, if not him.] There was no use saying she was concerned for Fera, since it wasn't true, and Dritz likely knew that.  She also wanted to make sure the prince didn't do anything strange, as usual.

[We have a couple of hours,] she continued, glancing at the small clock resting on the table by the bed.  [Plenty of time to get ready and have some breakfast before we meet him. I'd rather not worry about it until then.] She gently kissed him, letting her hands wander across his body in a way that comforted them both for the moment. [But I almost wish we didn't have to dress... it's so nice here.] Though referring to the temperature, she also did mean that their proximity (and nakedness) was far too appealing to let go easily.

"Thank you, flower," Dritz said. He knew Fera was very low on her list of priorities, and that she was likely going for his, and Orion's, sake. But, as she rightly said, there was no point concerning themselves until they had to. As Vela's hands trailed over him, he rubbed his own down her back, having to agree.

"Mmm. Maybe one day we... could?" he suggested with a grin, "We could make sure we have plenty of food here, and just spend the day in bed, not getting dressed if we don't want to..." He knew that, for two folk such as them, it would actually be difficult to achieve. They were both such hard workers and seemingly loved being busy that they may grow restless, but that was something they could deal with when the time came.

Dritz's suggestion made Vela pause just as she was about to get up. The idea of not being clothed for a full day was even more intriguing than it was exciting. No one on Aurctas would even be able to imagine such a thing.

[We may become... a little bored at times,] she signed truthfully, though she was quick to continue, [but not bored of each other. Maybe we could do some reading, have some small projects to work on...] The more she thought of  it, the more she enjoyed the concept. It wasn't something they would like to do frequently, but every now and then... Being able to work on small projects, but still be close to Dritz and able to enjoy intimacy whenever they liked was entirely too appealing.

[Someday we will,] she finally signed with a smile, taking Dritz's hand and tugging him along. [But for now we need to get dressed.]

"Oh yeah, we'd have to have things to do to keep busy," he agreed, letting himself be tugged out of bed and nudged towards his clothes. As he dressed, he made lots of light-hearted suggestions as to what they could do on their special 'naked day', as he seemed intent on calling it. Starting the day with tea in bed, some games, breakfast, and then working on whatever project they decided on. He couldn't seem to think of specific things for them to do that might also be productive, especially since he was tempted to suggest something decidedly unproductive, but incredibly enjoyable.

Once he was dressed, he shrugged his jacket on.

"Right, shall we see if Ori is okay?" he said, somewhat more serious than before. And Fera, he thought, but that was not going to be either of their highest priority.

There was just enough time for a quick breakfast before they met with Orion. Vela would have insisted in any case, knowing they had need of their energy, especially if they had to deal with Fera in any way. But the human's message had not said he was bringing the prince along. She kept up her hope that they might not see him.

After their meal (and further pleasant conversation discussing their plans to spend a day without clothes), they made their way to the shopping district to find Orion. He wasn't difficult to spot, standing near the center of the main walkway with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jumpsuit, weariness mixed with worry plainly showing on his face. Fera was nowhere in sight.

"Hey. I'm glad you came." The scruffy man even sounded tired, and Vela thought he might not have slept the night before. "I hope you don't mind that I'm asking for your help." Vela shook her head and he glanced at her, almost seeming surprised she had shown up. "We'll have to talk somewhere more private, that might be for the best. Any ideas? I can't think too clearly at the moment."

Vela frowned, glancing at Dritz. [We could go to the gardens?] she suggested. Usually it wasn't too heavily populated, especially in the morning when most residents of the station would be at work.

While he and Vela had a pleasant morning, and established quite a full hypothetical day of nudity, the closer it got to the time of their meeting, the more Dritz began to fret about Orion, and to a lesser extent, Fera. Why would Orion come to them? What if it was something serious? What if this would put them in danger?

His fears were not eased away when he spotted Orion. He jogged up, putting his hands on the human's shoulders with a concerned frown.

"Of course, we'll go to the hologardens," he said, nodding at Vela, "Good idea, flower. It should be nice and quiet. We're here for you, Ori. Whatever it is, we'll get it sorted out."

They made their way to the gardens in near silence, Orion clearly wishing to wait to get everything off his chest at once.

The gardens were this time laid out in a spiral of colours, leading in to a large, elaborate fountain wrapped in lemon yellow vines with red blooms.

Though Orion was initially relieved to see Dritz and Vela, this quickly turned into further worry over whether getting them involved was the right thing to do. They were the best friends he knew on the station, and the ones who already knew the most about Fera. He further suspected they would be of very little interest to the Coronal homeworld, which might come in handy later. For now, he would just have to explain the situation and see if they had any interest in what was going on.

It was hard to imagine otherwise, especially with how caring Dritz seemed to be. He thought Vela was as well, she just didn't show it as outwardly. Her suggestion of the garden surprised him, showing she was clearly considering his comfort as well. He quickly agreed and walked along with them, not saying anything but trying to gather his thoughts to present them as best he could.

He was temporarily distracted by the sight of the gardens. The bright colors were certainly eye-catching. Idly he wondered who had programmed it as he sat by the illusion of the fountain, noting how quiet and empty the area seemed. That was all for the best.

"I'm really sorry about this," he began earnestly, leaning forward as he spoke. Dritz was very attentive, but Vela seemed to be watching how water droplets from the fountain splashed against some of the red flowers. There was something about the way she tilted her head, however, that made him realize she actually was listening. "But I wasn't sure who else to talk to. You see, Fera..." He had to pause a moment, wetting his dry lips before continuing. "Fera is in trouble with his parents for some reason. Or at least that's what I can gather. He's uh... kind of incoherent at times." Their last exchange had actually been an expensive-looking vase from the prince's  quarters being thrown at his head, though he wasn't about to share that yet. "But, see... they've taken his ship away. As in, someone from Coronus came and took the Radiant Sun on orders from the king himself. So he's still here, without a ship, and without the servants from the ship. I just can't find out why. And I'm not expecting for you to find out, but I just... I guess I'm a little overwhelmed. I can't do this on my own without at least telling someone."

Orion's shoulders sagged as he looked away, more troubled than he was sure he'd ever been in his life. Without Fera being willing to tell him what had happened, he had been left to imagine the worst: that being, of course, that their relationship had been discovered and was strongly disapproved of.

It seemed incredibly unusual for Orion; a laid back and sweet man, seemingly more likely to shrug something off than contest it, to look so fretful. Dritz watched him carefully, listening attentively, his brow furrowing just slightly in the middle.

"Don't worry, Ori, we're here for you," he muttered encouragingly. He thought idly, briefly, that he should bring Vela back to see the fountain properly. His eyes widened as the story unfolded. "B-but... Why would Coronal royalty take the ship? Is he in breech of his... Lineage?" Dritz shook his head in disbelief. The only way he could justify it in his own mind, with no experience of royals or how they worked in societies, was to imagine it from the point of view of parents; Fera had done something they disapproved of and was being punished? Perhaps privileges were being revoked because of his bad attitude?

He patted Orion's knee, shaking his head, "I can't pretend I get what could have happened, but I want to help if I can at all. Is there any way to contact the Radiant Sun? The Coronal royal family may not accept communications from us peasants, but the ship and servants might."

Dritz's comfort and reassurances actually went far toward making Orion start to feel better. "I appreciate that," he said quietly, nodding at the Chrysalan. "Thanks for listening and being willing to even try to help."

A moment after hearing his suggestion, Orion stood and walked to stand in front of the fountain, frowning at it. He was unusually restless, which was surprising to even himself. "I wish I could figure it out easily, too. Basically all he would do was rage about how it was his parents' fault. I'm not sure if his status as a prince is in danger.  I do think he would be even more upset if that was the case. As far as contacting the ship... I don't know. I don't think we can. There's very little chance we could persuade anyone to return it unless we have clearance from their royalty. Which we'll never get on our own. Our best and probably only chance is getting Fera to tell us what's wrong so that maybe we can also get him to fix it. I think it's up to him, whatever it is."

He paused, turning around quickly. With an apologetic tone, he continued, "I meant I should try to do that. I mean, I think he considers you friends..." He glanced at Vela a moment, aware it might not extend to her. "...but I don't expect you to come along and help me unless you're... y'know, really wanting to. And if you're surprised to hear that, I can understand. But over the past months there have been times when he talks about you in a way that almost makes it seem as though he likes you. So maybe he does."

He became aware he was smiling faintly. "I'm sorry again. Usually I'm not like this, but... Fera means a lot to me. I've seen him with his guard down. He's capable of genuine goodness, he just won't admit it to anyone. I just... well, I've developed some real feelings for him. So there's that." Orion wasn't embarrassed to admit it, but he fell silent for the time being to see what Dritz (and possibly Vela) would make of any of this.

No matter how concerned he was for Orion and Fera, Dritz couldn't help the surprise that passed over his face to learn that there was a very small chance the prince liked them. Fera seemed as though he didn't really like anyone, even Orion sometimes. Even himself, in a manner. But then, he knew looks were deceiving, and no matter how open a person was, there was always the layer they show everyone else, and then the true self beneath. It was difficult for Dritz to say whether he liked Fera, however. He felt a slight fondness for him in general; he had helped them, and his advice when they were shopping had been quite sweet, really. He was intriguing and deserved time, and Dritz hated any bad coming to anyone.

"Well... I dunno, Ori. Will he even discuss it with you if we're there? I'm sure we'd be good help, but that will only work if he's, y'know, open to us helping," he said with a slight wince and a glance at Vela. "What do you think, flower?" He chewed his lip, almost obviously hoping she would agree to go with.

Vela had been frowning during this entire discussion, her expression not changing in the slightest. There was no chance at all that she believed Fera liked her, no matter what Orion said. And even if he did (by some miracle), she had no interest in liking him in return. However, Dritz seemed incredibly concerned, and this was the only thing which caused her features to soften. He was such a caring person that it brought her a sort of peace.

[I can't go,] she signed decisively. [Dritz might be able to help you. As soon as he sees me, he will probably accuse me of being the one behind it all.]

With a weak chuckle, Orion shook his head. "Ah, you're right about that. I'm really sorry about Fera, sometimes he's... impossible. But if you still want to come along with Dritz, you can stay in one of the outer rooms? He won't need to know you're there. That way you can still listen and help in some way if needed?"

Vela sighed, finding the human's use of the word "impossible" to be an understatement. [I still don't think I can help. But I'm willing to stay out of sight. I would prefer to, so I can be certain Dritz is alright. If that works for you?] She reached out to take her lover's hand, entwining their fingers together. Even if she wanted to be nowhere near the prince of Coronus, she was far too concerned for Dritz's safety when it was necessary.

Dritz couldn't help the frown on his face. He knew Vela was right; she knew a lot better than he did on the matter of her and Fera, but it still frustrated him. Even if the prince of Coronus was difficult, haughty, and looked down his nose at others... How could anyone dislike Vela? Okay, okay, he was biased, but seriously.

However, upon Orion's description of Fera as 'impossible', Dritz spotted the slightest flicker in Vela's gaze that made him want to laugh, were the situation not so serious. She was very good at keeping her composure, but he wondered if he spent long enough gazing at her that he could spot these things.

The suggestion was a good one. He did not wish to leave Vela in favour of the prince, harsh as that reality was. He smiled lovingly at the sensation of her fingers between his.

"'Course," he said, "But if you feel uncomfortable or upset, you don't have to stay, okay? You're sweet to come with us." He kissed her forehead firmly before turning back to Orion with a nod.

Vela agreed, already deciding she would not leave no matter what happened. She was determined to be there for Dritz when he needed her, and that would apparently mean dealing with fussy, annoying, difficult princes.

"Alright," Orion sighed as though he felt a great relief at this decision. "Thank you both, this means a lot to me. And it goes for both of you; if you ever feel like it's all too much, neither of you has to stay. I just hope, maybe... he's calmed down by now. A little."