[PRP] Backstage (Zindel - Chiara)

[Micillia]

 

[Micillia]

Chiara left her seat of honor in the stands and moseyed her way backstage. Zindel had a private room at this exclusive place, thanks to Chiara of course, and, since it was all thanks to Chiara, she pulled out the spare key. The blueblood sneered at the trolls that were blocking her path, probably flocking to the dance battle professional simply because she had picked out a skimpy, alluring outfit for Zindel tonight. The blueblood twirled the key on her finger as she made sure the gaggle of fans left, debating. Rolling her eyes, she decided to knock. Zindel was so lucky she was being so polite. It was his prize for winning the battle tonight. "Zindeeeeel!" Chiara sang, trying the door and readying her key.

quite uneventful

 

[quite uneventful]

He had gotten used to his boss visiting him on occasion after he finished a show, so it was no surprise to Zindel when the singsong voice of Chiara echoed into the room, following the quick sound of a key rustling outside. The redblood was still flushed but not sweaty, having thankfully managed to clean himself up on his way to the room. He adjusted his jacket, wearing fitted clothes he felt good in and rubbing his scruffy chin slightly. He quickly cleared his throat and opened the door with a welcoming smile. "Hey, Chiara," His voice sounded deeper now, no longer struggling to find itself between each puberty break. "Hoowww'd I do?" He asked with a tilt of his head, eager to know how his boss felt toward his last dance.

 

[Micillia]

Chiara was surprised to see Zindel open the door, but smiled and walked inside when he did. "It was pretty good," the blueblood started, taking a seat and crossing her legs. "Maybe practice on the whole "dodging attacks" thing a little more, but you won, so no complaints." The blueblood looked around the dressing room, sizing it up. "Is this really the biggest dressing room they have?" The blueblood quirked an eyebrow. "I thought I told them last time to bulldoze down the last rooms and build something decent for a change." The blueblood did not really care about room size for Zindel's sake, it was more of an insult in her direction. She knew it was a rather outrageous demand to have made, it made it more fun to watch others debate on calling her out on it or not. The blueblood stood up, sweeping Zindel over with her eyes. "Looking pretty good." She frowned when she noticed one of his scars, and ran a finger over the bare skin.

quite uneventful

 

[quite uneventful]

His smile spread into a half smile, chuckling a little before closing the door behind her. "Heyy, I've gotta keep the crowd guessing. They love a good underdog." He said lightheartedly, striding over to where she sat as she commented on the size of the room. Zindel arched an eyebrow. "I don't think it needs more to it. You know more than anyone I can stay just about anywhere." When she stood up, the redblood watched her come nearer, swallowing hard at her hand touching one of his scars. He tried to keep them unseen, but his collar scar was hard to conceal. He looked at her hand. "Yeah. It's alright. I try to cover them when I go on stage. No one sees them." Especially the ones on his back.

He sat down on the arm of the chair, pushing some of his hair away from his face and looking at her expectantly. "You seem happy." He stated, curious and in a teasing mood. "What's up, miss manager? Lured another troll into your clutches tonight?" He asked, seeming fairly amused. It was no secret Chiara brought many trolls over for her own special type of play, and most of the time he had to survive hearing it through the night. It wasn't fun. Hopefully this would give him some sort of heads up to spend the night at someone else's place.

 

[Micillia]

Chiara gave zindel a look and rolled her eyes. She kept tabs on him too, she knew how he liked to play as well. "Actually, yes, but in a business point of view. You might get yourself some little interns." The blueblood rested her chin on zindel's leg as he sat up on the arm of the chair. "How about that, huh? Zindel, having to go about teaching some wigglers how to move it." Chiara gave zindel a contemplative look. She had thought about hiring someone new to teach the new recruits, but why do that when she had a trained professional already. "Also, opened up a new place down in Chitten town, and they need a big name to come give the place an opening show."

quite uneventful

 

[quite uneventful]

He was keenly aware of her knowing his business, but it was always fun to tease. "Interns?" He asked, not sure he'd be comfortable with such. "You know I don't do well with wigglers." He murmured, slightly irked as his eyes followed her to his lap. "I can't deal with them well... Eh. I'll try it, but if they're too whiny, I'll drop it. Just so you know." Wiggles were tiny devils. He leaned back on the wall, nodding at her last request and releasing a chuckle. "Big name, huh?" He closed his eyes, resting his head on the wall. "We'll stop by, I'm sure."

Was he really a "big name", now? He couldn't believe it. Landing that part in the musical was already big enough in itself. And that was... Because of that interview with Regina.

The only reason he'd gone was because of Chiara.

He peeked over at her, carefully sliding a hand to her head and patting it softly. He smiled, not exactly looking at her face, but in her general direction. "Hey. You don't get this much from me, but. Thanks." He murmured, carefully sliding a hand through her hair and smoothing it out. "You've done a lot for me over the past couple sweeps."

 

[Micillia]

Chiara almost felt at peace enough to let him pet her head, and she did stop to enjoy it. She had never been vulnerable. Maybe once when she was very very young, with Indica, before she realized how rotten the beast was. But with another troll? Never. Finally the blueblood realized that zindel was in fact doing a rather sweet and endearing act, and she bristled.

Getting up out of the chair in a rush, Chiara gave Zindel a teasing look, trying to hide the rapid heart-beat in her chest. She felt the adrenaline of her conflicting feelings. Her fright (tho she would never say that word) of getting close to anyone combined with her want for more of those soft feelings left her feeling dizzy. The blueblood needed some idea of control, even if it was slight, and not really a thing. She pushed Zindel into the seat of the chair, choosing the advantage of height as her pathetic grasp at control, then she sat back in the chair, across Zindel's lap, a frown and a blue blush evident on her face. She gave zindel a challenging look, daring him to say something, then she warped her arms around his neck and hugged him, all the better to hide her face in his curly mess of hair.

quite uneventful

 

[quite uneventful]

Zindel was startled when Chiara tensed and pulled away, and Zindel immedeately pulled his arm away for fear of something happening. She looked... Indescribable? Her expression wasn't exactly happy, but it didn't look angry either. Zindel was puzzled and let out a small "hey!" when she shoved him off this arm of the chair, leaving him sprawled in an uncomfortable position on the chair.

Then she sat on his lap. He stared at her, a little shocked as she stared back at him with a defiant expression and fiercely blushing blue cheeks. Zindel gaped at the arms sliding around his neck, and saw how she a little awkwardly pulled him into a hug. He'd been tense at first, then gathered her up in his arms, pump biscuit beating rather firmly in his chest. He hoped she didn't hear it. What was she doing? The response he'd expected was something dry and taunting, like normal, but here she came and... Sat on his lap... and hugged him. He didn't know what to do. This wasn't like her. Was she trying to take advantage of him?

Or had she finally let down her walls to him?

She'd been blushing. She was hugging him, and seated on him. This wasn't something she'd deliberately planned. This was something she'd done, spur of the moment, because usually, she had everything planned, everything ready. Chiara was a very serious planner, to the point that even her expressions were carefully thought out when she wanted or needed something from someone. And yet. She'd shown him a moment of weakness.

This was his moment.

She was weak and hugging him and not acting like herself, and Zindel felt like he had one job to do. One job. One thing he wanted to achive since he'd been a kid, to destroy and despise her unromatically. He slid his hands to her waist, mouth pressed into a thin line. He was ready.

Except he wasn't.

Ever since she manipulated him to working for her, his quality of life had gone up. His... Everything had gone up. He'd been bumming off her and she'd brought him to stardom, becoming a major source of income for her. The Sultry Star, albeit not as famous, was becoming someone.

Zindel's hands on her waist suddenly felt like they were on fire, like touching her there was wrong. She'd done so much for him, but had that all been planned? Was she tricking him, tempting him on purpose? Or was she... Confiding in him? He never knew with her. He never knew anything with her. His hands gripped her a little tighter.

His hands pressed firmly into her skin, adjusting her position to pull her closer. He felt a little strange, a piercing desire in him telling him to go for it, just do it, but something in him told him not to. Something in him told him to hold back, that maybe, hugging him was something more innocent, more... Pale. Something in his chest sank. Using one of the arms behind her to hold her torso up, Zindel pressed her close to him, pulling her into his chest and hugging her tightly. If she wanted to be pale, or just needed a friend... He'd... Try. He felt a little part of him shrivel.

 

[Micillia]

Chiara felt him grip her, felt his heart beat and hers as well. Her hidden face in his hair flushed, more than she would ever admit. Was.. did he like her? Like that? If he was the first to act on it she would fallow, she just needed some kind of sign that she wouldn't get hurt for acting on her plumpbiscuit.

When Zindel's grip relaxed and he went into the hug she was surprised. She had wanted him to continue. She was too proud to initiate anything, too proud to push. But she wanted it. Chiara finally relaxed from when she had tensed under his tight grip. No, she didn't want it to be tense, and aggressive, she wanted Zindel tender, to love him softly. She pulled out of the hug only a little, enough to get her lips to his ear. But what did she say? What could she say that would confide in him all her feelings, yet leave enough not said to keep her from being entirely vulnerable. "Zindel..." she whispered, still unsure of her words. "Will you be with me, forever?"

quite uneventful

 

[quite uneventful]

Zindel kept her close, breathing in her scent and enjoying their closeness. He was trying really hard to keep himself locked down and not cross any boundaries, but. It was hard, and Zindel was bad at talking about his feelings. Her lips whispered into his ear, and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Forever? Zindel's eyebrows widened. Strangely, the thought of always being by her side didn't feel as bad as he expected it would. He released a breathy sigh, holding back the words he wanted to say-- She wasn't being clear in what, but he had a feeling forever wasn't red relationship-based. Her romances always ended up broken, so she... Definitely meant pale.

His pump biscuit sunk a little, eyes looking down. "I-I..." He wasn't good at being there for people. He was better at running, begging, stealing his way out of commitments. But... Chiara was one of the only trolls he'd do the stealing for. Etsali being the first, of course, but. "Uh... Yeeeeeeah?" He asked her, a little nervous. Normally, she was there for him, sacrificed things for him. And now, he guessed, he needed to do that for her, if he wanted to be with her?? Commitment was weird. "Uh, I mean." He cleared his throat before nodding. "Yeah. Yeah. I will." He felt like a kid, vulnerable and unsure.

 

[Micillia]

Chiara looked into Zindel's eyes as the redblood stuttered and her heart caught in her throat. He was... hesitant? She felt this pit where her bloodthumper was, when she realized he didn't know if he wanted her how she wanted him. It was to be expected, i mean, she was an a*****e to him from the beginning. He probably hated how she had gotten him to move in with her; a bird, captured in a cage. And she was the jailer. All this went running through her head in the few seconds of silence before Zindel cleared his throat.

Her chest felt too full then, when his next words came. "I will." She felt like a little wiggler again. A childlike sense of joy she used to have when her lusus would look her in the eyes, and actually care. Chiara felt a prickly barbed wire fence inside herself start to break down. She, yes, she was sure. She loved Zindel. She wanted to be a better person for him.

The blueblood was giddy, shy. A shyness she had never had before. She had gone into the whole red thing hard, with the other trolls that were pretty much throw-aways. She pretended like she knew what she was doing, and then she didn't get attached or hurt by anyone. But here? She was a child when it came to experience with real feelings. The only other real feelings she had had before were for Eridia. And needless to say she was punished for those ones.

Chiara swung off Zindel's lap, and grabbed his hand in hers, pulling him up to standing with her. She wrapped her arms around him again, hugging him, filling her chest cavity with this joyous feeling, this innocent love. The blueblood stepped back, taking Zindel's hand once more in hers, and squeezing it. "I, uh, ill see you later, okay?" Chiara put all of her feelings into that last word. She felt like she really could become a better person, and she wanted to, for Zindel.

quite uneventful

 

[quite uneventful]

Zindel had been a little startled when she suddenly jumped off him and grabbed his hand, tugged to standing a little awkwardly. He blinked, surprised as she pulled him into another hug. The redblood wrapped his arms around her, seeming a little hesitant, but trying to keep them firm. He placed his jaw ontop her head, pushing his feelings down. She always wanted him to work for him and be there for her. He could deal. Maybe it could... Become something more. His insides crumbled as regret seeped into his pores, but he stayed silent until she pulled back and squeezed his hands. He gave her a small smile, hiding only his desire to kiss her. "Yeah. I'll see you at the hive." He gave her a small wink, poking the small stretch of stomach that was visible to him. "Go do your buisnessy stuff. I'll be here." He'd always be here.