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Artistic Exuberance (Date Five - Day after the Gallery)

The raven-haired vampire stared at the three different sets of sheets, "Old Glory" quilt, and the moon-sun throw pillow sitting on the edge of her bed, taunting her, laughing, shouting "Hahahahah you'll never ever decide which to put on the brand new bed for your brand new apartment."

Connie Stone picked up the crowbar left behind by the construction crew - "Strange omen," she thought - and beat each of the wrapped sets of sheets once with it, quieting their imaginary voices. She shouted into the apartment,
"Nyah! How 'bout that!"

"Which do I want first, really?" She wracked her brain, trying to think of which one would be more comfortable first. It was the middle of August; her air conditioning kept it more than adequately temperate in the loft. A thought wormed its way into her brain from an area down below that had been overactive all day. "Which would -you- rather be seduced on?" She then dropped the navy blue flannel and white cotton sheets onto the floor and nudged them under the bed, leaving the black satin.

Picking up a pen and pad of paper, she wrote down, "modular closet, under-bed storage drawers, throw pillow to match quilt," then set it aside. Shopping lists were always an interesting chore. You write down the obvious things, but forget the important ones and end up in a tizzy trying to find what you need when it's almost too late.

Good thing she was neither male nor human, or she'd really be up shit's creek without a paddle when sex entered the picture.

And the combination of thoughts that just stampeded through her brain knocked her breathless, and she plopped onto the bed's surface...
"Have I really been trying to seduce her?"
"No, I haven't. I've been treating her the way I think she should be treated, the way she deserves to be treated."
"But what if that leads to, well, something more?"
"Isn't that the point of dates?"

Would she have been so forward about thinking, feeling, or even saying what she had to Nyra over the past five days - and she knew deep inside she'd been saying it because, in her opinion, it was the truth - if "it" weren't a possible eventuality?

Her mind and spirit shouted out, "YES!" as her head nodded and voice croaked to the ceiling,
"I sure would have. Everybody deserves to be told how wonderful they are."

Ignoring the familiar tug in her body that seemed to surface whenever she thought of Nyra (which actually was quite often) she flipped over and dug her nails into the heavy plastic wrap bundling the satin sheets.

She unfurled them slightly and separated out the elastic-bound mattress cover. Connie gripped the long side - though in truth, with a queen sized bed, "long" is relative - and flipped it, causing the far end to open further and to settle back down on the bed. She darted around, tucking in the corners, then flipped out the coversheet and tucked it similarly.
"Dad gummit, I need pillows." She jotted it down.

"Might as well put on the quilt," she thought, and she unwrapped that and flipped it too. The moon-sun pillow was set at the top.

Connie turned and looked at the remainder of the loft; it still needed a few things. Sofa, TV, stereo system. Computer and desk.

"Stupid me left my other list at work." She sighed, and trudged over to the island. Into her purse she dug, and she checked the time on her cell.

"Clock!" and she skipped back over to the pad of paper, wrote down "alarm clock," and then returned to the island.

She wondered as she looked around the loft for other things she'd need how Nyra had fared for sleeping and the cleanup at the Gallery...

Nyra 19 years ago
Nyra had slept in. Sunrise had come and gone before she dragged out of bed. Smiling sleepily she remembered Connie walking her to the door and giving her a soft kiss before sending her in. After a quick shower, Nyra was ready to face the day. She had sold well over two dozen pieces yesterday and needed to get painting.

Donning a pair of loose capris, tank top and smock, she began to work on sellable art. She had several wax sculptures in the fridge, half a dozen at the foundry being bronzed. That should help some.

Bertrand had informed her that he definitely needed two more paintings, but as many as she felt were ready would be welcomed. She could send home for some, but she had already picked through those and sent the best. It was time to paint more.

Her head full of ideas she began to paint. By 6pm she was still painting. Three canvases stood partially competed. She had a moonscape of the flowering arch in Vesper Gardens. Instead of Connie in the picture she had placed a pair of heels, discarded on the stone. Enticing and beautiful but not revealing. She loved this piece, even without detailing on the leaves and flowers it was beautiful.

The second one was half completed. A mountain range stood majestically with a tiny herd of cows wandering in a meadow. She needed to add the sunrise that would color the mountains gold and the cows warmly.

A picture window was featured in the third. An outline of a tabby cat in the sunbeam. It would be heartwarming when finished.

She had also sketched out two other ideas. Leaves on a branch, up close, golden sun streaming in through the cracks. The other was more vague because of the extensive details she wished to include. It had a forest, small meadow, single sapling in the sunbeam. She wanted to paint flowers, insects and animals all around this tiny tree.

Deciding now would be a good time to stop and start dinner, to which she had invited Connie over for. Stretching she washed her hands in turpentine, unaware of the large patch of green she had smeared in her hair.
Connie 19 years ago
Connie stood two paces from the bed closer to the door, and realized that, in addition to TV, VCR, DVD, and stereo, she'd need a coffee table, a few lamps, some art - of course, the pieces she'd chosen last night at the gallery showing were a very good baseline to work with - and some magazines. Of course, the only company she expected with in the next few weeks was Nyra, unless she met some other people at the remaining gallery showings. Surely Nyra'd met folks other than herself, having been here two weeks already.

She jotted down her further thoughts on the pad of paper and checked the time again. "Half an hour till I need to get over to Nyra's... Maybe I should go pick up that sparkling cider I forgot last night."

She slid her feet into her work shoes - "Must remember to get slippers" - and opened then shut the door. An ear quirked towards Nyra's place and heard industrious noises, but she decided to be punctual and not interruptual.

She hopped into her car, glad the day had gotten cloudy. Clouds were one of the only ways she was able to enjoy places she lived with as much natural light as possible, without bursting into a ball of flame.

The sparkling cider was chilled, which was nice, sometimes beverages needed to be enjoyed without the "tainting" of ice. Though for some reason a lot of restaurants put entirely too much ice in their tea, leaving Connie to call the beverage "tea'ed ice." Since there was more ice in the glass than tea... She heh-hemmed at the fat, disgusting clerk a couple times to get his attention, which seemed riveted to her chest, when she remembered that she'd unbuttoned a few fastenings when she got home for comfort before making up her bed.
"So are you goin' ta stare at my tits all night, or do I get to pay for the cider and go home?" she almost snarled. At least some men were a bit more subtle about the things they gawked at. Connie hated having her breasts being talked to. And she wasn't even that tall! Well not compared to some women.

The fat clerk ran a hand through his thinning hair which Connie noted was covered with grease from a platter of chicken just off to the side of the register. She then decided to call him Fatgrease. Only in her head, of course, or maybe jokingly with Nyra. Total was only 18.87; she slid a twenty across the counter and told Fatgrease to keep the change. She didn't want to put anything that guy handled into her purse.

It was as she exited the liquor store that she realized giving the fat, greasy, slovenly clerk a derogatory name which, while one hundred percent accurate, might not be something Nyra would wish to dwell upon, or even think of giving to someone.

How would Connie name herself? Inanebloodsucker?

No, she definitely didn't like that.

The drive back to the apartments was fraught with thoughts of whether or not she'd labeled people like that for very long; she realized that it was something she picked up in conjunction with her viewing of Sex and the City before the show ended. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, she never interacted with anyone who displayed any interest in the show, and never really gave her "new tendency" room to grow.

She decided to leave it die on the lot as she climbed from her car and fairly trotted up the stairs to their apartments. She stripped off her work blouse and tossed it into the corner (and wrote on her notepad, "Hamper!") before she headed over to Nyra's.

She hoped her chosen wardrobe of a navy blue camisole and a long, swishy matching skirt was sufficiently "fancy" enough for one of Nyra's dinners as she knocked on the artist's door.
Nyra 19 years ago
Busy cooking, Nyra almost didn't hear the knock at the door. She answered it, a bit surprised at the time; she let it get away from her again. Forcing the large sliding door open, she smiled at Connie. The woman looked fabulous!

"Good evening! C'mon in." She bustled back to the kitchen to her sizzling onions. Swiftly adding in the soy Bacon, she hoped her inattentiveness hadn't ruined their feast.

"Make yourself at home, I have to baby-sit this else dinner will be ruined."
Connie 19 years ago
"Definitely wouldn' want that, now would we?" Slightly sarcastic, but mostly sincere, Connie gave Nyra a kiss on her cheek as she moved past through the kitchen towards the refrigerator.

"Strange as it might soun'," she said as she put the bottle inside, noting most of the wax sculptures were gone, "even though I want to cook fer you, I can't imagine I'd do as good a job as you do meetin' yer needs. Mebbe with practice," she mused, though as the fridge door clumped shut she realized Nyra had just under two weeks left.

"Ask her."
"Don't ask her, she's got enough on her mind to deal with what with the gallery and all and you not being a selfish prat asking her to stay."
"Maybe that's all she needs is one better reason to stay than having a lot of artistic fans."
"And maybe it's all she needs to scare her away."
"Still haven't learned anything in two hundred fifty years, have you Stone?"

If it had been "kosher," Connie would have turned back to the door of the fridge and lightly bonked her head repeatedly against it. She turned back to Nyra and saw the woman standing before the stove, little apron dangling untied, splotches of paint here and there on the ties and shoulder straps. The look of concentration on her face nearly matched that she displayed when painting, and the corner of her plush lips that Connie could see was gently upturned in that perpetual smile she seemed to wear. Luscious curves, thick mop of hair, the curl of her lashes and wiggle of her body as she stirred brought a long-lost feeling of domestic yearning to the raven vampire's self.

"She's a sight I definitely would enjoy coming home to."
"Who are you kidding? You don't even need to work. You do it to keep yourself from getting bored out of your mind and so you don't go batshit insane from cabin fever."

The reason and emotion voices in her head just wouldn't shut up; Connie positioned herself in front of the fridge door, let her hands dangle at her sides, leaned forward, and thudded her head gently against the brushed stainless panel.
Nyra 19 years ago
She tried to resist the urge but failed miserably. As Connie bonked her head on the fridge, Nyra slid close and put her hand between the appliance and the beautiful head of her date. Thankfully it was the hand with the potholder in it, not the hand with the spoon she had been stirring with.

"How about you pour us something to drink rather than bash your pretty head against my fridge?"

She wanted to talk seriously during dinner but was, as always, inspired to paint. Connie's smoky eyes made her think of clouds racing across the sky. She could picture an ocean just as turbulent as the clouds in a blue grey tint as well. So you almost couldn't tell where one left off and the other began.

Perhaps dinner could wait. Thinking about it was her downfall. Dinner couldn't wait; no vegan 'cheese' sauce could sit around overlong. After dinner though, she would get out a blank canvas and put that thought down.
Connie 19 years ago
Connie gave the back of Nyra's hand a soft kiss and smiled at her. The southern accent thrummed as Connie explained, "Ah was just knockin' some naughty thoughts outta mah head, because you need to finish dinner, and I want to eat, and we should talk some, cause we haven' very much yet now have we."

She gave Nyra's pert bottom a gentle slap as she pushed her chefly self towards the range again, then dug out two glasses. She found two large-ish pasta bowls; one was a textured pale green, the other a slippery red. Forks, napkins, a serving fork all landed on the island, ready for Nyra's completed preparations.
Nyra 19 years ago
Nyra swiftly finished dinner. It was such a rich dinner; she had not planned any dessert. Hopefully Connie would not mind. Nyra drained the pasta deftly and added it into the sauce. The cauliflower could use a good smashing but otherwise it was ready too. Finishing up she set them on potholders at the island, so they could serve themselves.

"Bacon Spaghetti and Smashed Cauliflower!" Nyra deftly scooped up a serving of the creamy white sauce covered noodles for each bowl. She then added a bit of the chunky creamy veggie. It was a very rich meal, they could sack out on the bean bag chairs after though.

Placing the bowl in front of her date.
"For you my dear!"
Connie 19 years ago
"Bacon spaghetti? Ah must say, I've never had bacon on mah spaghetti..." Connie was slightly dubious of the combo - as a red-blooded American she certainly loved bacon, and as a woman who enjoyed eating as much as she did, she wouldn't turn down decent pasta... But combined?

The rich scent of the meal wafted past her nose, and she was instantly hooked.
"Okay, this is goin' ta be some pretty good stuff, idn't it."

Nyra seemed to have a secret smile curling her lips, and her eyes sparkled as Connie wiggled around Nyra to the fridge. "Can't ferget the cider!"

Pouring two equal glasses-full, she set the bottle back on the shelf and sat caddy-corner from Nyra. Picking up her glass, she intoned with a wide smile, "To Nyra, and her amazing prowess in both the creative arena as well as the chefliness zone."
Nyra 19 years ago
"And to Connie, an amazing woman who astounds me more every day." She gently clinked her glass to Connie's and took a sip. The cider was nice and cold. Such a thoughtful woman her date was.

The two began to eat but Nyra's mind wandered away from the amazing meal to the conversation she wished to have with Connie. How quickly their relationship had grown that she was already seeking advice from the goddess beside her.

The loft was silent until a quiet ringing started from Nyra's cell phone, on one of the boxes next to her sculpture supplies. With a hasty swallow and a mumbled "Excuse me" she went and answered it.


"Hi Mom!" With a bubbly hello but apologetic look to Connie, she sat down on her stool at the island.

"Just sitting down to dinner, actually." pause

"Its not that late Mom, I have company, can I call you back?" pause again

"Well Connie works nights so dinner happens later." pause "I promise, I will call you back tomorrow and tell you all about the opening party. Love you!"

another pause "Yes, I promise Mom. Have a good night."

With another apologetic look she blushed and put the phone down. "Sorry about that."
Connie 19 years ago
Connie watched and listened as Nyra conversed with her mother. After she disconnected, Nyra apologized, "Sorry about that." "No need to apologize, dear, Moms are important people to be talking to, especially at dinner time."

She couldn't help but grin around a mouthful of the pasta; after chewing and swallowing, she giggled to herself. Her accent nearly vanished as she commented, "So the annoying conversationalist wants to let me fill in Mom's half of the conversation that I missed. Mom said 'What're you up to,' and you answered dinner. She mentioned something about how late it is. You said it's not, and then she asked who you had for company that caused dinner to be 'so late.' You answered 'Connie works nights' but after that, I can't imagine what was said. You're a very hard person ta read on the phone."

Nyra opened her mouth, Connie guessed to apologize. She held up her hand, smiling warmly, her accent back. "No no, don't apologize, finish your spaghetti before it gets cold. We have until you want to go to sleep to chat an' all."
Nyra 19 years ago
Smiling, Nyra closed her mouth. A detailed explanation could wait for after dinner. She enjoyed the food greatly and was pleased to find it still warm enough to enjoy. Finishing the rich meal she sat back and watched Connie. Such a pretty woman who constantly amazed Nyra at her sensitivity and thoughtfulness.

Sipping her cider she decided to just lay everything out on the table.


"My mother is wonderful but I have never really left home, other than college, so she fusses. At home there are pretty well adhered to rules, we work when its work time and spend time together when its not. Our hobbies, the sewing, beading and such, are ok to do after working. When I told her we were just sitting down to dinner she reminded me of these 'rules' and asked why. Of course now she is fascinated but let me brush her off since you are here. I will have to call her tomorrow and tell her every detail about you to her satisfaction; else she may just show up some day."

With a blush and large sigh she picked up her bowl and washed it swiftly before turning around again.

"I apologize; I have been very thoughtless about anything except painting. I can do better, just need to remember to separate work from play."
Connie 19 years ago
"I'd love to meet your mother, to compliment her on her amazing, lovely, sweet, and talented daughter. Maybe learn a few embarrassing tales about you," she winked as she joked, and rose to join Nyra at the sink. She set her bowl and utensils in the sink, but paused before washing it.

She moved closer to Nyra and placed her hands around the woman's ample, yet sexy waist. "You have been anything -but- thoughtless. You've been a perfect hostess! If anyone has been thoughtless it's been me, coming over here four times already and this is the first time I've brought anything with me other than my appetite. Think about it?" she requested as she leaned into Nyra, searching her hazel eyes. "You've fed me each time I've been with you. You gave me a wonderful night at an art show and showed me some beautiful art. You rescued me from falling in the shower and trying to blind myself with hair dye. All I been doing is eating your food."

Connie couldn't remember where she picked up her sense of modesty or humility. She didn't much remember going to church when she was young. If anything, after the whole pirate kidnapping experience, she was filled with more fire and drive - which over the years settled into a low simmer - but she didn't think Nyra deserved to harangue herself needlessly.

"And starin' at yer ass and enjoyin' yer smile and yer warm comfy hugs and yer amazin' art, sexy voice, and a number of other things I've come to like aboutcha in the past week and a half, but ya know, not really counting because it's all part of one package - you - and I'm just digging myself into a hole of 'gushin' about how wonderful Nyra is' because I really should be savin' it fer when yer mom comes to town."
Nyra 19 years ago
Lip quivering she blinked back the tears. "Really, you come over to stare at my butt?" Hoping her voice was not as pathetically hopeful as she felt. Connie made her feel so very special, sexy and even worthy of the attention. Things she had not really felt before as a person. She couldn't grasp the meanings of any of the other comments as her mind clutched that admission.

"Will you still feel that way if I mention I had a flash of an idea when you came in and was wondering how soon I could go work on that. Which is not how I was taught to work as my mom so kindly reminded me. 'If it's not strong enough to survive the night in your head then the painting won't be worth it.'" She quoted her mother's favorite phrase and bit her lower lip. Not wanting to upset Connie but compelled to confess, she was torn. Feeling overly like a chastised child but hoping to be forgiven.
Connie 19 years ago
"Nyra, hon, if you want to, if the drive is theah, you don't need my permission to paint. I'm spending time with you, and I enjoy and appreciate that. There'll be times when I'll want to talk and not watch, but I don't mind watchin' you." Connie knew she was rambling, words just kept pouring out. "I imagine you went through quite a few pieces last night, so I would be remiss in not letting you replenish that. Of course you could also have some shipped from home, but it's gotta be fun to watch you paint! Of course, you still have an open invitation to paint me, too," she reminded her date, and felt color creep into her cheeks as her thoughts continued and spilled out, "whether it be painting of me or on me."

Her eyes widened and she buried her nose in Nyra's shoulder. "Shut up Connie, shut up Connie," she chanted to herself, muffled somewhat by skin.

Suddenly her head returned to its former position in front of Nyra, her hazel eyes wide.
"But I can't stop myself from talking or looking or wanting to touch or hear your voice or be near you, smell you, enjoy your company, learn from you, of you, with you."

She bit her lip to stop the words from cascading over the dam of her self control, not even caring her fangs were protruding a tiny, tiny bit, pretty much unnoticeably. It was the three words that almost fell onto the top of the pile, the pile marked "Pity Connie cause she's been alone so long" and "She's finally gone off the deep end" or maybe even "Things that shouldn't be said or they'll scare Nyra away" that she was trying so hard not to say, even though every fiber of her being wanted to shout it.
Nyra 19 years ago
Stunned and stimulated, Nyra raised her hands to Connie's face and gently stroked her lower lip with her thumbs.

"Perhaps we can sit down and have a nice long talk."

Gently turning Connie, using soft hands on her shoulders, then walked hand in hand to the futon, which was currently a couch. Sitting the beauty down on one side she took the other and faced her, her left foot under her right leg. Softly starting the conversation she continued to hold each of Connie's hands in her own.

"I have never had a relationship with a woman. In fact, I have barely had any relationships ever. Mostly they were dating me because we had mutual art interests or to say they were because of my art. You have always looked at me, as a person first, which is so unusual it almost makes me cry with joy."

She took a deep breath but continued on before Connie could interrupt.

"The thought of staying away from home in Oregon frightens me, but leaving you scares me even more. I don't want to leave. I have enough commissions that may require me to stay anyways, but that aside, I want to. It doesn't matter where this relationship ends up, I don't want to end it before it begins. So I will be calling the realtor and extending my lease if possible."

She hoped that her feelings were properly coming through her words; she always had such trouble expressing things by talking. Again she continued before Connie could say anything.

"I know I have flaws, large gaping ones if others are to be believed. But I promise to work very hard on those or compromise to continue exploring this relationship. I want to be completely honest; I know I am not perfect. I get distracted, buried in my work, covered in paint, do silly thoughtless things because I am thinking more of art than what's happening. I also have a tendency to mother which could explain why I keep making you come here so I can feed you, it's a compulsion! I apologize."

"I miss you when you are not here, even when I am painting, I know you're not here. I would like to be with you more, if you want. However you want."

Taking a deep breath to shore up her courage.

"I guess, if you want me, I am willing to be yours, as a friend, lover, companion, however you wish it."
Connie 19 years ago
Connie's brain momentarily seemed to stop working as her heart jumped up and started yelling, "Oooh, pick me, pick me!"

She could feel the trail of a tear on her cheek; the cool globule resting on her lip as she stared at Nyra, almost open-mouthed.

When her brain finally re-engaged, before the silence and lack of response would have been uncomfortable, she nodded, her lips parting in a wide smile.

She realized she still had Nyra's warm, soft hands in hers, and pulled the shorter, wider, smarter, sweeter, cuter, nicer woman into her arms, giddy and happy.
Nyra 19 years ago
Nyra took the hug as a yes and snuggled into Connie's embrace, happy as a cat curled up in a sunbeam. Her head resting on the beautiful goddess' shoulder gave her ample opportunity to snuggle close.

After a while she could no longer restrain herself. Gently placing a kiss on Connie's neck she snuggled closer, inhaling the sweet scent of her soon to be lover. Her hand gently stroked the small of Connie's back. Soft kisses slowly crept upwards to the tender spot behind her ear. Nyra nuzzled the silky black locks with her nose as she continued to land gentle kisses on Connie's neck and ear.

She revelled in the joy and heat that lapped over her, filling her to overflowing. Her only hope was that Connie felt it too.
Connie 19 years ago
Nyra's teasing kisses along her neck and ear, her soft caresses against her back drew a shiver from Connie. She leaned back, pulling her beauty onto her, lying on the couch. Her free hand came up and brushed Nyra's hair from her face, then stroked down her back and cupped her bottom, pulling herself lower under the artist, trying not to disengage those searing lips from her. Travelling back up Nyra's side, her hand slid beneath the shoulder of the bright yellow, paint-spattered smock, her own lips seeking the silky skin there.

Part of her wanted to tear it from Nyra, but mostly she wanted to allow the younger woman, the amazing artist, the tentative lover to explore.
Nyra 19 years ago
Groaning at the feelings Connie's lips elicted from her, not to mention her tender touches. The overwhelming urge to move closer warred with the need to roll on her side so she didn't squish the smaller, though taller woman. Mentally berating herself for not having the futon set up as a bed did not stop her from stringing kisses along Connie's collarbone.

The soft skin under her lips was smooth and sweet; Nyra felt she could become addicted to it. Before she could reach the lush cleavage beneath her, she proped herself up a bit and looked at Connie's flushed face. It was a struggle but Nyra found her voice, husky and low.


"Would you like to stay like this or spend the time and effort to open this futon up? Of course, I have seen what a beautiful bed you have just a few steps away, that would fit the bill quite nicely as well."
Connie 19 years ago
Nyra's lips burned a trail from her ear, down her neck, and across her collarbone. Her eyes fluttered open when Nyra stopped and her weight vanished somewhat from her body; her voice, throaty with desire asked if Connie wanted the futon spread to bed-style or if she wanted to repair to the new bed in the apartment across the hall. Connie's gaze caught Nyra's.

"Uh huh." Her voice cracked with lust as she leaned up on her elbow and kissed Nyra's nose. She couldn't help but whisper as she said, "I haven't even used it for sleepin' yet. But I can' think of any better way to introduce us to it."