Paracelsus's Table

The “Front Door” Inn

When Sophia and Peppita had finished at the flower shop they came back to the hotel and put the flowers in each room. They tried to talk to Maria but she wasn’t in the mood for conversation.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with us to check out what the clothing shop has? I bet you’d look really cute in a new dress.” Sophia said with a sweet smile.
“No thanks, I’m not that kind of girl.” Maria said with a frown.
“Come on, every girl is that kind of girl, don’t you want everybody to see how pretty you are?” Peppita said handing her a purple orchid. Maria looked at it and turned it into a wilted rose.
“Suit yourself,” Sophia said with a sigh, she couldn’t tell why Maria was in such a bad mood. She hadn’t known her long, but ever since Mirage had joined their party Maria seemed to be on edge. “We’ll be arranging flowers in the other rooms for awhile if you change your mind,” She said softly. In the hallway Peppita took half of the flowers left from the basket.
“I’ll go put these in the room over there, how about you take the back room. I want to finish before the shop closes.” Peppita said dancing off to the next room.
“Okay.”

The back room was dark when Sophia opened the door, but she got the feeling that the room wasn’t empty.
“Hello?” she said peeking her head in the door way, she heard a sniffle come from the corner. “Fayt?” she asked walking over to the bed and reaching to turn on one of the lamps.
“Don’t… my head hurts,” He said softly.
“Oh, do you want me to go see if they have any medicine at the grocery store?” she said feeling against the wall for the pocket where she could slip in some flowers.
“No, that’s okay.”
“Fayt, what’s the matter? You sound depressed.”
“I’m fine Sophia.”
“Are you sure? Did you get in a fight with Cliff?”
“Why would that matter,” He asked dully.
“Well he’s your best friend, isn’t he? I mean it’s been over two months since you saw anyone from college and even then you never talked about anybody in particular.”
“They’re probably all dead aren’t they? The Executioners decimated earth.” Sophia stared down at her hands. There was no way that she could argue with that, the Federation’s fleet had been all but destroyed before they went to Styx the first time, there was no telling how much damage the Proclaimers, Executioners and Convictors could have done since then.
“You told me that Cliff took care of you, ever since you landed on Vanguard III,” Sophia said softly, walking over to the corner of the room. She sat down next to him and did not notice when he flinched.
“Yeah, at first I didn’t know what to do when my escape pod crashed… but Cliff came and said he’d look after me.”
“He is pretty reliable; I know you can count on him.” She said trying to comfort him. Fayt frowned in the darkness; he didn’t need to hear how great Cliff was, not right now. “I know that we’ll be able to do it, to beat the Creator.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I’m with you,” She said with a giggle, her hand groping in the dark until she found his. “I always feel safe with you here.” She said leaning her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulders and stroked her hair softly.
“I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I know.” She said closing her eyes as she lay against him. They just sat there comfortably and Fayt felt some of his confusion and embarrassment melt away. Sitting there with her warmly snuggled into his side he felt a kind of peace that he hadn’t felt since his father died and they found out that ‘god’ was trying to destroy their galaxy.
“Hey Sophia,” He said resting the bridge of his nose on her head, her hair smelled sweet like lilacs.
“Yes Fayt?” She asked tilting her head up to look at him and flushing lightly as her nose brushed against his, his eyes were deep shimmering pools of blue.
“You wouldn’t mind… sharing a room with me, would you?” Sophia gasped and blushed a deeper red. She nodded shyly, and the air seemed to warm around them.
“What about Cliff, who is he going to room with?” She said, leaning her head down and fiddling with the gold ring on her that Peppita had given to her.
“Maria or Nel or Mirage,” He said simply. There was pounding on the door.
“Sophia, are you ready to go?”
“Peppita?” Fayt asked lifting an eyebrow. Fayt stood up reluctantly and lit the lamp with a fireball.
“Fayt?” Peppita said, opening the door and hiding behind it.
“Peppita, what are you dong here?” He asked walking over to the door.
“I was looking for Sophia?” She said shyly.
“You know what I mean.”
“I followed you guys from the Moonbase…” She was staring down at her shoes.
“You mean you came all this way alone?”
“I just wanted to help… you aren’t going to send me home are you?” Peppita asked she looked up at him with shimmering dark green eyes.
“Nah, you came a long way to help us, we can’t just leave you.” He said with a smile.
“Yay! I knew you would understand!” She said jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. He chuckled softly and then set her down on the floor. “So, are you ready to go?”
“Yeah,” Sophia said with a smile. “I’ll be back a little after dark,” She said turning to Fayt, she couldn’t quite look at him.
“Alright. Peppita, you don’t mind rooming with Nel and Maria tonight do you?”
“Yeah I guess I was kind of hoping I’d get to share a room with Sophia, but that should be okay.”
“Thanks.”

“Biting Kid” Tavern

Cliff walked over to Nel and Mirage’s table; they looked like they were really enjoying themselves so he felt a little bad for interrupting them.
“Hey ladies, having a good time?” He asked with a little smirk.
“Yes, Cliff we are.” Mirage said passing him her half empty glass. He gulped it all down and nodded his thanks.
“We were just getting to know each other better.” Nel said with a big smile.
“I bet you are.”
“Nel is an interesting women, I don’t know how you managed to keep your hands off her all this time,” Mirage said with a chuckle.
“It was tough, but I did have my eye on something else.”
“I see. So how was the Inventor’s Guild?”
“Ah we found some worthless game and a couple of potions that were worth a little Fol, but nothing too exciting.”
“Where’s Fayt?” Nel asked raising an eyebrow. Since she had met Cliff and Fayt it wasn’t often that she found one without the other.
“Ah, he was worn out after playing that game, he probably went back to the hotel… by the way Mirage, you want to bunk together? It’ll be like old times… well not exactly like old times,” He said sheepishly.
“I thought that you boys would be rooming together…”
“I just missed you Mirage, you just barley joined us.”
“Well I suppose, if you promise to be a good boy.”
“Hah, you act like I’m just a kid; I’m almost ten years older than you Mirage.”
“Maybe, but you certainly don’t act it.” She said with a chuckle.
“Well, how about I get us a second round?” Cliff asked, picking up Nel’s glass and heading toward the bar.

The “Front Door” Inn

“Hey,” Fayt said as he entered Maria’s room.
“Don’t you know how to knock?” She asked looking up at him with a frown.
“How come you’re sitting around all alone?”
“I could ask you the same thing.” She said staring down at her cuticles.
“I was… tired. But why didn’t you go with Mirage and Nel, or go looking around with Sophia?”
“…Mirage is kind of like a mother and I don’t know Nel or Sophia very well; I doubt that I have very much in common with either of them.” She said with a pout.
“You could have come with me and Cliff… that probably would have been better.” He mumbled to himself.
“I didn’t want to intrude,” Maria said turning to look out the window.
“You wouldn’t be intruding, we’re all friends here Maria. You even went through the same thing as Sophia and I; of course you two have something in common.” He said scratching the back of his head.
“She wanted to go clothes shopping; I’m not exactly the type to go out looking at dresses and skirts.” She said softly, still staring out the window.
“I think you’d look good in a dress.” She turned and looked at him incredulously.
“Why would you say something like that?”
“It’s true.” He said with a shrug. “You’re a pretty girl Maria. You know I really wish you hadn’t run away from the federation, you probably could have grown up with Sophia and I. If my father had known…” He paused as he saw her eyes shimmering.
“You really think so?”
“Of course.”
“You’re too soft… you don’t make a very good leader,” She said softly.
“You really think so?”
“No… you are a much better leader than I was.” Maria said looking up at him, a lone tear streaking down her cheek.
“I don’t think that Cliff would have put you in charge of Quark if he didn’t think that you were a good leader. Everyone on the Diplo seemed to look up to you.
“Maybe… but there’s a difference between respect and friendship,” She said staring down at the sheets.
“Well, just in case you were wondering, we’re friends.” He said with a soft smile. “And I know for a fact that Sophia wants to be your friend… Maybe she could help you find a pretty dress.”
“Why do you keep trying to put me in a dress?” She asked with a little smirk.
“Hey deep down I’m still a guy and I like to appreciate beautiful women every once and awhile.” He said grinning back at her.
“Sounds like Cliff has been rubbing of on you,” Maria said with a chuckle. She didn’t notice the way that Fayt’s smile faded for a moment.
“Well, how about we go over to the Eatery across the street and get ourselves a meal. You can tell me all about growing up in Quark… or not whichever you prefer.” He said reaching a hand out to her.
“That sounds nice,” Maria said wiping off her cheek before taking his hand.

Lility’s fine Clothing shop

“Wow, everything is so expensive.” Peppita said with a frown “Do you think we have enough to get anything?”
“We have plenty.” Sophia said looking over a tight fitting pink dress with a coursed around the chest; it would reveal a good amount of cleavage.
“You think that Fayt would like that?” Peppita nudging Sophia in the side.
“Why would you suggest something silly like that?” Sophia said blushing lightly.
“Well I just figured that I would be rooming with the other girls because you were going to be with Fayt.”
“Yes… but it’s not like that…”
“Isn’t it?”

The “Front Door” Inn

Mirage and Cliff settled into their room quietly, there was a certain familiarity that did not require any small talk or awkward chatter, they simply relaxed and got ready to sleep off the substantial about of alcohol that they had consumed. Peppita and Nel got along fairly well, Nel told her about all of the fairytales of Aquaria and she listened intently. Maria listened quietly as she tinkered with improving her new laser riffle. Sophia set down the package containing her new dress and sat on the corner of one of the beds quietly.
“What did you get?” He asked with a smile, he didn’t particularly care but he had learned that Sophia cared and it made her happy when he was willing to listen.
“Oh I got a new dress…” she said softly.
“Can I see it?”
“…Okay, but no peeking while I’m changing.”
“Yes ma’am” He said as he turned around and looked out the window at the stars. “The sky looks so different now... like now that I know it’s a program it doesn’t seem so endless. Everything is different now,” Fayt said turning to her. She was wearing a pink dress with a corset carefully decorated in gold that pressed her breasts tight together against her chest. Her skirt fanned our and barley covered her thighs. Her hair was up in a pink ribbon and she wore simple pink shoes and her normal long stockings.
“What do you think?” she asked biting her lip nervously.
“It’s nice.” He said with a big smile. “Everything really is different now…”
“It is different, but is that such a bad thing?”
“No… not unless we lose.” Fayt turned back to the window and unzipped his shirt and then the shirt underneath. He folded them neatly and set them in a pile then pulled off his gloves and elbow brace. Next he unbuckled his boots and set them at the foot of his bed, then took off his sheath and set it down next to them, he started to take off his pants and then looked up at her and flushed a deep pink. “Sorry… I’m used to rooming alone… They always gave us each a room in the castles and on the starships…”
“I know it was too expensive to buy a room for everyone.” She said as she slipped her dress off and folded it back up. She slipped off her shoes and stockings and put on a pink tank top and a small pair of shorts. She walked over and sat down on Fayt’s bed. “You don’t have to wear that to bed on my account.” She said with a little smile.
“Sophia…” He said looking down at her apprehensively. He walked around the other side of the bed and turned the lamp off and then took off his pants and added them to his neat pile of clothing. Fayt stood in front of her in silence for a long moment the pale moonlight made her skin glow as she slipped off her tank top. She covered herself almost reflexively but looked up at him meaningfully. “Sophia, we haven’t even kissed yet…” he said weakly.
“So kiss me.” She said putting her hand on his stomach lightly. He took her hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing the back gently and then he knelt down in front of her and looked her straight in the eyes. He rested his hands on her bare shoulders lightly, she was warm and her skin was unbelievably smooth. Fayt leaned in and gave her a soft chaste kiss on the lips and then leaned back on his heels and smiled at her.
“You don’t just want to do this because the world might be ending soon, do you?”
“Don’t joke about that Fayt,” She said with a frown. “You know why… If you don’t feel the same way then it’s okay…” He caressed her cheek gently and tilted her head up and kissed her more tenderly, one hand roaming over the creamy skin over her shoulder blades where he drew small soothing designs to help her relax. He stood up and offered his hand to help her up. Sophia blushed deeply as he looked at her; she opened the bed and climbed under the covers. She tossed her shorts and panties out on the other side and peeked out from under the covers at him as he neatly removed his boxers. She sunk into the covers more as he focused on his groin. He chuckled and climbed under the covers with her; he pulled her into his arms flush against his chest and kissed her hotly. He tried to empty his mind of everything that had happened that day, in the last couple of weeks even to take comfort in her soft arms and slow kisses. He rolled her over gently and positioned himself on top of her and kissed her deeply as he pressed into her. She whimpered into his mouth as he slowly inched his way inside of her. He kissed her and held her tightly as he gently rocked inside of her and held her tightly long afterwards

Fayt stared out at the stars as Sophia lay sleeping on his chest, he looked down at her as she sighed against him and then turned back to look out the window. Everything felt so different than when his journey had begun and in the same day he had had his first kiss and made love for the first time. It was all very confusing and slightly unsettling but he pushed the thoughts from his mind as he closed his eyes and snuggled into the warmth next to him.