Digging in the Dirt, part 1
#7 of CASINO NIGHTS
This chapter really began to showcase the number of relationships in the series. By the this point, the relationship between Xander and Regina is getting serious.
However, I also wanted to develop the relationship between Ursa and Regina as well... And this particular storyline finally offered me a chance to bring the two of them together.
. o.o.o.
CASINO NIGHTS
" Digging in the Dirt, Part 1"
.o.o.o.
Xander made his way down the corridor of the station. Something was amiss... He understood now that he had stumbled into something that had been going on for some time. Even now- there were things about it that didn't add up. For starters, there was the fact that no one really knew why Rex had left. He also guessed that some of the staff knew more than they were letting on- like Regina, but he didn't want to press her too hard at the moment...
However, Ursa has told him that Rex had rigged up cameras all over the station to indulge in his little fetish. As the Information and Systems Specialist, Rex was in a position have both the necessary technical skill and access to resources... but to what end? As far as Xander could guess... the one who who knew the true extent of the snooping was Rex himself- and he had seemingly vanished.
Suddenly, realization struck him and he paused in the hall. What if... Rex had seen something he shouldn't have? After moment's consideration, he shook his head. Surely he was reading too much into this. The Nirvana was a fancy resort station- not a high security research center or a military instillation. "No, 'Cloak and dagger' theories just don't seem to suit this place..." He reasoned.
The wolf quickly shrugged off the thought and continued on his way towards the transport lift. He stopped outside the door and pressed the large panel to signal it. He had to get caught up with his work... he'd been rather distracted by the incident with Regina. ...Not that he was complaining, mind you. Still, he needed to get caught back up so that he could clear out his schedule for a little while- he wanted to spend some more time with her.
The doors slid open and he stepped into the lift. After he entered the level number on the panel, he leaned back against the wall and exhaled. He was hoping that thing would work themselves out in the end- hopefully in a painless manner.
This was a good job in a trendy location. The station was a good place and there was certainly a good deal of 'recreational activity' to be found. Xander hadn't really been paying attention to the indicator, so he looked up quickly when the felt the lift slow down. The doors opened in a smooth, fluid motion... He promptly smiled when he saw Ursa standing at the doorway, the curvaceous rabbit quickly strode into the lift with him.
"Hi love," She began in a sweet tone. "I heard about Regina... Is she going to be alright?" The rabbit asked him in a genuine tone. He noted that she was wearing one of her usual business suits- white blouse with a dark blue vest and form-fitting matching skirt. She reached up and loosened her dark red necktie, before running her hand through her luxurious blond locks.
The gray wolf regarded her. Truly, she was a knockout- with a killer figure, long legs, flowing shiny blond hair and bright blue eyes. He noted how her ears twitched slightly as she looked at him- adding a certain cuteness to her overall appeal. Then of course, she was built for sex... as she'd proven numerous times! He cleared his throat and smiled at her. "That's really nice of you," He began. "Actually, Regina is doing a lot better... and she's staying with me." He finished, whispering the last part.
Ursa perked up at the last bit of information, her blue eyes twinkling. "Well, it looks like I've got competition, eh?" She remarked jokingly as she leaned against him and traced her finger down across his chest through his shirt. "Though I wouldn't mind getting to 'know' Miss Regina a little better." She added deviously.
The wolf laughed at the insinuation. "Well, it's a thought- I'll give you that much." He replied as the lift came to a stop and the door quickly opened. He conceded to the rabbit. "Still," He began. "Not that I don't love your company- but what are you doing on this level?" He asked her softly.
The two of them stepped out of the lift and Ursa leaned against the wall, folding her hands behind her back and smiling at him. She admired his strong, toned body (wondering how- and why- exactly he got into such a technical field of work...) "It's my day off," She began. "So I figured I might come see my new favorite boy on the station." She offered, propping a heel-clad foot up against the wall as she spoke.
Xander leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "I don't suppose you could do me a favor?" He asked, their forehead touching and causing the rabbits wavy blond locks brushing against his nose as he spoke.
Ursa looked up into his eyes. "Depends... what do you have in mind, handsome?" She asked, reaching up and placing a hand on his shoulder and rubbing it slightly. "I can always make time for you." She added coolly.
He blushed slightly and glanced off to the side. "Actually, this time, it's something different." He began. "I'd really appreciate it if you could keep an eye on Regina. I'm still a little worried about her- she's not completely back on her feet yet." He explained with a smile.
The rabbit looked at him for a moment and noted the card key he was offering her. She smiled at him and took it. "Normally, I wouldn't get involved in something like this, but you're lucky- I like you." She commented, tucking the card into the waistcoat pocket of her vest. "I like you a lot... and I like Regina, though not in the way you're thinking." She added with a smile. "...At least not yet." She quickly added with a wink.
He smiled down at her and leaned in, brushing his lips across her softly. "Ursa... something tells me I can trust you, it's a gut feeling- but I've always believed in instinct." He told her with his eyes closed as he leaned against her.
She blushed at his words. "That's the... the nicest thing anyone's ever told me." She remarked. She looked back up at him and smiled attractively. "Well then, Xander... I hope I don't disappoint you." She finished.
.o.o.o.
Regina blinked as she looked up at the silvery panels in the ceiling overhead. She was laying on Xander's bed... in his quarters. The wolf had been insistent that she spend her convalescence period with him. He'd left earlier to get caught up with his work.
She knew she was being selfish, but she was missing him already. The reptilian woman wondered if she was getting attached to him- certainly things had passed the point of a casual friendship... the wolf had been more intrigued than bewildered by her outburst and even appeared to want to pursue a relationship- with her of all people! She was baffled by this- Regina had always viewed herself as rather dull, certainly not as glamorous as other girls, like Ursa.
Still, 'he' had seemed interested in her... much in the same way that Xander now was. She wondered if the similarities were just a coincidence or there was something that the wolf genuinely liked about her. Her cold-blooded nature made her pessimistic, but things really were looking up. She glanced off to her side as when she heard the door slide open.
Regina was about to call out his name, but became quiet when the white rabbit strode into the room, radiating warmth and friendliness. Her bright blue eyes and semi-curly golden tresses caught the soft natural lighting of the room as the two of them locked gazes. The door closed behind her closed and she walked over to the side of the bed. Pulling up a chair, she situated herself beside the bed.
Regina sat up, trying to keep her gown from riding up on her in the process, and regarded the rabbit. Ursa smiled unassumingly at her. "Regina..." She began. "You and me are going to get to have some 'girl time'." She announced happily.
Regina regarded her dully, brushing a few dark dreadlocks out of her face. "Well aren't I lucky..." She droned out in a vaguely sarcastic tone of voice. The lizard didn't necessarily dislike Ursa (and surely never thought to judge her proclivities and sexual dalliances), but there was something about the energetic girl that put her off.
Ursa pouted faintly as the seeming rejection, but merely brushed it off for the sake of diplomacy. "Really Regina, there's no reason why the two of us can't be friends- I'd like to get to know you better." She offered. "I'd like to think we have more in common than you might think we do." She spoke, placing her hands on her lap as she leaned forward.
Even the cold-blood woman found it was hard to stay mad at her. Regina smiled faintly- Ursa had her on one count... "You mean Xander?" She asked in a sly tone.
Ursa smiled at her. "Well, of course there's that," She began, either failing to grasp the insinuation or batting it back at her with unabashed candor on her part. "But to be honest- you've got one on me..." She added cryptically, meeting the yellowish eyes of the other female. "He likes me, and you can guess that I've had sex with him."
Ursa continued. "But what he feels for you is something more... even I can see when I'm beat." She added. "But I'm a big girl and I'm grown up enough to know when it's time to bow out gracefully- and that time has come." She explained. "I've never been ashamed of my life-style, but I'm not some sort of home wrecking whore- so I'm stepping back to give you and Xander the space you both need."
Regina was aghast at the declaration... even somewhat moved by it. She glanced down for a moment and then looked back up at Ursa again. "I miss him..." she spoke in a strained tone. "Rex was the only one who ever seemed to like me as a woman... that ever made me feel attractive." She mused. "And yet knowing that you were spending time with him made it hard for me to keep up a brave face..." She continued. "My kind aren't really built for these sort of feelings... infatuation and romantic love makes my head spin- literally!" She confided
She paused and looked at Ursa intently. "I know the nature of the game... And I know that Xander cares about you too." Regina explained. "I certainly can't drive you away now- not when I need allies... er, friends more than ever." She admitted. "When I really stop and think about things, I guess what I'm really scared of is being alone."
Regina glanced up when she felt Ursa place her soft warm hand on her cool sleek one. She smiled at the green lizard, who laced her fingers into hers- the clawed digits contrasting with the rabbit's manicured ones. "It's alright... you don't have to feel alone anymore." She spoke softly. "Xander cares about you, and you also have me... if you want."
Regina smiled back at her- sincerely and heartfelt. "Thanks."
.o.o.o.
Rick looked down at the data pad and then placed it back down on top of his desk and straightened his jacket. "The numbers are good enough, but there are still a couple of areas that could be better..." He remarked as he looked over at Grace.
The she-wolf leisurely smiled at him while she sat daintily on the nearby couch in the office. She leaned back a little and crossed her arms. Her dark hair was done up in a bun, giving her a slightly 'severe' look.
Grace was wearing a pair of of dark gray-blue trousers and a white, sleeveless top with a little broach fixed to the collar (her dark gray-blue blazer was hanging on the rack near the door). "In matters of profit, I'm sure you'll see to it that the Nirvana is thriving." She paused, rubbing her chin with one hand. "We'd do well to be more concerned with the activities of the staff."
Rick sat back down behind his desk and rotated in his chair, presenting himself in profile as he mused over things. He'd already removed his coat, so his light brown vest (and dark organge tie) was visible over his white dress shirt. "Yes... the last thing we need is for something else to happen. ...We had enough trouble replacing Rex."
Grace adjusted her glasses and leaned forward from the couch. "Speaking of trouble... I'm sure you're aware that Miss DeLane has arrived." She commented. "As head of personal, I'm not totally comfortable with her being around."
"Hah! And just in time to get the cabaret fired up again!" Rick barked, whirling around in his chair to look directly at Grace. "Vicky is a peacock girl; she's a glorified chorus dancer." He added, reaching across the desk to pick up one of his data pads. "Don't tell me that the big tough 'Wolf' is troubled by the presence of a lone 'Fox' in our garden?" He asked with a devious smile.
Grace reached up and removed her glasses and looked over at the coyote with a strange grin on her face. "I have more important things to worry about than a single troublesome fox- I am the head of personnel." She retorted. "For one thing, I'd advise you to keep your eyes focused on current events- such as the fact that the chief systems engineer was recently incapacitated." She added as she rose to her feet to retrieve her coat.
The coyote dropped the data pad back down on the table and glared at her. "Don't lecture me about that- Regina is a special case, and you know it!" He countered. "There's no way I could replace her without shutting down this entire place for months while having a new engineer trained." Rick continued. "...And need I remind you that the GPA recognizes Ichthillians as an Class-2 Ethnic Minority- her kind an endangered species!"
The wolf leaned back- chuckling a bit- and folded up her glasses, which she then tucked back into her breast pocket of her dark jacket. "Of course, how silly of me to forget... Good bless the Galactic Planetary Alliance." She commented dully while running her hands through her long dark hair.
.o.o.o.
"For someone as laid back as you, you sure know how to keep up your appearance." Ursa commented as she watched Regina sort through her belongings. The two of them had made a run back to the scaly woman's quarters to get some proper changes of clothes for her.
Regina slipped her gown up over her head and tossed it aside. She quickly slipped off the clinical white underwear she had been wearing- leaving herself briefly nude, under the gaze of her rabbit companion. Regina quickly pressed a button on her stainless metal dresser, and her underwear drawer slid open. The Ichthillian picked up a rather nice lacy black pair and slipped it on. "I never really thought much about it." She spoke while grabbing a couple more and setting them down on the bed.
Ursa watched as the reptilian woman continued setting out clothing. "Wow, you really don't use bras, do you?" She asked suddenly.
Regina turned around to face her- her modest breasts still uncovered. "Well, unlike you my dear, I don't really have enough to warrant wearing a bra." She replied with a smile, making Ursa blush slightly. "And anyway, I rather like how it feels to go without one." She added with a smile.
Ursa collected herself. "But things like lingerer aren't really for support- they're more for show." She replied sagely, causing Regina to roll her eyes. The rabbit regarded her, noting Regina's long black dreadlocks, swaying slightly as she moved about. "I was wondering about something," She began. "Why do you always wear your hair like that?"
The lizard grinned at the question. "I'd like to say that it's a fashion statement, but it's a functional choice." Regina replied as she placed her hand on a panel on the side of her closet, making the door part to the side. She retrieved a pair of black pants with red trim and slipped them on, along with a matching sleeves black and red top.
Regina sat back down her bed before continuing. "We Ichthillians evolved in a dry arid climate and have naturally kinky hair, so the only way to do anything with it is to bind it up or thread it into dreadlocks." She finished, reaching up and flicking her hair for a effect while giving a smile.
Ursa sat down on the bed, next to Regina- who was busy pulling a pair of boots on with zips on the sides. She propped herself up with her hands and crossed on leg over the other- the shoe hanging off the end of her foot.
"I have to be honest," The rabbit began, looking over at Regina, who paused under her gaze and looked back at her. "There's something about you I really like." A silence quickly fell between them.
Ursa leaned forwards and brushed her lips against the other woman's. The momentary contact sent shivers through the green woman. The rabbit reached up and tipped her chin slightly to kiss her on the lips- Regina sighed as she savored the sweet taste of Ursa's soft lips on hers. After a moment, the rabbit pulled back a little and smiled. "Xander will be waiting for you- but we can continue another time if you like."
(- End of Chapter 8 -)
.o.o.o.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. One thing I don't think I've made all that clear is how I visualize the characters. (I really need to get some pictures of them up!)
As you can guess, Ursa's ears stick straight up. The foxes (like Vicki) and felines (like Mimi) have ears more on the top of their heads. However, the wolves and other canines (like Xander, and Grace) have more "elfish" ears- that is, they're elongated and jut out more from the sides.
Their faces are more subtle too, with noses and mouths that are only only slightly extended. Regina's face is fairly "human" looking and only slightly elongated. Also, the majority of cast has hair (instead of head fur).
-Seres North
Original version: Sept 28, 2007
Revised version: Sept 17, 2009
Additional revisions: Mar 8, 2010