Off Duty
Dominika Kirilisav & Ziva Karim - Relaxation
Dominika Kirilisav and Ziva Karim relaxing on a day off in the lounge of the Esther IV.
"Goddomir trudged along surefooted as he scoped around Erith for any possible threats to his employer."
Ziva’s voice spoke softly but clearly, in the Sionian language Riikabic. As she read the words from the book in her hand aloud, her free arm was wrapped gently around Dominika, softly pulling her into her side.
“Yet Erith, in his ever slothful gait, paid no attention to the possibly virulent guardsmen within the warehouse. He was assured, may it be by the gift of gab or by point of his compatriots’ blades, that they would break into the building to seek the curios tasked to them.”
Ziva enjoyed these moments when she and Nika were off-duty and could relax together. They were settled in the Esther IV’s lounge, on a landing above the mess hall. The room was dimly lit, just bright enough to see but also dark and moody, sufficient to allow a particular atmosphere that was just perfect for a story. Nika’s hands were occupied with a steaming mug of hot chai tea, while Ziva’s own cup was settled on the table before her.
While the characters of her book prepared to force their way into the warehouse rumored to house a dangerous vampire, her voice picked up a tone of excitement, growing briefly louder and reading faster.
“As the companions approached the locked door of the warehouse, Oliver the rogue made little work of the door while espousing his skills at lockpicking. After a few moments of bated silence (and failed lockpicking), the lumbering monolith Ink decided she had enough of the tomfoolery. Ink trudged forth with her mighty boot, breaking down the warehouse door with an excellent hearty SMACK.”
The last word came out louder than perhaps she had intended, and Nika twitched slightly in surprise while a couple sets of eyes from a nearby table glanced their way. Ziva quickly corrected herself, bringing her voice back down to read off the remainder of the passage.
“As the door flew off its hinges, on the other side, two guards rampantly turned around to face the oncoming intruders. Little did they know they were outnumbered and outclassed.”
With the final words of the chapter read aloud, she set the book down and carefully slid her bookmark into place one-handed. There was quiet now - Not complete, pure silence, but the kind accompanied by the dull, soft humming of the spacecraft around them. The distant murmur of other voices talking amongst themselves, the quiet clatter of dishes as the lounge’s adjoined cafe prepared orders, and the gentle music played from the piano in the corner all joined together into a form of tranquil peace.
Ziva’s attention turned from her book to the woman at her side, and she couldn’t help a smile at the sight. The subtle lighting of the lounge cast deep blue highlights in her dark hair and soft shadows across her face. She smelled faintly of blackberry, which paired well with the scent of hot spiced chai that came from both of their mugs. Her gaze was vaguely toward the window, into the stars, but her focus was clearly inward. Outside observers may have thought she hadn’t been paying attention, but Ziva knew she was still lost in the story.
Her arm squeezed gently around Nika’s form as she leaned in to whisper a soft “I love you” into her hair. Nika responded with a faint smile, her hand finding Ziva’s and giving her a gentle squeeze - A reply that spoke volumes more than any words she could have said. Their eyes met for a moment before Nika’s blue hues flicked toward the book, then back up to her almost expectantly.
“Another chapter?” Ziva snickered quietly as her words were met with a single, quiet nod. “Okay. Ooone more.”
She briefly picked her mug up off the table, bringing it to her lips for a quiet drink, before setting it down and picking up the book once more. A brief moment of one-handed fiddling, and the book was open on a new chapter. The bookmark sid back onto the table with a smooth tip of her hand, and she settled back in against her partner, gently pulling her close.
Then, she started reading aloud once more.
This is just a short little piece inspired by the artwork of Dominika Kirilisav and Ziva Karim relaxing together. There may have also been some smooth jazz playing in the background while this was written.
Special thanks to the player of Goddomir, a character from a campaign I was running set in the Dragon's Bane world, for providing the bits of writing that Ziva's reading from the book.
Comments