Blue Eyes, Red Lights

The air on the gun deck was hot and thick. Static charge from the prolonged gunfire still seemed to crackle in the air, which was warm and stagnant. The thunder of the big guns had silenced only minutes ago, a frantic battle for survival ending as it often did, with a daring escape and a close call. The door hissed open, admitting a rush of cooler air which had Jackson turning.

The human looked up, the brighter lights from the common room lighting up a handsome face. His lightly tanned skin and brown hair were sweaty and mussed by the frantic battle they had just narrowly survived. The turian's plates were a deep grey, and backlit as he was he seemed even darker than normal. It was only when he walked into the gun deck and let the door close behind him that the gunner could get a good look at his captain.

The turian's dark grey plating made his jagged white colony paint stand out all the cleaner, and his bright blue eyes seemed to practically glow with inner light by comparison.

"Jackson." The turian said, his flanging voice tinged with layers of emotion.

"Nemaeus." Jackson said, nodding briskly

There was silence on the gun deck for a drawn out moment, until Nemaeus walked closer. "I'm glad you're alright Jackson, it was... when the gun deck got hit I..." He cut off, voice heavy with emotion.

The human crossed his arms. "I was fine. The armor held well enough, I was more concerned about the guns staying properly aligned, it would have been a bitch to repair them."

"Don't give me that shit Jackson." Nemaeus snapped, taking another step closer, the human lowering his arms. "I was worried about you, not the damn guns."

Jackson stood his ground. "We got away. Barely. Again." He huffed, shaking his head in annoyance. "How many more times until our luck runs out exactly? All on this crazy plan to, what exactly? I don't even remember anymore, something noble and pointless and..." He trailed off. "Don't." He said softly.

But Nemaeus didn't removing the hand resting on his hip. The turian was inches away from him now, staring directly into his eyes.

"Don't." Jackson said again, though not as firmly this time, the hints of a smile on his face.

Nemaeus remained silent, rubbing his hand over the human's hip, giving him a firm squeeze. The turian leaned down and in, nipping the human's neck and then licking with his bright blue tongue, making him groan.

"I'm still mad." Jackson muttered, though certainly not seeming upset as Nemaeus looked him in the eyes again, bumping their foreheads together gently and caressing the human's strong body through his clothes.

"You don't sound mad." Nemaeus chuckled, pressing a firm kiss to the human's mouth. They embraced, Jackson wrapping his arms around his captain, their tongues wrestling with each other as they ground against each other. "We'll get through this together. Trust me." Nemaeus rumbled. "But in the meantime..." He reached up, pulling down the zipper on the gunner's jacket, exposing a muscular chest glistening with sweat from his earlier exertions.

"I can't stay mad at you." Jackson admitted, hands moving to unclip Nemaeus' clothing with practiced familiarity. "Even when I should~ You know me too well." The human groaned, gasping as the turian popped his belt open with a quick swipe of his hand.

"As a captain should~" Nemaeus grinned, pushing Jackson up against the wall and pulling his pants off completely.

The room was filled with a mix of groans and cheers as the scene cut to black, the studio lights brightening to show the host's desk and the comfy armchair where Nemaeus sat. Or rather, where Nemaeus' actor sat, Cassius Vaul. He grinned cheekily at the crowd and shrugged, spreading his arms. "Sorry folks, if you want to see the rest you'll have to wait until tomorrow when the episode goes live." He said with an easy chuckle, his teasing getting mixed laughs and groans from the studio audience. They were good groans though, anticipation, not too much frustration. They wanted to see more, and Cassius grinned, knowing they soon would.

"Well! That was certainly a thrilling scene! I don't know about you but I'll certainly be glued to my terminal this time tomorrow night!" An appreciative round of laughter rose up following the host's pronouncement, and Cassius grinned again.

Taemol was a good host, and one of the more raunchy salarians that Cassius had ever met. He had come to the conclusion that Taemol didn't exactly get an erotic thrill from all this, as salarians were notoriously lacking in the primal sex drive of other species, but he greatly enjoyed whipping up the crowd and seeing their reactions.

"And of course a big round of applause for our special guest tonight, Cassius Vaul himself! Hot off the set of 'The Frontier' and the Citadel's newest hot star. So Mister Vaul..." Taemol turned dramatically in his swivel chair. "How does it feel to be the most popular action hero and heartthrob this side of Palaven?"

Cassius grinned in a somewhat sheepish way he knew would win the crowd. "Well, it's pretty great! The Frontier is a great show and I'm working with some really talented people, it's a blast to work on it and be here tonight!" He knew the self-effacing humor of his appearance would endear him to the crowd, but in truth it was also how he felt in his heart. He had been in showbusiness for years, various minor roles and small time films. Being tapped as the leading man in a major series was a surprise, but one he embraced.

Taemol grinned. "Of course, of course! The Frontier has exploded onto the extranet in the three months since the premier. And it's in no small part to you!"

The turian chuckled, he knew this dance pretty well. Taemol would big him up, and he would deflect the praise, and the crowd would love it. The salarian knew his stuff, part promoter, part showman, part manipulator. The audience probably didn't even begin to guess at how the two males on stage were dancing around and with each other in equal measure.

Cassius shrugged. "Well, I suppose." He said with a sly grin. "But I've got a lot of talented actors working on the stage with me, and without the writers then we would hardly have anything to do! There's a lot of talent going into this work."

They talked on like this for a little while, trading some gossip and talking shop about the inner working of showbusiness. Out of the corner of his eye Cassius saw the show clock slowly ticking down, and he got a feel for the pace of the encounter. The big blast at the beginning with the teaser clip and his introduction, then the long drawn out middle with the real meat of discussion, and then he would be expected to do something bold as a closer, to end things on a high note. He knew what was expected of him, and had no complaints about it. He was an entertainer, it was what he loved doing, and he was eager to do some more.

When it came, the prelude to the climax was plain to see.

"I must say I am rather surprised though." Taemol said, leaning against his desk as if to speak conspiratorially to his guest.

Cassius quirked his mandibles in surprise, then spread his arms as if to show his honestly. "Oh? Whatever is on your mind?"

"Well... it's just..." Taemol pretended to consider his words before rushing on. "Will the full version of that scene we saw be a proper, full sex scene?"

Cassius grinned slyly.

"I mean..." Taemol went on, in an almost scolding tone. "It's been three months since the show premier, and we've yet to see the leading man in all his glory~"

Cassius chuckled. "That's not true!" He pointed out with a laugh. "The shower scene in episode five, wasn't that an eyeful enough?" The scene in question had been done mostly to delay this kind of question, and draw out the anticipation. It had been a good scene, with Nemaeus taking a long few minutes in the shower, a mostly silent scene as the renegade captain dealt with the emotional  turmoil of his defection in the name of personal honor and high ideals, while the camera had shown several fine angles of his handsome body, water rushing over him in the dim and intimate lighting.

Taemol sighed wistfully as if remembering. "Mmm, it was a lovely scene, but you weren't erect darling, so it doesn't count." The audience laughed, and a few catcalled. "The better part of a season in and we haven't seen the main man's cock? It's almost scandalous~" Taemol trilled, there was nothing he loved more than a good scandal. "Just how long are we going to have to wait?"

There it was. The gauntlet was thrown down. And Cassius was more than happy to pick it up.

"Mmm..." He pretended to consider his actions. "Well... not that much longer..."

A whisper went around the room, then slowly building to a cheer as the audience saw him slowly, deliberately unbuckle his belt. Cassius was dressed in something vaguely similar to one of his show costumes. A simple black fabric shirt with black jacket and pants made of slightly rubberized cloth, shiny steel zippers and fasteners like his own body, a study in black and white contrast. When his belt came undone it was with a loud and satisfying click that echoed around the room.

Cassius stood, looking for the first time out into the crowd for more than a moment. He saw the eagerness on their faces, their hungry eyes raking over his form. True he'd had plenty of erotic scenes before, in his previous works, but this was the first time he'd be exposing himself as a proper star. Most of the people here probably had never even heard of the low tier works he'd been in, he wondered how many would go look up the 'Cassius Vaul Sex Scene Supercut' he knew existed on the extranet after this.

Slowly, sensuously he pulled down the zipper of his sturdy pants, letting them fold open to show the creased plating of his crotch. Then, with a 'flumph' of folding fabric, he let his pants fall to the ground, belt buckle clacking loudly. He stepped out of them to a resounding cheer as the audience got an eyeful, cheering on this 'impromptu' show. Idly he wondered how many would have noticed he was barefoot this whole time. While it was not uncommon for turians to go barefoot in doors, it was an obvious giveaway he was always intending to drop his pants.

Not that he cared if they figured it out or not. The highest art of acting was making something well rehearsed feel impromptu and spontaneous. Was he manipulating them? Probably. But they wanted to be manipulated, like the audience at a magic show wanted to be tricked by the magician on stage. They loved it, loved him, and he loved them right back.

Cassius turned with a little saunter, shaking his hips and his firm, muscular ass for the crowd. While they were distracted, he focused inward and tensed some of his muscles. Part of his contract with his new studio included a couple minor surgical procedures, one of which he made use of. A simple enough implant that gave him conscious control over his erections, letting him command or suppress an erection at will.

When he turned back to the crowd, it was with an even louder cheer as they finally saw what they really wanted, what had been teased at the beginning of the segment. Cassius' cock was a bright, near electric blue. His shaft and his eyes were the only things about Cassius that weren't shades of grey, white or black, and they stood out all the more intensely against the monochromatic backdrop. His cock was quite big as well, a long and segmented shaft with bumps along the underside certain to make anyone squeal, and a curved tip to pound right into someone's pleasure centers.

Cassius soaked up the audience's attention like a plant might sunlight, he laid a hand on his shaft and stroked himself before them, preening and laughing for them, as the show clock finally counted down to zero.

"And that's our show!" Taemol shouted over the roar of the crowd, Cassius giving a few more pumps on his cock, willing a drop of pre to well, glistening at his tip. "A big thanks to Cassius Vaul for coming out and baring it all tonight!" Another roar, Cassius pumping his hands in the air and grinning cheekily down at them, his heart singing to see the joy and excitement on their faces. "Be sure to catch The Frontier tomorrow night! If you can stand to envy the reaming poor Jackson is going to take from that beast!"

Giving the crowd another wave, Cassius scooped up his pants. Hanging them over his shoulder, he gave the crowd another wave before he turned and sauntered offstage, glistening electric blue cock bouncing all the way.

XXXXX

Cassius did like the Presidium. It was a lovely place, almost achingly beautiful, and maintained through the diligence and hard work of a lot of very talented and dedicated people. The air was so sweet it tasted almost like wine, scented with flowering blossoms from a dozen worlds. Crystal clear water reflected shimmering, rippling light up past the walkways, greenery carefully spread around in just the right proportions to make every known species feel as at home as possible. He did like the Presidium, but that didn't change the fact that it was fake.

Carefully sculpted and tended to within an inch of its life, a garden park floating in space. It reminded him a bit too much of himself really. He spent a lot of his time these days being fake. That is, if you considered acting to be fakery. Some of the time he was 'Nemaeus' on the set, and occasionally in front of a crowd to show off. Other times he was 'Cassius the star', like in the studio just an hour ago or when doing press events and talking to fans. Both were roles, he enjoyed doing both, but he still felt the need to escape from them for a little while.

He walked down into Zakera ward, feeling like a weight was slowly lifting from his shoulders. Down here felt so much more real to him, glowing signs instead of elegantly sculpted greenery, the air scented with open air cooking instead of exotic blossoms. The people down here were more real too, just average folks going about their lives without wearing the masks the rich and influential on the Presidium often did.

Cassius wasn't wearing his mask either, which was why nobody recognized him. The distinctive clothing he'd worn in the studio for the show was stowed in his backpack, he'd changed into a simple hoodie and pants, changed his body language to no longer project raw confidence and energy. He liked this place because it allowed him to just be Cassius without pretense. Cassius had always feared losing himself, forgetting who he'd used to be and losing himself in the parts he played both on stage and off. He loved what he did, he couldn't be so good at it if he didn't, but he never wanted to forget who he'd been before all this had started.

His talents had been recognized fairly early on in life, by himself at least. He'd been decently good at acting, but the spark that really set him on the right path was his love of making other people happy. As a child Cassius had always been the kind to put a smile on other's faces with his antics. It was something that he pursued in various amateur dramatics groups growing up, and acting classes in the academy.

He'd performed his mandatory military service with acceptable and unremarkable dedication, mostly doing garrison duty on middle of nowhere bases. His COs had put in a few good notes on his service record though, as he'd done a lot to entertain the troops by organizing little acting groups.

His service done, he'd thrown himself into his craft proper. Starting at the bottom as an extra, he'd been a few minor roles before getting noticed. A nameless soldier, a Blue Suns mercenary, an exotic dancer in the background of a club scene. But Cassius was a striking figure, tall and strong, with a handsome face and very distinctive coloration so it was only a matter of time before he was graduated up and his talents could shine through.

Soon enough he was doing minor roles in B and C list films, or showing up in single episodes of ongoing series. It was decent enough work but he wanted more, he had a fire in him to really put himself on the line, and he could never realize his abilities in such limited roles.

His big break had been, of all things, a sports movie.

Clawball was a much beloved turian sport and there was at least one clawball movie coming out every year. They were near certain crowd pleasers, focusing on the thrill of the game and the sexual antics of the handsome young males who played it. The storyline was generally the same, with an underdog team pulling together to win big through coordination and dedication. Eminently predictable.

Just as predictable were the sex scenes. There was the post victory orgy where the team celebrated their triumph in the most explosive way possible. The intimate lovemaking of two players out on the field at night. The scene where one of the players distracted a coach or some other official with sex. And the scene where the team captain pinned one of his players against the wall and got to know them a little better.

The last one at least was somewhat based in reality, as very few clawball captains hadn't at some point enjoyed the asses of each of their players, and it was this last one that Cassius had been doing.

The scene had begun with himself alone in the showers, beginning to touch himself as the cameras panned over him, bringing his shaft out and stroking it. Then the captain had come in and growled something about helping his player out, and less than a minute later Cassius was bracing himself against the wall as the other male jammed his cock up Cassius' ass.

Fucking on the set wasn't like fucking normally. You weren't trying to get as much pleasure for yourself as possible but put on the best show for the audience, you were making love to the camera not each other. This fine distinction was sadly lost on the male playing Cassius' team captain. An unremarkable actor hired for his size and muscle mass rather than skill, his career had gone nowhere. Being on the receiving end of his cock, Cassius was not surprised.

The other male had just hammered into him with pounding thrusts, grunting and growling. He hadn't been given any lines, probably because he couldn't remember them in the heat of the moment. Cassius though had remembered his lines, he'd said them all on the correct cue, and done more besides. He'd moaned and squealed, panted and gasped, ground back against the huge heaving body behind him and finished with a sweet cry of climax. He'd managed to look truly satisfied as the bigger male's cum ran down his thighs and concealed the fact that he'd had to stroke himself to orgasm.

A few days after shooting stopped on that film and he'd more or less put it from his mind, Cassius had recieved a letter inviting him to audition at one of the Citadel's more well respected studios.

Tarkan was an influential man and fairly famous, more so for being the only krogan to have climbed the ranks to high office in the mainstream Citadel film industry. He had a fairly good reputation and a solid record in both film and series, and the mere fact that he'd taken an intrest in Cassius put the turian's heart a flutter.

Apparently the old krogan was good at spotting new talent and getting them on their way, and he'd noticed Cassius as someone who might go somewhere if given half a chance. The old krogan had surprised him with his applicability and directness, which was a welcome change from producers who thought they had to be some kind of self important jackass to get respect.

Tarkan had been very plain with his thoughts. He recognized Cassius had potential, was a 'handsome bastard' and was being 'fucking wasted on grindhouse shit'. He'd been most impressed by how Cassius could 'take a boring arse-reaming and convince the audience he was being buttfucked by an angel'.

The krogan had spent the better part of a whole day putting him through various auditions, finding where his talents were, where he needed to improve. He'd been impressed by Cassius' range and adaptability, able to be a 'fucking badass and a heartthrob' at the same time, as well as his ability to 'Wear heavy armor and look naked, and walk buck naked like he was in heavy armor'.

He'd figured Cassius had the makings of the leading man in a dramatic action series, and had offered him the job on the spot. A little overcome, Cassius had taken a few minutes to scan the contract before he signed on without any reservations. He'd then expressed his pleasant surprise that Tarkan hadn't asked to 'sample the goods' before he'd offered Cassius a job. The krogan had laughed loudly and made it clear that he'd 'already jacked off to that rump twice' and knew he was sexy without needing to try for himself.

Cassius had chuckled and pointed out in the description of the upcoming show he was to work on that he'd have a krogan actor on the crew, and he was woefully out of practice in that regard, and he would be ever so appreciative for a little help rehearsing...

Bending over the krogan's desk for a thorough pounding had been very pleasant indeed.

After that everything was on a steady upward spiral. Media attention, meeting fans, the show he was on being recognized as a real quality product that was fast gaining popularity. He had a long stint on this series ahead of him, for a few years at least, and then on to other things.

It still didn't feel quite real to him though, that a year ago he was struggling to get noticed on third rate productions, and now he was standing on the Citadel looking up at a billboard ad for a show with him as the starring role.

The billboard shimmered from the title card to a pinup shot of himself, wearing armored leggings but naked from the waist up. A Phaeston assault rifle perched suggestively between his legs. He smirked, glancing down at the people who'd stopped to look at the advert. He liked the admiring grins on their faces, hearing them talk about the episode tomorrow, one pulling up the talk show he'd just done to show a friend, who giggled.

Still smiling to himself, he turned and walked into a small restaraunt, a little hungry from the days events.

It was a comfy little place, the metal walls obscured with faux wood panneling, mostly nautical themed decoration, a big fish tank to one side. The place smelled heavily of seafood and steam issued from the partially concealed kitchen, rolling over the cieling at regular intervals before being taken away by the ventilation systems.

Cassius had been here a few times, and found it a good place to keep a low profile and just enjoy himself. He slipped onto a stool and waited for a moment. The place was mostly empty right now, though he knew it could get very crowded sometimes, so it didn't take long for the cook to notice he had another customer.

Vallen was a big turian, who looked all the bigger for the small place he ran, somehow able to maneuver his bulk through his small kitchen without any difficulty. "Hey Cass." The big man said, giving him a friendly grin before leaning on the bar. "How's it going? Do anything interesting lately?" The cook set down his usual bottle of beer and Cassius took it gratefully.

Cassius smirked. Vallen knew full well who he was, and was a fan himself. He kept Cassius's identity quiet here, knowing the star liked a little peace and quiet, and didn't bring up his work in anything more than innuendo or veiled references. Cassius was entirely certain Vallen had already seen the show he'd been on, and the way that the big chef was clearly undressing him with his eyes left little doubt.

"Oh, the usual I suppose, nothing too spectacular." He shrugged humbly. "You know me, like a quiet life."

"Mmm." Vallen grinned, suppressing a chuckle. Cassius made his order and the cook went back to his kitchen, somewhat reluctantly.

Cassius was alone with his thoughts for a couple minutes, sipping his beer in thankful solitude, before the door opened again and someone slipped into the seat right beside him. Given that the place was almost totally empty, that in itself was noteworthy, and he didn't have to look to know who it was. There was only one other person he'd shown this place to.

"Hey Daniel." He said, looking up to see the face of his human co-star.

Daniel smiled back from the other stool. The human was similarly wearing casual clothes, pulling down his hood. Much less serious than his often stoic character, Daniel was an easygoing and engaging young man, and Cassius had become intensely fond of him during their few months of working together.

"Cass." The human said with a grin. "Thought I might find you here."

Cassius smirked, before calling to the kitchen. "Hey Vallen! Make my order a double size okay?" He turned back to his companion. "What makes you think that?"

Daniel gave him a knowing look. "I know you like to walk down in the wards, get away from the spotlights a little. I know you've never stripped on the Presidium before and figured you'd want to wind down somewhere low key after something that big."

Cassius sighed and nodded. Daniel had been working for the bigger name studios on the Citadel for years, since his late teens, while Cassius was the relative newcomer. Daniel was no stranger to the media circuit and the public eye, and Cassius was sometimes a little self conscious about how badly he needed to take regular vacations from his own fame.

Daniel gave him a little bump, shaking him out of his thoughts. "Nothing to feel bad about. I like it here too, I'm glad you showed me this place."

A warm grin spread over Cassius' face, and he relaxed visibly. "I'm just not as used to all of this as you are."

Daniel laughed and shook his head. "You were pretty convincing on stage." He said with a smirk. "You'll get used to it. But there's nothing wrong with needing to take breaks from it. Everyone does, in different ways."

He looked up when he heard Vallen coming back, the big turian pausing for a moment, evidently surprised to see another star sitting in his humble little seafood joint. "Ah, hello there, welcome back." He said, setting the big bowl down in front of the two of them. "I'll get you another set of silverware."

"And another beer please." Daniel called after him.

Cassius had ordered a bowl of noodles mixed in with chunks of shellfish, and twirled some noodles around his fork. "You certainly have had enough time to get used to managing it all."

Daniel shrugged, sipping his beer. "Yeah, though I've never been on a show like this before, it's all new to me. And I've rarely enjoyed my time with my co stars this much." He added in a lower voice, eating out of the bowl they shared.

Cassius grinned. "Well, we do work with some pretty great people." He said, mandibles quirking in an almost shy smile.

They sat together, eating and talking, until their beers were finished and the bowl was empty. They paid the bill and left, walking together for a little ways, heading vaguely in the direction of Cassius' apartment back up on the Presidium.

"You know I don't think I've really said how much I appreciate your friendship." Cassius said, his mandibles shivering in a bit of a blush.

Daniel snorted. "Where's this coming from?"

Cassius shook his head. "I mean... you know. Big move, from a colony kid doing grindhouse flicks to a big name studio on the Citadel. Don't think I could have adjusted without someone looking out for me. Just being friendly. I kidna thought everyone on the Citadel would be some kind of stuck up prick with more money than sense."

The human laughed, nudging Cassius playfully. "Well, I don't have that much sense." He replied, though he still smiled contentedly. "But it's... nice to hear you say that. I do quite like you Cass, you're fun to be around, good at what you do. You're real, don't ever lose that. I've known people who burn out in this industry, it's never pretty."

They walked along one of the uncovered walkways, the artificial sky dimmed as the night cycle began, the walks lit by low, even light. Cassius walked a little slower, glancing at his companion, judging his mood before continuing. "Yeah, that's what I was afraid of when I first moved here. But you've been doing this for years and you're a pretty great guy. So I guess there's hope for me."

Daniel grinned broadly. "Ah well, what can I say! I'm just amazing is all."

Cassius just snorted, leaning on the railing and looking out at the endless river, shimmering gently in the low light.

"You know, you didn't have to pay for my meal." Daniel said, leaning against the rail beside him.

Cassius shrugged. "Not like it was any burden on me, with my salary." He gave the human a sidelong look. "Besides. I've already fucked you, least I could do was buy you dinner."

The human snorted, but grinned. "Well, if it eases your conscience, it wasn't like having your dick up my ass was unpleasant."

Cassius quirked up his brow. "Wasn't it?" He asked, voice an amused croon.

Daniel leaned in slightly. "Nope. Not at all. Actually quite pleasant."

Cassius leaned in closer in response. "Well... if that's the case. You might think about returning the favor."

The two looked into each other's eyes, before they leaned in as one. They bumped their foreheads together, pressing against each other. Daniel's eyes filled Cassius' vision, so beautiful, so vibrant, before they began to kiss.

Soft human lips met firm turian plates, and Cassius' long tongue pressed into Daniel's mouth. He wrestled his tongue with the human's, their bodies pressing up against each other's as they wrapped their arms around each other. A deep groan came up from Daniel's chest and Cassius trilled happily in response. The human's hands were going everywhere, exploring him, feeling him up. He felt them squeeze at his firm rump before pushing up under his jacket to explore his back.

He kissed deeper, inviting the human's tongue into his own mouth to explore as one of Daniel's hands went down the back of his pants, gripping the naked flesh beneath, Cassius feeling Daniel's hard cock through his pants.

Finally he broke the kiss. "My place isn't far." He said, voice husky with arousal. He undid the front of Daniel's pants, letting the erect shaft pop free into the cool night air. "Come on, I want this thing inside me."

Needing no further prompting, the human nodded and they went off at a brisk pace.

Daniel didn't bother doing his pants back up. Clothing standards got more relaxed after dark and there weren't that many people walking the streets. Besides, it's not like his cock was getting any softer. Cassius made sure of that, reaching over to tease the shaft with a skillful hand . He'd had plenty of experience with human cocks and knew just how to touch Daniel to keep him needy and hard.

Daniel was no slouch himself either. The next time they kissed, Cassius had pushed Daniel up against a wall and ground against him, the human reaching up to dig his fingers into the sensitive nerves at the base of the turian's crest, making Cassius croon sweetly with pleasure.

"Oh~ Where did you learn that?"

The human had just smirked. "You know a few good tricks yourself."

Cassius grinned back, then sensuously licked his mandibles with his long flexible tongue.

They almost didn't make it back to the apartment at all. Two blocks from home Cassius had put his hand down Daniel's pants, squeezing his lovely human ass and making the man yelp happily, turning around to rapidly undo the clasps on Cassius' jacket. Wearing nothing beneath, his plated chest was exposed to the human who seemed to know the turian's every weak point. Cassius' legs wobbled a little when the human bit and licked at sensitive nerve clusters and stroked the rims of his plates, leaving him tingling.

When they finally got through the front door of his apartment building, Cassius' jacket was half hanging off his body, chest bared to the world. Daniel's hoodie was askew, holding his pants up with one hand while his erect cock flopped about with each step, the two half pulling half supporting each other.

"Good evening Mister Vaul." Said the perfectly serious looking salarian behind the reception desk.

"Evening Jareth!" Cassius called back, cupping Daniel's balls in his hand and leading the human into the elevator. He was on his knees before the door even closed.

Daniel let his pants fall to the floor, and Cassius buried his face in the human's crotch, breathing in the heady musk and crooning in delight. "You smell really fucking good." He complimented, giving the balls a little lick.

"You are, unf, incredibly bold." Daniel groaned, grasping the railing around the edge of the glass walled elevator for support as they began to rise.

"You aren't complaining." Cassius drawled, licking the human's cock from base to tip, relishing the alien taste.

"Anybody might get on and see us." Daniel said, though clearly not at all concerned.

"It's late." Cassius shrugged. "And if anyone does walk in, let them. This is a cock I'm proud to show off."

Anything Daniel might have said in reply died in his throat as Cassius opened his mouth wide and took three fourths of his shaft into his maw in one smooth motion.

"Fuuuuck..." The human groaned, grasping the railing tightly as Cassius began bobbing hish ead rapidly, continuing to lick over the shaft in his mouth. He gave a few long, slobbering licks before he pushed forward hard, the tip of Daniel's cock pressing at the entrance to his throat.

With plenty of experience, it was hardly difficult to take the human into his throat, relaxing his muscles and letting the shaft past a long trained-out gag reflex. From the way the human was trembling, cursing and breathing out Cassius' name he was obviously doing a good job.

He kept at it, bobbing his head and clenching up his throat muscles, licking and twisting and using every trick he knew to get Daniel to climax quickly. After all the teasing on the way here it wasn't exactly hard.

Cassius was rewarded soon enough, the human letting out a loud "Fuck!" a moment before the cock in his throat pulsed and started pumping, Cassius cupping the gently pulsing balls in his palm.

He let the human shoot three ropes of seed down his throat before he pulled out a little, shooting one into his mouth before he let the cock pop out of his mouth, the last shot of cum splashing warmly on Cassius' face plates. He kept his eyes closed, feeling the thick seed trickle sluggishly down his face, pearly white over his grey colony marks.

When he was sure the human was done, he opened his eyes and looked up, shining sapphires in a face painted white.

"I hope that wasn't all you had." Cassius said teasingly, standing up.

"Fuck no. Got plenty more." Daniel assured him. The human was panting but didn't seem at all tired out, rather quite excited by the foreplay. As if to prove he wasn't done he reached up, wrapping his fingers around the back of Cassius' neck. He dug his fingertips into the joints between the tender plates and pulling Cassius in for a sloppy kiss, tilting Cassius' head to drink his own seed out of the turian's mouth.

After a few moments he pulled away, licking his lips. "Now. Lead me to a bed where I can fuck that sweet ass."

Cassius' apartment was large and luxurious. Tastefully appointed decorations and furniture, huge walls of glass and open spaces that gave the place a soaring and airy feeling. Elegant water fixtures bubbled gently, soft lights illuminating the space with a warm, lovely glow.

All of which was entirely ignored by the two of them as they burst through the door and tried to make their way to the bedroom while frantically kissing and groping each other. They left a trail of discarded clothes behind them, left where they fell in crumpled heaps and tossed aside to land draped over random furniture.

When they finally reached the bedroom both were entirely naked, a body of soft skin over hard muscle grinding against one of warm, raspy plating and tight flesh. Cassius' bed had been designed with orgies in mind, sturdy and broad and with plenty of room on its silken covers for the two of them, the turian finally breaking off his latest deep kiss to walk towards the bed.

"How do you want me?" He asked, hands on his hips and a cheeky grin on his face.

"Chest down. Ass up." Daniel said eagerly, following to give his firm rump a smack, Cassius hopping up on the bed at the prompting.

He got on all fours, wiggling his ass playfully at his companion before he spread his thighs and pressed his chest against the covers, exposing the bluish inner flesh of his pucker between tight firm rump cheeks.

"Now this is a good looking ass." Daniel complimented, crawling up onto the bed behind him and gripping his hips.

Cassius snorted. "Turian guys usually compliment my waist first~" He trilled.

"Yeah well, I'm human. I go for asses." Daniel replied, and before Cassius could say any more he felt his rump cheeks being spread apart the instant before Daniel buried his face in the turian's ass, kissing his pucker and then beginning to lick the electric blue flesh.

Cassius' hands slowly balled into fists, gripping the silken sheets tightly as the human began to rim him. He didn't just kiss it, he licked and slurped noisily at the pucker, before he dug his tongue deep into Cassius' rear and drew a croon of pleasure from the turian. "You're... doing a good job of convincing me why." He grunted.

That clever, broad tongue dug into him, twisting and licking and he felt himself growing incredibly loose. His eagerness rose steadily, as good as this felt he knew it was only the prelude to the main event to come. All of the digging and licking felt amazing but somehow it was only making him feel needier, emptier. His shaft was drooling pre and natural lubricant onto the sheets and after a good minute or two of rimming he finally caved in.

"Daniel, please, I can't take any more teasing." He half whimpered.

The human finally pulled off of his well rimmed hole, smacking his lips loudly. "Mmm, what do you need then?" He asked, voice teasing.

"Put your cock in me already, fucking tease~" Cassius groaned, wiggling his hips up at the human. "I know you're aching for it~"

Daniel let out a snort of laughter. "Damn right I am. And it's entirely your fault."

"Guilty~" Cassius crooned as Daniel shifted position, getting on his knees and firmly gripping Cassius' raised hips. He felt the human's cock slide between his cheeks, pressing at his needy, slicked up hole.

Cassius' cherry had been popped back in basic training, which was by far the most common time a young turian guy would get his first taste of cock. Sex was a good way to form bonds as well as pass the time, and his inglorious miltiary career of dreary listening posts and outpost waystations had left plenty of free time to be filled. A posting of about fifty or so young turian studs overseen by an officer who knew well enough to let them blow off steam meant that sex was hardly difficult to get, and over his career Cassius was pleased to say he'd had the cock or ass of most every turian he'd served with. But even then he'd been eager to get out so he could experience what the other species of the galaxy could offer.

Since leaving the service though he'd been able to diversify his encounters and Cassius considered it a point of personal pride that his ass had taken the cocks of almost every known sentient species.

He still enjoyed turian cock of course, the tapered tip that made for an easy entry, each ridged segment growing broader, spreading wider until the broad base stretched you wide open, the ridges along the underside grinding in all the right places.

Salarian cocks were thin by comparison, but long and incredibly flexible, and salarians could hump amazingly fast, each frantic thrust hitting something different deep inside you so you couldn't get used to it.

Batarian cock was shorter than turian but more broad, with soft little spines along the length that tickled and teased in the most wonderfully unique ways as they dragged in and out.

Krogan cocks were monstrous and intimidating, leaving him wrecked and gaping, but he loved what went with the cocks more. Huge hanging quads to lick and nuzzle, and the sheath was so sensitive that if you knew how to lick and nip it just right even the most powerful krogan would be putty in your hands.

Human cock was about the same length as turian on average, thinner at the base but broader at the tip, smooth and curved. It popped you open forcefully then slid in so smoothly, and the lower human body temperature gave it an exotic feeling of coolness inside his blazingly hot body.

Daniel's cock tip pressed at his well prepared hole, which resisted for just a moment before it yielded to the pressure. With a groan, Daniel sunk into Cassius' body. He didn't force it in, but neither did he let the turian's body slow him down, pressing inside his hot form in a long smooth stroke that buried two thirds of his cock inside Cassius' rump on the first stroke.

Cassius' toes curled and he groaned, the side of his face pressed hard into the sheets, looking up at Daniel with one eye cracked open. "Just like that." He groaned.

Daniel groaned as well, drawing his cock out smoothly then thrusting back inside, getting even more in this time. "You're so hot, feels like I'm going to burn up inside you." He grunted, thrusting again, this time slapping his balls against Cassius' thighs.

"Mmm, well you feel nice and cool inside me. And you're not exactly making me any less hot." Cassius crooned back, squeezing his rump tightly around the invading shaft and making Daniel groan loudly.

Daniel seemed to take it as a personal challenge and redoubled his pace, and soon Cassius was gasping and crying out loudly as the human's cock buried itself time and time again in his tight body. The shaft speared in as deep as it could go, grinding against his tender insides and jabbing at his most intimate places, weighty balls smacking repeatedly against his inner thighs.

Cassius felt his long denied climax getting closer and closer with each thrust, the pulsing in his cock getting stronger until he couldn't contain it any longer. "Gonna cum." He grunted.

"Then cum." Daniel almost growled, slamming in hard and pushing Cassius over the edge. He spurted thick, hot cum onto the sheets, his legs trembling and threatening to give out. He was sure he would have collapsed if he wasn't already more or less pinned to the bed.

He whimpered when Daniel's unspent cock pulled suddenly out of his body, but the human wasn't leaving. He waited for Cassius' climax to finish before he flipped the turian over, making him yelp.

"New position?" He asked, spreading his legs, laying on his back now.

Daniel nodded, achingly hard cock dripping pre cum. "I want to see your pretty face."

"Prettier, thanks to you." Cassius chuckled, the human's dried cum forming an erotic counterpoint to his own angular colony marks.

Daniel slipped between his legs, spreading them apart. His first thrust brought him fully inside Cassius' body and the turian groaned at the new angle of attack. Daniel's body was like a coiled spring, rippling tightly contained muscles flexing and releasing, pounding into the turian's tight backside.

Daniel leaned in, face getting close to Cassius' own and one hand reached up to begin rapidly stroking his sloppy, slick cock. "I love these ridges on your dick." Daniel said, voice low and growly. "They felt fucking amazing popping in and out of my ass."

Cassius panted, not having enough time to recover from his orgasm but he'd be damned if he let himself go completely to pieces. "I'd be glad to remind you how it feels anytime." He panted. "Your ass felt really good bouncing on my plates. It's so big and soft, how do you walk with it shaking around behind you?"

Daniel snorted and picked up the pace, shifting his angle to start driving Cassius down into the bed with each heavy thrust. "Heh, just because your ass is all rubbery and tight..."

Cassius gasped as Daniel's renewed thrusting pounded even deeper into him, spreading himself out as wide as he could. "Doesn't feel very tight right now..." He panted, feeling his climax start to build again.

"Heh, what can I, ah, say." The human panted. "I'm just that good." He grunted, eyes screwing shut as he kept up the intense pace. "You're really amazing yourself."

"I'm gonna cum again." Cassius crooned, cock pulsing in Daniel's grip.

"Me too." The human admitted, opening his eyes to look into Cassius' own.

"Kiss me again, please." The turian almost squeaked.

Danniel nodded, and with a few final hammering thrusts he brought himself to climax. He leaned forward, putting his weight on Cassius' plated body, driving himself in as deep as he could as he came. Cool human cum shot and trickled down into Cassius' body, feeling like it was quenching the lustful fires deep inside himself. Cassius flexed, twisting his hips up to let Daniel get closer, his own cock pulsing again as the rubbing hand brought him to climax.

As his own cum shot onto his chest in thick arcs, the human leaned in and kissed him firmly, the two sharing a long, deep kiss as their cocks finally spent themselves.

When they broke the kiss, they both knew it was over. Daniel's cock finally softened and slipped from Cassius' ass, which drooled human cum from his well used pucker. Daniel slipped sideways off of him, landing with a groan on the sheets, and Cassius quickly pulled him in close. "FUcking hell... you're amazing." Daniel groaned, pressing a little kiss to the side of Cassius' face.

Cassius nuzzled his lover softly, giving his cheek a fond lick. "High praise. You're not so bad yourself." Daniel nuzzled back weakly, and Cassius wrapped his arm around the human, the two sighing.

"Can't decide which is better." Daniel said sleepily after a minute or so.

"Mmm?" Cassius murmured, letting his eyes flutter closed.

"Having my cock in your ass... or having yours in mine." Daniel groaned.

Cassius chuckled softly, pulling the human in closer. "I'll fuck you again in the morning... then you can decide..."

Daniel was already asleep though, and a few moments later Cassius followed him, the two drifting happily away in each other's arms.

Cassius woke slowly, feeling himself gently drifting back to wakefulness. His mandibles quirked in a smile as he looked at the slumbering human in his arms, the memories of last night coming back to him as sensation returned. His bedroom had developed a musky scent overnight that the filtration system hadn't managed to banish. He felt languid and lazy, and the slight soreness in his backside was a pleasant reminder of the fun they'd shared.

He stirred slightly, taking a slow, deep breath, trying not to wake up his lover as he shifted. Daniel must have felt it though as the human stirred noticably, and opened his eyes after a moment.

"Morning handsome." Cassius said softly, leaning over to peck a little kiss to his cheek.

"Mmmph. Morning." Daniel replied, reaching over to give him a little squeeze. "I really needed that." He groaned, gingerly extricating himself from Cassius' grip and propping himself up on his elbows.

Cassius yawned and stretching, shooting his companion a little grin. "Me too. Was a hell of a lot of fun."

The human nodded. "Yeah, good to get to fuck just for ourselves, not for the cameras." He looked down at himself and chuckled. "I hope you let me use your shower before I go. I'm filthy."

One of Cassius' mandibles quirked in amusement. "Mmm, it's not that bad really."

Daniel raised a brow, half turning. "What makes you say that? I'm covered in dry sweat and cum."

"Mmm." Cassius hummed. "Well your hair is all mussed up, it's rather cute actually, but yeah I'll let you use the shower."

Daniel nodded and yawned fitfully, stretching his arms. While he was distracted Cassius leaned down and pressed his face into the human's crotch, breathing in the musky scents of last night's encounter. He licked the limp cock with his long blue tongue, licking over the top and then slipping his tongue under the shaft, licking over the balls and the underside of the human's cock.

"Mmm, naughty boy." Daniel groaned, reaching down to scrape his fingers gently down the underside of Cassius' fringe.

"Just helping you wake up~" Cassius trilled, getting out of bed and giving himself a full body stretch. "Shower's down the hall on the right, I'll go get coffee started." The turian said, pointing where to go.

Daniel nodded, dragging himself out of bed and yawning again. "Thanks man." He grunted before heading off.

Cassius watched him go, admiring his backside with a smirk before he went down to the kitchen, loading the coffee maker for two and putting in a light breakfast in the machine. Letting the automated systems do the work from there, he went back upstairs, letting himself into the bathroom.

The large shower stall was already steamy with heat, water falling like rain from the sprayers in the cieling. Grinning happily, Cassius stepped into the shower stall with Daniel.

The human, not looking surprised at all, turned and smirked at him. "It's occupied, you know." He teased.

Cassius pretended to look guilty. "But it's the only one, and someone splattered cum all over my plates last night." He stepped fully under the hot water and the two shared a deep kiss before they focused on washing themselves.

"So you have anything planned for today?" Daniel asked, lathering shampoo into his hair.

Cassius got out a hard scrubbing pad and began to work at his plates, getting the grime out of the seams between them and sighing in relief at the massage like feeling. "Nothing too spectacular. I'm not needed on the set today so probably just review my lines. You've got some shooting to do though right?"

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, got some work to do today, nothing too crazy though thankfully, not getting battered around doing stunts or anything, and no sex."

"A shame." Cassius trilled.

Daniel smacked him lightly. "Not every scene can be me getting ploughed up the ass by you, Cass."

"But the ratings would skyrocket." Cassius countered playfully, giving his rump a playful swat before he went to scrub his facial plates.

Daniel chuckled, returning to wash himself, turned away from Cassius. The turian finished washing his face, then gave the human an appraising look, eyes traveling up and down his bare, wet form. He stepped close behind Daniel, gingerly running a knuckle up the smooth skin of his side.

"Mmm." Daniel sighed, looking over his shoulder and giving a little nod, which Cassius returned.

He ran one hand up the human's flank, the other one sliding down to rest on the man's hip, and he stepped in to press his chest to Daniel's back. Cassius nipped gently up along Daniel's neck, making him shudder slightly, and slid his hand down.

"Ooh..." Daniel groaned as Cassius' finger slipped up into him. Cassius held him there for a few long minutes, just enjoying the look on Daniel's face as he gently, patiently fingered him until he was entirely sure the human was ready. Daniel looked back over his shoulder, smiling warm and soft as Cassius' shaft slipped between his rump cheeks. He entered the human with a gentle thrust, sliding forward slowly. He took Daniel gently, taking great care to soften him up before each new ridge slipped past his pucker, until he was finally sheathed inside him.

They made love gently, in almost total silence, just the occasional grunt or groan as Cassius gently moved in and out of the human's body. His hands roamed free, stroking Daniel's shaft, tweaking a nipple, scraping gently over bare skin as his body moved in steady, even strokes. They both lost track of time, the world shrinking to their little shower stall and their pair of entwined bodies.

When the climax came, it was a quiet, beautiful thing. Daniel let out a little gasp and his back arched, seed lost in the drizzle of the shower. Cassius buried himself inside the human, hot cum pouring into the cooler body in thick ropes. He held himself inside, hugging Daniel as the human relaxed, almost melting in his arms.

"So, which do you like better?" Cassius asked, nipping the human's ear gently. "Fucking me, or being fucked by me?"

Daniel grinned and chuckled. "To be honest... I think my favorite is whichever we happen to be doing at the moment." He admitted, and the two kissed gently before Cassius released his grip and let his cock slip free.

They finished their shower without further incident, and shared breakfast and coffee, chatting about local news, nothing important. All too soon it was time to go though, with Daniel being needed on the set before long. He dressed up and the two shared a final kiss, Cassius leaning naked out of his door to kiss Daniel, before the human finally insisted he really had to go.

Sighing contentedly, having had a much more pleasant evening than he'd any right to have expected, Cassius flopped down on the couch and pulled up his datapad, reviewing the scenes he was going to be shooting. Most of them looked pretty standard, action, drama, character building. The stuff that he'd all been expecting.

Then he saw the last one in the list and his eyes widened a little.

Well, he thought. It had to happen eventually.

Part 2

Cassius woke fairly early the next morning. After a day of rehearsing his lines and going over the schedule for the upcoming week he'd gone to bed early, knowing he'd need his strength for the work the next day. He woke with a little groan, getting up and rubbing his face plates, dragging himself out of bed and down to the kitchen to start coffee and breakfast.

That done, he proceeded to the shower, setting it nice and hot before stepping in, sighing as the steaming water fell over him. He washed quickly, shaking himself awake and giving himself a good polishing for the work to come. Cassius turned the water off and dried himself off quickly with a towel, getting most of the water before he turned on the blowers to start shooting hot air over himself, getting the rest.

While he stood there waiting, turning gently to let the air blow over every nook and cranny, he picked up the bottle of lube from the shelf, drizzling it over one finger and rubbing it on. Cassius reached down, letting out a little huff as he slid the slicked up finger into himself. He stood there for a couple minutes, letting the hot air dry him, gently opening himself up with a probing finger. A minute later he got out, smiling as he heard the chime from the kitchen.

Before he went to breakfast though he stopped by the bedroom again, opening one of the drawers in his cabinet. Nestled inside was his collection of sex toys, in all shapes sizes and colors. He selected a vibrant purple recreation of a turian cock and went down to breakfast.

He turned on his screen with a spoken command, tuning it to local news, a steady flow of mundane concerns adding decent background noise to the morning. He transfered his breakfast to the table, and paid idle attention to some story about a food processing plant going on strike over fairly dubious reasoning while he idly spread lube over the toy in his hand.

Snorting a little at the news story, he fixed the dildo to his chair and carefully sat down on it, his loosened hole stretching slowly around the synthetic shaft. "Ngh." He grunted, lifting himself up a little before he sank back down, giving his hips a little wiggle before he groaned, finally sinking fully down onto the shaft. "Fuck..." He groaned, eating his breakfast and giving his hips the occasional wiggle.

He finished his breakfast, and reached down to disconnect the dildo from the chair, letting the faux shaft stay lodged up his ass as he put the plates in the washer and poured himself another cup of coffee. He sipped it, looking out over the Citadel's shining cityscape. With his free hand he reached down, gripping the shaft and thrusting with it, occasionally grunting as the ridges popped in and out of his hole. He kept at it though until it was gliding in and out with minimal resistance.

Cassius finally pulled the toy out, cleaning it in the bathroom before he returned to his bedroom, opening the toy drawer again. He took a deep steadying breath and drew out a few more items. He started a screen in the bedroom, playing the next episode of a show he'd been watching on and off for a while now, just wanting something to divert his attention for a little while.

He dropped the three items he was holding on the bedsheets. The first rolled a little, the lube bottle from before full of shimmering liquid. The second landed with a little 'plop' noise, a plug of shiny black rubber. The third made a disturbingly loud 'flop' as it hit the silken sheets, and was the largest dildo Cassius owned.

He stared at it, slightly intimidated for a long moment before he crawled up onto the bed. It had been a gift from Daniel, appearantly based on some earth animal called a horse, and he'd thought it was a joke. The human, smirking, had assured him that Cassius would be thanking him eventually. Now Cassius knew why.

Half paying attention to the show, he spread lube over the synthetic shaft, making sure it was very well lubed up before he prepared to take it. Bracing the base on the bed, he knelt up, gasping as the flat, blunt tip roughly pushed his cheeks apart to press against his hole.

Cassius grunted, shaking himself side to side, trying to relax as much as he could and coax the huge toy into himself. When the flared tip finally popped into him he arched his back almost enough to make it fall out again. "Fuck!" He shouted, looking back over his shoulder at the long length left outside him. "Gotta do it now. No time later." He grunted, sinking slowly down onto the enormous toy.

It was slow going, and he kept having to slide back up it and get comfortable before going further down, but Cassius was feeling intensely proud of himself as he worked more and more of the enormous shaft inside his body, stretching himself out so much he was surprised there was that much room inside him at all. He thought it was good enough when he managed to work three quarters of the enormous fake cock into himself, and flopped onto his side, sliding the shaft in and out of himself with a contented sigh.

"Daniel, you cheeky clever bastard." He muttered, watching the show on his bedroom screen while he idly fucked himself with the enormous toy. Eventually though it was time to get ready and go to work, and he let the huge shaft slide out of himself, feeling strangely hollow without it. Before his hole could have a chance to recover though he popped the large plug into himself, grunting at the feeling of it lodged in his rear.

Cassius got up, wiggling his hips a little and getting used to the feeling of it stuck inside him, making sure in the mirror that it wasn't visible so long as he wasn't spreading himself open. Pausing only to clean off his toy and put it away, he got dressed and headed for the skycar pad on the roof, forcing himself to walk normally despite the large plug stuck up his rear.

Walking with a butt plug in was a skill he'd gotten down a long time ago. Few may wear them regularly, but they were hardly rare in most nightclubs or more exciting bars. It saved on prep time later, and they could be fun in their own right. It was for the former reason that they were rather common in the film industry. A day of shooting was a busy, drawn out affair, and there generally wasn't time for in depth sex prep before a scene. Even worse, stopping mid scene for a drawn out process of prepping would probably throw the actors off their groove, something to be avoided at all costs. So, if you knew you were going to be taking a dick up the ass in a few hours, you stretched yourself ahead of time and stayed stretched.

Still, this plug was a bit bigger than what he was used to. Would make things easier in the long run though so he'd just have to deal with it. Cassius grunted softly as he sat down in his car, the automated navigator taking off smoothly and slotting him into morning traffic on the way to the studio. It was a short flight and soon enough he was setting down inside the facility, heading towards the right sound stage, reviewing the script a final time on his omnitool as he went in.

A few minutes later he was in the changing room, stripping out of his street clothes and pulling on the costume left hanging in his locker. He heard the door hiss open behind him and looked up to see a mocha skinned salarian enter, already nude. Jirkart played the ship's mechanic, and it was a running gag on the show that he would either have to get naked to squeeze his limber body into some access shaft to perform maintenance, or else hook his jumpsuit on some protruding item and get it pulled off in comical fashion. The ever calm and practical salarian character barely reacting to the stares or appreciative whistles his naked form drew from the other characters.

"Already got your jumpsuit off eh?" Cassius asked, mandibles twitching in a grin.

Jirkart shrugged, opening his locker. "The story of my life. This time it got caught on a cargo lift and peeled right off me as I was standing there, it was a rather impressive practical effect actually, the crew did a good job."

Cassius chuckled, pulling on his captain's jacket. "You've still got a bit of oil on your lower back." He pointed out, the salarian nodding as he cleaned himself with a damp cloth.

"My thanks. Still have much to do today, personal scene with Daniel to shoot in an hour. Not sex. Dialogue, character development. Hear it's not going to be the same for you."

Cassius shrugged. "Yeah, figure the writers are done teasing the audience. After my scene with Daniel I think they're gonna make up for lost time with my sex scenes. Not going to be too long before we're shooting one together."

The salarian pulled on his next outfit and nodded quickly. "Yes yes, expect it to be in next episode or two, wonder what position we will be in. You are quite endowed by most standards, but have heard ass is quite pleasant."

Cassius smirked. "Daniel been talking about me then?" He asked, finishing putting on his costume.

Jirkart flashed a grin. "Perhaps. In any case, must run now, speak later. Best of luck today Cassius." The salarian said, hurrying out of the room.

Cassius nodded and waved, letting the door close. He stood in the silence, alone, waiting by the door. Breathe in, breathe out. He closed his eyes, breathing steadily, silencing his thoughts. Renegade captain, a matter of honor, brought to the brink, everyone counting on me.

Captain Nemaeus opened his eyes and opened the door, walking briskly down the hall towards his ship.

Everything went smoothly for the first few hours. The situation was hectic of course, it always was on a project like this, a new episode finished every week set a frantic pace they had to keep up to. But it was something he'd  gotten used to since joining on. The plot was dominated by the damage incurred in the last battle, leaving the ship dangerously underpowered. Nemaeus was dealing with the stress of his situation and trying to keep a strong face for his crew, knowing that another fight would end them if they were discovered by someone. He had a couple conversations with the other crew to shoot, then a scene of looking over their state of readiness. There was a quiet, private scene of him holding up his naval insignia, reminding himself he was a renegade now, and reviewing the evidence of corruption he'd found, almost deciding to send it off to the public before sighing and shutting down the link.

He stuffed down a brief lunch after that, checking the script again for the next scene, standing just off the set. Soon enough though it was time to begin, doing a final check to ensure he looked the part, Nemaeus focused himself and went inside. He mentally edited out the camera drones hovering about the room, capturing the scene from various angles on their whisper silent hover motors. His attention was drawn singularly to the looming presence in the middle of the room.

Strox, the krogan mercenary. Powerful, boastful, demanding, but with a hidden thoughtful side that few ever glimpsed. He was a towering figure, a giant in his heavy battle armor, pacing back and forth across the room.

Nemaeus paused at the edge, crossing his arms. The krogan continued his pacing, glancing over at his captain before grunting and not saying a word. The turian waited for a long moment, then broke the silence. "You've seemed pretty agitated for a while now." He noted, stepping closer, letting his hands fall to his sides.

Strox grunted, not looking at his captain. "Haven't had a good fight for a while now. Always gets my blood up, I wasn't made to be stuck shipboard for this long."

Nemaeus followed the krogan's pacing with his gaze. "We haven't exactly had it easy lately, much more fighting and there wouldn't be a ship to be stuck on."

The krogan snorted contemptuously. "Ship combat, nothing to do with me. All I had to do was hang on while the deck pitched about. No boarding actions, nothing. Haven't been able to sink my fist into something for too long." The krogan looked antsy for sure, tapping a balled fist into the palm of his hand as he glanced about.

Nemaeus' eyes narrowed slightly. "You're afraid." He said softly, an observation, not an accusation.

The krogan stopped his pacing at once and whirled about. "I am not afraid!" He almost shouted. "I fear no one. Nothing." He said firmly.

Nemaeus refused to be cowed, he dipped his chin thoughtfully, then looked back up. "No, I've never known you to be afraid in a fight, but that was when you had an enemy you could see. You're afraid the ship is going to come apart around you, when there's nothing you can do about it. That you're going to get vented into space, or the reactor will go critical, and you won't even see it's coming."

The anger in the krogan's eyes dwindled and died out, and he huffed, resuming his pacing. "I never liked being on ships." He looked up and around. "Little bubble of metal and plastic keeping you alive, one good hole and..." He grunted again, swinging his arms.

"I understand. All the same I can't have you pacing a hole through the deck, you're setting everyone on edge, and we're wound up enough as it is without you snapping at people." Nemaeus said firmly.

The krogan grunted. "Pyjak shouldn't have been poking about in my room." He grumbled.

"Jirkart was not 'poking about', there was a fried out power conduit in your wall." Nemaeus said in a steady, professional tone.

Strox grumbled darkly. The character had a well concealed and very conflicted crush on the salarian engineer.

"So..." Nemaeus said, trying to draw the krogan's attention. "Isn't there anything you could do to relax, a little? Go punch a cargo container, clean your guns?"

Strox shrugged, flexing his arms like he was in the middle of a workout. "Guns cleaned already."

Nemaeus nodded. "Hit the gym then, work the tension out there."

The krogan snorted derisively. "There's no weights on the ship heavy enough to strain me, wouldn't be worth my time."

Running a hand over his crest, a little exasperated. "Okay then what do you suggest?"

Strox grunted and tossed up his hands. "I don't know! I can't fight and I can't fuck, I feel like I'm gonna explode."

Nemaeus blinked, scratching the back of his neck, then venturing to ask. "Why exactly can't you fuck?"

The krogan looked at him like he was stupid. "No one on the ship could take me."

Crossing his arms and looking somewhat bemused, Nemaeus cocked his head. "You sure about that?"