The Eyrie

[Iestyn Nova]

[member="Veronika Nova"]


The Eyrie
Planet 3549-ZRS-12


“Sorry, I won’t let that happen again,” Ryan replied, looking to his feet.

“There’s no need to apologise, simply do it again properly,” Iestyn replied, before turning to his screen. There were several stations around this lab on the Eyrie. It was the general office room most of them used for day to day analysis. In the centre of the room was a rectangular specimen table, where Ryan was currently perched, his laptop in front of him.

“I can’t tell if he’s angry or not,” Ryan whispered to his colleagues. He was the newest member of the research team and was still adjusting to the fact that the Novas rarely pulled any facial expressions and had a very complex system of colourings to display emotion.

“Oh you’ll need this!” Quarm, the Nautolan postdoc responsible for mentoring him said, passing over a double sided sheet of paper. “It’s the Novas cheat sheet.” Quarm was a tall and broad shouldered Nautolan with deep teal skin. Ryan had found him a touch intimidating at first, but it turned out he was one of the most laid back people he'd ever met with a good sense of humour.

Ryan took the sheet reading down the list. It was very long. Iestyn was clearly aware of their discussion but chose not to respond. Running a finger down the sheet he found a line with ‘faint silver ripples of the mottling’ corresponded to faint amusement. With three separate colourings corresponding to the base skin, mottling and stripes it was a fairly complex system. Several of the lines ended in a question mark. Several had additional notes against them. The line for mild annoyance was against green stripes, but the note read: "Mottling turning yellow - getting more annoyed. Mottling going silver - considering your point of view. Mottling going red - ??"

“It works both ways mind. He watched me grimace carefully for a whole day before I explained I'd had an operation on my knee and was in pain. Then he promptly sent me home!” Quarm said with a grin.

“That's just your face Quarm!” Ellis said from behind her monitor. She was the other postdoc and some kind of human offshoot; Ryan could never remember which kind. The junior researcher, Howell, wasn't in the lab yet. He didn't tend to arrive until near midday and would then continue analysis until the small hours.

“No, it's the similar expressions,” Iestyn interrupted. “Hard to tell if it's amusing or excruciating pain. Much like havering Quarm around.” Yellow dots flickered across his skin. Ryan read ‘mild amusement’ off his sheet.

Iestyn stopped typing and smiled, revealing that he did in fact use some facial expressions. His base skin colour turned a light shade of pink.

“What’s the one?” he whispered across the specimen table to Quarm. The Nautolan didn’t reply, but held up a closed fist. Three fingers were extended and he pointed them towards the door. With each shake of the hand he curled up a finger and right on cue the door opened.

Veronika walked in, as vibrant and graceful as ever with skin a stronger, deeper shade of pink. She made a beeline straight for Iestyn and wrapped her arms around him from behind.

“Good morning,” Iestyn softly cooed, staying seated but turning his head up to affectionately nuzzle the side of her face. Ryan furrowed his brow.

“Don’t ask them not to do that in the workplace,” Quarm hissed quietly. “You’ll soon find out the colour for angry.”

 

[Veronika Nova]

“Good morning,” Veronika breathed out, smiling against Iestyn’s smooth shaven cheek to press a loving kiss there. Her vibrant crimson hair was tucked behind her ears, allowing Quarm and Ryan the vivid display of seeing the teal spots flare brightly against that backdrop of coral.

“Did you eat yet?” her concern for him and his well being was apparent, her hands sliding over his chest to give him a slight squeeze. Another nuzzle and the rest would hear her offer, “I can bring you some fruit if you like?”

Quarm and Ellis were the only ones who had heard the stories about the bizarre courtship between the Nova’s, with the former the only one to have actually seen the spats during a collegiate invitation to a conference during the first year his doctorate training. Needless to say, it was still a rather drastic change from what he’d seen then.
“Do you have those stats Quarm?!” Ellis, a bit more empathic to the situation would call out in between checking sample data on her monitor and entering a new sample for diagnostics in the NMR spectrometer.

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

 

[Iestyn Nova]

[member="Veronika Nova"]

A broad, content smile bloomed on his face at the kiss, his lids falling half closed. His stripes flashed silver in pleasure. His eyes looked up to Ryan who abruptly shut his mouth and got his head back into his work. “Hmm? Oh no, but that would be lovely thank you,” he replied airily. Like most scientists they had a habit of forgoing the essentials once they were on a roll with their work. They looked out for each other and could between them manage to act like a fully functioning domestic individual.

“Nearly done!” Quarm replied with a grin. Given that he’d been playing with one the samples when asked, Iestyn guessed he hadn’t been doing anything to do with the stats when the inquiry came.

He swung his screen around to face Veronika. It showed an overhead view of something moving along in rocky terrain. With three powerful lower limbs it took a strange gait across uneven terrain. Then it moved at incredible speed forwards. An ochre rock suddenly changed colour as it was grasped, going a dull grey. What followed was rather grizzly.
“I suggest we keep the drones tracking all Predator 217’s we’ve seen and don’t go within a kilometer when out on foot,” he said. The world wasn’t particularly hospitable, but was safe with a simple breathing mask.

 

[Veronika Nova]

Veronika gave a slight frown, the teal highlights upon her mottled spots of pleasure fading as her lavender eyes took in the rather morbid sight with the clinical eye of a Xenobiologist. Brow ridges would give a slight furrow in contemplation. A rich amber colored her stripes.

“Hrm,” came her slight hum, “More activity than we expected.” Veronika went leaning forward a bit, brushing along her mate’s shoulder as she brought up a zoom. Her eyes would skim the readouts. “Closer to Site 32.” they were exploring a section of the planet Xesh - Osk - 9372. Site 32 contained an area of about 50 kilometers of semi-arid desert.

Predator 217 was quickly becoming apparent to be a rather territorial creature. A narrowing of her eyes and her mottling would turn a bright jade green. Curiosity.
“It is not consuming it.” another small tap and zoom. Indeed, the killing blow had lent to a rather bloody mess, but instead now hung within Predator 217’s mawls.

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

 

[Iestyn Nova]

“They're quite bulky things. I'm assuming they're stockpiling for dust storms,” he mused. He hastily scribbled that down on a scrap of paper for further testing. This region of the planet had quite long dust storms that forced creatures into hiding.

“I've been thinking about that actually. The world has a remarkable microbiology. We saw how long it takes a carcass to decay here, do you think we should be using full environmental suits? The DMZ wipes any contaminants in an out, but perhaps it's too risky? Who knows what galactic microbes might do. They could destroy the whole ecology!”

Whilst his tone was clinical, Veronika wouldn't need to see his facial stripes changing Teal to sense his emotional change. This world was utterly fascinating. Perhaps some of her interest in fieldwork was finally starting to rub off. A mated pair tended to share emotional states through their connection, so it stood to reason that behavioural responses also altered to become more common over time.

 

[Veronika Nova]

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

A kiss would press to his temple. “It would behoove us to take the precaution. At least until we get an accurate sampling.” her mottled spots rippled with a teal hue at her delight at his enthusiasm. She gave another rub of her cheek against his.

“I will get you your fruit. Send me the rest of the data and I will work on the report.” she gave a glance at her chrono-watch. “Our next excursion will be in about six hours. Did you want to come for sampling or view the dust storm from a distance?” humor would travel across their bond and ripple with mild amusement with a light blue flare of her stripes.

They had samplings to collect on each site every other day. So far, their readings and collections had gone without any trouble.

“What is the weather prediction for today, Ryan?” Veronika asked, straightening to turn towards the newest member of the scientific research team. While her voice was cordial and focused upon the young human. He caught her interest due to his graduate work.

Ryan picked up his head, a bit surprised to be called out. So much for staying under the radar. “There is a dust storm, but heading northeast. Site 34 should be clear of it.”

 

[Iestyn Nova]

Every touch sent a flash of white across his mottled patches and another distant look to his eyes. “Thank you love,” he replied. He turned back to his datapad, putting the feeds from the drones to the background of his window. He kept the tracks for the predators up on another screen. Whilst he’d become more accustomed to fieldwork he still hated having to get so close to unknown and potentially deadly creatures.

He’d heard of Terenteks and other such horrors before, but he was hardly going to stay on the orbital station and watch drone feeds whilst Veronika worked.

“Do you reckon I should see if Professor Fillimore wants to get involved?” He asked. “You know he’s always keen if there's a chance at getting his name on another paper, and he might add some value. He can be a bit unpleasant, but he’s a good microbiologist.”

 

[Veronika Nova]

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

“A bit unpleasant, but exemplary in their field?” Light blue would ripple anew, and remembrance would colors her thoughts at the slight chord of familiarity, “Depends if he will demand to be cited at every opportunity.”

Her expression would appear rather listless, but there was a notable twinkle in her eyes. The amusement at the small poke of fun would echo through their bond. Their courtship had been a rather bizarre turn of events. Some might say a holodrama in and of itself. From holoblog commentaries, to colorful public spats that would give anxieties as much as entertainment, theirs was certainly not the typical wooing.

One would wonder what other Lovalla had thought of it.

Professor Fillimore, all quips aside, indeed was an intelligent and capable microbiologist. He also had no qualms about diving into fieldwork. Her mother had mentioned him before on his research with PharmaTech as a consultant in the mysterious Hutt flesh eating disease. Affectionately known as Nemro’s disease, it was actually a rather bizarre flesh eating virus that only affected Hutts. There was talk of a potential cure and that Fillimore’s research has thus far proven well enough to begin clinical trials.

 

[Iestyn Nova]

“Pushing one's own work shows nothing more than confidence,” Iestyn quipped. “As aggravating as it might become over time." His stripes turned a pale blue shade, with a ripple of emerald across his mottling - the combination the equivalent of a wry smile. It wasn't long ago, after their first synchronised scarlet day, that they had laid exhausted and discussed their courtship in a frank manner. They'd come round to the realisation that his cries for attention had been a sign of his cowardice at not approaching her more honestly. In turn he'd revealed how he had believed her far too beautiful to take such an honest expression seriously from him, at which point she'd pointed out how seriously she'd taken him when he'd finally plucked up the courage.

The wordplay would be entirely lost on the research team. This time on account of it being a private joke. Normally the pair liked to play word games around the junior researchers to see if they'd pick up the habit. Humans could be so very plain with their language.

 

[Veronika Nova]

"Indeed." her own stripes shifted blue and that same emerald ripple swept over her mottling. Matching wry humor, "Valid point. Such acts may bear fruit sooner or later."

"Comm him, we can set a time to discuss what Professor Fillimore would require."

Ryan would glance at Quarm quizzingly, glancing down at his cheat cheat to try and discern the ever fluid shift of colors and what they meant. There were some similarities between Doctor Veronika and Doctor Iestyn; as a mated pair, they had a tendency of matching hues. However, among that mercurial shift were notes of individualism.

A grimace went rippling across the newest research member's swarthy visage. Quarm would merely shake his head, his lekku lightly quivering as the Nautolan grinned, his swirling inky black eyes returning his attention towards the data streams he owed Ellis.

"Does anyone else desire any fruit to eat?" Veronika would pan her attention back towards the Post Doc's and their newest teammember. A lingering caress would stroke across Iestyn from left shoulder to right, as if even unconsciously the Lovalla couldn't remain long without providing a means of affection.

"I already ate, thank you, Professor Nova." Quarm would say, which of course, panned the attention over to Ryan -- who immediately found himself feeling like one of Ellis's slides under the microscope. Her eyes were an incredible bright indigo purple, jewel-like to a degree. For a Lovalla, she was particularly striking, explaining the speechlessness her lifemate had found himself under when he first regarded her at that conference.

"And you, Ryan?" They had some time before they would prep for the excursion to the surface.

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

 

[Iestyn Nova]

[member="Veronika Nova"]

A new couple, Ryan thought. That's what they reminded him of. A brand new couple that constantly remained in contact, touching affectionately without a care for what anyone else thought. His attention was split between her eyes, the mottling on her cheeks and the piece of paper before him.

"He's been given the cheat sheet," Iestyn explained flatly. He turned to Quarm, then back to Veronika. "I could fill it in for them, but where would be the fun?" he flashed the nautolan a rare smile.

"Don't suppose I could have a caf?" Ryan asked in a very quiet voice.

 

[Veronika Nova]

"A cheat sheet?" the smooth ridge-line of Veronika's brow rose in piqued interest. Much to Ryan's growing alarm, the female Lovalla's long legs crossed the distance between Iestyn's desk and his perch. Her stripes went rippling into a deep amber hue, the scattering of mottled spots a vibrant jade green in curiosity.

"Is that so?" Her vibrant indigo eyes swept over the male, reaching over to pluck the sheet of filmsi from his hands.

"I.. ah." A pleading gaze for aide was shot at the Nautolan's direction, who instead contained his amusement and held his hands up. The poor soul had little recourse but to pathetically grimace awkwardly as his boss took the sheet in hand and began to skim it.

"Just..." another stammer, with a flush of embarrassment now coloring his cheeks, along with a healthy dose of awkwardness. What Ryan didn't know is that this little scenario happened at some form to all the crew members. They all had their own unique experience with trying to figure out what the Nova's color changes meant due to their rather stoic and aloof demeanor when not conducting public displays of affection.

"And where is your cheat sheet, Ryan?" Veronika would wonder aloud as she peered over the edge of the filmsi, noting his own color change as pink darkened his cheeks.

Ellis snickered.

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

 

[Iestyn Nova]

[member="Veronika Nova"]

"No one ever needed a cheat sheet for Ryan!" Ellis added. "Those times his brains moves fast enough to be described as thought it's pretty obvious what he's thinking."

Ryan turned a slightly darker shade. She was referring to a private incident between them at a bar before they'd set off on this mission when he'd been caught looking where he shouldn't have been looking.

"Just don't correct the mistakes on the cheat sheet," Iestyn called. His stripes were typically a blueish purple, but as hard as he tried he couldn't stop them from turning a lighter blue in amusement. There weren't actually any mistakes on the sheet, last time he'd seen it, but he liked to keep them on edge. Despite the reveal, he was rewarded by Quarm looking aghast at this instruction.

 

[Veronika Nova]

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

"Well, we would not be promoting the virtues of scientific theory and method if I were to correct any," while her tone would remain cordial and aloof, her stripes would lighten in growing amusement, her mirth made all the more vibrant by the brighter teal mottling upon her skin. The cheat sheet would reveal that the Novas were quite amused by not only Ryan's but Quarm's reactions.

"Let us see.." Veronika couldn't help the slight twitch at the corner of her lip when Ryan began to squirm. Her lavender gaze went over the annotations. Base color. Stripes. Mottled spots. There was even a section on their glow highlights. Actually this was rather thorough. When she finally reached the 'Red base color : ???' her eyes gave a slight widening at that. The silver of her skin turned a slight shade of jade in embarrassment. It only reminded her that a Red Day was soon approaching.

"Well," she would hand the sheet back to Ryan, a subtly flustered in a way Iestyn would understand. "There are merits to observation." her attention drew over towards the Nautolan, who quite likely briefly wondered if he did get any wrong.

"We will depart for the surface in less than two hours." she relayed, taking a few steps as her bright magenta hair swung around her shoulders and her back. For now, she'll leave the teasing in Iestyn's hands. She had some food to bring to her life mate lest he keeled over from too much work.

 

[Iestyn Nova]

Ellis knew exactly what a red day was. She'd been with them during a laborious funding round when the pair had tried to work through a red day. By midday the frustrated, twitchy Lovalla were so irritable she'd sent them home back to their nest and finished it all off herself. Of course the biology of a Lovalla was reasonably well documented on Holopedia, but writing it down on the cheat sheet would have seemed...crass. Every employer of Lovalla pairs in the galaxy knew they got one day off every few months, it just got written down as 'medical reasons' and no one spoke of it. There were plenty of biological quirks of species across the galaxy that employers had to deal with: species that needed special keyboards, species that hibernated, species that couldn't tolerate working an eight hour day.

Iestyn meanwhile was momentarily distracted by watching his wife leave. Just because Lovalla had no sexual desire outside of a few days a year, didn't mean he couldn't appreciate her beauty as she walked away. His father, a softly spoken man in is late one hundred and thirties, had remarked with disbelief that Iestyn could have attracted her the first time they met. Iestyn was close with his parents, but all Lovalla families were small and tight knit. He knew Veronika’s parents very well now. Siblings, however, were a rarity in Lovalla culture. He returned to the probes. Wanting to be certain none of those predators would be near their exploration site.

 

[Veronika Nova]

[member="Iestyn Nova"]

A smile would flirt along Veronika's lips as she slipped past her mate. Within her gaze held an expression of open affection and pleasure, all the more emphasized by the flare of rippling cobalt mottling across her skin. They were going into their nesting phase again. It always happened whenever they were coming up on a Red Day. One would suggest that the desire to take care of one another and see to each other needs already was pretty high, but come nesting, they became more physical about it.

There were times when Veronika simply could just lay in Iestyn's arms, snuggled close. Other times she would enjoy helping him dye his hair, knowing that he delighted in the constant change and the vibrant color. For a Lovalla, expressing themselves through such means was important. She herself enjoyed the bright magenta and crimson hues. Often she would even go along a bright cobalt that faded into indigo.

They may not feel sexual desire beyond the four times a year, but they were very affectionate. After five years, she had quite become attached to the Si'nesh. Most at home would wonder why she chose a mate from the Western North, and Veronika could only smile. It was his intellect that had first stirred her. His scientific journals that she poured over during her graduate work that truly struck her. While most could consider Iestyn to be a softly spoken and reserved individual, she had seen him at his element then.

That had attracted her to him more than any color display. Granted, their courtship did start on shaky ground. Wandering to the galley, Veronika felt her mind drift in recollection.

It all began with the holo-blog commentaries...

 

[Iestyn Nova]

[member="Veronika Nova"]

Whilst people asked Veronika why she'd fallen for him, almost no one asked Iestyn why he had fallen for her. The answer wasn't the obvious one. Certainly, her bright plumage, long legs and shapely waist had caught his eye. Yet Lovalla mated for life. They did date to test the waters, but there was no such thing as casual sex in their culture. They found the concept very strange. It took a much deeper connection than looks to draw two love birds together.

He cocked his head to the side a fraction as she spoke. His stripes slowly darkened to a shade or ochre as he listened to the speaker with rapt admiration. She was clear, concise yet providing enough detail. She was bold. What she was presenting was somewhat controversial, but she sold it. When she started to field questions she dealt with them brilliantly, displaying her depth of knowledge in her field. Exceptional for one only recently out of her first post doctorate. Suddenly he looked a little flustered. First of all he had to control his colourings. For a male it was all too easy to start flaring bright colours at finding interest in a female and that would be wholly inappropriate in the setting. Secondly he was rapidly trying to think of something intelligent to ask. He needed to engage with her, but had been more concerned with her delivery than thinking of anything. Damnit, but she was leaving the stage now, he colours showing how pleased she was with herself. Iestyn sighed and simply watched her until she took her seat again. He knew how he could get her attention...

 

[Veronika Nova]

[member="Iestyn Nova"]


Fresh fruit was hard to come by with their travels. However, whenever Veronika had the chance, she ensured that they had plenty of it onboard and in the preserver. Lovalla were herbivores, and their diet consisted of fresh greens, fruits, nuts, and all manner of berries. Sometimes there were a few delicious fungi that also were tossed into the mix, but making sure it was fresh and raw ensured that their systems received plenty of nutrients.

While there were such things as vegan protein bars or polystarches, they never really settled well with their digestive systems. Bread was a special treat, and care had to be taken on the quality and type of starch they were able to dine upon.

This instance, they had plenty of fruit from their last stop at an agriworld. While they bought the bulk of their food, Veronika had an extensive hydrophonic garden on the ship specifically made for their travels. It was a product of her father’s design, a proud fact that would bring a notable warmth to her heart whenever she spent time in the garden. It was there where she tended to a crop of vegetables, herbs, small fruits, and botanicals.

Even their cabin was not spared the treatment. There were many hydrophonic plants in varying pots and hanging baskets carefully set throughout. Some of which had traveled with Veronika since her post graduate term. All these thoughts came to mind as the brightly plumed Lovalla carefully began to slice bitesized pieces of fruit for her lifemate.

He had his favorite of course, and Veronika especially went out of her way to select the ripest, juiciest ones she could find. Up here in space, everything had to be timed correctly. Consideration on anti-gravity, the length of their research would take, storage, and the flora’s own typical life cycle that would allow the perfect time to harvest. Being a professor of xenobiology with a specialty in botany and a father who was a horticulturalist allowed her to go the extra mile to calculate it.

All so that Iestyn could have a small snack of his favorite fruit.

Perhaps a bit too dedicated, but for Lovalla, this sort of thoughtfulness and concern for their Lifemate’s wellbeing and joy was just the norm.

Granted, it hadn’t always been like that, Veronika mused, the knife sliding with a steady rhythmic sound. Serving Professor Villiam his favorite platter of fruit had not crossed her mind when she first received those holo commentaries.

Aghast and the fleeting thought of making him eat his words had.

 

[Iestyn Nova]

Iestyn let out a long sigh as he skimmed the abstract of the paper on the screen before him. He could feel the changes starting the happen. A colleague had asked him, biologist to biologist, what it was to experience the change. Iestyn likened it to a human going through puberty, but compressed into a week. That sudden surge of chemicals and hormones had side effects. There were the intended things. A heightened awareness of the lifemate, a nesting desire and a need to stay close. However it also made him swing between sad, irritable and elated. His joints and muscles could become quite sore in the lead up. Even his parts could ache a touch. Veronika could be particularly snappy and quite aggressive over the last few days. Males had evolved to put on a show to attract a mate, but the females were the larger and more powerful sex and would ward off other females near a red day.

Last Red Day they'd taken an additional day off. That had been a tip from another couple Iestyn had known for a long time, Merrion and Fescht. They'd spent the day in bed and he'd soothed her with song and gentle stroking. That had kept them far more relaxed through the build up. Typically after the first coupling a lot of the tension melted away. Not that Red Days were ever relaxed as such, they were…energetic. Last quarter it was only after 21 energetic encounters that they'd fallen asleep sated.

Merrion and Fescht had a five year old Kyckling now. Apparently the side effects of the build up to a Red Day actually lessened after a couple had their first. Though most Lovalla only had one and they were not the most fertile creatures. With a typical lifespan over two hundred years even when they reached the point when they decided to have a child it could take years to conceive.

Iestyn was very careful about the timing of visits to his old friends. He conspired with Fescht to place them near the beginning of their hormonal cycles. Female Lovalla were well known to be a little snappy around others. They often only formed long term relationships with females that were related, or if they met as kycklings. Veronika had taken a disliking to Merrion when she'd found out that Iestyn had once attempted to catch her attention many years ago. Merrion was generally defensive because Veronika was…well because she was stunningly beautiful. It was odd for Iestyn to see first hand how they were a product of their evolution. They were perfectly rationale creatures all of them, but still beholden to their biology.



”You were quiet today Iestyn?” one of his peers asked as the academics milled around the tables of biscuits and cakes. The scent of caf was strong in the air; the engine of academia if there ever was one.

“Oh, you didn't notice when he stopped bothering the poor students?” a Twilek asked. Iestyn was known for asking brief, but cutting questions that could utterly undermine a postgraduate’s work.

“Oh?”

Iestyn didn't reply, eyes on his datapad. He was trawling the work of young Doctor Nova. The green tone that reached his skin was nothing to do with the light of the screen.

“Doctor Nova’s work on genetic modification for adaptive fauna for colonisation?”

“But he's not a botan…oh!”

“Yes, speaking as a biologist I believe the brighter the colourings, the more attractive the Lovalla, that's right isn't it Iestyn?”

The green turned quite dark.

 

[Veronika Nova]

[member="Iestyn Nova"]


Tatiana, a biochemist with PharmaTech, has been friends with Veronika since they were flatmates during their undergraduate work. The Zelosian, a rather vibrant and social woman, ironically got along famously with the Lovalla. It helped that the Zelosian female was not Lovalla herself, allowing for the two to become friends. It was hard for two female Lovalla to become intimate friends unless they were relatives or had met each other as kycklings.

Honestly, Veronika considered herself to be a rather reasonable woman. She typically kept her cool, and as mild mannered Lovalla were, she was well within that aloof spectrum where she quietly enjoyed the social scene in and out of a professional environment.

Unless it was the lead up to a Red Day. On that week, well… it was hard enough to keep her own focus as much as the bite from her words. That had been the trouble, you see, when Iestyn had first made his holo-commentaries. It had been to a lead up to a Red Day. At that time her body was going through all the changes. Her chest was tender to the point that even the brush of fabric from her blouse would incite a sensitive response. Temper was short and she gained a kilo through it all. Building mass as it was, as female Lovalla had a tendency to be a bit territorial when it came to their lifemates. Granted, even if one didn’t have a lifemate, the urge to mark territory as it was is still there.

If there ever was a day where Lovalla truly became vibrant, it was the week following a Red day. There was almost no control of the color changing then when presented to a potential mate. With Lovalla having a low reproduction rate, their biology made it so that around Red Days, their pheromones would attract and help sync their lifemate’s hormones. It typically takes several red days, but the lead up triggers the other physiology. Typically they run at about once a quarter, but when syncing, those days could shorten a week or so on both ends to allow a proper sync up.

Thereafter, it is the constant, well encounters that allowed the delivery of prostaglandins that maintain the sync up and strengthen their bond and co-dependency. Their empathic bond is as every bit biochemical as it is emotional. This explains why when separated from their mate, it is quite possible that a long term Lovalla couple would not be able to survive it.

---

“You were brighter than normal, Vero.”

The statement sent a ripple of jade green over the Lovalla’s visage and shoulders. Blinking rapidly, Veronika gave the Zelosian small flutter of her hand in a gesture for her to keep quiet. They were currently at the post-graduate social, where several of the other presenters were chit-chatting in the wake of the conference.

“You were even glowing.” the subtle smirk would dance across Tati’s lips, enjoying the glass of juice as she swirled it round and round.

“I was just excited to present, that is all.” The small taps and tinks of her nails would dribble along her fluke. Indigo eyes would try to both search the crowd and seem indifferent at the same time.

“Is that why you volunteered to be last?” There was a knowing glitter in her best friend’s eyes.

“I was just being considerate.”

“Right,” a fluke of champagne was handed over to her then. “The fact that Professor Villiam was in the front row seat had nothing to do with it.”

The jade green turned to a vibrant emerald.

“So that’s why you were practicing fielding questions in the mirror the past two weeks…”